Grille (artillery)

Grille Ausf. M

Grille Ausf. M on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum.
Type self propelled artillery
Place of origin Nazi Germany
Service history
In service 1943 - 1945
Wars World War II
Production history
Produced 1943 - 1944
Number built 383
Variants ammunition carrier
Specifications
Weight 11.5 tonnes
Length 4.95 m (16 ft 3 in)
Width 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in)
Height 2.47 m (8 ft 1 in)
Crew 4
Armor 10 mm - 15 mm
Main
armament
 1× 15 cm sIG 33
15 rounds
Secondary
armament
 1× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
600 rounds
Engine 1 x Praga AC, 6-cylinder petrol engine
147 hp (110 kW)
Suspension Leaf spring
Operational
range
 190 km (120 mi)
Speed 35 km/h (22 mph)

The Grille (German: "cricket") was a series of self propelled artillery vehicles used by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Grille series was based on the Czech Panzer 38(t) tank and used a 15 cm sIG 33 infantry gun.

Development

The original order for 200 units of the Grille, was to be based on the new 38(t) Ausf M chassis that BMM (Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik) was developing, however delays caused production to start on the 38(t) Ausf H chassis, using, in some cases, the older 38(t) tanks returned for factory refit.

Grille Ausf. H

The first variant of the Grille was based on the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. H,[1] which had its engine in the rear. The turret of the tank was removed and replaced by a low-slung superstructure and fighting compartment.[1] The 15 cm schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33 (heavy infantry gun) was mounted in the front of this armored compartment. Being built on a tank chassis, its hull armour was 50 mm (front) and its superstructure armour was 25 mm (front)[1]

A total of 91 (including one prototype) were produced in the BMM (erstwhile ČKD Praga) factory in Prague from February to April 1943. The official designation was 15 cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. H (Sd.Kfz. 138/1).

Grille Ausf. M

The second Grille variant was based on the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. M, which had its engine in the middle.[1] As with the earlier version, the turret was removed and replaced with a new superstructure and armored compartment.[1] Unlike the older variant, the fighting compartment was located at the rear of the vehicle, as well as somewhat smaller and higher. The main gun was also the 15 cm schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33.

From April to June 1943 and then from October 1943 to September 1944 a total of 282 vehicles were produced.[1] This was the last vehicle built on the Ausf M chassis as the 10 that had been allocated to the Flakpanzer 38(t) chassis were used to build Grilles instead.

The official designation was 15 cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33/1 auf Selbstfahrlafette 38(t) (Sf) Ausf. M (Sd.Kfz. 138/1)

Ammunition carrier

As the Grille had limited ammunition storage, a dedicated variant was built based on the Ausf. M chassis; this was designated Munitionspanzer 38(t) (sf) Ausf.K (sdKfz.138/1). The gun was replaced with ammunition racks; the vehicle could be converted back to normal configuration in the field, by mounting the 15 cm gun onto it. Production totaled 120 vehicles.

Combat history

Both versions were intended to take service in the schwere Infanteriegeschütz Companies within the Panzergrenadier Regiments, inside Panzer and Panzergrenadier Divisions, in their heavy infantry gun units. Each detachment had six available.

Surviving vehicles

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rickard, John. "Grille/ 15cm sIG33 (Sfl) auf PzKpfw 38(t) ausf H, M". http://www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 29 July 2014. External link in |website= (help)

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

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