Bison

German

 

Bison (Sturmpanzer II)

Even before the Sturmpanzer I entered service , plans were made to develop an improved version based on Panzerkamfwagen II 's chassis and components . When the PzKpfw II became obsolete in 1941 , a large number of these tanks were still operational so they proved to be a perfect base for conversions.

In October 1940 , Alkett completed a first prototype based on PzKpfw II Ausf B's chassis , which did not provide adequate space for the large gun and it could not absorb the firing recoil . On February 18 , 1941 it was decided to build the Sturmpanzer II on modified and turretless chassis/hull of PzKpfw II . The chassis was slightly widened and lenghtened in order to make room for the gun and an additional sixth roadwheel was added . The first Sturmpanzer II Bison ( lenghtened version ) was produced in August 1941 . By January 1942 , a total of twelve was produced by Alkett ( 7 were produced in 1941 and 5 in 1942 ).

The main armament of the Bison was a 150mm sIG 33 L / 11.4 heavy infantry gun which was mounted in the shield that extended straight across the full width of the superstructure . The gun had a range of 4700 meters and it could be used as a heavy infantry gun or as a heavy mortar , depending on its elevation and the initial speed of the projectile . Sturmpanzer II was operated by a crew of 4 . Its performance was poor as its weak engine often overheated and the vehicle had bad maneuverability.

All 12 vehicles were grouped into 707th and 708th sIG Kp ( heavy infantry gun companies ) and were shipped to Libya , North Africa from February to April 1942 . They proved to be prone to constant mechanical breakdowns and only few were operational by using the other ones as sources for spare parts . Eight were lost in the fierce battles for Tunisia in December 1942 , while the other four served with the Deutsches Afrika Korps until spring of 1943 when the last of them was abandoned and set on fire by its crew . Based on the experience with Sturmpanzer II , the more practical and successful Wespe was developed and produced.

By Pz_Tobruk

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Crew: 4 (commander , two gunners and driver )

Weight: 16.0 tons

Dimensions: 5.48 x 2.60 x 1.98

Armor (max):30 mm

Range: 100 km

Speed (max):15.0 km/hr

Main gun: 150 mm L/11.4

No. Produced: 12