Today we’re pleased to present the long awaited Hummel! This powerful SPG will be joining the lower ranks of the German research tree in the next major update.
s.FH 18/1 (Sf.) auf III/IV Hummel: An SPG for Germany at Rank II
At a glance:
- Various shell types, including HE, SAP, and AP-TS
- Powerful 150 mm cannon!
- Poor protection
- Average mobility
In late July 1942, a new directive regarding SPGs came from German high command. For medium SPG platforms, the planned 105 mm guns were deemed too underpowered for the platform, and going forward all heavy SPGs were to mount 150 mm guns instead. This effectively killed the in-progress Pz.Sfl.IVb project, and support was redirected to a new design.
Selecting a hull was the first hurdle, the Pz. III chassis was steadily becoming obsolete. The Pz. IV had potential, but came with its own tribulations. The solution was to create a hybrid design incorporating elements of both, such as the transmission, drive sprocket and final drive from the Pz. III, and the suspension of the Pz. IV. This design came with compromises, the most challenging of which was the placement of the engine, which had to sit under the huge 150 mm sFH 18 howitzer. This made field maintenance a regularly daunting task, as the entire gun array had to be removed in order to service the engine.
One advantage was the large internal space the crew had to operate in, which aided in comfort and loading. A downside to this however was the lack of space for ammo storage, having room for only 18 rounds, which often necessitated Hummels to be supported by specialized ammunition carriers.
In service, the Hummel was not highly rated by crews. On top of the maintenance issues, its suspension and relatively weak engine made traversing wild terrain difficult, and constant mechanical failures paired with a staggering lack of spare parts put a lot of Hummels out of action outside of combat. Despite this however, the Hummel did fulfill its goal; it could keep pace with armored divisions and provide heavy artillery support where needed, though it was ultimately held back by mechanical stress and design limitations.
Introducing the Hummel!
It’s been a long time coming, but we’re very pleased to finally be adding the Hummel to War Thunder! Germany is already well stocked when it comes to high-caliber ground vehicles, so what makes the Hummel different? Well, quite a bit actually! Let’s have a look.
We’ll start with the most interesting part here, the firepower. The Hummel will be able to equip a surprisingly large variety of shell types. Aside from two HE shells, the Hummel will also be able to equip smoke, HEAT, SAP (Anti-Concrete), and a very special APHE shell. The Hummel can field the 150 mm Pzgr 39 TS shell, which is effectively an APHE-Sabot containing a 88 mm Pzgr 39 round, giving the Hummel a very potent anti-tank shell that will be more than capable of penetrating anything at the rank!
So much choice! How will you ever decide which shells to take into battle? Well, it may be a bit of a challenge. The Hummel can only equip a maximum of 18 shells, and while you will have access to an ammo crate to replenish your stocks, if you wanted to take an equal mix of every shell type into combat, you’d only be able to equip 3 shells of each, so pick your ammo wisely.
Did you know? Hummel means “Bumblebee”, following the insect-based names of other German artillery, like Wespe (Wasp) and Grille (Cricket).
So, what else can you expect from the Hummel? Well aside from the firepower, the remaining aspects of the vehicle are very similar to the Nashorn. They share the same engine, chassis, and round off at roughly the same weight as well. This means the Hummel will have relatively average mobility, but quite a quick hull traverse, which is a very handy trait for a turretless vehicle. Armor is the primary weakness of course, the vehicle is completely open topped and barely bulletproof, only able to withstand rifle caliber rounds.
Positioning the Hummel will be a tricky task, it only has -3 degrees of gun depression which almost entirely limits it to flat ground. Defensive positions at range are the most ideal for the Hummel. Though, nothing is stopping you from having a brawl if you’re confident and quick on the trigger!
That’s all for today, we hope you’re as excited as we are to play the Hummel when it arrives to the research tree in the next major update. Until then keep checking in, and we’ll see you shortly for even more!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
You can kick-start and greatly speed up the research of the Hummel with these packs:
- Sd.Kfz. 140/1 (Rank I, Germany)
- Ju 87 R-2 (Rank I, Germany)
- Premium Account for 7 days
- 120.000 Silver Lions
- 4.99
- Store
- Tiger Ost (Rank III, Germany)
- Tiger West (Rank III, Germany)
- Ostwind Ost (Rank III, Germany)
- Premium account for 15 days
- 1000 Golden Eagles
- 34.99
- Store
