- Yes
- No
0 voters
The well known and loved Wespe was a stopgap solution that turned out to be better and more than just a stopgap to get a mobile and nimble 10,5 cm LeFH 18/M L/28 to the front after the rather failed Waffenträger IVb programm. It was build on an redesigned Pz II Ausf. F chassis after the success of the Marder II tank destroyers, giving it a new sloped front designe to save weight, placed the engine in the middle to create workingspace in the back where the 10,5 cm LeFH 18/M L/28 was placed in an superstructure.
While rather cramped it was still big enove to work with, as well as considdering that it is build on a light tank chassis with a gun more than 5 times as big as its original gun.
Pictures:
Specifications:
Length: 4.81m
Width: 2.28m
Height: 2.3m
Weight: 11 tons
Engine: Maybach HL 62 TRM 6 cylinder with 140Ps/2600rpm
Speed: 40 kmh
Armor: May also be increased by having tracks hanging down the supersturcture like the Sturer Emil ingame.
Front Side Back
Hull: 30mm/15° 15mm/90° 10-15mm
Superstructure: 10-15mm 10mm/17° 8mm/16°
Armament: 10,5 cm LeFH 18/2/M L/28 32-40rounds
10,5 cm 10 sec reload (aced) or less conciddering its light nature -5° to +42° and 20° traverse each side
Aphe, He and Heat (and by british as well as amarican source also Apcbc Pzgr Rot)
Pzgr. Aphe 14 kg 480 m/s 238g (304,64g aquivalent) filler 71mm/10m
Pzgr. Rot Apcbc 15,56 kg 470 m/s 250g (357,5g) 84mm/10m
F.H. Gr. He 14,81 kg 472 m/s 1,75 kg filler 22mm/all
Gr. 39 Rot Hl/B Heat 12,35 kg 495 m/s 2,53 kg filler aquivalent 100mm/all
Gr. 39 Rot Hl/C Heat 12,35 kg 495 m/s 2,53 kg filler aquivalent 115mm/all
F.H.Gr. F He 14,81 kg 540 m/s 2,21 kg filler
F.H. Gr. Nb. Smoke 14 kg 480 m/s 50g smokestuff dont expect much
Source:
German Explosive Ordanance Projectiles and Projectile Fuzes
Geschoßringbuch Band I
Merkblatt für die Munition der leichten Feldhaubitze 18
Panzerartillerie
Firepower for the Panzer Divisions Thomas Anderson
Panzers I & II Germany’s Light Tanks Bob Carruthers