- Yes
- No
I would like to suggest this Opel Blitz 3,6-36 S with an early Steel Wheel 10,5 cm LeFh 18 L/28 which not yet has a muzzle brake (not that important, tho that means that it cant fire the F.H.Gr Fern.)
I put this copy of the original Suggestion here, as it fell through the grid, as cince there is no direct proof of them actively fireing the gun from the truck, it in some mods eyes falls under the rule of “transportation Vehicle”. So as to not waste the suggestion, and to let people see who are interested (especially in Opel Blitz Trucks) i post that here.
Its simply the gun put on the Flatbed, fixed im place (the split appart legs of the gun are visible at the back, with aparently spare parts and possibly ammo to the sides and sandbags to the front. So it would be a mostly unarmored fast gun with the only armor beeing the Sandbags in the front as well as the gunshield (and the Wood panels).
This suggestion and vehicle is itself very simple and cheap “Put the gun on the Truck and call it a day” exactly like these suggestions, which where both a dedicated build and simple field “conversions” as these were very easy to make and simple, with the adantages to not need to prepare the gun position, decople towed guns, push it to the position, but instead drive to the location and fire from the vehicle.
In game it could be placed relatively low to be mostly a fun quick Truck as well as important fire support especially in an uptier against light to even the heavyer tanks such as M4A3 (105) and Matildas and Churchills.
The History:
The Opel Blitz 3,6-36 S was one of the most common standart 3 ton truck of the company Adam Opel AG. Opel Blitz (series name, also shared with bikes) 3,6 (engine displacement) - 36 (wheel base). Produced from 1933-1944 in 3 versions and further development still in use in the 1970s.
During the ww1 Opel was allready an important producer of military used Trucks and vehicles (as well as civilian ones). After the war this changed to normal vehicles until the 1930 when again such trucks were produced for the army with low and high flatbed and later with simple wooden “Einheitsfahrerkabine”.
While the 3,6-36 was one of several different versions this was perhaps the most common and seen on many photographs and film material.
Often times guns that are either towed or stationary were placed on the back of Trucks and halftracks to create SPAAGs and SPGs, such as these 2 previously suggested Opel Blitz Trucks with 2 cm C/38 and 2x Mg 151 Drillings.
These where quite liked and needed often, as the guns kept getting heavyer and heavyer, while the production quantity of dedicated SPGs and SPAAGs couldnt keep up with the demand, while the advantages are obvious, such as, quick reaction time, no (or little depending on the task) preperation time, as well as speed and manuverability even on uneven grounds to keep up with the main force and continue their close protection.
The Gun this time put on it is a early (no muzzle brake) 10,5 cm LeFH 18 L/28 with Solid rubber, Steel Wheels intended to be towed by a truck. Tho here placed on its flatbed instead.
The gun was a further development of the 10,5 cm LeFH 16 L/22, allready put into service in WW1 as a range and power improvement over the LeFH 98/09 L/12 (or L/16), with the LeFH 18 beeing such upgrade again, by improving the recoil cylinders, adding another over the barrle, lengthening the barrle to L/28 and giving it a even greater new ammo loadout. While overall now a very good and solid designe there were plans to further increase the range by giving it L/30 and L/35 barrles, tho beyond some prototypes and small series production it was never replaced and keept beeing the main field howitzer gun, from the beginning to the very end, with a wide range of ammo for all targets, be it reinforced structures, counter artillery, infantry and tanks. (For more details look below in the ammo tap.)
The Gun:
10,5 cm LeFH 18 L/28
6 rpm, -5° to +42° elevation, 56° Traverse Unknown ammo storage backspace of the truck would offer around 40-80 or more rounds (compared to the other quite small SPGs with the gun such as on Lorrain Schlepper (f)).
Ammo:(Click to show)
Ammo Types: Apcbc, Aphe, He, Smoke, Heat, Canister Shot, Apcbc-DS, He-DS
Ap:
Pzgr. (Aphe) 14 kg 238g (304,64g aquivalent) filler 480 m/s 72mm/10m
Pzgr. Rot (Apcbc) 15,56 kg 250g (357,5g) 461 m/s 82mm/10m
Gr.39 Rot Hl/B (Heat (No Tracer)) 12,35 kg 2,53 kg filler aquivalent 495 m/s 105mm/all
(More Pictures in Hl/C)
Gr.39 Rot Hl/C (Heat) 12,35 kg 2,53 kg filler aquivalent 495 m/s 115mm/all
(Early no Tracer, implemented during production.)
He:
F.H.Gr. (He (TF) (No Tracer)) 14,81 kg 1,75 kg filler Fp.02 und Np.10 (2,24 kg TnTa) 470 m/s
Utility:
F.H.Gr. Nb. (Smoke (No Tracer)) 14 kg 50g smokestuff dont expect much 480 m/s
Kt. (Canister Shot (No Tracer)) 15 kg 465 m/s
H.Schr.16 (Shrapnell-TF (No Tracer)) 15,6 kg 0,2 kg Blackpowder 461m/s
450 Steelballs of 13,8mm
Some incendary effect by the pitch around the balls.
The Vehicle:
Opel Blitz 3,6-36
Weight: 2,48 ton
Speed: 85 km/h
Engine: 3,6 liter OHV 6 Cylider 75 PS engine (Later to increase lifespan governed to 68 Ps)
No armor
Turning cycle: 13,1 m
Length / Width / Heigth: 6,05 / 2,26 / 2,02 m (without gun)
Source:
Opel Blitz Manual
Geschossringbuch II
Munition der 10,5 cm LeFH
WW2 German Film Archiv
Private Gallery/Ebay Auction
Waffen und Geheimwaffen des deutschen Heeres 1933-1945 (Fritz Hahn)