The M52 self-propelled howitzer was one of the first SPGs of the newly founded West-German army. The type was introduced in 1956 to replace the M7 Priest, which was at best a training-vehicle and already obsolete since the early 1950s.
It featured an enclosed combat-compartment mounted on a semi-rotatable turret (60° to the left and right) with a 105mm howitzer, which was a big improvement over the casemate design of the M7.
Overall, the M52 was not very popular with the German artillery brigades, as the fume-extractor rarely worked properly, resulting in the build-up of smoke and debris in the enclosed turret, reducing combat effectiveness and even putting the health of the soldiers within the SPG at risk.
The M52 served with the Bundeswehr until 1966 in various artillery-brigades as the main self-propelled howitzer, with a range of roughly 11km. The M52 was replaced by the M110 and M107 SPGs in 1966.
Conclusion:
I personally think this would be a fun and interesting vehicle for Germany, which could be used as a direct-fire assault-gun. The 12,7mm M2 Browning is always useful on any tank it is mounted on, and the 60° of turet rotation gives this SPH more flexibility than for example the Brummbär or similar German casemate assault-guns.
Any data on the ammo? I am a bit worried it won’t fit in-game if it has no anti-tank capabilities and if it goes too low in BR, some people will be upset for it facing up WW2 vehicles.
It fires everything the M4A3 (105) fires plus HESH. Also, people getting mad a this vehicle of all vehicles for fighting WW2 vehicles is very much a non-issue, in my opinion, especially when we get things like the 2S1, 2S3, AuF1, and Type 75 that also very regularly fight WW2 vehicles yet no one complains.
Do you know how the HESH would perform? I’m having a hard time finding info on it.
On another note, it would be cool if it had a solid AP round too so you could shoot through light obstacles without the round going off, which HEAT has a tendency to do.
Someone on the old forum told me that it was around 102mm of pen. Not much but a HESH buff would easily make it a very deadly round. I’m not certain where they got that number so take it as you will. With regards to some short of solid round, I haven’t come across one. If you want to get really fucky with it, however, there is the M67 TP round, which is a balletically identical and inert training/marksmanship version of the M67 HEAT round. If added to the game, it would function as a really shitty solid shot round.
