Grille (artillery)
| Grille Ausf. M | |
|---|---|
| 300px
Grille Ausf. M on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum.
|
|
| Type | self propelled artillery |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943 - 1945 |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1943 - 1944 |
| Number built | 383 |
| Variants | ammunition carrier |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 11.5 tonnes |
| Length | 4.95 m (16 ft 3 in) |
| Width | 2.15 m (7 ft 1 in) |
| Height | 2.47 m (8 ft 1 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
|
|
|
| Armor | 10 mm - 15 mm |
|
Main
armament |
1× 15 cm sIG 33 15 rounds |
|
Secondary
armament |
1× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 600 rounds |
| Engine | 1 x Praga AC, 6-cylinder petrol engine 147 hp (110 kW) |
| Suspension | Leaf spring |
|
Operational
range |
190 km (120 mi) |
| Speed | 35 km/h (22 mph) |
The Grille (German: "cricket") was a series of self propelled artillery vehicles used by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Grille series was based on the Czech Panzer 38(t) tank and used a 15 cm sIG 33 infantry gun.
Contents
Development
The original order for 200 units of the Grille, was to be based on the new 38(t) Ausf M chassis that BMM (Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik) was developing, however delays caused production to start on the 38(t) Ausf H chassis, using, in some cases, the older 38(t) tanks returned for factory refit.
Grille Ausf. H
The first variant of the Grille was based on the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. H,[1] which had its engine in the rear. The turret of the tank was removed and replaced by a low-slung superstructure and fighting compartment.[1] The 15 cm schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33 (heavy infantry gun) was mounted in the front of this armored compartment. Being built on a tank chassis, its hull armour was 50 mm (front) and its superstructure armour was 25 mm (front)[1]
A total of 91 (including one prototype) were produced in the BMM (erstwhile ČKD Praga) factory in Prague from February to April 1943. The official designation was 15 cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. H (Sd.Kfz. 138/1).[citation needed]
Grille Ausf. M
The second Grille variant was based on the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. M, which had its engine in the middle.[1] As with the earlier version, the turret was removed and replaced with a new superstructure and armored compartment.[1] Unlike the older variant, the fighting compartment was located at the rear of the vehicle, as well as somewhat smaller and higher. The main gun was also the 15 cm schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33.
From April to June 1943 and then from October 1943 to September 1944 a total of 282 vehicles were produced.[1] This was the last vehicle built on the Ausf M chassis as the 10 that had been allocated to the Flakpanzer 38(t) chassis were used to build Grilles instead.[citation needed]
The official designation was 15 cm Schweres Infanteriegeschütz 33/1 auf Selbstfahrlafette 38(t) (Sf) Ausf. M (Sd.Kfz. 138/1)
Ammunition carrier
As the Grille had limited ammunition storage, a dedicated variant was built based on the Ausf. M chassis; this was designated Munitionspanzer 38(t) (sf) Ausf.K (sdKfz.138/1). The gun was replaced with ammunition racks; the vehicle could be converted back to normal configuration in the field, by mounting the 15 cm gun onto it. Production totaled 120 vehicles.[citation needed]
Combat history
Both versions were intended to take service in the schwere Infanteriegeschütz Companies within the Panzergrenadier Regiments, inside Panzer and Panzergrenadier Divisions, in their heavy infantry gun units. Each detachment had six available.
Surviving vehicles
- A "Grille" Ausf. K is on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen, USA.
References
Bibliography
- Chamberlain, Peter, and Hilary L. Doyle. Thomas L. Jentz (Technical Editor). Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two: A Complete Illustrated Directory of German Battle Tanks, Armoured Cars, Self-propelled Guns, and Semi-tracked Vehicles, 1933–1945. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1978 (revised edition 1993). ISBN 0-85368-202-X; rev. ed. ISBN 1-85409-214-6.
Further reading
- Trewhitt Philip, 1999, Armoured Fighting Vehicles, p 104
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External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grille (artillery). |
- World War II Vehicles
- Gw. für 15 cm s.I.G. 33/1 (Sd. Kfz. 138/1): S.P. Heavy Infantry Howitzer (on Czech Chassis) (Catalogue of Enemy Ordnance, 1945)
