A German howitzer as an "assault gun"

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a little story and its query........................

Direct hit on a gun.

On June 25, we come in the evening for the first time against unexpectedly strong resistance. The Kradsch. Btl 38 is in heavy fighting. A howitzer of the 3. Battery is called as "assault gun" (Sturmgeschütz) and pulled forward, to break the resistance. At the bridge Mikiance - Baranje a bloody night skirmish developed. The advanced gun receives a direct hit, there are dead and wounded, the operation is a failure!.

A severe shock! It is the first setback, we are experiencing in this new war with Russia. We feel some of the stubbornness of the enemy and of his often opaque tactics. It's all so different that in France a year ago. The advance guard breaks contact with the enemy into the night. We are forced to leave the gun at night, after burying the lock as a precautionary measure. All attempts to retrieve the howitzer in the darkness, fails.

At dawn on June 26, following orders of my battery chief, Leutnant Wunderlich (KIA on July 8, 1941 in Polotsk) I have to reconnoiter a B site (OP) and set it up at the Height 183. We dig us.

The battery officer manages to retrieve in the early morning of that day with courage, prudence and determination the abandoned gun with volunteers without losses. A particular merit had the driver of the tractor. It was extremely difficult for him to carry out this maneuver on narrow paths, while expecting a raid of the Russians. Or they've been moved away under cover of night?.......................

Source: Heinrich Schafer „Unser Kameraden - erschlagen! Beider Vorausabteilung der 18 Division im Juni 1941" - AK 8-9/1973, s. 26-27. http://imf.forum24.ru/?1-6-20-00000018- ... 1269198831

How often the German needed to employ their artillery in that way, did the howitzer fires on direct mode, open sight or the German developed some kind of assault fire (an indirect fire mode to engage hard targets)? TIA. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; something more...............................

German howitzer in direct fire!

By noon the AA managed to seize Magierow. Already in the morning 5 Russian tanks were destroyed. Again in the afternoon others 6 heavy Russian tanks were knocked out. Mostly due to the action of the Le FH with (anti?) tank shells. The 3,7 cm pak guns fired without success against the enemy tanks. (Jäger am Feind. Die Panzerschlacht von Magierow).....

Although the pictures were not located at Magierow but along the road Zdroj - Nemiroff, could give an idea the situation.

Source: http://nemirov41.forum24.ru/?1-4-20-00000001-000-160-0

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Pz III]

Hi Raul, From what I have read German artillery/howitzer units ( mainly 105mm and 150mm ) were issued special shells that could be used to engage and destroy tanks when necessary. The howitzers would be used in a direct fire mode but I am not sure if a separate sight was issued for this or not or whether the guns were simply bore sighted onto targets. Maybe another member is better versed in those details and can chime in.

Rich

[Eax-E]

Hello,

The same optic was used with F.H. PzHr as Rich just said, but it was uncomfortable due to the fact that both handweel were on separate sides of the tube and the firing mechanism was not triggered by a " to push button" as with Pak, but on the breech side with a landyard.

Regards

[Sheldrake]

All guns, howitzers and mortars can be used to engage a target with direct fire, where the gun detachment can see the target as well as indirectly when they cannot. Historically some guns have been equipped with iron and telescopic sights to help the layer to engage the target. Dial sights, which allowed the layer to lay the gun with respect to an arbitrary reference point became the main sights for artillery pieces which normally engaged targets indirectly (as well as some machine guns) A dial sight can be used as a direct sight in a procedure used as "direct laying dial sight"

The Germans used howitzers as accompanying artillery in the latter years of WW1. All arms battle-groups would follow storm troops and employ artillery in the direct role to reduce strong points isolated by infiltration. Manchester Hill near St Quentin fell on 21 March 1918 only after the Germans brought up artillery and fired at point blank range into the position. The British and French would use tanks for this purpose. The Germans made do with field artillery.

The German Infantry Guns which provided the 13th(?) company in each Regiment were intended to be used in this way. The self propelled howitzers SIG 33 guns and StuG assault guns were logical extensions of this approach.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thank you very much Rich, Eax-E and Sheldrake for shedding light on this topic . Cheers. Raúl M .

[Pz III]

No problem Raul - you're welcome