Self propelled artillery

The dates I have are these.
M7 HMC as April 1942
M8 HMC as September 1942,
I got these from the American AFV Data Base site.
Yan.

 

I am sure both the 75mm & 150mm Infantry Guns could be used as either Direct Fire or for Indirect Fire with a FOO, because they were organic parts of an Infantry Regiment, they could be adapted to fire both modes at the Regimental Commanders discretion.
Yan.

 

I have been through my data and come up with stuff concerning the 15cm IG:

Standard 15cm sIG 33 L/11

Elevation: -0° to +73°
Maximum Range: 4.700m

AFV Mounted Variants.


Pz I sIG 33 IB (15cm L/11)
Elevation: -4° to +75°
Maximum Range: 4.550m

Pz II auf Fahrgestell (sf) (15cm L/12)
Elevation: -4° to +75°
Maximum Range: 4.550m

Pz 38 (t) Sd Kfz 138/1 GRILLE (15cm L/12)
Elevation: -3° to +72°
Maximum Range: 4.650m
This was the VIII Serie TNHP, Gerat 805, the X Serie TNHP Gerat 806 was a similar AFV but the gun mount was different, and it had the same elevation as the ground fired sIG 33.

Pz 38 (t) Infanteriegeschutz 33/2 (15cm L/12)
Elevation: -0° to +73°
Maximum Range: 4.700m

Pz III Sturminfanteriegeschutz 33B (15cm L/11)
Elevation: -3° to +25°
Maximum Range: ??????????????? I cannot find the maximum range of this gun, has anyone got any idea.

Yan.

 

Thanks yan for the information,

 

I don't get this...how could their be no advantage seen. They get in place, shoot, get out quick if the need arises. This wasn't seen?

 

I think in part it's once again the difference between direct and indirect fire weapons. Many of the tactical advantages are more relevant for direct fire, like the German infantry guns. On the other hand, if you're calling for say a fire mission from a battery of 105s, the effect is the same if they're towed or SP. The differences are mainly in the ability to keep up with the troops in mobile warfare and the time it takes to set up and be ready for action. SP artillery operates much the same as towed, it moves to an assigned location, takes a little time to set up, then stays there providing fire support until told to relocate, at which point it's out of action again until it gets 'bedded in' at a new site. SP is a few minutes faster; the Self Propelled Artillery Questions thread below has some very informative posts.

SP can also displace faster if it needs to, but you're trying to avoid a situation in which your artillery has to 'bug out' in less time than it takes to limber a gun!

Like anything else, the benefits of SP have to be weighed against the costs, both literal procurement and the 'cost' of supporting them in the field. One thing I'm still curious about, I assume SP artillery depends on a supply chain of trucks for anything more than their basic load of ammunition, not to mention fuel, rations, etc. Sustaining an SP battalion in action might involve as much motor transport as a towed, plus the SPs themselves and their fuel.

 

The soviet s.p.arty simply amazes me.Would you put say the su-122,su-152,and later isu-122,and isu-152,into the assault gun category,?or arty,?,like the su-76.? I think I'm right in assuming that the 122mm,and 152mm,were arty pieces in their own right.?

 

The soviets were fanatic about standardisation, despite that there were two pretty different 152 (KV-2 and SU-152) and 122 (SU-122 and JSU-122) guns mounted in SP chassis. AFAIK they were all assault guns, (even the SU-76), maily meant for direct fire, though the guns on the KV-2 (M-10 Howitzer) SU-152 (ML-20S Howitzer), SU-122 (M-30 Howitzer) and SU-76 (Zis-3Sh gun) were adaptations of standard fied guns, while the gun of the JSU-122 (D-25S gun) was a tank gun derived from the A-19 field gun.