15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B

[ThunderGod985@psn 16]

I would like to propose the addition of the 15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B.

 

History:

 

The 15 cm sIG 33 (Sf) auf Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf B, often referred to as 'Sturmpanzer I' or 'Sturmpanzer Bison', was a vehicle born out of experiences during the Invasion of Poland. Motorised infantry units equipped with Sig 33 cannons found they often had difficulty keeping up with the panzer spearheads ahead of them, the gun was heavy and without motorisation became a difficult piece of equipment to haul into battle. To address this problem, it was decided the best solution would be to directly mount the Sig 33 canon on a motorised chassis and with the obsolescence of the Panzer I as a combat tank, it was decided that the vehicle would be based on its chassis. The first prototype was produced in January of 1940 and, with the vehicle deemed fit for purpose, 38 more were rolled off the production line, ready and fit for battle by March 1940. The 38 'Bisons' were all committed to infantry gun companies numbering from 701-706. These would be attached to panzer divisions preparing for the attack on France and would be divided amongst them. The vehicle proved to be an effective alternative to towing the Sig 33 but did have issues, such as the extra weight on the Panzer I chassis causing a high amount of mechanical breakdowns. In addition to this, the thin armour of the gun shield and high silhouette made for an easy target for allied opponents, posing no issues for enemy tanks and providing a tempting target for enemy troops to throw grenades into from high windows. Nevertheless, the devastating firepower of the Sig 33, matched with the mobility of a tank proved to be a deadly combination and the few Bisons were used extensively during the campaign in France. The 'Bisons' continued to see service after the fall of France, being committed to the 2nd, 5th and 9th Panzer Divisions during the invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece where it is presumed none were lost to enemy action, being withdrawn at the conclusion of the campaign as Nazi Germany prepared to attack The Soviet Union. The 703rd company and vehicles of the 2nd Panzer Division wer to be shipped to Taranto, Italy but all were lost on the 21st May 1941 when the ships carrying them were sunk by naval mines. In spite of this, the 703rd, along with the rest of the infantry gun companies, were ready for the start of Operation Barbarossa. All 6 companies would be involved in heavy fighting as the Germans came up against stubborn Soviet resistance and as the months of combat wore on, more and more vehicles were lost to a combination of combat losses and mechanical breakdowns. Any losses were unlikely to be replaced given the rarity of the modification with only 2 Sig 33 guns and 5 panzer I chassis provided to the 701st Company in 1942, far less than needed to cope with repeated losses throughout the campaign. By 1943, the only unit left with the vehicle in operation was the 704th Company attached to the 5th Panzer Division, with only 2 'Bisons' in service. The gradual phasing out of the vehicle is put down to the poor performance of the Panzer I chassis likely leading to units favouring conversions to more modern vehicles on which to mount their heavy guns. 

 

Description and Features:

 

As previously stated, the Bison was based on the chassis of the Panzer I and remained almost entirely unchanged in that regard, hence the propensity for mechanical failure due to the additional weight of the Sig 33 canon on a chassis not equipped to cope with the it. In fact, the only thing changed about the chassis was the removal of the original turret and superstructure to provide space for the Sig 33 to be mounted. The vehicle was equipped with a 3 sided, thinly armoured U-shaped superstructure, mounted toward the front of the vehicle with the gun shield of the Sig 33 sitting behind an opening at the front for the barrel to protrude through. The rear of this was equipped with folding flaps to provide the crew with more space if needed and it was also equipped with 3 vision ports to enhance visibility. The superstructure was about as well protected as the Panzer I chassis itself, 10mm thick on all 3 sides, providing protection against little more than small arms fire. 

 

As an extra note, It is also worth mentioning that while the 'Bison' was intended for artillery support, it is known to have been used in a direct fire role and was captured on film doing so, the video of which I will provide at the bottom of the article. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A video of the 'Bison' being used in a direct fire role: 

 

 

Specifications: 

 

 

Dimensions: (L-W-H) 4.67m x 2.06m x 2.80m (15’3″ x 6’8″ x 9’2″ ft.in)

Total weight (battle ready): 8.5 tons (17,000 lbs)

Crew: 4 (commander/gunner, driver, 2 loaders)

Propulsion: Maybach 6-cylinder NL38TR water-cooled, gasoline, 100 bhp

Armament: sIG 33 15 cm howitzer (5.9 in), 3 HE rounds stowed on board, additional ammunition supplied by other vehicles. 

Armor: From 5 to 13 mm front (0.2-0.5 in)

Speed: (on/off road)40 km/h (25 mph)

Range: 140 km (87 miles)

Total production: 38

 

 

Sources: 

https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/SiG-33_Bison.php

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15_cm_sIG_33_(Sf)_auf_Panzerkampfwagen_I_Ausf_B

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/self-propelled-artillery-bison.html

 

Edited October 25, 2020 by ThunderGod985@psn
Corrected incorrect specifications

[Princess_Pinch 5,625]

Open for discussion. 

[JoyV 163]

Yes! More low tier meme machines like this please!

[Milocat 4,854]

Does it really carry 30 HE rounds?  I thought I remembered reading somewhere that the vehicle didn't carry any shells on itself and used an ammunition trailer.  

 

If it does carry its own ammo then a definite +1 from me.

[apiece_ 127]

Eh, it seems kind of unnecessary when it would fulfil the same role as the existing Sturmpanzer II and, if anything, would encourage more skilled players to play low tier more frequently, which is a horrible experience for someone new to the game. I think a lot more people would be more enthusiastic about something a bit more unique, not just effectively, another Sturmpanzer II. 

[HMSD33Dauntless 1,257]

It doesn't carry 30 rounds according to an older forum post, it only carries 3 with additional rounds being carried in trucks or modified Pz.Is.

If you looks at the size there's no way 30 rounds could possibly fit inside of it, though I do have to wonder if it's really true only 3 shells could possibly fit inside the vehicle, surely more could be placed somewhere. If it is true, though, luckily it could probably be given an extra shell as there's already an extra one in the breech. That being said, I don't care if it wouldn't be that effective in-game due to the low ammo count, I still think it would be nice to see as a researchable vehicle in the German tree, most likely with the Sturmpanzer II being foldered with it and coming after it (The Sturmpanzer II does not need to be 1.0). Having a field gun with its wheels still attached just set on top of a tank is really cool looking, and the gun is hilariously big for the chassis. They may need to add additional reload points on the map to make it more viable, probably one at the spawn, but I still want to see it.

 

Also fun fact, the Sturmpanzer I Bison was actually implemented into the game as a playable vehicle in its very early stages at some point, but apparently never made it through the closed beta tests. I'm kinda disappointed it was removed, even if it wouldn't have been very good, especially because the model was already there. (Not my photo, but it's been floating around online for a while)

Edited October 25, 2020 by HMSD33Dauntless

[CaID 8,996]

So high profile, so squary, nowhere to hide this. I think its great. At least the gun is useful. It have my support

Edited October 25, 2020 by CaID

[ThunderGod985@psn 16]

Thanks for the info guys, I've corrected the specifications in regards to the ammunition. I got them from Tanks Encyclopedia so I have no idea where they got that from, unless it's a typo. Having only a 3 round ammo capacity is a problem but hopefully the devs can find a solution to that if they decide to implement the vehicle. It's very interesting the Bison was in game during the close beta, I don't remember it being in the German tech tree but that was quite a while ago. Hopefully it wasn't excluded for gameplay issues as that would kind of invalidate it as a proposal but I suppose time will tell on that one. 

Edited October 26, 2020 by ThunderGod985@psn

[PrussianOwl 440]

I feel like I've seen this thread before, but +1 anyways

[Chad_Gaming 2]

tank

[eleks12 1,079]

+1

[GuglielmoII 297]

+1

For more information on this vehicle, there is this splendid article: https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/sig-33_bison.php

[Insanerobert 307]

Sadly, it has not enough ammo to sustain a viable role in-game. 

[Ghostmaxi 873]

7 hours ago, Insanerobert said:

Sadly, it has not enough ammo to sustain a viable role in-game. 

Why not? Gaijin might as well add some more, because 1. The crews of the vehicle themself carried more rounds in the standart packaging on the vehicle.

2. The 12 cm Chi-Ha Long Shlong, has a box on the back, which didnt exist in real live, they just copied it over from the Ho-Ro to have a place to store ammo.

[Insanerobert 307]

11 hours ago, Ghostmaxi said:

Why not? Gaijin might as well add some more, because 1. The crews of the vehicle themself carried more rounds in the standart packaging on the vehicle.

2. The 12 cm Chi-Ha Long Shlong, has a box on the back, which didnt exist in real live, they just copied it over from the Ho-Ro to have a place to store ammo.

 

If it's a viable option then sure, but usually some self-propelled artilleries were always followed by a 2nd vehicle designed to carry ammo for you if they lacked the space for an ammo rack or to supplement a long-time fire barrage. But we also have other options for other vehicles that included a heftier ammo rack, like Wespe, Grille or the Hummel, plus other captured tanks modified to motorized artilleries with over 20 rounds/rack.

 

I would also suggest an AI vehicle as ammo carrier, to be spawned and allow for resupply and could be ordered to move to specific locations or just follow your vehicle.
Or perhaps add ammo trailers to the ones with low ammo count? The same how Churchill Crocodile has for it's flamethrower, they're not as practical as a dedicated ammunition carrier vehicle but should give you a hefty ammo count bonus to the vehicle ammo rack. Some SPAAs should also receive one of these as well.