From 1941, various proposals had been made
for a self-propelled version of the 10.5cm leFH18. Krupp designed a special
vehicle based on the Pz Kpfw IV components, using a smaller engine, hull and
three-station bogies per side, with larger road wheels. Krupp's Pz Sf IVb had a
partly-traversing turret which was open-topped. A Test Series of eight units
was ordered. Production vehicles were to have the Maybach HL90 which gave
320PS. Production was cancelled because, on the subject of self-propelled
artillery, official thinking was tending towards carriages capable of all-round
traverse, with ability to dismount the weapon.
The Sd.Kfz. 165/1 was similar in design to
the Heuschrecke, but did not have the chassis-mounted launching mechanism to
remove the turret. After a series of tests, the Sd.Kfz. 165/1 was accepted by
the Wehrmacht in early January 1940. In 1941, Krupp built prototype vehicles
armed with the 105 mm leichte Feldhaubitze 18/1 L/28 (light field howitzer 18/1
L/28, abbreviated leFH 18/1 L/28) cannon based on a modified Panzer IV chassis.
The prototypes were fitted with a smaller six-cylinder Maybach HL66P engine,
which had a power capacity of 188 hp (140 kW). Although 200 vehicles were
ordered, Krupp completed only 10 prototypes in the final four months of 1942.
Alkett now proposed an interim solution of
mounting the 10.5cm leFH18 on the Pz Kpfw II chassis, and this was accepted as
the Wespe (wasp). In a final attempt to have their special GW IVb chassis
utilized, Krupp offered the design as the basis for the Jagdpanzer IV,
designated Panzerjager IVb (E39) mit 7.5cm PaK39 L/48, but the normal Pz Kpfw
IV chassis was again utilized.
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