At first glance, the Sturmtiger looks like
a bloated Tiger 1 tank with an equally comical short barrel mounted on top. However, the self-propelled assault gun was
an overwhelming fortification destroyer and a promising solution that would make the German
Blitzkrieg even more terrifying. With armor plates as thick as 150 millimeters
and shooting shells weighing over 800 pounds, the unstoppable behemoth was impervious to
almost every conventional weapon on the battlefield. But its development was actively racing against
the might of the Allied offensive throughout every front, and German engineers fought to
deploy the motorized gun before it was too late. When it finally reached the battlefront, its
capabilities proved astounding, taking three US Sherman tanks out of action and even razing
entire building blocks to the ground. The Sturmtiger was ready to leave its mark
on history… Self-Propelled Juggernaut Ever since their inception, tanks were concocted
as a way to strike heavily reinforced positions from a protected and mobile platform. The first time tanks were used in a major
conflict, the US showed the primitive Renault FT could achieve just that when they became
vital in storming the fortified German positions across the Saint-Mihiel salient. But soon, the war evolved, and tanks started
encountering other tanks on the battlefield. Their primary function then shifted from engaging
fortified positions to dealing with the enemy while providing cover to infantry fighters. With time, however, the original purpose of
the tank would resurface as a specialized vehicle designed to obliterate even the most
robust ramparts. The idea was simple: take a large artillery
gun and mount it into a heavy tank. Thus, odd yet devastating machines such as
the Sturmtiger were born. As one of the prime examples of the self-propelled
assault guns of World War 2, the 65-ton metal beast was a unique contraption attained by
placing a colossal 380-millimeter RW 61 rocket launcher into the chassis of a Tiger I battle
tank. The result was a strange, almost comical-looking
combat vehicle; however, its ability to deal damage was anything but humorous. Its main gun was initially designed as a naval
depth charge launcher modified to serve as a land artillery solution. The payload was launched via a two-stage rocket
propellent system; the first smaller charge expelled the projectile a short distance,
just enough to clear the barrel. After this, a more powerful solid fuel charge
would detonate, sending the enormous 800-pound shell across distances of up to four miles
away. The result was a devastating solution that
could penetrate even the most reinforced military fortifications used by the enemy. In fact, the projectile could pierce up to
eight feet of reinforced concrete, making it almost impossible for an enemy position
to prevail after being struck by one of the Sturmtiger’s devastating shells. At a Price The raw devastation caused by the Sturmtiger
came at a considerable price, something that had to be accounted for in tactical assessments. For one, the motorized gun could only carry
a maximum of 14 projectiles, which meant carrying one of the shells inside the breech. More often than not, the vehicles would go
into battle equipped with only 13 rounds, and every shot had to be carefully planned
beforehand to guarantee an adequate performance. The shells’ size and weight also made the
reloading extraordinarily cumbersome and slow. It required the concerted effort of all four
crewmembers and a specialized crane mounted on the rear deck. The excruciating process took around ten minutes
at the hands of an experienced crew. As such, the gun had no way of firing one
shot after another, and most of the time, it would fire once and then change position
and tactics before firing again. The Sturmtiger also had to retreat after each
shot because of the enormous risk of being spotted. The two-charge detonation left a significant
trail of fire, smoke, and fumes easily detectable from a long distance. Nevertheless, the problem was compounded by
the way the Sturmtiger dealt with the gasses released during the first combustion. As the first charge was triggered inside the
barrel, the gasses could not be released into the crew compartment as it would poison the
vehicle’s operators. Holding the fumes inside the barrel until
it was clear was also not an option as the pressure was massive, and it could risk blowing
up the entire short barrel. To solve the issue, the gun’s barrel was
fitted with a series of small perforations surrounding the central barrel opening. The gasses expelled by the initial detonation
were turned back inside the barrel and released through those smaller openings ensuring the
pressure inside the gun was never too great. Nevertheless, the sudden release of fumes
on top of the second charge detonation made for a spectacular burst of light, fire, and
smoke, making the firing Sturmtiger much more accessible to locate than other artillery
solutions. Because of this, it became standard practice
for the Sturmtigers’ operators to move to a safer position after firing a shell. Thick Protection Despite its operating shortcomings, the Sturmtiger
carried a tremendous firepower capability inside an extremely fortified armored vehicle. Like many tank hunter hull designs of the
time, the Sturmtiger was manufactured with a casemate-style exterior design with a sloping
front glacis plate that would allow most enemy projectiles to be deflected on impact instead
of penetrating the armor. But even if the projectile managed to pierce
the inclined surface, it would be almost impossible to penetrate the 150-millimeter-thick reinforced
plates mounted on the front of the vehicle. This configuration significantly upgraded
Tiger 1’s 100-millimeter frontal armor plate. In the rest of the vehicle, the armor thickness
ranged from 60 to 100 millimeters depending on the vulnerability of the vehicle’s components
being protected and the likelihood of an enemy attack striking that location. All in all, the Sturmtiger was a fortified
behemoth that was mainly invulnerable to most enemy weapons from other artillery guns. Even the mighty T-34 Soviet battle tank and
its 76.2-millimeter gun could not pierce through the frontal armor plates of the self-propelled
German mortar. And it would often take a lucky shot from
the late-coming T-34-85 Soviet battle tank’s upgraded 85-millimeter main gun to stand a
chance against the unyielding defenses of the Sturmtiger. If any infantry troops dared get close to
the self-propelled gun to plant explosives or sabotage the tracks, the crew inside the
vehicle could also defend themselves with the help of the MG34 machine gun mounted at
the front of the unit. This crew consisted of the driver, the gunner,
the loader, and the commander. The loader, who would not be required to load
shells at all times, was also entrusted with the tasks of a radioman and the operator of
the anti-infantry frontal machine gun. Proving Its Worth The Sturmtiger was designed as an offensive
weapon capable of moving as fast as other armored units while supporting infantry as
they advanced into heavily built-up enemy territories. The gun was built to destroy enemy fortifications,
forcing them to rout into the muzzles of the assaulting infantry and panzer divisions. Nevertheless, by the time the Sturmtiger blasted
into the scene during the last months of the war, Germany was not doing much attacking,
instead fighting a defensive war on most fronts. A couple of prototype units were hastily rushed
into the battlefront during the Warsaw uprising of 1944, where the vehicle was an ideal solution
to deal with the heavy enemy resistance hiding in dense urban areas and reinforced buildings. Although their numbers hindered any battle-defining
actions, the prototype Sturmtiger was reported to perform more than adequately in supporting
the German infantry as it fought off the Polish resistance. Numerous buildings in Warsaw had been razed
to the ground thanks to the overpowering firepower of the Sturmtiger, and the Polish fighter
did not have the capacity to counter the heavily armored vehicle. After its crucial role in the Warsaw uprising,
the Sturmtiger would go on to see action in more significant numbers in the final Wehrmacht
efforts to defend Germany. The End of the War After being put into a position for which
it had not been intended, the self-propelled gun was of little significance in the fight
against the Allied rush to Berlin. As a defensive weapon, its cumbersome nature
and low accuracy made it nearly useless. Even so, during the battle for the bridge
at Remagen, German forces deployed seven Sturmtigers to help in the defensive efforts. However, when the time to blow up the bridge
came, the Sturmtigers proved incapable of accomplishing their task, as their lousy accuracy
prevented their guns from hitting the structure. Despite their failure, one of the units is
credited with achieving an incredible feat during the fierce battle. According to German reports, a Sturmtiger
operating near Düren allegedly hit a group of Sherman tanks stationed at a village with
a 380-millimeter round, destroying three of them with a single shot. The extraordinary feat is still highly debated,
and it was never confirmed by the Allied authorities. However, there’s no question the mighty
Sturmtiger had the power and range needed to accomplish such a formidable accomplishment. Ultimately, the weapon was an impressive concept
that showed remarkable promise as a devastating mobile platform for offensive operations. Its limited combat experience showed that
it had the potential to be a game changer for the Wehrmacht, but it arrived too late… Thank you for watching Dark Docs! Don’t hesitate to click on your screen and
explore our other Dark Documentaries channels, where we delve into more intense battles and
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“Avoided” is quite the interpretation of the words “never came into contact with because they were made in a tiny amount, used mostly in the east and weren’t meant for defensive action anyways so when would the nazis have really made use of it while retreating across the Rhine”
i mean, if I was an aillied soldier I'd want to avoid the giant moblile gun. Doesn't mean it was an effective weapon though.
Dark docs sucks imo, constantly getting things wrong ie. showing a American t54e1 instead of a way more popular soviet t54 somehow. don’t watch them
Well, yes, a giant armored gun that can throw a trashcan sized packet of "fuck you" is not something I want to go up against.
I'd say the same about an M18 too.
Only 18 were made, and a country having 18 of something only mattered if it was atomic weapons or large capitol ships.
Having such a massive gun caliber on an assault gun seems more a liability than an asset, since it wouldn't be too difficult for an enemy to shoot down the barrel and hit the high explosive warhead inside. What's the point of 150mm armor if there's a massive hole in the middle that if you hit the entire vehicle explodes?
Love the inevitable tide of pajeets and Carlos that accompany any mention of this who'll come and spend hours arguing the benefits of mass producing these stupid fucking things and lining them around the outer perimeter of berlin
Hey, there's one of the only big assault guns they have.
Let's call in air.
Nyoooooom.
Okay let's see if we can salvage it for lols.
“Avoided” really means they were barely around and made no real impact