STURMTIGER

Heavy rocket launcher on Tiger tank chassis

 

FAST FACTS:

Sturmtiger (assault tiger) was a self propelled rocket launcher designed to provide direct support to infantry fighting in urban areas. Based on experience with older SIG 33 sturmpanzer, the new vehicle was to be very heavily armored to withstand intensive and close range street fighting and also very heavily armed to be able to knock down a building or fortification in ideal case just by a single shot.

The Tiger tank chassis was selected as the most suitable for the purpose. The original tank turret was eliminated and a new fully enclosed casemate superstructure took up its place. It had a sharply sloped front wall with armor thickness of 150 mm, which made it immune to almost any kind of enemy fire. Sturmtiger had a mass of 65 tons and was powered by a 23 liters, 700 hp Maybach petrol engine.

Main weapon was a 380 mm RW 61 rocket launcher. It could fire a 376 kg (829 lb) heavy rocket carrying explosive charge of 125 kg (276 lb). Due to its size, only 12 pieces of rockets could have been loaded on board. The vehicle needed its own small hand operated crane for loading of the rockets. Sturmtiger was operated by a crew of five. First prototype was ready in October 1943 and serial production started in April 1944. Altogether just 18 serial vehicles were ever built.