Allied-Axis #11: The Photo Journal of WW2: 15cm Schwere PanzerHaubitze Hummel, Allied Crawler Tractors, Wartime Sherman Variants

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The Sd Klz 165 Hummel (Bumblebee) self-propelled armOf'cd 15cm field howitzer was designed \0 provide the Panzer and Panzcrgrcnadler divisions with artillery support on an armored, fully-tracked chassis. The hybrid pz KpJw IIVIV chassIs was selected for what Army Ordnance meant to be merely an inlenm solution

IIntll n chassis doslgned spccillcally 1IS a sel1-prOI)Ollod gun 1)llIlIor01 could bo prOduced Although components ollhe P2 Kplw til and IV were usod. tho lower hutl and suporstructuro had to bo erallied Altor Ilin prototype had beon aceoilled and the vehlclo wonllrllo sones producllon, much 01 tho asscmllly was
Iho IISC 01 KlatllllcldCI contmucd to thl' w,1I !II cnd .If)(! the feltable BMW n l~ ICllldll1cd tho 1Il31n I.OnYf:f,lflU IhlS BMW IU~ UClw,l{JcnkJ,l(klf IS J mount ollhl P,IIl/Cf9rco,ldlcr I chr RCQlIlIcnt ollllc P.lnlCl t chI DIVISIOn TllIlI phOIOW,lS 1.lken dllono Ihe hflhlmQ /0 NOImandy In 1,IIe June 01 t944 ,md alilhe Ychlc.le!ll ,ue IIbcl,lIly coyeled wIth lollaoo 10 help hIde lIlom hom the .ll! I he laclJCdl symbol 01Ute P.IO/CII)ICna!llcf nCllullenl, a stylllCd hiltllrack wIth Ihc lclu t In Ihe 1111(1h Columbia With engineers and elemenls 01

the 87th Infantry MounlalO Regiment The Weasel speclflcallOns reqUIred 1\ 10 be air transportJb salely {lIorllled by parachu1e and carry a load 01 1.200 Ills It W(lS also fCqulted 10 c~mb .a 30 Oi!C't.>e hili. have a range 01225 miles 1urn In 11 radiUS 01 12 leel or less l,lSt 1000 mill'S and tr.l\lt"a 0130 miles an hoUi over snow Also. 111\ was to be abandoned II would be 11IIcd y,.l!h.l sefl-dt'. deVice I hiS shot was also taken at Camp Crowder In carty march of 19-13 (NARA)

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ptQtotype was not well suited for snowy condrIJons There was always a trade 011 for cargo crew space as the Weasel evolved The second Weasel prolotype, the TIS proved 10 be ,f oow The length was shortened 10 10'·8 and the weight was reduced to 4,600 Ibs The engine ." rl:JII \rJCat~d Ifl the rear and seatmg was placed In front 01the engine, again one IrI lronl 01Ihe , ,~rhe M lliJ'> unarmOred and made with IS-gauge steel TIS's eqUipped wllh lour 48·1001 cargo

,. hi! e~(}IU1JOn ollhe Weasel conbnued, there was always a concern 10 make ,I more amphibious The MXI 'Iould lloat and had special drain plugs In Ihe hull but II had very htUe freeboard. II was slow and 1M ~)f &teer 1If~ lin the waler Oulboard molO/S were tested to help rliise the speed, bul none were suc· r 1 The bfoken or have been hastily laken apart 78th

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attack 011 Walchcren Island n1ere me accounts of Weasels on Walcheren gOing nghl o\'t'r m~ ftelijs with Ihenlow ground pressure tracks nlls photo shows a long line of M29C's of the 96tt1 1oi antrl DIYISlon on Okinawa on Apnl2nd, 1945 The front surf guards arc stowed back while not l>eIf'Q f't'fJt>(' ,md the strotchcr IJrackets can be seen here along the center bulkhead and engine hood {N~RA.\

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