Oliver, Dennis Sturmtiger

Self-Propelled Mortar. Eastern and Western Fronts, 1944-1945

Volume 48 of the Tank Craft series. The house-to-house fighting in Stalingrad convinced the Wehrmacht that there was an urgent need to develop a heavily armoured vehicle equipped with a weapon capable of destroying enemy positions. The Brummbär, armed with a 15 cm cannon and built on the chassis of the ever-reliable Pzkpfw IV, was superseded by the development of portable anti-tank weapons, so the decision was made to mount an even more powerful cannon on the chassis and hull of the Tiger I tank. The original plan was to equip the new model with a 21 cm howitzer, but as sufficient stocks were not available, a specially adapted version of the Kriegsmarine's 38 cm water bomb launcher was used. Hitler had high expectations for these imposing-looking vehicles and ordered the production of huge ammunition stocks, but in the end, fewer than twenty Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 with 38 cm RW 61, better known as Sturmtiger, were built. Based on official documents and unit histories, Dennis Oliver examines the units that used these rightly famous vehicles, using archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the Sturmtigers that fought in the final battles of the war. An important part of his book showcases available model kits and detailing products, supplemented by a gallery of built and painted models in various scales. Technical details and modifications made during production and in service are also examined, providing everything modellers need to faithfully recreate these historic vehicles.