An analysis of the Sturmtiger, a German vehicle armed with a big 380 mm naval mortar

World War II was a conflict during which a wide variety of unique combat vehicles were developed.

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Germany developed a few of these vehicles. One of them was the Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 mit 38 cm RW 61, known for short as the Sturmtiger. It was a very rare sight on the battlefields of that war, given that only one prototype and 18 production units were built. The Sturmtiger prototype was completed in October 1943, and the first three production units were finished in February 1944, with the final ones manufactured in December 1944.

The production of this combat vehicle was unconventional; rather than building new vehicles, most Sturmtigers were constructed using the chassis of Tiger I tanks that had been damaged in combat. Instead of the Tiger I's rotating turret, the Sturmtiger featured a casemate housing a truly powerful weapon that was highly unusual for land warfare: the SturmMörser RW61 L/5.4 naval mortar—a 380 mm caliber weapon originally designed to launch depth charges from Kriegsmarine vessels.

The objective of the Sturmtiger was to provide support for infantry operations with a heavy vehicle capable of demolishing buildings or destroying bunkers with a single shot. The Sturmtiger weighed 68 tons—10 more than the Tiger I—and its crew consisted of five men: the driver and the radio operator (who also operated a 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun located at the front right) sat in the forward part of the hull; due to the lack of space, the commander (who also served as the gunner) and two loaders stood in the casemate.

Due to the limited number produced, the Sturmtiger saw very little combat action. It was used by the German Army to fight the Polish resistance during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. It was also deployed during the Battle of the Bulge later that year and, finally, in the defense of Germany, taking part in the fighting at the Remagen bridge. Today, only two Sturmtigers survive: one is on display at the German Tank Museum in Munster, and the other is at the Kubinka Tank Museum, on the outskirts of Moscow. Blue Paw Print has released an excellent video analyzing the Sturmtiger's interior and how it operated:

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Main image: Blue Paw Print.