DICKER MAX TANK-HUNTER Designation: 10.5cm K18 auf Panzerselbstfahrlafette IVa Nickname: Dicker Max Crew: 5 (cdr, gnr, ldr (2), dvr) Weight: 55,112lb/25,000kg Length: 24’8”/7.52m Height: 10’8”/3.25m Width: 9’4”/2.84m Armament: 1x 10.5cm K18 gun, 1x 7.92mm MG34 machine-gun Traverse: 8 degrees left and right Ammunition Stowage: 25x 10.5cm, 600x 7.92mm Armour Thickness: 20mm to 50mm Engine: Maybach HL 120TRM 12-cylinder petrol, 725cu in/12 litre, 300hp Transmission: Maybach double differential Suspension: Leaf springs Maximum Speed: 25mph/40km/h Cross-country Speed: Classified Road Radius: 130 miles/210km DICKER MAX SPECIFICATIONS Dicker Max is first and foremost a gun-carrier and the gun it carried was the long-range Rheinmetall s10cm K18 artillery piece fitted with a muzzle break. This weapon can penetrate 111mm of armour at a 30 degree slope at 2000 meters—30% more than the famous 8.8cm FlaK18 anti-aircraft gun! Such a large gun is usually rather slow-firing, but with two loaders and ammunition ready to hand, it gives a good account of itself. DESIGN FEATURES The powerful 10.5cm gun mounted in the Dicker Max is more than capable of destroying anything but the heaviest super tank. Range 40”/100cm, ROF 2, Anti-tank 15 DEVELOPMENT While still fighting in Poland in September 1939, the German High Command looked ahead to the coming battle with France and ordered a vehicle for use against the fortifications of the Maginot Line. In response, Krupp set about designing a self-propelled 10.5cm K18 long- range gun based on a Panzer IV tank chassis. The new vehicle’s rotund profile quickly gained it the nickname ‘Dicker Max’ (‘Fat Max’). On 31 March 1941 Krupp-Gruson presented the first of two prototypes designated 10.5cm K18 auf Panzer Selbstfahrlafette IVa (10.5cm K18 on Armoured Self-propelled Mount IVa) to Hitler. With France defeated, Hitler ordered that this vehicle be developed into a heavy Panzerjager (tank-hunter) capable of destroying the anticipated British and Soviet super-heavy tanks. Production of the 10.5cm K18 auf Panzer Selbstfahrlafette IVa was planned to start in spring 1942, but was cancelled in favour of other vehicles. COMBAT SERVICE The two prototypes were assigned to 521. Schwere Panzerjagerabteilung for a planned attack on Gibraltar. When this was cancelled, they were assigned to 3. Panzer- division for Operation Barbarossa. One of them was lost in an ammunition explosion and the other returned to the factory in October 1941 after three months in combat. Having proved itself very effective against Soviet KV-1, KV-2 and T-34 tanks, the surviving Dicker Max returned to 3. Panzer- division alongside the even better-armed Sturer Emil in 1942. 10.5cm K18 auf PzSfl IVa - Dicker Max .. .. EXPERIMENTAL TANK-HUNTER PLATOON Designation: 12.8cm L/61 auf Panzerselbstfahrlafette V Nickname: Sturer Emil Crew: 5 (cdr, gnr, ldr (2), dvr) Weight: 77,157lb/35,000kg) Length: 31’10”/9.7m Height: 8’10”/2.7m Width: 10’4½”/3.16m Armament: 1x 12.8cm K L/61 gun, 1x 7.92mm MG34 machine-gun Traverse: 7 degrees left and right Ammunition Stowage: 18x 12.8cm, 600x 7.92mm Armour Thickness: 15mm to 50mm Engine: Maybach HL116 6-cylinder petrol, 674cu in/11 litre, 300hp Transmission: Maybach double differential Suspension: Transverse torsion bar Maximum Speed: 15.5mph/25km/h STURER EMIL SPECIFICATIONS STURER EMIL TANK-HUNTER If you thought that Dicker Max was well armed, you haven’t seen Sturer Emil. This monster carried a 12.8cm gun with a 25’6”/7.8m long barrel. This fired a 58lb/26.4kg shot at 2887fps/880m/s. It could penetrate 120mm of armour sloped at 30 degrees at 2000m and over 200mm at point-blank range. Despite the weight of the shell, the spacious fighting compartment allowed the two loaders to maintain a good rate of fire. DESIGN FEATURES Most tanks simply disintegrate under the impact of the 12.8cm L/61 gun. Even the heaviest super tank cannot withstand it. Range 48”/120cm, ROF 2, Anti-tank 18 DEVELOPMENT When the VK3001(H) heavy tank project was dropped in favour of the VK4501 that would eventually become the Tiger tank, two of the prototype chassis were used to produce the most powerfully armed self-propelled gun of the war. The 12.8 cm Selbstfahrlafette L/61 (12.8cm L/61 Self-propelled Mounting) or Panzerselbst- lafette V (Armoured Self-propelled Mounting V) was armed with a Rheinmetall 12.8 cm K L/61 gun (based on the 12.8 cm FlaK 40). The unofficial nickname of this design was ‘Sturer Emil’ (Stubborn Emil), and the two vehicles were named Max and Moritz after the naughty boys in Busch’s famous German children’s tale. Interestingly Moritz, the first prototype, had a second dummy driver’s compartment on the right of the hull while Max had just the driver’s compartment on the left side. The Sturer Emil was slow and its lack of compatibility with other equipment caused logistical problems. These problems paled in comparison with the outstanding performance of its gun. It could easily engage targets at extreme ranges unmatched by any Soviet tank or anti-tank guns. COMBAT SERVICE Max and Moritz joined the surviving Dicker Max when 521. Panzerjagerabteilung returned to 3. Panzerdivision for the advance into the Caucasus. After the disaster at Stalingrad, Max was destroyed fighting with 2. Panzer- division and Moritz was captured. At the time Moritz had 22 kill rings painted on the barrel. 12.8cm L/61 auf PzSfl V - Sturer Emil ..