Difference between revisions of "Dicker Max"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_DickerMax.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''Dicker Max''' (officially ''10,5 cm K18 gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette'' ("10,5 cm gun on armoured self-propelled mount")) is a Rank III German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB) and 4.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in [[Update_1.57_"Battle_March"|Update 1.57 "Battle March"]].
 +
 
 +
The Dicker Max is a open-topped SPG with a 105 mm (10.5 cm), based on the [[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. E|Pz.IV E]] chassis. The 10.5 cm artillery gun is not only more effective than the [[Sturmhaubitze_42_Ausf._G|StuH]]'s 10.5 cm howitzer, but it is very consistent in terms of the results: one-shot kills that usually devastate the enemy. Its 14 second reload is not bad either, for a gun of its size, 4 seconds faster than the StuH, and over twice as fast as the KV-2's. The 105 mm HE round can also be effective on many lightly armoured vehicles like the M18 Hellcat.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear (Slope angle) !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 12 mm (77°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 50 mm (20°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 50 mm (14°) ''Driver ports''|| 20 mm || 20 mm (9°) || 12 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Superstructure || 30 mm (14°) ''Front'' <br> 50 mm (16°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 20 mm (21°) || 20 mm (9-17°) || 10 mm
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
 +
* The roof of the superstructure does not fully cover the top, thus still exposing the crew members.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 21.0 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 30.0 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|27.8 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|256
 +
|___
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|159
 +
|___
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|12.19
 +
|__.__
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|7.57
 +
|__.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 +
{{main|K.18 (105 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[K.18 (105 mm)|105 mm K.18]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 26 || -15°/+10° || ±8° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 7.1 || 9.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 7.1 || 8.4 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 16.9 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
===== Ammunition =====
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr || APHE || 144 || 142 || 129 || 112 || 99 || 86
 +
|-
 +
| Gr.19 || HE || 23 || 23 || 23 || 23 || 23 || 23
 +
|-
 +
| Pzgr.rot || APCBC || 202 || 200 || 191 || 177 || 167 || 158
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr || APHE || 822 || 14 || 0.8 || 28 || 343.2 || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 +
|-
 +
| Gr.19 || HE || 835 || 15 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 1,850 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| Pzgr.rot || APCBC || 822 || 16 || 0.8 || 28 || 300.3 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
=== Machine guns ===
+
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
[[File:Ammoracks_DickerMax.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|Ammo racks of the "Dicker Max".]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br />ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Ammo<br/>Part
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''26''' || style="text-align:right" | ''Projectiles''<br />''Propellants'' || 14&nbsp;''(+12)''<br />14&nbsp;''(+12)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+25)''<br />1&nbsp;''(+25)'' ||  style="text-align:center" |Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
As with any open-topped SPGs (such as the [[Marder III]]s), this is not a vehicle to charge the opponent with. However, one that can very effective at long ranges and from behind cover. An alternative play style for these vehicle in a closer range is supporting standard tanks by watching their flanks. It is NOT a fast vehicle, especially in realistic and simulator battles, but once it finds a place to stop and take aim, its gun is a very, very efficient anti-tank weapon, comparable to that of the mighty [[KV-2]] turreted assault gun. Its most notable feature is its extreme gun depression, over -15° to +10°, which allows this tank to take advantage of great hull-down positions behind hills, becoming near-invisible in [[RB]] and [[SB]] at [[Visibility_mechanics|distance]]. Its weakness however, is rather obvious: the crew compartment is thinly armoured, which means basically anything can penetrate it can cause havoc for the tank commander and his crew. Combined with its slow acceleration, this is a vehicle to be used in a tactical manner in both offensive or usually, defensive combat.
 +
 
 +
With only 50 mm of armour at a battle rating of 4.3, the Dicker Max can be defeated frontally by any vehicle of its rank, even at some range. It is particularly vulnerable to SPAAs with a high rate of fire (heavy machine guns can penetrate the rear, or shoot down into the cabin should the opportunity present itself) and large-caliber shells. Airplanes are also devastating, especially if they are full of guns. Artillery is also worth noting.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* 105 mm shells have excellent armour penetration.
−
 
+
* Gun is very accurate, even when stock.
 +
* Somewhat fast reload for it's caliber.
 +
* Excellent post penetration damage.
 +
* 5 crew member.
 +
* Nigh invincible from the front when hulled down behind a hill.
 +
* Absurdly excellent gun depression.
 +
* The Pzgr.rot shell is a huge boost to it's already lethal gun, with penetration comparable to the 122mm guns of the IS-2.
 +
* Somewhat low profile.
 +
* Very good in maps with lots of open grounds.
 +
* Has no trouble when getting uptiered with the Pzgr.rot equipped.
 +
* With the Pzgr.rot shells equipped, it can reliably penetrate the Panther's upper glacier, a feat that few guns in its rank could do.
 +
* Introduced a new play style in the German TD tech tree that can be employed with great effectiveness with later vehicles on the tree.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Stock shells are inadequate when getting uptiered.
 +
* With thin armour and a open top, Dicker Max is extremely vulnerable to artillery, HE shells, heavy machine gun fire, [[:Category:Anti-aircraft_vehicles|SPAA]]s, and air strikes
 +
* With a top speed of 20 mph and a slow acceleration, this SPG will not get to places very quickly.
 +
* Bad in maps with urban environment.
 +
* Vehicle turns at a slow rate, which can be a death sentence in any situation.
 +
* Very slow at scaling cliffs and obstacles.
 +
* Underwhelming performance of HE shells.
 +
* Rear section of the fighting compartment sides are littered with ammo, shots there are often lethal.
 +
* Reverse speed is abysmal.
 +
* No coaxial or mounted MGs.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
The role of the “assault gun” in the German army in World War II gave the infantry an upper hand in assaulting fortification. However, heavy bunkers could withstand large punishment from artillery and closing up to the bunker for a closer shot exposed the assault guns and artilleries to defensive artillery weapon. A weapon was needed to fight bunkers at an extreme range that the bunkers and other defensive weaponry would not be able to return fire, something with a very heavy gun to destroy these bunkers. Krupp began development of such a vehicle in 1939, but such a vehicle soon became unnecessary with the conclusion of the Battle of France. Thus, the project shifted from a heavy “assault gun” to a tank destroyer. Two of these vehicles were built in January 1941 and were presented to Hitler in March 1941. It was hoping that if proved favorable, the vehicle would be able to be put into service and production by Spring 1942.
 +
 
 +
===Design===
 +
The vehicle design during its development was called the ''10 cm K. (Pz. Sfl. IVa)'' and the ''10.5 cm K (gp.Sfl.)''. Another name it was called was '''Dicker Max''' (''Thick'' or ''Fat Max''). The design took a [[Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. E|Panzer IV Ausf. E]] chassis and removed the turret to add an open-topped superstructure on top to hold the heavy 10.5 cm gun. The design had armour around 50 mm in the front angled at 15 degrees. Armoured compartments were present in the vehicle rear to protect loaders from overhead attacks. The front has a false driver port present on the right side of the vehicle with the real one on the left, whether it was there to deceive enemy fire or simply a design oversight is unknown. The commander, gunner, and loaders all have their own sights available to them to observe the landscape for targets. The engine is the 180 hp Inline-6 Maybach HL66P. Though the prototype vehicles used the Panzer IV as the basis, it is predicted that in production, the vehicle would use the [[Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. F|Panzer III]] instead due to increased mobility of the suspension and running gear.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
Trials with the two prototypes Krupp produced were done by Anti-tank Battalion 521. The battalion took the vehicles  with them during Operation Barbarossa. One was destroyed due to catching fire and an ammunition explosion, but the other was able to last until the end of 1941.The sole vehicle also saw use in the German offensive Case Blue in Summer 1942, but it was not reported to be operational by the battalion afterwards. Opinion of the vehicle was that it was unsuitable for participation in a frontal assault due to its low armour and maneuverability. The gun was deemed effective in supporting an infantry assault and knocking out tanks, but the heavy muzzle blast caused large dust to obscure the gunner view, requiring an observer to watch where the shots land. No reports were made on engine and transmission problems, but there were issues with the brake system. Due to these issues, the Dicker Max did not see mass production for widespread usage. Thus, only the two prototypes were made before interest in the project dropped.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23Dickermax '''Skins''' and camouflages for the Dicker Max from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
[[File:Dicker Max Gun Depression Tunisia.jpg|x300px|thumbnail|none|The "Dicker Max" showing off its amazing gun depression.]]
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
[https://warthunder.com/en/devblog/current/882/ [Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> Pz.Sfl.IVa Dicker Max: 'Fat Max']<br/>
−
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
−
''ETC.''
 
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
Line 51: Line 232:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 16:23, 19 November 2018

Rank 7 USA
F-5C Pack
Dicker Max
germ_pzsfl_iva_dickermax.png
Dicker Max
Germany flag.png Germany
II Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
4.0 3.7 3.7
Class:
Research:14 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:32 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Dicker Max.jpg


The Dicker Max (officially 10,5 cm K18 gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette ("10,5 cm gun on armoured self-propelled mount")) is a Rank III German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB) and 4.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March".

The Dicker Max is a open-topped SPG with a 105 mm (10.5 cm), based on the Pz.IV E chassis. The 10.5 cm artillery gun is not only more effective than the StuH's 10.5 cm howitzer, but it is very consistent in terms of the results: one-shot kills that usually devastate the enemy. Its 14 second reload is not bad either, for a gun of its size, 4 seconds faster than the StuH, and over twice as fast as the KV-2's. The 105 mm HE round can also be effective on many lightly armoured vehicles like the M18 Hellcat.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides (Slope angle) Rear (Slope angle) Roof
Hull 12 mm (77°) Front glacis
50 mm (20°) Lower glacis
50 mm (14°) Driver ports		 20 mm 20 mm (9°) 12 mm
Superstructure 30 mm (14°) Front
50 mm (16°) Gun mantlet 		20 mm (21°) 20 mm (9-17°) 10 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick and tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • The roof of the superstructure does not fully cover the top, thus still exposing the crew members.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
21.0 N/A 30.0 (AB)
27.8 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 256 ___
Realistic/Simulator 159 ___
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 12.19 __.__
Realistic/Simulator 7.57 __.__

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: K.18 (105 mm)
105 mm K.18
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
26 -15°/+10° ±8° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 7.1 9.9 __.__ __.__ __.__
Realistic 7.1 8.4 __.__ __.__ __.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
16.9 __.__ __.__ __.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr APHE 144 142 129 112 99 86
Gr.19 HE 23 23 23 23 23 23
Pzgr.rot APCBC 202 200 191 177 167 158
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
PzGr APHE 822 14 0.8 28 343.2 -1° 47° 60° 65°
Gr.19 HE 835 15 0.1 0.5 1,850 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Pzgr.rot APCBC 822 16 0.8 28 300.3 +4° 48° 63° 71°
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the "Dicker Max".
Full
ammo 		Ammo
Part 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
26 Projectiles
Propellants 		14 (+12)
14 (+12) 		1 (+25)
1 (+25) 		Yes

Usage in the battles

As with any open-topped SPGs (such as the Marder IIIs), this is not a vehicle to charge the opponent with. However, one that can very effective at long ranges and from behind cover. An alternative play style for these vehicle in a closer range is supporting standard tanks by watching their flanks. It is NOT a fast vehicle, especially in realistic and simulator battles, but once it finds a place to stop and take aim, its gun is a very, very efficient anti-tank weapon, comparable to that of the mighty KV-2 turreted assault gun. Its most notable feature is its extreme gun depression, over -15° to +10°, which allows this tank to take advantage of great hull-down positions behind hills, becoming near-invisible in RB and SB at distance. Its weakness however, is rather obvious: the crew compartment is thinly armoured, which means basically anything can penetrate it can cause havoc for the tank commander and his crew. Combined with its slow acceleration, this is a vehicle to be used in a tactical manner in both offensive or usually, defensive combat.

With only 50 mm of armour at a battle rating of 4.3, the Dicker Max can be defeated frontally by any vehicle of its rank, even at some range. It is particularly vulnerable to SPAAs with a high rate of fire (heavy machine guns can penetrate the rear, or shoot down into the cabin should the opportunity present itself) and large-caliber shells. Airplanes are also devastating, especially if they are full of guns. Artillery is also worth noting.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 105 mm shells have excellent armour penetration.
  • Gun is very accurate, even when stock.
  • Somewhat fast reload for it's caliber.
  • Excellent post penetration damage.
  • 5 crew member.
  • Nigh invincible from the front when hulled down behind a hill.
  • Absurdly excellent gun depression.
  • The Pzgr.rot shell is a huge boost to it's already lethal gun, with penetration comparable to the 122mm guns of the IS-2.
  • Somewhat low profile.
  • Very good in maps with lots of open grounds.
  • Has no trouble when getting uptiered with the Pzgr.rot equipped.
  • With the Pzgr.rot shells equipped, it can reliably penetrate the Panther's upper glacier, a feat that few guns in its rank could do.
  • Introduced a new play style in the German TD tech tree that can be employed with great effectiveness with later vehicles on the tree.

Cons:

  • Stock shells are inadequate when getting uptiered.
  • With thin armour and a open top, Dicker Max is extremely vulnerable to artillery, HE shells, heavy machine gun fire, SPAAs, and air strikes
  • With a top speed of 20 mph and a slow acceleration, this SPG will not get to places very quickly.
  • Bad in maps with urban environment.
  • Vehicle turns at a slow rate, which can be a death sentence in any situation.
  • Very slow at scaling cliffs and obstacles.
  • Underwhelming performance of HE shells.
  • Rear section of the fighting compartment sides are littered with ammo, shots there are often lethal.
  • Reverse speed is abysmal.
  • No coaxial or mounted MGs.

History

Development

The role of the “assault gun” in the German army in World War II gave the infantry an upper hand in assaulting fortification. However, heavy bunkers could withstand large punishment from artillery and closing up to the bunker for a closer shot exposed the assault guns and artilleries to defensive artillery weapon. A weapon was needed to fight bunkers at an extreme range that the bunkers and other defensive weaponry would not be able to return fire, something with a very heavy gun to destroy these bunkers. Krupp began development of such a vehicle in 1939, but such a vehicle soon became unnecessary with the conclusion of the Battle of France. Thus, the project shifted from a heavy “assault gun” to a tank destroyer. Two of these vehicles were built in January 1941 and were presented to Hitler in March 1941. It was hoping that if proved favorable, the vehicle would be able to be put into service and production by Spring 1942.

Design

The vehicle design during its development was called the 10 cm K. (Pz. Sfl. IVa) and the 10.5 cm K (gp.Sfl.). Another name it was called was Dicker Max (Thick or Fat Max). The design took a Panzer IV Ausf. E chassis and removed the turret to add an open-topped superstructure on top to hold the heavy 10.5 cm gun. The design had armour around 50 mm in the front angled at 15 degrees. Armoured compartments were present in the vehicle rear to protect loaders from overhead attacks. The front has a false driver port present on the right side of the vehicle with the real one on the left, whether it was there to deceive enemy fire or simply a design oversight is unknown. The commander, gunner, and loaders all have their own sights available to them to observe the landscape for targets. The engine is the 180 hp Inline-6 Maybach HL66P. Though the prototype vehicles used the Panzer IV as the basis, it is predicted that in production, the vehicle would use the Panzer III instead due to increased mobility of the suspension and running gear.

Combat usage

Trials with the two prototypes Krupp produced were done by Anti-tank Battalion 521. The battalion took the vehicles with them during Operation Barbarossa. One was destroyed due to catching fire and an ammunition explosion, but the other was able to last until the end of 1941.The sole vehicle also saw use in the German offensive Case Blue in Summer 1942, but it was not reported to be operational by the battalion afterwards. Opinion of the vehicle was that it was unsuitable for participation in a frontal assault due to its low armour and maneuverability. The gun was deemed effective in supporting an infantry assault and knocking out tanks, but the heavy muzzle blast caused large dust to obscure the gunner view, requiring an observer to watch where the shots land. No reports were made on engine and transmission problems, but there were issues with the brake system. Due to these issues, the Dicker Max did not see mass production for widespread usage. Thus, only the two prototypes were made before interest in the project dropped.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Dicker Max from live.warthunder.com.

The "Dicker Max" showing off its amazing gun depression.

Read also

[Devblog] Pz.Sfl.IVa Dicker Max: 'Fat Max'

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Germany tank destroyers
Pz. I Derivatives  Panzerjäger I
Pz. II Derivatives  15cm sIG 33 B Sfl
Pz. 38(t) Derivatives  Marder III · Marder III H · Jagdpanzer 38(t)
Pz. III Derivatives  StuG III A · StuG III F · StuG III G · StuH 42 G
Pz. IV Derivatives  Jagdpanzer IV · Panzer IV/70(A) · Panzer IV/70(V) · Dicker Max · Nashorn · Brummbär · VFW
Pz. V Derivatives  Jagdpanther G1 · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1
Pz. VI Derivatives  Sturer Emil · Elefant · Ferdinand · 38 cm Sturmmörser · Jagdtiger
Wheeled/Half-track  8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. · Sd.Kfz.251/9 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
ATGM Carrier  RakJPz 2 · RakJPz 2 (HOT) · Wiesel 1A2
Other  Waffenträger · M109G · JPz 4-5 · Raketenautomat · VT1-2

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