Brummbar

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Rank IV USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Tu-1 Pack
Brummbär
germ_sturmpanzer_iv_brummbar.png
GarageImage Brummbar.jpg
Brummbär
Purchase:2 980 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
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Description

The 15cm Sturm-Panzer 43(L/12) IV "Brummbär" is a premium rank III German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.7 (AB) and 4.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.61 "Road to Glory".

The "Brummbär" carries a 15 cm gun akin to that found on the KV-2 (1939). Due to its long reload and decent armour, this machine is suited to ambushes or supported urban combat. Its ~100 mm frontal armour is a force to be reckoned with (being about the same as a Tiger I's). However, its sides are weak (as any Panzer IV is) and its rear is as well. Its gun has a lot of drop (it is very low velocity), so "sniping" at ranges over ~750m will basically be indirect fire. This is why this vehicle should stick to short-range attacks. Due to the potential of all of its shells, it is almost guaranteed a one-hit knock-out, assuming the shell hits relatively on-target.

The vehicle looks somewhat reminiscent of a StuG III, but with a taller superstructure and a much larger gun. It is based on a Panzer IV chassis, but has wider tracks to compensate for the greater weight. It comes with side skirts, but they are mostly useless.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull100 / 40 / 20
Turret100 / 50 / 80
Crew5 people
Visibility99 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 20 mm (74°) Front glacis
50 + 50 mm (12°) Joint plate
30 + 30 mm (57°) Lower glacis
20 + 5 mm 20 mm (11-12°) 10 mm
Superstructure 100 mm (39°)
250 mm Gun mantlet
60 mm (21°) Front-to-Side joint plate
50 mm (15°) Sides
30 mm (29°) 20 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 10 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB44 / 8 km/h
RB and SB40 / 7 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
1 back
Weight27.8 t
Engine power
AB572 hp
RB and SB300 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB20.6 hp/t
RB and SB10.8 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 44 8 27.8 426 572 15.32 20.58
Realistic 40 7 265 300 9.53 10.79

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
AB1 461 Sl icon.png
RB1 695 Sl icon.png
SB2 190 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts250 000 Sl icon.png
Aces630 Ge icon.png
Research Aces870 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 110 / 160 / 210 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 160 / 160 / 160 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank traks.png
Ostketten
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition38 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
22.4 → 17.2 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 30°
Horizontal guidance-15° / 15°
150 mm Stu.H 43 L/12 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 38 -8°/+30° ±15° N/A 13.2 18.3 22.2 24.6 26.1 22.36 19.78 18.23 17.20
Realistic 8.9 10.5 12.8 14.1 15.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
J.Gr.38 HE 61 61 61 61 61 61
J.Gr.39 HI/A HEAT 185 185 185 185 185 185
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
Mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
J.Gr.38 HE 240 38 0 0.1 8,600 79° 80° 81°
J.Gr.39 HI/A HEAT 280 24.58 0.05 0.1 5,320 62° 69° 73°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Brummbar
Full
ammo
Ammo
part
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
38 Projectiles
Propellants
27 (+11)
31 (+7)
14 (+24)
(+37)
(+37)
 
No

Usage in battles

If in a large, open map, move with a teammate as the Brummbär will not be able to fire at enemies from long range due to the nature of the gun. Find yourself a place that offers a cover and overwatches a key enemy area and avoid being in the open at all costs, since the Brummbar can only face enemies from its front, while an open space means countless threat directions. The tapering armour plates joining the frontal fighting compartment and the sides are only 60mm thick, meaning any shell hitting it at an angle will very likely penetrate.

Urban combat is probably where this vehicle does best, as its armour can bounce many shots if it peeks around corners properly. The short ideal range (0-600m) of the gun makes short range urban combat its friend. This coupled with lots of cover for the long reload makes any city the best place to play this tank. Find a street/pathway with buildings at the sides so your flanks are covered. The place should also overwatch an area where enemies can appear. This way you only need to worry about enemies from one direction, which is your front, allowing you to concentrate on fighting. You can also present your sturdy frontal armour towards the threat confidently. When conducted well, the Brummbar can be a fortress that blockades the advancement of multiple enemy tanks through a key street (eg. the rightmost street in Advance to the Rhine), which is very beneficial in leading to a victory or delaying a defeat. However it is best to fight alongisde teammates, as being alone can very much result in you getting swarmed and flanked. The Brummbar's slow reload does not allow it to fight multiple enemies at once.

If you need to reposition under enemy fire, do not turn the tank to the side too much unless all enemies are unable to fire when you turn. This is to avoid your thin side getting penetrated. Instead, turn no more than 10° each time to slowly "wriggle" towards the new place. This ensures that your frontal armour is always facing the front even when moving sideways.

Be wary of fast-moving vehicles, as, they are harder to hit with the slow, heavy gun, and especially since the Brummbär does not have a turret, they will flank easily. In addition, heavy SPAA will ruin the Brummbär's day if they get to even the side armour, being relatively thin for its rank. Regardless, most guns of the rank can penetrate the Brummbär frontally from medium ranges, so be careful. Always beware of multiple/squad enemies, as the Brummbär cannot engage them all at once. Sometimes, if they don't see the vehicle, it's better to just let them go and avoid exposing the Brummbär.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 100 mm frontal armour stops most tanks (eg. T-34 1943, M4A2, Cromwell), granting high protection
  • 15 cm gun can one shot most tanks with overpressure
  • Fear factor: intimidates the enemy and delays their actions with the deadly 15cm howitzer
  • Curved trajectory allows shell-lobbing over covers

Cons:

  • Thin side armour with ammo stored behind lowers post-penetration survivability
  • Very slow traveling rounds with curvy trajectory, hitting moving targets at range can be extremely difficult.
  • Optic only provides aiming marks up to 800 meters, aiming past that is either in 3rd person view or guestimations
  • Poor mobility, greatly limiting its positioning speed
  • Is a big target
  • Frontal 20 mm plate, though extremely sloped, can still get overmatched by Sherman 75 mm and Soviet 57 and 76 mm guns

History

Development

The Sturmpanzer is a development of the Wehrmacht on the needed for a heavy assault gun to provide direct fire support for the infantry in urban areas. It took a Panzer IV chassis, turned it into a casemate structure, and added a 15 cm StuH 43 howitzer (derived from the 15 cm sIG 33) onto the vehicle. The official names were "Sturmpanzer", "Sturmpanzer 43", or the "Sturmpanzer IV", however it was not known as the "Brummbär" by the Germans as that name was actually coined by the Allied forces. The Wehrmacht accepted it in 1943 and about 300 units were built from 1943 to 1945.

Design

The Sturmpanzer was heavily armoured and equipped with a gun capable of leveling buildings. The 15 cm howitzer has 38 two-piece rounds available in storage, though rate of fire is low due to the heavy weight of each shell, the HE shell weighing around 38 kg (84 lb.) alone. Though its armour ensures great survivability, the heavy weight of the design stressed the chassis and breakdowns were frequent on the transmission and suspension.

The Sturmpanzer underwent four different designs during its production life, mostly fixing problems experienced with the preceding models. The first series were produced from April to December 1943 with 52 from Ausf. G chassis and 8 from Ausf. E and Ausf. F chassis. The second series of vehicles began in December 1943 using the Ausf. H chassis until March 1944 with improvements to the driver's compartment, internal ventilation, and steel-rimmed road wheels. The third series of vehicles lasted from March to June 1944 with to the driver's optic and a lighter 15 cm StuH 43/1 howitzer as the armament. The fourth and last series from June 1944 to March 1945 featured the chassis and engine of the Ausf. J model, it had a redesigned gun collar, a reduction in overall height, and a ball mount for an MG34 in the front casemate structure.

Combat usage

The Sturmpanzer was equipped in four independent battalions in the course of the war in the Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216, 217, 218, and 219. The first to receive the Sturmpanzers was the 216th in April 1943 with about 45 vehicles split into three companies with 14 each and 3 in the battalion headquarters. They saw use in the Battle of Kursk in Operation Citadeland was assigned to Panzerjäger Regiment 656 in the 9th Army of Army Group Center. It stayed in play all the way to December 1943, assisting German soldiers in attacking and withdrawing from the Russian front. The battalion was transferred in February 1944 to counter the Allied invasion of Italy. Though intended to attack the Allies at the beachhead, the operation failed and the battalion was stationed there all the way until Germany's surrender. The 217th was made in April 1944 and was stationed in Normandy in early June 1944. They did not see use early in the Battle of Normandy as the Allies and the French Resistance sabotaged the rail network to France and the Sturmpanzers, forced to drive to France, broke down enroute. They did see combat at Caen in August 1944 however, but withdrew to recuperate after suffering major casualties. The 217th also saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge, before retreating due to losses and continued withdrawing until captured in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945.

The 218th started as the Sturmpanzer-Kompanie z.b.V. 218 and was raised in August 1944. It stayed in the Eastern Front and saw combat in the Warsaw Uprising. It continued fighting until it was wiped out in East Prussia in April 1945. A similar unit known as the Sturmpanzer-Kompanie z.b.V. 2./218 was made alongside the 218th, though not much is known except that it went to form the actual Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 218 in January 1945. Though expected to be equipped with 45 Sturmpanzers, it ended up with StuG IIIs instead. The 219th was made in September 1944. In October 1944, it only had 10 Sturmpanzers when Operation Panzerfaust was launched and Germany enters Hungary. It arrived on October 19th when it was no longer needed and was sent to Slovakia for further training and equipping before returning to Hungary to relieve the German troops at Budapest. It stayed until forced to retreat by the Soviets before either being wiped out or surrendering.

Today, four Sturmpanzers are known to have survived in intact conditions. Each one is in France, Germany, Russia, and the United States.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Vehicles equipped with the same ammunition
Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links


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

Germany premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.Sfl.Ic · Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK · Sd.Kfz. 140/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS · TAM 2IP
Medium tanks  Nb.Fz. · Pz.III N · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J · ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r) · Ersatz M10
  mKPz M47 G · Turm III · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M
Heavy tanks  ▀Pz.Kpfw. Churchill · ▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r)
  VK 45.01 (P) · ␠Tiger · Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P · Tiger II (H) Sla.16
Tank destroyers  Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
  Brummbär · Panzer IV/70(A) · VFW · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1 · Elefant · 38 cm Sturmmörser