The Sturmtiger was conceived after urban fighting demonstrated a demand for a heavily protected vehicle capable of demolishing buildings and strongpoints with a single very large projectile.
Tank Destroyer / Assault Gun / Direct-Fire · Heavy assault gunSturmtiger · Sturmmörserwagen 606/4 · 38 cm RW61 auf Sturmmörser TigerPrimary image verified
Sturmtiger. Primary reference image for this archive profile. Source date: 2017-08-25 11:42.Alan Wilson from Stilton, Peterborough, Cambs, UK; CC BY-SA 2.0Image source
Roleheavy siege / assault gun
Main weapon / system380 mm rocket mortar
Platform / layoutTiger I-derived chassis with fixed superstructure
MediaPrimary image integrated
Development and design
Damaged or returned Tiger I chassis were rebuilt with a massive fixed superstructure and a 380 mm rocket mortar derived from a naval depth-charge launcher. Ammunition was so large that an external crane was needed to assist loading. 1, 2
Operational use
Only a very small number were completed and they appeared in late-war fighting, including the Warsaw uprising period and battles inside Germany. Their destructive firepower was real, but scarcity, ammunition burden, and changing operational conditions kept them from becoming a broadly influential system. 1, 2
Role and significance
The Sturmtiger marks the extreme end of the assault-gun spectrum: not a tank hunter, but a protected siege weapon intended to deliver direct heavy demolition fire. 1, 2
Sources and further reading
Representative source set used for this profile. Primary image source and reuse terms are listed with the image.
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