Wespe
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Wespe at the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster, Germany |
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| SdKfz 124 Wespe | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 5 (Commander, driver, gunners(x3)) |
| Length | 4.81 m |
| Width | 2.28 m |
| Height | 2.3 m |
| Weight | 11 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 5 - 30 mm |
| Main armament | 1x 10.5 cm leFH 18M L/28 32 rounds |
| Secondary armament | None |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | 6-cyl petrol Maybach HL62TR 140 hp (105 kW) |
| Suspension | leaf spring |
| Road speed | 40 km/h |
| Power/weight | hp/tonne |
| Range | 220 km |
The SdKfz 124 Wespe (German for wasp) or (Leichte Feldhaubitze 18 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II) was a German self-propelled artillery vehicle developed and used during the Second World War. It was based on the Panzer II tank.
In 1940, during the Battle of France, it was apparent that the main tank of the German forces, the Panzer II, was unsuitable as a direct combat vehicle; though mechanically sound, it was both under-gunned and under-armoured. Thus, when the need arose for a self-propelled artillery vehicle, the Panzer II was a natural choice, removing the vehicles from frontline service and extending their useable lifespan.
The design for the Wespe was produced by Alkett, and was based on the Panzer II Ausf. F chassis. Production of the vehicles was carried out at various plants, mainly in Poland. The conversion process itself proved relatively simple, involving the replacement of the Panzer II turret with a 105 mm howitzer and gun-shield.
The Wespe first saw combat in 1943 on the Eastern Front, and proved so successful that Hitler ordered all Panzer II production to be reserved for the Wespe alone, dropping other projects such as the Marder II.
The Wespe stayed in production from February 1943 until mid-1944, when Soviet forces captured the German factories in today's Poland. By that time 662 had been produced, with an additional 158 as weaponless ammunition carriers.
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| German armored fighting vehicles of World War II | |
|---|---|
| Tanks | |
| Panzer I | Panzer II | Panzer III | Panzer IV | Panther | Tiger I, II | Panzer 35(t) | Panzer 38(t) | |
| Self-propelled artillery | |
| Wespe | Hummel | Grille | Panzerwerfer | sIG 33 | Wurfrahmen 40 | |
| Assault guns | |
| StuG III | StuG IV | StuH 42 | Brummbär | Sturmtiger | |
| Tank destroyers | |
| Panzerjäger I | Marder I , II , III | Hetzer | Jagdpanzer IV | Jagdpanther | Nashorn | Jagdtiger | Elefant | |
| Half-tracks | Armored cars |
| SdKfz 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | Sdkfz 221/22/23 | Sdkfz 231/32/34/63 |
| Self propelled anti-aircraft | |
| Flakpanzer IV: Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Kugelblitz | Gepard | |
| Prototypes | |
| Maus | E- series | Panther II | Waffenträger | Neubaufahrzeug | |
| Proposed designs | |
| Panzer VII 'Löwe' | |
| German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
