Existing comment:
Grasshopper (experimental self-propelled 105mm Howitzer), Germany.
Initial production 1943.
The Grasshopper was an experimental self-propelled 105mm le FH (?) 18/6 howitzer with a removable turret. The chassis was based upon the Panzer IV tank. The turret could rotate a full 360 degrees, but the special hydraulic lifting and jacking equipment allowed the crew to emplace the turret on the ground like a pillbox. The turret could also be towed on a wheeled carriage by the chassis of the Grasshopper. German engineers deemed the turret's performance as a pillbox unsatisfactory, so the vehicle was not put into production. A Technical Intelligence Team of the U.S. Army recovered this vehicle from the German Army's providing ground shortly after the end of the war. |