On August 5th, 1943, a self-propelled vehicle was proposed by senior Army officials based on the Tiger I chassis but mounting a 38cm mortar. Alkett was placed in charge of the design. The Company managed to complete a prototype by October 20th, which was run through a series of field tests for approval. Brandenburger Eisenwerke produced the superstructures and Alkett converted the Tiger I and completed the Sturmmorser at their Berlin-Spandau plant. The large mortar was an unusual design because it fired rocket-assisted ammunition and had vents in the gun tube wall to exhaust the propellant gasses forward. By December 1944, Alkett managed to convert 18 Tiger Is into Sturmmorsers.

The Sturmtiger was based on the late model Tiger I, keeping its hull and suspension. The front of the Tiger's superstructure was removed to make room for the new fixed casemate-style fighting compartment housing the rocket launcher. This was located directly at the front of the vehicle, giving it a boxy appearance.

Compared to the Tiger tank, the Sturmtiger was much shorter overall, only 6.28 m (20 ft 7 in) compared to the Tiger's 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in), due largely to the fact that it did not have the long main gun of the latter which protruded far in front of the hull. It also was slightly lower than the Tiger at 2.85 m (9 ft 4 in) compared to 3 m (9 ft 10 in).

Pictured here is a 1:32 scale replica of a German late production Sturmtiger assault gun. Comes with a bonus Maybach HL230P45 V-12 water-cooled engine. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 7-1/2-inches
Width: 4-1/2-inches
Height: 4-1/4-inches

Release Date: March 2022

Panzersturmmorser Kompanie 1000 was raised on August 13th, 1944, and fought during the Warsaw Uprising with two vehicles, as did the prototype in a separate action, which may have been the only time the Sturmtiger was used in its intended role. Panzersturmmorser Kompanie 1001 (commanded by Captain von Gottberg) and 1002 (commanded by Lieutenant Zippel) followed in September and October. Both Panzersturmmorser Kompanie 1000 and 1001 served during the Ardennes Offensive, with a total of seven Sturmtigers.

There is anecdotal evidence of Panzersturmmorsers fighting Allied tanks even though they were intended for a different purpose altogether. One story reports how three Medium Tank, M4's were destroyed by a single rocket. In another instance, a former US soldier recalls how a Panzersturmmorser destroyed several Medium Tank, M4's, leaving holes in the ground the size of the vehicle itself. While the Panzersturmmorser was well-armored, it was in no way suited for fighting tanks, given its excessive weight and slow loading time.

After the Ardennes offensive, the Sturmtigers were used in the defense of Germany proper, mainly on the Western front.