OON T DICKER MAX TANK-HUNTER STURER EmIL TANK-HUNTER PLA ER ER T DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT While still fighting in Poland in September DESIGN FEATURES DESIGN FEATURES When the VK3001(H) heavy tank project was 1939, the German High Command looked ahead to dropped in favour of the VK4501 that would -HUN the coming battle with France and ordered a Dicker Max is first and foremost a If you thought that Dicker Max was well eventually become the Tiger tank, two of the vehicle for use against the fortifications of gun-carrier and the gun it carried was armed, you haven’t seen Sturer Emil. prototype chassis were used to produce the ANK the Maginot Line. In response, Krupp set about the long-range Rheinmetall s10cm K18 This monster carried a 12.8cm gun with most powerfully armed self-propelled gun of designing a self-propelled 10.5cm K18 long- artillery piece fitted with a muzzle a 25’6”/7.8m long barrel. the war. break. T AL range gun based on a Panzer IV tank chassis. This fired a 58lb/26.4kg shot at The 12.8 cm Selbstfahrlafette L/61 (12.8cm T The new vehicle’s rotund profile quickly 2887fps 880m s. It could penetrate 120mm This weapon can penetrate 111mm of / / L/61 Self-propelled Mounting) or Panzerselbst- gained it the nickname ‘Dicker Max’ (‘Fat of armour sloped at 30 degrees at 2000m armour at a 30 degree slope at 2000 EN Max’). On 31 March 1941 Krupp-Gruson presented lafette V (Armoured Self-propelled Mounting meters—30% more than the famous 8.8cm and over 200mm at point-blank range. M the first of two prototypes designated 10.5cm V) was armed with a Rheinmetall 12.8 cm K FlaK18 anti-aircraft gun! K18 auf Panzer Selbstfahrlafette IVa (10.5cm Despite the weight of the shell, the L/61 gun (based on the 12.8 cm FlaK 40). The unofficial nickname of this design was ‘Sturer K18 on Armoured Self-propelled Mount IVa) to Such a large gun is usually rather spacious fighting compartment allowed Emil’ (Stubborn Emil), and the two vehicles Hitler. slow-firing, but with two loaders and the two loaders to maintain a good rate were named Max and Moritz after the naughty XPERI ammunition ready to hand, it gives a of fire. With France defeated, Hitler ordered that this boys in Busch’s famous German children’s tale. E .. good account of itself. vehicle be developed into a heavy Panzerjager (tank-hunter) capable of destroying the Interestingly Moritz, the first prototype, had a second dummy driver’s compartment on anticipated British and Soviet super-heavy The powerful 10.5cm gun mounted in the Dicker Most tanks simply disintegrate under the impact tanks. Production of the 10.5cm K18 auf Panzer the right of the hull while Max had just the Max is more than capable of destroying anything of the 12.8cm L/61 gun. Even the heaviest super driver’s compartment on the left side. Selbstfahrlafette IVa was planned to start in but the heaviest super tank. tank cannot withstand it. spring 1942, but was cancelled in favour of The Sturer Emil was slow and its lack of other vehicles. Range 40”/100cm, ROF 2, Anti-tank 15 Range 48”/120cm, ROF 2, Anti-tank 18 compatibility with other equipment caused logistical problems. These problems paled in COMBAT SERVICE comparison with the outstanding performance of its gun. It could easily engage targets at The two prototypes were.. assigned to 521. Schwere Panzerjagerabteilung for a extreme ranges unmatched by any Soviet tank or planned attack on Gibraltar. When this was anti-tank guns. cancelled, they were assigned to 3. Panzer- division for Operation Barbarossa. One of them COMBAT SERVICE was lost in an ammunition explosion and the Max and Moritz joined.. the surviving Dicker other returned to the factory in October 1941 Max when 521. Panzerjagerabteilung returned after three months in combat. to 3. Panzerdivision for the advance into the Having proved itself very effective against Caucasus. After the disaster at Stalingrad, Soviet KV-1, KV-2 and T-34 tanks, the Max was destroyed fighting with 2. Panzer- surviving Dicker Max returned to 3. Panzer- division and Moritz was captured. At the division alongside the even better-armed time Moritz had 22 kill rings painted on Sturer Emil in 1942. the barrel. 10.5cm K18 auf PzSfl IVa - Dicker Max 12.8cm L/61 auf PzSfl V - Sturer Emil DICKER MAX SPECIFICATIONS STURER EmIL SPECIFICATIONS Designation: 10.5cm K18 auf Ammunition Stowage: 25x 10.5cm, 600x 7.92mm Designation: 12.8cm L/61 auf Ammunition Stowage: 18x 12.8cm, 600x 7.92mm Panzerselbstfahrlafette IVa Armour Thickness: 20mm to 50mm Panzerselbstfahrlafette V Armour Thickness: 15mm to 50mm Nickname: Dicker Max Engine: Maybach HL 120TRM 12-cylinder petrol, Nickname: Sturer Emil Engine: Maybach HL116 6-cylinder petrol, Crew: 5 (cdr, gnr, ldr (2), dvr) 725cu in/12 litre, 300hp Crew: 5 (cdr, gnr, ldr (2), dvr) 674cu in/11 litre, 300hp Weight: 55,112lb/25,000kg Transmission: Maybach double differential Weight: 77,157lb/35,000kg) Transmission: Maybach double differential Length: 24’8”/7.52m Suspension: Leaf springs Length: 31’10”/9.7m Suspension: Transverse torsion bar Height: 10’8”/3.25m Maximum Speed: 25mph/40km/h Height: 8’10”/2.7m Maximum Speed: 15.5mph/25km/h Width: 9’4”/2.84m Cross-country Speed: Classified Width: 10’4½”/3.16m Armament: 1x 10.5cm K18 gun, Road Radius: 130 miles/210km Armament: 1x 12.8cm K L/61 gun, 1x 7.92mm MG34 machine-gun 1x 7.92mm MG34 machine-gun Traverse: 8 degrees left and right Traverse: 7 degrees left and right OON T REPLACING STANDARD EQUIPMENT WITH DICKER MAX AND STURER EmIL Leutnant PLA Germany fielded a variety of heavy tank-hunters, ranging from the experimental HEAVIER TANK-HUNTER PLATOON Dicker Max and Sturer Emil to the Ferdinand based on the Tiger (P) chassis. The new tank-hunter units were formed in LEUTNANT ER These were used interchangeably as the situation demanded. 1943 from cadres of established tank-hunter T battalions. Any German company may replace its Tank-hunter Platoon with an Experimental Tank-hunter Heavier Tank-hunter Platoons are rated as: Platoon, Heavier Tank-hunter Platoon, or Heaviest Tank-hunter Platoon. Confident Veteran Command Dicker Max -HUN HQ Section Platoon ANK Unteroffizier Unteroffizier EXPERIMENTAL TANK-HUNTER PLATOON Leutnant 3 Dicker Max .......... 525 points The heavy tank-hunters were assigned to an T AL 2 Dicker Max .......... 350 points T experienced anti-tank battalion. LEUTNANT 1 Dicker Max .......... 175 points EN Experimental Tank-hunter Platoons are rated Dicker Max Dicker Max as: Confident Veteran Tank-hunter Section Tank-hunter Section M Dicker Max is best used as a long-range Command Sturer Emil tank-hunter firing from concealed positions Heavier TANK-hunter Platoon Platoon HQ Section behind your own troops. This will keep the enemy at a safe range where it cannot Dicker Max, while allowing the tank-hunter’s XPERI 2 Sturer Emil and 1 Dicker Max .635 points penetrate the relatively thin armour of the powerful long-range gun to pick them off. E Unteroffizier Unteroffizier 2 Sturer Emil ................460 points 1 Sturer Emil and 1 Dicker Max .405 points 1 Sturer Emil ................230 points HEAVIEst TANK-HUNTER PLATOON Leutnant Sturer Emil Dicker Max 1 Dicker Max .................175 points Tank-hunter Section Tank-hunter Section Only the best crews were selected to man LEUTNANT these the heaviest tank hunters. Experimental TANK-hunter Platoon Heaviest Tank-hunter Platoons are rated as: MAX AND EmIL Confident Veteran Despite their size difference and different manufacturers, Dicker Max and Sturer Emil have Command Sturer Emil very similar appearance. It is very difficult for the enemy to tell them apart at a distance. Platoon HQ Section When shooting at an Experimental Tank-hunter Platoon: 3 Sturer Emil ......... 690 points Unteroffizier Unteroffizier - Treat Dicker Max and Sturer Emil tank-hunters as if they have the same armour ratings 2 Sturer Emil ......... 460 points for the Hit Weakest Armour First rule (page 95 of the rulebook). This allows the German player to allocate hits to the Sturer Emil tank-hunters before the Dicker Max tank- 1 Sturer Emil ......... 230 points hunters if they wish to do so. Sturer Emil Sturer Emil - Treat Dicker Max and Sturer Emil tank-hunters as having different chassis, making them Use the extraordinary long-range firepower Tank-hunter Section Tank-hunter Section distinguishable using the Gun Tanks rule (page 96 of the rulebook). The shooting player of the Sturer Emil to occupy a dominating can attempt to choose which type of tank they hit using this rule. position and steadily pick off every enemy Heaviest TANK-hunter Platoon tank that appears. The armour on a Sturer Emil is equivalent to a medium tank, so start to get near, simply shoot them down as there is no need to retreat if the enemy they close. Armour Name Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes Dicker Max Standard Tank 4 1 0 AA MG. Weapon Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower s 10cm K18 gun 40”/100cm 2 15 2+ Hull mounted. Armour Name Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes Sturer Emil Slow Tank 5 2 0 AA MG, Unreliable. Weapon Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower 12.8cm K L/61 gun 48”/120cm 2 18 2+ Hull mounted, Breakthrough gun. With two loaders the Dicker Max and Sturer Emil get an extraordinary rate of fire out of their guns, despite their enormous size and power..