Hi everyone. I'm back from the middle east doing the military adviser thing a little over a year now. I've been unpacking my MA and going through GHQ's sight for new stuff. one thing that caught my eye is the Sdkfz 135 Stuka zu Fuss. I liked the look of this little beast and thought it would make a good unit. I tried looking it up in my books and on-line but could find nothing on it except some model kits. my question is; is this thing real? or is it something for '47'? If it is real, please let my know where I can find info on it.
Thanks, Kelly
Sdkfz 135 Stuka zu Fuss
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Oberst
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Sdkfz 135 Stuka zu Fuss
Kelly
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Mk 1
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Try searching for the Wurfrahmen 40. Stuka zu fuss (Stuka on foot) was only the nickname.
The Wurfrahmen 40 was a launching platform for rockets. It could be put onto many different vehicles. One common mounting was 3 Wurfrahmen 40s (6 rocket launchers, one pair per Wurfrahmen) on an SdKfz 251 halftrack. But it was often mounted on captured or seized French vehicles (Chennillettes, Renault tanks, etc.).
SdKfz 135 is the German designation for the chassis of the French Lorraine carrier. Anything built on that chassis would be a variant of the SdKfz 135. So an SdKfz 135 Stuka zu Fuss is just the rocket launchers installed on a French Lorraine carrier. Which is what the GHQ catalog picture shows.
So no make-believe. How many SdKfz 135s mounted Wurfrahmen? Haven't found any counts. But a fully plausible and likely Wehrmacht support weapon, likely to be assigned to Panzer Divisions from 1940 onward.
The Wurfrahmen 40 was a launching platform for rockets. It could be put onto many different vehicles. One common mounting was 3 Wurfrahmen 40s (6 rocket launchers, one pair per Wurfrahmen) on an SdKfz 251 halftrack. But it was often mounted on captured or seized French vehicles (Chennillettes, Renault tanks, etc.).
SdKfz 135 is the German designation for the chassis of the French Lorraine carrier. Anything built on that chassis would be a variant of the SdKfz 135. So an SdKfz 135 Stuka zu Fuss is just the rocket launchers installed on a French Lorraine carrier. Which is what the GHQ catalog picture shows.
So no make-believe. How many SdKfz 135s mounted Wurfrahmen? Haven't found any counts. But a fully plausible and likely Wehrmacht support weapon, likely to be assigned to Panzer Divisions from 1940 onward.
Last edited by Mk 1 on Sat May 23, 2015 8:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
-Mark 1
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD
Difficile est, saturam non scribere.
"It is hard NOT to write satire." - Decimus Iunius Juvenalis, 1st Century AD
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piersyf
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As a direct conversion, no it didn't exist. None of Becker's conversions of the Lorraine tractor were specifically rocket launchers. The one he did make was based on a different chassis (Panzerkampfwagen 35H(f) mit 28/32 cm Wurfrahmen).
Where it is 'possible' is if the ammunition carrier he made based on the Lorraine tractor was part of the heavy weapons company of a Panzer grenadier battalion. They had wurfrahmen kits as a part of their stores with 12cm mortar teams, and these were carried by the ammo vehicles (2 vehicles per platoon).
I am prepared to be found wrong on this.
Where it is 'possible' is if the ammunition carrier he made based on the Lorraine tractor was part of the heavy weapons company of a Panzer grenadier battalion. They had wurfrahmen kits as a part of their stores with 12cm mortar teams, and these were carried by the ammo vehicles (2 vehicles per platoon).
I am prepared to be found wrong on this.
There is no right or wrong, only decisions and consequences.
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kiasutha
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Anything's possible, and they certainly could have done it, but-
I've also searched for evidence of this vehicle ever since it was announced.
Other than the model kit already mentioned, nothing has turned up.
Perhaps GHQ would be willing to tell us where THEY found it?
I did find a bit of info and even a couple photos of captured vehicles in France in 1944-
In that case, 4 rockets were mounted on the Renault UE carrier, however, not the "Lorraine" carrier used here.
I'm beginning to wonder if that may have resulted in confusion in the past...?
I've also searched for evidence of this vehicle ever since it was announced.
Other than the model kit already mentioned, nothing has turned up.
Perhaps GHQ would be willing to tell us where THEY found it?
I did find a bit of info and even a couple photos of captured vehicles in France in 1944-
In that case, 4 rockets were mounted on the Renault UE carrier, however, not the "Lorraine" carrier used here.
I'm beginning to wonder if that may have resulted in confusion in the past...?
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TAMMY
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40 Chenillette Renaut UE were modified as Selbstfahrlafette für 28/32 cm Wurfrahmen auf Infanterie-Schlepper UE(f). Four rockets per vehicle in two variants 2 per side or all on the back.
I have found no trace of a SdKfz 135 and I doubt it existed in any quantity. The chenillette was much more available than the SdKfz 135 but only 40 were modified as rocket launchers.
I have found no trace of a SdKfz 135 and I doubt it existed in any quantity. The chenillette was much more available than the SdKfz 135 but only 40 were modified as rocket launchers.
Ubicumque et semper