About the Sd.Kfz. 166 Brummbär - German Heavy Assault Gun:

With the advent of blitzkrieg tactics, the German war machine needed artillery that could keep up with its mechanized units. The concept of self-propelled artillery isn’t new. In U.S. history, cannons have been mounted to rail cars since the Civil War. This gave commanders the unique ability to quickly relocate and move cannon into position without the need for horse and carriage. Of course, the drawback was the railroad track itself. The cannon could only go where railroad lines were laid. But the concept was powerful. The engineers who constructed these mobile artillery pieces went as far as to add armored shields made of wood to protect the crews, something that became commonplace in the twenty-first century. For Germany, the self-propelled gun (SPG) was an important piece to blitzkrieg strategy. German commanders needed to provided covering and supporting fire to their panzer and infantry units. One of the more powerful examples of such a weapon was the German SdKfz 166 Sturmpanzer, or Brummbär.

The Brummbär SPG was based off the Panzer IV chassis. The upper haul and turret were removed and replaced with an armored-casemate superstructure. This structure housed a Skoda 15-centimeter 43 L/12 gun. The Skoda gun was utterly destructive with a range of 4,700 meters. Its projectiles weighted up to 84 lbs and could inflict serious damage. Its primary mission was to support infantry units by clearing paths forward. The Brummbär was used to clear minefields, dismember barbed wire, and break down enemy fortifications and machine gun nests, as well as attack enemy combatants unlucky enough to be in open fields. Machine guns were also added to the Sturmpanzer giving the crew protection against close-in infantry and aircraft. This included an MG34 mounted on the roof, as well a ball mounted machine gun that sat next to the main gun. The Brummbär was heavy—its frontal sloped armor alone measured more than 100mm while the sides were over 50mm. Several variations of the assault gun were used throughout the war and were seen in engagements along the Eastern and Western Fronts. Some of the battles included Kursk, in Normandy after the D-Day landings, and the Ardennes offensive. Like most things German, the Brummbär struggled with mechanical failures. It was a heavy and intricate design and as the war waned, the Germans were short on resources to build and maintain its current fleet. Like its Panther and Tiger II brethren, there was never enough.

Model Statistics:

Designed by Team Brickmania
714 LEGO®, Brickmania®, & BrickArms® elements
1x custom minifigs
Custom printed elements
Full-color printed building instructions
1/35th scale to match other Brickmania kits
Intermediate Skill Level (4-6 years building experience recommended)

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