Sturer Emil

The 12.8 cm Selbstfahrlafette auf VK 30.01(H) "Sturer Emil" (German for "Stubborn Emil") was an experimental World War II German self-propelled anti-tank gun. It was based on the Henschel VK30.01 chassis and armed with a Rheinmetall 12.8 cm K40 L/61 gun (based on the 12.8 cm FlaK 40). This gun could traverse 7° to each side, elevate 10° and depress -15°. It carried 15 rounds for the main gun.

An artist drawing of the Sturer Emil.

Sturer Emil
The only surviving 'Sturer Emil' in Kubinka Tank Museum
Type	heavy tank destroyer
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1942-1943
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1941
Produced	1942
No. built	2
Specifications
Mass	35 tonnes (34 long tons; 39 short tons)
Length	9.7 metres (32 ft)
Width	3.16 metres (10.4 ft)
Height	2.7 metres (8.9 ft)
Crew	5
Armor	15 - 50 mm
Main armament	Rheinmetall 128 mm PaK 40 L/61
Secondary armament	MG 34
Engine	Maybach water-cooled, V-6, HL116 300 horsepower (220 kW)
Power/weight	8.57 hp/tonne
Fuel capacity	450 litres (120 US gal)
Maximum speed	25 kilometres per hour (16 mph)

The hulls were left over from Henschel's submission for the canceled VK 30.01 heavy tank program - development of a 30-tonne tank which led to the Tiger -, but the hull was stretched and an extra road wheel added to its overlapped and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk roadwheel-based suspension system, to accommodate the large gun, which was mounted on a pedestal ahead of the engine. A large, open-topped fighting compartment, much like that fitted to the Panzer IV-based Hummel self-propelled 15 cm howitzer, was built where the turret was intended to go in the original design.

Two vehicles (named after Max and Moritz) were built, both of which served on the Eastern Front. One vehicle was destroyed, the other captured at Stalingrad in January 1943, with 22 kill marks painted on the barrel. This captured vehicle is now displayed in the collection on the Kubinka Tank Museum.