Primary armament of the Sturer Emil was the massive 128mm (12.8cm) PaK 40 L/61 main gun - a tank-based version of the highly-effective FlaK 40 anti-aircraft artillery system. The crew managed an ammunition store of just 18 armor piercing projectiles but this was offset by the sheer penetrative firepower inherent in the 128mm's design. Anti-infantry measures included a mounted MG34 general purpose machine gun to be operated by any one of the gunnery crew. While holding limited traverse, this weapon could prove decisive in a short-ranged firefight with enemy infantry bent on assailing the vehicle with grenades. Additionally, any personal crew weapons (usually submachine guns or service rifles) and sidearms could be brought to bear as needed.
Design work on the Sturer Emil began in 1941 to which production on a pair of prototypes ensued in 1942. The prototypes were named "Max" and "Moritz" in typical German fashion (they had a habit of naming specialized developments) and were in operational service for field evaluations in 1942 and into 1943. Each vehicle weighed in at nearly 40 short tons with a running length of 32 feet, a width of over 10 feet and a height nearing 9 feet. Armor protection was 50mm along the critical front facings and as thin as 15mm elsewhere. Power was derived from a single Maybach brand HL116 V6 water-cooled engine developing 300 horsepower and allowing for speeds of 16 miles per hour with limited operational ranges. Slow and plodding, the Sturer Emil had its tactical limitations to be sure but, again, this could largely be offset by its powerful main gun while protection could be managed by accompanying combat tanks, infantry and proper use of air power.
Only these two prototypes were ever completed though both saw combat service along the East Front. Of the two, only one survived to be captured by the victorious Soviet Army at Stalingrad in January of 1943 (the Stalingrad campaign ended the following month). The other example was destroyed in the fighting and assumed a complete loss. The captured specimen was then returned to Moscow for evaluation and ultimately ended up in the famous Kubinka Tank Museum as a war trophy in the post-war years. Of particular note with this specimen were the 22 "kill" icons found on the side of the barrel - evidence of the true effectiveness of the Sturer Emil system despite its limitations.
All told, the Sturer Emil certainly held promise for the desperate German Army. Its high-impact main gun undoubtedly proved a large part of its limited field success (particularly when paired with a trained and skilled gunnery crew). Had the vehicle been available in suitable numbers, the battles of the East Front may have very well ended differently for both sides. However, history showed otherwise.
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