About the Heuschrecke Ivb "Grasshopper"
Heuschrecke (translated as “Grasshopper”) might be a mouthful for some, but it’s certainly more concise than 10.5cm leFH18/1 L/28 auf Waffentra"ger GW IVb! This lengthy nomenclature refers to a special self-propelled howitzer based on the chassis of the ubiquitous Panzer IV tank. It featured a 10.5cm gun mounted in a turret with 360^(o) traverse. However, this Grasshopper had a special ability up its sleeve. The vehicle had a lifting gantry installed on the superstructure rear that could remove the turret and emplace it on the ground. Alternatively the turret could be placed on a wheeled carriage and towed behind the vehicle. This then allowed the Grasshopper to act as an ammunition carrier. This was a novel idea but it didn’t really catch on for obvious reasons, with just three prototypes built in 1943.