During World War II, Germany produced a variety of specialized armored fighting vehicles, including Sturmpan-zers - assault tanks. They were to be used as heavy infantry support vehicles in urban street warfare against buildings and in operations against heavily fortified defenses. The first was the Sturminfanteriegeschutz 33 based on the Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank and armed with the 150 mm sIG heavy infantry gun. All 24 built were produced in 1942 and saw service on the Eastern Front, including Stalingrad. The Stug 33 was followed by the Sturmpanzer IV Brummbar, which was based on the Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank and armed with a 150mm StuH (Sturmhaubitze) assault/attack howitzer. From 1943 to 1945, Brummbar saw service on all fronts, proving to be an effective weapon. In early 1942, Alkett was ordered to design and produce a new Sturmpanzer with Krupp's cooperation. Alkett was in charge of designing the sloped armor superstructure mounting a 150 mm assault/attack howitzer, which was to be placed on a standard Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis modified by Krupp. Since all previous vehicles, such as Sturmhaubitze 42 (Sd.Kfz.142/2) and Stug 33, were considered only as temporary models (..interim solution"), Albert Speer ordered the development of Sturmpanzer IV In fact, the Stug 33 can be considered the direct forerunner of Brummbar.
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