7.5cm PaK40/4 auf Raupenschlepper, Ost (Sf)

Model by John Robinson

As World War II progressed, it became increasingly clear that the era of towed weapons was fading. Therefore top priority was given to mounting anti-tank guns and heavy artillery on self-propelled chasses. The Germans were at the forefront of this effort creating a phenominal array of self-propelled mountings based on every chassis in their inventory. In August of 1943, the Waffenamt was approached by Steyr Werke with a proposal to mount the powerful 7.5cm PaK 40 on the RSO. The Waffenamt was favorably impressed with the idea and odered the converion of 50 vehicles.

The running gear of the RSO remains unchanged in this vehicle. The driver's compartment is replaced with a low, lightly-armored superstructure. The weapon was mounted to the frame underneath the normal RSO bed. Army Group South received several of these vehicles for troop testing in early 1944. Hitler had been so impressed with the design he ordered a full scale production plan for 1944 with the following figures:

• March: 60
• April: 100
• May: 150
• June: 200
• July and afterward: 400/month

This production plan was never put into effect, and only 60 vehicles were ever completed.

• Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II
• Tech Intel Volume 1

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