Bison II

Ref.: DRAG-6440

Bison II 15cm s.IG 33 (Sfl.) auf Pz.Kpfw.II

While the Panzer II was outclassed as a tank following the outbreak of WWII, the chassis spawned a succession of other armored fighting vehicles for the Wehrmacht. One of those was the Bison II 15cm s.IG 33 (Sfl.) auf Pz.Kpfw.II. This was a self-propelled howitzer mounting the well-known 15cm s.IG 33 infantry gun that had a range of 4,700km. The first Bison II prototype was produced in July/August of 1941, and the design featured a lengthened hull (with an extra road wheel each side) to accommodate the howitzer. It employed a Bussing-NAG engine, which proved problematic in moving the 16-ton vehicle around the battlefield. A crew of four operated the Bison II, but they were given little armor protection. The limited numbers produced were shipped to Libya in early 1942 for combat use in North Africa. The Bison II was eventually replaced by the better-designed Wespe.

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