In his mind’s eye, von Schroif could picture the old man pausing to allow the laughter to die down and remembered how, despite himself, Voss couldn’t help but give in to the natural urge to smile and how his wrinkly countenance soon broke into one of his characteristic grins. Voss was the owner of a face which could only be described as ‘lived in’. Years of battle, hardship and a life spent outdoors had produced a craggy but somehow genial countenance which was part of the charm of the man who commanded such loyalty. As silence resumed, Voss at last felt ready to continue his briefing.
“The other major concern for all of you is the armour on the sides and rear which seems disconcertingly thin. So be alert! Make sure your driver is awake. I can’t say this often enough◦— you must keep your front to the enemy at all times. You may have noticed that you have to do that◦— or you can’t shoot them!”
A faint current of appreciation flowed through the audience and Voss, sensing that he had their attention, continued with his simple lesson.
“The lack of a turret also means that the driver has to spin the vehicle to acquire new targets, with the constant risk of throwing a track, so be vigilant at all times… Any questions before we go?”
“Forgive me, SS-Sturmbannführer, but, if the enemy approaches the vehicle, there doesn’t seem to be much of an option for self-defence?”
The question was obvious, and the nervous young Wehrmacht officer who spoke was clearly uncomfortable, but Voss was understanding.
“First, you give the supporting grenadiers a good kick in the ass! We know from Spain and Poland that obviously there may be times when a machine gun will come in handy. I have made that representation on your behalf and I can assure you that the team at Krupp are investigating, and no doubt innovating as we speak, but for now you must make do with a 9mm machine pistol… Just open the pistol port or the hatch and take a pop at them. They’ll soon clear off!”
There was more laughter but SS-Sturmbannführer Helmut Voss was aware that his audience was less than impressed with the situation and he continued with some words of comfort.
“Once it’s been exposed to the realities of combat, much will be learned about the new machine. Trust me, gentlemen, much of it will be good. All of the exercises and tests confirm that the low silhouette makes it very hard to hit and the 50 mm frontal armour seems man enough for the job,” said Voss with a knowing shrug of the shoulders, “give or take!”
Again there was sympathetic laughter at Voss’ characteristic display of candour.
“Bear in mind, gentlemen, that your maximum speed cross-country is about 10 kilometres per hour. On roads, it is about 35 kilometres per hour. On normal roads its radius of action is about 130 kilometres. Cross-country, about 65 kilometres, no more◦— don’t believe everything the manufacturer says.”
The smiles around the room told him that the men were listening.
“And, above all, think about the fuel you are using. To move a six gun battery 100 kilometres requires 4,000 litres of petrol. If you run out, you are stuck. So, be aware.”
Nods and grins from the officers confirmed that they were familiar with the nightmare scenario of running out of fuel.
“You need to exercise the same caution when it comes to ammunition,” continued Voss. “The manual claims that the maximum range of the 7.5 cm KwK short-barrelled tank gun, with which this weapon is equipped, is how much?”
“About 6,000 metres, SS-Sturmbannführer,” replied the young lieutenant upon whom the piercing gaze of SS-Sturmbannführer Voss had come to rest.
“Perhaps that may be true on a good day with a following wind on the firing range, but really you are just wasting ammunition. 500 Reichsmarks wasted! Don’t even think about it. Clear?”
“Yes, SS-Sturmbannführer, perfectly clear,” came the swift response.
“Good. Well, there we have it,” continued Voss, warming to his theme. “The basic principles and role of the new weapon are as follows; you shall hear this only once, so listen carefully.” He paused briefly for effect and then continued. “The assault gun on an armoured self-propelled mount is an offensive weapon. I don’t have to remind you that it can fire only in which general direction?”
“Forwards,” replied the young lieutenant without hesitation.
“Correct!” replied Voss with a twinkle of a smile. “The direction in which the vehicle is pointing is also where your strongest armour is, so fix it in your mind! It could save your life. Now,” continued Voss, who was in full flow, “owing to its cross-country performance and its armour, the Sturmgeschütze is able to follow anywhere its own infantry or armoured troops can go. The moral support that the infantry receives through its presence is vitally important. It does not fire on the move and you should never attempt to fire on the move, Herr Leutnant, is that clear?”
“Crystal clear, SS-Sturmbannführer.”
“Well, that’s all very good,” replied the older man with his customary warmth, “but in close fighting it is vulnerable because its sides are light and the roof is thin. Besides, as we have seen, it has no real facilities for defending itself at close quarters. It is therefore not in a position to carry out independent reconnaissance and fighting tasks. This weapon must always be supported by infantry. Never forget that. Splitting up assault-gun units into small parts such as platoons or single guns jeopardizes the firepower and facilitates enemy defence, so don’t do it.”
After a pause in which he carefully scanned the assembled officers Voss continued.
“That’s enough of the negative stuff. I believe absolutely in the worth of this machine. We are working towards the principle of establishing assault gun battalions which will consist of a battalion headquarters and three batteries. In this room are the men who will lead those battalions”◦— his eyes were now fixed on von Schroif◦— “so make sure and give a good account of yourselves when the time comes. In the meantime, we will continue with the current basic organisation of the battery which will continue to have six guns split into three platoons, each of two guns.
“The command vehicles for battery and platoon commanders are armoured half-tracks. They make it possible, therefore, to move right up to the foremost infantry line to direct the fire. But as complete a picture as possible must be obtained of the enemy’s armour-piercing weapons and the positions of his mines; hasty employment without sufficient reconnaissance means death. Premature deployment must also be avoided.
“After an engagement, assault guns must not be given security missions, especially at night. They must be withdrawn for refuelling, overhauling, and resupply. After four to five days in action, they must be thoroughly serviced. If this is not possible, it must be expected that some will not be fit for action and may fall out. When in rear areas, they must be allotted space near repair shops so that they are readily accessible to maintenance facilities.
“Surprise is essential for the successful employment of assault-gun battalions. It is therefore most important for them to move up and into firing positions under cover and generally to commence fire without warning. With the allotment of smoke ammunition, which we have set at 23 percent of the total ammunition issue, it is possible to lay smoke and to blind enemy weapons which, for example, are sited on the flank.
“The fifteen per cent supply of armour-piercing shells doesn’t mean you are expected to fight armour battles. It’s for use against concrete positions and the like. Assault guns should be used to engage casemates, not tanks! Take it from me; cooperation with assault engineers using flamethrowers is very effective in these cases. So, do we go charging into the attack in towns and villages, Leutnant?”