Sturer Emil

"Experimental tank destroyer on the basis of the prototype of the VK 3001(H) heavy tank. Only two vehicles were manufactured. They fought on the Eastern Front. The tank destroyer was designated as "Sturer Emil' (German for "Stubborn Mule') due to frequent breakdowns." The Sturer Emil is a German tier 7 tank destroyer.

St. Emil
Turret: tier 7 Sturer Emil

Turret Armor: --/--/--

Traverse Speed (deg/sec): 28

View Range (m): 400

Gun: tier 8 10,5 cm Kanone 18

Rate of Fire (rounds/min): 7.69

Penetration: 169/227/53

Damage: 300/300/380

Aiming Time (sec): 2.30

Accuracy: 0.36

Engine: tier 4 Maybach HL 116

Engine Power (h.p.): 300

Tracks: tier 6 Schwere Betonknacker

Traverse speed (deg/sec): 32

Radio: tier 2 FuG 2

Signal Range (m): 265

Pz.Sfl. V Mortiz
Turret: tier 7 Sturer Emil

Turret Armor: --/--/--

Traverse Speed (deg/sec): 28

View Range (m): 400

Gun: tier 8 10,5 cm Kanone 18

Rate of Fire (rounds/min): 7.69

Penetration: 169/227/53

Damage: 300/300/380

Aiming Time (sec): 2.30

Accuracy: 0.36

Engine: tier 5 Maybach HL 116 S

Engine Power (h.p.): 310

Tracks: tier 7 Pz.Sfl. fur 12.8 cm K. 40

Traverse speed (deg/sec): 36

Radio: tier 3 FuG 5

Signal Range (m): 310

Pz.Sfl. V Max
Turret: tier 7 Sturer Emil

Turret Armor: --/--/--

Traverse Speed (deg/sec): 28

View Range (m): 400

Gun: tier 9 12,8 cm Kanone 40

Rate of Fire (rounds/min): 4.35

Penetration: 231/65

Damage: 490/630

Aiming Time (sec): 2.50

Accuracy: 0.36

Engine: tier 5 Maybach HL 116 S

Engine Power (h.p.): 310

Tracks: tier 7 Pz.Sfl. fur 12.8 cm K. 40

Traverse speed (deg/sec): 36

Radio: tier 8 Fu.Spr.Ger. "a"

Signal Range (m): 700

Performance
The Sturer Emil is a rather inflexible tank. It is fragile, very slow, and slow to turn. Its open top and light armor means that it's very vulnerable to artillery. However, this tank can excel by using its amazing gun depression on maps with hills and ridges. It is best at peeking over the top of a rise, taking a shot with that awesome alpha, and then pulling back down out of sight. If ridges are not available, the Sturer Emil can also play a traditional tank destroyer role and use its 400 view range to outspot the enemy at extreme distances. With its narrow gun arc, poor acceleration, slow rotation speed, and light armor, the Sturer Emil is not good at peek-a-boom around corners, nor at retreating if it is spotted. On a city map it is often best to stay behind a line of heavies and carefully shoot over and around them as they move back and forth. Use their armor to protect you as much as possible. While your frontal armor is an improvement over it's predecessors and may save you from a penetrating HE shell, the splash damage may in turn either damage or destroy the sensitive engine and fuel tank or kill the driver directly in front of the superstructure, in addition to the likely chance of loosing the gunner or loader by the gun. The armor is also generally unreliable against AP shells unless it is at an extreme angle.

The grind to the top gun is not fun. The stock 10,5 cm gun, which is the same as the tier 6 premium TD Dicker Max lacks penetration and has neither good alpha damage nor high damage per minute. As a result, it requires the Sturer Emil to be exposed more often to deal damage. This leads to an uncomfortable situation where the St Emil under performs in all departments: firepower, protection and maneuverability. With the 12,8 cm top gun the alpha damage and penetration is very good for its tier and will still be useful in higher tier matches, although you do loose the fast fire rate of the 10,5 cm. Getting to a place that you can inflict that damage is a challenge. The more that you can leverage this tank destroyer's amazing gun depression, the better: hills are a Sturer Emil's best friend and should be relentlessly abused. Maps with a lot of flanking and movement will be a trial, though. Try to stay near friendlies who can keep you from being over run. Your primary job is to support your friendly tanks so they can keep you alive.

History
The 12.8 cm Selbstfahrlafette auf VK30.01(H) "Sturer Emil" (German for "Stubborn Emil") was an experimental World War II German self-propelled anti-tank gun. It was based on the Henschel VK30.01 chassis and both armed with a Rheinmetall 12.8 cm K L/61 gun (based on the 12.8 cm FlaK 40). This gun could traverse 7° to each side, elevate 10° and depress -15°. It carried 15 rounds for the main gun.

The chassis was left over from Henschel's submission for the canceled VK30.01 heavy tank program, but the hull was stretched and an extra road wheel added to accommodate the large gun, which was mounted on a pedestal ahead of the engine. A large, open-topped, fighting compartment was built where the turret was intended to go in the original design.

Two vehicles (named Max and Moritz) were built, both of which served on the Eastern Front. One vehicle was destroyed, the other captured at Stalingrad in January 1943, with 22 kill marks painted on the barrel. This captured vehicle is now displayed in the collection on the Kubinka Tank Museum.