Feldgrau.net

I have seen two seperate pictures of german troops using a 10,5cm lFH 18 in urban combat, with infantry shooting MG 34, MP 40 and Kar 98k just next to them, on in Lille, France in July 1940 and one in Schitomir, Russia, about a year later.

My Qestion is: Were these actions just spontaneously ordered by local front commanders taking quick action or was it a german "standart procedure" to use light howitzers in street fighting and if, was it a standart
training exercise for german gunners to use their guns in urban areas.

For me a bulky and havy gun like a 10,5cm lFH 18 light howitzer without real protection (I don´t see the shield as a "real" protection in close combat) for the crew seems quite unsuitable for sreet fighting - but they didn´t have the Sturmtigerback and not even enough StuG III back then...

Thanks for any help, Jaegi

I have seen those photos also. Standard practice in the German Army was -- whatever it took to do the job. If the Artillery Regiment found itself too close to the front, which often happened, especially if a "pacified" town turned out not to be, then the LIGHT Field howtizer might find itself in street fighting.

Hello to all ; some pictures dealing with this topic...........in this case the AR 13 of the 13 Pz at Shitomir on July 1941.

MOUT at Shitomir - July 1941.

On July 9, 1941, the Stalin line could be finally broken and the Division (13 Pz) advanced to the Irpen at 03:00 hours. The III AK (Mot) ordered that the 13 Pz was to proceed to Broniki and then to Shitomir . The I / SR 93 (Oberstleutnant von Raczeck) after a raid of 60 kilometers, with the support of the 7th Company of PR 4 (Oberleutnant Renk), seized the city of Shitomir by means of a coup.

Sources: German Tanks in Ukraine. Eksmo.Moscou 2006.
LIFE Magazine 18 Aug 1941.
Der Schicksalsweg der 13. Panzer-Division 1939 – 1945.

Cheers. Raúl M .