July 1943 : Stupas first deployed with 216th Sturmpanzerabteilung (Armor Assault Battalion) on Eastern Front's Kursk Offensive (German Operation Citadel), served as mobile fire support bases for advancing Panzergrenadiers. Battles on these open steppes concentrated mainly on bunker-busting, destroying anti-tank guns, and crossing tank ditches. Over 300 Stupas rolled off German assembly lines, distributed among the 216th, 217th, 218th, and 219th Sturmpanzerabteilung which fought on Western / Eastern Europe and Mediterranean fronts. Brummbär - www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/self_propelled/brummbar.html

Decals for numeral 1 and German national insignia impressed upon superstructure sides, used decal setting solution to wrapped items onto irregular zimmerit surface. In tactical terms, numeral 1 referred to 1st vehicle of 1st Company in 216th Sturmpanzerabteilung. Full allocation as follows : 1st Company used 1 thru 14, 2nd Company used 15 thru 28, 3rd Company 29 thru 42, (replacement Stupas numbered 46 thru 55, assigned as needed to each company) . Uwe Militaria Original Kit Decals - UweMilitaria.org/Technique/decal1Original.html

Inset 1 : Anti-magnetic ceramic paste Zimmerit was applied by hand at the factory and not in the field. Spacing designs included parallel lines, squares, and waffle patterns.

In 1944, some Stupa units were transferred to Italy as mobile fire support bases to defend mountain passes, bridge crossings, transportation hubs, thus be involved in Anzio beachhead battles. Stupa superstructure was designed for sufficient internal crew movement in loading artillery shells, being armored encased her crew was protected from light-caliber enemy fire (ex. frontal armor was about 80mm). Two water cans on hull nook, secured by bent schurzen brackets. In actual combat, schurzen plates were quickly torn off due to collision or combat damage.

Rollover : Broken down fence and abandoned bicycle. Fence painted in white, washed in TESTOR Military Brown. Bicycle painted TESTOR Black and Gunship Grey, drybrushed with TESTOR Chrome.

Inset 2 : Second self-propelled siG33 version was placement into Panzer 2 chassis, superstructure was removed, gun mounted into interior fighting compartment thus lowering its silhouette. Above shows sIG33 auf Panzer 2 serving with German's Deutsche Afrika Korp in Cyrenaica (modern-day Libya) circa 1942. Its full German name is 15cm sIG33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf) (15cm heavy infantry howitzer on Panzer II chassis). Cyrenaica - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrenaica