15 cm sFH auf Lorraine Schlepper(f)

Having risked Allied air and patrol boat attack and avoided sinking in the Mediterranean, the 15cm sFH auf Lorraine Schlepper(f) arrives to join your Afrika Korps and to take on Montey’s Desert Rats!

The Lorraine 37L, or Tracteur de ravitaillement pour chars 1937 L (“Tank Supply Tractor 1937 L”), was a light tracked armoured vehicle developed by the Lorraine company pre 1940.

Approximately 360 Lorraine tractors fell into German hands during the invasion of France. These captured vehicles were renamed the Lorraine Schlepper(f) and initially used in their original role of ammunition carrier.

Having proven particularly reliable, and well suited to mobile tactics, it wasn’t long before the chassis was used for conversions. The first batches of the 15cm sFH were expedited to the desperately under strength Afrika Korps, first seeing action during Rommel’s final attempt to break through the El Alamein defenses on 30 August 1942.

1942 also saw Major Alfred Becker directed the conversion of some 170 of these vehicles into the 7.5 cm PaK40/1 auf Geschuetzwagen Lorraine Schlepper(f) (Marder I), and 106 into self-propelled artillery: 94 into the 15 cm sFH13/1 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen Lorraine Schlepper(f) and 12 into the 10.5 cm leFH18(Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen Lorraine Schlepper(f).

These conversions saw further action across Normandy during the invasion within a variety of units, normally attached in 3’s to infantry regiments.

For rules use the Panzer I SIG 33 entry from Armies of Germany.

Models supplied unassembled and unpainted