Bison II - 15 cm s.IG 33 (Sfl.) auf Pz.Kpfw. II w/Magic Track

The Wespe first saw combat in 1943 on the Eastern Front. It proved very successful, and Hitler ordered all Panzer II chassis production be dedicated to the Wespe alone, at the expense of other projects, including the Marder II self-propelled anti-tank gun. The vehicles were allocated to the armored artillery battalions (Panzerartillerie Abteilungen) of Panzer divisions along with heavier Hummel self-propelled artillery. The Wespe brought greater mobility to the artillery formations of the panzer divisions. The Wespe proved reliable and highly maneuverable, but like contemporary self propelled guns such as the British Sexton and U.S. M7 Priest, had inadequate overhead gun crew protection.