The Bison And You

The Bison And You

The Bison And You
with Ryan Jeffares

As the North Africa books have been collected into a new Compilation, a variety of new units have also been added, and while you might be excited for the big names like the Tiger (P), M6 Heavy and TOG, the Bison offers an interesting alternative which had a large impact on the development of Germany’s self-propelled guns.

History
The development of the Bison starts with the development of its immediate predecessor, the 15cm sIG33 auf Panzer I, which was built to provide close range firepower to destroy enemy fortifications and bunkers. Despite the sheer firepower it provided, the vehicle had several drawbacks, with the 15cm sIG being far too heavy for the Panzer I, straining the chassis and engine. Furthermore, the 15cm sIG33 auf Panzer I mounted the 15cm gun’s entire carriage on top of the hull, including its wheels, resulting in a very tall vehicle, which was easy for the enemy to spot.

Plans to replace the 15cm sIG33 auf Panzer I were in motion before it entered service, with an improvised prototype based on a Panzer II tested at Kummersdorf in 1940. This design, built by Alkett was completed in October of 1940, essentially copying the core design elements of the 15cm sIG33 auf Panzer I but mounting the gun onto a Panzer II chassis instead. Like the Panzer I based version, this protype ‘Bison’ would have significant issues, as the vehicle struggled to cope with the recoil of such a heavy weapon and was incredibly cramped. Keeping the 15cm sIG33 mounted on its carriage limited how far forwards the gun could be mounted, resulting in a situation where the gun was placed far enough back that the recoil forces were primarily directed through the rear roadwheels, causing the vehicle to tip backwards. 

The Bison And You

As a result, a new gun cradle was designed which allowed the gun to be mounted directly to the superstructure without either the wheels or gun carriage, drastically lowering the gun. This also enabled the gun to be mounted further forwards on the vehicle, helping to mitigate the recoil problems. To help cope with the added weight and provide additional space, the Bussing-NAG engine was mounted transversely (across the hull), while the chassis was lengthened by 24”/60cm and widened by 13”/24cm, with an extra roadwheel being added in order to accommodate the extra length.

A total of 12 of these trial vehicles would be built by Alkett between 1941 and 1942, which would go on to serve in North Africa and Tunisia between 1942 and 1943. These vehicles were assigned to 707. and 708. Schwere Infanteriegeschütz Kompanie (mot. S) (Heavy Infantry Gun Company (Motorised)), each equipped with 6 guns, both supporting the 90. Leichte Division (90th Light Division).
However, the Bisons were plagued by constant mechanical issues and due to a shortage of replacement parts, German mechanics were often forced to cannibalise broken down vehicles in order to keep at least a portion of the vehicles operational. Many of these problems stemmed from the underpowered engine, which couldn’t handle the added weight of the 15cm gun. To help address the commonplace occurrence of the engines overheating, crews would drive the vehicles with the engines open, in order to improve airflow. However, this practise proved even more detrimental, as the open hatches allowed the sand and dust of the desert to work its way inside the engines, clogging radiators and causing worse overheats. Bison crews reported that after as few as 15 minutes of running time, the engine coolant could reach 120 degrees Celsius, necessitating frequent halts to cool the engine, drastically undermining the tactical mobility of the Bison. Furthermore, mechanical faults were found in the transmissions and cracking was observed in the road wheels and tracks because of the use of sub-par materials. The improvements to the fighting compartment were still not sufficient to grant the Bison a significant ammunition capacity, as the vehicle was only able to carry 10 rounds which meant that it was reliant on ammunition supply vehicles to maintain a sustained bombardment.
Bisons first saw service during Operation Venezia, the first attack on the Gazala line in May 1942. By October 1942, four vehicles had been lost, with the other 8 lost by December 1942. Throughout the Axis retreat following the Second Battle of El Alamein, the British captured a total of 6 Bisons, all of which were inoperable and had been abandoned in maintenance workshops by the retreating mechanics. The end of the Second World War did not end the Bison’s service though as the Egyptians used a single vehicle against the Israelis during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.

Whilst it did not prove to be a long success and saw only a limited production run, the Bison provided a development pathway which led to a series of more successful German self-propelled guns. The lessons learnt from the Bison’s shortcomings were applied and resulted in the Wespe, which mounted a 10.5cm field howitzer on a Panzer II hull and proved far more capable than the Bison, seeing service from 1943 until the end of the war and in far greater numbers. Other SPGs such as the Grille and Hummel also trace their design lineages back to the Bison.

The Bison And You

Statistics
Whilst it did not prove to be a long success and saw only a limited production run, the Bison provided a development pathway which led to a series of more successful German self-propelled guns. The lessons learnt from the Bison’s shortcomings were applied and resulted in the Wespe, which mounted a 10.5cm field howitzer on a Panzer II hull and proved far more capable than the Bison, seeing service from 1943 until the end of the war and in far greater numbers. Other SPGs such as the Grille and Hummel also trace their design lineages back to the Bison.

Pictured Left: The Bison Infantry Gun Platoon

The Bison is faster than the Schlepper, moving 2”/5cm faster regardless of the terrain, allowing it to move away from counter-battery fire or flank enemy tanks which get too close.

The guns mounted by the two SPGs are largely similar, with the Schlepper firing its shells an extra 8”/20cm further when it bombards, whilst its AT 9 hits harder than the AT 7 of the sIG 33 when it fires directly. The Bison however does have a significant advantage in that it is capable of firing directly whilst on the move, allowing it to act as an assault gun in an emergency, though suffering the +1 to hit from Slow Firing.

 Ultimately, the Bison is a more flexible alternative to the Schlepper, able to get into position more quickly and even capable of acting as an anti-tank gun in an emergency. However, a pair of Bisons are a point more expensive than a pair of Schleppers, and only being a pair, their ability to bombard enemy troops is reduced by the requirement to reroll successful rolls to hit. 

Tactics
Ultimately, the Bison is a more flexible alternative to the Schlepper, able to get into position more quickly and even capable of acting as an anti-tank gun in an emergency. However, a pair of Bisons are a point more expensive than a pair of Schleppers, and only being a pair, their ability to bombard enemy troops is reduced by the requirement to reroll successful rolls to hit. 

 

A key consideration when using Bisons should be to make sure they are protected, as they lack a machine gun to discourage enemy infantry and will struggle to deal with any medium tank from the front. Concealment is a key element in increasing the longevity of your units, particularly in the case of the Bison as the platoon, being only two strong is rather brittle, testing for last stand after losing a single vehicle. Deploying behind your infantry and tanks and using them to guard the approaches to your backfield can keep the Bisons safe. Though be mindful that the Bison is at its core a support unit, don’t dedicate more points to defending them than they cost, as they’re there to help your other units win the game, but are rarely capable of winning battles alone.

Sample Army Lists
Here’s a sample Army list representing either 155. or 200. Schützen Regiment 155 or 200, of the 90th Light Division, both of which were fought alongside Bisons.

The Bison And You

This list is a quintessential defensive list, deploying the infantry and towed anti-tank guns on the table, using the Bisons to eliminate enemy artillery which poses a threat to the infantry or gun platoons. The 7.62cm guns will hopefully thin out enemy armour at range, reducing their numbers so that the infantry’s 2.8cm guns can deal with any survivors brave enough to launch an assault. Against heavier enemy armour, deploying the Dianas on the table would be advised, as they are far more mobile than the static guns, and can threaten their flanks, forcing your opponent to be more conservative with his armour or risk being shot in the side. 

Against heavily infantry focused lists, I’d recommend prioritising enemy artillery which will pose a serious threat to your small infantry platoons. In this situation, the autocannons of the Sd Kfz 222s and 10/4s will be very useful, helping add yet more firepower to the masses machine guns carried by the Africa Rifle Platoons. 

If you are on the attack with this list, careful preparation and planning will be needed to maximise the utility of your Bisons, focus them on clearing the defences around a single objective and focus all your strength on taking it as your infantry are not numerous enough to fritter away teams on making a series of piecemeal attacks.

As you can see the Bison can slot into a force and provide an effective artillery unit to support a whole formation.
~Ryan