The Grille (cricket) was an effective self-propelled artillery vehicle created at the Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik (CKD before the German occupation) by mating the Panzer 38(t) chassis to a heavy howitzer, the 15 cm schweres Infanteriegeschutz 33. These were created for the infantry gun Companies with 6 Grille each of the Panzergrenadier regiments similar to their counterparts in the Grenadier regiments.
Although in early models the gun was simply placed on top of the stripped-down tank, the Ausf. K model used the Ausf. M chassis, with the engine moved to the center and a dedicated fighting compartment in the rear. A total of 179 vehicles were manufactured, with an additional 102 produced without the main gun to act as ammunition carriers. These could be quickly converted into a fighting vehicle by installing the 15 cm gun.
