In 1943, the Wehrmacht were experiencing a dire shortage of StuG III tank destroyers because the joint U.S.A.-U.K. air raids caused considerable damage to the Alkett company's factory that produced these vehicles. December 1943, a decision was made to utilize the working capacities of the BMM company in Prague to start production of tank destroyers. Components of the Pz.Kpfw. 38(t) tank were widely used in the new vehicle. The first prototypes were produced in March 1944. More than 2,800 vehicles were built by May 1945.