Category: WW2 German StuG III

German Reich (1942)
Self-Propelled Assault Gun – 250 Built

Following the success of the StuG III Ausf.F, the Germans introduced yet another slightly improved version in September 1942. While, in most regards, the new version was a direct copy of its predecessor, the main difference was the use of the extended hull taken from the late production Panzer III series. This led to the introduction of the StuG III Ausf.F/8 vehicle. While not many would be produced, it was the last stepping stone before the introduction of the later mass-produced StuG III Ausf.G.

New Version

During the first year of fighting on the Eastern Front, the Germans found out that their anti-tank weapons lacked potency against Soviet armor. This issue was finally resolved with the introduction of long barreled 7.5 cm guns, either in a vehicle or towed configuration. The first model (7.5 cm L/43) of such a gun was installed inside the Panzer IV turret and in StuG III vehicles. The StuG Ausf.F particularly proved to be a deadly vehicle, being fully protected, with a low silhouette and highly trained crews. As it was based on the Panzer III chassis, it was logical that any larger improvement and modification of the base chassis would also be implemented on the StuG III. This led to the creation of the Ausf.F/8. It was simply a further extended production order of the previous version, but with an improved hull and a number of minor changes.

Name

Regarding its designation, this version was a bit of an outsider. It received the Ausführung F/8 designation, which referred to the base chassis of the Panzer III Ausf.J, or 8.Serie/Z.W.. It is unusual that the Germans did not give it the Ausf.G designation regardless of the implemented changes. For example, the Ausf.C and D were almost identical, and the latter was just an extended order, still receiving different capital letter designations.

Production

The production of the Ausf.F/8 began in September and ended in December 1942. By that time, some 250 (chassis number 91401 to 91650) vehicles were built by Alkett. Of course, like with many other German vehicles, its production numbers differ between sources. The previously mentioned number of 250 built vehicles is most commonly used in the sources, one example being Panzer Tracts No.23 Panzer Production from 1933 to 1945. On the other hand, some authors, such as D. Nešić (Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog Rata-Nemačka), mention the number of 334 vehicles being built. This number is also listed in the older book written by P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition) way back in 1978. It is highly likely that this number is outdated and, thanks to more recent research, it has become obsolete.

Design

Hull

The StuG III Ausf.F/8 hull was greatly redesigned, being further extended to the back. This was done to provide better ventilation to the engine compartment and, to some extent, facilitate the overall production. The rear part was simplified and protected with two armored plates. The upper plate had a small round port that could be used to manually start the engine. The previously used bolted towing brackets were removed. Instead, the towing bracket holes were drilled into the hull.

The two upper glacis two-part hatches were replaced with larger single-piece hatches. In November 1942, this decision was reversed, once again using two-piece hatches. Lastly, the two front hull-mounted headlights were replaced by a single Notek headlight. It was placed at the center of the upper hull armor.

Suspension and Running Gear

While the hull was changed, the suspension remained the same. It consisted of six small road wheels, three return rollers, the front drive wheel, and the rear-positioned idler. During the first winter on the Eastern Front, the Germans found out that, due to the rather short track width on their tanks and other tracked vehicles, they could easily bog down in muddy and snowy terrain. A simple solution was to introduce specially designed winter tracks which were much wider than normal tracks. According to the Germans, it was estimated that, by 1943, nearly 75% of the StuG IIIs operating in the East during winter would be equipped with these. They were mainly allocated to units to Heeres Gruppe Nord and Mitee (English: Army Groups North and Center). One additional but minor modification included reducing the length of the front fenders, which became fixed.

Engine

The StuG III Ausf.F/8, like its predecessor, was powered by a twelve-cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engine providing 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm. Its overall drive performance remained basically the same, with a maximum speed of 40 km/h and a range of 160 km (on good roads). The Ausf.F/8 introduced an improved ventilation system, using larger engine compartment hatches with protected cowlings. Due to extreme and cold Soviet winters, the Germans faced a problem in 1941, with the engines not being able to start working. The oil and water would often freeze. To prevent this, in October 1942, a warm water transfer system with a conector was installed in the StuG III vehicles, including the Ausf.F/8.

Superstructure

Overall, the superstructure’s design remained basically the same as on the Ausf.F version. The majority of the Ausf.F/8 built had the angle of the upper plate above the driver (and opposite of him) increased. This provided better protection, but also strengthened the whole construction. The opening for the periscope sight was slightly redesigned, and some vehicles received a mesh cage. Its purpose was to protect the crew from enemy hand grenades or other projectiles aimed at this opening. Realistically, this offered limited protection at best. The folding radio antennas were replaced with a fixed mount, located on either side of the vehicle’s superstructure.

Armor Protection

The Ausf.F/8 was meant to have 80 mm thick frontal armor protection. As such thick single armor plates were not yet available, as a temporary replacement, additional 30 mm plates were welded, or more commonly, just bolted to the front 50 mm usual plate. The sides were 30 mm thick, top 10 mm, and the engine top was 16 mm thick. The rear part of the engine compartment received better armor protection, with the lower plate being 50 mm thick and placed at 10°, while the smaller upper one was placed at 30°.

To protect against Soviet anti-tank rifles, the StuG III Ausf.F/8 received 5 mm thick Schürzen (English: armor plates) covering the side of the vehicle. These were mainly supplied after May 1943.

Armament

While the StuG III Ausf.F was equipped with the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 and L/48 guns, the Ausf.F/8 was mostly armed with the latter. In rarer cases, some were equipped with a shorter gun. The L/48 had a semi-automatic breech, which meant that, after firing, the spent cartridge would be self-ejected, thus increasing the overall firing rate. It was fired electrically. The elevation of this gun went from –6° to +20°, while the traverse was 10° to both sides. Given that this vehicle used the L/48 gun, it was meant to be provided with the new double-chambered muzzle brake. As these were rather expensive to build, demand often outpaced production, so some vehicles were instead supplied with the older ball-shaped muzzle brake.

This gun had a muzzle velocity of 790 m/s. The armor-piercing (Pz.Gr.39) round could penetrate 85 mm of armor (sloped at 30°) at 1 km. The maximum range of the high-explosive rounds was 3.3 km while, for armor-piercing, 1.4 to 2.3 km, depending on the type used. The gunner used the Selbstfahrlafetten Zielfernrohr Sfl.Z.F.1a gun sight to acquire direct targets. For indirect targets, either the Rundblickfernrohr 32 or 36 was to be used. This sight had a magnification of x5 and a field of view of 8°.
The ammunition load, depending on the source, consisted of 44 rounds, later increased to 54. Ammunition was stored in holding bins located mostly on the right side of the vehicle, with some placed behind the commander.

For self-defense, the Ausf.F/8 was provided with an MG 34 machine gun, which was operated by the loader. The ammunition load for the MG 34 was 600 rounds. Initially, the machine gun operator was not provided with a shield. This caused problems, as the operator was completely exposed to enemy fire. To resolve this, in December 1942, a square-shaped machine gun shield was tested, located in front of the loader’s hatch. It had a small opening in the center for the machine gun to be placed. On top of it, there was a small anti-aircraft mount for the same machine gun. This mount was designed to be used in anti-aircraft roles by the gunner. While a 7.92 mm caliber machine gun could do little against flying targets, it was enough to disturb the enemy pilot and force him to pick easier targets. This was far from perfect, but still better than nothing. The shield would have the option to be folded down when not in use. While it is not common to see it on the StuG III Ausf.F/8, it would see extensive use on the next version, the AusF.G. In addition, two submachine guns and hand grenades were also carried inside.

Crew

The crew of these vehicles consisted of four: commander, driver, loader, and gunner. While the loader was positioned to the right of the gun, the remaining crew was placed opposite. The driver was positioned on the left front side of the hull. Just behind the driver was the gunner, and right behind, the commander.

Differences between the F and F/8 versions

The StuG III Ausf.F and F/8 were, in many regards, almost identical, and without a proper angle, almost impossible to distinguish between. The main problem with identification is that some changes that were introduced on new versions were also implemented on the older versions that were returned to Germany for repairs. This was something that the Germans often did to improve the performance of older vehicles. A good example is the Panzer IV Ausf.G to J versions, which were in some cases impossible to distinguish from each other without having access to the chassis code.

There are a number of indicators already mentioned that can help identify if the vehicle was a StuG III Ausf.F or F/8. The best way to do so is to observe the rear engine compartment. The Ausf.F/8 used an extended engine compartment with a larger armor plate that had a round shape cover for the engine starter. It is also very important to mention that, even in sources (such as books), wrong identification may occur due to the similar appearance of the two versions.

The shortened front fenders are another clear identification mark that can be used to identify a precise version. In addition, the Ausf.F/8 used a single Notek headlight placed at the center of the upper center of the front hull armor. It is important to note that some late-built vehicles of the StuG III Ausf.F received the single Notek headlight too.

The front upper superstructure design is also an indicator that must be taken into account when determining the precise version. The upper superstructure plates on the Ausf.F/8 were placed at a high angle, starting at the front driver plate and raised up to the superstructure top. While this was used on the Ausf.F/8, it was not always present, and older superstructures may also be seen on this version. In addition, the crews often added concrete filing on this part of the armor, which greatly complicates the identification process.

Lastly, but probably the most important part, was the main armament itself. While the Ausf.F is often associated with the 7.5 cm L/43 and Ausf.F/8 with the L/48 gun, this is not completely true. The Ausf.F used both guns during its production run, while the latter was mostly armed with the L/48 gun. In addition, the Ausf.F/8 guns were sometimes equipped with the older gun and the ball-shaped muzzle brake, as seen in some pictures.

Organization Change

Initially, the StuG III was issued in 6 vehicle-strong Sturmartillerie Batterie (Eng. assault gun battery). These were divided into three Zuge (Eng. platoons), each equipped with only two vehicles. In time, as more StuG IIIs became available, their unit strength was increased to Abteilungen (Eng. battalion) strength of 18 vehicles. These battalions were divided into three batteries, each 6 vehicles strong. These would be further reinforced by three additional vehicles which were allocated to the platoon commanders. By late 1942, in order to further increase the effectiveness of the StuG III battalions, the strength of each battery was increased to 10 vehicles. The strength of the battalions was to be 31 vehicles (including a command vehicle).

The Germans rarely fully supplied new equipment directly to frontline units. Instead, they focused first on equipping newly created units at home or replenishing those units that were sent back for recuperation. The frontline units were instead supplied in smaller quantities, mostly as replacements for lost vehicles. This was also partly done due to problems with the transportation of replacement vehicles directly to their designated unit for various reasons (either due to poor logistics or enemy activity). So, basically, it would take some time before the operational strength of frontline battalions was increased to 10 vehicles per battery.

Another vital change was that the StuG III was slowly being integrated into other military branches, not only infantry. The SS formations already used the StuG III as part of their divisions. For example, the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler was sent back to Germany for recuperation and rearmament in July 1942. Its StuG III Battalion was to be equipped with 22 vehicles. It was rushed to the East in early 1943 at Kharkov. In October 1942, the LuftwaffeFeldeinheiten (English: air force ground troops) received four StuG IIIs for their Panzerjäger-Kompanien (English: Anti-tank company). The Hermann Göring Division received a StuG III Battalion.

The Panzer Divisions also received StuG IIIs starting from October 1942. The 6th, 7th, and 19th Panzer Divisions were to each receive a StuG III battalion. Vehicles and manpower were to be provided by the 209th StuG III Battalion. In later years, the StuG III would become quite an important anti-tank element of many panzer divisions.

In Combat

As the production of the new Ausf.F/8 began in September 1942, they would see their first action at the end of that year, mostly in the area of Stalingrad, as the Germans made progress toward this important city and the resource-rich Caucasus. They ran into several series of problems. Their supply lines and forces were overstretched. The flanks were guarded by their understrength Romanian allies, which had to cover immense frontlines with insufficient and poorly equipped forces. Furthermore, the Soviets had several bridgeheads across the Don, from which they started their offensive. The weak Romanian and German troops in the area failed to successfully repel the rapid Soviet advance. This led to the encirclement of German forces in Stalingrad. Several StuG III battalions (such as the 177th, 203rd, 243rd, 244th, and 245th) would see extensive combat here, but in the end, the Germans were forced to abandon their rescue operations. The 243rd, 244th, and 245th battalions were almost destroyed in the process. What was left of them was sent back to Germany to be reformed and reequipped with new vehicles.

Despite this setback, other StuG III units would still have great successes against enemy armor, like the case of the 202nd Battalion. At the end of November 1942, the 202nd Battalion, equipped with 21 StuG IIIs, participated in the defensive operation of the 9th Army in the area of Rschew (Rzhev).

On 29th November, elements from this unit participated in the destruction of some 5 Cossack cavalry battalions at Lopotek. Later that day, the StuG IIIs managed to destroy three Soviet tanks. The next day, they claimed to have destroyed additional enemy armor, including 6 light tanks (possibly T-60s or T-70s), 6 T-34s, and one KV-1 heavy tank. Three more tanks were reported destroyed but not confirmed. While the Germans did not have any losses, one needed extensive repair while five more needed smaller repairs. A lack of ammunition was a serious issue, as there were some 212 rounds left. While 3,873 spare rounds were on the way, this was far from enough. During the two days of combat, the 202nd Battalion used some 5,512 rounds in total. On the morning of 30th November, four StuG IIIs supporting German infantry managed to destroy three Soviet 7.62 cm guns. These four were then redirected to support the attack of the Kampfgruppe Kohler (English: battle group) on a gathering point of the Soviet forces close to Mal. After outflanking the unsuspecting enemy, the Germans managed to inflict severe losses to them. The Germans reported destroying 14 T-34s, 2 T-60s, 7 anti-tank and 2 anti-aircraft guns, some 40 trucks, and 250 to 300 enemy soldiers killed but losing one StuG III in the process. At the start of December 1942, three more Soviet armored vehicles were destroyed. By this point, the StuG IIIs of the 202nd Battalion were severely depleted. Of 22 (at some point, the Battalion was reinforced) vehicles, only 13 were operational, while the remaining ones were in various states of repair. The 4th of December was quite successful for this unit, claiming to have taken out 25 Soviet armored vehicles, spending 250 rounds to do so.

During the fighting in this area, the commanding officers of one of the StuG IIIs, Fritz Amling, with the support of another vehicle, engaged 20 Soviet tanks. He alone claimed to have managed to destroy 10 of these, surviving despite the enemy’s numerical advantage. Another commander, Tantius, claimed to have managed to take out 15 enemy armored vehicles in three days of fighting.

An army combat report dated 3rd January 1943 listed the total number of enemy armored vehicle losses from the period of 25th November 1942 to 17th December 1942: The 202nd Battalion was credited with the destruction of 195 and the 667th Battalion with 109 armored vehicles destroyed. In the case of the 202nd, this number included 180 tanks, with 15 T-26s, 61 T-60s and T-70s, 94 T-34s and, lastly, 10 KV-1s.

In March 1943, the StuG III would see extensive combat action around the important city of Kharkov. During the fighting that lasted from 7th to 20th March, the Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland inflicted heavy tank losses on the Soviets. Of some 247 destroyed tanks, the StuG III Ausf.F/8 alone was credited with the destruction of 41.

Near Leningrad, at the same time, another StuG unit was causing havoc on Soviet armor. This was the 226th Battalion, which claimed to have destroyed 210 enemy tanks by this point, albeit at a loss of 13 of its own vehicles.

On Other Fronts

StuG III vehicles were generally a rare sight in North Africa. The first StuG IIIs that were used on this front were three Ausf.D. These were allocated to Sonderverband 288 (Eng. Detachment for special employment) in early 1942. The first long barrel version to reach this front was the StuG III Ausf.F/8 from the 242nd Battalion. This unit was specially created to support the Axis forces there. But, as it turned out, only a single battery with four (two more were sunk during transport) vehicles was sent to Africa. According to T. Anderson (Sturmartillerie Spearhead of the Infantry), this battery had 10 vehicles and he does not mention any of them being lost in transport. This battery was renamed the 90th Battery and was attached to the 10th Panzer Division at the start of 1943. Some of them would survive until the Axis forces surrendered in May 1943.

Occupied Yugoslavia was another front where the StuG III Ausf.F/8 would see service. Given the lack of and sometimes confusing sources regarding armored vehicles used in this theater of war, pinpointing the precise use of this particular version is unclear. But, given that one such vehicle was captured by the Yugoslav Partisans indicates that at least a few StuG III Ausf.F/8s saw service there. Some StuG III Ausf.F/8s were also stationed in Greece during 1943.

The StuG III Ausf.F/8 would also see action against the Allies in Italy and likely in the West. The Hermann Göring Panzer Division had at least 30 StuG IIIs in its inventory, including some Ausf.F/8s. These were stationed in Sicily and unsuccessfully tried to turn the Allies back. Some StuG III Ausf.F/8s even saw service in Finland in 1944.

Modification

Sturmgeschütz III Flammenwerfer

In 1943, some 10 StuG IIIs were armed with flame-throwing weapons. Based on a few existing photographs, at least one was built on the StuG III Ausf.F/8 chassis. While little is known about them, some if not all were rebuilt back to their original configuration and none saw action.

Fahrschul Sturmgeschütz

Some StuG III Ausf.F/8s were allocated to training centers, such as the one in Jüterbog. They would be used in this manner up to the end of the war.

Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33

Due to the need to fight the well-entrenched Soviet positions at Stalingrad, the Germans hastily modified some 24 StuG III vehicles for this role. The modification was simple, as the original StuG III superstructure was replaced with a new box-shaped one armed with a 150 mm gun. Some 24 Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 (English: assault infantry gun) were built. For this modification, some 12 Ausf.F/8 chassis were reused.

The StuG 42 Modifications

At the end of 1942 and the start of 1943, at least four StuG III Ausf.F/8 were modified to be used as test vehicles for the anticipated new series of 10.5 cm howitzer-armed StuGs. Some of these were issued to the 185th Battalion wich saw service near Leningrad.

Surviving vehicles

Today, a few StuG III Ausf.F/8s are known to have survived the war and can be seen in museums. These included museums such as Kubinka in Russia, the already mentioned Military Museum in Belgrade, and the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium.

Conclusion

Once they reached the frontline, the StuG III Ausf.F/8s performed excellently, managing to easily deal with enemy armor. The Ausf.F/8 design did offer some minor improvements, mostly in regard to the engine ventilation and overall hull structure. But, otherwise, it was the same as its predecessor. Both of them fulfilled their designated role but left much room for improvement. Further development and refinement would lead to the introduction of the mass-produced StuG III Ausf.G vehicle that would become the most important armored vehicle of the German Army from 1943 onward. This was the main reason why only 250 Ausf.F/8 were ever built and not due to any design fault.

StuG III Ausf.F/8 Technical specification
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, and driver)
Weight	23.3 tonnes
Dimensions	Length 5.38 m, Width 2.92 m, Height 1.95 m,
Engine	Maybach 120 TRM 265 hp @ 200 rpm
Speed	40 km/h, 20 km/h (cross-country)
Range	140 km, 85 km (cross-country)
Primary Armament	7.5 cm L/43 or 48
Elevation	-10° to +20°
Superstructure armor	front 30+50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30, and top 10-16 mm
Hull armor	front 30+50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30 mm, and the top and bottom 15 mm

Sources

D. Doyle (2005). German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
D. Nešić, (2008), Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
Walter J. Spielberger (1993) Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (1999) Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2006) Panzer Tracts No.3-2 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E, F, G, H.
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2011) Panzer Tracts No.23 Panzer Production from 1933 to 1945
P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
H. Scheibert (1994) Panzer III, Schiffer Publishing
Walter J. Spielberger (2007) Panzer III and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
B. Carruthers (2012) Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns, pen and Sword
M. Healy (2007) Panzerwaffe Volume two,Ian Allan
T. Anderson (2016) Sturmartillerie Spierhead Of the Infantry, Osprey Publishing
T. Anderson (2017) Sturmgeschütz Panzer, Panzerjäger, waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units 1943-45, Osprey Publishing
K. Sarrazin (1991) Sturmgeschütz III The Short Gun Versions, Schiffer Publishing
F. Gray (2015) Post War Panzers German Weapons in Czech Service, Guideline Publications
L. Miguel García Ruiz (2014) Africa 1941-1943 D.A.K. Profile Guide AK Interactive
F. V. De Sisto (2008) German Sturmartillerie at War Vol.I, Condor Publication
N. Számvéber (2016) The Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 202, PeKo Publication

German Reich (1940)
Self-Propelled Assault Gun – 6 to 20 Built

The early StuG IIIs were plagued with production delays, resulting in its late introduction to service. In May 1940, two more units equipped with StuG IIIs were to be formed. As the promised vehicles were instead transferred to SS forces, new vehicles had to be delivered in order to fully equip them. Given the production of new vehicles was temporarily delayed, the Germans simply reused what they had on hand, creating hybrid vehicles that incorporated parts from the Ausf.A and Ausf.B series, but also used an unmodified Panzer III chassis.

The First StuG IIIs Enter Service

The importance of having vehicles such as the Sturmgeschütz (English: Assault gun) was mainly heralded by Erich von Manstein. He argued for the introduction of a highly mobile, well-protected, and well-armed self-propelled artillery gun. Such vehicles were meant to provide infantry with mobile close-fire support during combat operations. Thanks to the self-propelled chassis, these could be quickly redeployed to respond to any new threat. Towed artillery, on the other hand, was often vulnerable to enemy return fire and needed time to change positions. This self-propelled artillery gun was to be an organic part of standard infantry divisions.
The Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres (German Commander in Chief of the Army) finally approved the project in 1935. The Waffenamt (English: Ordnance bureau) issued a production order for 280 vehicles. This included 30 vehicles of the initially marked 0-series (actually the Ausf.A version) and 250 of the second series. Due to many reasons, but mostly related to the rather underdeveloped German arms industry, production of the Ausf.A version actually began at the end of 1939. All 30 vehicles were finally completed by April 1940.
From March 1940, these vehicles were designated as Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone, which can be translated as armored self-propelled chassis for 75 mm armed assault gun. It is generally best known under the much shorter StuG III name. The first series of this vehicle received the Ausfuhrung (Eng. version or series) A designation.
Given the rather limited production run, it was only possible to equip a limited number of small combat units. The initial unit organization for StuG IIIs was quite simple, as it was limited by the available numbers. Six vehicles were used to form a sturmartillerie batterie (Eng. assault gun battery). These were divided into three zuge (Eng. platoons), each equipped with only two vehicles.
Prior to the start of a Western campaign in May 1940, the 24 available StuGs were distributed to four batteries: the 640th, 659th, 660th, and 665th. The remaining 6 StuG III Ausf.As were used to create an SS assault battery for the LSSAH (Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler) Regiment. These were to be attached to various infantry divisions, depending on the combat needs.

Why Build a Hybrid?

As the Ausf.A had a fairly small production run of only 30 vehicles, it was not possible to equip units such as the 666th and 667th batteries. An additional 6 to 20 vehicles were built using different components, such as the Panzer III Ausf.F or G hull and the superstructure taken from the StuG III Ausf.B. The front transmission unit was taken from the StuG III Ausf.A. The secondary literature disagrees as to why the Germans decided to do so and there are a few different explanations.
Author of Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Walter J. Spielberger, mentions no explanation had been found in the German documentation to explain why these vehicles were built up to the time of publication.
Authors T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz) mention that, due to delays in the delivery of new transmissions, the production of the Ausf.B had to be postponed. As a temporary solution, some 20 hybrid Ausf.A/B vehicles were ordered instead. These were allocated to the 666th and 667th batteries.
Lastly, author T. Anderson (Sturmartillerie Spierhead Of the Infantry) gives a different account. According to him, the need for more vehicles arose when the StuG IIIs allocated to the 666th Batterie were instead given to the LSSAH. The 666th Batterie was planned to be formed on 20th May and was to reach full combat readiness by 20th June (it actually did so on 13th July 1940). Likely due to political connections, priority was given to SS formations, such as the LSSAH Division instead. The 666th Batterie was informed that its six StuG III vehicles were to be delivered by the end of June.
Based on this information, it can be assumed that the simple reason why these hybrids were built was out of a need to form additional batteries. The availability of guns and superstructures was not a problem. The delivery of new transmissions, on the other hand, was problematic. It was the main reason why the StuG III Ausf.B production was delayed. The Germans probably approached this problem with the simplest solution, reusing what they had on hand. Acquisition of a few Panzer III hulls for this project was not difficult, even if the production of the Panzer III was rather slow at this point of the war. As the StuG III used the Panzer III chassis, creating these hybrid vehicles could be done relatively easily. But in general, these hybrid vehicles are rarely mentioned in the sources, and nothing much is known about them.

Name

According to a German war document dated February 1944, this vehicle did not receive any special designation and was known simply as Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone Ausführung A. They received 90401 to 90500 chassis number designations. Despite using components from the Ausf.B, the designation Ausf.A was used, mainly due to it being equipped with the older type of transmission. Thus, the name was not changed, mostly due to bureaucracy and to avoid confusion with the allocation of spare parts. To distinguish between these two series, this article will refer to it as StuG III Ausf.A/B for the sake of simplicity, even though this was not an official designation.

How Many Were Produced?

Production numbers for this vehicle range between 6 to 20. Authors Walter J. Spielberger, T.L. Jentz, and H.L. Doyle mention a number of 20 vehicles being built. T. Anderson initially mentions that 6 vehicles were to be allocated to the 666th Battery. Nevertheless, later on, he cited sources such as P. Müller (Historyfacts), who argued that, based on German production documents and statistics, it is likely that 20 such vehicles were produced. Based on the evidence, the larger number of 20 seems more plausible. The firm responsible for producing these 20 Ausf.A/B vehicles was Daimler-Benz.

Design

This vehicle was quite similar to the Ausf.A, although there are some unique features that help distinguish the two.

Hull

The StuG III Ausf.A/B hull generally had the same design as other WWII German vehicles and can be divided into three major sections. These were the forward-mounted transmission, central crew compartment, and rear engine compartment. The front hull was where the transmission and steering systems were placed and it was protected with an angled armor plate.
The first difference between the Ausf.A and the Ausf.A/B hull, which was taken from the Panzer III Ausf.F and G, was in the front of the hull. The hybrid StuG III used different square-shaped, two-part hatch brake inspection doors, which were located on the front hull. In the case of the Ausf.A/B, these would be opened horizontally and not vertically, as was the case on the standard StuG III vehicles. In addition, the Ausf.A/B also was provided with two armored ventilation ports located on top of the front hull armor plates. Their purpose was to provide cooled air to the front-mounted steering brakes.

Suspension and Running Gear

The StuG III Ausf.A/B used the standard Panzer III suspension, which consisted of six road wheels on each side. These were suspended using a combination of individual swing axles together with torsion bars, which were placed in the bottom of the hull. The upper movement of each wheel’s swingarm was limited by contact blocks covered in rubber. Additionally, the first and the last wheels were equipped with a hydraulic shock absorber. At the front, there was a 360 mm wide 21-tooth drive sprocket. On the back of the hull was the idler with an adjustable crank arm. The number of return rollers was three per side.
The major difference was that the older and unnecessarily complex (prone to malfunctions and breakdowns) 10-speed SRG 32 8 145 transmissions were replaced with a much simpler and reliable 6-speed ZF SSG 77 type. In addition, StuG III Ausf.A/B had two (one on each side) emergency escape hatches located on the lower hull sides. These were located behind the first idler.

Engine

The power unit was the same twelve-cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engine giving 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm. This engine was placed at the rear of the hull and was separated from the central crew compartment by a firewall. The firewall had a small door. Its purpose was to provide the crew members with access to the engine if needed.
The engine was held in place by three rubber bushings. With this power unit, the StuG III Ausf.A/B’s maximum speed was 40 km/h, while the cross-country speed was 20 km/h. The fuel load of 310 liters was stored in two fuel tanks placed below the radiators in the engine compartment. With this fuel load, the operational range was 160 km on roads and 100 km cross-country. To avoid any accidental fires, these fuel tanks were protected by firewalls. One minor change was the introduction of a cast cover for the external crank starter port.

Superstructure

The overall superstructure design was left unchanged. It was taken from the Ausf.B, which compared to the Ausf.A, received a slightly modified gunner’s periscope hatch design. One minor difference that the Ausf.A/B vehicle had was the lack of a driver bullet splash deflector, which would be normally located in front of his vision port. The reason for this was the hull hatch design, which opened differently on this vehicle and prevented the installation of this deflector.

Armor Protection

The StuG III Ausf.A/B was constructed using the early Panzer III chassis, which was only protected by 30 mm of frontal armor. Given that standard StuG III was protected by 50 mm of frontal armor, additional armor plates had to be added in order to reach this level of protection. To this end, an additional 20 mm of armor was bolted to the lower front hull armor. The upper glacis appears not to have received the extra 20 mm of armor, which is a bit unusual.
Sources disagree on the effectiveness of this bolted armor plate. Authors F. Kurowski and G. Tornau (Sturmgeschütz – Die Panzer der Infanterie) mention that the Germans made a mistake during the drilling of the holes for the bolts. Namely, the holes were drilled straight instead of being tapered. The consequence of this alleged mistake was that the 20 mm plate was not well connected with the hull armor and thus offered less protection. In addition, if the vehicle was hit in this area, there was a chance of metal splinter ricocheting inside the vehicle, possibly wounding, or, in a worst-case scenario, killing a crew member. This was reported by some of the crews, who criticized this mistake. It must be noted that there is no mention of this flaw in any of the German war documents regarding the use of these vehicles. Besides that, while it complicates the production of new vehicles a bit, no major issue was noted with this kind of armor arrangement. Due to a lack of proper information, the full truth can never be known for sure, but there may have been some issue with this armor, as these vehicles appear to have seen limited service. Because of this, it is possible to assume that some mistakes were made during its construction.

Other than that, the remaining armor was the same, with the hull’s sides and rear being 30 mm thick. The front superstructure armor plates were 50 mm thick. Like the hull armor, the superstructure side and rear were also 30 mm thick. The angled-spaced armor was 9 mm thick and placed at a 30° angle. The top armor was 10 mm, while the top of the engine compartment was slightly thicker, at 16 mm. The gun mantlet was 50 mm thick. The StuG III was one of the most well-armored vehicles in the German arsenal at that time.

Armament

The armament remained unchanged. The main armament consisted of a semi-automatic 7.5 cm StuK 37 (Sturmkanone – assault cannon) L/24. It was primarily designed to engage enemy-fortified positions, but was also equipped to deal with early enemy armor designs. A total of 44 spare rounds were carried inside the vehicle.

Crew

Like in the Ausf.A, the crew of this vehicle consisted of four: the commander, driver, loader, and gunner. The loader was positioned to the right of the gun, with the remaining crew placed opposite. The driver was positioned on the left front side of the hull. Just behind him was the gunner, and right behind him was the commander.

Operational Use and Fate

What precisely happened to the StuG III A/B vehicles is not known. They were delivered too late to participate in the German invasion of the West in May 1940. While at least two batteries received these vehicles, there is little information on their use. What is strange is that these units were mainly photographed using the later Ausf.B vehicles.

Author T. Anderson mentions that one vehicle was lost in combat, but does not provide more details about when this happened, but it was likely in the Soviet Union during 1941. If there was a flaw in the design of the bolted armor plates, there is the possibility that these were removed from service and then reallocated to training units, or even reused in their original configuration. In either case, their final fate remains unknown.

Other Hybrid StuG III

This would not be the last time that the Germans built hybrid StuG III vehicles. Such vehicles were constructed due to production limitations, being repaired with parts that were available onhand or, more commonly, for use as training vehicles.

Conclusion

The StuG III Ausf.A/B was an interesting attempt to produce more StuG III vehicles in a short period of time. Given that very little is known about their performance, a proper conclusion on them would be difficult to make. The fact that only a limited number were made may give an indication that its overall design had some flaws. On the other hand, the production of the later Ausf.B may suggest that such a hybrid vehicle was not needed.

Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone Ausführung A/B Technical specification
Crew	4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, and Driver)
Weight	20.7 tonnes
Dimensions	Length 5.38 m, Width 2.92 m, Height 1.95 m
Engine	Maybach 120 TRM 265 hp @ 2,000 rpm
Speed
Range	160 km, 100 km (cross-country)
Primary Armament	7.5 cm L/24
Elevation	-10° to +20°
Superstructure armor	front 50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30 mm, and top 10-16 mm
Hull armor	front 30+20 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30 mm, and the top and bottom 15 mm

Sources

D. Doyle (2005). German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
D. Nešić, (2008), Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
Walter J. Spielberger (1993) Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (1999) Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2006) Panzer Tracts No.3-2 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E, F, G, H.
D. Nešić, (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
H. Scheibert (1994) Panzer III, Schiffer Publishing
Walter J. Spielberger (2007) Panzer III and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
B. Carruthers (2012) Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns, pen and Sword
M. Healy (2007) Panzerwaffe Volume two,Ian Allan
T. Anderson (2016) Sturmartillerie Spierhead Of the Infantry, Osprey Publishing
K. Sarrazin (1991) Sturmgeschütz III The Short Gun Versions, Schiffer Publishing

https://www.armedconflicts.com/StuG-III-Ausf-A-2-Serie-t191752
https://www.hl-barbara.de/index.php/die-garnison/wehrmacht/sturmartillerie/fotoalbum-batterie-666
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/stug-iii-ausf-a/

German Reich (1942)
Self-Propelled Assault Gun – 360 to 366 Built

Encountering an ever-increasing number of well-armed and protected enemy tanks caused turmoil in the German Army. The German tanks and anti-tank weapons of 1941 were barely managing to keep enemy armor at bay. Due to a lack of industrial capacity, the Germans had only two options for a quick response, either build improvised anti-tank vehicles or improve the firepower of existing designs. Following the second solution, the StuG III would be adopted for a completely new role it was initially not designed for. Its short barrel gun would be replaced with a longer 7.5 cm gun which greatly improved its overall firepower. Thanks to its relatively cheap price, slight silhouette, fully protected superstructure, and a new gun, along with well-trained and motivated crews, this created a highly deadly vehicle. The first in the line of the long barrel vehicles was the StuG III Ausf.F.

The Need for a Bigger Gun

During the invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1941, the German anti-tank and tank units came into contact with the KV-series and the T-34-76 tanks. To their shock, the available anti-tank and tank guns proved almost powerless against these new Soviet tanks. Luckily for the Germans, they were well-trained, experienced, and better supplied in the early stages of the war in the Soviet Union. The Soviet tanks lacked logistical support, were often poorly used and led, and their crews were not sufficiently trained. But, as time went on, the Soviets began to rapidly increase the production of their tanks, and their crews and command staff gained more and more experience. Thus, the Germans slowly lost the advantage that they had in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa. Relying solely on experience and better tactics was not enough, and stronger armament was needed.

Given the urgency and the lack of production capacity, introducing completely new guns was not possible in a short time frame. The first improvement attempts made regarding the 7.5 cm guns (used on the Panzer IV and StuG III) consisted of the introduction of newly shaped charge rounds in late 1941. While they could penetrate the thick armor of the Soviet tanks, their effectiveness was quite limited by the rather poor ballistic characteristics of such rounds. This was not a proper solution, and a more reliable weapon was needed. Another possibility was to improve the muzzle velocity of the existing guns. This could be achieved by simply introducing longer gun barrels and larger propellant charges. This is what the German industry desperately tried to achieve in late 1941.

The development of the 7.5 cm longer barrel gun actually started before the war. The original StuG III L/24 gun was primarily intended for dealing with infantry and fortified targets. It is often forgotten that it was also capable of piercing 40 mm of armor at some 500 m distance. This was more than enough to deal with most tank designs of the pre-war era. Even before the war, the Waffenamt Prüf 4 (English: Army Weapons Agency of the ArtilleryBranch) was interested in further increasing the anti-tank capabilities of this gun. In early August 1938, Rheinmetall and Krupp were approached and instructed to begin working on a new longer gun that was to be used for the anticipated new Verstaktes (English: improved or enhanced) StuG vehicle.

Krupp’s development would lead to the creation of the 7.5 cm L/41 gun (sometimes referred to as L/40). The prototype of this new gun was completed by late April 1940. During firing trials, an average muzzle velocity of 675 m/s was achieved. Initial reports also mentioned some troubles with spent cartridge ejection from the gun after firing. Sometime in May 1940 (or even earlier), this gun would be installed on a modified Panzer III Ausf.F chassis that received a completely redesigned mild steel StuG III superstructure. Given the large 7.5 cm rounds used, it was necessary to greatly extend the superstructure size. It was tested at the Jüterbog artillery training center and was demonstrated to Hitler at the end of March 1941. There was a major interest in this weapon, and thus, troop trials were ordered to see how this gun performed. If accepted for service, the production of the new vehicle was estimated to begin in the second half of 1942. Unfortunately, what happened to the Krupp L/41 armed StuG III vehicle is unknown. This Krupp project was officially canceled in November 1941.

Rheinmetall-Borsig meanwhile was focusing on developing an anti-tank weapon which was basically an enlarged version of the 5 cm PaK 38. They succeeded in this, creating the 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46 gun. It would prove to be an effective tank destroyer and would see service up to the end of the war. This gun could not directly be used on the StuG III without a series of modifications, due to the vehicle’s cramped interior. Both Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig were instructed by the Waffenamt Prüf 4 to work on this project. First, the ammunition was shortened and received a thicker shell casing. This greatly simplified the crew loading process, as they could easily handle the new 7.5 cm rounds. The recoil of the gun also had to be reduced. This led to the creation of the 7.5 Kanone 44 cm L/46 later in March 1942, renamed to 7.5 cm StuK (Sturmkanone) 40 L/43 gun.

Once the first few prototypes of this gun were available at the start of 1942, these were installed inside modified StuG III Ausf.E vehicles for testing. The firing tests were carried out in April 1942. While the overall gun’s performance was overall satisfactory, the ejection of spent cartridges proved somewhat problematic, but in time, this problem would be resolved. Regarding the vehicle’s design, it necessitated only some minor changes to StuG III Ausf.E’s original form. These mainly involved adding new ammunition racks, improving the ventilators, and some other minor changes.

Name

In line with its predecessors, this vehicle received the name Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette für Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone Ausführung F. (English: Armored Self-Propelled Assault Gun 75 mm version F.) Later in the war, the name would be slightly changed to Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette für 7.5 cm Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausführung F (English: Armored Self-Propelled Vehicle 7.5 cm Assault Gun 40 version F.). The basic charge involved adding the Sturmgeschütz 40 designation, which referred to its main armament. In the sources, both Sd.Kfz.142 and Sd.Kfz.142/1 special designation numbers are attributed to this vehicle. The latter probably referred to the L/48 armed StuG III Ausf.F.

Production

Following the successful testing of the first prototypes, a production order for the new StuG III Ausf.F was given. The production began in late March and ended in September 1942. During this period, some 366 (chassis number 91035 to 91400) Ausf.Fs would be built by Alkett. Some authors, such as D. Nešić (Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka), mention that the number of vehicles built was 360.

Design

In order to put the Ausf.F into production as soon as possible, very little was done regarding its overall design in comparison to the previous version. The most obvious changes were the long gun and the ventilation port which was placed on top of the superstructure.

Hull

The StuG III Ausf.F’s hull design was unchanged compared to the Ausf.E, with the front-mounted drive unit, central crew compartment, and rear-positioned engine. A small change to the hull was the deletion of the two front-mounted headlights, with their armored covers. Instead of them, a simpler Notek headlight was placed at the center of the front upper hull armor. Note that this change was implemented late into production (June 1942), so most vehicles would have had the older headlight configuration.

Suspension and Running Gear

The torsion bar suspension remained the same. It consisted of six small road wheels, three return rollers, the front drive wheel, and the rear-positioned idler.

Engine

The StuG III Ausf.F was powered by a twelve-cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engine providing 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm engine. The weight increased to 23.2 tonnes from the previous 22, slightly affecting the overall drive performance. With that engine the StuG III Ausf.F could reach a maximum speed fo 40 km/h and, 20 km/h cross-country. For example, the operational range was reduced from the original 160 to 140 km on good roads, and from 100 to 85 km off-road. The shapes of the engine compartment hatches were also changed.

Superstructure

A number of changes were made to the superstructure in order to accommodate the larger gun. The front gun opening was slightly enlarged. On top of the central part of the superstructure, a protected ventilation port was added. This was necessary, as the increased propellant charge created more exhaust gasses, which could be dangerous for the crew. In addition, in rarer cases, the opening for the gun sight was covered by a small mesh cage.

Starting from August 1942, a small number of the newly produced StuG III Ausf.Fs received a modified front superstructure. The angle of the upper two plates above the driver (and opposite of him) was increased. This provided better protection, but also strengthened the whole construction. Identifying this feature is not always possible, as this part of the StuG III superstructure was often covered by concrete added by its crews.

Armor Protection

The early versions of the StuG III were some of the best-protected German armored vehicles of the time, thanks to their 50 mm thick frontal armor. During their first year in service, little was done to increase this. The StuG III’s armor and low silhouette were more than enough to protect the vehicle.

The first attempt to improve the StuG III’s armor was introduced on the Ausf.D version, increasing the face-hardening of the frontal armor plates. Given that the StuG IIIs operating in the Soviet Union were increasingly used in anti-tank roles (as, in most cases, nothing else was available), the original frontal armor thickness was deemed insufficient when engaging enemy tanks armed with 76.2 mm guns. Hitler himself insisted that the Ausf.F it should be increased up to 80 mm and issued a direct order for this to be implemented on 7th May 1942).

This armor thickness increase was not randomly chosen. The weight of the 80 mm thick front plates would not have greatly influenced StuG III’s overall driving performance. The introduction of these thicker plates, on the other hand, would have caused delays in production at a critical time for the Germans. To avoid this, as a temporary solution, 30 mm of armor plates were to be welded or, more often, simply bolted on the StuG III’s already existing 50 mm frontal armor.

Otherwise, the side and rear armor thicknesses remained unchanged. These were somewhat thinner, at 30 mm. The top armor was 10 mm, while the top of the engine compartment was slightly thicker, at 16 mm. The crews themselves would add all kinds of stuff that they could get their hands on to their vehicles in the hope of further increasing the protection. Adding concrete on the upper front superstructure appears to have been somewhat common among StuG III crews.

Armament

The StuG Ausf.F was rearmed with the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 gun. This offered a huge improvement in anti-tank capabilities in contrast to the earlier 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24 gun. Installation of the new gun was possible without any major problems, despite its larger size. The 7.5 cm StuK 40 had a semi-automatic breech with a vertical sliding block and was electrically fired. Having a semi-automatic breech meant that, after firing, the spent cartridge would self-eject, thus increasing the overall firing rate. It had an elevation of -6° to +20° (these numbers differ between sources), while the traverse was 10° in both directions.

For engaging direct targets, a Sf1.ZF1a gun sight was used. For indirect fire, either the Rundblickfernrohr 32 or 36 were used. These sights were directly connected to the gun, which meant that, during barrel movement (either elevation or traverse), they moved with it.

The large recoil cylinders were placed above the gun and were protected by a box-shaped armored deflector guard. The breach could be quite easily removed from the gun barrel if needed. To the rear of the breech, a protective recoil shield was placed. In addition, a canvas bag for spent ammunition was placed under the gun breach. The early 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 guns were usually equipped with the early ball-shaped muzzle brake. Later models received the improved double-chambered muzzle brake.

The new gun could use several different types of ammunition. These were the 7.5 cm SprGr Patr 34 high-explosive round, PzGr Patr 39 anti-tank round, NbGr Patr smoke round, and the Gr Patr 38 HL/B and C-shaped charge rounds. In addition, there was also the rare 7.5 cm PzGr Patr 40 tungsten-cored anti-tank round. This particular round was issued in limited numbers and designed to be used against the most heavily protected tanks. Lastly, there was an inferior version of this round, named 7.5 cm PzGr Patr 40(W). Instead of tungsten, its core was replaced with unhardened steel. While it could be produced in greater numbers, it was not that common, as its overall anti-tank performance was weaker than that of the standard anti-tank rounds.

Type of ammunition	Velocity	Armor penetration at 100 m	At 1 km (sloped at 30°)
PzGr Patr 39	790 m/s	106 mm	80 mm
Gr Patr 38 HL/B and C*	450 m/s	75 mm	75 mm
PzGr Patr 40	990 m/s.	143 mm	97 mm
PzGr Patr 40(W)	990 m/s	80 mm	63 mm

* Their ballistic shape was not optimal, so even when a direct hit was made, this did not guarantee that the round would penetrate the target’s armor. In many cases, it simply bounced off, doing nothing to the target.

With the new rounds, it was necessary to redesign the ammunition storage racks inside the new StuG IIIs. The standard ammunition load consisted of 44 rounds. According to B. Carruthers (Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns), an additional 40 rounds could be stored inside the vehicle’s floor. Later in production, the ammunition storage was increased to 54 rounds. The crews of some vehicles simply removed the storage racks, which provided room to add additional rounds. It is worth mentioning these had slightly shorter cartridges compared to those of the towed 7.5 cm PaK 40. This was necessary due to the StuG III’s rather cramped interior.

Despite the need for improved anti-tank weapons, the production of the 7.5 cm L/43 was quite limited. The main reason for this was the introduction of the longer L/48 gun of the same caliber. Thus, only some 120 Ausf.F vehicles were armed with the shorter guns, the remaining being equipped with the later gun. This often leads to misconceptions that the StuG III Ausf.F vehicles were armed with the L/43, while the later F/8 was solely armed with the L/48, which is not true.

For self-defense, like on the previous StuG III versions, the Ausf.F was provided with a 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun, which was operated by the loader. No machine gun shield was provided for the loader’s protection. The ammunition load for the MG 34 was 600 rounds. In addition, two MP38 or 40 submachine guns and hand grenades were also carried inside.

Crew

The crew of these vehicles consisted of four: commander, driver, loader, and gunner. The loader was positioned to the right of the gun and the remaining crew was placed opposite. The driver was positioned on the left front side of the hull. Just behind the driver was the gunner, and right behind, the commander.

Distribution to Units

During the war, the Germans rarely fully supplied new equipment directly to frontline units. They instead focused on equipping newly created units at home. The StuG III Ausf.F was no exception to. Most vehicles produced would be allocated in limited numbers to as many StuG III equipped units as possible. It was quite common to see mixed units equipped with older and newer vehicles. It would take nearly two years to fully equip most units with the better-armed StuG IIIs.

In rarer cases, whole units would be equipped with this vehicle. This was the case with the 640th Sturmartillerie Batterie (Eng. assault gun battery). Way back in May 1940, this StuG III unit was attached to the Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland. Unlike other similar StuG III units, which were attached to divisions depending on the combat needs, the 640th Battery would be permanently attached to the Großdeutschland Regiment under the new name 16th Assault Gun Battery. Due to casualties suffered on the Eastern Front, this regiment was recalled to Germany to be reformed. The 16th Assault Gun Battery was disbanded and its old equipment was reallocated to other units, while its personnel was transported to the artillery training center at Jüterbog. To supplement the manpower, the men from the 192nd Assault Gun Battalion were also transported to this center in April 1942. There, these men would be used to create the new Großdeutschland Assault Gun Battery, which was to be fully equipped with the StuG III Ausf.F. In total, 22 vehicles were to be provided to this unit, with 7 in each of its three batteries and one to act as a command vehicle.

In Combat

The first combat engagement of the StuG III Ausf.F was carried out by the Grossdeutschland Assault Gun Battery. This unit was sent to the ‘East’ as part of the new German offensive toward Stalingrad. They claimed to have destroyed 41 Soviet tanks during the brief period of 28th June to 7th July 1941.. Despite having superior anti-tank performances, they were mostly used in engaging fortified enemy positions. This can be seen in the ammunition counts used during this time. Some 910 high-explosive rounds were fired, in comparison to 431 armor-piercing shells. Both the KV-1 and the T-34-76 could be quite easily penetrated frontally at ranges of 600 m. There were no major issues with the spent cartridge extraction of the new guns. On the other hand, the ammunition supply was insufficient, forcing the StuG III crews to carefully select their targets.

The 667th Abteilung (Eng. battalion), which served as part of the Army Group Centre in the area of the Chleppen bridgehead also saw success against enemy armor. They helped the German defenders turn back a Soviet tank attack in early August 1942. In the engagement, they destroyed some 19 T-34 tanks. Later, at the end of August, the unit was repositioned to Rzhew. There, in a four-day engagement, the StuG IIIs managed to destroy 83 Soviet tanks. The commander of the 3rd Battery, Klaus Wagner, was credited with the destruction of 18 tanks. As he was severely wounded during this engagement, he was replaced by Oblt. Baumann. On 9th September, the Soviets launched another offensive with some 50 T-34 tanks. Their opponents had only 5 StuG III vehicles left. Despite being greatly outnumbered, the StuG IIIs managed to inflict huge damage on the Soviet armor and infantry. The Soviets lost 33 tanks, while the Germans lost all but one StuG III. As it was severely depleted, the 667th Battalion was moved to the rear for replacement and recuperation.

Six days later, on the 15th of September, the Soviets attacked once more. Without waiting for the remaining units to respond to the Soviet attack, Hugo Primozic from the 2nd Battery, along with two more vehicles, moved to stop the enemy. He prepared a well-selected ambush position, from which he engaged the advancing T-34 tanks. The StuG IIIs managed to destroy several T-34s, when they were fired upon by a KV-1 (or a KV-2, depending on the source) tank. Hugo’s vehicle received a direct hit, but the StuG III’s armor withstood the enemy round. His crew responded by firing a few rounds at the KV-1, before finally stopping the heavy tank. Hugo’s StuG turned back to engage the incoming T-34’s tanks. Destroying one T-34, blowing its turret off, it forced another T-34 to turn back. When the Soviet attack was repulsed, the Germans claimed the destruction of 24 T-34 and KV-1 tanks. Hugo Primozic would go on to become credited with the destruction of some 60 Soviet tanks by the end of 1942. The 667th Battalion also saw huge success while operating the StuG III Ausf.F’s, destroying 438 Soviet tanks during 1942, despite having only 21 vehicles in its inventory. Of course, it is worth mentioning that all combat records regarding destroyed vehicles were often exaggerated, used for propaganda purposes, or wrongly documented (this is characteristic of all warring parties in the Second World War to various degrees). The huge number of destroyed enemy tanks claimed does not necessarily need to be true.

Another example was the 224th Battalion, which participated in the battles around Stalingrad. A StuG III commanded by Kurt Pfreundtner managed to allegedly single-handedly destroy 9 T-34 tanks in early September 1942.

The majority of the produced StuG III Ausf.Fs would see service on the Eastern Front, where they were desperately needed. They would be most dominant in 1942, before slowly being replaced by the later-built versions.

A number of Ausf.Fs were also used on other fronts. For example, the 303rd Battalion operated in Finland during 1944. Some found their way to Italy as part of the 1st Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Göring. Tracking them down is rather difficult, as they were greatly outnumbered by the later mass-produced StuG III Ausf.G.

Modifications and Variants

Fahrschul Sturmgeschütz

The Ausf.F was not used for any major modifications. Some of them were allocated to training centers, like the one in Jüterbog. Although other training vehicles had their guns removed or replaced with dummies, this does not seem to have been the case with the StuG Ausf.Fs. They would be used in this manner up to the end of the war. Some vehicles had their armament replaced or even removed.

Tropen Sturmgeschütz

A number of StuG III Ausf.Fs received specially designed air filters, usually located on the right side of the engine compartment. These and other similarly modified vehicles were intended to be used in dusty climates, such as North Africa (none of the Ausf.Fs were used there) or in the southern parts of Russia.

The StuG 42 Modifications

At the end of 1942 and the start of 1943, several StuG III Ausf.Fs were modified to be used as test vehicles for the anticipated new series of 10.5 cm howitzer-armed StuGs.

Surviving StuG Ausf.F

Today, only one StuG III Ausf.F is known to have survived the war. It is now located at the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum. This vehicle belonged to the 244th Battalion which saw service at Stalingrad.

Conclusion

The introduction of vehicles, such as the StuG III Ausf.F (and the Panzer IV Ausf.G), armed with the longer 7.5 cm gun was a game changer on the battlefields in the Eastern Front in 1942. The previous year, the Germans had trouble dealing with enemy armor, which was shown to be almost immune to their fire. The introduction of better guns basically overcame this Soviet advantage in armor and the enemy tanks could quite effectively be destroyed at range.

While it was initially present in small quantities, rapid increases in production over the following year led to the better-armed StuG IIIs being used in ever-increasing numbers. Starting with the StuG III Ausf.F in 1942, the StuG III would become the most important German anti-tank vehicle up to the end of the war, even though it was not meant for this role.

Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette für 7.5 cm Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausführung F Technical specification
Name	Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette für 7.5 cm Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausführung F
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, and driver)
Weight	23.3 tonnes
Dimensions	Length 5.38 m, Width 2.92 m, Height 1.95 m
Engine	Maybach 120 TRM 265 hp @ 200 rpm
Speed	40 km/h, 20 km/h (cross-country)
Range	140 km, 85 km (cross-country)
Primary Armament	7.5 cm L/43 or 48
Elevation	-10° to +20°
Superstructure armor	front 30+50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30, and top 10-16 mm
Hull armor	front 30+50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30 mm, and the top and bottom 15 mm

Sources

D. Doyle (2005). German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
D. Nešić, (2008), Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
Walter J. Spielberger (1993) Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (1999) Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2006) Panzer Tracts No.3-2 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E, F, G, H.
D. Nešić, (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
H. Scheibert (1994) Panzer III, Schiffer Publishing
Walter J. Spielberger (2007) Panzer III and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
B. Carruthers (2012) Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns, pen and Sword
M. Healy (2007) Panzerwaffe Volume two,Ian Allan
T. Anderson (2016) Sturmartillerie Spierhead Of the Infantry, Osprey Publishing
T. Anderson (2017) Sturmgeschütz Panzer, Panzerjäger, waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units 1943-45, Osprey Publishing
K. Sarrazin (1991) Sturmgeschütz III The Short Gun Versions, Schiffer Publishing
F. Gray (2015) Post War Panzers German Weapons in Czech Service, Guideline Publications
F. V. De Sisto (2008) German Sturmartillerie at War Vol.I, Condor Publication
A. T. Jones (2016) Images of War German Assault Guns and Tank Destroyers 1940-1945, Pen and Sword

German Reich (1941)
Assault Gun – 284 Built

The success of the whole StuG III series led to further demand for more vehicles to be delivered. This resulted in the introduction of the slightly improved Ausf.E version, of which some 500 were ordered. Such a production order was never fully completed, as the request was made to rearm the StuG III with a long gun to deal with the ever-increasing numbers of enemy armored vehicles. The StuG III Ausf.E would be the last StuG III vehicle to be armed with the short barrel gun. It also introduced a series of internal changes that would be further improved in later versions.

The Purpose of the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.E

Following the introduction of the StuG III Ausf.A into service, a series of versions were developed to further improve the overall design and combat effectiveness of this vehicle. These were mainly focused on improving mobility and overall reliability. One of the problems noted with the StuG III was the lack of a command vehicle that would have more specialized radio equipment. This is somewhat unusual for the Germans, who especially valued the importance of communication equipment for their armored units. While the existing StuG IIIs were equipped with radio receivers, they could not store additional equipment needed for the unit’s commander. They instead had to rely on Sd.Kfz.253 half-tracks. While these had enough interior space for the radio equipment, which consisted of two receivers and one transmitter, they lacked proper protection. Due to the Sd.Kfz.253’s insufficient protection, it could not be used at the frontline, where the commander would have good situational awareness of what transpired. This, in turn, would interfere with his commanding abilities.

The StuG III vehicles were not known for their large interior, so, in order to accommodate additional radio equipment, some modifications to the superstructure were needed. This was done by increasing the sides of the superstructure paniers, which provided additional external space. It is important to note that not all produced StuG III Ausf.E would be used as command vehicles. Some would be instead allocated as replacement vehicles without the extra radio equipment.

Another shortcoming of the early StuG IIIs was their lack of a machine gun for protection against enemy infantry. The purpose of the vehicles was to provide the German infantry with close support, so the idea was that the infantry was to cover them against the opposing enemy infantry. In practice, this was not always the case, so it was requested to add one machine gun.

Production

Initially, a production order for 500 Stug III Ausf.Es was given. Production began in September 1941. After some 284 (chassis number 90751-91034) vehicles were built, the original production numbers were canceled in February 1942. Priority was given to the longer barrel gun equipped StuG Ausf.F, so the remaining chassis were to be reused for the new version instead.

Design

Hull

The StuG III Ausf.E’s hull was mostly unchanged from the previous StuG IIIs. It had the same front-mounted drive unit, central crew compartment, and rear-positioned engine. One of the few changes was the replacement of the large cast hinges of the two glacis hatches with new smaller ones. In addition, a bar with 11 spare links was added in front of the lower hull. Lastly, a minor change was made to the two spare wheels, which were placed on both sides of the rear fenders.

Suspension and Running Gear

The torsion bar suspension remained the same as on the StuG III Ausf.D and other earlier models. It consisted of six small road wheels, three return rollers, the front drive wheel, and the rear-positioned idler. Starting from Ausf.E, new torsion bars were used. The first three were 55 mm in diameter, while the remaining three were 52 mm.

Engine

The StuG III Ausf.E was powered by a twelve-cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engine providing 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm engine. The maximum speed with this engine was 40 km/h, while the cross-country speed was 20 km/h. The fuel load of 310 liters was stored in two fuel tanks placed below the radiators in the engine compartment. With this fuel load, the StuG III Ausf.E’s operational range was 160 km on roads and 100 km cross-country.

Superstructure

The StuG III Ausf.E’s superstructure design received a number of structural changes, which easily distinguish it from the previous versions. The most obvious change was the deletion of the angled side-spaced armor plates. These served to provide additional protection, prematurely detonating enemy rounds or at least slowing them down. In practice, this likely proved to be ineffective and was removed from the Ausf.E version completely.

The early StuG III vehicles were initially equipped with the Fu 15 receiver unit. Battlefield experience quickly showed that commanding vehicles needed better radio equipment. For this reason, the original left armored storage box was slightly elongated. On the opposite side, another armored storage box was added. These were used to store additional radio equipment. The Fu 16 10 watt transmitter was kept in the left armored storage space. Opposite it, two Fu 15 receivers were added. Lastly, a loudspeaker was installed next to the gunner. The vehicles that were equipped with extra radios had two large adjustable antennas. These had to be raised up when the radio was used.

Armor Protection

The StuG III Ausf.E’s armor protection remained the same as in the previous version. It had 50 mm thick frontal armor. The sides and rear were somewhat thinner, at 30 mm. The crews would add all kinds of stuff that they could get their hands on to their vehicles in the hope of further increasing the protection, for example, some crews added to concrete.

Armament

The main armament remained the same as on the previous StuG III version, a 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24. It was primarily designed to engage fortified positions using the 7.5 cm Gr Patr high-explosive round. Another round used was the 7.5 cm PzGr Patr armor-piercing round, with a muzzle velocity of 385 m/s, which could pierce around 39 mm of 30° angled armor at a distance of 500 m. The elevation of the gun was -10° to +20°, while the traverse was limited to 12° per side.

Not all StuG III Ausf.Es were provided with additional radio equipment. This meant that there was extra free interior room that could be reused for other purposes. These vehicles were instead provided with six additional rounds, giving a total load of 50. If needed, these vehicles could be quite easily modified to add radio equipment.
The StuG III Ausf.E was also provided with a 7.92 mm MG 34 that was operated by the gunner. The gunner was not provided with a protective shield. When using this machine gun, he was completely exposed to enemy fire. The ammunition load for this machine gun consisted of seven 75-round drum magazines. In addition, two MP38/MP40 submachine guns were provided for crew protection.

Crew

The crew of these vehicles consisted of four: commander, driver, loader, and gunner. The loader was positioned to the right of the gun and the remaining crewmembers were placed opposite. The driver was positioned on the left front side of the hull. Just behind the driver was the gunner, and right behind, the commander.

Distribution to the Units

The German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 initially proved promising. The Germans managed to inflict heavy losses on the Soviets. However, the ever-increasing enemy resistance, in combination with the supply problems, the slow disintegration of their own forces, and the weather, prevented the Germans from achieving their goal of capturing Moscow. By the end of 1941, the German forces were greatly depleted, having suffered extensive losses. The StuG III units were not an exception. For example, the 185th Battalion had only one operational StuG III out of a reglementary strength of 24. Only one was lost to direct enemy action. Fifteen had to be sent back to Germany for extensive repairs or they had to be destroyed to prevent capture. The remaining vehicles were under repair and were not ready for service until mid-January 1942.

Given the rather late start of production (which began in September 1941), the StuG III Ausf.E would not be present in the Soviet Union in significant numbers until early 1942. It is possible that smaller numbers were used by the end of 1941. Given the chaotic state of German supply lines in the Soviet Union at that time, the delivery of replacement vehicles took a long time. For example, in order to supplement the losses, the 185th Battalion received a number of StuG III Ausf.E vehicles in April 1942.

Pin-pointing the precise distribution or usage of the StuG III versions in the sources is difficult given the lack of mention of the precise variants used by the Germans. Another problem is that most sources mainly focus on the long-barrelled StuG III from 1942 onwards.

In Combat

The StuG III saw extensive use in the Eastern Front. Given the losses, lack of armored vehicles, and the increasing number of new Soviet tanks (T-34 and the KV-1), the StuG III was often used as an anti-tank vehicle despite not being designed for this role. During the German attempt to capture Crimea in March 1942, the StuG IIIs from the 197th Battalion were used to battle Soviet Armor. From 13th to 19th March, they claimed to have destroyed 70 Soviet tanks, including KV-1s. The after-combat report in April 1942 noted the following:

“ … The Russian T-34 can fire one round with poor accuracy, while a Sturmgeschütz can fire three to four rounds in the same time. If a Sturmgeschütz comes under fire from a T-34 or a super-heavy tank, a change of position using smoke cover has proved to be successful. If possible, another Sturmgeschütz will continue the combat…
During massed tank attacks, fire was normally opened at a range of 600 m. Occasionally, the Russian tanks stopped at ranges of 1,000 to 1,200 m to open fire. Quite naturally, in such situations, any approach by a Sturmgeschütz in open terrain was impossible… We attacked the T-34s by bracketing them with HE rounds first. Fire for effect was then opened with GrPatr 38 (shape-charge round) at 600 to 800 m. Effect: Total destruction of the running gear and fire in the tank’s interior, which caused the death of the crew… Attacking a Soviet superheavy tank at a range of 1,200 m caused some damage but did not immobilize it… Ammunition consumption was very high, since there is enemy infantry to target, also anti-tank and artillery guns to be eliminated. After each commitment, the Abteilung’s last surviving SdKfz 252 was constantly on the move supplying ammunition… In most cases, even a massed enemy tank attack can be repulsed by a platoon of three Sturmgeschütz, but this required careful tactical leadership and a sufficient ammunition supply. ”

Given the extensive Soviet threat to the German operations in Crimea, Generaloberst von Manstein (Commander of the German forces there) launched his own offensive, named Trappenjagd (English: Bustard Hunt). The main spearhead of this operation consisted of the newly arrived 22nd Panzer Division, supported by the 197th Battalion equipped with StuG IIIs.

The attack would prove to be highly successful, and the StuG IIIs distinguished themselves well in combat. They provided the necessary infantry support. But, yet again, due to the lack of infantry anti-tank guns, the StuG III was used in anti-tank roles. The German operation lasted from 8th to 20th May 1942. During that time, the 22nd Panzer Division and the 197th Battalion managed to destroy 250 Soviet tanks with the loss of only 3 StuG IIIs and 8 Panzers. Somewhat confusingly, in the after-combat report of the 197th Battalion, the use of 7.5 cm L/41 guns is mentioned. It is not clear what this referred to, as the newer StuG III Ausf.F armed with the 7.5 cm L/43 guns did not yet reach this unit. Interestingly the German firm Krupp did actually develop such a gun. It was fitted to an experimental StuG III. While this project was canceled, at least one built vehicle was given for troop trials, but its fate or its use is unknown. Thus it is unclear if this may actually refer to this vehicle or if this is just a simple typo by the author of this after-combat report.

The 245th Battalion, equipped with some StuG III Ausf.Es, was sent to the Eastern Front to participate in the German drive toward the Caucasus in June 1942. It participated in heavy fighting north of Stalingrad at the end of 1942. It still had a number of StuG III Ausf.Es during 1943.

In the years following the invasion of the Soviet Union, the number of short barrel StuG IIIs dwindled due to losses and being reallocated to training units, such as Sturmgeschütz Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung (Eng. Replacement and Training Battalion).

Modifications

StuG III Ausf.D/E Hybrids

In a few instances, due to delays in production, some StuG III vehicles were completed using materials and parts that were available at hand. One of the first cases of this was the small production run (between 6 to 20) StuG III Ausf.As, equipped with a superstructure took from the Ausf.B version. This was also the case with a few Ausf.Es that received the superstructure of the earlier Ausf.D version. Such modified vehicles, as the StuG III Ausf.D/E Hybrids were mostly reused as training vehicles.

Fahrschul Sturmgeschütz

An unknown number of StuG III Ausf.Es were used as training vehicles. Their role was highly important, as an inexperienced and untrained crew had little combat potential on the battlefields. Some of these vehicles may have received long guns.

Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33

Due to the need to fight the well-entrenched Soviet positions at Stalingrad, the Germans hastily modified some 24 StuG III vehicles for this role. The modification was simple, as the original StuG III superstructure was replaced with a new box-shaped one armed with a 150 mm gun. At least a few StuG III Ausf.E chassis were reused during the construction of the 24 rebuilt Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 (English: assault infantry gun).

New Armament

A few StuG III Ausf.Es were reused as test vehicles for the installation of new guns, including the 10.5 cm howitzer and the longer 7.5 cm L/43 guns. In both cases, the overall design would be approved, followed by production orders. This would lead to the creation of the 10.5 cm StuG 42 and the long 7.5 cm armed StuG III Ausf.F.

Surviving Vehicles

The only fully surviving StuG III Ausf.E can now be seen at the Motor Technica Museum, Bad Oeynhausen, in Germany. This particular vehicle was recovered from a lake near Saint Petersburg in 1990.

Conclusion

The StuG III Ausf.E introduced a new slightly modified upper superstructure which provided a somewhat larger working space inside the vehicle. It enabled the use of additional radio equipment which the previous versions lacked. With this, it was finally possible to supply the unit commanders with their own fighting vehicles, greatly increasing the combat effectiveness of the whole unit. Like its predecessors, while not designed to fight enemy tanks, due to urgent combat necessity, it was sometimes pressed into the role of an anti-tank vehicle. While performing generally adequately in this role, it was far from perfect due to its low-velocity gun, something that would be addressed to great effect in later versions.

Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette für Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone Ausführung E Technical specification
Crew	4 (commander, gunner, loader, and driver)
Weight	22 tonnes
Dimensions	Length 5.38 m, Width 2.92 m, Height 1.95 m
Engine	Maybach 120 TRM 265 hp @ 200 rpm
Speed	40 km/h, 20 km/h (cross-country)
Range	160 km, 100 km (cross-country)
Primary Armament	7.5 cm L/24
Elevation	-10° to +20°
Superstructure armor	front 50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30, and top 10-16 mm
Hull armor	front 50 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 30 mm, and the top and bottom 15 mm

Sources

D. Doyle (2005). German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
D. Nešić, (2008), Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
Walter J. Spielberger (1993) Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (1999) Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz
D. Nešić, (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
H. Scheibert (1994) Panzer III, Schiffer Publishing
Walter J. Spielberger (2007) Panzer III and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
B. Carruthers (2012) Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns, Pen and Sword
M. Healy (2007) Panzerwaffe Volume two, Ian Allan
T. Anderson (2016) Sturmartillerie Spierhead Of the Infantry, Osprey Publishing
T. Anderson (2017) Sturmgeschütz Panzer, Panzerjäger, waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units 1943-45, Osprey Publishing
K. Sarrazin (1991) Sturmgeschütz III The Short Gun Versions, Schiffer Publishing
F. Gray (2015) Post War Panzers German Weapons in Czech Service, Guideline Publications

German Reich (1941)
Assault Gun – 50 Ausf.C and 150 Ausf.D Built

Following the Ausf.A and Ausf.B, the next vehicles in the line of the highly successful StuG III series were the identical Ausf.C and D. These were mainly introduced to production with some structural changes and improvements to armor protection. Despite the high demand for such vehicles, both of these would be built in rather smaller numbers.

Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.C and D 

In mid-September 1940, German Army officials met with the Daimler-Benz representative to consult on the necessary changes to the future StuG III vehicles. The upper gun’s sight aperture was to be removed and the part of the superstructure design was simplified. This necessitated an installation of a new gun sight periscope optic. Following a successful solution, a small production order for the Ausf.C was given. Parallel to the development of the Ausf.C, the German Army requested that additional vehicles should be built to increase the combat strength of available units but also to act as a replacement for lost vehicles. This version, named Ausf.D, was basically a direct copy of the Ausf.C.

Production

Despite the need for such vehicles, only a production order for 50 (chassis number 90551-90600) Ausf.C vehicles was given. The production was to commence in March 1941, but due to some delays in production, it actually started the following month. By May 1941, all 50 vehicles were completed. Also in May, the Ausf.D production began with an order for 150 (chassis number 90601-90750) such vehicles. This production order was completed by September 1941. Both series of the StuG III Ausf.C and D were produced by Alkett.

Design

Visually, both the Ausf.C and D were quite similar to their predecessors. But nevertheless, some changes were implemented. These were mostly aimed to improve the upper superstructure design, protection, and some other minor changes.

Hull

The StuG III Ausf.C and D hull design was unchanged. It was the same as its predecessors with the front-mounted drive unit, central crew compartment, and rear-positioned engine. One quite minor change was the use of a new type of locking mechanism on the glacis hatches that were used by the crew for maintenance.

Suspension and Running Gear

The torsion bar suspension remained the same. It consisted of six small road wheels, three return rollers, the front drive wheel, and the rear positioned idler. The only change to it was introducing a newly designed rear idler wheel, starting from the StuG III Ausf.C.

Engine

The StuG III Ausf.C and D were powered by a twelve-cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engine providing 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm engine. Some very minor changes to the engine were made, including new oil bath air cleaners.

Vehicles that were used in North Africa and other warmer climates, such as southern Russia, received additional changes to the engine compartment in order to effectively operate in this challenging theater. This included cutting ventilation ports on the top hatches of the engine compartment and increasing the engine ventilation speed.

Superstructure 

The upper superstructure received a number of changes that clearly distinguished them from the previous versions. During its service life, the early StuG III vehicle had a huge weak spot on its frontal superstructure, namely the left aperture that was used by the gunner’s sight. The German Army Official specifically asked for its improvement, which likely led to the creation of the Ausf.C version. This opening was simply enclosed, and the gunner was provided instead with a longer periscope selbstfahrlafette-Zeilenfernrohr (Sfl ZF) sight that would be used from inside the vehicle. The original two top hatches for the gunner’s sight were replaced with one larger hatch. There was also a bullet splash deflector for this hatch placed on the vehicle’s left side.

In addition, the front upper armor plate design was greatly simplified as the previous version used a somewhat unnecessary complicated design. The Ausf.C introduced a much simpler arrangement with singular angled plates. This improved the whole design, providing better protection and greatly simplifying the production of the superstructure.

Armor Protection

The StuG III Ausf.C and D armor protection remained the same as the previous version. It consisted of 50 mm thick frontal armor. The sides and rear were somewhat thinner, at 30 mm. In order to improve the level of protection without adding extra armor, on the Ausf.D, the face-hardening of the frontal armor plates was slightly increased. The crews themselves would add all kinds of stuff that they could get their hands on to their vehicle in the hope of further increasing the protection. For example, some crews added concrete to this end.

Armament 

The main armament remained the same as in the previous version. It consisted of a 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24. It was primarily designed to engage fortified positions using a 7.5 cm Gr Patr high-explosive round. Another round used was the 7.5 cm PzGr patr armor-piercing round with a muzzle velocity of 385 mps, and could pierce around 39 mm of 30° angled armor at distances of 500 m. The elevation of the gun was -10° to +20°, while the traverse was limited to 12° per side. The ammunition load consisted of 44 rounds, mostly stored in front of the loader.

The StuG III’s anti-tank round was more than capable of destroying Soviet tank designs such as the BT series or the T-26. Against the new Soviet designs, such as the T-34 or the KV-series, the use of anti-tank rounds was almost useless. Surprisingly, the high-explosive round was more successful. While it could not penetrate the thick armor of the enemy tank, its explosive firepower was enough to cause serious damage to them by blowing up the suspension or even jamming the gun. By late 1941, due to the ineffectiveness of their anti-tank guns, the Germans were becoming desperate to find a solution. The introduction of tungsten-based ammunition was seen as a simple solution. The downside of it was that Germany was in short supply of this metal. Despite the shortages, anti-tank guns used during this time, such as the 5 cm PaK 38, received this ammunition in limited numbers. Interestingly, due to 7.5 cm L/24’s low velocity, the Germans never developed a tungsten round for this gun.

Instead, they approached this problem from another angle. In December 1941, Adolf Hitler issued an order that the production of the shaped-charge round should begin as soon as possible. This led to the introduction of the 7.5 cm GrPatr38 A and B versions. These had a velocity of 450 mps with the difference that the later version had a slightly better penetration of 75 mm at any range. While on paper this meant that any enemy tank could be defeated, the reality was quite different. For example, the low velocity led to a rather limited accuracy. In addition, the overall ballistic design of this round was far from perfect as it too often simply bounced off or failed to penetrate enemy armor. Interestingly enough, following the introduction of this new ammunition, the production of standard armor-piercing ammunition was discontinued at the end of 1942.

In early 1942, the German 9th Army made a series of firing trials in order to test the new ammunition’s performance. Alongside other available rounds, it was tested against a few different captured Soviet tanks. For example, a KV-2 was targeted at ranges of 150 m at 45° angles of attack. After firing eight rounds (three AP, two HE, and three shaped-charge), all  failed to penetrate the armor and the only damage reported was the jamming of the turret. A T-34 was the next target, engaged at a distance of only 70 m at an angle of 60º. After firing four shaped-charge rounds, only the idler and the track were damaged. The same type of round was also fired at the 80 m range. It blew up the T-34’s hatches but two rounds simply bounced off its slope armor. Basically, this type of ammunition had a mixed performance, but was still a welcome addition for the crews that operated these vehicles.

Two MP38 or 40 submachine guns were provided for crew protection.

Crew

The crew of these vehicles consisted of four; commander, driver, loader, and gunner.  While the loader was positioned to the right of the gun, the remaining crew were placed opposite. The driver was positioned on the left front side of the hull. Just behind the driver was the gunner, and right behind, the commander.

Organization 

In the early years of the Second World War, due to quite limited German industrial capability, the production of new StuG III vehicles was slow. For example, during the German offensive toward France and its allies in May 1940, the 24 available StuGs were distributed to four batteries: the 640th, 659th, 660th, and 665th. Once again, due to a limited number of available vehicles, the Germans were forced to deploy them in small Sturmartillerie Batterie (Eng. assault gun battery). These were divided into three Zuge (Eng. platoons), each equipped with only two vehicles.

In time, as more StuG IIIs became available, their unit strength was increased to Abteilungen (Eng. battalion) strength of 18 vehicles. These battalions were divided into three batteries, each 6 vehicles strong. These would be further reinforced by three additional vehicles which were allocated to the platoon commanders.

In Combat

The StuG IIII Ausf.C and D were used to either replace losses, of which some 105 were reported in 1941, or supplement the creation of new units. Given the use of four quite similar series, sources have rarely made an effort to mention the precise versions used in combat. Given that their production run  began in April and ended in September 1941, this meant that the majority of them went to the Eastern Front.

In the Soviet Union 

For the Invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Germans managed to form 12 assault gun battalions with 5 additional batteries. These were divided into the three Heeresgruppen (English: army groups): Nord (English: North), Mitte (English: Center), and Süd (English: South). Given as it was expected that the majority of the fighting was to be carried out by the Army Group Center, eight assault battalions were allocated to this part of the front, including 177th, 189th, 191st, 192nd, 201st, 203th, 210th, and 226th. The Army Group North received five batteries (659th, 660th, 665th, and 667th) supported by two battalions (184th and 185th). The remaining two battalions (190th and 197th) were later reinforced by the 202nd and 209th battalions participating in the South Army Group.

In the early stages of the war with the Soviets, the StuG vehicles achieved great success. For example, the commander of an unspecified unit, Oberfeldwebel Rudolf Jaenicke, is credited to have destroyed some 12 Soviet BT-2 tanks. Another successful commander was Oberleutnant Peter Frantz, whose unit took part in the heavy fighting for Tula in December 1941. His unit managed to destroy some 15 Soviet tanks in one day of fighting.

The 667th batterie particularly performed very well, during the battle for the approach to Leningrad. During the advance toward their targets, this batterie saw heavy action while supporting infantry formation from the 1st Corps. Thanks to the efforts of the 667th batterie and its commander, Oberleutnant Joachim Lutzow, the following enemy losses were reported to be achieved during the period of 12th to 19th September 1941: some 225 bunkers destroyed, including 301 heavy weapons and machine gun nests. In addition, 6,500 enemy soldiers were taken captive with 92 guns being captured. For this effort, Oberleutnant Joachim Lutzow was awarded the Knight’s Cross Medal. Kurt Kirchner, who during early 1942 is credited with destroying 30 Soviet tanks, was also part of this unit.

The harsh winter and the stiff Soviet resistance during 1941 led to losses among the StuG III units. Nevertheless, a substantial number of the short-barreled version survived and were used extensively in 1942. For example, the 244th battalion, during the Second Battle ofKharkov in May 1942, was reported to have helped destroy some 86 Soviet tanks (T-34 and KV-1 and KV-2). This was possible thanks to the use of the shape-charged rounds. The unit later reported that this type of ammunition was effective, often igniting the destroyed vehicle. The effectiveness of the StuG III vehicles was such that, reportedly, on numerous occasions, the Soviet forces simply ran away after seeing the German vehicles approaching them.

In North Africa

Somewhat surprisingly, the StuG III in North Africa was quite a rare sight. The first StuG III that was used on this front were three Ausf.D. These were allocated to Sonderverband 288 (Eng. Detachment for special employment) in early 1942. This unit was somewhat bizarre as it had no official organizational structure. It had in its inventory a small group of three StuG III Ausf.D vehicles.

This unit was formed just prior to the Soviet invasions by order of Hitler himself. Its original plan was that once the Soviet lands in Europe were conquered, advances into hot climates such as Iraq were to proceed. Given that this never occurred, it was allocated for the North African campaign. These StuG III saw action during the Battle of Gazala and the Axis capture of Tobruk. At least one was captured by the Allies near Bir Hacheim in May 1942. Only one StuG III was reported operational by August 1942.

On Other Fronts

In the years following the invasion of the Soviet Union, the number of short barrel StuG III dwindled due to losses and being relocated for training units such as Sturmgeschütz Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung (Eng. replacement and training battalion). A number of StuG III Ausf.C and D survived almost up to the war’s end. For example, some were allocated to the training school stationed in Denmark in 1944. At least one StuG III Ausf.C or D was used by the Germans to fight the Czechoslovak resistance near the end of the war. One such vehicle was even taken out by the insurgents.

Modifications 

Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 

For the need to fight the well-entrenched Soviet positions at Stalingrad, the Germans hastily modified some 24 StuG III vehicles for this role. The modification was simple, as the original StuG III superstructure was replaced with a new box-shaped one, armed with a 150 mm gun. Some StuG III Ausf.C and D chassis were reused during construction of the 24 rebuilt Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 (English: assault infantry gun).

Remote Control Tank

Some Ausf.C and D training vehicles were modified as a Leitpanzer (English: control tank) to be used to remotely control via radio equipment and the small Landungsträger (English: demolition charge carrier).

Fahrschul Sturmgeschütz

An unknown number of StuG III Ausf.C and D were used as training vehicles. Their role was highly important, as an inexperienced and untrained crew had little combat potential on the battlefields. Some of these vehicles received long guns. At least one StuG III Ausf.C or D was armed with the long 7.5 cm L/48 gun. It appears to have been lost in combat in the later stages of the war.

Surviving Vehicles 

Today, only a few StuG III Ausf.D vehicles are known to have survived. One can be seen at the Arsenalen Tank Museum in Sweden. Another one in running condition is located in the United States of America and is part of the DriveTanks association. This vehicle was actually one of the few operating in North Africa that was captured by the British. Lastly, one StuG III Ausf.D was used as a monument structure on Volokolamsk Highway near Moscow.

Conclusion

While offering a slight improvement in the overall design of the upper superstructure, the StuG III Ausf.C and D  were in fact just introduced into service to help form new units and replenish lost vehicles. Like all StuG III vehicles, they performed excellently in their designated role. With the availability of a new shaped-charge round, their anti-tank performance greatly increased. Despite being built in rather limited numbers, they would remain in use up to the end of the war.

StuG III Ausf.C and D specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	5.38 x 2.92 m x1.95 m
Total Weight	20.7 tonnes
Crew	4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, and Driver)
Speed	40 km/h, 20 km/h (cross-country)
Range	160 km, 100 km (cross-country)
Armament	7.5 cm L/24
Armor	10-50 mm
Engine	Maybach 120 TRM 265 hp @ 2,000 rpm

 

Sources

• D. Doyle, (2005) German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
• D. Nešić, (2008) Naoružanje Drugog Svetskog Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
• Walter J. Spielberger, (1993) Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle, (1999) Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle, (2006) Panzer Tracts No.3-2 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E, F, G, H.
• P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle, (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
• H. Scheibert, (1994) Panzer III, Schiffer Publishing
• Walter J. Spielberger, (2007) Panzer III and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• B. Carruthers, (2012) Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns, pen and Sword
• M. Healy, (2007) Panzerwaffe Volume two, Ian Allan
• T. Anderson, (2016) Sturmartillerie Spearhead Of the Infantry, Osprey Publishing
• T. Anderson, (2017) Sturmgeschütz Panzer, Panzerjäger, waffen-SS and Luftwaffe Units 1943-45, Osprey Publishing
• K. Sarrazin, (1991) Sturmgeschütz III The Short Gun Versions, Schiffer Publishing
• F. Gray, (2015) Post War Panzers German Weapons in Czech Service, Guideline Publications

German Reich (1940)
Assault Gun – 300 to 320 Built

The concept of using mobile, well-armed, and well-protected infantry support vehicles was theorized in German military circles during the 1930s. Production limitations caused by the underdeveloped German military industry prevented the realization of this project for many years, and the production of tanks was seen as a higher priority. By May 1940, the first 30 vehicles, the StuG III Ausf.A, were ready for service and some even saw action against the Western Allies in France and the Low Countries. They quickly showed that this concept had merit and the Germans began a slow but steady increase in production. This led to the introduction of the StuG III Ausf.B version, a slight improvement over the Ausf.A, which had only been built in quite limited numbers.

The Road to the Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.B

Production of the first pre-series vehicles of the StuG III series was undertaken in 1937. These 0-series vehicles served mainly for evaluation and as testbeds and training vehicles. While a vehicle that could provide mobile fire support was deemed desirable by the German Army, the lagging industrial capacity was barely able to fulfill the needs of the Panzer divisions. It would take years before the first operational vehicles were actually produced. In October 1938, the Waffenamt (Eng. Ordnance Bureau) issued a production order for 280 vehicles. This included 30 vehicles of the Ausf.A series, and 250 vehicles of the Ausf.B version (chassis numbers 90101 to 90400).

The first production order of 30 vehicles (Ausf.A version) was barely completed by the time of the planned German offensive against the Western Allies in May 1940. Surprisingly, their overall combat performance was not documented by the Germans and was even hardly mentioned in the sources. Only one StuG III Ausf.A was reported to have been lost, but it was recovered and repaired. The performance of the StuG III in France was deemed a success, and the Army officials demanded the production numbers of the newer version be increased. As a result, the previous order of 250 StuG III Ausf.Bs was increased by 50 (chassis numbers 90501 to 90550).

Even for famous vehicles, such as the StuG III, sources disagree on how many were built. The previously mentioned numbers are provided by Walter J. Spielberger in Sturmgeschütz and its Variants. T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz) also provide the same figures. On the other hand,  D. Nešić in Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka suggests a slightly higher number, at 320. The difference of 20 vehicles may be explained by the fact that around 20 Ausf.A/B hybrid vehicles were also constructed.

The second StuG version is known as the Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschütz 75 mm Kanone Ausführung B, or more simply, as StuG III Ausf.B. It was more or less the same vehicle as the previous version. Nevertheless, some changes were implemented to improve the shortcomings noted on the Ausf.A. The StuG III Ausf.B was to be built using Panzer III Ausf.G and H series hulls. The first production run of 250 vehicles began in July 1940 and ended in March 1941. The remaining 50 were completed between March and April (or May depending on the source) 1941. The production was carried out by Alkett instead of Daimler-Benz. Alkett would remain the factory that would produce the bulk of StuG III vehicles until later in the war, when M.A.N and MIAG joined the production.

Organization and Distribution to the Units 

In the early years of the war, due to the quite limited German mobilized industrial capability, the production of new StuG III vehicles was slow. For example, during the German offensive against France and its Allies in May 1940, the only 24 available StuGs were distributed to four batteries: the 640th, 659th, 660th, and 665th. Due to a limited number of available vehicles, the Germans were forced to deploy them in small sturmartillerie batterie (Eng. assault gun battery). These were divided into three zuge (Eng. platoons), each equipped with only two vehicles. In time, as more StuG IIIs became available, their unit strength was increased to abteilungen (Eng. battalion) strength of 18 vehicles. These battalions were divided into three batteries, each 6 vehicles strong. These would be further reinforced with three additional vehicles which were allocated to the platoon commanders.

Just prior to the May 1940 offensive, the Waffen-SS, a military branch of the Nazy Party, was slowly forming its first larger combat formations. The leader of this formation, Heinrich Himmler, wanted the best weapons available for the LSSAH (Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler) Division. This Division was formed by combining the three SS regiments, Deutschland, Der Fuhrer, and Germania. Himmler himself urged for the creation of SS assault batteries. He received a response on 7th May 1940 from the Oberkommando des Heeres (Eng. High Command of the German Army). In this letter, Himmler was informed that, due to shortages of weapon availability even for the Army, the SS formation was to receive few heavy weapons. This, however, included a unit of four StuG III vehicles. There is a mention of a reduction of the number of vehicles per batterie from 6 to 4 StuG III.

Despite the lack of trust of the German Army towards the SS, given their connections to the Führer himself, it could do little but comply. The LSSAH would receive its StuG III vehicles during May 1940. As crews for these were still undergoing training, they would not see action on the Western Front.

Thanks to the increased production of the Ausf.B and later versions, it became possible to increase the size of the assault batteries to battalion size by summer 1940. In 1941, it became possible to equip more batteries with a command vehicle, replacing the Sd.Kfz.253 in this role. Even with the increased production of StuG IIIs, these still remained part of independent units that would be attached to other infantry units depending on the needs. The first exception to this rule was the Grossdeutschland Regiment which, after the Western campaign ended, permanently received the 640th Battery. The Waffen SS once again tried to receive a large number of the StuG IIIs permanently allocated to them. In this early stage, they had to be content with receiving a battery of only six vehicles. An increase of the number of batteries per Waffen SS division was initiated at the end of 1941, but it took some time to be fully implemented.

Design

While visually quite similar to the Ausf.A, the new Ausf.B incorporated some minor changes that can help distinguish between these two versions. It is important to note that some changes were not implemented on all vehicles, and having elements from both versions on the same vehicle was not that uncommon. The StuG III series was based on the Panzer III chassis and shared many components mainly related to the hull and suspension’s design. In the case of the StuG III Ausf.B, it was based upon the Panzer III Ausf.G and H tank chassis.

The Hull

The StuG III Ausf.B’s hull could be divided into three major sections: the forward-mounted transmission, central crew compartment, and rear engine compartment. The front hull was where the transmission and steering systems were placed and it was protected with an angled armor plate. The two square-shaped, two-part hatch brake inspection doors were located on the front hull.

The Suspension and Running Gear

The StuG III Ausf.B used a torsion bar suspension, like the previous version. In order to reduce the chance of accidentally throwing the track off, the first return roller was moved slightly to the front. In an attempt to increase the overall mobility of the vehicle, slightly wider tracks were used on the Ausf.B. They were widened from 380 to 400 mm. A wide rubber rim was added on the six doubled road wheels to increase their service life. Another visual change was the use of modified cast front drive wheels. Some vehicles retained the older type sprockets.

The Engine 

The Ausf.B was powered by a slightly modified twelve-cylinder, water-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engine providing 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm engine. The difference between this and the previous engine was the use of a new lubrication system.

 

The Transmission

The StuG III Ausf.A was equipped with an overly complicated ten forward and one reverse speed Maybach Variorex SRG 32 8 145 semi-automatic transmissions. While, in theory, it provided the Ausf.A with a maximum speed of up to 70 km/h, it was overcomplicated and prone to frequent breakdowns. Almost from the start, this showed itself to be unusable in the long run. As it proved too problematic, it was replaced with a much simpler SSG 76 transmission unit.

The Superstructure 

The box-shaped upper superstructure was mostly unchanged, with the exception of slightly modifying the top hatch design. Another small change was the deletion of the two rear-positioned storage boxes.

The Armor Protection

The StuG III Ausf.B’s armor protection was unchanged from the previous version. It was well protected, with a 50 mm thick frontal armor. The sides and rear were somewhat lighter, at 30 mm. One minor improvement regarding the Ausf.B’s protection was adding a metal cover for the nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung (Eng. smoke grenade rack system) which was positioned on the rear of the hull.

The Armament 

The main armament remained the same as in the previous version.. It consisted of a 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24. As it was intended as a close support weapon, it had a rather low muzzle velocity. Despite this, it was a fairly accurate gun, with a 100% hit probability in action at ranges up to 500 m. The accuracy dropped to 73% at 1 km and to 38% at distances of over 1.5 km.

While it was primarily designed to engage fortified positions using a 7.5 cm Gr Patr high-explosive round weighing 5.7 kg (at a 420 m/s velocity), it was also fairly good for engaging enemy armor. This fact is often overshadowed by its close support role. The 7.5 cm PzGr patr was a 6.8 kg armor-piercing round with a muzzle velocity of 385 mps, and could pierce around 39 mm of 30° angled armor at distances of 500 m. The 7.5 NbGr Patr was a smoke-screen round. The 7.5 cm StuK 37 was equipped with a Rundblickfernrohr RblF 32 type panoramic gun sight.  The elevation of the gun -10° to +20°, while the traverse was limited to 12° per side. The ammunition load consisted of 44 rounds mostly stored in front of the loader. Additionally, an MP38 or 40 submachine gun was provided for crew protection.

The Crew

The vehicle had a crew of four: commander, driver, loader, and gunner. While loaders were positioned to the right of the gun, the remaining crew were placed opposite them. Drivers were positioned on the left front side of the hull. Just behind them was the gunner, and right behind them were the commanders.

In Combat

In Yugoslavia

The StuG III Ausf.B first saw action during the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia and Greece in the Balkans. The war in the Balkans was initiated by the Italians during their failed invasion of Greece. Following the deterioration of their military situation, they asked their German allies for help. Counting on its Balkan allies and the neutrality of Yugoslavia, the German Army prepared for an invasion of Greece. The whole situation was complicated by the overthrowing of the Yugoslavian government on 27th March 1941 by pro-Allied military officers. Hitler was furious with this development and ordered that Yugoslavia be occupied.

For the upcoming Balkan campaign, only four assault gun battalions were available. These were the 184th and 197th, which were allocated to the 2nd Army, and the 190th and 191st allocated to the 12th Army. The 184th and 197th participated in the attack on Yugoslavia. They were meant to attack from Germany towards modern-day Slovenia and Croatia. Their advance was blocked, as the Yugoslavian Army had blown up many vital bridges. They would eventually cross towards Yugoslavia. Given the rapid collapse of the Yugoslavian Army, their combat use was likely limited. Nevertheless, at least two StuG IIIs were reported lost in Yugoslavia.

The other two assault gun batteries were stationed in Bulgaria. From there, they would cross the border to Greece and proceed to attack the Metaxa Line. Unfortunately, similar to the French campaign, their combat use in this operation is poorly documented by the Germans.

Documents from the 190th Assault Battalion mention some combat activity during the first few days of the campaign. The 190th Assault Battalion’s first combat engagement occurred on 6th April 1941, when they provided covering fire for the German infantry at Tchorbadshisko. This attack failed in front of the fortified Greek Army positions. The following day, after a heavy artillery bombardment, this position was taken. From 9th to 10th April, the 190th Assault Battalion helped clean up the remaining defending bunker positions before finally crossing the Nestos River.

The 191st Assault Battalion was tasked with supporting the 72nd Infantry Division. The main aim of this division was to take Rupel Pass. Given the strongly fortified positions and hilly terrain, the StuG IIIs could not be effectively used. The Germans could not overcome the strong enemy positions. By 9th April, the defenders abandoned their positions, which enabled the Germans to proceed through the enemy’s rear lines.

In the Soviet Union 

For the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union, the Germans managed to form 12 assault gun battalions and 5 additional batteries equipped mainly with the Ausf.B versions, though also with smaller numbers of the Ausf.A and later C and D versions. These were divided into the three Heeresgruppen (Eng. army groups), Nord (Eng. North), Mitte (Eng. Centre), and Süd (Eng. South). Given as it was expected that the main effort was to be carried out by Army Group Centre. Eight assault battalions were allocated to this part of the front, the 177th, 189th, 191st, 192nd, 201st, 203th, 210th, and 226th. Army Group North received five batteries (659th, 660th, 665th, 666th, and 667th) supported by two battalions (184th and 185th). The remaining two battalions (190th and 197th) were later reinforced by the 202nd and 209th Battalions, working with Army Group South.

Despite expecting a quick Soviet Army collapse, this did not occur. Instead, the Germans started facing strong and stubborn enemy resistance. For example, in the case of the 184th Battalion, of its original 21 vehicles, only 16 were operational by 20th August 1941. Two StuG IIIs were completely destroyed and had to be replaced. In the case of the 203rd Battalion, a report dated 14th August 1941 mentioned that only one vehicle was lost, but it also mentioned that only between 33% to 66% of the vehicles were operational, and the remaining were out of action, waiting to receive new engines.

The StuG III, while not intended to engage enemy armor, could easily defeat Soviet light tanks thanks to their armor-piercing rounds that could penetrate some 34 mm of armor at 1 km. Besides seriously underestimating the enemy’s combat strength and resolve, the German intelligence office also failed to pick up on the new Soviet tank designs, the T-34 and the KV series. The StuG III’s armor-piercing round proved almost useless against the armor of these new tanks. In firing trials carried out on the Eastern Front in September 1941, it was found that the T-34’s front armor could not be penetrated when using the standard armor-piercing rounds. In rare and lucky cases, the turret’s front armor was penetrated. The side and rear were also immune to the German 7.5 cm armor-piercing rounds. The only vulnerable spot was the lower hull side, which could be easily penetrated. The high-explosive round was more effective. While it could not penetrate the thick enemy armor, it was strong enough to seriously damage the vehicle and its mechanical components.

Despite their impunity to German anti-tank guns, the Soviet tank crews were let down by poor leadership, poor logistics, poor maintenance, inexperience, and lack of spare parts. The 201st Battalion mentioned that, on 2nd October, at least two T-34-76 tanks began firing at a damaged StuG III vehicle. The German StuG began retreating back to warn others from the advancing enemy tanks. The two Soviet tanks followed the damaged StuG III.  The remaining StuG IIIs sprang to action and, after a brief engagement, the enemy T-34 tanks were destroyed.

The losses suffered in the war and the introduction of later improved versions ultimately led to the surviving Ausf.B’s being withdrawn back to Germany. Once there, they would mostly be allocated to training schools, such as the Sturmgeschütz Ersatz und Ausbildung Abteilung (Eng. Replacement and Training Battalion), which was stationed in Denmark during 1944 and had at least one Ausf.B in its inventory.

In Soviets Hands

The fighting in the Soviet Union was harsh for both sides which often led to huge losses in men and materials. To compensate for their loss of equipment, the Germans and the Soviets would often reuse captured vehicles. The Soviets operated at least one captured StuG III Ausf.B vehicle, which belonged to the 197th Assault Gun Battalion.

Modifications 

StuG III Ausf.A/B Hybrids

Due to frequent delays in production, largely due to the introduction of the new transmission on the Panzer III and as there were no new available chassis, some 20 additional StuG III Ausf.A variant were built using superstructures intended for the StuG III Ausf.B version.

Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 

Due to the need to fight the well-entrenched Soviet positions at Stalingrad, the Germans hastily modified some 24 StuG III vehicles for this role. The modification was simple, as the original StuG III superstructure was replaced with a new box-shaped one armed with a 150 mm gun. The first prototype was based on the StuG III Ausf.B chassis. Some of the 24 rebuilt Sturminfanteriegeschütz 33 (English: assault infantry gun) used components taken from the StuG III Ausf.A and B.

Remote Control Tank

At least one StuG III Ausf.B was modified as a Leitpanzer (English: control tank) used to remotely control and carry the small Landungsträger (English: demolition charge carrier). For this variant, the gun was removed and improved radio equipment with a large 2 m long rod antenna was added.

Fahrschul Sturmgeschütz

An unknown number of StuG III Ausf.Bs were used as training vehicles. Their role was highly important, as the inexperienced and untrained crews had little combat potential on the battlefields.

Conclusion

Like its predecessor, the StuG III Ausf.B also showed that the assault gun concept was a success. From the technical side, it resolved some mechanical issues present on the Ausf.A, but also improved the mobility to some extent. It was also built in much greater numbers, enabling the Germans to form additional StuG units. While it would ultimately be replaced with improved versions, some of the Ausf.B’s remained in use up to the end of the war.

StuG III Ausf.B specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	5.38 x 2.92 m x1.95 m
Total Weight	20.7 tonnes
Crew	4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, and Driver)
Speed	40 km/h, 20 km/h (cross-country)
Range	160 km, 100 km (cross-country)
Armament	7.5 cm L/24
Armor	10-50 mm
Engine	Maybach 120 TRM 265 hp @ 2,000 rpm
Total Production	300 to 320

 

Sources

• D. Doyle (2005). German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
• D. Nešić, (2008), Naoružanje Drugog Svetsko Rata-Nemačka, Beograd
• Walter J. Spielberger (1993) Sturmgeschütz and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (1999)  Panzer Tracts No.8 Sturmgeschütz
• T.L. Jentz and H.L. Doyle (2006) Panzer Tracts No.3-2 Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf. E, F, G, H
• P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
• H. Scheibert (1994) Panzer III, Schiffer Publishing
• Walter J. Spielberger (2007) Panzer III and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
• B. Carruthers (2012) Sturmgeschütze Armored Assault Guns, Pen and Sword
• M. Healy (2007) Panzerwaffe Volume two, Ian Allan
• T. Anderson (2016) Sturmartillerie Spearhead Of the Infantry , Osprey Publishing
• K. Sarrazin (1991) Sturmgeschütz III The Short Gun Versions, Schiffer Publishing

 

German Reich (1940-1945)
Assault Gun – 9,400 Built

The most prolific German AFV

Production data does not lie. Although quite underrated by Allied intelligence during WW2 and still somewhat underestimated today, the StuG III was, nonetheless, the most produced tracked German AFV during the conflict. Its evolution mirrored that of the more famous Panzer IV. At first, the StuG was a simple derivative of the Panzer III for infantry support only, but ended as one of the most important German vehicles of the war. With its low-profile and low-cost, it was the real battlehorse of the Wehrmacht, shifting from a close support vehicle to a tank-hunter of first magnitude, soldiering without interruption anywhere from North Africa to Europe and Russia. The crews loved it because of its low profile and good armor, and the infantry it was supporting was grateful for its firepower and availability.

Hello dear reader! This article is in need of some care and attention and may contain errors or inaccuracies. If you spot anything out of place, please let us know!

Design of the StuG III

Hull protection

The first production version was based on the Panzer III Ausf.F chassis, and had the frontal armor raised to 50 mm (1.97 in), instead of the 30 mm (1.18 in) of the original pre-series. In detail, the 50 mm (1.97 in) thick driver front plate was inclined to 9°, the hull nose was inclined to 30° and 50°, also 50 mm (1.97 in) thick. The superstructure and hull sides were 30 mm (1.18 in) thick, vertical, while the tail plates, also 30 mm (1.18 in), were inclined at 10 and 30°. The roof was almost horizontal, 10 mm (0.39 in) thick. The rear engine deck was 16 mm (0.63 in), while the belly plate measured 15 mm (0.59 in). The gun mantlet and recuperator were 50 mm (1.97 in) thick. Later, the superstructures sides received 8 mm (0.31 in) additional plates inclined at 30°, and aimed at defeating the French tungsten-core AP shells.

Casemate

The armored casemate was short and large, covering part of the mudguards after the addition of 8 mm (0.31 in) side slopes. There was a large opening on the front, for the bulky main gun mounting. The frontal double slope was heavily armored, up to 50 mm (1.97 in) on the Ausf.A. There were two small two-piece hatches for the driver at the front, two larger two-pieces hatches for the crew on the casemate rear, and open space at the left for the commander’s periscope. The engine could be accessed through two large two-piece and two smaller one-piece hatches on the rear deck. The driver had a reinforced vision slit and a binocular sight.

Throughout the evolution of the StuG, this frontal part was up-armored, while the up-gunned version had two kind of mountings, the regular one on the Ausf.F and the “pig nose” for the largely overhauled Ausf.G, which helps distinguish between the two models.

Crew positions & equipment

Because of its small height, access was easy through the roof’s hatches. Three were posted directly above the driver (left), gunner (right) and commander’s (left) seats. In addition, if the tank toppled over or if the hatch was obstructed, the driver could still escape through the steering brake inspection hatch in the glacis plate. The driver was given a visor mounted in the front plate and could use the KFF2 periscopes in fully protected mode. He had a fixed sight slit in the superstructure left wall, but was blind on the right. The commander and gunner’s hatches were of equal size, and hinged to the sides. The gunner had a Sfl.ZF periscopic gun sight at his disposal, with an aperture on the superstructure front. The commander had a SF.14Z scissors periscope that protruded from the opened hatch in raised position. Otherwise it was folded down, the binocular being strapped on the left wall. His seat was spring loaded and could be raised while buttoned up, and was adjustable in height, locked into position with a foot pedal. This allowed a fully raised position for direct observation, or with the periscopes. The seat was hinged on the left wall and could be folded out of the way. However, the gunner’s seat was fixed to the gun mount, a common artillery practice.

Armament

The main gun was the Krupp 7,5 cm Kanone L/24 (24 caliber long). This was basically a short barrel gun tailored to fire HE rounds at fortifications and enemy positions. It was an adaptation of the 7,5 cm KwK L/24 tank gun originally designed for the Panzer IV. It was well capable of destroying blockhauses and pillboxes at short, medium or even long ranges when in maximal elevation. The 7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone-37 L/24 was given several types of ammunition during the war. The K.Gr.rot.Pz. was an armor piercing capped shell, the Kt.Kw.K. was a canister, anti-personal shot, the Nbgr.Kw.K. was a smoke round, the Gr.38 Hl/A was the main early High Explosive Anti-Tank round, as well as the /B and /C models. Last but not least was the standard HE round, the 7.5 cm Sprgr.34, which was the heaviest of all (7-8 kg).
The HEAT rounds, especially useful due to the gun’s low velocity (385 m/s), were capable of defeating between 39 and 41 mm (1.54-1.61 in) of armor between 100 and 500 m (110-550 yd), whereas at 2000 m (1.24 mi) it fell to 30 mm (1.18 in) with low hit probability. Normal provision was 54 rounds.
With the arrival of the longer Stu.K. L/40, penetrating ability of the rounds was improved, and a battery of tests followed. As a result, the total load was reduced to 44, and the round proportions were changed. 12% of the shells were K.Gr.rot. Pz (armor piercing, capped, with tracer and explosive filler), 65% were HE rounds, or Sprenggranaten, and 23% smoke shells, or Nebelgranaten. Eventually, a fourth type was introduced, with increased efficiency against armor, thanks to the shaped charge principle. This was the HEAT or Gr.38 HL round. It was designed for excellent fragmentation performance, but was still very effective against softskin targets. The initial design was less successful than the K.Gr.rot. But, after the introduction of the HL/A & B, the numbers supplied to frontline units steadily grew. As an indication, an Ausf.D was captured in North Africa crammed with 88 rounds, including 20 HL/As and 35 K.Gr.rot., signalling an increase in tank to tank use.
Initially, there was no secondary machine-gun, the tank relying solely on accompanying infantry for close quarter defense, which made sense when its tactical use was first envisioned. By the time of the up-gunned G version, however (December 1942), a single Maschinengewehr 34 protected by a mask was mounted on top of the superstructure. Personal weapons included, generally, a MP 38 light machine-gun and several P 38 automatic pistols. For maximal “safe” fire, indirect targeting was used, but at the expense of accuracy. Better accuracy was reached at short range (less than 500 m/550 yd), due to the low velocity of the projectile and possible errors when adjusting the proper arc.
In this matter, the quality of optical instrumentation was paramount. With the Ausf.C, D and E, a new ZF1 targeting sight was introduced, with a reticle pattern including seven triangles separated by four mils. The distances between triangles was used for aiming at moving targets. Their separation and height helped the gunner to estimate the range, marked by 100 m intervals out of a range of 1500 m, with a secondary scale for 6000 m range. Due to the limited arc of 24° (12° on each side), the whole tank had to be moved frequently to deal with relatively close moving targets.

Engine

The engine was the mass-produced, dependable Maybach HL 120 TRM V-12 gasoline, giving around 300 PS (296 hp or 221 kW) and a power/weight ratio of 12.6 hp/tonne, connected to a driving six-speed transmission. The wheeltrain comprised six paired rubberized roadwheels mated on torsion arms, and three double return rollers per side. The drive sprockets were at the front, whereas the idlers were at the rear. The tracks were made of mild steel and identical to the Panzer III model.

Performances, facts & figures

Here are the extended specs for the Ausf.D (1941).

• Top speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
• Maximal sustained top speed on road: 24 km/h (15 mph)
• Cross-country speed: 10-12 km/h (6-7 mph)
• Range (roads): 155 km (96 mi)
• Range (cross country): 95 km (60 mi)
• Trench crossing: 2.5 m (8 ft)
• Fording: 0.8 m (2ft7in)
• Step climbing: 0.6 m (1ft11in)
• Gradient climbing: 30°
• Ground clearance: 0.39 m (1ft3in)
• Ground pressure: 0.9 kg/cm2
• Power to weight ratio: 13.5 metric hp/ton
• Combat weight: 20.7 metric tons
• Dimensions (short barrel): 5.40 x 2.92 x 1.95 m (17ft8 x 9ft6 x 6ft4)

The Ausf.G

The Ausführung G stood apart from the other production versions. It was, in essence, the main production run for the entire StuG series, with more than 8400 rolling of the line from December 1942 to April 1945, equivalent to the total production of all Panzer IV types combined. This tremendous effort was due to a complete reorganization (by Albert Speer) of the production, spread between other manufacturers like MIAG (in 1943) and many suppliers. This was done in order to avoid disruptions caused by the increasingly efficient Allied bombing campaigns. It was, of course, further increased by the gradual replacement of the Panzer III with the StuG III on the same production lines.
Simplification and standardization helped to further reduce costs and delays. The main superstructure was simplified. The side sloped armored boxes were eliminated, and the casemate sides were extended half-through the mudguard width. This extra storage allowed to store even more rounds. The engine/fighting compartment rear wall was strengthened, the ventilation fan relocated further back and appliqué armor was standardized. Furthermore, the upper MG 34 was factory-fitted, protected by a squared mask.
By March 1943, simplification pushed to drop the driver’s periscope. Metal return rollers were also required due to the lack of rubber. Rubber saving road wheels had been already tested briefly in November 1942, but not adopted. By May 1943, Alkett started fitting Schurzen (spaced armored side skirts), but it was rushed out and the fixations were later proven inadequate at Kursk (this was corrected in March 1944). 80 mm (3.15 in) armor plates were used instead of appliqué armor. The main gun was unchanged, but characterized by its cast rounded topfblende pot mantlet after November 1943. Postwar, it was called “pig-head” (Saukopf or Saukopfblende). There was no coaxial mount, and the mantlet was 45 mm to 50 mm (1.77-1.97 in) thick. By June 1944, this mantlet was in short supply and the traditional trapezoid-shape mantlet reappeared alongside. In June 1944, it received a coaxial MG 34. Another big change was the adoption of a rotating cupola with periscopes, later replaced by a fixed, welded one, because of the sudden shortage of ball bearings. These had shot deflectors generalized by February 1944. Zimmerit anti-magnetic coating was factory applied for just a year, from September 1943 to September 1944.
In all, Alkett was responsible for delivering 7500 StuGs, while MIAG built 2586. The former also carried out the conversion of 173 older Panzer IIIs to the StuG III Ausf.G standard, and 142 were based on the late Panzer III Ausf.M chassis. The massive bombing raids of November 1943 let Krupp devise a substitute based on their Panzer IV chassis, which was presented and accepted by Hitler in December. This model was known as the Sturmeschütz IV and overall 1140 were built, using a modified StuG III superstructure. Until the end of the war, numerous “field” modifications appeared, as older Ausf.C/Ds were retrofitted with the long KwK 40 L/48 gun, vehicles were repaired and fitted with the Panzer IV cupola, coaxial MG 34s were fitted and some vehicles even had their front supestructure cement-plastered for added protection, while saving steel. There was even a Soviet model built on captured StuG III and Panzer III chassis’ (chiefly at Stalingrad), called the SU-76i, and armed with a Soviet 76.2 mm (3 in) S-1 AT gun, with added protection. No less than 201 were delivered by Zavod 37 at Sverdlovsk, including 20 commander variants. Delivery started in the autumn of 1943, but, in the fall of 1944, they were withdrawn and used for training.

Minor variants

The StuH 42

In 1942, a variant of the Ausf.F received a 4.1 in (105 mm) howitzer under the ordnance name Sturmhaubitze 42, Sd.Kfz.142/2. It was a late reversion to the close infantry support rôle, but with a more modern chassis, as more Ausf.F/8s (long) and Ausf.Gs were used for the antitank rôle. The howitzer was derived from a 10.5 cm leFH 18 with electric fire and a muzzle brake, although the latter was often omitted due to the lack of materials. About 1300 vehicles were built by Alkett from March 1943 to March 1945, after an initial delivery of 12 vehicles tested from repaired F and F/8s between the fall of 1942 and January 1943.

StuG III (Flamm)

In 1943, ten early versions, stored in depots, were chosen to be modified, the main gun being replaced by a Schwade flamethrower. Their operational use however is dubious, as no report stated their use in combat and in 1944 they were returned to the depot.

Sturm-Infanteriegeschütz 33B

As early as 1941, the StuG III chassis was chosen to carry the heavy 15 cm sIG 33 howitzer for close infantry support. Development took time however, and in the end, twenty-four vehicles were so converted and all delivered in October 1942. Twelve of them were diverted to the battle of Stalingrad with the StuG Abteilung 177, and arrived on 8 November 1942, in order to offer an efficient way to to deal with this urban environment. It was already too little too late. All were lost in combat or captured, while the other half was sent to the 23rd Panzer Division. The 15 cm howitzer was the same already used on a Panzer I chassis in 1940, and the Panzer II based “15 cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen II (Sf)” in North Africa. The price tag for the StuIG 33b was 20,450 DM. Thirty rounds were carried in two parts, shells and cartridges, partly stored inside the large bins installed behind the casemate, over the engine deck. The casemate itself was 10 mm (0.39 in) thick, with an extra layer of appliqué armor at the front (20 mm/0.79 in), and entirely enclosed except for the rear, to allow easy access to the ammunition.

Operational history

Tactical doctrine

The manual Instruction of the employment of Sturmartillerie was first published in May 1940 and updated and re-printed in April 1942. By that time, limited war experience permeated the document in a few tactical re-adjustments, whereas advances in technology were more present. Both documents were combined for the second edition, with the contradictions duly noted. It is recalled that due to its nature, infantry support was the vehicle’s chief rôle, with the accompanying morale effect. It was also dependent on infantry in close combat due to its own vulnerabilities: Weak sides, roof and rear armor, lack of visibility, weak arc of fire and, moreover, no close defense system. It is stated that it can be used on the battlefield in the same way as the Panzer IV, and could deal even more successfully with AT guns due to its low profile and thick frontal armor. It could be only “infrequently” used as divisional artillery if the supplies allowed it. It could be attached, however, to theses organic units for special tasks requiring its mobility. It is recalled that it is not to be used for anti-tank tasks, only in case of self-defense. The edition of 1942, due to the improvements in shaped-charge rounds, states that this anti-tank rôle should be plainly approved.

The Sturmartillerie Abteilung, or StuG battalion, comprised a headquarter and three Sturmbatteries, each with six vehicles (three platoons of two StuGs). Revised in 1942, this is raised to seven vehicles, the extra StuG being given to the battalion commander. The Sturmartillerie Abteilungs were independent and only under the High Command authority, but, in some cases, a provisional organic inclusion in Divisions was allowed for special tasks. However, these units were rarely put under the command of an artillery commander. Efficient communication had to be ensured to allow a rapid redeployment of the Abteilung in support of various units inside the Division.
The manual states that the firing positions must be chosen with care, and well camouflaged to hide them from ground, but also air observation. A warning is issued not to split any platoons into smaller units in order to keep some amount of firepower, and only reserve this practice for exceptional short-duration support missions. Security missions, urban combat or night missions were also disapproved. It was recommended to gradually withdraw these platoons for refuelling and re-supply operations at the rear and, in any case, the vehicles had to be thoroughly serviced after 4/5 days of mission. Due to their lack of vision, close infantry cooperation was required to prevent any encounter with obstacles and mines. The rôle of infantry is especially crucial when dealing with possible side and rear enemy infantry attacks. The manual also strongly recommended surprise at any level of the engagement to ensure maximal lethality. Careful pre-positioning, camouflage, sufficient frontal arc of vision and firing without warning were all considered essential. Planning a safe retreat path, without obstacles to safely withdraw for refuelling and rearm is also noted. Smoke ammunition was to be used in this case and to blind the enemy flanking attacks. But, in the 1942 revision, the total allocated for smoke rounds was reduced to 10% of the total.
As breakthrough operations went, the Sturmartillerie Abteilungs only intervened after the breakthrough was done, but right after the first wave of battle tanks, and way before the arrival of tracked artillery and infantry. They were to secure the flanks, like the Panzer IV, of any anti-tank positions, and to prepare the terrain for infantry to follow, destroying fortified positions, especially concrete bunkers. Close cooperation with flame-thrower carrying assault engineers ensured maximal efficiency. It was recalled that only in the case of very close and very strong infantry support should these tanks be used in urban or forested areas.

On the move, it was considered essential for the StuGs to not run at more than 25 km/h (15.5 mph) with large gaps between vehicles and “leap-frog” their way to the objective, allowing the infantry to catch-up and stay close. Crossing bridges had to be carefully handled, at no more than 8 km/h (5 mph) with 30 m intervals. In any case, fording was preferable whenever possible. When operating with an infantry division, the division commander retained the unit as long as possible under his own direct control. They were to be used in the interval between the advanced spearhead and the main body, and only in rare cases on the first line. On the march, they were placed under the column commander authority. With armored divisions they could also find themselves in the advanced guard.
In attack, Sturm. Abt. units were attached to infantry regiments. The manual made it clear that it is questionable to use StuGs for battery tasks on fixed targets, that could be instead disposed of by divisional artillery. The StuGs were best employed to deal with previously unknown enemy positions and nests of resistance, assisting the infantry to carve its way through deep enemy defensive lines, but with a backup of heavy infantry weapons or divisional artillery. In all cases, detailing attack procedures stated that the StuGs had to be ready to intervene after the infantry started the attack, or held in reserve after enemy positions were duly identified. In both cases, never spearheading an assault. The platoon commander was encouraged to constantly cooperate with the most advanced infantry platoons and never be put in control of an artillery commander.
When attacking, their chief targets were enemy AT guns, then fortifications. The initial formation helped make observation easier and favored rapid reaction against any spotted AT position. In case of a defensive action, StuGs were only to be used as a secondary resource, after the AT guns had been decimated or overrun. In that case, the StuGs were to advance to the shortest distance of fire, helped by their low stature. The 1942 manual recommended that 15% of the ammunition had to be AP rounds, instead of the 12% previously mentioned. In pursuit, StuGs had to be kept close to their infantry support at all times, in order to be aware of unseen enemy positions and deal with any resistance. In fighting withdrawal, StuGs were allotted to infantry units and could be used in rear guard actions in support of tanks.
Organisational structure: A Sturmbatterie originally comprised six StuGs -three platoons of two-, five Sd.Kfz.253 light observation halftracks for platoon leaders and battery commanders, six Sd.Kfz.252 light armored ammo carrier halftracks (decreased in 1940 to three each) and three Sd.Kfz.251 Hanomag medium halftracks for the replacement crews. Due to initial production delays, Panzer I, Sd.Kfz.265 recce and Sd.Kfz.111 supply vehicles were used instead. By 7 February 1941, the Sturmbatterie Abteilungs were renamed “Sturmgeschütz Abteilungs” with several “Sturmgeschütz batteries”.

The StuG in action

The StuGs were the unsung heroes of the German defense from 1943 to 1945, with more kills than the Panthers and Tigers altogether (20,000 claimed just in 1944). Their career as support tanks spanned for longer, but they were found efficient against lightly armored vehicles even with HE rounds. Sturmgeschütz crews were artillery men, but considered themselves as an elite, an image reinforced by the propaganda newsreels. Due to its availability, the StuG was used on every single front the Wehrmacht was committed to, from the shores of France and Norway to the Volga in the east, and Africa from the gates of Egypt to the Tunisian hills, and it was also generously distributed along Germany’s allies.

The Russian campaign (1941-42)

In its first 15 days of operation, Oberleuntnant Pelikan’s StuG unit destroyed 91 tanks and captured 23, destroyed 23 bunkers, ten armored trains and disrupted convoys, claiming hundreds of trucks. After a first engagement at Bialystock, the StuG Abt.285 fought on and built a significant experience on the roads of Leningrad between June and December 1941. Reorganization of the platoons occurred due to the lack of vehicles (only one StuG per platoon) towards the end of the year. The command vehicle was now a Sd.Kfz.253 instead of an open car. It was usual of the StuGs to identify the targets far away first, due to better optical instruments, the infantry providing side and rear close visual cover. In tank-to-tank combat, the StuG III proved superior to any Soviet tank encountered (T-26s and BT-5/7s for the most) until late 1941, when more encounters with the KV-1 drove concerns.
Due to the harsh conditions during the fall of that year, many breakdowns occurred even before the first snow fell, because of the soaked muddy terrain that took its toll in over-stressing the transmission. After that, with the cold sitting down, problems started appearing with the starters, broken torsion bars and broken or torn tracks. The culprit was the snow that, mixed with mud and gravels, froze up each night. Crowbars were used frantically by an exhausted crew each evening and each morning to keep the tank in running order, trying to eliminate the frozen dirt that clogged everything. In this regard, the StuGs did not fare better than the other Panzers, sharing the same mechanical parts on the chassis and narrow tracks more suited for the moderate climate of the west. With such a regime, the Abteilung was left with only ten StuGs operational on 10 December, the situation being even worse for other units. By the 31, the Abteilung 185 lost 6 StuGs in exchange for silencing or capturing 130 artillery pieces, 39 infantry guns, 34 mortars, 79 AT guns, 45 AA guns, 314 MGs, 91 tanks. The unit also spent nearly 60,000 rounds of 75 mm (2.95 in) ordnance of all types.

Form February to March 1942, Abteilung 185 was resupplied with better HEAT ordnance and claimed more difficult targets, 29 KV-1s, 27 T-34s and 2 KV-2s, but took eight losses. These claims only concerned irreversible losses, like hulls left burning or blatantly destroyed and not lightly damaged tanks that barely lost a track or had a damaged drivetrain. As reported, ammo expenditure was divided into 12,370 HE, 5120 AP, and 1360 HEAT rounds. This figure reflected the success of other StuG Abteilungs in operation on the Eastern Front. Despite having the short barrel, the early StuG Ausf.A to E succeeded in destroying more T-34s than taking losses themselves. But a revolution was brewing, as the new F series was intended to carry the long barrel Stu.K.40 L/43.

The long barrel

Krupp already started worked on the s.Pak L/42 from January 1940, and the project evolved until March 1941. It was then shown to Hitler and an optimistic spring 1942 target was set for production. However, Wa Prüef 4 was ordered to cease work on the new gun design as the OKW, after evaluating the reports from losses due to T-34s and KV-1s, realized that not only protection needed to be increased, but the long barrel gun had to have an even greater muzzle velocity. Wa Prüef 4 then used this letter to require Rheinmetall to design a new gun with a 770 m/s muzzle velocity (with HE) and penetration of 80 mm/30° (3.15 in) at 1000 m. At first, Rheinmetall considered truncating the towed 7.5 cm Pak 40 L/46, born from similar specs. It had to be adapted to be fitted in the StuG casemate, posed recoil problems (90 cm were required) and the rounds were too long (969 mm long). The loading chamber was remodeled and shortened, while the rifled barrel chamber was kept intact. This resulted in the Kanone 40 7.5 cm L/43, complete with new compact shells. The high explosive filler was reduced in size, preventing the shell from breaking up during penetration. The Pz.Granate 39 had an armor piercing cap to prevent shattering on impact and a ballistic cap to reduce air friction, ensuring better velocity. Trials ended in February and production started in March, with 51 deliveries, and 66 in May, before a radical increase. In addition, a removable double chamber muzzle brake with four side ports was added to reduce recoil.
The Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung GrossDeutschland and the LSSAH were the first to receive 22 of the new Ausf.F in operations, built since March-April 1942. At the start of the summer offensive on the Eastern front, there were about 210 Ausf.Fs in operation (18 units). By November 1942, 448 Ausf.F/Gs served with 22 units. By the time Kharkov was retaken in February 1943, GrossDeutschland Division’s StuG units claimed 44 T-34s (whereas the Tigers only destroyed 30). Around Leningrad, the Abteilung 226, with its 41 StuGs (including replacements), claimed an impressive score of 221 T-34s and KV-1s among others, for 13 losses. By March 1943, Abteilung battery composition was changed and increased. By the time the summer offensive started, all 26 units were replenished with new StuG Ausf.Gs, for a total of 727 right before “Zitadelle” took place.
Reports in September showed that, in general, the StuGs fared extremely well (especially compared to the poor performances of the Tiger, Elefant and Panthers), probably giving the best performance so far in combat for any given German AFV. Interogations of captured Russian tank crews revealed that all units were given strict orders to not engage any combat with the StuGs. However, the German losses were attributed to better AT guns served by skillful crews, mines and even better AT rifles that could penetrate the commander cupola. Reports also stated that the regular tanks, like the Panzer IV, were not at ease in this kind of offensive due to their preference for mobility. With less refined optics, a high silhouette and poor cooperation with infantry, they were found less efficient in every way. So much so that it was reported from an anonymous tank commander “I would rather have one StuG Abteilung rather than an entire Panzerdivision”. A total of 423 confirmed kills were reported by the 11 Abteilungen engaged in August 1943, for the loss of only eight vehicles.
During and after the battle, reports also shown the good practice of using Schürzen (spaced) armor, that saved many StuGs from the numerous, well hidden AT rifles and light AT guns the Red Army deployed in prepared positions. Problems were reported with the lightly armored commander cupola and the ineffectiveness of the loader’s machine gun, but also with the engine and transmission. Helped by the flat landscape, the onboard 30-watt radio proved invaluable, with an effective range of 150 km, although sometimes 200 km and more were attained. By February 1944 the former Abteilungen were renamed Sturmgeschütz brigades, 31 vehicles strong each, whereas the Special Brigades 259, 278, 303 and 341 were authorized to have a total of 45 tanks each (14 per battery). In total, since 1940, 57 StuG Abteilungen (Brigades) were formed alongside twelve independent units, and acquired a great deal of experience, showing great versatility with the same success against both infantry and tanks. This was reflected in a very diverse ammo supply. In practice, due to their moral boost effect on the battlefield and to avoid withdrawing to resupply, crews usually preferred cramming extra rounds wherever possible.
According to another report of Hauptmann Markowsky from the III/Panzer-regiment 24, 24th Panzer Division at Krivoi-Rog, the mix of Panzer IV and StuG IIIs also gave excellent results, the StuGs being used like the Panzers, without any form of protection against infantry, and some were detached in the division as an ad-hoc tank-hunter unit. After nine days of heavy fighting, the regiment claimed 184 enemy tanks (mostly T-34s), 87 AT guns and 26 artillery pieces, for only four losses. Results were attributed to excellent training, experience and concentration on the German side. In fact, the attrition rate was mostly attributed to breakdowns. But the Hauptmann insisted that the unit strength was not diminished, but on the contrary, it increased, as instead of 10-15 vehicles per unit, 22 would be preferable.
In December 1943, another report from the III/Panzer regiment 36 stated that at least four scenarios of attack could be successful using StuGs in conjunction with Panzer IVs. One of them was a first wave attack, favored by the StuG low silhouette, spearheading the attack, while the Panzer IVs, with their revolving turret, provided side cover. This was an imperative condition, because if the StuGs were left to simultaneously engage a great number of targets at diverse azimuths, especially on a muddy/snowy terrain, that imposed frequent turns of the chassis and overtaxed the transmission, causing even more breakdowns. It was also noted that the lack of suitable protection for the machine-gun was critical when assaulting enemy infantry positions, due to AT rifle fire. It was also noted that, by far, engagement in close cooperation with Panzer-grenadiers was the most efficient way to deal with enemy infantry positions, both providing a mutual, almost symbiotic protection that worked wonders. In defense, they were also in their element. With their low profile, easy to camouflage, and excellent long-range sights, they could inflict tank damage at a distance without maneuvering, and then retire safely. However, compared results showed the superiority of the Panzer IVs on the offensive. From October to December, 17 Panzer IVs, on average, destroyed 136 enemy tanks, while the 13 StuGs claimed only 75. However, 20 Panzer IVs were complete write-offs compared to only 16 StuGs after 16 days of combat.

North African campaign

The Sonderverband 288 deployed four StuG Ausf.Ds (short barrel version), which participated in the Gazala campaign with Kampfgruppe Menton. One was lost in Piraeus Harbor, and one captured by British armored cars en route. The two surviving were apparently in action at El Alamein (2nd battle). One was apparently used with the 90th Light Division until the surrender in Tunis. When reinforcements arrived in Tunisia, six F/8s from the 1./Sturmgeschütz-Abt. 242 were sent to serve with the Xth Pz. Div., but only four survived the crossing. These were placed with the Fallschirm Regiment Barenthin and Fallschirm Brigade Ramcke and lost in May 1943. StuGs were a rarity in North Africa, contrary to other theaters of operations.

Normandy summer 1944

Among the units which served there was the StuG Brigade 341, which fought at Brecey, Southern Avranches/Pontaubault in late July and Chartres in August. It had Ausf.Gs, as well as a few StuH 42s. Others were the StuG Brigade 394 and 243, the SS-StuG.abt.2, the Panzer Jäger Abteilung 130 and the 902 Sturmgeschütz Abteilung. These were helped, again, by their low profile and, of course, the hedgerow configuration. Also, the 2./Pz.Jg.Abt.331 saw action in the early summer as well as the PzAbt(Fkl)301. As an anecdote, StuG IVs of the 17th SS Pz.Grenadier division “Goetz von Berlichingen” also saw action in the early summer 1944. One was photographed disabled by US. Capt. Taynton after June 15, 1944.

Italy

StuH 42s were used by the FschPzDiv “Hermann Goering” in 1944, and the Ausf.Gs of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division served in Sicily in the fall of 1943 and Italy in 1944. The Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 107 was active with the XIII SS Corps, 1st Army, Army Group G in northern Italy in 1945. The Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 242 was transferred in Italy in May 1943 and served later with the OB Süd reserve, based in Liguria in 1945. The Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 247 was formed in March 1943, served in Italy and later Sardinia, then Corsica. In October, it was sent back to Jüterborg and disbanded. Formed in January 1944, the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 907 was already sent in Italy, reinforced in Ferentino, and soldiered at Anzio and Monte Cassino. In February 1945 it was based in Liguria. Another “Italian” StuG unit, the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 914, was also formed in January and sent to Verona, before being renamed Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 720. It soldiered on with 10th Army in early 1945, then passed into Liguria with the LI Corps, 14th Army and mixed forces also comprising StuH 42s. An independent unit, the Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade Schmitz, was formed in Italy in January 1945 and soldiered on with the I Parachute Corps, 10th Army in Liguria. It was then known as the Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 210. One of the shortest-lived units was the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 107, formed in March 1945 from the remnants of several units and attached to the XIII SS Corps, 1st Army, Army Group G.

StuG aces

The most incredible score was registered by an Ausf.F from the Stug.Abt.244 in Stalingrad in early September of 1942. It was commanded by Oberwachtmeister Kurt Pfreundtner and destroyed nine Soviet tanks in 20 minutes, which earned him the Knights Cross. Wachtmeister Kurt Kirchner (Stug.Abt.667) also succeeded in destroying 30 Soviet tanks in a few days by February 1942 (Northern Russia). Hauptmann Peter Franz, another “Knights Crosser” with the Stug.Abt. “Grossdeutschland”, destroyed 43 T-34/76s at the Battle for Borissovka (March, 14, 1943). Unteroffizier Horst Naumann (Stug.Abt.184) destroyed 12 tanks in a single action in January 1943 in the Demyansk area, and 27 enemy tanks in all. The Stug.Abt.667 was a reserve of talents, like Oberfeldwebel Rudolf Jaenicke (who destroyed 12 BT-2s loaded on rail platforms in July 1941). Von Malachowski and overall Oberwachtmeister Hugo Primozic also had enviable hunting records. Waffen SS StuG ace Walter Kniep, (2nd StuG.Abt., 2nd SS Panzer Division “Das Reich”) claimed 129 Soviet tanks for his unit between July and December 1943, for only two losses.

Other units

Little known were the Luftwaffe independent field units, the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1 der Luftwaffe (formed in January 1944 for the I Fallschirm-Korps), at first partly equipped with Semovente M/42s. It saw action near Nancy (Eastern France) and the Ardennes in the winter 1944-45. The Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 2 der Luftwaffe was formed in March 1944 and soldiered in Normandy, wiped out at the Falaise pocket and later rebuilt in September in Köln-Wahn. It fought at Arnhem and Amersfoot and in February 1945 at the Reichswald battle.

Other operators

The German allies, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Finland, also operated StuG IIIs.

Italian StuGs

According to Osprey NV StuG III-IV, page 42, three StuG Ausf.Gs were given to the Italian Army in May 1943. Their combat records are unknown. Photos of these are even rarer and did not help to determine their location or type.

Bulgarian StuGs

When the situation was desperate, 55 early type StuG III Ausf.Gs were sent to the Bulgarian ally, between February and December 1943, forming the bulk of the Bulgarian Armoured Division, along with Panzer IVs. At first, two self-propelled gun battalions were created (Sofia and Plovdiv). These were rapidly deployed and fought hard in Hungary in 1945, the survivors being kept into service until the mid-1950s. Photos shown some late Gs with the cast mantlets.

Hungarian StuGs

By June 1944, the 2nd Hungarian Armored Division received 10 StuG III Gs of the late type. Between August to November, Hungary received 40 StuGs to complement the few 43M Zrinyi. The German vehicles were allocated to tank hunter battalions of three batteries each with 10 vehicles. 130 Hetzers were also given in addition, to equip the newly form battalions. The 1st and 10th were equipped with Zrinyis, and the 1st battalion (7th) was equipped with StuGs and the remainder with Hetzers. According to the “Balaton book” these were of the early, mid and late Ausf.G type and some StuH 42s.

Finnish Sturmi

The latter were given in 1943-44 (59 in all) and served against the USSR with great efficiency (the first 30 destroyed 87 Soviet tanks for only 8 losses). 30 were received in 1943 and 29 in 1944. The second batch saw limited if no action. After the war, the StuGs remained frontline in the Finnish Army until better tanks were provided in the early 1960s.

Romanian TAs-3

100 StuGs were delivered in the autumn of 1943 to bolster the Romanian defense, after the crippling losses following the battle around Stalingrad. Officially, these were known as TAs, more precisely TAs T3 (to avoid confusion with the Panzer IV, which were named T4s). By February 1945, only thirteen were left after combat, with the 2nd Armoured Regiment in early 1945, but all were destroyed afterwards. 31 TAs were in inventory in November 1947. They were not survivors, but captured models supplied by the Red Army or damaged and repaired vehicles captured by the Romanian Army. They joined the scrapyard in 1954, due to a decision to use exclusively Soviet equipment.

The USSR

The Soviets used a few captured units, with specific paintings and large spotting markings. Also, using repaired and captured hulls, they managed to build another 300 SU-76i self-propelled guns and tank hunters, equipped with standard Soviet 76 mm (3 in) guns in 1943-44. A derivative of the latter was the SG-122 “Artsturm”, as nicknamed by the Germans, housing the Soviet 122 mm (4.8 in) standard heavy howitzer. Only a handful (10) were so converted, but the conversion process did not go further, the result being judged unsatisfactory and hard to maintain.

Norway

Norway captured many StuGs in 1945, and Sweden tested the type in 1947, received from Norway. It inspired models like the Strv 103. The Norwegian StuGs were kept in service until 1951 and the ten Spanish vehicles until 1954.
After the war, Yugoslavia, Turkey and Syria also received StuGs.

Spanish StuGs

Due to the inadequacy of Spanish tanks in modern warfare, Franco’s Azul Division was given German Panzer IV E/F8 medium tanks, grouped inside the Tank Hunter Battalion 250. The unit was first blooded in October 1941, but the tanks soldiered on until February. The remnants fought a quite extraordinary defensive battle at Krasny Bor on February, 10, 1943, the armor being entrenched and protected. The “blue” division took 75% casualties in the course of the battle, but held its ground and inflicted around 11,000 casualties among Russian attackers.
Other attacks were repulsed later, but the lines became static for months. By October 1943, the Division was eventually replaced by the 81st Infanterie-Division and the 123rd Infanterie-Division, and was retired to Volosovo. In November 1943, a total of ten StuG III Ausf.Gs* were sent to replace part of the losses. But the unit was afterwards convoyed back to Spain, so battle records are unknown for these. (* Osprey NV StuG III-IV, page 42).

Yugoslavian StuGs

These were captured by Partisans and used sometimes on both sides (Ustachis alike). They survived the war and were kept in the new Yugoslav People’s Army for years.

Czechoslovakian Army StuGs

The post WW2 CS Army upgraded the Sturmgeschütz they had in their possession. They added a new shield for machine gun DŠK that was used on the Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer. They were given the following designation Sh PTK 40/75N (years 1946-1949) and SD 75/40N (years 1949-1960). 40 were sold to Syria.

Syrian StuGs

The Syrian army purchased StuGs from France and Czechoslovakia. In 1956 they were deployed alongside Panzer IVs and T-34/85s, reinforced with extra steel plates. By the war of 1967, all were scrapped or stripped for spare parts, the remainder being used in dug-out positions and static pillboxes on the Golan heights. At least one was captured by Israel and is now displayed at Yad-la-Shiron Museum near Tel Aviv.

Links and resources about the StuG III

– Osprey Publishing – Fighting Armour of WW2 collection, Hilary Doyle, Tom Jentz, Peter Sarson, Sturmgeschutz assault gun 1940-42.
– Osprey Publishing New Vanguard 019 – Sturmgeschutz III, 1940-42, by Doyle, Jentz and Sarson.
– Osprey Publishing New Vanguard 037 – Sturmgeschutz III & IV, 1942-45, by Doyle, Jentz, Fuller and Sarson.-
– Osprey Publishing – Sturmartillerie: Spearhead of the infantry, by Thomas Anderson
The StuG III on Wikipedia
The Shadocks document detailing surviving German assault guns
The StuG on Achtung Panzer
A very thorough Russian article about the StuG.

StuG III Ausf.D specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	4.95m x 2.97m x 2.16m (22ft 6in x 9ft 9in x 7ft 1in)
Track width	41 cm
Track length	12.5 cm
Total weight, battle ready	23.9 tons (52,690 lbs)
Armament	75 mm (2.95 in) StuK 40 L/48 1-2 x 7.9 mm (0.31 in) MG 34
Armor	9 to 60 mm (0.6 – 3.15 in)
Crew	4 (driver, commander, gunner, loader)
Propulsion	Maybach HL120TRM V-12 watercooled gasoline, 300 bhp (221 kW)
Speed	40 km/h (25 mph)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Range and consumption	155 km (96 mi), 260 l/100 km
Total production	9408 (10,000)

Ausf.E from an unknown unit, Eastern front, autumn 1942.

StuG III Ausf.F, Panzer-Abteilung 191, Eastern front, 1942.

Ausf.F from the Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 1, GrossDeutschland Division, Russia, 1942-43.

Ausf.F from the Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 210, Russia, 1942-43.

Ausf.F8, Normandy, summer 1944.

Ausf.F/G with an ambush pattern camouflage, Normandy, 1944.

StuG III Ausf.G, Kursk, summer 1943.

Early Ausf.G in Tunisia, February 1943.

Ausf.G early type in Dunkelgrau livery, unknown unit, Russia, spring 1943.

StuG III Ausf.G from the Abt. Jagdpanzer Grenadier Division “Totenkopf”, Kursk, summer 1943.

StuG III Ausf.G from the 23rd Sturmgeschütz Brigade in Russia, late 1943.

Up-armored StuG III Ausf.G from an unidentified unit at the third battle of Kharkov, February 1943.

Ausf.G early type recovered in 2002 from a swamp at Vielike Luki, Russia, previously lost in 1943.

Ausf.G early production, Ukraine, fall 1943.

Ausf.G early production, 202nd Assault Brigade, 15th Panzerdivision, March 1945.

StuG III Ausf.G operating in Poland, 1944.

Ausf.G, early type, 13th SS Panzerdivision, Frundsberg Maastricht, Holland, September 1944

Finnish StuG III Sturmi, 1944.

StuG III Ausf.G with pig snout mantlet, Belarus, 1944.

Ausf.G of the 2nd PanzerJager Abteilung in Estonia, 12th PanzerDivision, 1944.

StuG III Ausf.G at Laba, Germany, 1945.

Ausf.G with extra concrete armor, destroyed in Romania, 1944.

Romanian TAs of Lt.Col. Matei, September 1944

Romanian TAs of the IInd battalion, 2nd Tank Regiment operating in Czechoslovakia and Austria in 1945.

Hungarian StuG Ausf.G late type of the 7th Assault Gun Battalion, 1944-45.

Ausf.G of an unknown unit with extra timber protection, 1944-45.

StuG III Ausf.G with Saukopf, Eastern Hungary, March 1945.

Ausf.G with Saukopf (late model), GrossDeutschland Division, winter 1944-45.

Ausf.G Funk command tank, Panzer Abteilung 302, 19th Panzerdivision, Warsaw uprising, 1944.

Late Ausf.G, 7th Assault Gun Battery, Hungary 1945.

Ausf.G, unknown unit, Eastern Front, 1944-45

Ausf.G of the Panzer Abteilung 301, Normandy, France, 1944.

Ausf.G, 301st PanzerAbteilung (Fkl), 2nd Panzerdivision, Normandy, summer 1944.

Ausf.G, 3rd Company, 302nd Panzer Abteilung, Warsaw uprising, September 1944.

Ausf.G with Saukopf, protected by concrete armor, captured by the Allies in 1945.

StuG III Ausf.G with Saukopf, 12th Stürmgeschutz-Brigade Germany, February-March 1945.

Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.G, early type, 23rd Sturmgeschutz-Brigade, Russia, 1943.

Ausf.G in Russia, unknown sector, 1943.

Ausf.G early type in Italy, 1944.

StuG III Ausf.G, late type, on the Seelöwe Heights, April 1945

Ausf.G of the 12th Sturmgeschutz Brigade, unknown location, 1945.

Soviet captured Ausf.G, Eastern Europe, winter 1944-1945.

Soviet captured late Ausf.G in Bohemia, April 1945

Syrian up-armored StuG III, with a DshK HMG, in the late 1950s.

---

sIG-33B

German Sturm-Infanteriegeschütz 33B equipped with the 15 cm sIG 33 howitzer for close infantry support, Stalingrad, fall 1942. Only 12 were deployed here, out of the 24 converted.

Sturmhaubitze 1942

Early prototype (Versurchserie) of the Sturmhaubitze 42.

StuH 42 of the early Ausf.G type, with spaced armor, Russia 1944.

StuH 42 Ausf.G, Flasshchirmjäger Division Hermann Goering, Italy, mid-1944.

Late StuH 42 without the muzzle brake, one of the few produced in early 1945.

SU-76i

SU-76i, Red Army, Eastern Prussia, late 1944.

SG-122 Artsturm, conversion of the SU-76i as a howitzer SPG, 1945 (not to scale).

---

Video about German assault guns

Gallery

Lieutenant Walther Oberloskamp, Zugführer (platoon leader) in the Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 667, proudly showing his 40 victory rings on his personal StuG III. He was awarded, on 10 May 1943, the Knight’s Cross. This photo says scores about the average kill ratio of Sturmgeschutz units in operations – Credits: Histomil.com.
Ausf.G in the Serbian military museum of Belgrade, 2008 – Credits: Slaven Radovic.
Ausf G in the Serbian military museum of Belgrade, 2008.
Ausf.G in Helsinki.
StuG III Ausf.G destroyed in Normandy, summer 1944, perhaps in the Falaise Pocket.


Germans Tanks of ww2