Sturmgeschutz III

10,5cm Sturmhaubitze 42 Ausf. G

Weigth 23,9 tons Crew 4 Weapons 105mm L28 StuK gun with 36 rounds, 1 7,92mm MG 34 with 600 rounds Armor hull 11-80mm (nose 80mm, front 50mm+30mm, sides and rear 30mm, top 11-17mm, bottom 16mm); Engine 300hp gasoline Maybach HL 120 TRM, 12-cylinders on V, liquid cooled Speed 40Km/h Autonomy 169Km Length (max) 6,13m Width 2,96m Height 2,17m

Advantages: large variety of configurations, mechanical reliability due to highly experienced chassis, low profile

Disadvantages: fixed gun limited the tactical manouver

In action...

The german doctrine required that all panzer had to be concentrated in Panzerdivionen: the Infantry then required a vechicle capable of close support fire. Daimler Benz designed a super-structure that could be mounted on a standard Panzer III Ausf. F chassis on which was placed a short barreled 75mm L24 gun: the vechicle was named Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. A (Sd.Kfz. 142). When the Panzer III production switched to the Ausf. H new StuGs were classified as Ausf. B (Ausf. C and D were essentially similar); an additional Ausf. E was designed as command tank with extra radio equipment. For 1941 548 tanks had been built.

StuG III Ausf. B passing a burning KV during Barbarossa (Photo by Eric Reits)

On September of the same year Adolf Hitler ordered to up-gun and up-armor the vehicle: temporary 75mm L33 gun was used but in February 1942 new 75mm L43 was employed, contemporary to new Panzer IV Ausf. F2: the official designation for this vehicle was "7.5cm sturmgeschutz 40 Ausf. F" (Sd.Kfz. 142/1).

StuG III Ausf. F

After that 120 tanks were built a longer barreled 75mm L48 gun mounted and new vehicle got the Ausf. F/8 designation. On the End 1942 80mm armor installed by adding 30mm plates on the original 50mm armor: Ausf. G was born, with a commander cupola and, often, a MG place.

StuG III Ausf. G with side schurzen abandoned

StuGs were often organized in Sturmartillery brigades, tipically counting about 45 assault guns with three batteries of 14 tanks and three command vehicles: each battery could count upon a StuH 42 platoon, for a total of 12 sturhaubitze for brigade. The assault guns were the Artillery elite troops with an impressive hit record: over 20,000 tanks destroyed in early 1944.

StuG III Ausf. G, Marder IIs and a Nashorn of an anti-tank battalion in Russia (1943)

In 1942, 791 StuG III of any type were built; not less than 3,041 were built in 1943 while 4,850 in the 1944 and 123 during 1945, the last months of war. For Infantry support StuGs were also equipped with more powerful HE 105mm guns: 9 vehicles in 1942, 204 in 1943 and 904 in 1944. On the Panzer III chassis was also mounted the 150mm sIG 33 infantry guns for close quearters combat (the Brummbar's ancestor).

StuG III Ausf. G, carrying on infantry while engaged in the 1943-44 Winter campaign