One of the most common images of German armour in the combat footage taken by Goebbel´s propaganda cameramen in the second half of the war in Europe was the Assault Gun or Sturmgeschutz (abbr.Stug). From 1942 onwards it was increasingly employed as a tank destroyer but its origin lay not in that role but in a 1936 order for an armoured infantry support vehicle.
Entering service in 1940 in time for the invasion of France this turretless armoured vehicle employed the chassis of the Panzer III and the main armament of the Panzer IV in a fixed mount. Moving through a number of versions the Stug III came into its own in the invasion of Russia campaign where it was used to good effect against the new heavy KV and T-34 tanks. Upgunned during 1942 to carry a higher velocity weapon the assault gun began to assume much greater importance in the Germany order of battle as Wehrmacht scrambled desperately to field weapons with witch to counter the growing allied tank arms. Ease of production and lower cost saw some 7.700 assault guns in its final version on the Mark III chassis built between December 1942 and the end of the war. A Shortfall in production of the Stug IV. The frequency with which assault guns are filmed in action from 1944 onwards illustrates the manner to which this vehicle was employed as a substitute for the Panzers. By war´s ens assault gun units claimed the destruction of no less than 20.000 allied tanks.
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EvilFingers 4 months ago