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Sturmgeschütz III Assault Gun |
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In 1936 the German Army submitted a requirement for an armored vehicle to be used in support of the infantry. It was to mount a gun of at least 75mm, which was to have a minimum traverse of 25°, and was to be mounted in the hull to minimize the vehicle’s profile and provide a more difficult target. This vehicle would become the Sturmgeschütz III (StG III) assault gun.
The Sturmgeschütz III was based on the PzKfw III chassis and was powered by a 300hp Maybach HL 120TR engine. Over 9,000 of these vehicles in all marks were produced, although the vast majority were of the final Ausf. G model. The earlier models from Ausf. A through the early Ausf. G mounted the same short low-velocity 75mm gun as was mounted in the early marks of the Panzer IV. However, at the end of 1942 vastly superior long-barreled 75mm gun was introduced on the Ausf. G, and production of that variant continued until the end of the war. Additional significant changes included:- Commander’s cupola with periscopes
- A shield for the machine gun in front of the loader's hatch
- The cast Saukopf (pig's head) gun mantlet
- A coaxial machine gun
- A remotely controlled machine gun
- A Nahverteidigungswaffe (close-in defense weapon) that was for use against infantry
Like many other mid- to late-war vehicles, the StuG III was coated with Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste.
In terms of its operational success, the StuG III was outstanding on the battlefield, and accounted for more enemy tanks than the PzKfw III. Like its turreted cousin, it was also used for a variety of other vehicles, including: - A 150mm assault howitzer
- Flame-thrower
- Ammunition carrier
The StuG III was issued to assault gun detachments that originally were under the artillery. In 1944, however, they were reorganized into assault gun brigades with 45 StuGs each. As the war went on, these vehicles also saw service with tank and anti-tank units, as well.The vehicles on display are both Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G models. The one with the Saukopf mantlet was captured by US troops in 1945. The vehicle was taken to Aberdeen Proving Ground, and from there was sent to Fort Knox, where it would become part of the Patton Armor Museum. In September 1979, however, the Patton Armor Museum donated the vehicle to Kampftruppenschule 2.The vehicle with the box-shaped mantlet was in service with an assault gun detachment of the Finish Army. It was acquired as part of an exchange with the Finnish Armor Museum in Parolannummi.
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