NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Sturmgeschütz III

The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was one of Germany's most produced Armored fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the Panzer III tank. Initially intended as a mobile, armoured light gun for infantry support, the StuG was continually modified until, by 1942, it was widely employed as a tank destroyer. Obtained from the German Wikipedia. ... Obtained from the German Wikipedia. ... The Brummbar was a German assault gun used in World War II An assault gun is an armoured fighting vehicle similar to a tank, but typically does not have a traversable turret, and may have an open roof. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... A chassis (plural: chassis) consists of a framework which supports an inanimate object, analogous to an animals skeleton; for example in the construction of an automobile or of a firearm. ... General characteristics Length: 5. ... Self-propelled anti-tank vehicles, generally known as tank destroyers, are a type of armoured fighting vehicle, used primarily in the defensive role in destroying enemy tanks. ...

The Sturmgeschütz series is probably best known for its excellent price-to-performance ratio. By the end of the war, over 10,500 had been built.

History

The Sturmgeschütz III originated from an initial proposal that Colonel Erich von Manstein submitted to General Beck in 1935 in which he suggested that Sturmartillerie (Assault Artillery) units should be used in a direct-fire support role for infantry divisions. To that end, on June 15, 1936, Daimler-Benz AG received an order to develop an armoured infantry support vehicle capable of mounting a 75 mm (2.95 in) artillery piece. The gun was to have a limited traverse of a minimum of 25 degrees and be mounted in a fully enclosed superstructure that provided overhead protection for the crew. The height of the vehicle was not to exceed that of the average man. Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein Erich von Manstein (November 24, 1887–June 10, 1973) was one of the most prominent commanders of Nazi Germanys Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) during World War II. He attained the rank of Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall). ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Daimler-Benz AG was founded on May 1, 1924 by the merger of Benz & Cie. ...

Daimler-Benz AG used the chassis and running gear of its recently designed Panzerkampfwagen III medium tank as a basis for the new vehicle. Prototype manufacture was passed over to Alkett, which produced five examples in 1937 of the experimental 0-series StuG based upon the PzKpfw III Ausf. B. These prototypes featured a mild steel superstructure and Krupp’s short-barreled 75 mm Sturmkanone 37 L/24. Download high resolution version (709x1000, 251 KB)Obtained from the German Wikipedia This work is copyrighted. ... Download high resolution version (709x1000, 251 KB)Obtained from the German Wikipedia This work is copyrighted. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

As the StuG III was intended to fill an anti-infantry close support combat role, early models were fitted with a low-velocity 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 gun, firing high explosive shells. After the Germans encountered the Soviet T-34, the StuG III were armed with the high-velocity 75 mm StuK 40 L/43 (Spring 1942) or 75 mm L/48 (Autumn 1942) anti-tank gun. Infantry in the First World War Infantry (or Infantrymen) are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, using personal weapons. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ...

Later models of the StuG III had a 7.92mm MG34 mounted on the hull for added anti-infantry protection. MG34 The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG34, was a German machine gun that went into production and was accepted for serivce in 1934 and first issued to units in 1935. ...

Variants

First used in the Battle of France, the StuG III Ausf. A used the chassis of the Panzer III Ausf. F and the 75mm StuK 37 L/24 gun. In World War II, Battle of France or Case Yellow (Fall Gelb in German) was the France and the Low Countries, executed 10 May 1940 which ended the Phony War. ...

A MG 34 is added to protect the vehicle from enemy infantry. Other minor improvements.

The first real upgunning of the StuG, this version uses the longer 75 mm StuK 40 L/43 gun. This change marked the StuG as being more of a tank destroyer then an infantry support vehicle.

The final, and by far the most common, of the StuG series. The G-series StuG used the hull of the Panzer III Ausf. M and, after 1944, a second machine gun. Later versions were fitted with the Saukopf (Ger. pig's head) gun mantlet, which was more effective than the original box metal structure at deflecting shots.

Some StuG III were also made from a Panzer III chassis but fitted the bogie suspension system of the Panzer IV tank. Only about 20 were manufactured. The intention was to simplify field repairs but this did not work out well and the model was cancelled.

The Soviet SU-76i self-propelled gun was based on captured German StuG III and Panzer III vehicles. About 1,200 of these vehicles were converted for Red Army service by adding an enclosed superstructure and the ZiS-5 76.2 mm gun. Soviet redirects here. ... General characteristics Length: 5. ... Red Army flag The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya in Russian), the armed forces organised by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ...

See also

List of common WWII combat vehicles France Tanks AMR-33, AMR-35 (323) Bataille B1 (~400) Hotchkiss H-35 (~400) Hotchkiss H-38 (~800) Hotchkiss H-39 (~1200) Renault FT-17 (~2500) Renault Char B1 (350+) Renault R-35 (~1800) Renault R-40 Somua S-35 (~500) Germany Tanks Panzer I (3,970) Panzer II (3...

External links

Categories: Assault guns | World War II German tank destroyers Tanks Panzer I The Panzer I wasnt intended as a combat vehicle, but more to familiarise industry and the army with tanks. ... General characteristics Length 4. ... General characteristics Length: 4. ... General characteristics Length: 5. ... The Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV), more commonly referred to as the Panzer IV, was a tank developed by Nazi Germany and used extensively in World War II. It was designed initially as an infantry-support medium tank, to work in conjunction with the anti-tank Pzkpfw III. Later in the... General characteristics Length 6. ... General characteristics Length 6. ... General characteristics Length (hull) 7. ... General characteristics Length: 4. ... General characteristics Length: 4. ... A U.S. M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer Self-propelled artillery vehicles mount a large howitzer (or alternatively mortar or rockets) and are used for long-range indirect bombardment support. ... The Wespe (German for wasp) was a German self-propelled artillery vehicle during World War II based on the Panzer II tank. ... The Hummel (‘Bumble Bee’) was a self-propelled artillery unit based on the Geschutzwagen III/IV chassis, armed with a 150 mm howitzer. ... The Grille series of self propelled artillery vehicles were used by Germany during World War II. The Grille series was based on the Czech Panzer 38(t) tank and used a 15 cm sIG 33 infantry gun. ... There were two main types of a design commonly known as the Panzerwerfer, often just called Panzerwerfer auf Maultier and Panzerwerfer auf SWS, they were self-propelled artillery vehicles of Germany used during WWII. The designs were a lightly armored half-track with a mounted rocket launcher. ... The Brummbar was a German assault gun used in World War II An assault gun is an armoured fighting vehicle similar to a tank, but typically does not have a traversable turret, and may have an open roof. ... The Sturmgeschütz IV (SdKfz 167) was a slightly modified Sturmgeschütz III assault gun superstructure mounted on a Panzer IV chassis. ... The Brummbär The Sturmpanzer IV, Sturmpanzer 43, or Sd. ... The Sturmpanzer VI Sturmtiger The Tiger-Mörser, 38cm RW61 auf Sturm(panzer)mörser Tiger, or Sturmmöser Tiger, more commonly known as the Sturmtiger or Sturmpanzer VI, was a World War II German assault gun built on the Panzer VI Tiger I chassis armed with a large naval... Self-propelled anti-tank vehicles, generally known as tank destroyers, are a type of armoured fighting vehicle, used primarily in the defensive role in destroying enemy tanks. ... The first of many tank destroyers, the Panzerjäger I (tank hunter I) was based on the chassis of the Panzer I ausf B and was armed with the Skoda 47 mm Pak L/43 anti-tank gun. ... Marder I on Tracteur Blinde 37L chassis The Marder I was a German World War II tank destroyer, armed with a 75 mm anti tank gun. ... The Marder II was a tank destroyer based on the panzer II chassis. ... Marder III Ausf. ... Polish-seized Hetzer on a baricade during the Warsaw Uprising Based on the Czech Panzer 38(t) chassis Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer was an excellent tank destroyer: it was better armoured than the earlier Panzerjäger (60 mm sloped armour at 60 degrees, giving a equivalence of about 180 mm... Jagdpanzer IV/48 Jagdpanzer IV/70 (V) Jagdpanzer IV/70 (A) Prototype The Jagdpanzer IV, Sd. ... The Jagdpanther (Hunting Panther) was a tank destroyer built by Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. ... The Nashorn, one version of which was also known as the Hornisse was a German tank destroyer of World War II. It was developed as an interim solution in 1942 and was armed with a 8. ... The Jagdtiger Destroyed Jagdtiger Jagdtiger (SdKfz 186) Hunting Tiger was a tank destroyer made on the slightly extended chassis of the Tiger II King Tiger. It featured very heavy armor and a powerful 128mm L/55 PaK44 gun capable of defeating any tank fielded in WW2, even at long ranges... The JgPz Tiger Elefant (SdKfz 184) was an anti-tank vehicle (Panzerjäger, tank hunter) of the Wehrmacht in World War II. The vehicle was sometimes called the Ferdinand, after its designer. ... M3 half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. ... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ... A half track similar in appearance to the larger Sdkfz 251. ... SdKfz 251 Ausf. ... The Leichter Panzerspahwagen (roughly Light Amoured Vehicle) were a series of light 4 x 4 armoured cars produced by Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1944. ... The term Schwere Panzerspähwagen (Heavy Armoured Vehicle), covers the 6 and 8 wheel armoured cars Germany used in World War II. In the German Army, armoured cars were intended for the vital role of reconnaissance, scouting ahead of the Panzer tank units to assess enemy strength and intentions. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... The Flakpanzer IV (Sd. ... The Flakpanzer IV Wirbelwind (Whirlwind in German) was an anti-aircraft vehicle based on the Panzer IV. It was developed in 1944 as a successor to the earlier AA tank Möbelwagen. ... The Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz was a German anti-aircraft (AA) tank from World War II, which was still at the prototype stage at the end of the war. ... The Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus (Sd. ... The Landkreuzer P-1000 Ratte (Rat) was to have been an extremely large tank for use by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was designed in 1942 by Krupp with the approval of Adolf Hitler, but the project was canceled by Albert Speer in early 1943 and none were... The Entwicklung series, more commonly known as the E- series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standarised series of tank designs. ... The German Neubaufahrzeug series of tank prototypes were a first attempt to create a heavy tank for the Wehrmacht after Adolf Hitler had come to power. ... The P-1500 Monster, was in the very early stages of design when it was canceled. ... The german panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe (Lion) was a WW II design by Krupp to give the germans a superheavy tank. ... This article lists German AFV production during World War II. Where figures for production in 1939 are given, they refer to September 1939 onwards; that is, they only count wartime production. ...

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Variants

See also

External links

History