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StuG III

Sturmgeschütz III
StuGIII.jpg
StuG III Ausf. F/8 (Sd.Kfz.142/1) at Belgrade Military Museum, Serbia
Type Assault gun
Place of origin Nazi Germany
Service history
In service 1940–1945 (German service)
Syrian StuG IIIs were in use until the Six-Day War (1967), possibly later
Used by See Operators
Wars World War II (Continuation War)
Six-Day War
Production history
Unit cost 82,500 RM
Number built
  • c. 10,086 StuG III
  • c. 1,299 StuH 42
Specifications
Weight 23.9 tonnes (52,690 lbs)
Length 6.85 m (22 ft 6 in)
Width 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)
Height 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in)
Crew 4

Armour 16 – 80 mm (.62 - 3.15 in)
Main
armament
Secondary
armament
Engine Maybach HL 120 TRM V-12 gasoline engine driving six-speed transmission
300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight 12 PS (9.2 kW) / tonne
Suspension torsion bar
Operational
range
155 km (96 mi) (.9 mpg-US (1.1 mpg-imp; 260 L/100 km) at 22 mph (35 km/h), 71 US gal (59 imp gal; 270 l) fuel)
Speed 40 km/h (25 mph)

The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank, replacing the turret with a fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun. Initially intended as a mobile, armoured light gun for direct-fire support for infantry, the StuG III was continually modified, and much like the later Jagdpanzer, was widely employed as a tank destroyer.

The Sturmgeschütz originated from German experiences in World War I when it was discovered that, during the offensives on the western front, the infantry lacked the means to effectively engage fortifications. The artillery of the time was heavy and not mobile enough to keep up with the advancing infantry to destroy bunkers, pillboxes, and other minor fortifications with direct fire. Although the problem was well known in the German army, it was General Erich von Manstein who is considered the father of the Sturmartillerie ("assault artillery"). This is because the initial proposal was from (then) Colonel Erich von Manstein and submitted to General Ludwig Beck in 1935, suggesting that Sturmartillerie units should be used in a direct-fire support role for infantry divisions. On 15 June 1936, Daimler-Benz AG received an order to develop an armoured infantry support vehicle capable of mounting a 75 mm (2.95 in) calibre artillery piece. The gun mount's fixed, fully integrated casemate superstructure was to allow a limited traverse of a minimum of 25° and provide overhead protection for the crew. The height of the vehicle was not to exceed that of the average soldier.

Daimler-Benz AG used the chassis and running gear of its recently designed Panzer III medium tank as a basis for the new vehicle. Prototype manufacture was passed over to Alkett, which produced five prototypes in 1937 on Panzer III Ausf. B chassis. These prototypes featured a mild steel superstructure and Krupp’s short-barrelled, howitzer-like in appearance, 7.5 cm StuK 37 L/24 cannon. Production vehicles with this gun were known as Gepanzerter Selbstfahrlafette für Sturmgeschütz 7.5cm Kanone Ausführung A to D (Sd.Kfz.142).


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Wikipedia

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