StuG III
| Sturmgeschütz III | |
|---|---|
StuG III Ausf. F/8 (Sd.Kfz.142/1) at Belgrade Military Museum, Serbia
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|
| 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 |
|
| 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