Sturmgeschütz

Sturmgeschütz (or StuG) meaning "assault gun" was a series of armored vehicles used by both the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS armored formations during the Second World War that primarily consisted of the StuG III and StuG IV. The most common of the two, the StuG III, was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III. The StuG III was initially designated "StuG" but with the creation of the StuG IV it was re-designated the "StuG III" to distinguish the two. Initially they were intended as a mobile, armored gun platform, providing close fire support to the infantry to destroy bunkers, pillboxes and other entrenched positions. As the war progressed a number of aspects of the StuG series made them a valued supplement to the panzer forces.

Following the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 a significant problem developed when it was discovered that the main armament on the Panzer Mk II, III and IV tanks were all inadequate to deal with the newer Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. The main German anti-tank gun, the 37 mm Pak 36, also proved unable to penetrate the armour of these Soviet designs. Though a more powerful 75 mm Pak 40 gun was being developed, the turret of the Panzer Mk III, Germany's main battle tank, could not handle the larger barreled gun. It was found, however, that the turretless StuGs had enough room in the crew compartment to handle the 75 mm Pak 40, and this modification was made. The new vehicle proved to be an effective tank destroyer. Not only was its main gun powerful enough to knock out the new Soviet tanks, but the Panzer Mk III chassis on which it was based was highly mobile and reliable, and the increased armour plating combined with its low silhouette made it a difficult vehicle to destroy. The StuG III became Nazi Germany's most produced armored fighting vehicle during World War II, with some 10,000 examples produced.

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