The workhorse of the German Army that swept across Poland, France and Russia, the Sturmgeschütz III saw service in all theatres of World War II, both in an infantry support role and as a tank destroyer. Cheaper and quicker to produce than a tank, the assault gun proved a remarkably effective weapon. Its design and development, production, capabilities and operational history are all closely examined, as is its tactical employment and organisation into units. This book uses original German combat and experience reports to show how the Sturmgeschütz fared in action, whilst also providing information on both retrofitted and production modifications.

As the Second World War dragged on, heavy German losses in armoured vehicles and tanks ensured that assault gun units had to play an increasingly vital role in supporting the beleaguered infantry and countering Allied armour, particularly on the Eastern Front. The Sturmgeschütz was one of the most numerously produced and effectively deployed of the German armoured vehicles. This book reveals how the Sturmgeschütz provided the backbone of Germany's armoured forces in every theatre and on every front during the long fighting-retreat of the final years of the war.

The Allies' M10 Tank Destroyer and the Germans' Sturmgeschütz (StuG) lll were the unsung workhorses of the northwest European battlefields of 1944–45. While their mission was not principally fighting one another, their widespread use ensured their frequent encounters, from the Normandy Bocage, to the rubble-strewn streets of Aachen. The StuG lll was the quintessential assault gun, a low-slung, heavily armoured, turret-less vehicle intended to provide direct fire support for infantry formations, whilst the M10 3in Gun Motor Carriage was originally developed as a tank destroyer. However, by 1944 the 3in gun proved ineffectual against the most thickly armored German tanks, and was consequently relegated to infantry support too. Widely deployed in roles their designers had not envisaged, these two armoured fighting vehicles clashed repeatedly during the 11-month campaign, which saw the Allies advance from Normandy to the heart of the Reich. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this is the story of their confrontation at the height of World War ll.

The German Sturmgeschütz series of assault guns was a successful and cost-effective range of armoured fighting vehicles; of which some 10,000 were built during the Second World War. Based on the chassis of the Panzer III tank; the turret was replaced by an armoured fixed superstructure fitted with a more powerful 7.5cm StuK 40 L/48 gun. Originally intended as a mobile assault weapon for infantry support; the StuG was constantly modified and saw extensive use on all battlefronts as an assault gun and tank destroyer. Its fixed superstructure with limited-traverse mounting for the main armament was simpler and cheaper to build than the turret of the battle tank; plus its low height meant it was easy to camouflage and conceal. Towards the end of the war; more StuGs were built than tanks. StuGs also saw combat when used by several Axis allies; notably Romania and Finland. They were also exported to Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. The Soviet Union gave some of their captured German vehicles to Syria in the 1950s, which continued to use them up until the War over Water against Israel in the mid-1960s. By the time of the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War in 1967; all of them had been either destroyed, stripped for spare parts, or placed on the Golan Heights as static pillboxes.

The first two volumes of this definitive history of German armor are now available in English! Known for its emphasis on detail, the Spielberger series shows in factory, test and combat photographs, and detailed line drawings, all production models, prototypes and modifications of specific armor and military vehicles. Volume I covers all variations of the "Panther" tanks, including all vehicles that used the Panther chassis. Volume II on the Sturmgeschutz assault guns, shows all short and long gun versions, as well as the various support vehicles of the Sturmartillerie. Upcoming volumes include: Volume III on the Panzer IV, and Volume IV and the Panzer III.

The Sturmgeschütz III proved to be one of the more significant German AFVs of World War II, with over 9,000 being produced up until April 1945. Originally designed in the late 1930s as a self-propelled infantry support gun, its role became more diverse throughout the war and it served as a tank hunter and in front-line Panzer companies. This title provides a detailed, step-by-step guide to modelling a 1/35-scale StuG III. It also provides a comprehensive list of available aftermarket products and kits of all scales. Key aspects such as finishing techniques, including painting and displaying your model are also covered. This guide forms part of Osprey Modelling 22 Modelling the Sturmgeschütz III ebook.

The assault guns and tank destroyers deployed by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War are not as famous as tanks like the Tiger and Panther, but they were remarkably successful, and they are the subject of Anthony Tucker-Jones's wide-ranging photographic history. As the conflict progressed, the German army had to find a use for its obsolete panzers, and this gave rise to the turretless Sturmgeschütz or assault guns designed for infantry support. From 1944 onwards they played a vital role in Nazi Germany's increasingly defensive war. A selection of rare wartime photographs shows the variety of turretless armored fighting vehicles that were produced and developed – various models of the Sturmgeschütz III, the Sturmhaubitze, Jagdpanzer, Panzerjäger, Marder, Hetzer. Often a lack of tanks meant that these armoured vehicles were called on to fill the panzer's role, and they proved ideal during the Germans’ defensive battles on the Eastern Front as well as in Italy and Normandy – they were instrumental in delaying Germany's defeat. This highly illustrated account provides is a fascinating introduction to one of the less well-known aspects of armored warfare during the Second World War.

The Battle of France in 1940 involved the first large-scale tank-against-tank battles in history. The massive clashes at Stonne, Hannant, and Gembloux involved hundreds of tanks on both sides, yet have faded from memory due to the enourmity of the French defeat. This book examines two of the premier opposing tanks of the Wehrmacht and the French Army, the German PzKpfw IV and the French Char B1 bis. With a complete history of the design, development, and deployment of these armoured fighting vehicles, the story of these great battles is once again brought to life.

Written by a noted authority, this fully illustrated book pits the StuG III assault gun in Finnish hands against the Soviet T-34-85 tank in the bitter armored clashes in Finland at the height of World War II. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and an array of archive photographs, T-34 vs StuG III is the absorbing story of the parts played by Soviet and Finnish armor in the epic battles in Finland during June and July 1944. In the summer of 1944, the Red Army staged a massive armored assault up the Karelian Isthmus with the intent of eliminating any remaining German and Finnish forces facing the Leningrad region. Most of the Soviet units sent into Finland were new to the region, moving mainly from the fighting in the Leningrad area. As a result, they had the latest types of Soviet equipment including the new T-34-85 tank. Germany refused to sell the Finns new tanks without a reinforced military alliance, but in 1943 began selling them a few dozen StuG III assault guns. This made the StuG III battalion the most modern and powerful element of the Finnish armored division, and it saw very extensive combat in the June–July summer battles.

An illustrated history of one brigade of German World War II armored fighting vehicles and the action they saw along the Eastern Front. Based on their experiences during the First World War, the Reichswehr decided that the infantry support gun of the future should be an armored, motorized vehicle with an effective caliber of cannon: the Sturmgeschütz III. The weapon was used in the “fire brigade role” at hotspots along the Front, where it was much feared by enemy forces. This illustrated volume tells the tale of Brigade 191, aka the “Buffalo Brigade,” who used the Sturmgeschütz III as they took part in Operation Barbarossa in the Ukraine, saw action during the fight for Greece in 1941 and were deployed to the areas of heaviest fighting in the campaign against the Soviet Union. This began with the infantry advance from Ukraine to Moscow (1941): then to Voronezh, Kursk, the Caucasus, and Kuban (1942), then the Kertsch Peninsula and the Crimea (1943-1944), before they were finally evacuated from Sevastopol into Romania by naval lighters. On the South-east Front (the retreat through the Balkans), the Brigade fought its way into Austria and was still fighting on the last day of the war to keep a corridor open. Keen to write an account recording the tactical significance of the Sturmgeschütz III, while surviving members of Brigade 191 also wished for a cohesive documentary record of the war, Bork set about gathering military records and literature, as well as interviewing as many ex-Brigade men as possible, in order to bring this detailed account into being. Praise for StuG III Brigade 191, 1940–1945 “Author Bruno Bork not only offers a tactical unit history, but also another German “blood and guts” ground-level views of Hitler’s retreats and defeats on the Eastern Front. This is also a truly riveting read.” —ARGunners.com “Upon finishing this book the reader will doubtlessly better realize what a useful and versatile armored fighting vehicle the Sturmgeschütz III really was to the German armed forces.” —Globe at War “As a unit history, the scenarios come a poppin on page after page.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society “Highly recommended for beginner to advanced builders and historians interested in the StuG actions on the Eastern Front.” —AMPS