Tankopedia
WW2Tank DestroyerAssault GunGermany

StuG III

In service 1940 - 1967 (foreign service)

A turretless assault gun on the Panzer III chassis that became Germany's most-produced armoured fighting vehicle.

Built byAlkett, MIAG

StuG III
Captured StuG III in U.S. service with concrete armour — unknown U.S. Army soldier, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Development history

Born to give infantry a mobile direct-fire gun, the StuG evolved into a cheap, low-silhouette tank destroyer that suited Germany's increasingly defensive war. Removing the turret saved weight and cost while allowing a bigger gun on an existing hull, at the price of traverse and vulnerability in close terrain. It accounted for a huge share of German tank kills in the second half of the war.

Variants

One canonical record, 4 recorded variants.

  1. Ausf. A-E

    1940

    Short 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 assault gun for infantry support.

  2. Ausf. F

    1942

    Long StuK 40 L/43 turns it into a tank destroyer.

  3. Ausf. G

    1942

    Wider superstructure, commander cupola, shielded machine gun, Saukopf mantlet late.

  4. StuH 42

    1942

    105 mm howitzer version for high-explosive support.

Notable actions

  • Operation Barbarossa (1941)
  • Stalingrad (1942-43)
  • Battle of Kursk (1943)
  • Defence of the Reich (1944-45)