Sturmgeschutz

[Hobilar]

Whilst the British and French were developing Heavy Infantry Tanks for the close support of their Infantry Divisions, Germany in the late 1930s was considering a different approach. Under the supervision of Colonel Walter Model, head of Technical Section 8 the artillery were given responsibility to design a self propelled gun for the role of direct infantry support in the forward zone.

The resulting prototype which appeared in 1937 consisted of the mounting of a 75mm L/24 howitzer in a fixed structure on the chassis of a PzKmpw IIIB. Once evaluated, production using the PzKmfw IIIE chassis was commenced with the title of Sturmgeschutz (StuG).

Entering Service in early 1940, the StuGs were organised in ten gun batteries. The four man crew, provided by the Artillery, soon came to become an elite corps in that service. Four Batteries saw service in France, Three Battalions (each of three batteries) in the Balkan campaign, and six battalions were available for the invasion of Russia in 1941. The StuG was not used in the Western Desert although some were sent to Tunisia during the later stages of the North Africa campaign.

The StuG III remained in service throughout the war, being progressively upgunned, first with the 75mm L/43 gun and later with the 75mm L/48 gun which made it an effective tank killer in addition to its infantry support role. Some were even fitted with the 105mm Howitzer to give close in Artillery support. In total some 10,500 assault guns were built on to the chassis of the Panzer III medium tank, and some were even employed in the Panzer Divisions in lieu of Tanks in second battalions of Panzer Regiments when sufficient turreted tanks could not be provided.

Some other Sturmgeschutz were built on other tank chassis', examples being the StuG IV (632 built), Grizzly bear- a 150mm Howitzer on a Panzer IV chassis, and the super heavy Sturmtiger (both of which were built in only small numbers).

Though some elite formations held their own Sturmgeschultz battalions, most were held at ARMY level to be parcelled out to Infantry Divisions where required.

[Jim O]

The book that I am currently reading is about a German Infantryman's experience in Stalingrad in late 1942-1943. In it he describes the very effective support that his company received from a pair of Sturmgeschütz in taking out enemy targets in fierce house to house combat near the Volga in September 1942.