StuG III Ausf G on the move at Parola Armour Museum 2012. The first StuGs arrived Finland in 1943 and formed the hardest hitting core of the Finnish armored division. The StuG was the only modern armored vehicle serving in numbers in the Finnish army in 1944.
StuG III -rynnäkkötykki Panssarimuseon pihalla 2012.
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Video: Niko Juvonen 2012
Editing: Jukka O. Kauppinen
(C) Tankspotting / Mediapalvelut 2020
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StuG III Ausf G
The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was Germany's second most-produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II after the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank, replacing the turret with an armored, fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun. Initially intended as a mobile assault gun for direct-fire support for infantry, the StuG III was continually modified, and much like the later Jagdpanzer, was employed as a tank destroyer.
In 1943 Finland bought 30 Sturmgeschütz 40 G -assault guns from Germany. The first batch of 10 arrived in Finland on July 6th 1943, the next batch of 8 on August 10th 1943 and the last batch of 12 on September 3rd 1943. Four of the 1943 batch StuG's were delivered directly to Asevarikko 6 ("Gun depot number 6") in Jyväskylä to be stored as reserve-vehicles. On delivery the StuG's were painted all German Dark Yellow with German markings.
The 1943 -batch StuG's were early production (but not the initial) G models with the square gun-mantlet, rubber-tyred return rollers, drive-sprockets with the "hubcaps", the loader's MG-shield, the loader's hatch opening up to the front and to the back, rotating periscope-ring on the commander's cupola and early type fendersupports (of two kinds; the "plain pipe" beeing from Alkett and the "pipe with triangular support" beeing from MIAG). Some StuG's had the early substructure with the bolted on armour in the front of the vehicle and the "straight-welded" rear armour. Some had the new substructure with the all 80mm welded front armour and "interlocked-welded" rear armour. And there was at least one vehicle (Ps.531-30 from MIAG) with the newer 80mm front + interlocked rear but with the older "square-welded" engine-deck.
In 1944 Finland bought another 29 Sturmgeschütz III1) G's from Germany. The first batch of 5 arrived in Finland on June 29th 1944, the next batch of 7 on July 2nd 1944, the next batch of 3 on July 6th 1944, the next batch of 6 on August 3rd 1944 and the last batch of 8 on August 6th 1944. Also these were delivered painted all German Dark Yellow and with German markings.
The 1944 batch StuG's were "late middle / early late" production G models with the Topfblende / "Saukopf" gun-mantle, all-steel return rollers (Alkett and MIAG), drive-sprockets with the wheel-bolts showing, loaders hatches opening to the sides, deflecting armour for the commander's cupola, solid (non-rotating) periscope-ring on the commander's cupola, late type fendersupports, typical German rear deck stovage-racks and Zimmerit.
The Stugs formed an elite force of Finnish armour, supported by specially trained infantry. The Stugs were the only modern armour Finland had by 1943-1944 and they, along other Finnish armoured forces including captured T-34s and T-26s (!), fought in several decisive battles in 1944, helping to stem the Soviet tide.
The Stugs themselves destroyer 87 Soviet tanks, losing 8 of their number. Small numbers compared to the rest of the world war, but those numbers were decisive in the Finnish narrative.
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