Any thoughts or opinions on the STUG. Sturmgeschutz IV?
Any thoughts or opinions on the STUG. Sturmgeschutz IV?
Due to a demand for more assault guns, the StuG IV was formed from a combination of a slightly modified Sturmgeschütz III assault gun superstructure with a Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis. Starting from December 1943, around 1,100 were built by Krupp. As Krupp didn’t build Panzerkampfwagen III’s, they used the Panzerkampfwagen IV hull.
The StuG IV became known as a very effective tank killer, especially on the Eastern Front.
It had a 4 man crew, and was issued mainly to infantry divisions.
Production history
1943
December 301944
January 78
February 136
March 87
April 91
May 95
June 90
July 90
August 70
September 56
October 84
November 80
December 491945
January 46
February 18
March 38
April 3Technical information
Physical specifications
Length 6.7 m.
Width 2.95 m.
Height 2.2 m.
Firing height 1.57 m.
Weight 25.9 t.
Engine Maybach HL 120 TRM 12 cylinder water cooled 11.9 l. gasoline
Horse powers 265 @ 2,600 rpm
Crew Commander
Gunner
Loader
DriverArmour 10-80 mm.
Armament
Main gun 7,5 cm StuK40
Ammunition storage 87
Secondary guns 2 * 7,92 mm M.G.34
2 * 9 mm M.P.Ammunition storage 2,650 * 7,92 mm.
384 * 9 mm.Performance
Maximum speed 38 km./h.
Road speed 20 km./h.
Cross country speed 15 km./h.
Range (on road) 220 km.
Range (cross country) 130 km.
Fuel capacity 450 l.
Fuel usage (on road) 2.05 l./km.
Fuel usage (cross-country) 3.46 l./km.
Fording 1.2 m.
Step climbing 0.6 m.
Climbing, degrees 30°
Trench crossing 2.35 m.
Ground pressure 0.92 kg./cm2
The only main difference between the STUG III, and the STUG IV, was the chassis. The STUG III had the boggie-like 6 wheeled Panzer III chassis, while the STUG IV had the 8 wheeled Panzer IV chassis.
I beleive this piece of armor has an appearance in Band of Brothers.
There was also a difference between the III and IV regarding the driver’s view-slits, the gunner’s sights, and some hatches located in the front of the STUG.
Look for reference in my first photo (III), my others (IV), and my last (III)
It wasnt a tank actually, but an assault gun. :mrgreen:
I thinks yes… it was a good use for an old chassis.
Excellent Stug posts matey. While not as versatile as a true tank the Stug was available in numbers and would have been the most common piece of German armour seen by the Allies.
Yeh…slipped a bit! :oops:
Did one of the Mods end this poll or did I screw somethin’ up again??? Sorry! :oops:
Thanks for the comment, Firefly!
While we are on the topic of German Armour…did anyone ever hear of the German Panzer V Experimental Tank? It was a design before the Panther, and had multi-turrets just like the T-35!
compared to its success on the battlefield it was surely a good weapon. it was cheaper than a normal tank, but in defensive tasks as effective as such a normal mbt. its low silhouette was a great advantage, but in urban warfare, it had some severe disadvantages indeed.
in a monthly military magazine I read that the sturmgeschütze destroyed 30.000 tanks on all fronts, which is a vast number for a cheap piece of “artillery”. 
jens
Did one of the Mods end this poll or did I screw somethin’ up again??? Sorry
I think the later one. 
in a monthly military magazine I read that the sturmgeschütze destroyed 30.000 tanks on all fronts, which is a vast number for a cheap piece of “artillery”
The figure was true, that indicates the always changing role of the Stug III/IV, it began as a merely close support weapon to the infantry but then was used more often as tank destroying platform.
Stug III with the short barrelled Stuk l/24 75mm.
StuG III ausf D advancing in the difficult russian roads, july 1941.
More images of this variant extracted from “Signal” magazine.
The assault gun chief depart from his vehicle in order to make some recoinassance.
Looking for targets:
loading the ammo, note the short case for the 75mm L24 gun, since the princupal use was to provide high explosive shells in support of the infantry a higher muzzle velocity was not pursued in this early models.
Very interesting. Thanks for the pics! 
Tiger ace Wittman started in a Stg III.:shock:
Indeed. But I believe he had the shorter barrel on his.
He had the early variant under his command, and yes, he still manage to destroy some T-34s shooting on the sides of that tank, amazing.