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StuG III Ausf. G

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?{{TankData+#REDIRECT [[Tank:G05_StuG_40_AusfG]]
?|It is exceptionally manuverable, being based on the [[PzKpfw III]] chassis, and can reach its top speed very quickly. While its stock cannon is powerful against equal-tier opponents, it is rendered useless against anything past tier 6. However, once upgraded with the 7.5 cm StuK 42 L/70, the StuG III can deal significant damage to higher-tier vehicles. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking you're a [[Medium Tanks|medium tank]] with the StuG III's rapid acceleration and high maneuverability, but you will soon learn that you can not take hits like a medium tank. In fact, the StuG can easily die even to tier 3 opponents if they find a way to attack its sides.+
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?|Gallery=+
?image:StuG III front view 1.jpg {{!}}StuG III front left view+
?image:StuG III front view 2.jpg‎{{!}}StuG III front right view+
?image:StuG III back view 1.jpg‎{{!}}StuG III back left view+
?image:StuG III back view 2.jpg‎{{!}}StuG III back right view+
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?|InTheGame_pros=+
?* Good top gun penetration, rate of fire and accuracy+
?* Good acceleration+
?* Good maneuverability +
?* Good gun depression+
?* Above average gun elevation+
?* Frontal armor is thick enough to bounce lower tiered guns+
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?|InTheGame_cons=+
?* Weak side and rear armor+
?* Not much sloped armor, unlike the [[Hetzer]]+
?* Terrible signal range+
?* Very limited reverse speed+
?* Low hit points+
?* Low ammo capacity+
?* Frontal mounted transmission prone to being knocked out+
?* Easily tracked, can be flanked with ease then+
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?|InTheGame_performance=+
?Due to the low silhouette, this vehicle has better camo value than most other tier 5 tanks. A Camo Net will further decrease the risk of being spotted. In general, the more stuff you put on this thing to improve its camo value, the better it will perform. The incredible traverse speed and power/weight ratio gained by upgrading suspension and acquiring the top engine guarantees that few opponents will be able to circle you without shooting off your tracks first. The most effective way to use this vehicle however will, as for all TDs, be to stay back and snipe. Unfortunately, the radio is a considerably downgrade from the one in the [[Hetzer]]. Its short range will limit your opportunities for long-range shots. At medium sniping ranges this tank destroyer can be very effective. Be careful when sniping or attacking with the top gun though, the somewhat limited ammunition capacity may leave you out of ammo in the middle of a battle. Take your time with your shots to make sure each one count. When using the StuG III as a support/assault tank destroyer though, remember that like many German tanks, the StuG has a frontally mounted transmission. A single, well aimed shot at the lower glacis can set you on fire or knock out your engine.+
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?With the crew trained in the Camouflage skill, and with a Camo Net on top, this thing can deliver incredible amounts of pain. It has good gun depression, and if positioned on a hill, it can quickly gain speed and reposition, making it perfect for defending hilly terrain.+
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?Always check the enemy team roster for KV-1S's and avoid them if you can - they are actually faster than you negating your main advantage over heavy tanks and if they are mounting their top gun they will pretty much always one-shot you if it connects, whereas you can survive at least one hit from most other opponents you are likely to face - but don't be afraid to take on anything Soviet at range, as you far outclass them in terms of accuracy and penetration.+
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?While your top gun has amazing penetration for a Tier V tank destroyer and will reliably penetrate most of the enemy vehicles you are likely to encounter, there are a few vehicles that you should not try to take on head to head. The Churchill Black Prince is rare, but it's front hull and turret armour will stop standard AP rounds 90% of the time - use APCR rounds if you have to shoot at it's front. With the release of the British tank destroyer line, the "AT" class vehicles (AT-2, AT-8, AT-7) you will run into all mount a ridiculous 203mm of front armour which even APCR rounds will not reliably penetrate and their guns will go right through you - use the Stug's far superior speed and maneuverability to outflank them and hit them in the sides and rear. +
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?|InTheGame_research=+
?* The 7,5 cm PaK 39 L/48 and 10,5 cm StuH 42 L/28 guns carry over from the Hetzer, but they're too heavy for the stock suspension.+
?* If you played the [[PzKpfw III Ausf. A]] or the [[PzKpfw IV]] previously, the Maybach HL 120 TRM engine will already be unlocked as well as the FuG 7 radio.+
?* Research the upgraded suspension first for additional weight capacity and a whopping 7 deg/s increase to traverse speed. The 7,5 cm doesn't have enough penetration to deal with higher tiered opponents, so install the 10,5 cm howitzer and use HE ammunition.+
?* Research the 7,5 cm L/70 gun for superior firepower.+
?* Go from there.+
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?It's recommended that you research the suspension and engines first. This will allow you to outmaneuver most tanks on your tier, be it in order to flee, or to keep them in front of you during a close range dogfight. After the suspension and engines are mounted, you should head towards the L/70 for higher penetration and accuracy. Until this high-performance weapon is available, you should consider using the 10.5cm howitzer.+
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?|InTheGame_equipment=+
?Vents, Tank Gun Rammer, Binocular Telescope, Camouflage Net+
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?|History=+
?[[image:StuG_III_Ausf F-8 (Sd.Kfz 142-1).jpg|thumb|200px|right|StuG III Ausf. F/8 (Sd.Kfz.142/1) at Belgrade Military Museum, Serbia]]+
?The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was Germany's most produced armored fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank. Initially intended as a mobile, armored light gun for infantry support, the StuG was continually modified and widely employed as a tank-destroyer.+
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?== Development ==+
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?The Sturmgeschütz III originated from German experiences in World War I, when it was discovered that during the offensives on the western front, the infantry lacked the means to effectively engage fortifications. The artillery of the time was heavy and not mobile enough to keep up with the advancing infantry to destroy bunkers, pillboxes, and other minor obstacles with direct-fire. Although the problem was well-known in the German army, it was General Erich von Manstein, who is considered the father of the Sturmartillerie, that saw the solution. The initial proposal was from (then) Colonel Erich von Manstein, and submitted to General Ludwig Beck in 1935, suggesting that Sturmartillerie ("assault artillery") units should be used in a direct-fire support role for infantry divisions. On June 15, 1936, Daimler-Benz AG received an order to develop an armored infantry-support vehicle capable of mounting a 75 mm (2.95 in) artillery piece. The gun mount's fixed, fully-integrated casemate superstructure was to allow a limited traverse of a minimum of 25° and provided overhead protection for the crew. The height of the vehicle was not to exceed that of the average man.+
?Daimler-Benz AG used the chassis and running gear of its recently designed Pz.Kpfw. III medium tank as a basis for the new vehicle. Prototype manufacture was passed over to Alkett, which produced five examples in 1937 of the experimental 0-series StuG based upon the Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. B. These prototypes featured a mild-steel superstructure and Krupp’s short-barreled 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 cannon. This model was known as the Sturmgeschütz Ausführung A.+
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?[[image:StuG_III_Aus_A.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Side drawing of a Assault Gun III, Variant A]]+
?[[image:StuG_III_Ausf_G.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Side drawing of a Assault Gun III, Variant G (December 1942)]]+
?While the StuG III was considered self-propelled artillery, it was not initially clear which arm of the Wehrmacht would handle the new weapon. The Panzer arm, who was the natural user of tracked fighting vehicles, had no resources to spare for the formation of StuG units, and neither did the infantry branch. It was agreed, after a discussion, it would best be employed as part of the artillery arm.+
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?The StuGs were organized into battalions (later renamed "brigades" for disinformation purposes) and followed their own specific doctrine. Infantry support using direct-fire was its intended role. Later, there was also a strong emphasis on destroying enemy armor whenever encountered.+
?As the StuG III was designed to fill an infantry close support combat role, early models were fitted with a low-velocity 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 gun to destroy soft-skin targets and fortifications. After the Germans encountered the Soviet KV-1 and T-34 tanks, the StuG III was equipped with a high-velocity 75 mm StuK 40 L/43 main gun (Spring 1942) and later, the 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 (Autumn 1942) anti-tank gun. These versions were known as the Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausführung F, Ausf. F/8, and Ausf. G.+
?When the StuG IV entered production in late 1943 and early 1944, the "III" was added to the name to separate it from the Panzer IV-based assault guns. All previous and following models were thereafter known as Sturmgeschütz III.+
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?Beginning with the StuG III Ausf. G, a 7.92 mm MG34 could be mounted on a shield on top of the superstructure for added anti-infantry protection from December 1942. Some of the F/8 models were retrofitted with a shield as well. Many of the later StuG III Ausf. G models were equipped with an additional coaxial 7.92 mm MG34.+
?The vehicles of the Sturmgeschütz series were cheaper and faster to build than contemporary German tanks; at 82,500 RM, a StuG III Ausf G was cheaper than a Panzer III Ausf. M, which cost 103,163 RM. This was due to the omission of the turret, which greatly simplified manufacture and allowed the chassis to carry a larger gun than it could otherwise. By the end of the war, 10,619 StuG IIIs and StuH 42s had been built.+
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?== Operational history ==+
?[[image:StuG_III_Destroyed_Normandy.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A StuG III destroyed in Normandy, 1944. This vehicle likely suffered a catastrophic internal explosion.]]+
?Overall, Sturmgeschütz-series assault guns proved very successful and served on all fronts as assault guns and tank-destroyers. Although Tigers and Panthers have earned a greater notoriety, assault guns collectively destroyed more tanks. Because of their low silhouette, StuG IIIs were easy to camouflage and a difficult target. Sturmgeschütz crews were considered to be the elite of the artillery units. Sturmgeschütz units held a very impressive record of tank kills: some 20,000 enemy tanks by the spring of 1944. As of April 10, 1945, there were 1,053 StuG IIIs and 277 StuH 42s in service. Approximately 9,500 StuG IIIs of various types were produced until March 1945 by Alkett and a small number by MIAG.+
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?In terms of the resources expended in their construction, the StuG assault guns were extremely cost-effective compared to the heavier German tanks, though in the anti-tank role, it was best used defensively, as the lack of a traversable turret would be a severe disadvantage in the assault role. As the German military situation deteriorated later in the war, more and more StuG guns were constructed in comparison to tanks: an effort to replace losses and bolster defences against the encroaching Allied forces.+
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?In 1944, the Finnish Army received 59 StuG III Ausf. Gs from Germany (30 Stu 40 Ausf.G and 29 StuG III Ausf. G) and used them against the Soviet Union. These destroyed at least 87 enemy tanks for a loss of only 8 StuGs[2] (some of these were destroyed by their crews to avoid capture). After the war, they were the main combat vehicles of the Finnish Army until the early 1960s. These StuGs gained the nickname "Sturmi" which can be found in some plastic kit models.+
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?[[image:StuG_III_Israel.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Sturmgeschütz III Ausf G, captured from the Syrian Army, in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel.]]+
?100 StuG III Ausf. G were delivered to Romania in the autumn of 1943. They were officially known as TAs (or TAs T3 to avoid confusion with TAs T4) in the army inventory. By February 1945, 13 units were still in use with the 2nd Armored Regiment. None of this initial batch survived the end of the war. 31 TAs were on the army inventory in November 1947. Most of them were probably StuG III Ausf. Gs and a small number of Panzer IV/70 (V)s, known as TAs T4s. These TAs were supplied by the Red Army or were damaged units repaired by the Romanian Army. All German equipment was scrapped in 1954 due to the Army's decision to use Soviet armor.+
?StuG IIIs were also exported to other nations such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, and Spain.+
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?Many German Sturmgeschütz IIIs were captured by Yugoslav Partisans. After the war, they were used by the Yugoslav Peoples Army until the 1950s.+
?After the Second World War, the Soviet Union donated some of their captured German vehicles to Syria, which continued to use them, along with other war surplus AFVs (like long-barreled Panzer IVs and T-34/85s), during the fifties and up until the The War over Water against Israel in the mid 60s. By the time of the Six Days War, all of them had been either destroyed, stripped for spare parts, or interred on the Golan Heights as static pillboxes.+
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?|HistoricalGallery=+
?image:StuG III 1.jpg{{!}}German Troops on the StuG III Ausf. F+
?image:StuG III 2.jpg{{!}}StuG III Ausf. F+
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?|Ref_references=+
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?|Ref_sources=+
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?|Ref_links=+
?* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz_III+
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Latest revision as of 15:42, 20 July 2016