Sturmgeschutz: The StuG III Assault Gun (Rapid Reads)

The Sturmgeschutz (or StuG) was the brainchild of then-Colonel (later Field Marshal) Erich von Manstein, who sketched out his ideas for what he called ‘Sturmartillerie’ in a 1935 memorandum to Wehrmacht high command. He believed that as the Panzer branch was to get its own specialised infantry units, it was only fair that the infantry branch should get its own specialised panzers. What he wanted was an armoured and tracked artillery piece, a ‘bunker buster’ that could blast enemy strongpoints and repel enemy tanks.

The vehicle came into being in the late 1930s as a heavily-modified Panzer III and went into production in time for the Invasion of France in 1940. There, and later in Russia, the StuG proved to be a highly-effective infantry support gun, backing up the infantry in just the way Manstein had envisaged. As the war progressed, the StuG was continually upgraded with bigger guns and better armour, and it was often pressed into the tank-destroyer role from 1943 onwards. At its peak in late 1944, Nazi Germany was building around 400 vehicles a month.

This book looks at the technical and tactical development of the StuG and the Sturmartillerie branch from its earliest field exercises in 1938 to its the last battles in 1945. It is illustrated throughout with technical drawings and photographs and backed by contemporary intelligence briefings and training documents, which are quoted in full. Sturmgeschutz provides a comprehensive overview of the Wehrmacht's most numerous and most successful armoured vehicle.

To view the full Rapid Reads collection, visit the German War Machine website at https://germanwarmachine.com