Tanker's manual: German tank destroyer. The most popular German self-propelled gun

Anti-tank self-propelled artillery units were in great demand during World War II. They were often cheaper than tanks, built faster, but at the same time they were well armed and could deal with any enemy tank on the battlefield. The most successful anti-tank self-propelled guns of the great war are considered to be the Soviet SU-100 and the German Jagdpanther. But which one is better?

Mobility

SU-100

The SU-100 was equipped with a V-2-34 diesel engine with a power of 500 hp. s., which allowed self-propelled guns weighing 31.6 tons to reach speeds of up to 50 km/h, and on a country road - about 20 km/h. Fuel consumption was about 180 liters per 100 km.

Considering that the internal tanks held only 400 liters of diesel fuel, the Su-100 was equipped with four external additional cylindrical fuel tanks with a capacity of 95 liters. With them, the power reserve increased to 310 km.

The SU-100 was equipped with a five-speed manual transmission with constant mesh gears. The simple and reliable chassis was completely borrowed from the T-34-85 tank.

Jagdpanther

Driving the Jagdpanther was quite simple: the driver had a semi-automatic transmission with preselection. Seven speeds forward and one reverse. The self-propelled gun was controlled using levers.

Power of the 12-cylinder V-shaped engine "Maybach" HL230Р30 - 700 hp. This was enough to accelerate the 46-ton Jagdpanther to 46 km/h on the highway and 24 km/h off-road.

The highway range was only 210 km. Gasoline OZ 74 (octane number 74) was poured into six tanks - a total of 700 liters. Fuel was supplied to the carburetors using a Solex pump; there was also a manual pump. 42 liters of oil were poured into a dry engine, and 32 liters were poured when changing the oil.

The running gear of the Jagdpanther was completely borrowed from the average tank PzKpfw V "Panther", it provided the self-propelled gun with a smooth ride and more uniform pressure on the ground. On the other hand, repairing such a chassis was a real nightmare: to replace just one roller from the inner row, it was necessary to dismantle from 1/3 to half of all outer rollers.

Armor protection

Armored cabin Su-100 It was assembled from rolled armor plates, the thickness of the frontal part was 75 mm. It was located at an angle of 50 degrees. The thickness of the side and stern armor reached 45 mm, and the roof - 20 mm. The gun mantlet was protected by 110 mm armor. The all-round armor of the commander's cupola was 45 mm. The front plate was weakened by a large driver's hatch.

The self-propelled gun hull was made as a single unit with the wheelhouse and was assembled by welding from rolled armor plates. The bottom consisted of four sheets connected by welded seams, reinforced with overlays.

Design featureJagdpanther was that the cabin was a single unit with the hull, and was not attached to it with bolts or welding. The frontal armor of the self-propelled gun had excellent geometry and was practically indestructible.

The frontal sheet, 80 mm thick, was placed at an angle of 55 degrees. Projectile resistance was only slightly reduced by the presence of a slot in the driver's viewing device and the embrasure of the course machine gun. The thickness of the side armor of the wheelhouse was 50 mm, and the stern - 40 mm. The sides and rear of the hull were protected by 40 mm armor, and the roof was covered with 25 mm armor plate.

It should be noted that the walls of the hull and wheelhouse had different angles of inclination, which contributed to the dissipation of the kinetic energy of the projectiles. Additionally welds reinforced with tongues and grooves. The body was assembled from rolled heterogeneous steel plates, and its weight was 17 tons.

Armament

SU-100 was equipped with a 100-mm rifled cannon D-10S model 1944. The initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 897 m/s. The shooting was carried out using a TSh-19 telescopic sight, which had a fourfold magnification and a field of view of 16 degrees.

The SU-100's ammunition load did not include sub-caliber shells (they appeared in 1966), only armor-piercing ones. From 1000 meters, the SU-100 gun penetrated 135 mm armor plate, from 500 m - 155 mm. The gun could be aimed in the vertical plane within the range from −3 to +20 degrees and in the horizontal plane ±8 degrees.

For self-defense, the crew was equipped with 7.62 mm PPSh-41 submachine guns, 1,420 rounds of ammunition, as well as 4 anti-tank and 24 fragmentation grenades. The gun's ammunition load was 33 unitary rounds.

Jagdpanther was armed with a long-barreled 88 mm Pak 43/3 L/71 cannon. The horizontal pointing angle of the gun is +11°, the elevation angle is +14°, the declination angle is 8°. The ammunition load, consisting of 57 unitary shells, included three types of ammunition: high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing and armor-piercing sub-caliber.

PzGr39/1 armor-piercing shells weighing 10.2 kg had an initial speed of 1000 m/s and pierced armor 185 mm thick from a distance of 500 m, 165 mm from 1000 m, and 132 mm from 2000 m. Sub-caliber PzGr. 40/43 weighed less - 7.5 kg and had a higher initial speed - 1130 m/s. They penetrated 153 mm thick armor from a distance of 2000 m, 193 mm from 1000 m, and 217 mm at a distance of 500 meters.

The gun's rate of fire was 6-8 rounds per minute, and shooting was carried out using telescopic sights SflZF5, and later WZF1/4. The latter was the most advanced and had a 10x magnification with a viewing angle of 7 degrees.

For defense against infantry, an MG-34 machine gun of 7.92 mm caliber was installed in the front plate, equipped with optical sight In addition, the self-propelled gun was armed with a close-range grenade launcher "Nahverteidungswaffe". The latter's ammunition included fragmentation, smoke, signal or illumination grenades. The grenade launcher had a circular firing sector and could fire at a distance of up to 100 m. In addition, the crew had two MP-40 submachine guns with 384 rounds of ammunition.

Fire extinguishing system

Self-propelled guns burned frequently and terribly, so the fire extinguishing system cannot but be given attention. At the disposal of the crew Su-100 There were tetrachlorine fire extinguishers, which could only be used while wearing gas masks. The fact is that when carbon tetrachloride came into contact with hot surfaces, chemical reaction, which resulted in the formation poisonous substance phosgene.

Jagdpanther could boast of an automatic fire extinguishing system, which operated as follows: when the temperature inside the car exceeded the threshold of 120 degrees, the first fire extinguisher filled the fuel pump and carburetors with the fire-fighting mixture “SV”. The second one filled the engine housing with the same mixture. The SPG crew had three small hand-held fire extinguishers.

Bottom line

To summarize, we note that the Jagdpanther was superior to the SU-100 in terms of crew comfort, quality of sighting devices, transportable ammunition and armor penetration.

At the same time, the German self-propelled gun was inferior in mobility and manufacturability, as well as reliability - most of the diseases of the PzKpfw V "Panther" tank were transferred to the self-propelled guns.

During the war, only about 400 Jagdpanthers were produced, while the SU-100, taking into account post-war production, was 4976 units. Thanks to its simplicity and reliability, the SU-100 is still in service today. For example, not long ago these self-propelled guns were spotted in Yemen, while German self-propelled guns can only be seen in the museum.

Wehrmacht assault guns and tank destroyers of the Second World War Part 1

The best Assault tanks of the Wehrmacht - "Sturmtiger" Part 1 Today the story will be about heavy assault self-propelled artillery units. Assault tanks were exceptionally powerful fighting vehicles. The assault tanks were heavily armored and their armament included a cannon. large caliber. If heavy tanks were equipped with 88 mm (German Tiger) and 122 mm (Soviet IS-2) guns. Assault guns like the ISU-152 and Su-152 were armed with 152 mm cannons. The same German "Brummber" was armed with a 150-mm gun and was an assault weapon. However, the Germans created an unprecedented assault tank, which had no analogues: the Sturmtiger.

Soviet heavy self-propelled assault gun Su-152

German assault gun "Brummber" The Germans conceived the design of such a tank at the beginning of the war with the Soviet Union. After all, the Germans understood that without the help of super-powerful tanks it would be difficult to take cities. And ahead were such huge cities as Moscow and Leningrad. The Germans took up the creation of such a machine. It was assumed that the assault tank would be armed with a 305 mm cannon and a frontal armor thickness of 130 mm! After all, during the period of 1941, all German tanks had 50 mm. The assault weapon was called "Ber", which translated means bear. But the project was abandoned. The tank was supposed to weigh 120 tons. However, it remained on paper. Soon the heavy assault guns were remembered again. In the fall of 1942, during the street battles in Stalingrad, the creation of new assault guns became relevant again. The Germans had a self-propelled artillery gun "Sturmpanzer 33" with a 150-mm cannon. A total of 24 such vehicles were built, which performed well during the battles in Stalingrad. At the end of 1942, a more powerful Brummber (grizzly bear) assault tank was designed in Germany. He was also armed with a 150 mm cannon. In the summer of 1943, these vehicles fought in Kursk Bulge, but turned out to be completely unprofitable - the power of the 150-mm cannon was not enough even to destroy field fortifications, and the armor did not really protect against the fire of Soviet anti-tank artillery. Therefore, at the end of July 1943, the inspector general of the Wehrmacht tank forces, Heinz Guderian, proposed designing not a medium, but a heavy assault gun to destroy field fortifications. It was originally intended that the new assault gun would have a 210 mm cannon, but it had not yet been designed. Located on the chassis of the T-VI "Tiger" tank. Since the 210-mm caliber gun was not ready, the German designers decided to use very unusual weapon - rocket launcher, shooting 350 kg rockets. The firing range was about 5.5 km. 350 kg Sturmtiger missile

If such a projectile hit a multi-story brick building, it would lead to the complete destruction of the building. It must be said that such a terrible weapon came to the German tank crews from the fleet. The creation was carried out by the Rheinmetall company and was a common bomb launcher on cruisers, designated RW-61, 38 cm caliber. The bomb launcher itself, which was installed during the development of the assault tank, was simply called a mortar. Its external similarity to short-barreled guns was telling. Designation of the assault gun: "Assault self-propelled mortar RW-61 38 cm caliber based on the Panzer VI tank." But as always, the German designations had a complex name, so they were called: “Sturmpanzer VI”, “Sturmmortir” or “Sturmtiger”. Work on the creation of the Sturmtiger began on August 5, 1943. The first example of the Sturmtiger was designed, or rather converted, from the Tiger tank in the fall of 1943. However, it was not yet suitable for combat operations. Its cabin was made not of armored steel, but of thick sheets of ordinary iron. The most important thing was to see how everything was supposed to work. There were many problems that needed to be solved. What problems? Firstly, how was it necessary to load the bomb launcher during the battle? Secondly, where to place 350 kg shells? So how do you load such heavy shells? Loading launcher should occur in the same way as a conventional tank gun. This means that all shells must be placed inside the fighting compartment.

"Sturmtiger" with the wheelhouse removed. The Germans removed the second problem. It was necessary to cut a huge loading hatch in the roof of the cabin and install a special crane for loading rockets.
Loading shells into a tank using a crane But what kind of recoil the gun will have is already a problem. The ship's bomb launcher had no such problems. Hot gases from rocket engine they simply came out of the launch tube open at the rear and pushed the projectile forward. At the same time, neither the installation nor the ship experienced recoil. The Germans on the tank closed the launch tube with a powerful bolt. Because if this is not done, when the projectile is launched, the hot gases could burn out the entire fighting compartment along with the crew.

Sectional view of the Sturmtiger cannon.

Rocket gun Experienced tank crews asked the German designers one main question. As a rule, when a tank goes on the attack, all enemy firing points begin to fire on it. In this case, the bullets hit the instruments and blind the crew. Anti-tank rifles tear the tracks. And the "Sturmtiger" appeared very vulnerable spot. When the tank goes into battle, a mortar with a diameter of 38 cm will be aimed at the enemy. A gun can be hit not only by a bullet from a rifle into a rocket, but also by a shell from an anti-tank rifle or cannon. Imagine what will happen then. Therefore, the Sturmtiger headed into battle with its gun raised. Straight to the zenith.

Production model of the Sturmtiger
The tank passed numerous state tests. Soon the prototype was shown to Hitler himself. After successful test, the new assault gun was tested for another 9 months at the training ground. Why so long? Because after the defeat at Kursk, the Germans no longer had time to destroy houses and capture cities. German troops were retreating along the entire front.

Demonstration of the tank to the German leadership Rather, the Germans were thinking about how to make more anti-tank guns to stop the “hulk” of the T-34. But on August 5, 1944, an anti-fascist uprising broke out in Warsaw. At first the Poles were successful. They managed to capture part of the city, but the Germans brought up troops and stopped the uprising. At the same time, the Sturmtiger made a successful debut. Nothing could stop this terrible weapon. One Sturmtiger couldn't do much. But with the support of Brummber assault guns, the punitive forces greatly helped stop the rebel uprising on August 28, 1944. After successful use, the Sturmtiger was returned to the factory for maintenance and modifications. On September 15, 1944, a production model of the Sturmtiger assault gun was released. It had 150 mm sloped armor. And it was completely modified. There was a case when a Sturmtiger fired a shell at a column of American Shermans and destroyed 3 tanks at a time, while the rest were severely damaged. In November 1944, Sturmtigers took part in battles on the Western Front. True, they were not used entirely for their intended purpose. They were more like artillery support. Several companies were given Sturmtiger assault tanks. Company N1001 and 1002. Although company N1001 was less fortunate. Three tanks were abandoned due to technical problems in the tank.

US military examines captured Sturmtiger In 1945, on the Elbe River, the first Belarusian Front received one captured Sturmtiger.

I'm looking at Soviet soldiers T captured Sturmtiger. And finally. The Sturmtiger was a good support in infantry combat formations. But it appeared at a time when the Nazi troops had no time for an offensive, and it was the end of the war. The tank weighed 66 tons, which did not even give the tank good mobility, even on a good highway. Moreover, the tank is difficult to manufacture. Considering how many of them have been produced since 1943, there are only 18 samples. This is very little, which did not give the desired results. As I said, the Sturmtiger assault gun was effective in infantry combat formations. And to destroy enemy firing points. True, the Germans at the end of the war had no time for an offensive.

Sturmgeschutz Part 2 "Sturmgeschutz" is one of the most famous assault weapons of the Second World War. During the war, the Sturmgeschütz assault gun became the most sought-after weapon in Germany in the fight against enemy tanks and infantry. We know that the Assault Gun was created to combat enemy firing points. But as the experience of the war showed, the 75-mm Sturmgeschütz cannon could not destroy a heavily armored enemy firing point; rather, it was a support in the infantry battle formations. The infantry supported the Sturmgeschutz in battle. After all, infantry is always dangerous for tanks. A Molotov cocktail, an anti-tank grenade, a magnetic bomb, etc. could fly out of any trench. But the infantry could not cope at all, so an MG-34 machine gun was placed on top of Sturmgeschütz. The Sturmgeschutz became a real tank on the battlefield, if you do not take into account the small silhouette of the assault gun and the lack of a turret. What is the difference between an Assault tank and a tank?

An assault gun is a specialized armored self-propelled gun. The purpose of an assault gun is to directly support advancing infantry or tanks, and some assault guns were more effective in infantry combat formations, such as the Sturmtiger. A tank is a combat vehicle that plays the role of breaking through enemy defenses and launching a surprise attack from the flanks (depending on the classification of the combat vehicle). Let's continue further. The number of assault guns on the Eastern Front grew every time. If the Germans had 450 Sturmgeschütz assault guns, then by the beginning of the Battle of Kursk there were more than 700, and almost all of them were armed with long-barreled guns. The Germans soon realized that main danger are Soviet tanks. But, ah the best remedy An assault gun turned out to be used to fight tanks. Here is a report from one of the German generals, made in the summer of 1943: “In the current situation, German tanks are inferior to assault guns in all respects. The armor of tanks is worse than that of assault guns. The optical devices of assault guns are more advanced than those of tanks. The silhouette of a tank is higher than the silhouette of an assault gun, so the tank is easier to detect and hit. In the summer of 1943, assault guns became advanced combat weapons. They are capable of fighting both tanks and advancing enemy infantry.

Starting with the model G , "Sturmgeschütz" began to be equipped with a commander's cupola, which gave more convenience to the commander on the battlefield. One general wrote: "I prefer two assault guns to ten tanks." It’s surprising that two self-propelled guns were equated to ten tanks. Everything is completely natural. Tank troops were a separate unit. This was evident when Guderian’s tank troops broke through the front line, and after the tanks, motorized infantry in armored personnel carriers and trucks, supported only by Sturmgeschutz, was already rushing. The Germans analyzed combat characteristics assault guns and decided that in an offensive assault guns were worse than tanks with a rotating turret. Constant turns of assault guns reduce the attack tempo. It is difficult to destroy targets on rough terrain and during the mud season. The driver always has to adjust the levers, turning the car to the right, then to the left. The machine often broke down in such conditions. Let's draw a conclusion. But so what? At the end of 1943, the Germans did not have to attack, but, on the contrary, waged a long, stubborn defense.

The Sturmgeschutts performed very well in defense. They repelled the attacks of enemy tanks in front of the infantry. The infantrymen insisted that it was the Sturmgeschutz who were the only defense in battle, and not the powerful Tigers. German soldiers could not imagine themselves on the battlefield without assault artillerymen. The Sturmgeschutz were part of every infantryman on the battlefield. They took out the wounded, brought in ammunition and food. They carried out the main task - they shot, shot and shot. It can be understood that “the Sturmgeschutts maintained at least some kind of morale in the retreating German army. The crews of the assault guns constantly returned to the battlefield, wanting to support the infantry in battle. They filled the tank with shells, with everything possible! Sturmgeschutz IV In 1944-45 New assault guns with the designation "Sturmgeschutz" IV began to be seen on the battlefield. What is this new sample"Sturmgeschutz"? "Sturmgeschutz" 40 and "Sturmgeschutz" III were made on the basis T-III tank. At the same time, the Germans had more powerful tank T-IV,

"Sturmgeschutz" III cutaway. You can clearly see how closely the crew sits. "Sturmgeschutz" IV was more spacious. which was the main tank of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. The Four was a very successful and sought-after combat vehicle on the battlefield. But the difficult situation in 1943 made the Germans understand that they needed more and more tanks. How to do this? German factories were already working at full capacity. The Four was a more widely produced car than the Troika. Moreover, the Troika was removed from service German army after the defeat at Kursk. It is clear that the number of “Threes” was less than “Fours”. That's why it's possible to make more Sturmgeschütz. The Germans made it on time. During the bombing of Berlin, American aircraft destroyed the German Alkett plant, which produced the German Sturmgeschutz III assault gun. Production was established at the Krupp plant, which produced the Panzer IV tank. The new "Sturmgeschutz" was no different from the previous one. The armament was the same, and so was the armor. The only thing that changed was that the driver was not sitting in a common casemate, but in his own wheelhouse. On each side there were not six road wheels, but eight road wheels.

Captured StuG III in the Red Army

"Sturmgeschutz" IV. On the left is the driver's cabin. "Sturmgeschutz" has become truly in demand and the most effective in the fight against enemy tanks. Neither the Tiger nor the Panther, due to their design complexity, ever truly became massive tanks. They were far from effective. Yes, the Tiger and Panther have good armor and powerful gun, but the difficulty in operation made itself felt. Tanks broke down on the move. What kind of tank is this that cannot reach the battlefield? The inability of German industry to provide the troops with the required number of good tanks forced the use of assault guns instead of tanks. In the Red Army it was the other way around. The Soviet Union did not need assault guns. Tanks armed with 76 mm and 122 mm cannons (T-34, IS-2) were good support for the Soviet infantry on the battlefield. If we consider the early modifications of the Sturmgeschutz with a short-barreled gun, then its analogue can be considered the Soviet assault gun SU-122 (122 mm howitzer mounted on the chassis of the T-34 tank) and Su-152 (152 mm howitzer mounted on the chassis of the KV tank -1). Already at the end of the war, new Soviet assault guns ISU-122 and ISU-152 appeared, made on the basis of the IS-2 tank. They were also called self-propelled guns (self-propelled artillery units).

Soviet assault gun Su-122, based on the T-34 tank

Soviet heavy assault gun SU-152

Soviet heavy assault gun ISU-122 Soviet heavy assault gun ISU-152 One surprising fact is that during the war years so many weapons were made in Germany that you are surprised. What do we have? T-34, KV and IS? They didn't come up with anything. Nothing of the kind. It was precisely the small number of tanks accepted for mass production that made it clear that the USSR had a well-thought-out military-industrial policy. Let's take the German Marder tank destroyer, which was produced on the basis of light tanks. Do you think that we couldn’t take the chassis of the T-26 and BT-5 light tanks and arm them with a 76 mm cannon? It would have turned out no worse than "Marder". The goal in the USSR was that you don’t need to make a lot of tanks, and then they will be of no use. And make one that will go into mass production and be the basis ground forces. This is what the Soviet T-34 became. Yes, perhaps it was inferior to the German “Tiger” and “Panther”, and our most popular self-propelled gun, the SU-76, to put it mildly, was not superior to the “Sturmgeschutz”. But for one “Tiger” there were a dozen, or even several dozen T-34s. Someone will say that they were overwhelmed by numbers. So what? Do you think the Germans wouldn’t want to crush you too? And just as they wanted!

Soviet self-propelled gun SU-76 But the German assault gun "Sturmgeschutz" showed itself very well on the battlefield. From this we can conclude that it was the Sturmgeschutz that was the most effective assault weapon of the Second World War! About how "Sturmgeschutz" appeared

How did Sturmgeschutz come about? The tank is designed to break through the enemy's defenses; the tank must conduct an attack on the enemy's positions. But a combat vehicle, like a tank, must operate under the cover of self-propelled guns. The self-propelled gun is designed to support tanks or advancing infantry. At the same time, the self-propelled gun must have the accuracy of artillery fire. Armor is not important to her. A self-propelled artillery mount should not climb under heavy fire enemy to break. But as the experience of war has shown, laws do not always apply. "Sturmgeschutz" did not belong to the German tank forces at all, but soon became the most sought-after weapon for deterring advancing infantry and tanks. They installed a long-barreled cannon on the Sturmgeschutz, increased the armor to 80 mm, and installed a machine gun. "Sturmgeschutz" became almost the most important tank of the Wehrmacht. Hitler constantly demanded to increase the production of assault guns, even at the expense of reducing the production of "fours". “Sturmgeschutz is like a crocodile. Millions of years ago, dinosaurs became extinct, unable to adapt to the world that changed. But crocodiles, who lived at the same time as dinosaurs, adapted and are doing well today. So, for example, a heavy German tank from the company can be called a dinosaur "Henschel" - "Tiger I". An excellent vehicle for its combat qualities at that time. But the production of the tank ceased in 1944. Why? The "Tiger" tank is difficult to produce, it requires a lot of resources, it takes a lot of gasoline. This tank was used until the end of the war. The Sturmgeschutz turned out to be cheaper and more effective. You say: “So the Sturmgeschutz was.” better than a tank"Tiger" and "Panther"?" Of course not! "Sturmgeschutz" was no better than even the medium tank "Panzer" IV. But "Sturmgeschutz" is easy to produce. Even if you look at the fact that eight and a half "fours" were produced thousand tanks, and 11,500 thousand Sturmgeschutz assault guns. This is a good figure for German tank production. The Sturmgeschutz may be worse than one tank, but when they act together, this will become a great danger to the enemy combat vehicle. "was a narrow sector of cannon fire - just a few degrees to the right and left of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The tank did not have such a problem. The combat vehicle, like a tank, had a rotating turret, which made it possible to fire in any direction. Is this bad? Yes, but Each technique has its advantages, as well as disadvantages of the combat vehicle. Over the 4 years of the war, the Sturmgeschutz changed a lot, both in armament and in armor. I said that the main disadvantage of the Sturmgeschutz was the non-rotating turret. - it's not that important. To understand how the Sturmgeschutz assault gun came into being, you need to go back to the distant year 1935. In the history of the Wehrmacht, for the power of the tank forces (Panzerwaffe), Germany owes to Heinz Guderian, inspector of the German tank forces. But this is Panzerwaffe. And one can safely call the talented German military leader Erich von Manstein the “father” of assault artillery. Guderian remained a colonel general. But Manstein, during strategic offensive operations, rose to the rank of field marshal. In 1935, Manstein held the position of colonel, serving as deputy chief of the German ground forces. But it was he who laid the foundation for assault artillery.

Manstein, from the experience of the First World War, was convinced that after breaking through the enemy’s defense line, firing points, like bunkers, could not be suppressed immediately. After all, you need large-caliber artillery. Rolling a gun is not that easy. Therefore, Manstein decided that the gun should be placed on the chassis of a combat vehicle and covered with armor. The Germans were preparing for a new war, a war of engines. The Germans remembered very well the terrible opposition war of 1914-1918. Machine guns that worked without a break. Therefore, the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) was preparing for a lightning war - Blitzkrieg. As in all offensive operations, the tank must play the role of breaking through the defense, and self-propelled guns must directly support the tank with long distance. In principle, this was not a problem. The Panzer III tank played the role of a breakthrough, and the Panzer IV tank, with a short-barreled 75-mm KWK-37 cannon (naturally powerful for its time), played the role of a self-propelled gun, that is, supporting the breakthrough tank.
Medium German tank about "Panzer" blast III . It was from him that the assault tank got its chassis StuG III . All this is good. But how will the infantry actually catch up with the tanks? You can't fight much war with tanks alone. Therefore, the infantry was provided with armored personnel carriers, because you can’t catch up on foot. But actually there is support for the tank, but who will support the infantry on the battlefield? After all, tanks rush far forward, and infantry destroy firing points. Therefore, it was decided to make the Sturmgeschutz assault gun directly for operation in infantry combat formations. Manstein wrote documents that described what the new self-propelled gun should be like. It stated that the assault gun had to have: a strong cannon, good armor and mobility.

Medium German support tank "Panzer" IV But Manstein also sent his work on the assault gun to the head of the German ground forces, Beck. But he clearly didn’t care about them, and he simply debugged them on separate shelf. One day, according to rumors, a folder with papers fell on Bek’s head, he got angry and said: “All the papers go to the arms department, for execution. Immediately!!!” The order was carried out. The creation was undertaken by Daimler-Benz in 1936. It was decided that for the new assault gun they would take the chassis of the new (at that time) medium German breakthrough tank "Panzer" III. The horizontal guidance angle should have been no more than 25 degrees. And the silhouette of the car is no taller than the average height of a person. And in 1937, the first prototype of an assault gun was created. According to the test data, it was necessary to make a number of changes, and most importantly, cover the wheelhouse with armor. In 1940, serial production of the Sturmgeschutz assault gun began. The name of the new self-propelled gun was very complex, which is not only difficult to read, but also to say: “Gepanzerte Selbstfahrlafette fur Sturmgeschutz 7,5 cm Kanone (SdKfz 142). The armament, “Sturmgeschutz” was borrowed from the medium support tank “Panzer” IV - short-barreled 75 -mm cannon KWK-37L/24. The cannon was intended to destroy the enemy’s defensive fortifications, for example, a sniper was sitting on a house, the infantry could not get through. Then the Sturmgeschutz should stand very close to the sniper’s hideout, be it a house or something else. - then, and fire 2-3 shots at the cover of a sniper or the same machine gunner. The target is hit. The question arises: “Did the Germans think about installing a larger caliber gun?” Well, if you think about it, it never even occurred to them. .

75 mm gun KWK -37/ L /24
Ludwig August Theodor Beck (1880-1944) - Colonel General of the German Army (1938). Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces in 1935-1938. Leader of the military action against Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. After all, the Germans themselves understood that any tank at that time had bulletproof armor, for example, 20-25 mm. Even a hit from a 37 mm cannon resulted in the destruction of a tank, not to mention a 75 mm cannon. Therefore, if a duel takes place between the Sturmgeschutz and an enemy tank, let’s take the French Hotchkiss H35, then a hit from a 75 mm cannon is guaranteed to destroy the tank. True, the Frenchman had 45 mm frontal armor, but this did not save him. The Germans had no idea what was in service Soviet Union available newest tanks(at that time) T-34/76 with projectile-proof sloped armor and a heavy tank KV-1 (Klim Voroshilov). The KV tank had 75 mm armor in the forehead and 60 mm on the sides. The German 75 mm gun could not cope with the armor of the KV and T-34. Therefore, the Germans thought about installing a gun capable of hitting tanks like the KV and T-34, so they installed a new long-barreled 75-mm gun KWK-40/L/ on the Sturmgeschutz. 43 in 1942.

"Sturmgeschutz" first episodes, 1940. "Sturmgeschutz" subsequently changed in the war with the USSR (Great Patriotic War 1941-1945). The assault gun was armed with a 75-mm short-barreled cannon, soon a long-barreled one, and armor reaching not 50 mm, but 80 mm, which is comparable to the armor of a tank (period 1943-1945). The Sturmgeschutz could also be equipped with a 105 mm howitzer (installed on the StuH 42. Ausf. G). We got acquainted with the earliest version of the Sturmgeschutz assault gun. Many design decisions were made to the self-propelled gun depending on changes in the situation at the front. Subsequently, "Sturmgeschutz" turned out to be the most effective weapon in the fight against enemy tanks.

StuH 42. Ausf. G



"Jagdpanther" - Panther Hunter (abbreviated) Panther is a hunter. This is how a tank is translated, or rather a fighter - the Jagdpanther tank. A self-propelled gun, which was created on the chassis of a medium (heavy) German tank - "Panther". "Jagdpanther" is an excellent fighting vehicle in terms of its combat qualities. Good, sloping armor provided good protection, and the powerful 88-mm long-barreled PAK-43 cannon, also known as the “eight-eight,” hit any enemy equipment. "Jagdpanther" was created at a time when one of the most greatest battles, which decided the entire outcome of the war on the Eastern Front - the Battle of Kursk. Tank forces of Germany (Panzerwaffe) and the Red Army clashed in a bloody battle. It was assumed that it was the Jagdpanther that would participate in the battle and provide fire support to the linear tanks, however, they were not destined to be defeated in Kursk. Tank destroyers are intended for defense, and not for introducing an offensive; for this there are linear tanks. After all, for the offensive they decided to use the latest heavy tanks - “Panther” and “Tiger”. Self-propelled guns of the Ferdinand type also took part in the Kursk Bulge. They had the most powerful frontal armor at that time - 20cm (200mm). They were armed with an 88-mm cannon, which made it possible to hit tanks from a distance of 2-3 km. According to the plan, they were supposed to sit in positions and shoot enemy tanks from a long distance, but what to do? The German command launched them on the offensive. As a result, 70 Ferdinands were simply destroyed. Thick armor did not protect against infantrymen. They literally threw Molotov cocktails at the “poor” Ferdinands. Knocking out the caterpillar made the self-propelled gun practically immobile and became a real “victim for beating.” Therefore, the “Jagdpanthers” were, in a word, lucky. Let's start with the fact that the chassis for creating a new tank destroyer was taken from the Panther.
German heavy tank - "Panther" The layout scheme was no different from the Panther tank - the transmission of the Jagdpanther was in the front part, and the engine in the rear part, which ensured even distribution of the load on the road wheels and stability when fired. This gave good advantage. The chassis chosen for the new tank destroyer was quite successful. With a layout diagram Soviet tanks more difficult. The transmission was located at the rear with the engine, so when installing the gun it was necessary to move it forward, which then placed a large load on the road wheels.

Soviet self-propelled guns SU-85, SU-100. Outwardly, they are even very similar, practically twins, since both self-propelled guns are made on the chassis of the T-34 tank. The difference between them is the armament and armor: the SU has an 85-mm D-5S cannon and the thickness of the frontal armor is 45 mm, like the Thirty-Four. The SU-100 is armed with a 100 mm DT-10 cannon and 75 mm armor. When creating the Jagdpanther, the Fuhrer of Germany, that is, Hitler, asked to increase the armor of the tank in the frontal part from 80 mm to 100 mm, and on the sides from 50 mm to 60 mm. The designers, of course, answered “yeah,” but left 80 mm in the forehead and 50 mm on the sides. Hitler always liked to get into things that he didn’t understand. However, the new tank destroyer had sufficient armor. Why increase the armor when American, British, Soviet 76-mm cannon shells penetrated the armor by 4 cm, so why increase the armor, 8 cm is enough. Externally, the Jagdpanther copies the Soviet self-propelled guns SU-85 and SU-100. But to say that the Germans repeated the design is wrong. The Germans worked independently. The layout of the Jagdpanther differed from Soviet self-propelled guns. Moreover, the Germans managed to place the frontal armor plate at a large angle, which obviously provided greater armor protection against enemy shells. But the Jagdpanthers never had time to arrive on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1943; production only began in the fall of 1943. When the Jagdpanther was shown to Hitler, surprise knew no bounds. The shells of the 88 mm PAK-43 cannon with a tungsten core penetrated armor 20 cm thick (200 mm). According to Hitler, with such weapons it is possible to win a war. But the problem is the serial production and quality of the Jagdpanther. What kind of tank is this that cannot reach the battlefield? And knowing how the Panthers broke down in Kursk, they didn’t even have time to take part in the fighting. Secondly, this is a problem in production. "Jagdpanther" is very difficult to produce. Not to mention that even when repairing a self-propelled gun, it was necessary (to repair the transmission) to first remove the heaviest weapon, and only then proceed. For the SU-85 and SU-100 it’s the other way around. Simply open the hatches in the rear and begin repairs; you could even completely unscrew the armor plate for free action. The production of the Third Reich delivered only 390 units. There was very little that did not produce the desired results. Yes, the tank destroyer was good in its combat qualities, but the low production of turretless ersatz tanks took its toll. "Jagdpanther" took part in the summer battles in Normandy in 1944. New fighter tanks performed very well, and given that the Allied tanks were completely inferior to the German ones, they were no match for the Jagdpanther. But this was also of little use. American aviation completely destroyed the MIAG plant, which produced Jagdpanthers. But the Germans restored production elsewhere. "Jagdpanthers" are good, but the Allied aircraft literally crushed the German tanks from the air. Moreover, the Germans were not going to think about air support, they had already battered the Wehrmacht too much in the battles on the Eastern Front. In 1945, against the USSR, there were only 10 Jagdpanthers left, and then in special combat units. What was the combat unit like? Old men from the Volksturm, specially selected SS soldiers and children from the Hitler Youth fought in the combat unit.









From this we can conclude that the Jagdpanther is an excellent vehicle in terms of combat qualities. But the inability to produce them in sufficient quantities, as was the case with other German weapons, did not give the desired results that Hitler himself wanted. But one thing can be said that the Jagdpanther is one of the most successful German self-propelled guns of the Second World War.

"Sturmpanzer" IV - "Brummber" What is an assault tank? Why attribute the name “assault” at all? After all, the tank is already armed with a good gun and armor, and is designed to attack enemy fortified areas. But what will happen when the enemy’s weapon is reliably protected and buried in the ground. A small-caliber gun cannot destroy such a target. What will happen if the target is a powerfully fortified enemy firing point? Therefore, we need a tank that will be armed with a large-caliber cannon and have reliable armor. The German command asked itself this question back in the mid-30s of the last century. The Germans already had a 150 mm SiG33 gun. Very interesting: In the 20-30s, Germany and the USSR collaborated in the creation of weapons. Of these was a 150 mm howitzer SiG 33, created in Germany by Rheinmetall , which was soon purchased by the USSR. True, the howitzer turned out, in a word, bad. It fell apart when fired. After suffering a little, Soviet designers modified the howitzer and gave it its name - “NM”. "NM" , O means German mortar. Without coming up with anything else, the Germans installed a howitzer on the chassis of the Panzer I light tank. The new self-propelled artillery unit did not have a name. It was possible to simply call the new self-propelled gun the name of the SiG33 howitzer - this did not make any difference, since the howitzer was used on a mobile chassis or moved manually. Well, to be more specific: Sturmpanzer I 15 cm siG33.

Soviet self-propelled gun SU-5-3 on the chassis of a T-26 light tank. The tank had a 150 mm howitzer SiG33

Light German tank "Panzer" I The assault tank, created on the basis of the Panzer I tank, had many disadvantages. Main problem was that the SiG33 howitzer was installed on the chassis of the Panzer I light tank. Firstly, the German light tank had a too weak Maybach NL 38 tr engine with a power of only 100 hp. Therefore, it was difficult for the assault tank to move over rough terrain, not to mention the fact that the tank’s chassis could roll over during recoil. The assault tank had a large silhouette - this is also a problem.

Sturmpanzer I 15 cm si G33

Soviet 152-mm field howitzer "NM", created by the German company "Rheinmetall". At the same time, the howitzer was covered with thin armor, only 12-13 mm thick, to protect it from enemy bullets and shrapnel. Therefore, "Sturmpanzer" I should not take part at all where enemy tanks are. After all, even light tank the enemy posed quite a danger to this assault tank, since the armor was 12-13 mm. But for the destruction of enemy fortifications, "Sturmpanzer" I came in handy. A 150-mm howitzer shell could easily destroy an enemy firing point. At the same time, the tank fired not only direct fire (as a simple tank could), sending a projectile over 4 km. The enemy’s heavily fortified dugout could not even withstand the shell. Naturally, a simple tank could not do this. " Sturmpanzer " II At the end of 1941, the German company Alkett began creating a new assault gun, Sturmpanzer II, translated as an assault tank based on the Panzer II tank. The stability of the new Sturmpanzer when fired was much better. Protection increased to 35 mm. The Germans had to add additional road wheels to the chassis, because the more, the more powerful the gun can be installed. The Germans managed to place the gun on a light German tank, while lowering the center of gravity downwards. The Germans failed to completely close the tank. The top of the assault tank was open. Why? Otherwise, the chassis simply would not have been able to withstand the weight of the additional upper armor. The first two assault tanks were tested on the Eastern Front. True, apply new look The Germans did not dare to carry out assault models. And the whole point is that in 1942, the German army was defeated near Moscow. And therefore, the entire Army Group Center went on the defensive.

"Sturmpanzer" II at a training ground in Germany Counter-offensive of the Red Army near Moscow. On December 6, 1941, the Red Army launched a large-scale counteroffensive throughout the Moscow direction. For the Germans, this turned out to be a big surprise. The initiative passed into our hands. The Kalinin Front, oddly enough, launched a counteroffensive on December 5, 1941. Western Front troops south and north of Moscow launched air strikes supported by artillery strikes on enemy positions. And they launched a counteroffensive on December 6, 1941. On December 7-8, troops of the Southwestern Front attacked enemy positions. On December 6, a grandiose battle unfolded. Success grew every day. The initiative undoubtedly passed to us. The unexpected attack of our troops, especially to the north-west and south-west of Moscow, made a stunning impression on the fascist command and its troops, which fully confirms the correctness of the moment chosen by the Soviet command to launch a counter-offensive. The Supreme High Command closely monitored the entire course of events and, as the troops advanced, set further tasks for the fronts, and sometimes corrected the not entirely successful decisions of the army command. The Germans retreated until April 20, 1942. For the first time, Hitler’s “invincible” troops were beaten, and beaten for real: 38 German divisions, including 11 tank divisions, suffered a heavy defeat. The Nazis lost more than 500 thousand people, 1300 tanks, 2500 guns, 15 thousand vehicles and much other equipment near Moscow. The fascist army had never known such losses. The Germans did not suffer a complete collapse only because they transferred from the Western Front additional reserves: 800 thousand marching reinforcements, and another 39 divisions from France to strengthen the active troops. Hitler's occupiers were completely expelled from Moscow, Tula and a number of other regions. More than 11 thousand were liberated from the enemy settlements, including 60 cities, regional centers Kalinin and Kaluga. The attack on Moscow completely failed. Along with this comes the dubious Barbarossa plan. The dominance of the Nazi invaders has disappeared forever. The whole world saw the defeat of the Nazis near Moscow.

There was no talk of an offensive. 12 Sturmpanzers were sent to North Africa. The German command was rather thinking about how to create more 75-mm guns capable of fighting the Soviet Thirty-Fours and KVs. " Sturmpanzer 33 "

But the relevance of assault guns was revived when the summer of 1942 arrived. The fact is that on July 17, 1942, the German Operation Blau began to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus and the large Soviet city of Stalingrad. The German command again thought about the need for a new assault gun, although it should be covered with armor on top, because infantrymen firing from the upper floors could simply shoot the crew of the assault gun. The creation of a new assault weapon was undertaken by the German engineer Ferdinand Porsche.
Ferdinand Arthur Porsche (German: Ferdinand Porsche; September 3, 1875, Maffersdorf, Austria-Hungary - January 30, 1951, Stuttgart, Germany) - German designer of automobiles and armored vehicles. Founder of Porsche. He is also famous as the creator of the most popular car in the history of the automotive industry, which went down in history under the name Volkswagen KDfer. The new assault gun "Sturmpanzer 33" could already transport about 30 shells inside the armored hull, which seems not enough, but for such destructive weapons- This is fine. It is clear that the new assault gun was equipped with the same proven 150-mm siG33 howitzer. The tank had 5 cm armor and a 3 cm armor plate was added to the frontal part. Perhaps the Model 33 assault gun would never have proven itself if not for Stalingrad. Here, "Sturmpanzer 33" showed itself perfectly. Thirty-three could easily destroy a brick house and other firing point. Good armor protected not only from anti-tank rifles and grenades, but also from Soviet artillery fire. After a successful debut in Stalingrad, the command ordered the Alkett company
"Sturmpanzer 33" , created on the basis of the Panzer medium breakthrough tank III " Create 12 more such machines. But they never managed to get to Stalingrad. In the fall of 1942, Hitler, who recognized the excellent combat qualities of the Sturmpanzer 33, ordered the creation of a more powerful assault gun based on the Panzer IV tank (T-IV, Panzerkampfwagen.IV). The Four was a very popular combat vehicle on the battlefield. In practice, the German “four” became the basis of the German armored forces (Panzerwaffe). And therefore, a combat vehicle like the Panzer IV was treated very well. The entire industry of the Third Reich was aimed precisely at the creation of these medium combat vehicles. The creation of a new assault gun based on the scarce "Fours" showed how significant this combat vehicle is. The new assault tank was called "Sturmpanzer IV". " Sturmpanzer IV " Unlike its predecessor, the fourth Sturmpanzer had better armor - 100 mm in the forehead, 60 mm on the sides. The assault tank "Sturmpanzer IV" was armed with a new 150-mm howitzer - StuH43. The gun was mounted in a spherical socket directly in the frontal part of the armor, and therefore the top could not be raised high. Because of this, it was impossible to shoot with overhead fire, as a howitzer could. Therefore, it was often necessary to shoot at enemy fortifications with direct fire. This brought the Sturmpanzer more towards classic, linear tanks. Soon after this, an order was placed to create 60 of these machines. The order was completed in May 1943. The chassis for creating the new Sturmpanzer IVs was taken from repaired Fours, however, it also happened that they were created from new ones. The tank was tested at testing grounds. The designers did not expect that the command's demand for new supertanks would be so great.

As with any assault weapon, the Germans did not install a machine gun for protection against enemy infantry. Why am I talking about this? The fact is that in the summer of 1943 the Germans were preparing for the largest offensive tank operation. The Germans brought all the best forces they had to Kursk. Battle of Kursk :

Greatest tank battle in the history of mankind. The Battle of Kursk, which changed and the entire course of the war on the Eastern Front . On July 5, 1943, the Wehrmacht was going to deliver a crushing blow in the Belgorod-Oboyan and Oryol-Kursk directions, thereby maintaining the military initiative on the Eastern Front. The war siphoned the last resources from Germany. The failure of the operation guaranteed colossal losses and loss of military initiative in the war With USSR. Operation Citadel was a kind of decisive operation on the Eastern Front. The outcome of the battle decided the fate of the entire Soviet Union and beyond. If the Red Army had been defeated, the road to the capital of the USSR would have been open. However, there were many statements about holding a major offensive operation- "Citadel" .
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (1888-1954) - Colonel General German Army (1940), Inspector General of Armored Forces (1943), Chief of the General Staff of the Ground Forces (1945), military theorist, author of the book “Memoirs of a German General. German Tank Forces 1939-1945.” Father of a Bundeswehr general Heinz Gunther Guderian. One of the pioneers of motorized methods of warfare, the founder of tank building in Germany and the tank branch of the military in the world. Had nicknames Schneller Heinz -- "Fast Heinz" Heinz Brausewind - "Heinz Hurricane". Guderian's opinion on the Citadel plan: "The German army has just completed the reorganization and replenishment of units on the Eastern Front after the Stalingrad disaster. The offensive will inevitably lead to heavy losses that will not be replaced in 1943." Otto Moritz Walter Model also spoke out against Operation Citadel saying that the enemy knows the plans of the command, and this is already half a loss.




Otto Moritz Walter Model (1891-1945). In the army since 1909, served fanen-junker in the 52nd Infantry Regiment. IN 1910 promoted to officer rank Lieutenant Participant First World War on Western Front. Received for merit Iron Cross 1st degree (1917) and a number of other orders, promoted to the rank captain in November 1917. He was wounded several times. WITH 1919 served in General Staff, was the head of the personnel training department of the War Ministry, head technical department War Ministry. Lieutenant Colonel (1932). IN 1934 produced in colonels, in 1938 - in Major Generals. From October 1938 - Chief of Staff 4th Army Corps. As chief of staff of the 4th Army Corps, he entered World War II and participated in invasion of Poland. In October 1939 appointed chief of staff 16th Army and in this position participated in French campaign. From November 1940 - commander 3rd Panzer Division. This division was transferred to Poland and included in General's 2nd Tank Group Heinz Guderian. Before the offensive, according to the plan, assault and linear tanks were supposed to be supported by panzergrenadiers, infantrymen who were in the tank units of the Wehrmacht. Why didn't the Germans install a machine gun? This is because the advancing equipment must be covered and supported in battle by panzergrenadiers or infantry. But here's the problem. The Kursk steppes are not a city for you. There is open space everywhere. Since in the city an assault gun could destroy firing points with impunity, and panzergrenadiers fired at enemy infantry that was approaching the assault tank. But at the height of the Battle of Kursk, our machine guns and cannons literally killed half of the enemy’s panzergrenadiers, and there was no one to support assault tanks like the Sturmpanzer IV.
Grenadiers: selected parts infantry and/or cavalry, originally intended to storm enemy fortifications, primarily in siege operations. The grenadiers were armed hand grenades And firearms. Hand grenades used to be called "grenades" or "grenades"; they were a hollow cast-iron ball filled with gunpowder with a wick; they were used to throw by hand at enemy fortifications. Considering the short flight range of the grenada, maximum courage, resourcefulness, fearlessness and dexterity were required from the fighter to get to the required distance. The name of the units using this type of weapon comes from the Grenads. Subsequently, selected units began to be called grenadiers line infantry. Here is the story repeating itself with the “powerful” “Ferdinands”. Left without cover, assault guns like the Sturmpanzer (of some type) or the same Ferdinand became useless. Assault tanks became targets for Soviet infantry. Of course, the Sturmpanzer crew had an MG-34 machine gun, but anyone who would stick out of the hatch and fire at enemy infantry would be committing suicide. Damage to the track made the Sturmpanzer incapable of action at all, since it was a reckless assault tank. Therefore, the crews of the assault guns simply blew up the equipment and retreated to their own. After the Battle of Kursk, a modification of the Sturmpanzer IV was completed in October 1943. An MG-34 machine gun was installed in the front of the tank and the commander's cupola of the Sturmpanzer IV was modified.

9mm machine gun MG 34 was developed German company Rheinmetall-Borsig AG upon request Wehrmacht . Led the development of the machine gun Louis Stange , however, when creating the machine gun, the developments of not only Rheinmetall and its subsidiaries, but also other companies, such as Mauser . The machine gun was officially adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1934 and until 1942 it was officially the main machine gun not only infantry , but also tank German troops. In 1942, instead of the MG 34, a more advanced machine gun was adopted MG 42 , however, production of the MG 34 did not stop until the end World War II , since it continued to be used as a tank machine gun due to its greater adaptability to this compared to the MG 42. Also, the name of the assault tank was changed from classic to animal - “Brummber”. Translated as grizzly bear.

Late modification
"Sturmpanzer" IV ", early modification. In 1944-45, "Brummber" found himself at ease. But the fact is that in 1944-45 there were battles on the territory of Poland and Germany. Urban terrain is what this assault beast needs. They performed especially well during Warsaw Uprising in Poland (August 5, 1944 - August 28, 1944). When the anti-fascist rebel uprising broke out, the Germans brought up Brumber assault guns to quickly suppress the rebels as they occupied part of the city. Nothing could stop the deadly weapon. And on August 28, 1944, the uprising was suppressed. Also, the Germans used the most powerful assault weapon in history - the Sturmtiger, which fired 350 kg rockets, which I talked about earlier. Also, "Brummber" was used in urban battles as a means of fighting tanks. Therefore, in the enemy combat vehicle, "Brummber" fired a 150-mm cumulative projectile. The penetrating force was hot gases that pierced armor 16 cm (160 mm) thick. Therefore, it does not matter that the gun was short-barreled and fired a projectile at low speed. After all, the penetrating force was the hot gases, and not the speed of the projectile. From March 1943 to March 1945, only 300-odd Brummbers were produced. An assault weapon such as the Brummber turned out to be not very effective in the battles near Kursk, but was successfully used in urban areas. That's just a question. Did this give any results? After all, in 1944-45, the Germans did not even think about attacking.



Tank hunters What was the most effective weapon against tanks during World War II? It is clear that it is anti-tank guns. The gun crew opened fire on enemy combat vehicles on the tank-dangerous line, thereby taking the enemy by surprise. But we also need to avoid return fire. How to do this? After all, transporting a heavy weapon requires a tractor. This is how hunter tanks appeared. The Germans simply took and installed the gun on a tracked chassis. This is how the first tank hunter appeared - “Panzerager I”. The new self-propelled gun had a 47 mm anti-tank gun A-5, Czech made. The gun itself was installed on the chassis of a machine-gun German tank "Panzer I". Let's consider the first. Why exactly was a Czech-made gun installed? In 1938, Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. It is clear that the Wehrmacht received Czech weapons. At the training ground, the Germans learned that the best German 37-mm cannon (at that time) was completely inferior to the A-5. The Czech gun penetrated the armor of any German tank from a distance of one and a half kilometers. Yes, with such weapons you can fight, the Germans thought. And they installed it on the chassis of a light German tank. The creation of new tank destroyers is still the same company "Alkett". "Panzerlager I", fought on the Western and Eastern fronts (in France and the USSR). True, the 47-mm cannon could not penetrate the armor of heavy French tanks, not to mention the latest Soviet tanks KV-1 and T-34. The Germans were shocked. What can we say, if the 47-mm gun couldn’t cope, then there was no place for the 37-mm German anti-tank gun on the battlefield.

Czechoslovak 47-mm anti-tank gun A-5 model 1938.
"Panzer camp I " That's when new German anti-tank guns - Pak-40 and Pak-43 - appeared on the battlefield - this became a great danger for Soviet and allied tanks. Pak-40

Pak-40 ( panzerjag erkanone 40) - German 75 mm anti-tank gun from the Second World War. In 1938-1939, the Armament Directorate issued technical specifications for the development of an anti-tank gun to Rheinmetall and Krupp. " Rheinmetall Ag " - a German concern founded on April 13, 1889. Now the concern is one of largest producers military equipment and weapons in Germany and Europe. "Krupp" - the largest industrial concern in German history, officially created in 1860. Mass production of the Pak-40 75-mm anti-tank gun was resumed only in February 1942. Why? In 1940, the Wehrmacht faced such medium and heavy tanks as the British Matilda and the French B-1 Bis .

MK II / IV "Matilda" - average infantry tank British Army period World War II . Actively and successfully used by the British army during fighting in Africa , was also supplied in significant quantities Australian Army and in Union SS WITH R . The only tank model in world history named after a woman. Designed in 1936 -- 1938 years, produced until August 1943 and was one of main British medium tanks for the first time during the war. Also supplied in significant quantities Australian Army and in USSR . "Matilda" was distinguished by very powerful armor for its time and, with the Mark IV modification, high reliability , which ensured its fairly effective use for the first time during the war years, before it was replaced by a more heavily armed and armored tank " Churchill "Moreover, the armor of the tank made it possible at the initial stage of the war to ignore the majority anti-tank guns enemy, and only the use of an 88-mm anti-aircraft gun by German units 8.8 cm FlaK 18/36/37 , converted for anti-tank needs, made it possible to stop the onslaught of the Matildas, and this continued until the Germans acquired new 50-mm and 75-mm anti-tank guns.

French B -1 bis - French heavy tank 1930s years. Developed with 1921 . But it was put into service only in March 1934 . During serial production, from 1935 By June 15 1940 , 403 B1 tanks were produced various options. B1 was actively used in battles with Germanic troops in May-June 1940, despite the fairly archaic design, showing excellent security. Almost half of the vehicles produced after the surrender of France were captured Wehrmacht and was used by him until 1945 , also serving as the basis for the creation of self-propelled artillery units and flamethrower tanks on their base. In total, the Germans got 161 tanks - they renamed them Pz. Kpfw. B2 740(f). Of these, 16 tanks were converted into 105-mm self-propelled guns, and about 60 more tanks into flamethrower tanks. Anti-tank 37-mm guns could not penetrate the Matilda's armor and B -1 . The same 50-mm Pak-38 anti-tank gun penetrated the armor of these tanks only with a shot of a sub-caliber projectile with a tungsten core.

A sabot round is an ammunition that is most often used to penetrate armored targets. For the manufacture of the core, tungsten and depleted uranium are used. But after the war with France, the 75-mm anti-tank gun was no longer needed. The Pak-40 was never adopted by the Wehrmacht, only because the new weapon did not fit into the Blitzkrieg concept. "Blitzkrieg" - a theory of rapid warfare in which victory is achieved in days, weeks, or months before the enemy can mobilize and deploy its main military forces. Created at the beginning of the 20th century Alfred von Schlieffen . It was very heavy and did not fit into the tactics of maneuver warfare. And then the Germans never encountered tanks that could withstand the fire of their guns. The situation became more complicated when the war with the USSR began (Great Patriotic War - June 22, 1941). German anti-tank 37 mm and 50 mm guns (Pak-35/36 and Pak-38)
Pak-35/36

Pak-38 They did not penetrate the anti-ballistic armor of the latest Soviet tanks T-34/76 and KV-1. Only by firing sub-caliber shells could the Pak-38 hit the T-34 and KV-1 (50%). It was only in February 1942 that 75 mm anti-tank guns, capable of penetrating 134 mm thick armor, began to be delivered. They were capable of penetrating the armor of heavy KVs and T-34s. But here's the problem. If the Pak-40 weighed one and a half tons, then the 88-mm anti-tank gun, also known as the “Eight-Eight,” weighed four tons. Transportation with such guns was not easy. Therefore, we decided to install the gun on the moving chassis of any tank or tractor. Since the 47-mm cannon mounted on a light machine gun chassis tank T-I, proved unable to fight Soviet armored vehicles, it was decided to install more powerful guns on the chassis T-II tanks and on the chassis of the Czechoslovak tank LT-38 or in German Pz.38(T). This is how “Marder” appeared, translated as marten. But they got it famous name only in February 1944, before they were called simply “Pantseryager” (tank hunter). The Marders were equipped with a 75 mm PAK-40 cannon or captured Soviet 76.2 mm F-22 guns. It is clear that in the summer of 1941, the Wehrmacht received a lot of captured weapons - these were mainly anti-tank guns, shells for them, and tanks. But combat vehicles, like the T-34 and KV, the Germans large quantities did not give up, only because the Soviet crews blew up the tank if it failed.

76-mm divisional gun model 1936 (F-22, GAU index -- 52-P-363A) -- Soviet divisional semi-universal period gun World War II. Was the first weapon developed design bureau under the leadership of an outstanding designer of artillery systems V. G. Grabin, and one of the first guns completely developed in the USSR (and not representing a modernization of army guns Russian Empire or foreign development). Created within the framework of the unjustified concept of a universal (anti-aircraft divisional) gun, the F-22 had a number of shortcomings, and therefore was withdrawn from service. serial production three years after it began. The guns produced were accepted active participation in pre-war conflicts and the Great Patriotic War. Many guns of this type became trophies German, Finnish And Romanian armies. In Germany, captured guns were modernized and actively used as anti-tank guns, both towed and self-propelled option. The Germans, in 1941, captured a considerable number of F-22 guns (GAU - 52-P-363A). So where should we put them? So they took and installed the F-22 divisional gun of the 1936 model on the chassis of the Czechoslovak LT-38 tanks.

LT -38 This is how the “Marder” appeared, models 132 and 139. In the Wehrmacht, the F-22 was designated by the index Pak 36 (r), translated as an anti-tank gun of the 1936 model (Russian). It’s true that the shells for these guns are not endless. The F-22 could not fire 75 mm shells. Therefore, the Germans took and sharpened the breech of these guns to fire their 75-mm shells. The "Marders" fought in North Africa. The power of the Soviet divisions was also felt by the allied forces. The advancing English Matildas had previously been hit only by a German 88-mm anti-aircraft gun, converted to combat tanks (Flak 18/36/37). But when captured Soviet divisional guns mounted on Marders appeared on the battlefield, the situation changed in favor of German artillery. The Soviet divisions beat the English Matildas like nuts. Military historians and generals who participated in the failures of the 8th British Army remembered not so much Rommel as soviet guns- F-22.

"Marder II "model 131 on a tank chassis Panzerkampfwagen II . Ausf C . The tank destroyer had a 75 mm anti-tank gun - Pak 40.

"Marder II "model 132 on a tank chassis Panzerkampfwagen II . Ausf D . The tank destroyer had a 75 mm (76.2 mm) divisional anti-tank gun - F-22 ( Pak 36 r ). In battle, "Marder" was very vulnerable. The armor for some models was 3 cm in the forehead and 1 cm on the sides; for such models as the "Marder III 138H" and "Marder III 138M" it was 5 cm in the forehead and 3 cm on the sides.

"Marder II I "model 139 on the chassis of a Czechoslovak tank LT -38 ( Pz 38 T ) . The tank destroyer had a 75 mm (76.2 mm) divisional anti-tank gun - F-22 ( Pak 36 r ). I want to say that "Marder", as from good qualities I had some bad ones too. This is that the Marder (depending on which model) had an open fighting compartment at the back and top. Can you imagine how difficult it is to maintain a gun in all weather conditions. In the rain, in the wind, etc. Therefore, when it rained or snowed, the Germans pulled a tarpaulin over the fighting compartment. Or they simply built something like a tent or mini-roof. Also, a shell that exploded nearby could not only concuss the crew due to the open fighting compartment at the back and top, but also completely overturn the combat vehicle. But the good combat qualities of the Panzerjager anti-tank guns still bore fruit. Also, the “Panzerjagers” differed from each other in the appearance of their conning tower. And they were created on the basis of various tanks and tractors. In February 1944, the "Panzerjagers" received the universal name - "Marder", translated as marten. The first representative is a tank destroyer created on the basis of captured Lorrian tractors. French armored personnel carrier "Lorrian"

The serial French armored personnel carrier Lorraine 37L was developed in 1937. The vehicle was intended to provide armored and mobile units of all levels, as well as transport motorized infantry. The Lorraine 37L and Lorraine 38L were unarmed tracked armored personnel carriers with armored crew quarters and a semi-armored, open-top compartment for troops and cargo. The cars were mass-produced in France from 1938 to 1940. A total of 618 armored personnel carriers were assembled in four main modifications. The tank destroyer, created on the basis of captured French Lorrian armored personnel carriers, was called “Marder I”. The tank destroyer had a 75 mm PAK-40 anti-tank gun.

German fighter tanks - "Marder" I ". "Panzerjager", armed with a 75-mm anti-tank gun - Pak-40. The next representative of the "Panzerjagers" were the "Marder II" model 131 and the "Marder II" model 132. They were created on the basis of the Panzer II light tanks. But they also differed in appearance, since the Panzer II was produced in different modifications. Both models were created on the basis of the Panzer II tanks, models C and D. Next are “Marder III” model 139 and “Marder III 138M”, and “Marder III 138H”. All three models were created on the basis of the Czechoslovakian LT-38 tank.

Lt vz .38 - Czechoslovak light tank of the late 1930s, created by ČKD. Better known by its German designation Pz . Kpfw .38 ( t ) . After the occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938), all tanks went into service with the Wehrmacht. Was considered one of the best lungs Wehrmacht tanks. "Marder 138M" and "Marder III 138H", like model 139, had the chassis of the LT-38 light tank. In the Marder 138H, the wheelhouse moved forward, so the engine was located in the stern. In the Marder 138M, the wheelhouse moved back, since the engine was located in the middle part of the vehicle.
"Marder III 138M ".

"Marder III 138 H " Tank destroyers were used until the advent of new light self-propelled guns, based on the LT-38 tank - "Hetzer". However, the Marders were used until the surrender of Germany. And in total, from April 1942 to May 1944, German industry produced 2,800 tank destroyers of the Marder series. Of course, they did not have good armor, but on the other hand, they never got under the enemy’s shot, but sat in ambush and opened fire unexpectedly for the enemy. Sometimes the Marders crawled into a place where a fighter tank (Jagdpanzer) could not reach, but a good position is already an advantage over the enemy. Also, the fighter tanks had a low field of fire. The gun rotated only 10-14 degrees. The breech rested on side walls. Therefore, like the Sturmgeschutz, the Jagdpanzer had to turn with its entire body, which, of course, reduced the mobility of this vehicle. For Marder, it was the other way around. The F-22 cannon mounted on the Marder II swiveled 25 degrees left and right. The German PAK-40, mounted on the Marder II model 131, rotated 25 degrees to the left and 32 degrees to the right. However, the Marders weighed only 10 tons and were inexpensive to produce. Old tanks and tractors were written off, but the creation of such tank destroyers made it possible to give old equipment a kind of second life.

Which tank destroyer and assault gun was the most effective on the battlefield? Designers experimented many times to create a production model of tank destroyers. What they didn’t do: they installed guns on tractors, on tracked and half-tracked armored personnel carriers. But nothing led to success. Either they did not become serial. For example, the Bn-9, a truck on which Soviet captured divisional guns were installed, never became mass-produced.

Armored car Sd . Kfz .234 , armed with a 75 mm anti-tank gun Pak 40/2 L /46 , also served as a tank destroyer. Let's take an interesting tank destroyer armed with a 75 mm Pak-40 cannon. The tank destroyer was created on the chassis of the German RS "OST" tractor. A very dubious tank destroyer was created by Austrian industry. The new tank destroyer was also designated as follows: 7.5 cm Pak-40/ 4 auf Raupenschlepper "Ost". A total of 60 of these combat vehicles were built, designed to quietly fight tanks.

7,5 With m Pak -40/ 4 auf Raupenschlepper " Ost ". But here's the problem. If this self-propelled artillery unit begins to conduct aimed fire at enemy tanks, then how to avoid return fire? After all, the thickness of the frontal armor was only 5 mm, which would only protect against stones and pistol bullets. This self-propelled gun can rather be called disposable. By opening fire, the crew exposed themselves to destruction. The Germans thought about it. Throughout the war, the 88-mm PAK-43 or Flak 18/36/37 was considered the best anti-tank gun at that time. Previously, it was used to combat enemy aircraft, but was transferred to the need to combat enemy tanks, especially against the British Matildas and Soviet KV-1 tanks. No armor of any tank in the world could withstand a shot from a powerful 88-mm anti-tank gun, also known as the “Eight-Eight”. It would be nothing if the weight of this gun were not 4 tons. Not every tractor could withstand this towed weapon. And again, the well-known company Alkett took up the creation of a new tank destroyer. However, there was a choice - to install a T-III or T-IV on the tank chassis. The new self-propelled gun was built on a medium-sized chassis tank T-IV, weapons, which consisted of an 88-mm Pak-43 anti-tank gun. The self-propelled gun received the name “Horrias”, translated as bumblebee. But the small maneuverability did not allow the name to take root. Therefore, they changed it to “Nashorn” - rhinoceros.

Sd.Kfz.164 "Nashorn." But again the problem remained. Reservation. The Nashorn tank destroyer had a powerful 88-mm anti-tank gun. But the armor was only 1 cm (10 mm). Again, opening fire on the enemy guaranteed return fire, which could lead to the destruction of the crew. And he was also three meters tall! "Nashorn" was not removed from service, since this self-propelled gun had powerful weapons and was effective in defense. Also during the offensive, the Nashorn was a good combat support for the advancing linear tanks. A total of 500 units were produced. The 88-mm PAK-43 cannon was also installed on tanks: "Tiger", "Ferdinand" (self-propelled guns), etc. But there were few of them, for example, “Ferdinands”, 70 of them were built, “Tigers”, 1354 of them.

Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger".

Self-propelled artillery installation "Ferdinand" The most powerful German anti-tank gun was the 128-mm Pak-44 anti-tank gun, which was installed on the Jagdtiger super-heavy self-propelled gun and the experimental Maus super-heavy tank. It is impossible to consider the appearance of a tank destroyer that was armed with a powerful 128 mm gun. The self-propelled gun had the designation: 12.8 cm Sfi L/61. However, the Germans never gave the animal a name only because they were built in the amount of two copies, one of which went to Soviet soldiers. The tank destroyer appeared like this. When creating the Tiger tank, two chassis were created from different companies: Henschel and Porsche. As a result, the Henschel chassis was used to create not only the famous Tigers, but the Porsche chassis was used to create the Ferdinands. And the experimental VK.3001 chassis remained idle. The Pak-44 weighed as much as 7 tons, and therefore this weapon was not installed on a moving tank chassis, let alone a tractor or armored personnel carrier chassis. The Germans took and installed a 128-mm Pak-44 cannon on two experimental chassis.

Reception of self-propelled guns at the factory

self-propelled guns 12,8 cm Sfi L /61 captured by the Red Army in the winter of 1943. In the foreground is a tank destroyer - "Panzerjager" I " Now the question. - So it became the most effective means fighting tanks? Of course "Sturmgeschutz". An assault tank that was not in the tank forces Germany. And it was intended exclusively to support infantry on the battlefield. Subsequently, "Sturmgeschutz" became the most widespread model of armored vehicles in the Wehrmacht. 11,500 units were built. They were the ones who knocked out the most large number tanks. Therefore, it is the Sturmgeschutz that can be considered the most effective means of fighting tanks. The story was written from 01/12/201 7 until March 26, 2017 . Author : Betigov Deni, 14 years old. End of part 1.

04/15/2015 6 336 0 Jadaha

Science and technology

Among the Wehrmacht's military equipment, there is one self-propelled gun that has forever entered front-line folklore and has become truly legendary. It's about about the self-propelled gun "Ferdinand", the history of which is unique in itself.

The Ferdinand self-propelled gun was born quite by accident. The reason for its appearance was the rivalry between two engineering enterprises of the Third Reich - the Henschel company and the Ferdinand Porsche concern. But the most remarkable thing is that this rivalry flared up due to an order for the construction of a new super-heavy and super-powerful tank. Ferdinand Porsche played the competition, but as a consolation prize he was tasked with using the reserves for the construction of the tank - hull, armor, chassis parts - to make a tank destroyer, to which Hitler, who favored Porsche, gave the name of its creator ahead of time.

Unique design

The new self-propelled gun was one of a kind and was absolutely unlike others that existed before and after it. First of all, it had an electric transmission - armored vehicles with such units had not previously been mass-produced.

The car was driven by two carburetor 12-cylinder liquid-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engines with a displacement of 11,867 cc. cm and a power of 195 kW/265 hp. With. The total engine power was 530 hp. With. Carburetor engines drove generators electric current type Siemens Tour aGV, which, in turn, supplied electricity to Siemens D1495 aAC electric motors with a power of 230 kW each. The engines, through an electromechanical transmission, rotated the drive wheels located at the rear of the vehicle. In emergency mode or in the event of combat damage to one of the power supply branches, duplication of the other was provided.

Another feature of the new self-propelled gun was the most powerful anti-tank gun that existed at that time, 8.8 cm Rak 43/2 L/71 of 88 mm caliber, developed on the basis of the Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun. This weapon penetrated the armor of any tank of the anti-Hitler coalition at a direct shot distance .

And most importantly, super-thick armor, which, according to the creator of the self-propelled gun, was supposed to make the combat vehicle completely invulnerable. The thickness of the frontal armor reached 200 mm. It could withstand hits from all anti-tank guns that existed at that time.

But all this had to be paid for by the enormous weight of the new self-propelled gun. The combat weight of the Ferdinand reached 65 tons. Not every bridge could withstand such a weight, and the self-propelled gun could only be transported on special reinforced eight-axle platforms.

TANK DESTROYER "FERDINAND" (ELEFANT)

Combat weight: 65 t

Crew: 6 people

Dimensions:

• length - 8.14 m,
• width - 3.38 m,
• height - 2.97 m,
• ground clearance - 0.48 m.
• Reservations:
• hull forehead and wheelhouse - 200 mm,
• side and stern - 80 mm,
• roof - 30 mm,
• bottom - 20 mm.

Maximum speed:

• on the highway - 20 km/h
• on terrain - 11 km/h.

Power reserve:

• by highway - 150 km
• by terrain - 90 km

Weapons:

• gun 8.8 cm Cancer 43/2 L/71
• caliber 88 mm.

Ammunition: 55 shells.

• Armor-piercing projectile weighing 10.16 kg and initial speed 1000 m/s penetrated 165 mm armor at a distance of 1000 m.
• A sub-caliber projectile weighing 7 kg and an initial speed of 1130 m/s penetrated 193 mm armor at a distance of 1000 m.

How was it built?

The all-welded hull of the Ferdinand consisted of a frame assembled from steel profiles and armor plates. To assemble the hulls, heterogeneous armor plates were produced, the outer surface of which was harder than the inner. The armor plates were connected to each other by welding. Additional armor was attached to the frontal armor plate using 32 bolts. Additional armor consisted of three armor plates.

The self-propelled gun body was divided into a power compartment located in the central part, a fighting compartment in the stern and a control post in the front. The power compartment housed a gasoline engine and electric generators. Electric motors were located in the rear of the hull. The machine was controlled using levers and pedals.

To the right of the driver was the gunner-radio operator. The view from the gunner-radio operator's position was provided by a viewing slot cut into the starboard side. The radio station was located to the left of the radio operator's position.

Access to the control station was through two rectangular hatches located in the roof of the hull. The remaining crew members were located in the rear of the hull: on the left was the gunner, on the right was the commander, and behind the breech were both loaders. There were hatches on the roof of the cabin: on the right there was a double-leaf rectangular hatch for the commander, on the left there was a double-leaf round hatch for the gunner and two small round single-leaf hatches for the loaders.

In addition, in the rear wall of the cabin there was a large round single-leaf hatch designed for loading ammunition. In the center of the hatch was a small port through which machine gun fire could be fired to protect the rear of the tank. Two more loopholes were located in the right and left walls of the fighting compartment.

Two Maybach HL 120 TRM carburetor engines were installed in the power compartment. Gas tanks were located along the sides of the power compartment. The engines, through an electromechanical transmission, rotated the drive wheels located at the rear of the vehicle. Ferdinand had three forward and three reverse gears.

The Ferdinand-Elephant chassis consisted (for one side) of three two-wheeled bogies, a drive wheel and a steering wheel. Each support roller had an independent suspension.

The main armament of the Ferdinands was the 8.8 cm Rak 43/2 L/71 anti-tank gun, 88 mm caliber. Ammunition capacity: 50-55 rounds, placed along the sides of the hull and wheelhouse. Horizontal firing sector 30° (15° left and right), elevation/declination angle +187-8°. If necessary, up to 90 shells could be loaded inside the fighting compartment. The crew's personal weapons consisted of MP 38/40 machine guns, pistols, rifles and hand grenades, stored inside the fighting compartment.

In the spring of 1943, from the eighty-nine self-propelled guns built, two divisions of tank destroyers were formed: the 653rd and 654th. In June 1943, after training and combat coordination, they were sent to the Eastern Front.

On the eve of the start of the German army's offensive near Kursk, the 653rd division included 45 Ferdinands, and the 654th division included 44 self-propelled guns. During the battles near Kursk, the divisions operated as part of the 41st tank corps. Together with him, the Ferdinands advanced in the direction of Ponyri, and later on Olkhovatka.

The battles on the Kursk Bulge showed both the advantages and disadvantages of heavy tank destroyers. The advantages were thick frontal armor and a powerful gun, which made it possible to fight all types of Soviet tanks. But also during the battles it became clear that the Ferdinands had too thin side armor. Powerful self-propelled guns sometimes penetrated deep into the defensive formations of the Red Army, and the infantry covering the flanks could not keep up with the vehicles. As a result, Soviet tanks and anti-tank guns fired freely at the sides of German vehicles.

Numerous technical shortcomings were also revealed, caused by the too hasty adoption of the Ferdinands into service. The frames of the current generators were not strong enough - often the generators were torn off the frames. The caterpillar tracks constantly burst, and the on-board communications failed every now and then. In addition, the Red Army now had at its disposal a formidable opponent of the German “menagerie” - the SU-152 “St. John’s Wort”, armed with a 152.4 mm howitzer cannon. On July 8, 1943, the SU-152 division ambushed an Elephants column from the 653rd division. The Germans lost four self-propelled guns. It also turned out that the Ferdinand chassis is very sensitive to mine explosions. The Germans lost approximately half of the 89 Ferdinands to minefields.

The 653rd and 654th divisions did not have powerful enough tugs capable of evacuating damaged vehicles from the battlefield, so many, even slightly damaged, Ferdinands had to be abandoned on the battlefield or blown up.

Name change

From experience combat use"Ferdinandov" near Kursk, it was decided to make changes to the design of the self-propelled gun. It was proposed to install a machine gun in the front panel of the cabin. Without it, the giant self-propelled gun was helpless in close combat with infantry. In December 1943, 48 surviving Ferdinands were sent to the Austrian city of Linz on the 21st train. There, at the Nibelungenwerke plant, they underwent re-equipment.

By that time, the "Ferdinands" had changed their name. On November 29, 1943, Hitler proposed changing the names of armored vehicles, giving them “brutal” names. His proposals for the name were accepted and legalized by order of February 1, 1944, and duplicated by order of February 27, 1944. In accordance with these documents, "Ferdinand" received a new designation - "Elephant" 8.8 cm Porsche assault gun. So “Ferdinand” turned into “Elephant” (elephant in German for “elephant”). Although many continued to call the self-propelled gun “Ferdinand” until the end of the war.

The most famous German self-propelled gun of the Second World War period, "Ferdinand", owes its appearance, on the one hand, to the intrigues around the heavy tank VK 4501 (P), and on the other, to the appearance of the 88-mm anti-tank gun Pak 43. Tank VK 4501 (P) - simply put, the "Tiger" designed by Dr. Porsche - was shown to Hitler on April 20, 1942, simultaneously with its competitor VK 4501 (1-1) - the "Tiger" from Henschel. According to Hitler, both cars should have been put into mass production, which was strongly opposed by the Armament Directorate, whose employees could not stand the Fuhrer’s obstinate favorite, Dr. Porsche. The tests did not reveal obvious advantages of one vehicle over the other, but Porsche was more ready for the production of the Tiger - by June 6, 1942, the first 16 VK 4501 (P) tanks were ready for delivery to the troops, for which the assembly of turrets was being completed at Krupp . The Henschel company could deliver only one vehicle by this date, and that without a turret. The first battalion, equipped with Porsche Tigers, was supposed to be formed by August 1942 and sent to Stalingrad, but suddenly the Armament Directorate stopped all work on the tank for a month.

Porsche "Tigers" during a show to the top leaders of the Third Reich. April 20, 1942

VK4501(P) in the Nibelungenwerk courtyard. The gentleman in the hat - F. Porsche

Self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" during testing. Ferdinand Porsche sits on the left wing

The managers took advantage of Hitler's instructions to create an assault gun based on the PZ.IV and VK 4501 tanks, armed with the latest 88-mm Pak 43/2 anti-tank gun with a barrel length of 71 calibers. With the input of the Armament Directorate, it was decided to convert all 92 VK 4501 (P) chassis ready and being assembled in the workshops of the Nibelungenwerke plant into assault guns.

In September 1942, work began. The design was carried out by Porsche together with designers from the Berlin Alkett plant. Since the armored cabin was to be located in the rear part, the chassis layout had to be changed, placing the engines and generators in the middle of the hull. Initially, it was planned to assemble new self-propelled guns in Berlin, but this had to be abandoned due to difficulties associated with transportation by railway, and due to the reluctance to suspend the production of StuG III assault guns - the main product of the Alkett plant. As a result, the assembly of the self-propelled guns, which received the official designation 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 Sfl L/71 Panzerjager Tiger(P) Sd.Kfz. 184 and the name Ferdinand (assigned personally by Hitler in February 1943 as a sign of respect for Dr. Ferdinand Porsche), was produced at the Nibelungenwerke plant.

The front 100-mm hull plates of the Tiger(P) tank were also reinforced with 100-mm armor plates, secured to the hull with bolts with a bullet-proof head. Thus, the frontal armor of the hull was increased to 200 mm. The frontal sheet of the cabin had a similar thickness. The thickness of the side and stern sheets reached 80 mm (according to other sources, 85 mm). The armor plates of the cabin were joined “in a tenon” and reinforced with dowels, and then scalded. The cabin was attached to the hull with brackets and bolts with a bullet-proof head.

In the front part of the hull there were seats for the driver and radio operator. Behind them, in the center of the car, two 12-cylinder carburetor V-shaped liquid-cooled Maybach HL 120TRM engines with a power of 265 hp were installed parallel to each other. (at 2600 rpm) each. The engines rotated the rotors of two Siemens Tour aGV generators, which, in turn, supplied electricity to two Siemens D1495aAC traction motors with a power of 230 kW each, installed in the rear of the vehicle under the fighting compartment. The torque from the electric motors was transmitted to the aft drive wheels using electromechanical final drives. In emergency mode or in the event of combat damage to one of the power supply branches, provision was made for its duplication.

The undercarriage of the Ferdinand, applied to one side, consisted of six road wheels with internal shock absorption, interlocked in pairs into three bogies with an original, very complex, but highly efficient Porsche suspension scheme with longitudinal torsion bars, tested on the experimental VK 3001(P) chassis. The drive wheel had removable ring gears with 19 teeth each. The guide wheel also had toothed rims, which eliminated idle rewinding of the tracks.

Each caterpillar consisted of 109 tracks with a width of 640 mm.

Manning the Ferdinands

"Ferdinand" during testing at the Kummersdorf test site, spring 1943

The last serial Ferdinand, delivered ahead of schedule

In the wheelhouse, in the trunnions of a special machine, an 88-mm Pak 43/2 cannon (in the self-propelled version - StuK 43) with a barrel length of 71 calibers, developed on the basis of the Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun, was installed. The horizontal pointing angle did not exceed a sector of 28°. Elevation angle +14°, declination -8°. Weight of the gun is 2200 kg. The embrasure in the front sheet of the cabin was covered with a massive cast pear-shaped mask connected to the machine. However, the design of the mask was not very successful and did not provide complete protection from bullet lead splashes and small fragments that penetrated into the body through the cracks between the mask and the frontal sheet. Therefore, armor shields were strengthened on the masks of most of the Ferdinands. The gun's ammunition included 50 unitary shots placed on the walls of the cabin. In the aft part of the cabin there was a round hatch intended for dismantling the gun.

According to German data, a PzGr 39/43 armor-piercing projectile weighing 10.16 kg and an initial speed of 1000 m/s penetrated 165 mm armor at a distance of 1000 m (at an impact angle of 90°), and a PzGr 40/43 sub-caliber projectile weighing 7.5 kg and an initial speed of 1130 m/s - 193 mm, which ensured the “Ferdinand” unconditional defeat of any of the then existing tanks.

Assembly of the first vehicle began on February 16, and the last, ninetieth Ferdinand, left the factory floor on May 8, 1943. In April, the first production vehicle was tested at the Kummersdorf proving ground.

The Ferdinands received their baptism of fire during Operation Citadel as part of the 656th tank destroyer regiment, which included the 653rd and 654th divisions (schwere Panzerjager Abteilung - sPz.Jager Abt.). By the beginning of the battle, the first had 45, and the second - 44 Ferdinands. Both divisions were operationally subordinate to the 41st Tank Corps and participated in heavy battles on the northern face of the Kursk Bulge in the area of ​​Ponyri station (654th division) and the village of Teploye (653rd division).

Ferdinand of the 653rd Heavy Assault Gun Battalion. July 1943

German heavy self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" and its crew

The 654th Division suffered especially heavy losses, mainly in minefields. 21 Ferdinands remained on the battlefield. German equipment knocked out and destroyed in the area of ​​the Ponyri station was examined on July 15, 1943 by representatives of the GAU and the NIBT Test Site of the Red Army. Most of the Ferdinands were in a minefield filled with land mines from captured large-caliber shells and aerial bombs. More than half of the vehicles had damage to the chassis: torn tracks, destroyed road wheels, etc. In five Ferdinands, damage to the chassis was caused by hits from shells of 76 mm caliber or more. Two German self-propelled guns had their gun barrels shot through by shells and bullets from anti-tank rifles. One vehicle was destroyed by a direct hit from an aerial bomb, and another by a 203-mm howitzer shell hitting the roof of the cabin.

Only one self-propelled gun of this type, which was fired from different directions by seven T-34 tanks and a battery of 76-mm guns, had a hole in the side, in the area of ​​the drive wheel. Another Ferdinand, which had no damage to the hull or chassis, was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail thrown by our infantrymen.

The only worthy opponent of heavy German self-propelled guns was the Soviet SU-152. The SU-152 regiment fired on the attacking Ferdinands of the 653rd division on July 8, 1943, knocking out four enemy vehicles. In total, in July - August 1943, the Germans lost 39 Ferdinands. The last trophies went to the Red Army on the approaches to Orel - several damaged assault guns prepared for evacuation were captured at the railway station.

The first battles of the Ferdinands on the Kursk Bulge were, in essence, the last where these self-propelled guns were used in large numbers. From a tactical point of view, their use left much to be desired. Created to exterminate Soviet medium and heavy tanks at long distances, they were used as an advanced "armor shield", blindly ramming engineering barriers and anti-tank defenses, while incurring heavy losses. At the same time, the moral effect of the appearance of largely invulnerable German self-propelled guns on the Soviet-German front was very great. “Ferdinandomania” and “Ferdinandophobia” appeared. Judging by the memoirs, there was not a fighter in the Red Army who did not knock out or, in extreme cases, did not participate in the battle with the Ferdinands. They crawled towards our positions on all fronts, starting in 1943 (and sometimes even earlier) until the end of the war. The number of “knocked out” Ferdinands is approaching several thousand. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that most of the Red Army soldiers were poorly versed in all sorts of “marders”, “bisons” and “nashorns” and called any German self-propelled gun “Ferdinand”, which indicates how great its “popularity” was among our soldiers. Well, besides, for the damaged Ferdinand they gave an order without any hesitation.

Self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" in the factory yard before being handed over to the troops. May 1943. Cars are painted yellow

"Ferdinand" during firing at the training ground in Putlos. May 1943. The open hatch for loading ammunition is clearly visible

After the inglorious completion of Operation Citadel, the remaining Ferdinands in service were transferred to Zhitomir and Dnepropetrovsk, where their ongoing repairs and replacement of guns began, caused by the strong heat of the barrels. At the end of August, the personnel of the 654th division were sent to France for reorganization and rearmament. At the same time, he transferred his self-propelled guns to the 653rd division, which in October - November took part in defensive battles in the area of ​​​​Nikopol and Dnepropetrovsk. Left the division in December leading edge and was sent to Austria.

During the period from July 5 (the beginning of Operation Citadel) to November 5, 1943, the Ferdinands of the 656th regiment knocked out 582 Soviet tanks, 344 anti-tank guns, 133 guns, 103 anti-tank rifles, three aircraft, three armored vehicles and three self-propelled guns (J .Ledwoch. Ferdinand/Elefant - Warszawa, 1997).

In the period from January to March 1944, the Nibelungenwerke plant modernized the 47 Ferdinands remaining by that time. A ball mount for the MG 34 machine gun was mounted in the frontal armor of the hull on the right. A commander’s cupola, borrowed from the StuG 40 assault gun, appeared on the roof of the cabin. The shield on the gun barrel was turned “back to front” for better fastening, and the self-propelled guns that had it were also equipped with shields. didn't have. Ammunition was increased to 55 rounds. The name of the car was changed to Elefant (elephant). However, until the end of the war, the self-propelled gun was more often called by the familiar name “Ferdinand”.

At the end of February 1944, the 1st company of the 653rd division was sent to Italy, where it participated in the battles of Anzio, and in May-June 1944 - near Rome. At the end of June, the company, which still had two serviceable Elefants, was transferred to Austria.

In April 1944, the 653rd division, consisting of two companies, was sent to the Eastern Front, to the Ternopil area. There, during the fighting, the division lost 14 vehicles, but 11 of them were repaired and put back into service. In July, the division, already retreating through Poland, had 33 serviceable self-propelled guns. However, on July 18, the 653rd Division, without reconnaissance or preparation, was thrown into battle to the rescue of the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, and within a day the number of combat vehicles in its ranks was more than halved. Soviet troops They very successfully used their heavy self-propelled guns and 57-mm anti-tank guns against the “elephants”. Some of the German vehicles were only damaged and could have been restored, but due to the impossibility of evacuation, they were blown up or set on fire by their own crews. The remnants of the division - 12 combat-ready vehicles - were taken to Krakow on August 3. In October 1944, Jagdtiger self-propelled guns began to arrive in the division, and the remaining “elephants” in service were consolidated into the 614th heavy anti-tank company.

Until the beginning of 1945, the company was in the reserve of the 4th tank army, and on February 25 she was transferred to the Wünsdorf area to strengthen anti-tank defense. At the end of April, the "elephants" held last fights in Wünsdorf and Zossen as part of the so-called Ritter group (Captain Ritter was the commander of the 614th battery).

In surrounded Berlin, the last two Elephant self-propelled guns were knocked out in the area of ​​Karl-August Square and the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Two self-propelled guns of this type have survived to this day. The Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka displays the Ferdinand, captured by the Red Army during the Battle of Kursk, and the Museum of the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the USA displays the Elephant, which was given to the Americans in Italy, near Anzio.

Soldiers of the Hermann Goering division pass by the Elefant (Ferdinand) stuck in the mud. Italy, 1944

During World War II, the industry of the Third Reich produced 9675 StuG III of all series and modifications, which makes this self-propelled gun the most massive armored vehicle that entered service with the Wehrmacht. The StuG III turned out to be a very successful self-propelled gun. It should be noted that in the top ten German tank aces, the seventh and eighth places are occupied by the commanders of these particular self-propelled guns

The history of German self-propelled artillery guns (hereinafter referred to as self-propelled guns) began with a memorandum on the interaction of infantry units, artillery and mobile artillery, published by Wehrmacht Major General Erich von Manstein in 1935. In particular, this document argued the feasibility of creating assault divisions self-propelled guns three-battery composition (six vehicles per battery), intended to support the advancing infantry, suppress bunkers, bunkers and enemy resistance units, as well as combat their armored vehicles.

"Armor" for infantry support

The memorandum caused a lively discussion among the German military, but in 1936 Daimler-Benz received an order to implement design work to create assault self-propelled guns on the chassis of the then newest tank Z.W. (future Pz.Kpfw.III). At the end of the 20s, an attempt was already made to create self-propelled guns based on the Hanomag WD-25 tractor, but these were vehicles with an open artillery platform, and their serial production was abandoned. Later, in 1930, Daimler-Benz designers developed a project for an assault self-propelled gun for... the USSR - as part of the activities of the joint Soviet-German Technical Commission (TEKO). They planned to protect the self-propelled gun with armor thickness from 15 (sides and rear) to 30 mm (front), arm it with a 76-mm gun, and its weight should not exceed 12 tons. The German side missed all the deadlines specified in the contract, and after the completion of the work in mid-1932, it set a price for its developments that was several times higher than the approved price. Representatives of the Soviet Union refused further cooperation, but the developments obtained were useful to Daimler-Benz in the future, when designing an assault self-propelled gun for the army of the Third Reich.

In 1937, five prototypes of the new self-propelled guns were assembled at the Daimler-Benz plant in Berlin-Marienfeld (the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.B tanks was used for their assembly). To speed up and reduce the cost of work, the conning towers of the vehicles were made not from armor plates, but from ordinary structural steel. The deckhouses were bolted to the chassis. Four crew members were placed in one fighting compartment, which was an innovation for armored vehicles of that time.

One of the zero modification StuG III prototypes. Round inspection hatches are visible in the lower frontal armor plate (only prototypes had them)

The main weapon of the new self-propelled gun was the 75-mm StuK 37 L/24 cannon with a 24-caliber barrel produced by the Essen corporation Krupp. Horizontal guidance of the gun was carried out within ±12º, vertical – from −10º to +20º. The ammunition load was 44 rounds. An MG-34 machine gun was additionally placed in the conning tower of the vehicle. Later, the MP-40 submachine gun was added to the self-propelled guns' armament.

Since 1938, prototypes have undergone intensive testing at various test sites in Germany. Simultaneously with the start of testing, disputes regarding the feasibility of creating self-propelled guns resumed, since there were Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks that carried the same weapons. Lieutenant General Heinz Guderian was especially opposed to the creation of self-propelled guns, but the initiator of the new project, Erich von Manstein, insisted on his point of view. Realities soon Polish campaign clearly demonstrated the need for infantry units to have armored mobile artillery units at their disposal, and all questions were resolved. At the end of 1939, mass production of new self-propelled guns began.

StuG III prototype. Eight road wheels combined into bogies are clearly visible
Source – worldwarphotos.info

In January-February 1940, the first production copies left the gates of the Daimler-Benz plant, and already on March 28, the new self-propelled gun was given the army designation Sturmgeschutz III (abbreviated as StuG III). Subsequently, the self-propelled gun underwent many modifications.

The first production cars were called StuG III Ausf.A and differed from the prototypes by using the modernized chassis of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.F tank. The five experimental self-propelled guns had eight road wheels per side in the chassis, which were assembled in pairs into four balancing bogies. Serial self-propelled guns now had six road wheels, and they were not assembled into bogies.

The armament of the production vehicle did not differ from the prototype. The front armor of the wheelhouse was 50 mm, the rear armor plate was 26 mm, and the side armor was 30 mm. In the front part of the cabin, its side armor protection was reinforced with additional 9-mm armor plates, which were welded to the hull at an angle of 60º. The thickness of the cabin roof reached 11 mm. The thickness of the rear armor plate was increased from 21 to 30 mm. In addition, to increase strength, the designers removed the side escape hatches. The total weight of the self-propelled guns reached 19.6 tons.

The reservation scheme of the StuG III Ausf.E differed little from the reservation of the self-propelled guns of the first series
Source – hisofweapons.ukoz.ru

The crew members were provided with optical observation devices. The commander had at his disposal an SF 14z stereo tube, for installation of which a special hatch was provided in the cabin roof. The gun was aimed using a Sfl ZF periscope sight located to the left of the gun, and the driver controlled the vehicle using a Fahrersehklappe 50 device with a KFF2 binocular periscope. The only one who was not provided with an optical device was the radio operator (he had at his disposal a VHF radio, located in a special armored box on the left fender).

StuG III Ausf.A on the street of a Western European city, 1940

During the period from January to June 1940, the Daimler-Benz plant produced 30 StuG III vehicles of the Ausf.A modification.

In June 1940, at the Berlin enterprise Alkett (Altmärkische Kettenfabrik), part of the state concern Reichswerke AG, production of the modification began StuG III Ausf.B. From that moment on, this company became the main manufacturer of the StuG III assault self-propelled gun. The new vehicles were planned to be assembled on the basis of the Pz.Kpfw.III chassis latest model Ausf.G, but since there were not enough of them, the first self-propelled guns were released on the chassis of the previous Ausf.F series. The latest StuG III Ausf.B self-propelled guns were produced on the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.H chassis.

StuG III Ausf.B. A distinctive feature is the asymmetrical gaps between the 1st and 2nd, as well as the 2nd and 3rd support rollers
Source – dishmodels.ru

The self-propelled gun differed from the previous modification by a new six-speed manual gearbox, installed instead of a five-speed preselector gearbox from the same manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen AG. In addition, the ignition system in the 12-cylinder 300-horsepower Maybach HL 120 TRM engine was modified. The width of the tracks was increased from 360 mm to 400, correspondingly increasing the size of the road wheels. The conning tower and armament have not undergone any changes. The total weight of the vehicle increased slightly - to 20.2 tons. During the year (from June 1940 to May 1941), German industry produced 360 self-propelled guns of this modification.

Red Army soldiers from the captured team lead the captured Self-propelled gun StuG III Ausf.S. Summer 1942
Source – rgakfd.ru

Modifications of the Ausf.B were still being produced when production of the series began in the Alkett workshops. StuG III Ausf.C. On these self-propelled guns, the aiming embrasure in the front panel of the cabin was removed, and the sight eyepiece was moved to the roof of the cabin, placed in a special hatch (due to this, its shape changed). The antenna was made foldable, with a special protective wooden groove provided for it. In the spring of 1941, 100 of these “products” were produced, after which the company began production StuG III Ausf.D. The new self-propelled guns were almost no different from the previous series, therefore, in German accounting statistics, vehicles of both modifications were counted as StuG III Ausf.С/D. External distinctive feature StuG III Ausf.D had protective brackets on the headlights. During the period from May to September 1941, German enterprises produced 150 self-propelled guns of this modification.

Self-propelled gun StuG III Ausf.D, captured by the British in North Africa
Source – skaramanga-1972.livejournal.com

In September 1941, production of self-propelled guns began StuG III Ausf.E, which were planned to be used as command vehicles. They wanted to replace the light half-track armored personnel carriers Sd.Kfz.253 observer-spotters, who were withdrawn from the units of StuG self-propelled guns. To do this, not one, but two radio stations were placed in armored boxes above both fenders of each self-propelled gun. They did not completely occupy the space allotted to them, so six additional shells were placed in the left of the boxes, which increased the ammunition load of the self-propelled guns to 50 rounds. The designers abandoned inclined side additional armor plates. The total number of vehicles of this modification manufactured from September 1941 to March 1942 was 284 units.

Ausf.E – the latest modification of the StuG III, armed with a short-barreled 75 mm gun
Source – waralbum.ru

Performance characteristics of the StuG III before rearmament with the StuK 40 L/43 cannon (data from the site panzerschreck.de)

Model	Prototype
Width, m
Height, m
Maximum speed, km/h
Engine model	Maybach HL 120 TR	Maybach HL 120 TR	Maybach HL 120 TRM	Maybach HL 120 TRM	Maybach HL 120 TRM	Maybach HL 120 TRM
Engine power, l. With.
	1 x 75 mm StuK 37 L/24	1 x 75 mm StuK 37 L/24	1 x 75 mm StuK 37 L/24	1 x 75 mm StuK 37 L/24	1 x 75 mm StuK 37 L/24	1 x 75 mm StuK 37 L/24
						1 x 7.92 mm MG 34
Manufactured
Years of manufacture

With new guns to a new life

On September 28, 1941, Hitler signed an order in which he demanded to increase the armor-piercing ability of the guns of German tanks and self-propelled guns, so that they could fight on equal terms with the latest models of Soviet armored vehicles. In pursuance of this order, a 75-mm gun from Rheinmetall-Borsig AG StuK 40 L/43 with a barrel length of 43 calibers was chosen for the modernization of the Sturmgeschutz III. The new gun was excellent for fighting T-34 and KV-1 tanks, but could not conduct mounted fire, which reduced its effectiveness in the fight against enemy infantry, artillery and bunkers. A StuK 40 was installed on one of the StuG III Ausf.E self-propelled guns for experimental purposes, and another vehicle was armed with a 105 mm howitzer. All this served as the basis for the new StuG III series and the creation of the StuH 42 self-propelled howitzer on its basis.

In March 1942, production of a modernized self-propelled gun began. StuG 40 Ausf.F(the designation “StuG III Ausf.F” was also used), apart from the new gun, it differed little from the StuG III Ausf.E. An electric fan was installed on the roof of the conning tower, and the ammunition capacity of the new vehicle was increased to 54 rounds. Instead of the Sfl ZF sight, the gunner received an improved Sfl ZF la sight.

Assault StuG gun 40 Ausf.F from the 5th SS Panzer Division "Wiking" moves along the flooring of railway sleepers in the Kharkov area
Source – waralbum.ru

In June 1942, the hull and conning tower armor began to be reinforced with additional 30 mm armor plates, as a result of which the total thickness of the frontal armor increased to 80 mm. This increased the weight of the car by 450 kg and reduced its top speed. A total of 182 units with reinforced armor were produced, in which, in addition, two headlights with blackout covers were replaced with one from Notek, which was initially mounted on the left wing, and later moved to the middle of the upper frontal sheet of the hull.

In the summer of 1942, another 31 StuG 40 Ausf.F units were armed with 75-mm StuK 40 guns with 48-caliber barrels. During the period from March to September 1942, German industry produced 364 StuG 40 Ausf.F of all modifications.

In September 1942, the production of Pz.Kpfw.III tanks was completely stopped in the Alkett workshops, and the company concentrated on the production of StuG III self-propelled guns, which once again modified. New series received the mark StuG 40 Ausf.F/8. The main changes affected the body of the self-propelled gun (it was made more technologically advanced and convenient). The thickness of the rear armor plate was increased to 50 mm, while the thickness of the front armor remained unchanged (80 mm). The designers made the towing earrings in the form of brackets, which were a continuation of the body. In addition, it has changed appearance access hatches to the transmission (in the front of the vehicle) and to the engines (in the rear).

The designers abandoned the smoke exhaust device of previous models, which was used to camouflage self-propelled guns, as well as folding antennas, so the wooden safety boxes for them were removed.

StuG 40 Ausf.F/8 assault gun on display at the Military Museum in Belgrade, Serbia
Source – wikimedia.org

The StuG 40 Ausf.F/8 was equipped with a gun that had a single-chamber muzzle brake. At the beginning of 1943, a protective shield for the MG-34 machine gun began to be installed above the loader's hatch on the right side of the roof on F/8 modification vehicles. Since May 1943, armored side screens began to be installed on self-propelled guns that survived the battles, which effectively protected them from hits from cumulative shells and armor-piercing PTR bullets. From September to December 1942, 250 StuG 40 Ausf.F/8 self-propelled guns were manufactured.

From December 1942 to March 1945, the Alkett company produced the last, most successful and most widespread series of self-propelled guns - StuG 40 Ausf.G, which is also referred to in various sources as StuG III Ausf.G.

Most of all the changes affected the armored hull. The armored boxes for radios were removed, and the sides were extended to the middle of the fenders. The first vehicles in the series retained 50 mm frontal armor, which was reinforced with overhead 30 mm armor plates attached to the hull with bolts or welding. Since April 1944, the company began to use 80-mm armored steel for the manufacture of frontal parts.

The electric fan was initially located in the same place as on the StuG 40 Ausf.F series, but later it was moved to the rear of the cabin roof. The driver's observation device was eliminated, the embrasure under which in the wheelhouses of the first G series cars was simply welded. Later, the designers also abandoned the driver’s observation device, which was located on the left side of the self-propelled gun.

Since November 1943, instead of the old welded gun mantlet of the 75-mm StuK 40 L/48 cannon, some self-propelled guns began to be equipped with a new cast one, which was called Saukopfblende (German - “boar’s snout”). Both masks were installed on vehicles until the end of the war. Since June 1944, a coaxial MG-34 machine gun began to be mounted in welded mantlets, and in October of the same year it also appeared in cast mantlets.

In self-propelled guns produced after May 1944, a hole appeared in the roof of the wheelhouse for a mortar that fired smoke and fragmentation grenades. Before this, some self-propelled guns were equipped with 90-mm NbK 39 smoke grenade launchers, which were installed in the front part of the cabin (three each to the left and right of the gun).

An early version of the StuG 40 Ausf.G assault gun on the march in Italy. 90 mm NbK 39 smoke grenade launchers are visible, as well as additional 30 mm armor welded to the lower armor plate

The StuG 40 Ausf.G was produced with a commander's cupola, which improved visibility for the vehicle commander. Since the armor of the walls was weak, from October 1943 it began to be equipped with a fairing - a cast shield that reflected bullets and shrapnel.

Initially, the loader's hatch, located in the front right part of the cabin roof, consisted of two doors - rear and front, which, when raised, served as a shield for the MG-34 machine gun. On later versions of the self-propelled gun, the hatch doors could already be opened to the left and right, and the MG-42 machine gun, mounted on the roof, could be controlled remotely by the gunner. The need to lean out of the hatch now arose only at the moment of reloading the weapon. In this case, the gunner was protected by the side flaps of the open hatch, which stood vertically in the open position, as well as a small V-shaped shield mounted on the machine gun.

German tankman fires from an MG-34 machine gun mounted on a StuG III Ausf.G self-propelled gun
Source – waralbum.ru

For the StuG 40 Ausf.G, two types of tracks were produced - 400 mm wide (regular) and 550 mm wide (the so-called “eastern” ones, intended to increase the vehicle’s cross-country ability on quickly liquefied heavy soils and in the snow of the Eastern Front). On later versions of the self-propelled guns, the designers abandoned the rubber coating of the support rollers, which was due to the shortage of rubber that arose in the Third Reich towards the end of the war.

Almost all self-propelled guns of the G series received 5-mm screens that protected them from hits from cumulative projectiles. The cars had only one problem with the screens - when driving over rough terrain, they often caught on the ground, so soon the lower front corners of the screens began to be cut off. Since the summer of 1943, self-propelled guns began to be coated with a special Zimmerit coating, which protected them from magnetic mines.

German assault gun StuG III Ausf.G with side anti-cumulative shields and zimmerit coating of the hull
Source – waralbum.ru

From December 1942 to April 1945, the Alkett plant produced 5191 StuG 40 Ausf.G self-propelled guns. In February 1943, the MIAG company in Braunschweig joined their production, where until March 1945 they produced another 2,643 vehicles of this modification. In addition, in 1943, 165 self-propelled guns were produced on the basis of the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M. tanks, and in 1944 - 173 self-propelled guns on the chassis of “triples” of other modifications that underwent repair and restoration work at the Alkett enterprise. Thus, the assembly shops delivered a total of 8172 Ausf.G series vehicles (according to other sources - 7720).

Performance characteristics of various StuG III series armed with the StuK 40 cannon (data from the website panzerschreck.de)

Model		Ausf.F/8
Width, m
Height, m
Thickness of the frontal armor of the hull, mm
Maximum speed, km/h
Engine model	Maybach HL 120 TRM	Maybach HL 120 TRM	Maybach HL 120 TRM
Engine power, l. With.
	1 x 75 mm StuK 40 L/43	1 x 75 mm StuK 40 L/48	1 x 75 mm StuK 40 L/48
	1 x 7.92 mm MG 34	1 x 7.92 mm MG 34	2 x 7.92 mm MG 34
Manufactured
Years of manufacture

In total, during the Second World War, the industry of the Third Reich produced 9675 StuG III of all series and modifications, which makes this self-propelled gun the most massive armored vehicle that entered service with the Wehrmacht.

StuG 40 Ausf.G with pig snout gun mantlet and Zimmerit coating
Source – nevsepic.com.ua

More and more new models

The fighting on the Eastern Front in the first month of the war showed the need to create large-caliber armored mobile artillery mounts necessary to suppress enemy resistance centers and strongholds. Back in July 1941, the chairman of the tank commission of the Armament Directorate ground forces Dr. Ferdinand Porsche initiated the creation of a 150-mm self-propelled gun, which was commissioned to be developed by the designers of the Alkett company. From December 1941 to January 1942, a similar number of 150-mm self-propelled guns were manufactured on the basis of twelve StuG III Ausf.E self-propelled gun chassis. To produce twelve more units, they used the StuG III Ausf.F/8 self-propelled gun chassis, on which armored deckhouses with howitzers were installed in the fall of 1942. New self-propelled gun received the designation StuIG 33B– the word Infanterie (German – “infantry”) was added to the decoding of the properties of the weapon.

The 15 cm schweres Infanterie Geschütz 33 field howitzer, or abbreviated 15 cm sIG 33 (150 mm heavy infantry gun of the 1933 model), was chosen as the main weapon for the new self-propelled gun, on which a recoil device was installed, allowing it to be mounted on an armored chassis. The firing range of the 15 cm sIG 33 was 4.7 km, and this gun could only be aimed horizontally by ±3°. Vertical pointing angles reached +25° and −6°. The ammunition load of the new self-propelled gun was 30 shells. Additionally, a detachable MG-34 machine gun was installed in the self-propelled gun cabin.

150-mm self-propelled gun StuIG 33В on the march
Source – plaza.rakuten.co.jp

In October 1942, the first twelve guns received their baptism of fire in the battles of Stalingrad as part of the 177th and 244th separate battalions siege weapons, where they died. From the remaining twelve self-propelled guns, the 17th siege anti-personnel artillery battery was formed, which was assigned to the 22nd Panzer Division. She took part in an attempt to break through the ring closed by the Red Army around the 6th Infantry Army of the Wehrmacht in Stalingrad. In these battles, the division was defeated, and the battery lost six self-propelled guns.

The remaining six vehicles were transferred to the 23rd Tank Division, where they became part of the 201st Tank Regiment as an assault battery. The battery took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge, during the defense of the Dnieper line, and as of September 1944, only five self-propelled guns remained operational. Only one copy of the StuIG 33B has survived to this day, exhibited at the Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka (Russia).

150-mm self-propelled gun StuIG 33B on display at the Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka

The second, more successful and widespread self-propelled howitzer, created on the basis of the StuG III, was StuH 42 . After the execution of Hitler's order of September 28, 1941, when the StuK 37 gun was replaced by the longer StuK 40, the StuG 40 self-propelled guns no longer fully corresponded to the functions of an assault gun. The flat trajectory of the new gun's projectile made it difficult to fight enemy infantry defending in trenches and trenches, as well as its firing points. To fill the gap, it was decided to create a self-propelled howitzer with a larger caliber gun and a mounted projectile flight path.

The 10.5 cm leFH18/40 howitzer, model 1918, manufactured by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG, was chosen as the main weapon for the new self-propelled gun. The first experimental StuH 42 was created on the StuG III Ausf.E chassis, the next five prototypes were assembled on the StuG III Ausf.F chassis and four more on the StuG III Ausf.F/8 chassis.

Train with StuH 42 self-propelled guns at Lyubotin station
Source – warallbum.ru

The vehicle went into production with a modified gun, which differed from the field one in the design of the recoil device and the modernized shape of the bolt. Since September 1944, the muzzle brake was no longer mounted on the barrel. The self-propelled gun's ammunition consisted of 36 shells, of which 26 were high-explosive fragmentation, and another 10 were cumulative, penetrating armor 90–100 mm thick. Just like the StuG III Ausf.G, on the roof of the new self-propelled guns there was a shield behind which was hidden an MG-34 or MG-42 machine gun, from which the loader could fire, if necessary.

Self-propelled gun StuH 42 of the early series, abandoned by the Germans on the Eastern Front. Howitzer without muzzle brake, gun mantlet - welded
Source – warallbum.ru

The design of the self-propelled howitzer was not much different from the StuG III - only the layout of the gun and the placement of shells were different. Self-propelled howitzers, like the StuG III Ausf.G, eventually received cast gun mantlets instead of welded ones and were also shielded with additional anti-cumulative armor. Later examples were coated with a zimmerite coating. In total, during the period from March 1942 to April 1945, German industry produced 1299 StuH 42 units.

Self-propelled gun StuH 42 with troops on armor. Muzzle brake early modifications, cast gun mantlet
Source – warallbum.ru

"Incendiary" self-propelled guns

In December 1942, it was decided to create flamethrower self-propelled guns based on the StuG III Ausf.F StuGIII Flamm, which would be intended to storm fortified enemy strongholds. Work on new vehicles began in February 1943. Instead of a 75-mm gun, 14-mm flamethrowers, protected by steel casing pipes, were installed in the conning tower of the self-propelled gun (Wegmann & Co. and Koebe were responsible for the installation of flamethrower weapons).

Source – wehrmacht-history.com

The flamethrower's firing range was 50–60 m, depending on weather conditions(wind direction and strength). Before shooting, the fire mixture was heated up for about five minutes. hot water, which was supplied to the tanks from the radiator. Throwing was done using compressed air, for the production of which a compressor equipped with a separate two-piston gasoline engine. The ammunition capacity of each vehicle was 1000 liters of fire mixture. Horizontally, the flamethrower could be aimed at ±10° without additional rotation by the self-propelled gun hull, and vertically it fired at angles from +20° to −6°. In total, German machine builders produced 10 vehicles of this modification.

Flamethrower self-propelled gun StuG III Fl Flamm
Source – moderndrawings.jexiste.be

In 1944–45, part of the StuG III Ausf.G chassis was used to create armored personnel carriers for transporting shells ( Munitionspanzer auf StuG 40 Ausf.G), which were used to transport 75-mm and 105-mm shells along with the Sd.Kfz.250 and Sd.Kfz.251 half-track armored personnel carriers, but since very few of them were produced, preference was given to the latter two vehicles.

Changes in the design of the vehicle consisted in the fact that the gun was not installed, and the embrasure in the front plate was welded with an armor lining. Sometimes, for the convenience of loading/unloading shells, a crane boom was mounted on the roof of the wheelhouse.

On a larger chassis

On November 23 and 26, 1943, the Allied flying fortresses, which did not stop bombing military and industrial targets in Germany, severely damaged the production workshops of the Alkett enterprise in Berlin. In order not to stop the release anti-tank self-propelled guns, the need for which at the front was growing every day, the Germans decided to entrust part of the production of self-propelled guns to a subsidiary of the Krupp corporation in Magdeburg (Krupp-Gruson-Werk). Since it specialized in the production of medium tanks Pz.Kpfw.IV, they decided to install the StuG III Ausf.G wheelhouses on the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G chassis to save time. There was no economic feasibility in such a decision, but the current situation left German engineers no other choice.

Since the Pz.Kpfw.IV chassis was longer than the chassis used to assemble the StuG III, the driver's position was outside the standard conning tower, and a separate armored conning tower with an escape hatch and two periscopes was designed for him. The resulting completely new self-propelled gun received the designation StuG IV and was modernized along with the changes that were made to the standard StuG III conning tower and the Pz.Kpfw.IV chassis (for example, the last hulls of the new self-propelled guns were mounted on the “four” chassis of the Ausf.J modification).

Destroyed German StuG IV assault gun
Source – warallbum.ru

Since the design of the cabins of the self-propelled guns produced by Alkett and Krupp-Gruson-Werk were the same, the additional weapons (a machine gun on the wheelhouse and a machine gun on the roof of the cabin), radio stations and other equipment were almost identical. Due to its more spacious chassis, the StuG IV had more ammunition - 63 rounds versus 54 for the StuG III Ausf.G.

During the period from December 1943 to March 1945, 1108 vehicles (according to other sources - 1163) of a new design were produced in Magdeburg. Another 31 self-propelled guns were converted from finished tanks that arrived at Krupp factories for overhaul. Only three copies of these self-propelled guns have survived to this day - two in Poland (one of them is operational) and one in Latvia.

StuG IV with a remote-controlled machine gun on the roof, a hole for a coaxial machine gun in the gun mantlet, screens, but without a zimmerit coating
Source – militaryimages.net

Stugas enter the battle

For the first time, StuG III assault guns took part in combat operations in the spring and summer of 1940 in France and Holland. Self-propelled guns, from which four batteries were formed in the training artillery regiment (Artillerie Lehr Regiment) in Uteborg-Damme, supported the advance of the infantry units to which they were attached. Battery No. 640 supported the 3rd Regiment of the Großdeutschland (Great Germany) Division, Battery No. 659 supported the 13th Army Corps, No. 660 supported the SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" (Totenkopf), and No. 665 arrived in France only took part in the beginning of July and practically did not participate in the battles. Combat practice showed the need to increase the number of such units in the Wehrmacht.

The first StuG III batteries were formed on the basis staffing structure, approved back on November 1, 1939. Each battery consisted of three platoons of two vehicles each, that is, the battery size was six vehicles. Each platoon, in addition to combat self-propelled guns, included service vehicles: a command half-track armored vehicle Sd.Kfz.253, intended for artillery observers, and a front-line ammunition transporter Sd.Kfz.252 with an Sd.Anh.32 trailer. Thus, the StuG III battery was an impressive combat unit in terms of numbers.

StuG III Ausf.B assault gun unit on the Eastern Front. At the head of the column is the armored personnel carrier of the platoon commander Sd.Kfz.253
Source – waralbum.ru

By November 1940, a sufficient number of self-propelled guns had been produced to begin forming them into three-battery divisions of 18 vehicles each (not counting service armored personnel carriers). Since November, the staff of each division began to additionally include a separate self-propelled gun for its commander, in addition, each battery was assigned one vehicle for battery commanders. The number of StuG IIIs in the division increased to 22 vehicles.

In the foreground is an Sd.Kfz.252 ammunition carrier, behind it is a StuG III Ausf.C/D self-propelled gun
Source – waralbum.ru

During this period, StuG III divisions took part in battles in Greece and Yugoslavia. During the entire period before the start of the campaign on the Eastern Front, of all the Sturmgeschutz IIIs that fought in France and the Balkans, only one vehicle was lost. But in the summer of 1941 the situation changed dramatically.

Very few StuG IIIs fought in Africa. At the beginning of 1942, a battery of three self-propelled units StuG III Ausf.D arrived in Tripoli (Libya) as part of the special forces SonderVerband 288, formed from personnel of the 800th division special purpose"Brandenburg". The strength of the unit was initially 1,400 people, and by May 1942 it was gradually increased to 1,800 with 610 units of equipment. This actually sabotage regiment was commanded by Colonel Otto Menton. “Stugas” and “Marders” assigned to the special forces were intended for its assault and anti-tank support. As part of a special unit also called the "Menton Group", StuG III Ausf.D took part in the assault on British positions at El Ghazala and the capture of Tobruk.

After the defeat at El Alamein, SonderVerband 288 retreated to Tunisia along with other units of Panzer Army Africa. Along the way he lost all his armored vehicles, including all three StuG III Ausf.D. One of these self-propelled guns in good condition was captured by the British, and is currently on display in the Bovington Museum.

Destroyed Pz.Kpfw.III tank and StuG III Ausf.D assault gun (right) from SonderVerband 288 on a road in North Africa. A column passes by British tanks M3 "Stuart"
Source – waralbum.ru

Another six StuG.III Ausf.F/8 from the 1st battery of the 242nd assault gun division, specially prepared for desert warfare, were sent from the vicinity of Uteborg to Naples on December 31, 1942. There, the self-propelled guns were loaded onto ferries and sent to Tunisia, calling at the port of Trapania in Sicily. On the way to the island, one transport with two Stukas was sunk by Allied aviation. The remaining four vehicles reached Tunisia, where they were renamed Assault Battery No. 90 and assigned to the Barentin parachute regiment. On May 1, 1943, the regiment capitulated, and the battery was assigned to the airborne brigade of Major General Bernard Ramcke, as part of which it surrendered to the Allies on May 15 of the same year.

A StuG III Ausf.A assault gun breached the bridge. Balkans, 1941
Source – waralbum.ru

In the endless eastern expanses

By the start of Plan Barbarossa, twelve divisions and five separate StuG III batteries had been formed, which were subordinate to the commanders of Army Groups North, Center and South. Separate units of self-propelled guns also became part of the SS troops. Thus, on June 22, 1941, as part of the SS division “Totenkopf”, the Western Bug crossed the 192nd StuG III division, one battery of which crossed the river along the bottom (this battery had previously been prepared for landing in Britain). In SS units, the number of vehicles in batteries could differ from their number in Wehrmacht units. Thus, in the SS division “Das Reich” (“Reich”), a separate StuG III battery consisted of eight vehicles, each of which had its own name in honor of the famous German commanders (“Seydlitz”, “Lutzow”, “Prince Eugene”, etc. .).

With the outbreak of hostilities StuG III, the main specific gravity which consisted of vehicles of the Ausf.B modification, took an active part in the main battles on the Eastern Front. They were especially “noticeable” during the assault on fortified areas on the border of the USSR and the “old” Soviet-Polish border, during the general assault on Kyiv in August 1941 and in the battles in the Crimea. In Soviet documents, vehicles of this model were designated as “artsturm” (they were not called that in any other country in the world).

Kiev residents inspect the captured German self-propelled gun StuG III Ausf.C, captured near the village of Vita-Pochtovaya. August 1941
Source – waralbum.ru

The StuG III's good frontal armor for that time, which the 45-mm gun (the main anti-tank weapon of the Red Army) could not penetrate, as well as the low silhouette made them a formidable weapon, including for tanks. The standard T-34 gun could penetrate the frontal armor of the StuG III only at medium and close ranges, while the likelihood of damage to the Soviet tank during the approach German self-propelled guns was very high. Perhaps it was thanks to this that in the first six months of the war (from June 22 to December 31, 1941), the Wehrmacht lost only 96 self-propelled guns.

During the same period, the use of captured StuG III by the Red Army began. It is reliably known about two self-propelled guns captured by the Red Army in the first half of August 1941 in the area of ​​​​the village of Vita-Pochtovaya near Kiev. They were exhibited for viewing by Kiev residents in one of the central squares of the city, and then were sent to the troops (their further fate is unknown).

At the beginning of 1942, due to the increase in the number of self-propelled guns in the troops, the number of vehicles in the platoon was increased. Thus, the number of StuG III batteries increased to 10 units (including the command vehicle), and the number of the division - to 31. At the same time, due to the revealed insufficient armor of self-propelled guns, the production of the Ausf.F model began, the thickness of the frontal armor of which was increased to 80 mm. In addition, they began to install a new gun, the StuK 40 L/43, capable of penetrating the armor of the T-34 and KV-1. This is what the Soviet self-propelled tankman Yu. N. Polyakov, who fought on the SU-76, recalled about the new StuG III: “We knew the same 75mm artillery assault. The armor was thicker than ours. And they have a good gun.”

StuG III/40 divisions played a significant role in the third (final) assault on Sevastopol in June 1942, after which the city fell. Between 50 and 65 StuG IIIs took part in these battles, and the German self-propelled gun divisions suffered significant losses (the 197th division was completely destroyed). Self-propelled guns died in minefields, from fire coastal batteries And anti-aircraft guns, from grenades of soldiers and marines.

German soldiers walk down the street past a StuG III self-propelled gun. Outskirts of Sevastopol, 1942
Source – waralbum.ru

It is curious that on June 30, 1942, it was the crews of several StuG IIIs of the 190th division (the first at the front to receive vehicles of the Ausf.F modification) together with soldiers of the 72nd infantry regiment broke through to the Sevastopol Panorama building and hoisted the flag of the Third Reich on it.

Units equipped with StuG III self-propelled guns suffered significant losses, and Battle of Stalingrad- in the cauldron on the Volga, the 243rd, 244th and 245th assault gun divisions were completely destroyed. In 1942, the irretrievable losses of the StuG III amounted to 332 vehicles.

German soldiers and StuG III assault guns on the street of destroyed Stalingrad, 1942
Source – waralbum.ru

From March 2, 1943, in connection with the appearance self-propelled howitzers, created on the basis of the StuG III (StuH 42), to make the self-propelled gun batteries more versatile, they began to be combined, adding three StuH 42 vehicles to the seven StuG III or StuG 40. Thanks to this, the battery became universal and could fight both enemy armored vehicles (using a flat trajectory 75-mm StuG III/40 self-propelled gun shells), and with its field fortifications, which were suppressed by 105-mm howitzers.

In 1943, there was a significant organizational change in the management of self-propelled gun units - they were transferred from the Wehrmacht artillery department to the armored department. After this, many self-propelled gun divisions were included in the tank and motorized divisions of the Wehrmacht.

The most significant battle in which the StuG III/40 took part in 1943 was the Battle of Kursk, in which 455 of these self-propelled guns took part. As of June 30, 1943, 26 assault gun divisions were concentrated on the Eastern Front, equipped with 35 StuG III Ausf.A-E self-propelled guns, 727 StuG 40 Ausf.F-G and 57 StuH 42 assault howitzers. Thus, near Kursk, the Wehrmacht concentrated up to 50 % self-propelled guns of this type. In the battle, the Germans lost 273 StuG III/40 and 38 StuH 42, and in total in 1943, the Wehrmacht lost 1,492 self-propelled guns and 73 self-propelled howitzers of these types (of this number, German repairmen were able to return only 208 vehicles to service).

In the same year, production of the SU-76I self-propelled gun began in the Soviet Union, which was made on the basis of the chassis of captured Pz.Kpfw.III tanks and StuG III/40 self-propelled guns. A total of 201 units were produced from April to November 1943, but then production was stopped in favor of self-propelled guns of its own production, SU-76m, since the flow of captured tanks was very unstable, and repairing captured equipment in the field caused a lot of difficulties.

SU-76I in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow
Source – la-star.ru

At the beginning of 1944, four-platoon batteries appeared in the StuG III/40 divisions (three platoons were equipped with StuG III/40, and one with StuН 42). Until the end of the war, batteries of 10 and 14 self-propelled guns coexisted in parallel, at the same time the expanded self-propelled gun divisions began to be renamed into brigades, which could include different quantity batteries (from two to five), which introduced additional difficulties in accounting for the actual number of vehicles in units.

From the very beginning of the Eastern Campaign, there was a constant increase in the number of StuG III self-propelled guns of all modifications, but in 1944–45 the German industry, whose production capacities suffered irreparable losses as a result of bombing by Allied aircraft, no longer had time to compensate for the Wehrmacht's losses in armored vehicles.

German equipment on Mitteltragheim street in Königsberg (after the assault). In the foreground is a StuG III Ausf.G assault gun, in the background is a Jgd.Pz.IV tank destroyer
Source – waralbum.ru

In conclusion

The StuG III turned out to be a very successful self-propelled gun. It had a low silhouette and "held" the shells of the main Soviet tanks, which made it an excellent anti-tank weapon, especially if it operated from an ambush. It should also be noted that in the top ten German tank aces, the seventh and eighth places are occupied by the commanders of these particular self-propelled guns. Major Hans Sandrock fought in the Afrika Korps (Panzer Army "Africa"), and then in the Luftwaffe division "Hermann Göring" ("Hermann Göring") in the parachute armored regiment (German statistics credit him with 123 tank victories), and his colleague Sergeant Fritz Lang from the 232nd Assault Gun Battalion is credited with 113 damaged vehicles.

After the end of World War II War StuG III continued to be in service with the armies of several countries in Europe and the Middle East: Finland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Spain, Egypt and Syria. The last military action in which these vehicles took part was the Six-Day War of 1967. The Yad Le-Shiryon armored vehicle museum in Latrun still displays the StuG III Ausf.G, captured by the Israelis during that war, and at least two more damaged self-propelled guns have been rusting on the heights of the Golan Heights for half a century.

Destroyed Syrian StuG III on the Golan Heights
Source – waronline.org