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46-816: Sturmgeschütz (abbreviated StuG ) meaning " assault gun " was a series of armored fighting vehicles used by both the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS formations during the Second World War (1939–1945). The main StuGs were the StuG III and StuG IV based on the Panzer III and Panzer IV medium tank chassis respectively. The more common of the two, the StuG III was developed in

92-550: A December 1943 conference, Hitler welcomed the suggestion of taking the StuG III superstructure and mounting it on a Panzer IV chassis to offset the loss of production of the StuG III. This restarted the Sturmgeschütz IV project, which had earlier been considered and rejected. The superstructure of the StuG III Ausf. G was mounted on a Panzer IV chassis 7. The Krupp plant, which did not produce Panzer IIIs, used

138-694: A difficult vehicle to destroy. The StuG III became Nazi Germany's most-produced armored fighting-vehicle during World War II, with some 10,000 examples manufactured. The StuG vehicles operated primarily within the Sturmartillerie  [ de ] ("self-propelled artillery"), a branch of the artillery arm of the German armed forces  [ de ] . Following the defeat of the German Empire in World War I , military commanders from

184-495: A direct fire role, none were developed with this specifically in mind, reminiscent of the use of tank destroyers by the US military in the assault gun role during World War II. Defilade#Defilade Enfilade and defilade are concepts in military tactics used to describe a military formation's exposure to enemy fire. A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. A unit or position

230-793: A light reconnaissance vehicle. Currently, there appears to be a move toward wheeled vehicles fitting a "tank destroyer" or "assault gun" role, such as the M1128 mobile gun system of the United States Army , the B1 Centauro wheeled tank destroyer of the Italian and Spanish Armies , the Chinese anti-tank gun PTL-02 and ZBL08 assault gun , and the French AMX-10 RC heavy armoured car. While these vehicles might be useful in

276-434: A raised berm that increases the effective height of the ground, within an excavation that allows the troops to shelter below the surface of the ground or a combination of the two. The same principles apply to fighting positions for artillery and armored fighting vehicles. A unit sited in defilade threatens an enemy that decides to pass it and move forward, because the enemy would be put in an enfiladed position when moving in

322-752: A significant weakness at times. The StuG was more successful in defensive roles, such as ambush, rather than as an offensive vehicle. The lack of an internal light machine gun in early models left the StuG vulnerable to close-range infantry attack. A machine gun and shield were added to later versions. In November 1943, Alkett, GmbH , a major StuG III manufacturer, was bombed as part of the RAF campaign against Berlin , and Alkett's StuG production declined from 255 StuG IIIs in October 1943, to just 24 vehicles in December. In

368-657: A variant of the KV-1 heavy tank with a short-barreled 152 mm howitzer mounted in an oversized turret. This was not a success in battle, and was replaced with a very successful series of turretless assault guns: the SU-76 , SU-122 , and the heavy SU-152 , which were followed by the ISU-122 and ISU-152 on the new IS heavy tank chassis . The primary German assault gun was the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III). At about

414-635: Is "in defilade" if it uses natural or artificial obstacles to shield or conceal itself from enfilade and hostile fire. The strategies, named by the English during the Hundred Years' War , use the French enfiler ("to put on a string or sling") and défiler ("to slip away or off") spoken by English nobility of the time. Enfilade fire—gunfire directed against an enfiladed formation or position—is also commonly known as "flanking fire". Raking fire

460-636: Is enfiladed if fired on from the front or rear such that the projectiles travel the length of the column. A rank or line of advancing troops is enfiladed if fired on from the side (from the flank). The advantages of enfilading missiles have been appreciated since antiquity , whether in pitched battles such as the Battle of Taginae or in fortifications designed to provide the defenders with opportunities to enfilade attacking forces. Although sophisticated archery tactics grew rare in Western Europe during

506-401: Is synonymous with a hull-down or turret-down position. Defilade is also used to refer to a position on the reverse slope of a hill or within a depression in level or rolling terrain. Defiladed positions on hilltops are advantageous because "dead space" – a space that cannot be engaged with direct fire – will be created in front of the position. Ideally, this dead space should be covered by

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552-435: Is the equivalent term in naval warfare . Strafing , firing on targets from a flying platform, is often done with enfilade fire. It is a very advantageous, and much sought for, position for the attacking force. A formation or position is "in enfilade" if weapon fire can be directed along its longest axis. For instance, a trench is enfiladed if the opponent can fire down the length of the trench. A column of marching troops

598-513: The Reichswehr began to consider how mobile armored artillery units could provide support to advancing infantry units. Colonel Erich von Manstein recommended the concept of infantry Begleitbatterien (escort batteries) to General Beck , chief of the general staff in 1935. Manstein theorized the vehicle would not be used as one uses a tank, but rather as an infantry support vehicle to destroy fortified objectives through direct fire. Its mission

644-538: The ASU-85 , which served through the 1980s, while their SU-100 remained in service with Communist countries, including Vietnam and Cuba, years after World War II. The US M56 and another armoured vehicle, the M50 Ontos , were to be the last of the more traditional assault guns in US service. Improvised arrangements such as M113 personnel carriers with recoilless rifles were quickly replaced by missile carrier vehicles in

690-622: The Crusader cruiser tank and the Matilda II Infantry tank were produced in versions armed with the 3-inch howitzer ; the first versions of the Churchill tank also had this gun in a hull mounting. American tank destroyer units were often used in the assault gun role for infantry support. The AVRE version of the Churchill tank was armed with a spigot mortar that fired a 40 lb (18 kg) HE -filled projectile (nicknamed

736-687: The Early Middle Ages , enfilade fire was reemphasized by the late medieval English using ranked archers combined with dismounted knights, first employed at the Battle of Dupplin Moor in 1332 and used to devastating effect against the French in the Hundred Years War . The benefit of enfilading an enemy formation is that, by firing along the long axis, it becomes easier to hit targets within that formation. Enfilade fire takes advantage of

782-495: The Flying Dustbin ) 150 yards (140 m). Its task was to attack fortified positions such as bunkers at close range (see Hobart's Funnies ). In the post-World War II era, most vehicles fitting into an "assault gun" category were developed as a light-weight, air-deployable, direct fire combat vehicles for use with airborne troops. Those weapons were either based on light utility vehicles or small tracked vehicles and

828-480: The Infanterikanonvagn 72 , all the way into the 1960s before settling on a turreted design in 1968, becoming the Infanterikanonvagn 91 . The Soviet Union continued funding development of new assault guns as late as 1967, although few of its postwar designs were adopted in large numbers. In Soviet and Eastern European armies, the traditional assault gun was primarily superseded by tank destroyers, such as

874-805: The Jagdpanzer IV and the Jagdpanther , which combined the low silhouette of the StuG with the heavier armament of the Panther and Tiger II tanks, respectively. Still, the StuG III was an effective armored fighting vehicle long after the Panzer III had been retired as a main battle tank. A number of captured StuGs were refurbished in the Soviet Union and given to Syria, along with some Panzer IVs, where they were used briefly against Israel. A captured Syrian Panzer IV and StuG III are on display at

920-721: The SU-100 , which is capable of supporting either infantry or armor. Since the 1980s, the multi-purpose assault gun concept has seen a resurgence, mainly in the form of turreted wheeled designs, such as the South African Rooikat and Italian B1 Centauro . Today, modern assault guns include the Japanese Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle and the American M1128 Stryker and M10 Booker . Assault guns were primarily developed during World War II by

966-547: The StuG IV , StuIG 33B , Brummbär and Sturmtiger . This last one was a very heavy vehicle, and was built only in small quantities. Battalions of assault guns, usually StuG IIIs, commonly replaced the intended panzer battalion in the German panzergrenadier divisions due to the chronic shortage of tanks, and were sometimes used as makeshifts even in the panzer divisions . Independent battalions were also deployed as "stiffeners" for infantry divisions, and

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1012-533: The Sturmgeschütz III Ausf A, arrived in 1940 mounted with the short barreled 75 mm StuK 37L/24 gun and increased frontal hull armor (from 30 mm to 50 mm). The main armament, which had a limited lateral traverse, was mounted directly in a casemate -style hull. This created the lowest possible profile in order to reduce the vehicle's height, making the StuG more difficult to hit and easier to protect in hull defilade . In 1942 and 1943

1058-844: The Armor Museum in Israel. The StuG was also used in Finland post-war where one unit even mixed StuGs and British turreted ' Charioteer ' tank destroyers. A Finnish StuG (posing as a German one) appears in the movie The Eagle Has Landed , and ex-Finnish StuGs have since turned up in British war museums. The Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset has one painted in Finnish markings. The Imperial War Museum 's Duxford site also has an ex-Finland StuG but its markings are more ambiguous. Another StuG III, in

1104-521: The Germans began to use the StuGs to replace standard tank losses. They were used in this fashion as German losses of all types of armored vehicles now exceeded production. The StuGs proved effective in a defensive role, but were a poor substitute for conventional tanks offensively. Thus the panzer regiments continued to be equipped with Panzer IV and Panther medium tanks for offensive operations. Meanwhile, heavier armed tank destroyers were developed, such as

1150-739: The M4A3(105); these were designated assault guns in US usage of the term. The M8 Scott , based on the chassis of the M5 Stuart light tank, was also an assault cannon and carried a 75 mm short howitzer . The Churchill , Centaur and Cromwell tanks were all produced in versions armed with 95 mm howitzers : the Churchill Mark V and Mark VIII, the Centaur Mark IV and the Cromwell Mark VI. Earlier British tanks, such as

1196-535: The Panzer IV chassis with a modified StuG III superstructure, with a box compartment for the driver added. Combat weight was 23 tonnes, lighter than the 23.9 tonnes for the StuG III Ausf. G. On December 16–17, 1943, Hitler was shown the StuG IV , and approved it. To make up for the large deficit in StuG III production, StuG IV production received full support. Because of the decreased costs and ease of production,

1242-631: The StuG III's anti-tank capabilities bolstered dwindling tank numbers on the Eastern and Western fronts. US and UK forces also deployed vehicles designed for a close support role, but these were conventional tanks whose only significant modification was the replacement of the main gun with a howitzer. Two versions of the American Sherman tank were armed with the M4 105 mm howitzer , the M4(105) and

1288-454: The StuG was one of the most effective tracked fighting vehicles fielded by the belligerents, in terms of enemy vehicles destroyed. Over 10,000 StuGs were eventually produced. The omission of a regular tank turret made for simpler and more cost-effective production, enabling greater numbers to be built. However, the lack of a traverse movement in the gun meant the entire vehicle had to be turned left or right to acquire targets, which proved to be

1334-706: The advantage of a reduced silhouette and simplified the manufacturing process. The United States never developed a purpose-built assault gun during the war, although it did modify preexisting armored fighting vehicles for that role, including the M4 Sherman (as the M4(105)), the M5 Stuart (as the M8 Scott ), and the M3 half-track (as the T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage ). The classic assault gun concept

1380-676: The airborne troops thus always fought at a distinct disadvantage in terms of heavy weapons. The Soviet Union and the United States were the most attracted to the idea of providing this capability to traditionally light airborne forces. Their answers to the problem were similar, with the United States developing the M56 Scorpion and the Soviet Union developing the ASU-57 , both essentially airdroppable light anti-tank guns. The Soviets went on to develop an improved airdroppable assault gun,

1426-591: The anti-tank role. The only vehicle with the qualities of an assault gun to be fielded after the removal of the M50 and M56 from service within the US military was the M551 Sheridan . The Sheridan's gun was a low-velocity weapon suitable in the assault role, but with the addition of the Shillelagh missile could double in the anti-tank role as well. The Sheridan, however, was not developed as an assault gun but as

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1472-419: The defending antitank weapon while the tank is still defiladed, but advances beyond that position to the crest of the hill, it may expose the relatively thinner armor of its lower hull or belly to the defender. Early detection and elimination of antitank threats is an important reason that tanks attack with infantry support. Artificial entrenchments can provide defilade by allowing troops to seek shelter behind

1518-560: The fact that it is usually easier to aim laterally ( traversing the weapon) than to correctly estimate the range to avoid shooting too long or short. Additionally, both indirect and direct fire projectiles that might miss an intended target are more likely to hit another valuable target within the formation if firing along the long axis. When planning field and other fortifications, it became common for mutually supporting positions to be arranged so that it became impossible to attack any one position without exposing oneself to enfilading fire from

1564-464: The firepower of a tank, assault guns mostly fired high explosive shells at relatively low velocities, which were well suited for their role of knocking out hard points such as fortified positions and buildings. They were not intended to be deployed as tank substitutes or dedicated tank destroyers . Nevertheless, as the conflict progressed, the increasing proliferation of tanks on the battlefield forced many assault gun units to engage armor in defense of

1610-572: The forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union . Early in the war, the Germans began to create makeshift assault guns by mounting their infantry support weapons on the bed of a truck or on obsolete tanks with the turret removed. Later in the war, both the Germans and the Soviets introduced fully armoured purpose-built assault guns into their arsenals. Early on, the Soviets built the KV-2 ,

1656-412: The infantry, and led to armies becoming more dependent on multipurpose designs which combined the traditionally separate roles of an assault gun and a tank destroyer. German and Soviet assault guns introduced during World War II usually carried their main armament in a fully enclosed casemate rather than a gun turret . Although this limited the field of fire and traverse of the armament, it also had

1702-425: The interlocking fields of fire of other nearby positions, and/or by pre-planned indirect fire such as mortars or other forms of artillery . In the case of antitank weapons, and especially short-range man-portable antitank rockets, defiladed positions behind a hill have several important advantages. This is because the dead space created by the intervening crest of the hill prevents an approaching tank from using

1748-622: The late 1930s on the chassis of the Panzer III. It was initially designated "StuG" but with the development in 1943 of the StuG IV to make up for lost StuG III production, it was re-designated as "StuG III" to distinguish the two. Initially, the Wehrmacht intended to use StuGs as armored self-propelled infantry support guns , providing close fire-support to infantry by destroying bunkers, pillboxes and other entrenched positions. A secondary capability as an anti-tank weapon became more important as

1794-416: The others, this being found for example in the mutually supporting bastions of star forts , and the caponiers of later fortifications. Fire is delivered so that the long axis of the target coincides or nearly coincides with the long axis of the beaten zone. A unit or position is "in defilade" if it uses natural or artificial obstacles to shield or conceal. For an armored fighting vehicle (AFV), defilade

1840-577: The possession of The Wheatcroft Collection , is awaiting restoration. Assault gun Historically, the concept of assault guns was very similar to that of the infantry tank , as both were combat vehicles intended to accompany infantry formations into battle, but where assault gun designs often skipped tank features and design elements deemed unnecessary for reasons of cost and doctrine . However, during World War II assault guns were more mobile than tanks and could be utilized as both direct and indirect fire artillery. Although they could approximate

1886-417: The range of its direct-fire weapons, and neither the attacker nor defender will have a clear shot until the tank is within range of the defending antitank weapon. In such engagements the tank is usually at a further disadvantage because the defender will often be camouflaged while the attacking tank will be silhouetted against the sky, giving the defender an easier shot. In addition, if the tank fails to detect

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1932-423: The same time (March 1942) as the howitzer-like KwK 37 gun was dropped from the Panzer IV's use, its Sturmkanone equivalent in the StuG III up to that time, was likewise replaced with a longer-barreled, high-velocity dual-purpose 75 mm gun that had also been derived from the successful PaK 40 anti-tank towed artillery piece. The Germans also built a number of other fully armoured turretless assault guns, including

1978-460: The time. The Wehrmacht found, however, that the turretless StuGs had enough room in the crew compartment to mount the 75 mm Pak 40, and modified StuGs duly appeared. The new model proved an effective tank destroyer . Not only was its main gun powerful enough to knock out the new Soviet tanks, but the Panzer III chassis on which it was based made it highly mobile and reliable, and the increased armor plating combined with its low silhouette made it

2024-483: The war progressed. Following the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 , a significant problem emerged: the main armament on the light tanks and the 37 mm gun of the anti-tank guns and the Panzer III were insufficient against the newer Soviet T-34 medium and KV-1 heavy tanks. A more powerful gun, the 7.5 cm Pak 40 , then in development, did not fit in the turret of the Panzer III, Germany's primary medium tank at

2070-490: Was largely abandoned during the postwar era in favor of tanks or multipurpose tank destroyers attached to infantry formations, which were also capable of providing direct fire support as needed. In the United States and most Western countries, the assault gun ceased to be recognized as a unique niche, with individual examples being classified either as a self-propelled howitzer or a tank, one exception being Sweden , which continued to develop casemate assault guns post-war, such as

2116-569: Was to destroy prepared defensive works, pill boxes, machine gun emplacements and tanks. It was not intended to be used to exploit breakthroughs and drive into the enemy rear areas, as the Panzertruppen units were intended to do. Daimler-Benz AG was given the order to develop and produce such a weapon on June 15, 1936. They created five prototypes, based on the chassis of the Panzer III, which were not useful for combat operations but did prove valuable for training. The first production units,

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