German Marder II self-propelled tank-destroyers driving through a town in the Ukraine.

Tank destroyers

Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.N tanks of the Wehrmacht's Afrika Korps crossing a shallow river in Tunisia.

Afrika Korps tanks

Late-model StuG III G of an unidentified Waffen-SS unit advances in the Ardennes, January, 1945.  The Stug III was the result of an order to develop an infantry close-support assault gun-type vehicle, made in June, 1937.  The design adopted was based on that of the PzKpfw III tank.  Early models - Ausf A (which entered production in January, 1940 through to the Ausf E - were armed with the short-barreled gun also used on the PzKpfw IV tank, consistent with the close support brief.  

The StuG Ausf F, which entered production in April, 1942, reflected the need for a self-propelled assault gun capable of engaging Soviet tanks and SPGs.  Early Ausf F models carried a long-barreled high-velocity L/43 gun; this was soon upgraded to a long-barreled L/48, which was carried forward to the Ausf G (entered service January, 1943).  

The Ausf G, such as that shown here, was a significantly different vehicle from the original Ausf A, and was also destined for a different use.  Side armour was improved by sloping, and by the addition, where desired, of mild steel or wire mesh "skirts" to combat shaped charged projectiles.  Also, with its high-velocity L/48 gun, the Ausf F and G had a very practical application as a tank destroyer.  From 1943, Ausf G vehicles were increasingly allocated to tank destroyer and panzer divisions as an economical and effective replacement for destroyed medium tanks, which were increasingly difficult to replace.

The StuG Ausf G pictured here incorporates standard features of the latest models, including the "Saukopf" (Sow's Head) gun mantlet and a full coating of Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste.

The StuG III, in all its marks and sub-variants was, arguably, the most important German fighting vehicles of the war.  In all, some 10,300 StuG III in all marks and variants were produced in the period 1940-1945.  Best regards, JR.