Bob's Sturmgeschutz GB Chat thread

[Guest]

John, you be careful...they're not fussy on lead content...the heavier the cans means more value. Do they still accept Rubels?

Cheers,
Richard

Yes but these days US dollars are good. Oh we don't worry of such things , the main warehouse is near Chernoblyl, and the cans have built in night lights !

[Guest]

StuG Master .
This is my entry.

Along with


Doing the evaluation.

going to get some Fruil tracks

[BattleshipBob]

Very nice John!

[Guest]

Very nice John!

Would be better If Historex had any stock !

[AlanG]

Don't know why it is but i really don't like to see a nations equipment being painted in the enemies colours. Even seeing Luftwaffe aircraft in allies evaluation colours really grips my goat lol.

Good luck with the build though John

[Guest]

Don't know why it is but i really don't like to see a nations equipment being painted in the enemies colours. Even seeing Luftwaffe aircraft in allies evaluation colours really grips my goat lol.

Good luck with the build though John

Thanks Al, but I really don't think they would have had time to paint it, they just wanted to do an evaluation. Contrary to popular belief I can find no record of any captured StuG being used by the Russian in combat.
The photo that is sometimes shown with a Russian crew was a propaganda one. The Russians photographed with it were the guys that captured it as far as I can ascertain.
So worry not , it will be not in 4BO , but grey. :smiling::smiling:

[Guest]

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Sturmgeschutz StuG III in the Soviet union 1942

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Present from Kiev

The first use of this vehicle, envisioned by Field Marshall Manstein, was in France, in May-June of 1940. It would be incorrect so say that Soviet intelligence learned nothing about the StuG. However, it did not earn much attention, and its description was brief.

"As a rule, assault gun squadrons accompany infantry in attacks of fortified positions and strongholds in the direction of the main attack, first in motorized divisions, then later in tank and infantry divisions. The squadrons are armed with 75 mm tank guns installed on the chassis of the PzIII medium tank with a special turret and armour. The main task for these vehicles is the destruction of the enemy with direct fire."

The Soviet military had no idea about the importance and effectiveness of these low, mobile, and well armed fighting machines. Meanwhile, in June of 1941, more than 10 StuG battalions (Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung, or StuG.Abt.) assembled on the Soviet border. Among them was 197th StuG. Abt. under the command of Major Helmuth Christ.
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Red Armymen posing on a captured StuG III from StuG. Abt. 197, August 1941.

This battalion was formed in October of 1940 and was armed with StuG Ausf. B vehicles. StuG. Abt. 197 had its baptism by fire alongside the 132nd Infantry Division in May of 1941 during the invasion of Yugoslavia. During the start of the invasion of the USSR, the battalion was subordinate to
XXXXVIII Tank Corps of Army Group Center. Soon after the fighting began, it was transferred to XXXXIV Corps in Army Group South.

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That same vehicle at the NIIBT Proving Grounds, early September of 1941. The damage to the suspension and the letter E on the side can be clearly seen.

On August 15th, the battalion was located at the city of Kanev, where fierce battles for the Dnieper were fought. Soviet infantry counterattacks managed to capture at least two StuG III Ausf. B from StuG. Abt. 197. The vehicles from 3rd battery was captured intact and was used in a photoshoot with the soldiers who captured it. The second vehicle, #90247 with the name Prinz Eugen, was also mobile. According to StuG. Abt. 197 records, both vehicles were lost after hitting mines. After brief repairs, they were transferred to the Soviet rear.

The assertion that at least one of the vehicles went to fight with a Soviet crew is often made, but this is not true. In early September, the vehicles from 3rd battery was already at the NIIBT Proving Grounds. As for Prinz Eugen, it was transferred to the rear of the Central Front. A brief description was composed, with the trophy getting the name "medium German tank T-3 with an immobile turret". The description included external and internal characteristics of the vehicle. These characteristics were fairly close to the real ones. Despite the urgency, the specialists who studied the vehicle had time to partially take it apart and put it back together.

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The second captured StuG III Ausf. B from StuG. Abt. 197.


The NIIBT Proving Grounds went in a different direction. Instead of beginning a detailed study, they made a brief composition of its characteristics. A summary of German armour was ready by September 11th, 1941. The tactical-technical characteristics in this summary were more precise, especially when it came to armour thickness. Aside from measurements, a brief trials were also staged, where the StuG reached a speed of 50 kph.

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That same vehicle from the left. This StuG had the personal name "Prinz Eugen".

In NIIBT documents, the StuG was referred to as "artillery tank" or "Artsturm" for short. It's not known who invented this term, but it stuck to the StuG in Soviet documents.

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Captured by Soviet troops the Finnish self-propelled artillery unit class assault guns Stug tank destroyer of German production.
Stug tank destroyer of this type in the amount of 59 units have been delivered to Finland from allies – Nazi Germany.


Pete.

[Guest]

Hi Everyone

Bob and I have been speaking behind the scenes about this photo

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Bob very kindly worked it out for me that it was a Stug Ausf C/D. We thought maybe in Southern France or Italy. It transpires that it was actually taken in the spring of 1941 in the Balkans.

Steve

Steve,
that photo looks a little odd to me, something doesn't look right - the crew, the stream bed - it looks a little model like. It's a bridge ( or culvert ), - where does the water go, or come from on the other side. It could be a trick of perspective fooling my eye.................
Dave

It is a genuine photo Dave. If you look down the R/H side you will see it is from the Bundesarchiv. I will go into more detail on the build but Bob and I believe it is a training/gofer Stug attached to the Kompanies that invaded the Balkans. I also have two other close up photos of the same Stug parked up. I will show these when I do the build

The same brdge but a bit more background.
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Pete.

[Guest]

Well seeing mine is a series1V, I shall fit a short barrel gun , and remove the side armour. Or do it as the the captured Finish one , with the longer gun. From the year of capture being 1941 I think grey will be correct ?

Oh here's that bridge again ( from above )


Just been on line and picked up the correct one.




Coming from Russia, cheaper than the rest of E bay? ETA end Sep :smiling2:

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Pete, many thanks for the info, very interesting

John have you changed kit??

Bob

[Guest]

Hi Pete, many thanks for the info, very interesting

John have you changed kit??

Bob

Please read my post above this :nerd::flushed::nerd::anguished::anguished:.
Short answer YES.:rolling:

[Mickc1440]

Mine has now arrived :smiling2:

[BattleshipBob]

Thanks Mick

John, just a bit confused, might be me old age lol

"Well seeing mine is a series1V, I shall fit a short barrel gun , and remove the side armour. Or do it as the the captured Finish one , with the longer gun. From the year of capture being 1941 I think grey will be correct "

thought you where trying to change a IV to a B?

[Guest]

Well seeing mine is a series1V, I shall fit a short barrel gun , and remove the side armour. Or do it as the the captured Finish one , with the longer gun. From the year of capture being 1941 I think grey will be correct ?

The grey would be correct for 1941, but a StuG IV would not be. Those only came in in, off the top of my head, 1944 (Bob, correct me if I’m wrong ) and never had a short-barrelled gun.

That StuG III from Zvezda would be far more correct for 1941. Not sure if the Ausf. B was used much in Russia, but again, Bob will know, I hope

[BattleshipBob]

The Stug IV took a long time to appear but after the lads from bomber command flattened the main Stug factory in late 1943 it quickly appeared, late december 43 and yes only long barelled 7.5cm gun, the Stug B certainly did its bit in Russia