StuG III (Sturmgeschutz III) is a German armored gun of the Second World War. The first prototypes of the car were built in 1937, and serial production continued in the period 1940-1945, ending with the release of about 10,300 cars. The StuG III in the E version was equipped with one Maybach HL 120 TRM engine with a capacity of 300 hp. It was armed (version E) with a 75-mm short-barreled gun. and 1 machine gun MG34 cal. 7.92 mm. StuG III was created as a result of the initiative of Erich von Manstein, who in a letter to General Beck in 1935 reported the need to create assault artillery for the advancing infantry as part of the Wehrmacht's mechanized units. Ultimately, the order for the development of the new vehicle was entrusted to Daimler-Benz, which in turn used the PzKpfw III Ausf chassis. B. Several versions of the StuG III gun were produced during serial production. Chronologically, the first was version A, armed with a 75mm Stuk 37 L/24 gun based on the PzKpfw III Ausf tank chassis. F and G and were produced from the beginning of 1940. Shortly after, the B version was created - the first to be produced on a large scale, which differed only slightly from the A version. In 1941, the D version appeared, which had better armor and sights, and went into production. Version E was quickly created, which was the first to receive additional armament in the form of an MG34 machine gun. In early 1942, the StuG III underwent a major modification to become a de facto tank destroyer, mounting the long-barreled 75mm StuK 40 L / 48 gun. The vehicle designation was also changed to the StuG 40. Between 1940 and 1945, the StuG III saw service on virtually all fronts , on which the German army fought. It turned out to be a very useful weapon, cheap to manufacture and, most importantly, effective. It is estimated that various versions of the StuG were responsible for the destruction of approximately 20,000 Soviet tanks and armored vehicles between 1941 and 1945.
