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StuG III Ausf.G

Description

This self-propelled assault gun Sturmgeschütz III Ausführung G was armed with 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 gun. Ausf.G was one of the last modifications, but the most numerous: 7800 SPG in total since December 1942 till April 1945. Compared to the previous one, it had a longer gun barrel (L/48 instead of L/43) and additional armour sheets installed in the hull and cabin front. The SPG modeled in our sim was built at MIAG factory using the Pz.Kpfw. Ausf.M chassis produced by MAN factory.

The most apparent visual difference was the addition of side armor plates, “Schürzen”, which were attached to the hull sides. They were added mainly to protect the tank from massed AT rifle fire which was dangerous for thinner armored sides. Not being able to stop an AP bullet, this additional armour destabilized it or caused its fragmentation before it could hit the main armored hull.

The tank could be equipped with six mortars mounted on the turret and designed to shoot smoke grenades at a distance of about 80 meters.

The long-barrelled 75 mm gun can reliably engage Soviet tanks at distances up to 1 km. However, the artillery periscopic gunsight was less convenient for quick direct firing than telescopic gunsights installed on tanks.

Late StuG III modifications were equipped by infantry MG34 machinegun stored in the fighting compartment. To fire it, the loader had to get out of his hatch, raise the armored shield and set the machinegun up in one of the two positions - for firing at air or ground targets. Six one-shot smoke mortars could be also installed.

Unladen weight: 23300 kg.
Length: 6.3 m.
Width: 3.29 m.
Height: 2.2 m.
Clearance: 385 mm.

Engine: Maybach HL 120TRM, petrol.
Maximum power: 300 HP at 3000 RPM.
Maximum RPM: 3000 RPM.
6 speed gearbox.

Maximum road speed:
1-st: 4.8 kph.
2-nd: 9.2 kph.
3-rd: 15.5 kph.
4-th: 23.5 kph.
5-th: 33.2 kph.
6-th: 42.8 kph.
Reverse: 5.9 kph.

Maximum offroad speed: 18 kph.

Fluids:
Internal fuel tanks capacity: 320 l.
Engine oil system capacity: 25 l.
Summer engine coolant: 100 l. of 40% glysantin
Winter engine coolant: 100 l. of 60% glysantin
Endurance range: 155 km.
Maximum oil consumption: 2 l/h.

Armour:
Gun mantlet: 50mm rolled armour.
Cabin front, middle: 30mm rolled armour.
Cabin front, lower: 50мм + 30mm rolled armour.
Hull front, upper: 30 mm rolled armour.
Hull front, middle: 50 mm rolled armour.
Hull front, lower: 50 мм + 30 mm rolled armour.
Hull front, bottom: 30 mm rolled armour.
Cabin rear: 30 mm rolled armour.
Hull rear, upper: 30 mm rolled armour.
Hull rear, middle: 50 mm rolled armour.
Hull rear, lower: 30 mm rolled armour.
Cabin roof: 10 mm rolled armour.
Cabin rear: 15 mm rolled armour.
Sides: 30 mm rolled armour.
Bottom: 15 mm rolled armour.

Additional armor sheets:
5 mm rolled armor for additional protection against AT rifles.

Main gun: rifled, 7,5 cm Stu K 40 L/48.
Barrel length: 55
Elevation: +17°..-8°
Azimuth: +10°..-10°.
Ammo: up to 54 rounds
Usable rate of fire: 10 rounds per minute.
Turret drive: mechanical.

Gun ammunition:
7.5 cm Pzgr. 39 armor piercing high explosive (APHE): 6.8 kg, 750 m/s, 104 mm at 500 m.
7.5 cm Pzgr. 40 armor piercing composite rigid (APCR): 4.1 kg, 930 m/s, 150 mm point blank.
7.5 cm Gr.38 HL/С high explosive anti-tank (HEAT): 4.57 kg, 450 m/s, 104 mm.
7.5 cm SprGr.34 high explosive (HE): 5.74 kg, 550 m/s, 660 g. explosives.

Gunsight settings for SprGr.34:
(Distance - point number of lower scale):
0000m - 000
0100m - 002 4100m - 110
0200m - 004 4200m - 114
0300m - 005 4300m - 118
0400m - 007 4400m - 123
0500m - 009 4500m - 127
0600m - 011 4600m - 132
0700m - 013 4700m - 137
0800m - 015 4800m - 142
0900m - 017 4900m - 146
1000m - 019 5000m - 151

1100m - 021 5100m - 157
1200m - 023 5200m - 162
1300m - 025 5300m - 167
1400m - 027 5400m - 173
1500m - 029 5500m - 179
1600m - 032 5600m - 185
1700m - 034 5700m - 190
1800m - 036 5800m - 197
1900m - 039 5900m - 203
2000m - 041 6000m - 210

2100m - 044 6100m - 216
2200m - 046 6200m - 223
2300m - 049 6300m - 230
2400m - 052 6400m - 237
2500m - 055 6500m - 244
2600m - 057 6600m - 252
2700m - 060 6700m - 260
2800m - 063 6800m - 268
2900m - 066 6900m - 276
3000m - 069 7000m - 284

3100m - 073 7100m - 293
3200m - 076 7200m - 302
3300m - 079 7300m - 311
3400m - 082 7400m - 320
3500m - 086
3600m - 090
3700m - 094
3800m - 098
3900m - 102
4000m - 106

Machineguns: 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34.
Bullet mass: 11.5 g.
Muzzle velocity: 855 m/s.
Armour pentration at 100 m: 11 mm.
Rate of fire: 900 rounds per minute.
12 magazines, 50 rounds per magazine (600 rounds).

Gunsights:
Sfl ZF 1a gunner periscopic sight, field of view 8°.

Radio equipment:
VHF Fu 5 transceiver with additional Fu 2 receiver.
4 intercom terminals.

Modifications

High-Explosive Shells
7,5 cm SprGr.34

Good against soft, unarmored or lightly armored targets.

Mass 5.74 kg, explosives mass 660 g.

Direct hit armour penetration 20 mm, effective damage distance for light vehicles 3 m.

When fired from a 7,5 cm Stu K 40 L/48 gun:
Muzzle velocity 550 m/s.
500 m: velocity 509 m/s, drop -4.5 m.
1000 m: velocity 473 m/s, drop -18.5 m.
2000 m: velocity 405 m/s, drop -80.9 m.

Smoke Mortars
Installation of 6 external single-shot smoke mortars.
Schnellnebelkerze 39 (Nb K S 39) smoke grenade
Range: 80 m
Smoking time: 3 min

High Explosive Anti-Tank Shells
7,5 cm Gr.38 HL/C

HEAT shells armed with high-explosive shaped charge warhead.

Their armour piercing capability doesn’t decrease with range, but accuracy does because of the lower projectile velocity and similar kinetic projectiles usually have a higher armour piercing capability up close.

Mass 4.57 kg, explosives mass 530 g, armour penetration 104 mm.

When fired from a 7,5 cm Stu K 40 L/48:
Muzzle velocity: 450 m/s.
500 m: velocity 328 m/s, drop -7.8 m.
1000 m: velocity 278 m/s, drop -38.1 m.
2000 m: velocity 244 m/s, drop -200.4 m.

Armour Piercing High Explosive Shells
7,5 cm Pzgr. 39

Shells armed with bursting charge warhead.

Good against armoured targets. In case of penetration do more damage inside the target than solid AP shells, but HE filling can detonate prematurely (for instance, when used against spaced armour plates).

Mass 6.8 kg, explosives mass 18 g.

When fired from a 7.5 cm Stu K 40 L/48 gun:
Muzzle velocity 750 m/s, armour penetration at point blank range 117 mm.
500 m: armour penetration 104 mm, velocity 691 m/s, drop -2.4 m.
1000 m: armour penetration 92 mm, velocity 636 m/s, drop -10.0 m.
2000 m: armour penetration 72 mm, velocity 537 m/s, drop -44.8 m.

Additional armor plates
Additional protection: 5 mm armored plates attached to the hull and turret. They were added mainly to protect the tank from massed AT rifle fire which was dangerous for thinner armored sides. Not being able to stop an AP bullet, this additional armor destabilized it or caused its fragmentation before it could hit the main armored hull.

Sub-Caliber Armour Piercing Shells
7,5 cm Pzgr. 40

Shells armed with sub-caliber armour-piercing projectile. Good against heavily armoured targets at short ranges.

7,5 cm Pzgr. 40 is a composite round - hard (tungsten alloy) penetrator inside a body made from a softer steel (for obturation inside a gun barrel).

Mass: 4.1 kg, penetrator calibre 28 mm.

When fired from a 7,5 cm Stu K 40 L/48 gun:
Muzzle velocity 930 m/s, armour penetration at point blank range 150 mm.
500 m: armour penetration 128 mm, velocity 832 m/s, drop -1.6 m.
1000 m: armour penetration 108 mm, velocity: 739 m/s, drop -10.0 m.
2000 m: armour penetration 75 mm, velocity: 573 m/s, drop -44.8 m.