German Sturmgeschütz StuG III Ausf.E armored fighting vehicle pre-built 1/72 scale plastic model

• pre-built and pre-painted, ready to display
• material: plastic
• scale: 1/72
• manufacturer sku: 36142

Sturmgeschütz (abbreviated into StuG) meaning "assault gun" was a series of armored vehicles used by both the German Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS armored formations during the Second World War that primarily consisted of the StuG III and StuG IV. The more common of the two, the StuG III, was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III. The StuG III was initially designated "StuG" but with the creation of the StuG IV (based on the Panzer IV chassis) it was re-designated the "StuG III" to distinguish the two. Initially, they were intended as armored self-propelled guns providing close fire support to the infantry to destroy bunkers, pillboxes and other entrenched positions. Initially a secondary capability, employment as an anti-tank weapon became more important as the war progressed.

Following the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, a significant problem developed when it was discovered that the main armament on the Panzer II and III tanks were inadequate to deal with the newer Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. The main German anti-tank gun, the 37 mm Pak 36, also proved unable to penetrate the armor of these Soviet designs. A more powerful gun, the 75 mm Pak 40, was being developed, but it didn't fit in the turret of the Panzer III, Germany's primary medium tank at the time. It was found, however, that the turretless StuGs had enough room in the crew compartment to handle the 75 mm Pak 40, and this modification was made. The new vehicle proved to be 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 was highly mobile and reliable, and the increased armor plating combined with its low silhouette made it 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 was used primarily within the Sturmartillerie, a branch of the artillery in the Wehrmacht.

The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was Germany's most-produced fully tracked armoured fighting vehicle during World War II, and second-most produced German armored combat vehicle of any type after the Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track. It was built on a slightly modified Panzer III chassis, replacing the turret with an armored, fixed superstructure mounting a more powerful gun. Initially intended as a mobile assault gun for direct-fire support for infantry, the StuG III was continually modified, and much like the later Jagdpanzer vehicles, was employed as a tank destroyer.

--copied from Wikipedia