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The Sturmgeschütz III, or StuG III, are a series of assault guns from Germany during the war. While in insignificant at the outbreak of the war it would become the most numerous armoured fighting vehicle of the German army. The Ausf F, F/8 and especially the Ausf G are known as the most successful German tank designs of the war. Based on the Pzkpfw III, this was an assault gun, Initially intended as a mobile, armoured gun carrier part of the infantry divisions. The StuG were a part of the artillery rather than the tank arm. But after replacing the short 75mm KwK 37 with a longer and powerful 75mm Stuk 40, it became a powerful tank destroyer! Later in the war when the production line was disrupted by bombing the StuG III was followed by the StuG IV. Same design but modified for the Pzkpfw IV chassis. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) "Hetzer" was also somewhat of an replacement for the StuG. The StuG proved a very successful during the war and served on all fronts. It saw action during Operations in 1940 until the end of the war! You will find the StuG on most German maps with vehicles. From the French campaign like at Dinant with the Ausf A until the end like in Berlin Outskirts with the late model of the Ausf G. In FHSW there are 4 versions:


Sturmgeschütz III Variants in Forgotten Hope Secret Weapon
Ausf A Ausf B Ausf G Early Ausf G Late

StuG III Ausf A[]

Sturmgeschütz III Ausf A
Stug3a
General Historical Information
Place of origin Germany
Manufacturer Daimler Benz
Category Assault Gun
Debut in FHSW v0.6
Speed 40 km/h
Main armament 75mm KwK 37 L/24
General Ingame Information
Used by Germany
Crew in‑game 1
Ammunition Icon 75mmKwK37HEAT+HE A
Seat 2 Passenger
Seat 3 Passenger
Historical Picture
Stug 3 A real


This was the first StuG production model and the only model made by Daimler Benz, the following models were made by Alkett. In 1940, 36 Ausf. A were produced from January to May and were first used in the battle of France. Most Ausf A were built on the Pzkpfw III Ausf F chassis but six were made of the Ausf. G. It may either only have HE rounds or also the earliest (A) HEAT type rounds. Besides Fall Gelb it is present on many maps in 1940 such as Counterattack and FHT Dinant. It is also at the invasion of Crete where it can be loaded on the Messerschmitt Me 323.


StuG III Ausf B[]

Sturmgeschütz III Ausf B
StuG3B
General Historical Information
Place of origin Germany
Manufacturer Alkett
Category Assault Gun
Debut in FHSW Debut in FH Mod
Speed 40 km/h
Armour Stug III B armour
Main armament 75mm KwK 37 L/24
General Ingame Information
Used by Germany
Crew in‑game 1
Ammunition Icon 75mmKwK37HEAT+HE C
Seat 3 Periscope
Historical Picture
Stug Ausf B

The second production version was the Ausf B. The front armor increased to 50mm. The Ausf B had, like other following models, no Panzer III's escape hatches on either side, which are present in the Ausf A model. Other differences between the Ausf A were widened tracks (38 cm), two Rubber tires on each roadwheel were accordingly widened from 520x79mm to 520x95mm each. Both types of roadwheels were interchangeable. Troublesome 10 speed transmission was changed to 6 speed. Front most return rollers were re-positioned forward. This reduced vertical movements of tracks before they were fed to drive wheel, hence lessening the chance of tracks being thrown. In the middle of production of Ausf. B. original drive wheel with 8 round holes were changed to a new cast drive wheel with 6 slots. This new drive wheel could take either 380mm tracks or 400mm tracks. 380mm tracks were not exclusive to new drive wheels.

There is a greater ammunition variety than with earlier model, it may have HEAT rounds which can either be the HL/A or HL/C. The Ausf. B is in use in France 1940 in maps such as Counterattack and in Russia 1941 in Raseiniai, Iron Monster and Kiew.




StuG III Ausf G Early[]

Sturmgeschütz III Ausf G Early
Stug III Ausf G Early
General Historical Information
Place of origin Germany
Category Assault/Tank Destroyer
Debut in FHSW Debut in FH mod
Speed 40 km/h
Armour StuG G armour
Main armament 75mm Stuk 40 L/43
General Ingame Information
Used by Germany
Finland
Crew in‑game 5
Ammunition Icon 75mmStuK40AP+HE
Seat 2 1 x 7.92mm MG 42

10 x 250 rounds

Seat 3 Periscoop
Seat 4 Passenger
Seat 5 Passenger
Historical Picture
Stug Ausf GE

After a lot of changes which led to many variants, the Ausf F got the first real upgunning of the StuG. This version uses the longer 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 gun. Firing armor-piercing Panzergranat-Patrone 39, Stuk 40 L/43 could penetrate 91mm of armor inclined 30 degrees from vertical at 500m, 82mm at 1000m, 72mm at 1500m, 63mm at 2000m, allowing Ausf. F to engage most Soviet armors at normal combat ranges. This change marked the StuG as being more of a tank destroyer than an infantry support vehicle. Exhaust fan was added to the rooftop to excavate fumes from spent shells, to enable firing of continuous shots. Additional 30mm armor plates were welded to the 50mm frontal armor from June 1942, making frontal armors 80mm thick. From June 1942, Ausf. F were mounted with the longer 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun. Introduction of an improved hull design similar to that used for the Panzer III Ausf.J, Panzer III Ausf.J¹ and Panzer III Ausf.L with increased rear armor. This was 8th version of Panzer III hulls, thus the designation "F/8." This hull has towing hook holes extending from side walls. From October 1942, 30mm additional armors were bolted on to speed up the production line. From F/8, 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 gun becomes standard until the very last of the Ausf.G wich was the final and by far the most common of the StuG series. The Ausf.G used the hull of the Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. M. Upper superstructure was widened: welded boxes on either sides were abandoned. This new superstructure design increased its height to 2160mm. Backside wall of the fighting compartment got straightened, and ventilation fan on top of the superstructure was relocated to the back of fighting compartment. From May 1943, side hull skirts (schurzen) were fitted to G models for added armor protection particularly against anti-tank rifles. Side skirts were retro-fitted to some Ausf. F/8 models, as they were be fitted to all front line StuGs and other tanks by June 1943 in preparation for the battle of Kursk. Mountings for side skirts proved inadequate, many were lost in the field. From March 1944, improved mounting was introduced, as a result side skirts are seen more often with late model Ausf G. From May 1943, 80mm thick plates were used for frontal armor instead of two plates of 50mm+30mm. However, backlog of completed 50mm armors exited. For those, 30mm additional armors still had to be welded or bolted on, until October 1943. A rotating cupola with periscopes was added for the commander for Ausf G. However, from September 1943, lack of ball bearings (resulting from bombing of Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission) forced cupolas to be welded on. Ball bearings were once again installed from August 1944. Shot deflectors for cupolas were first installed from October 1943 from one factory, to be installed on all StuGs from February 1944. Some vehicles without shot deflectors carried several track pieces wired around the cupola for added protection. From December 1942, a square machine gun shield for loader was installed, allowing an MG 34 (ingame Mg42) to be factory installed on a StuG for the first time. F/8 models had machine gun shields retro-fitted from early 1943. This was the early Ausf G version.



StuG III Ausf G Late[]

Sturmgeschütz III Ausf G
Late Version)
Stug III Ausf G Late
General Historical Information
Place of origin Germany
Category Assault/Tank Destroyer
Debut in FHSW v0.4 (Without Night Vision)
0.51 (With Night Vision)
Speed 40 km/h
Main armament 75mm Stuk 40 L/48
(54 rounds)
Coaxial weapon 7.92 mm MG 34
(150 rounds)
General Ingame Information
Used by Germany
Crew in‑game 5
Ammunition Icon 75mmStuK40AP+HE
Special abilities Night Vision Available
Seat 2 7.92 mm MG 34
(250 rounds)
Seat 3 Nahverteidigungswaffe
Seat 4 Passenger seat
Seat 5 Passenger seat
Historical Picture
Stug Ausf GL

This is final version of the StuG III which has all the major improvements. Armor protection has been improved with a new design for the gun mantlet and additional armor in front of the cupola that had previously been a weak spot. There is a now a coaxial machine gun to main gun and the gunner on top can operate the machine gun 360 degrees and while completely inside the vehicle. A Nahverteidigungswaffe has also been installed which likewise can engage infantry at close range all around the vehicle.

There are some modifcations on the Ausf G. From March 1943, driver's periscope was abandoned. Machine gun shield for the loader was later replaced by rotating machine gun mount that could be operated by loader inside the vehicle by a periscope. On April 1944, 27 of them were being field tested on the Eastern front. Favorable report lead to installation of these "remote" machine gun mounts from summer of 1944. Later G versions from November 1943, were fitted with the Topfblende (often called Saukopf) gun mantlet without coaxial mount. This cast mantlet with organic shape was more effective at deflecting shots than the original boxy mantlet armor of varying thickness between 45mm and 50mm that you can find on the Ausf F, F/ and ealy Ausf G models. Lack of large castings meant that boxy mantlet was also produced until the very end. Coaxial machine gun was added first to boxy mantlets from June 1944, and then to cast Topfblende from October 1944, in the middle of "Topfblende" mantlet production. With an addition of coaxial, all StuGs carried two MG 34 machine guns from fall of 1944. Some previously completed StuGs with boxy mantlet had a coaxial machine gun hole drilled to retrofit a coaxial machine gun, while Topfblende produced from Nov. 1943 - Oct. 1944 without machine gun opening could not be tampered. Also from Nov.1943, all metal return rollers of a few different types were used due to lack of rubber supply. Zimmerit anti-magnetic coating to protect vehicles from magnetic mines were used from September 1943-September 1944 only. This was the late version and final StuG III variant!

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