Sturmgesheutz differences

[James Tainton]

Hi - I wanted to start a thread about the differences and production changes that occurred with each succeeding Ausfuhrung.

I am particularly interested in the differences on the interior at this time. The reason is I want to cast the interior from the Stug III G DML kit (for my own use of course :). How accurate is it for the proceeding and succeeding Ausfuhrungen. I do have the books and will contribute what I find later but maybe others would like to discuss this topic. External features and the changes that happened would also be good to get down in one thread for others to have to refer to later.

[Evan August]

Great idea James. I have the Achtung Panzer book, good primer for modifications and dates, but it really falls short when it comes to differentiating between manufacturer features (like the different fender supports).

[robertkru]

When you are patient enough then you should wait until end of summer. The swiss team "historyfacts is publishing 2 amazing books about Stugs soon. The first book is in updated Spielberger style, the second book describes all details about variations changes including differences MIAG-Alkett and the unusual versions on Pz3 hull. I owned the allready available (in German) #1 and had chance for testreading parts from #2.
Highly recommended!!
Take a look at
http://www.historyfacts.biz/en/04_Publikationen/11_SturmGeschuetzIII.htm
and german reading examples of #2
http://www.historyfacts.biz/de/04_Publikationen/LeseprobeStuGIII2/Leseprobe_StuG3_%20Band2_Komplexes_Identifizieren. pdf

Regards from Vienna/ Austria
Robert

[James Tainton]

saw this post on ML today
http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1213197516/StuG+IIIG+Production+changes+-+quite+long%21%21

StuG IIIG Production changes - quite long!!
June 11 2008 at 11:18 AM Toby Knight (Login toby2282)
Missing-Lynx members
from IP address 78.149.92.62
Hello,

I am trying to go through my references and produce a list of changes to the StuG IIIG so that I do not have to keep looking through several different books. I have used the terms early, mid and late (Early - Lengthened panniers but no zimmerit, Mid - Zimmerit produced vehicles, Late - All vehicles produced without zimmerit)

I have included some questions which I would be grateful if anyone could help with. This tends to be areas where I cannot find the dates for the changes.

At the end I want to be able to put a picture to each change and then post it on this forum for all others who are interested in the StuG IIIG.

Any help that can be offered is greatly received and will make this a more accurate guide.

Many thanks

Toby

Sturmgeschütz III für 7.5cm Stu.K.40 L/48 (Sdkfz.142/1)

Very Early Production – December 1942
• Small hoisting hook on side of drivers visor armour
• Drivers side vision block in front of side pannier
• Pistol port replacing above and plugged
• Twin KFF.2 periscopes for driver
• Fume extractor located on superstructure roof
• Loaders hatch redesigned from StuG III F/8
• No armoured guard over gunners periscope
• Tow rope store brackets on front fender – in front of first fender support
• S-shaped shackle positioned on left fender just behind second fender support
• Commanders cupola rotated on ball bearings
• Frontal armour 50mm with 30mm bolted on
• Shield added for loaders MG
• Rubber wheeled return rollers
• Welded block gun mantlet

Early Production – January 1943 – August 1943
• Side panniers of superstructure extended forwards (Jan 43)
• Sliding armour guard for gunners periscope (Jan 43)
• Fume extractor relocated to rear of superstructure wall (Jan 43)
• Smoke candles fitted to superstructure sides (Feb – May 43)
• Drivers twin KFF.2 periscopes dropped and holes plugged and plated over (Feb – Mar 43)
• Single 30mm armour plated fitted around drivers vision klappe (April 43 – Jentz states May 43)
• Tow rope brackets repositioned – One in front and one behind first fender support
• Crowbar repositioned
• Hand axe repositioned
• Schurzen fitted on both sides of hull (Apr 43)
• Rear fender flap now fixed
• Hull front plates made from 80mm thick armour plate (Alkett from May 43 and MIAG from July 43) - Not fully implemented until Nov 43.
• Muzzle brake changed to include side deflector flanges (May 43)
 
Mid Production – September 1943 – August 1944
• Zimmerit added to all production vehicles (Sept 43)
• Armoured deflector added on superstructure roof (Oct 43)
• Saukopfblend (Cast gun mantlet) fitted to Alkett vehicles (Nov 43)
• Cast steel return rollers introduced (Nov 43)
• Engine deck side wall armour composition changed to interlocking style – Date U/K
• Zimmerit to be applied to all vehicles – Authorised via HTVB1 (Jan 44)
• New muzzle brake fitted with enlarged rounded collar (Mar 44)
• Rundumsfeuer (remote controlled MG) mount installed in superstructure roof (Mar 44)
Due to shortages of mounts, StuGs produced for several months with armour disc bolted over the hole.
• Loaders hatch redesigned now hinged opening to the side (Mar 44)
• 80mm mono block armour fitted on right side of superstructure front (Apr 44)
• Nahverteidigungswaffe (Close defence weapon) fitted in superstructure roof (May 44)
Due to a shortage of weapons until Oct 44, few Nahverteidigungswaffe fitted, so the hole was covered by an armour disc secured by bolts.
• 3 Pilze (sockets) welded to superstructure roof (July 44)
• External travel lock fitted to upper hull front (July 44)
• Towing clevis replaced S-shackle repositioned behind second fender support (June 44)
• Block gun mantlet with co-axial MG introduced (June 44)

 
Late Production – September 1944 – April 1945
• Zimmerit no longer applied to vehicles (Sept 44)
• Saukopfblend with co-axial MG introduced (Oct 44)
• 5 Pilze (sockets) welded to superstructure roof (Oct 44)
• Towing hold added to rear hull (Dec 44)

Features without dates
• Interlocking armour plates on rear lower hull
• Water drain deleted from rear lower hull
• Fan belt adjusting port deleted
• Rear hull armour plate changed with only 2 inner partition plates
• Bolt deleted from rear hull armour plate
• Muffler changed with 2 small cut outs on bottom
• Commanders hatch changed to fold back to horizontal position
• Final muzzle brake fitted with enlarged rounded collar and round muzzle brake
• Hex bolts replaced flat head bolts on superstructure roof
• Armour plate composition changed on lower hull front – Better picture on Pg. 73 Achtung Panzer 5
• Tooth added under tow bracket eye
• Trimmed surface to armour surrounding mantlet (Saukkopfblend only?)
• Dates which mid (lightening holes and ribs) and late (lightening holes only) steel return rollers produced
• When Alkett switched to Saukopfblend in Nov 43 did they still manufacture vehicles with block mantlet?
• When were the 173 chassis from MAN converted to StuG IIIG and who were they produced by?

Zimmerit
• Alkett produced vehicles with waffle pattern zimmerit only
• MIAG vehicles had cross hatch zimmerit applied
• All StuH were produced by Alkett so would not have had cross hatch pattern

Fender Supports
Alkett – Dates U/K
• Tubular style (strengthened with triangular plate – not with strengthening fillet)
• Pressed with high rib
• Pressed with low rib
MIAG
• Tubular style throughout entire production run
 
Return rollers
• Rubber used initially
• Cast steel used from Nov 1943 - Dates for early, mid and late U/K
• Early – With 6 ribs
• Mid – With 6 ribs and 6 lightening holes
• Late – With 6 lightening holes only

[Sticky]

Well for one thing the stubbie stugs had speaking tubes which were deleted on the F.