Osprey New Vanguard 19 : Stug III Assault Gun 1940-1942

The workhorse of the German Army that swept across Poland, France and Russia the Sturmgeschütz saw service in all theatres of the war, in infantry support role and doubling as a tank destroyer. Cheaper and quicker to produce than a tank, the assault gun proved a remarkably effective weapon. Hilary Doyle and Tom Jentz's examination spans the early part of the Second World War and is comprehensive in the detail it delivers about the vehicle. Its design and development, production, capabilities and operational history are all looked at closely as its tactical employment and its organisation into units. Original German combat and experience reports are used to show how the Sturmgeschütz fared in action. Doyle and Jentz also provide much technical data, including information on both retrofitted and production modifications. Differences between the various series of the weapon are also investigated at length. Their text is greatly aided by Peter Sarson's colour plates, including a double page spread of the vehicle, cutaway and numbered in order to show both controls and armour thickness. A detailed book dealing with one of the more notable weapons of the Second World War.

Contents

• Design and Development
• Production Modifications
• Production History
• Capabilities
• Operational History
• Tactical Employment
• Organisation
• Early Successes in Russia