Osprey New Vanguard 34 : Sturmartillerie and Panzerjäger 1939-1945

All weapon systems are designed to overcome a particular aspect of the enemy's capacity to fight, and the majority are produced as a result of hard experience. Originally the German assault gun was designed as an infantry support weapon, but the changing conditions of the battlefields of the Second World War forced it to adapt to perform a number of different roles, most importantly as a tank destroyer, although the infantry support role was never wholly discarded. If the much-glamorised Panzer divisions were the sword of the German army then the assault gun and tank destroyer units were its shield. As the Panzers' grip on the battlefield began to fail, though, it was left to the assault gun and tank destroyer crews to take up the burden. Bryan Perrett details the wide variety of vehicles that fought in action, with varying degrees of success, including the Sturmtiger, Brummbär, StuG III, Elefant, the elegant Jagdpanzer, and the massive Jagdtiger, as well as the tactics employed by their crews. Illustrations by Mike Badrocke.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Conception
• The Stug III Assault Gun
• Manning and Organisation
• Tactics
• Active Service
• Tank Destroyers
• Tank Destroyer Tactics
• The Key to Mobility
• End Note
• The Plates