Finish STUG

[SteveT]

According to Armies of Italy and the Axis the Sturmi STUG variant has a hull-mounted MMG (top page 53).  I cannot find any historical reference to this and also there doesn’t seem to be any place to glue on an MMG, even with some hacking about.

Can’t find any errata that mention it either.

Anyone?

 

[Tim Haslam]

I think it’s probably a mix up on terminology here,

since the Stug doesn’t have a turret, then in theory the whole vehicle is a ‘hull’.

The MMG sits on the top of the hull next to the commanders cupola.

[Nigel Heather]

It could mean one of two things.  There was the shielded MG on the cupola, it could mean that as this was a permanent feature and clearly a ground weapon, as opposed to other German tanks where the crew mounted the cupola MG as required and usually in an AA role.  Also from October 44 a coaxial MG was added to both the boxy and pig-snout mantlet of the Ausf G variants (not all Gs just the later built ones).  The latter are quite rare beasts so it is difficult to find photos of examples.   So I doubt many had this in reality but I guess it is a possibility for wargaming.  Not sure whether the Finnish army got any like this though.

Added a photo, the rough hole in the mantlet is where the coaxial MG would be.

Cheers,

Nigel

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.

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[Tim Haslam]

Ha!

heres me thinking that hole in the gun mantle was damage from a small calibre anti tank weapon!

well you learn something new every day! Thanks

[Nigel Heather]

Here’s a photo showing the mounting for the coaxial MG34.

But I have read into the Finnish Stugs and I doubt any had this feature because they pre-date when it was added.

So maybe the Bolt Action book is referring to the roof mounted MG.

This site shows a box-style mantlet with a coaxial MG – shocking colour – deserves a considerate repaint.

http://primeportal.net/tanks/erik_torp/stug_iii/

 

Cheers,

Nigel

• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 10 months ago by Nigel Heather.

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   Stug-III-Coaxial-MG34.jpg
   

[SteveT]

Remarkable answers on such a specific question, thank you!

[Alan Hamilton]

My earlier post seems to have disappeared.  This web page has a lot of detailed information on the Sturmi StuG covering types, armour, armament, vehicle numbers etc.

http://www.andreaslarka.net/sturmi.html

 

[Alan Hamilton]

This nicely detailed article on Finnish StuGs has several notes on armament modifications but none mention a “hull mounted” MG.  The only references deal with the substitution of the roof mounted MG34 with other weapons. You maybe found it already?

http://www.andreaslarka.net/sturmi.html

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