1:72 Forces of Valor D-Day Commemorative Series German Sturmgeschutz III AUSF. G - Normandy 1944

Features Include:

• Constructed of both die cast metal and plastic.
• Chassis and turret are metal.
• Elevating barrels.
• Tracks roll.
• Working treads.
• Accurate markings and insignia.
• New packaging for 2012 no ties or screws, double blister construction.

The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II.  It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank. Initially intended as a mobile, armoured light gun for infantry support, the StuG was continually modified and was widely employed as a tank destroyer.

The Sturmgeschütz III originated from German experiences in World War I when it was discovered that during the offensives on the western front the infantry lacked the means to effectively engage fortifications. The artillery of the time was heavy and not mobile enough to keep up with the advancing infantry to destroy bunkers, pillboxes, and other minor obstacles with direct-fire.. On June
15, 1936, Daimler-Benz AG received an order to develop an armoured infantry support vehicle capable of mounting a 75 mm (2.95 in) artillery piece. The gun mount's fixed, fully integrated casemate superstructure was to allow a limited traverse of a minimum of 25° and provided overhead protection for the crew. The height of the vehicle was not to exceed that of the average man.

While the StuG III was considered self-propelled artillery it was not initially clear which arm of the Wehrmacht would handle the new weapon. The Panzer arm, the natural user of tracked fighting vehicles, had no resources to spare for the formation of StuG units, and neither did the infantry branch. It was agreed, after a discussion, it would best be employed as part of the artillery arm.