Assault Artillery - Germany: Illustrated History Books & Guides

German Assault Guns and Tank Destroyers 1940-1945 - Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

The assault guns and tank destroyers deployed by the Wehrmacht during the Second World War are not as famous as tanks like the Tiger and Panther, but they were remarkably successful, and they are the subject of Anthony Tucker-Jones's wide-ranging photographic history.

As the conflict progressed, the German army had to find a use for its obsolete panzers, and this gave rise to the turretless Sturmgeschütz or assault guns designed for infantry support. From 1944 onwards they played a vital role in Nazi Germany's increasingly defensive war.

A selection of rare wartime photographs shows the variety of turretless armoured fighting vehicles that were produced and developed - various models of the Sturmgeschütz III, the Sturmhaubitze, Jagdpanzer, Panzerjäger, Marder, Hetzer.
Often a lack of tanks meant that these armoured vehicles were called on to fill the panzer's role, and they proved ideal during the Germans' defensive battles on the Eastern Front as well as in Italy and Normandy - they were instrumental in delaying Germany's defeat.

This highly illustrated account provides is a fascinating introduction to one of the less well-known aspects of armoured warfare during the Second World War.

Product details

Author:	Anthony Tucker-Jones
Details:	144 pages, 9.7 x 7.5 in (24.5 x 19 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	160 b&w photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2016)
Series:	Images of War
ISBN:	9781473845992

StuG III Manual - Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. A to G (SdKfz 142) (Haynes Military Manual)

Based on the chassis of the Panzer III tank, the Second World War German Sturmgeschutz series of assault guns was a successful and cost-effective range of armoured fighting vehicles.
Originally intended as a mobile assault weapon for infantry support, the StuG was constantly modified and saw extensive use on all battlefronts as an assault gun and tank destroyer.

Pages of the book "StuG III Manual - Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. A to G (SdKfz 142)"

Author Mark Healy examines the development, construction and fighting qualities of the StuG, including insights into what it was like to operate and maintain.
His centrepiece is a surviving StuG III at the Tank Museum, Bovington, and he also draws on a range of documentary and photographic information sources in Germany, the USA and France.

Product details

Author:	Mark Healy
Details:	192 pages, 11 x 8.25 x 0.59 in (28 x 21 x 1.5 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	250 b&w and color photos
Language:	English (technical dictionaries in 19 languages are available for free download here)
Publisher:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 2019)
Series:	Haynes Military Manual
ISBN:	9781785212130

Sturmgeschütz III and IV 1942-1945 (Osprey)

As the Second World War dragged on, heavy German losses in armoured vehicles and tanks ensured that assault gun units had to play an increasingly vital role in supporting the beleaguered infantry and countering Allied armour, particularly on the Eastern Front. The Sturmgeschütz was one of the most numerously produced and effectively deployed of the German armoured vehicles.

This book reveals how the Sturmgeschütz provided the backbone of Germany's armoured forces in every theatre and on every front during the long fighting-retreat of the final years of the war.

Contents: Design and development - the Long 75mm and 105mm Howitzer - Production modifications and improvements 1942 to 1945 - Production history - Manufacturing plants of Alkett and MIAG - Combat capabilities - Operational history - Tactical employment - Organisation - Combat history examples - Commentary on the colour artwork - Index.

Product details

Author:	Hilary L. Doyle, Tom Jentz
Details:	48 pages, 9.7 x 7.3 x 0.16 in (24.5 x 18.5 x 0.4 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	photos and drawings (in b&w and color)
Language:	English
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2001)
Series:	New Vanguard (37)
ISBN:	9781841761824

Sturmgeschütz III Assault Gun 1940-42 (Osprey)

The workhorse of the German Army that swept across Poland, France and Russia, the Sturmgeschütz III saw service in all theatres of World War II, both in an infantry support role and as a tank destroyer. Cheaper and quicker to produce than a tank, the assault gun proved a remarkably effective weapon. Its design and development, production, capabilities and operational history are all closely examined, as is its tactical employment and organisation into units.

This book uses original German combat and experience reports to show how the Sturmgeschütz fared in action, whilst also providing information on both retrofitted and production modifications.

Contents: Design and Development - Production Modifications - Production History - Capabilities - Operational History - Tactical Employment - Organisation - Early Successes in Russia.

Product details

Author:	Hilary L. Doyle, Thomas L. Jentz
Details:	48 pages, 9.7 x 3.75 x 0.2 in (24.5 x 9.5 x 0.5 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	photos and drawings (in b&w and color)
Language:	English
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 1996)
Series:	New Vanguard (19)
ISBN:	9781855325371

Hitler's Tank Killer - Sturmgeschütz at War 1940-1945 - Rare photographs from Wartime Archives (Images of War)

Sturmgeschütz III was originally designed as an assault weapon, but as war progressed it was increasingly used in a defensive role and evolved into an assault gun and tank destroyer. By 1943 its main role was providing anti-tank support to the units in its area of operation. This consequently led to many StuGs being destroyed in battle. Nonetheless they were very successful as tank killers and destroyed, among others, many bunkers, pillboxes and other defences.

The StuG was not considered to be a true tank because it lacked a turret. The gun was mounded directly in the hull, in a casemate-style fashion, with a low profile to reduce vehicle heights, and had a limited lateral traverse of a few degrees in either direction. Thus, the entire vehicle had to be turned in order to acquire targets. Omitting the turret made production much simpler and less costly, enabling greater numbers to be built. Its significantly shorter vertical profile as compared to contemporary tanks made the StuG more difficult to hit.

Most assault guns were mounted on the chassis of a Panzer III or Panzer IV, with the resultant model being called either a StuG III or StuG IV respectively. The StuG was one of the most effective tracked vehicles of World War II, and over 10,000 of them were eventually produced.
During the course of the war StuG III assault guns were issued to Sturmartillerie Batteries, Sturmgeschütz Abteilungen, Sturmgeschütz Brigades, Sturmartillerie Batteries, Ersatz (Reserve), Abteilungen and Funklenk (Remote Control) Companies. StuG III assault guns served on all fronts of WWII until the end of the war.

This book shows rare photographs of the Sturmgeschütz, found in wartime archives.

Product details

Author:	Hans Seidler
Details:	160 pages, 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.43 in (24.5 x 19 x 1.1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	250 b&w photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2010)
Series:	Images of War
ISBN:	9781848841741

M10 Tank Destroyer vs StuG III Assault Gun - Germany, 1944 (Osprey)

The Allies' M10 Tank Destroyer and the Germans' Sturmgeschütz (StuG) lll were the unsung workhorses of the northwest European battlefields of 1944-45. While their mission was not principally fighting one another, their widespread use ensured their frequent encounters, from the Normandy Bocage, to the rubble-strewn streets of Aachen.
The StuG lll was the quintessential assault gun, a low-slung, heavily armoured, turret-less vehicle intended to provide direct fire support for infantry formations, whilst the M10 3in Gun Motor Carriage was originally developed as a tank destroyer. However, by 1944 the 3in gun proved ineffectual against the most thickly armored German tanks, and was consequently relegated to infantry support too.
Widely deployed in roles their designers had not envisaged, these two armoured fighting vehicles clashed repeatedly during the 11-month campaign, which saw the Allies advance from Normandy to the heart of the Reich. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this is the story of their confrontation at the height of World War ll.

Contents: Introduction - Chronology - Design and Development - Technical Specifications - The Combatants - The Strategic Situation - Combat - Statistics and Analysis - Further Reading - Index.

Product details

Author:	Steven J. Zaloga
Details:	80 pages, 9.7 x 7.5 x 0.28 in (24.5 x 19 x 0.7 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	photos and drawings (in b&w and color)
Language:	English
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2013)
Series:	Duel (53)
ISBN:	9781780960999

Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield (2)

Excellent photographic coverage of the German Sturmgeschütz III assault gun on all fronts throughout World War 2. Large format photos, one to a page, mostly unpublished.

Pages of the book "Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield (2)"

Product details

Author:	Matyas Panczel
Details:	112 pages, 8.7 x 11.8 x 0.55 in (22 x 30 x 1.4 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	103 b&w photos
Language:	bilingual (English + Hungarian)
Publisher:	PeKo Publishing Kft. (HU, 2013)
Series:	World War Two Photobook Series (4)
ISBN:	9789638962331

Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield (3)

Excellent photographic coverage of the German Sturmgeschütz III and Sturmhaubitze 42 assault guns on all fronts throughout World War 2.

Pages of the book "Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield (3)"

Product details

Author:	Matyas Panczel
Details:	112 pages, 8.7 x 12 x 0.51 in (22 x 30.5 x 1.3 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	104 b&w photos
Language:	bilingual (English + Hungarian)
Publisher:	PeKo Publishing Kft. (HU, 2015)
Series:	World War Two Photobook Series (8)
ISBN:	9789638962393

Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield (4)

"Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield 4" is Matyas Panczel's fourth on the Sturmgeschütz III for PeKo Publishing of Hungary. It follows their house format of 112 pages, 105 large landscape photographs.

Pages of the book "Sturmgeschütz III on the Battlefield (4)"

Product details

Author:	Matyas Panczel
Details:	112 pages, 8.7 x 11.8 x 0.63 in (22 x 30 x 1.6 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	105 b&w photos
Language:	bilingual (English + Hungarian)
Publisher:	PeKo Publishing Kft. (HU, 2017)
Series:	World War Two Photobook Series (13)
ISBN:	9786155583025

Sturmgeschütz: Germany's WWII Assault Gun (StuG) (Vol. 1) - The Early War Versions (Legends of Warfare)

The Sturmgeschütz, or StuG, as it is more popularly known, while conceived as self-propelled, infantry support artillery, in time, formed the backbone of Germany's anti-tank operations during WWII.
With more than 135 war-era photos, this volume chronicles the design, development, and deployment of the first six (of nine variants) of this famed and feared weapon. The material is arranged in seven chapters, each focusing on a specific production model, or Ausführung, of the Sturmgeschütz.

This volume covers the Ausf.A through F/8 variants used during the early WWII years. Comprehensive tables reveal the details of performance, as well as technical specifications of each variant. A concise, easy-to-read text, and detailed photo captions expose the secrets of this iconic vehicle. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Product details

Author:	David Doyle
Details:	128 pages, 9.1 x 9.25 x 0.71 in (23 x 23.5 x 1.8 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	137 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2018)
Series:	Legends of Warfare
ISBN:	9780764355370

Sturmgeschütz: Germany's WWII Assault Gun (StuG) (Vol.2) - The Late War Versions

The Sturmgeschütz, or StuG as it is more popularly known, while conceived as self-propelled, infantry support artillery, in time, formed the backbone of Germany's anti-tank operations during WWII. With more than 130 war-era photos, this volume chronicles the design, development, and deployment of the final three (of nine variants) of this famed and feared weapon. The material is arranged in four chapters, each focusing on a specific production model, or Ausführung, of the Sturmgeschütz.

This volume focuses on the most plentiful model, the later war Ausf.G, as well as the Sturmgeschütz IV, and the similar, howitzer-armed Sturmhaubitze. Comprehensive tables reveal the details of performance, as well as technical specifications of each variant. A concise, easy to read text, and detailed photo captions expose the secrets of this iconic vehicle. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Product details

Author:	David Doyle
Details:	128 pages, 9.1 x 9.25 x 0.71 in (23 x 23.5 x 1.8 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	132 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2018)
ISBN:	9780764355387

T-34 vs StuG III - Finland 1944 (Osprey)

In the summer of 1944, the Red Army staged a massive armoured assault up the Karelian Isthmus with the intent of eliminating any remaining German and Finnish forces facing the Leningrad region.
Most of the Soviet units sent into Finland were new to the region, moving mainly from the fighting in the Leningrad area. As a result, some had the latest types of Soviet equipment including the new T-34-85 tank, fielded alongside the older T-34-76.

Germany refused to sell the Finns new tanks without a reinforced military alliance, but in 1943 began selling them a few dozen StuG III assault guns. This made the StuG III battalion the most modern and powerful element of the Finnish armoured division, and it saw very extensive combat in the June-July summer battles.
Featuring specially commissioned artwork and an array of archive photographs, this is the absorbing story of the parts played by Soviet and Finnish armour in the epic battles in Finland during June and July 1944.

Product details

Author:	Steven J. Zaloga
Details:	80 pages, 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.24 in (25 x 18.5 x 0.6 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Osprey Publishing (GB, 2019)
Series:	Duel
ISBN:	9781472832351

The German Sturmgeschütze in World War II - A Photo Chronicle

This book is a detailed look at the World War II German assault gun in all its variants. Everything from design and construction, to ammunition, tactics, and operations on all war fronts is presented. War era photos show up-close details, as well as combat use throughout World War II.

Product details

Author:	Wolfgang Fleischer
Details:	160 pages, 10.4 x 7.1 x 0.79 in (26.5 x 18 x 2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	over 200 b&w photos, drawings
Language:	English
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing Ltd (USA, 2004)
ISBN:	9780764306938

Deutsche Sturmgeschütze - Entwicklung und Fertigung der sPak (Spielberger)

As German losses increased, the Wehrmacht equipped infantry units with self-propelled "heavy anti-tank guns." As the war progressed, the easily manufactured assault guns increasingly took on the role of replacement tanks, even though they did not have a rotating turret. Nevertheless, they continued to be used after the war, even in the first Israeli-Arab wars.

Pages of the book "Deutsche Sturmgeschütze - Entwicklung und Fertigung der sPak"

In this volume, Walter Spielberger documents the development, technology and use of these vehicles in all their variants, while Alexander Lüdeke has examined the post-war years.

Product details

Author:	Walter J. Spielberger, Hilary Louis Doyle, Alexander Lüdeke
Details:	272 pages, 10.6 x 9.25 x 0.87 in (27 x 23.5 x 2.2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	281 photos and drawings
Language:	German
Publisher:	Motorbuch Verlag (D, 2021)
Series:	Spielberger
ISBN:	9783613044197