stug

A fair amount of work to be done to do this, but not impossible. Basic changes from the early ausf G to the final model G would be; "Saukopf" gun mantle with coaxial MG, "Rundumfeuer" MG and shield, different style schurtzen, shot deflector in front of cupola, Nahverteidigungswaffe added to roof, 5 "pilze" mounts welded to roof for jib crane, steel return rollers, 80mm nose armor now standard, so no bolt-on armor plates on nose, no more smoke grenade launchers, new style towing pintel, gun travel lock and exposed bolt heads on drive sprocket. I'm sure I probably missed something there, but that is most of it.

Early G's had 50mm nose armor. The later production versions added an extra 30mm to this. The later versions went to a standardized front plate of 80mm thickness. Where as older versions had the 30mm plates bolted on so that the old drivers vision slits could be used.

The main superstructure body was widened to extend over the tracks.

A cast armor shield was welded to the roof and front of the cupola to deflect shells.

The corners of the skirting or schurzen were clipped to prevent them from catching on obstacles and being torn off. These were also loosely hung, where earlier version were fixed.

A new mantlet was introduced in 1944 and was a one piece rounded casting and was called a boars head mount. Although some late vehicles still had the built up block mantlet. Late Stugs with the new mantlet had coaxial machineguns which fired through the front of the mantlet and the muzzlebreak was usualy left off on later vehicles.

Zimmerit was used in a waffle or raked pattern.

Loaders roof hatches were rotated 90 degrees so they opened to the sides and a remote control mount for an external mg was placed in the roof ahead of the hatch. The outside hatch could be held open to protect the gunner as he reloaded the roof mg. An angled shield protected the mg and ammo drums from small arms fire.

By 1945 zimmerit as part of production was discontinued on this vehicle. By the end of the war there were vehicles with and without it.

A small "close in defense" weapon similar to those fitted on the panther that could rotate 360 degrees was added.

Ventilator and fan were mounted in the center of the rear roof plate on early vehicles, but them were moved to the vertical rear wall of the superstructure over the engine deck.

Rubber return rollers were replaced with all steel return rollers.

Reference Sturmgeschutz III in Action by Squadron for more info.

Mike

Dragons bringing out a late stug 3 and a final version of it too, if its anything like there new Stuh it will have PE and a metal barrel

Are you sure Jon. Maybe I'm mistaken, I thought it was aStug IV. I have the late Stug III and its okay. Doesn't have any PE though.

QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerman Are you sure Jon. Maybe I'm mistaken, I thought it was aStug IV. I have the late Stug III and its okay. Doesn't have any PE though.

yeah the final version is the Stug 4

this is the late Stuh3 / Stug 3
http://www.dragonmodelsltd.com/html/9058-1.html

heres the link to the review http://pmms.webace.com.au/reviews/vehicles/dragon/dr9058.htm
all you would have to do is get a Jordi Rubio barrel to make it a 75 ( but you do get the plastic one in the kit)