- For the Steel Division: Normandy 44 unit see SD:StuH 42
StuH 42 is a German Support unit in Steel Division II.
Background[ | ]
Sturmgeschütz III was one of the most successful Nazi designs, both in terms of units produced - ca. 10 086 StuG III- and the number of kills. The G variant was the most numerous, with nearly 8 500 manufactured or converted from previous variants. Several StuGs remained in use in Arab countries as late as 1967, used against Israel in the Six-Day War.
The StuG III began its life as a fire support vehicle, intended to provide infantry units with direct fire support against enemy fortifications and armored units. Daimler-Benz was contracted to create such a weapon in 1936, with the first production units rolling off the assembly line in 1940. Mounting the short-barreled 75 mm StuK 37L/24 gun in a casemate-style hull mounted on the Panzer IIIF chassis, they debuted during the Battle of France. Subsequent iterations of the series, Ausf. B through E, focused on improving mechanical reliability and resilience, without altering its combat role. Everything changed with Ausf. F, which mounted the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 and boasted thickened frontal armor, to allow it to effectively counter superior Soviet armored vehicles. From June 1942, the lengthened 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48 was used. The Ausf. G was the final StuG III model produced from December 1942 onwards, boasting an improved superstructure design and the addition of side-mounted Schürzen for protection against anti-tank rifles and shaped charge weapons. Late G versions mounted the Topfblende pot mantlet, which provided increased protection for the gun, giving it the distinctive pig's head (Saukopf) shape.
A variant of the StuG Ausf. F, Sturmhaubitze 42 (Sd.Kfz. 142/2) was introduced in 1942. Equipped with a 105mm howitzer, this new vehicle was designed to provide fire support for infantry, with StuG III Ausf. F/8 and Gs transitioning to an anti-tank role. Production models used StuG III Ausf. G chassis, with 1,299 produced by Alkett between 1943 and 1945.
122. Infanterie was supported by Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 303 which have a platoon of StuH 42 in each of three batteries.