Fallschirmjager:
I think this might be the all-time biggest Kriegsboner-inducing Sturmgeschütz photograph I have ever seen.
So lets break this photo down…
Steel return-rollers Mandated December 1944, due to shortages of natural and synthetic rubber. These also appear on Pz.Kpfw.IVs, Jagdpanzer IVs and StuH.42s around this time.
“Topfblende” Gun-Mantlet: Starting with the Ausführung G and StuG.IV a cast-metal mantlet designed to deflect rounds. The production of these started in November 1943.
Loader’s MG-shield: Introduced in December 1942, the shield mounted directly to the superstructure roof, in front of the loader’s hatch. Mounted on a hinged base, it could be folded flat when not in use.
This MG shield was mounted to the early to mid Ausf.G models, as well as being retro-fitted to StuG.III F/8s. Orders in December 1943 were issued that all remaining production StuGs and Jagdpanzers were to mount the “Rundum Feuer” remote-mounted MG system. Although the Rundum Feuer was issued, the MG shield was still seen till the end of the war.
Superstructure: Right behind the 50 Gallon fuel drum we can see some evidence of concrete armor applied to the front of the superstructure. This feature is usually found on German supplied Finnish “Sturmi” StuGs, prior to that it was first applied to StuGs belonging to Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 303.
Zimmerit:Traces of Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste coating can be seen on the side of the superstructure. This started officially on September 1943, both MIAG and Alkett production StuGs were to apply it at their facilities. MIAG had started as early as late September, Alkett delayed application till around December 43-January 44. Both MIAG and Alkett deviated from the technical orders issued, and utilized two different systems. The Alkett pattern (Dec.43-Sept.44) resembles a waffle pattern. MIAG’s is squares with dimples in the middle (Jan.44-Sept.44), but the early batches from MIAG were made following the technical instructions from the issuing order(Sept.43-Jan.44).
Conclusion: So the Zimmerit pattern tells us to it is a September-December 43 MIAG production StuG. The all steel return-rollers tells us this is a December 43 production StuG. Now we look at the concrete on the front sloping superstructure which leads us to the next question; is it a Finnish Sturmi, or is it a vehicle belonging to StuG.Abt.303?
To help us figure this out, here is a brief synopsis of the StuG.Abt.303’s history:
They left Finnland on Sept.7.44 and were ordered to the Riga and fought around Mitau, and Bauske then to East Prussia in a series of fighting retreats. It was shipped to the Hajmasker, Hungary and arrived there to support the IV.SS-Pz.Korps in Unternehmen Konrad III on Jan.18.45. It remained in those battles until March 16, where it was involved in Unternehmen Fruehlingswachen” where it was attached to the 356.Inf.Div, and later was attached to the 3.Panzer.Div. From about Apr.3.45 to the end it was under the III.Pz.Korps “Breith” w/ the AOK6 under Balck in the Steiermark area of Austria.
Now by comparing this StuG. with Finnish “Topfblende” mantlet StuG.III Gs you will see a difference between the glacis plates. Another tell-tale sign of its German use is the loader’s MG shield. The Finnish MG shield design has a considerably larger rectangular cut-out to fit captured Soviet DT-5 and DP-7 MGs.
The loader’s MG shield shown here is the MG42 variant.
So there we have it, this a December 43 MIAG production StuG. III Ausf.G (Late) belonging to theSturmgeschütz-Brigade-303.