Dear Friends,

Very soon - next week - we'll publish the next update that is planned to bring (provided no critical problems are found during the beta testing) the long-awaited StuG III and C-47A, AND the WIP Western Front Spring 1918 map (!). We have told about the legendary Skytrain in one of our previous Dev Blogs, so today's star is StuG.III Ausf.G.

There were many StuG.III self-propelled guns produced during the war, more than 9000 units spanning around 10 modifications. The Ausführung G that is recreated by our very talented partners at Digital Forms was the later one, having the heaviest gun and armor of all of them. The vehicle represented was built on the Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M base, so it has nearly the same chassis, engine and transmission. The fighting compartment, however, was completely rebuilt: replacing the turret with the welded armored superstructure granted it enough internal volume to accomodate the bigger 75 mm StuK 40/L48 gun. Its barrel and ballistics are similar to KwK.40 L/48 installed on Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G and later ones. This gun used the same ammo as 7,5 cm Pak. 40 AT gun.

Unlike the tank gun equipped with a telescopic gunsight designed for direct fire, the StuG.III gun had Sfl. ZF 1a artillery periscope marked for thre ammo types - APHE, sub-caliber AP and HE. Late StuG III modifications were equipped by infantry MG34 machinegun with box magazines stored in the fighting compartment. To fire it, the loader had to get out of his hatch, raise the armored shield and set the machinegun up in one of the two positions - for firing at air or ground targets. Schurzen armor plates for protection against AT rifles and shaped charges could be also installed.

Six one-shot smoke mortars could be also installed. Sure enoungh, not only we modeled them in the game, but we couldn't resist and upgraded the two previously released Tank Crew tanks with this weapon - Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.M and Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1 Tiger.

All in all, StuG.III is a light enough to be maneuverable, but also has a good frontal armor protection and a powerful main weapon. As we mentioned above, it will be available to its owners very soon.