02 FIREFLY COLLECTION.pdf

FIREFLY COLLECTION No.2

STUG

BAGRATION TO BERLIN. VOL I

STUG

ASSAULT GUN UNITS IN THE EAST

WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY

DENNIS OLIVER

SUPERBLY DETAILED COLOUR PROFILES, BLACK AND WHITE ARCHIVE PHOTOGRAPHS,

COMPREHENSIVE ORGANISATIONAL AND EQUIPMENT CHARTS, UNIT HISTORIES AND MAPS

FIREFLY COLLECTION

STUG

ASSAULT GUN UNITS IN THE EAST

BAGRATION TO BERLIN. VOL 1

Written and illustrated by Dennis Oliver

ISBN 978-0-9806593-8-2

Acknowledgments. The author and publisher would like to thank the staff of the National Library of Australia, Canberra, the State Library of New South Wales,

Sydney and the National Archive and Research Administration, Maryland for their invaluable assistance and advice. We would also like to thank all those who

contribute to the Axis History Forum, the Feldgrau Forum, Panzer-Archiv.de, Die Deutsche Wehrmacht website, the Sturmartillerie website and Mr Brett Green at

Missing Lynx. We also wish to thank Mr Bernard Cher of M Workshop, Singapore and Mr Dinesh Ned for their kind permission to reproduce the photograph of the

scale model Sturmgeschütz III which appears on the back cover. Further work can be seen at www.themworkshop.com. In addition the author would also like to

extend his thanks to Mr Phillip Oliver who assisted with the research of this work and the draft text.

In addition to the websites mentioned above, the following printed works were also consulted: Die Kämpfe in Ostpreussen Schlesien und Pommern 1944/45.

Haupt, W. Die Kampf um Schlesien 1944-45. Von Ahlfen, H. The Battle For Budapest. Ungváry. K. War On Two Fronts. Michulec, R. Die Deutsche Fernlenktruppe

1943-45. Jaugitz, M. Die Heeresgruppe Süd. Wagener, C. Die Truppenkennzeicen der Verbände und Einheiten der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS und

ihre Einsätze im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945. Schmitz, P and Theis K-J. Panzer Colors II. Culver, B. Panzerwrecks 1. Archer, L and Auerbach, W. Panzerwrecks 2.

Archer, L and Auerbach, W. Panzerwrecks 3. Archer, L and Auerbach, W. Panzertruppen. Jentz, T. L. (Editor) Panzerwaffe Poland 1944. Wróblewski, R and

Wrobel, A. Deutsche Kampfpanzer in Farbe 1939-45. Scheibert, H. Deutsche Fahrzeugraritäten 1914-45. Hoppe, H. Panzer IV and its Variants. Spielberger, W J.

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf G/H/J. Vol 2. Trojca, W. Panzerjäger und Sturmgeschütze. Schiebert, H. Achtung Panzer No. 5. Sturmgeschütz III, Stug. IV & SIG.33. Bitoh, M.

(Editor). German Sturmartillerie At War. Vol 2. De Sisto, F. V. Sturmartillerie. Spielberger, W.J and Feist, U. Sturmgeschütz III and IV 1942-45. Doyle, H and Jentz,

T. Sturmgeschütz 40. Schiebert, H. D. Sdkfz 251. Ledwoch, J. Warszawa 1944. Ledwoch, J. Sturmgeschütz III. Culver, B. Battle On Two Fronts 1944-45. Cockle, T.

To The Last Bullet. Germany’s War on 3 Fronts. Part 1. The East. Oliver, D. Endkampf. Fritz,S. Der Zusammenbruch Der Heeresgruppe Mitte Im Osten 1944.

Hinz, R. Deutsche Sturmgeschütze Im Einsatz. Fleischer, W. Hell’s Gate. Nash, D. E. Battleground Prussia. The Assault On Germany’s Eastern Front. 1944 -45.

Buttar, P.

The illustrations in this book were all created using contemporary photographs as a reference and we have attempted to create as faithful a reproduction as

possible - including the shape and position of any camouflage pattern, markings and the style of lettering used. In the few cases where we have been forced to

speculate we have tried to make this clear. Where possible, we have reproduced the photograph or photographs so used, however copyright and budgetary

restrictions and do not always allow this.

Published by ADH Publishing ,

Doolittle Mill

Doolittle Lane

Totternhoe

Bedfordshire LU6 1QX

United Kingdom

Produced in co-operation with The Oliver Publishing Group

Patent Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical,

optical photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of ADH Publishing. All enquiries should be addressed to the publisher.

Picture Credits. National Archives and Record Administration: 8,31; Bundesarchiv: 19,24,27,31; J. Howard Parker: 1,7,9,11,25,32; Author’s Collection: 3,7,10,27,28; V.I.Polokov:

3,4,7,8,12,13,30,31; Ullstein via K.Berne: 15,27,31; K.Berne: 7,10,14,28.

Front cover: Sturmgeschütz III ausf G of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1367. Ukraine, early 1944. This vehicle is shown in full and discussed further on page 14.

Below: Leutnant Heinrich Köhler - at far right - poses with his crew and what may be his battalion commander during the summer of 1944. At this time Köhler was

a platoon leader with Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 322. On 20 April 1945, Köhler was awarded the Knight’s Cross in recognition of his bravery and leadership while

serving with 3.Kompanie, Heeres-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 210. Also shown is an officer’s quality collar tab or Litzen - the red centres denoting an artillery unit.

This book is a companion volume to the Oliver Publishing Group's 2010 title To

The Last Bullet which looked at the armoured vehicles used by the German

Army and Waffen SS on the Eastern Front during the final months of World War

2 - from the spring of 1944 to the final battles for eastern Germany and Berlin

in April and May 1945.

Even given the limited time frame, no one book could hope to completely cover

so vast and complex a subject and we were unfortunately forced to omit much

of the material that had been accumulated during our research. In an attempt

therefore to present a more comprehensive picture - and as a result of the

many requests we have received from our readers - this book, STUG: Assault

Gun Units In The East, will concentrate on the Sturmgeschütz III and

Sturmgeschütz IV and their deployment during those last, critical weeks and

months of the conflict. In the first volume, the assault gun units of the Army will

be dealt with and in the subsequent volume we will detail the relevant

formations of the Waffen SS and Luftwaffe, as well as some of the more

obscure units that were equipped with the ubiquitous Sturmgeschütz. After

much consideration it was decided that the many colour illustrations depicted

in both volumes will be presented - for the most part - in chronological order

without regard to branch of service. That is to say, those vehicles operated by

all branches of the Wehrmacht and in service during 1944 will be shown in this

volume and those deployed in 1945 will be displayed in the next.

At their inception the Sturmgeschütz units of the Wehrmacht were controlled

by the artillery - the armoured and infantry branches of the Army having

insufficient manpower resources to spare for the new formations.

Independent assault gun battalions were under the direction of the

Generalinspekteur der Artillerie. Their companies were therefore referred to

as batteries - as they are throughout this book - and in the early units

comprised six vehicles which was roughly the manpower equivalent of a

normal artillery battery. By 1945, the number of assault guns in a battery had

increased to fourteen which was at that time, generally speaking, comparable

to a tank company. It should be noted that assault gun battalions attached to

Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions and the assault gun companies of

infantry division Panzerjäger battalions were controlled by the

Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen.

The first units to see combat operated as independent Sturmartillerie batteries

during the French Campaign of 1940 and by August of the same year they had

been expanded and reorganized into battalions referred to as Sturmartillerie-

Abteilungen of three batteries each. In early 1941, the battalions were

renamed Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung, although the basic organisation

remained unaltered.

Although the intended role of the Sturmgeschütz was to support attacks by

infantry - clearing obstacles such as bunkers and pill-boxes - they were

increasingly called upon to act as tank killers, a task which the crews

performed admirably although ranges of less than 500 metres were essential

for success. The campaign in Russia showed that if the assault gun units were

to be able to counter the Red Army's tanks, a new, more powerful gun would be

needed and in the spring of 1942 the long-barrelled 7.5cm L/48 gun made its

appearance with the number of assault guns in a battalion being increased to

twenty-eight at about the same time. In November 1942, the battalions were

renamed Sturmgeschütz-Brigade and also underwent another organisational

change with each battery commander receiving their own assault gun,

bringing the total number to thirty-one. Many units retained this

establishment until the end of the war. In June 1944, a number of battalions

were reorganised and renamed Heeres- Sturmartillerie-Brigade with a total of

forty-five combat vehicles, including thirty-three Sturmgeschütz III or

Sturmgeschütz IV assault guns and twelve Sturmhaubitze 42, the latter armed

with the 10.5cm L/28 assault howitzer. The reader should be aware however

that these numbers were ideals and in practice were rarely maintained,

particularly once a unit entered combat. Please note that the descriptions

offered here, regarding the organisation and armament of the assault gun

battalions, are of a very general nature and are discussed in detail in the tables

on page 2.

As the war dragged on, assault guns were increasingly issued as replacements

for tank destroyers and even tanks. Their effectiveness, the relative ease with

which they could be produced and their low cost to the German economy - a

Sturmgeschütz III could be produced for less than 80% of the price of a late

model Pzkw III tank - ensured their popularity with government and army

planners. The Sturmgeschütz served on all fronts during the war and every

campaign except the invasion of Poland in 1939.

Following are brief histories of the Army's Assault Gun Battalions.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 177

Formed in August 1941 at Jüterbog, by early 1943 the unit had been totally

destroyed and then rebuilt in March of the same year. In February 1944, the

battalion was permanently attached to 3.Kavallerie-Brigade and in August

was reorganised as Panzerjäger-Abteilung 69. Made up of just two companies

the battalion spent the autumn and winter of 1944-45 fighting in East Prussia

and early in the new year had moved into Hungary. In January 1945, the

companies were equipped with a mixture of Sturmgeschütz III and IV assault

guns, Sturmhaubitze 42 vehicles and Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers. Most of

the battalion went into Russian captivity in May 1945, although some seventy

men managed to escape to the west.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 184

Formed in August 1940, this unit was almost completely wiped out in the

fighting for the Demyansk Pocket in early 1943 after which the survivors were

sent to Estonia to refit. In late 1943, the battalion was attached to

58.Infanterie-Division, part of Army Group North. In February 1944, the

battalion was renamed Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 184 and then Heeres-

Sturmartillerie-Brigade 184 in October. In late 1944, the battalion lost all its

equipment in the Kurland Pocket and was then transferred to Army Group

Vistula. During the first week of April 1945, the battalion was able to field

twenty-three Sturmgeschütz III with eight Sturmhaubitze 42 and was attached

to 3.Panzer-Armee, part of Army Group Vistula.

..........continued on page 3

A Sturmgeschütz III als Befehlswagen, the command version of the assault gun, identified by the

Sternantenna - or star antenna - mounted at the right rear of the fighting compartment. These vehicles

were issued to the battalion headquarters or to battery commanders and were equipped with the Fu8

radio which had a range of 50 kilometres when transmitting by voice or 120 kilometres when using a

telegraph key. These ranges were however dramatically reduced when the vehicle was moving. The

large stowage box is a typical field modification for this period. Note the Winterketten track extensions,

usually reserved for winter conditions as the name would suggest. This vehicle is shown in the

illustration section on page 16 and also in the photographs on page 9.

STURMGESCHÜTZ-ABTEILUNG, JUNE 1944

All units of the German Army were organised according to instructions issued by Oberkommando des Heeres - the High Command of the Army. These were

accompanied by detailed instructions called Kriegstärkenachweisung - more commonly referred to as K.St.N - which showed the theoretical, authorised

strength and composition of a unit listing the exact number of personnel and type of vehicle. They were issued whenever an organisational change was

required and the battalion shown here is based on K.St.N 416 Stab und Stabsbatterie (mot) einer Sturmgeschutzbrigade (mot) and K.St.N 446

Sturmgeschutzbatterie (mot) which came into force on 1 June 1944. Both allowed for batteries of ten or fourteen guns. The battalion depicted here is based

around the ten gun battery - the fourteen gun version differing in having two assault guns in the Batterietrupp and a fourth Zug - or platoon, of three assault

guns. A further directive, K.St.N 448, effective from 1 December 1944, provided for a Begleitgrenadier-Batterie made up of a command troop and three

platoons of infantry carried in trucks. Units which received the additional infantry were to be referred to as Heeres-Sturmartillerie-Brigade, however only four

battalions, Sturmegeschütz-Abteilungen 259, 278, 303 and 341, had been completely reorganised by the end of the war.

ABTEILUNG STAB

Battalion

Command

Sturmgeschütz Kettenrad Light car Light car Lkw.2t (2 ton lorry) Lkw.2t (2 ton lorry)

(VW Type 82) (VW type 166)

Stabsbatterie

Command Battery

Instandsetzungsdienste

Maintenance Service

Instandsetzungsstaffel

Maintenance Section

Troß

Baggage Section

1 x Light car (VW Type 82)

4 x Lkw.4.5t (4.5 ton lorry)

1 x Lkw.2t (2 ton lorry)

1 x Lkw.4.5t (4.5 ton lorry -

mobile worshop)

Nachrichtentrupp

Signal Troop

1 x Light car (VW Type 82)

Instandsetzungszug -leichte Kfz

Abteilungsverpflegungstroß

Ration Section

2 x Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry)

Gruppe Führer

Commander

Light vehicle maintenance

Nachschubstaffel

Supply Section

1 x Light car (VW Type 82)

1 x Lkw.2t (2 ton lorry)

2 x Lkw.4.5t (4.5 ton lorry)

1 x Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry)

1 x Kettenrad Sdkfz.2

1 x Light car (VW Type 82)

6 x Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry, ammunition)

3 x Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry)

3 x trailers

Ersatzteilgruppe

Spare parts

3 x Lkw.4.5t (4.5 ton cargo lorry)

Sanitätstrupp

Medical Troop

Bergetrupp

Recovery troop

1 x Krankenkraftwagen

1 x Sdkfz.251 (armoured ambulance)

3 x Sdkfz.9 (18 ton half-track)

Sturmgeschützbatterie

Batterietrupp

Gruppe Führer

Commander

Sturmgeschütz Light car Light car Lkw.2t (2 ton lorry)

(VW Type 82) (VW Type 166)

Gefechtsbatterie

1.Zug

Combat Battery

1st Platoon

Sturmgeschütz Sturmgeschütz Sturmgeschütz

Geschützstaffel

2.Zug

Gun Section

2nd Platoon

Sturmhaubitze Sturmhaubitze Sturmhaubitze

3.Zug

3rd Platoon

Sturmgeschütz Sturmgeschütz Sturmgeschütz

Munitionstaffel

3 x Sd.Ah 31/1 Trailer

1 x Anhänger 3t Trailer

Ammunition section

Light car Lkw.3t (2 ton lorry) Lkw.3t (2 ton lorry) Lkw.3t (2 ton lorry)

Kfz.Instandsetzungsgruppe

1 x Motorcycle

5 x Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry)

Batterietroß

Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry) Lkw.3t (3 ton lorry) Light car Sdkfz.11 3t (3 ton half-track)

Battery Baggage section

Above: A later production Sturmgeschütz III ausf G - indicated by the Topfblende

gun mantlet - photographed in the east in 1944. The so-called waffle pattern

Zimmerit is clearly visible here. At right: In September 1942, as a Wachtmeister

with Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 667, Hugo Primozic became the first NCO in the

German Army to receive the Knight’s Cross. By January 1943, Primozic had

destroyed sixty Russian tanks and was awarded the Oakleaves and promoted to

the rank of Leutnant.

Sturmgeschütz -Abteilung 185

Formed in August 1940, the battalion fought on the Eastern Front from the

invasion of the Soviet Union in July 1941, until the war's end in May 1945. In

June 1944, by now re-named Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 185, the battalion was

part of Army Group Centre's XXXIX.Panzerkorps. Less than a month later the

battalion underwent another name change to become Heeres-

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 185. On 10 August, the battalion was able to report

that seventeen Sturmgeschütz III and five Sturmhaubitze 42 were combat-

ready. By October the battalion was fighting with XX.Armeekorps and

withdrew into East Prussia. In early 1945, the battalion had at least one Soviet

T-34 tank acting as a recovery vehicle.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 201

Formed in March 1941, this unit was almost completely destroyed in the

Stalingrad battles and reformed in May 1943, spending most of that year in

Greece. In March 1944, by now renamed Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 201, the

battalion was part of Kampfgruppe Hildebrandt, fighting with XXII.Gerbirgs-

Armeekorps in Yugoslavia. In October 1944, the battalion was attached to

4.Panzerarmee under the command of Army Group A and by early 1945, the

survivors were merged with Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 210.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 202

Formed in September 1941, this battalion took part in some of the heaviest

fighting on the Eastern Front until it was almost completely destroyed in the

battles for the Cherkassy-Korsun Pocket in early 1944. Re-named

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 202, the battalion was ordered to Ziegenhals, in

Germany to refit. By August, the battalion was again at the front with

18.Armee, part of Army Group North, and later with 16.Armee fighting in the

Kurland Pocket. Here the battalion took part in the fighting for Ösel Island -

present day Saaremaa in the Gulf of Riga - and Tukums in Latvia.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 189

Formed in July 1941, this battalion served with various units of Army Group

Centre until late 1942, when it was attached to 78.Sturm-Division. Like many

assault gun battalions this unit underwent a name change in June 1944 to

become Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 189 and just over a month later to Heeres-

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 189. At the end of July 1944, the battalion was

detached from 78.Sturm-Divsion and ordered to Magdeburg in Germany to

refit. Before the refitting process was complete however the battalion, less its

third battery, was sent to Mielau in Poland (modern M³awa). Reorganised as

Panzerjäger-Abteilung 70, the remaining batteries were attached to 4.

Kavallerie-Brigade. The third battery which remained in Magdeburg,

provided the cadre for 3.Batterie, Heeres- Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 244.

Sturmgeschütz -Abteilung 203

Formed in February 1941, this battalion fought until May 1945 on the Eastern

front. By February 1944, it had been re-named Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 203

and was assigned to LII.Armeekorps, part of Army Group South. By October,

the battalion was under the command of 4.Armee with Army Group Centre

and ended the war with 1.Panzerarmee fighting in Silesia and eastern

Germany. In early 1945, the battalion had at least one Soviet T-34 tank acting

as a recovery vehicle.

Sturmgeschütz -Abteilung 190

Formed in October 1940, this unit served in the Balkans and Greece before

taking part in the invasion of Russia in July 1941. Re-named leichte-

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 190 in January 1944, the battalion took part in the

fighting around the city of Kovel in Poland, supporting SS-Panzer-Regiment 5.

By May 1944, the battalion was in the Mogilev area attached to 4.Armee as

part of Army Group Centre. In November 1944, the battalion was ordered to

Germany for refitting and returned to the front near Danzig as part of

2.Armee in January 1945. During late 1944 or early 1945, the battalion

received three Panzer IV/70(A) tank destroyers. In early 1945, the battalion

had at least one Soviet T-34 tank acting as a recovery vehicle.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 209

Formed in December 1941, this battalion spent the early months of 1944

refitting in Poland and was renamed Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 209 in February.

By the first week of July, the battalion had twenty-two Sturmgeschütz III and

nine Sturmhaubitze 42 on hand and was transferred back to the front as part

of Army Group Centre's 2.Armee. In early 1945, the battalion was attached to

14.Infanterie-Division.

Sturmgeschütz -Abteilung 191

Formed in October 1940, this unit served in the Balkans and Greece before

taking part in Operation Barbarossa as part of Von Kleist's 1.Panzergruppe in

July 1941. In June 1944, the battalion - by now re-named Sturmgeschütz-

Brigade 191 - was refitting at Warthengau in Germany. In July, the battalion

was reinforced by a fourth battery formed from 4.Batterie, Heeres-

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 201 and within a month was transferred to

Yugoslavia as part of 2.Armee. In September 1944, the second battery was

removed and transferred to Lehr-Brigade II at Altengrabow. In January 1945,

the remnants of the battalion were attached to 6.Armee fighting around

Budapest and by May were part of Army Group Ostmark.

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 210

Formed in May 1941, this unit served exclusively on the Eastern front. In

February 1944, the battalion was renamed Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 210 and

spent most of that year subordinated to 1st Hungarian Army fighting in the

Ukraine. In October 1944, the battalion was attached to LVI.Panzerkorps

which was part of 4.Panzerarmee of Army Group A. In January 1945, this unit

was completely destroyed in the battles around the Weichsel Bend and during

the next month was rebuilt, in part from the remnants of Sturmgeschütz-

Brigade 201 and Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 322. By April, the battalion was

fighting on the Oder River Front and was equipped with a mixed bag of

armoured vehicles including thirteen Sturmgeschütz III, fifteen

Sturmhaubitze 42 and thirteen Panzer IV/70 (V) tank destroyers. At least one

authoritative source states that the battalion was equipped with

Sturmgeschütz IV assault guns when it was reformed in January.

Sturmartillerie-Abteilung 192

Formed in November 1940, the battalion took part in the invasion of Russia as

part of Guderian's 2.Panzergruppe. By May 1942, the battalion had been

disbanded and with Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 640 was used to form

Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung Großdeutschland.

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: