The Sturmhaubitze or StuH was a version of the StuG assault gun, armed with a 105mm light field howitzer. It was originally designed in 1941 to provide the assault gun detachments with a more powerful weapon that could be used as both an infantry support weapon and as a bunker buster. By the time it entered service the standard StuG had developed into a powerful anti-tank weapon, firing armor piercing rounds, leaving the Sturmhaubitze to provide more of the infantry support fire.

In March 1942, Alkett mounted an experimental le.FH.18 howitzer in the chassis of a StuG III Ausf.E, and the first nine of the development series had been completed by October 1942. They were then sent to 3.Batterie/Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 185 (third battery of assault gun detachment 185), and saw combat south of Leningrad in late November.

These trials were encouraging, and in December 1942 Hitler set a production target of 24 StuHs per month. The first ten production vehicles were completed by March 1943, and 204 had been completed by the end of the year. The peak of production came between August and November 1944, when at least 100 were produced per month. During the production run the superstructure and chassis of the StuH received the same updates as the StuG III Ausf G.

The StuH had a very similar layout to the StuG. The only changes were to the gun mounting, which had to be modified for the larger gun. Its low position did limit the elevation of the gun to the range -6 to +20 degrees, meaning that the howitzer in the StuH was never fired at its ideal elevation of +45 degrees. The StuH carried 36 rounds, normally a mix of high explosive and shaped charge rounds.

The Sturmhaubitze received a series of official names. It was developed as the Sturmgeschutz leichte Feldhaubitze, before becoming the Sturmgeschutz III fur 10.5cm Stu.Haub.43 (Sd Kfz 142.2). The name Sturmhaubitze was only officially adopted in August 1944.

The StuH was issued to existing Sturmgeschutz detachments starting in 1943, which each detachment getting nine StuHs to support its StuGs. Only 68 had reached Army Groups Centre and South at the start of the Kursk offensive, but in any case the StuH was at its best in a defensive role, when it became a power anti-tank weapon - the limited traverse of the gun limited the effectiveness of both the StuG and the StuG as offensive weapons.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Sd. Kfz. 142/2 Sturmhaubitze '42 Ausf. G assault gun that was attached to Panzer Regiment Hermann Goring, then deployed to Italy during 1944. Item en route to us!

Dimensions:
Length: 3-1/2-inches
Width 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: September 2024

Historical Account: "Goring's Army" - Panzer Division Hermann Goring was established in May 1943 when Division Hermann Goring was reformed. It was sent to Sicily to fight the expected allied landings and became one of the few reliable Axis formations to remain in place after the Italian front collapsed on Sicily. It fought at Gela and Priolo but was forced to withdraw due to heavy Allied naval bombings. Despite suffering significant losses, the division continued fighting a defensive battle, which enabled other German forces to evacuate Sicily and take up the fight in Italy. The division was stationed near Naples when the Italian government surrendered to the Allies and was used to disarm the Italian troops in the Salerno area. After the Allies landed at Salerno on September 9th, the division was ordered back to the Volturno-Termoli Line. Later on, it retreated with the rest of the German forces to the nearly impregnable Gustav Line, where it was replaced in the front lines by infantry and ordered into tactical reserve.

When the Allies landed at Anzio on January 22nd, 1944, where it was used to encircle the Allied beachhead. It fought ferociously at Cisterna, fighting the Allies to a virtual standstill. It was re-designated Fallschirm-Panzer Division Hermann Goring in April 1944 and continued to defend northern Italy until the end of the war.