The StuG III G was the final and most produced variant of the StuG III tank destroyer, with approximately 7,850 units built. It was equipped with a more powerful 75mm StuK 40 L/48 gun over previous variants and a commander's cupola with seven periscopes, while frontal armor was increased to 80 mm. By 1944, the StuG III G also received side skirts for extra protection.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Powerful 75 mm cannon with decent penetration, great accuracy, good velocity, and a piercing APCR: even with the stock APCBC it can frontally one-shot most opponents like the M4, T-34, Cromwell or even the KV-1 | Vertical parts of frontal armour can be penetrated relatively easily; a penetration through the driver port can knock out the driver, gunner, and commander, resulting in instant knock-out for the StuG |
| Great frontal angled armour of 80 mm plus 20 mm add-on tracks (100 mm total, same as the Tiger H1) makes it immune to low-penetrating rounds | Fixed casemate superstructure restricts gun traverse |
| Competent reverse gear and mobility | No neutral steering, so it can’t turn on the spot |
| Low silhouette makes the StuG easy to conceal in RB and SB | No coaxial weapons for use against lightly armoured targets or aircraft |
| Large side skirts can more or less provide some additional protection against HE and HEAT rounds | A HE shell onto the machine gun shield can send the shrapnel down through the hull roof down into the crew compartment, particularly from large calibre cannons such as the 152 mm M-10T |
| Multi-role potential: can be effective in city combat and close quarters, or long-range sniping |
Survivability and armour
While comparatively well armoured to other tank destroyers of its battle rating, it is not well protected enough to allow it to be a frontline assault tank. It is not recommended to attempt angling the vehicle more than 30 degrees to the enemy, as the sides are thin and will easily be penetrated if you attempt to angle the front. One slight advantage this tank has over the previous models of StuGs is the side skirts, which may prevent damage from incoming HE and HEAT shells; they do not provide a large protection bonus for incoming AP rounds, however. A penetration through the driver port can knock out the driver, gunner, and commander as they sit in a line.
The Add-on Armour module unlockable at tier IV adds extra tracks (20 mm thick) on several weak spots.
Mobility
While based on the chassis of a Panzer III, the StuG III G is uparmoured and thus heavier than a regular Pz.III medium tank. It still benefits from the same all-round mobility but lacks acceleration and top speed. The tank still accelerates decently and is able to reach a maximum speed of 43 km/h in around 12 seconds. The reverse speed is average: it will not get you out of a dangerous situation quickly but isn’t a handicap either. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot slow (2 km/h): make sure to build a little speed before turning and you’ll be able to turn faster (6 km/h).
If enemies are approaching you to flank, try to shake your hull around to make it harder for them to shoot your tracks and transmission. Defensively, since the StuG III G is a casemate vehicle, the key to survival is putting distance between you and the enemy. When enemies start to close the distance, keep your gun pointed in their direction and hit the reverse gear. When you have to turn toward enemies, it is recommended to use the reverse gear so you don’t push out further than you need to.
If the enemy has destroyed one of your tracks, you are still able to turn in a circle and fight. Even when being fired upon, try to sit still for as long as possible to repair the track, as that is your lifeline. If your transmission or engine is taken out, you must call upon friendly forces to defend you, or help you to repair, and/or drag you back into cover.
The stock tracks are narrow and grant you a decent mobility on hard terrain (solid ground, roads) but poor mobility on soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). Once researched, the “Ostketten” wide tracks for snowy terrain will grant you a very good mobility on soft terrain and when driving uphill. The StuG III G reaches 15 km/h when fording, 17 km/h when driving uphill with some speed built-up but a mere 7 km/h uphill from a stop-start (12 km/h with Ostketten).
Light obstacles such as fences and bushes are not a problem but medium to large obstacles like posts, trees, concrete blocks and parked vehicles will reduce your mobility or stop you in your tracks: avoid them.
Armament
The StuG III G has only one armament: the 75 mm StuK40 L/48 cannon. It stays reliably accurate until around 1,000 m distance. Beyond 1,200 m the loss of accuracy becomes a real handicap, together with the poor magnification of the gunner’s optics. It is recommended to take positions which will allow you to shoot at enemies at medium to long ranges below 1,000 m. The high muzzle velocity of your APCBC and APCR shells grants you pretty flat trajectories and thus helps firing at moving targets from medium to long distances. HE and HEAT shells are slower and will fly with a curved trajectory, so you will have to aim higher to hit the target.
The gun has a limited traverse on the horizontal axis. Your field of fire is best described as 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock field. This can make the tracking of a target difficult as targets going to the left or right can quickly move out of your gunsight. Take that constraint into account when positioning your hull in a firing spot and aiming. For wider “kill zones” make sure to reposition the hull before firing. The traverse speed of the gun, however, is decent in comparison to other tank destroyers at the battle rating which makes your targeting process fast even in the case of hull repositioning.
Elevation and depression angles of the gun are poor, with only a 17 to -6 degree angles. So you may have to sit on top of or slightly over a hill to shoot at targets below you, or be driving up a hill to shoot at targets above you. Shooting at planes is not recommended in this vehicle as you are unlikely to hit it unless it is flying directly at you at eye level. For best results find a covered and concealed position (Rocks, trees, bushes, camouflage, other destroyed tanks, etc.) on slightly elevated ground and fire from there.
Your reload time is similar to vehicles at the same BR, if not a little shorter than average. This can make follow-up shots quick if the enemy isn’t destroyed on the first shot. The recoil is average for a German vehicle and not high enough to throw your gun too far off target after firing, but beware that it will affect you if you are balanced on a ledge or firing at your maximum horizontal angles.
The ammunition available to the StuG III G allows for engaging all types of targets:
- PzGr 39: APCBC; a capped armour-piercing shell with a ballistic cap that has a high penetration power and decent explosive filler. It will destroy any armoured target it penetrates.
- Hl.Gr 38B: HEAT; a shaped charge shell with good penetration power and post-penetration damage. Due to the nature of HEAT rounds, there is no penetration loss over distance: The shaped charge will penetrate the same amount of armour whether the target is 10 m away or 1,000 m away. It is a slow shell, however, and penetrates flat surfaces only. It is effective against lightly armoured and open-topped vehicles.
- PzGr 40: APCR; a composite round with a very high penetration power but no explosive filler, resulting in very poor post-penetration damage. It penetrates only flat vertical surfaces and will easily ricochet on sloped armour. It is recommended to use these only on targets that you cannot penetrate with PzGr 39.
- Sprgr. 34: HE; a high explosive round useful for destroying open-topped and lightly armoured vehicles. It is recommended to take a few of these as you don’t have a coaxial weapon for use against lightly armoured targets.
- K.Gr.Rot Nb.: Smoke; an obscuring shell useful for blinding enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives. They can also be used defensively, fired in front of you to hide behind or fired ahead of friendly forces to cover their manoeuvres. While the shell is able to kill crew members directly and damage aircraft, it is not recommended to use these to try to kill enemy vehicles.
It is recommended to take 2–3 HE or HEAT shells in order to destroy lightly armoured trucks as AP will likely pass through them and do little to no damage and the StuG has no coaxial weapon. They will likely be moving faster than you can traverse, so glancing shots might be the only option. HE or HEAT rounds will explode on contact and the resulting overpressure can kill the entire enemy truck crew instantly, no matter where it hits.
Usage in battles
This tank destroyer is best played as a support vehicle. Unlike its predecessors, it has excellent armour and can be nearly invincible from long ranges. However, if playing the StuG close to the front lines, (for example, capturing points) this armour will not be adequate against the close-range power of most vehicles. Any shot which penetrates the armour will most likely destroy the vehicle due to the tight interior layout. The sides are a weak point from any ranges, so try not to show it to the enemy. It is recommended to support teammates from the flanks, attack from long ranges, and refrain from closing the distance even for objectives unless necessary. If properly concealed, the enemy will not know where they are being attacked from as they concentrate their assault forwards.
Once in a game, it is recommended to choose the spawn point patiently to pick the best area to start accepting firing positions. Wide open areas are not good for the StuGs so when repositioning, make sure it is safe before moving ahead. Flanking an enemy cap point where the where teammates are frontally attacking can present easy, distracted targets. Be careful not to get detected by the enemy and find a place where the StuG can be in cover and start shooting. Always look around, and if the situation gets bad, relocate to another vantage point. If the StuG is rooted deep in enemy lines and alone, try to hold back and attack if there is only one enemy. From long ranges, the StuG can always be a winner in 1v1 duels if played cautiously. From short ranges, the key is situational awareness and how fast the StuG can shoot the enemy before they flank and destroy. If you are being attacked from multiple enemies, try to prioritize the most dangerous ones and move from them to the less dangerous ones.
Notable enemies:
- American tanks — M4 Shermans are easy targets, but their 75 mm guns can penetrate the StuG’s frontal armour if unangled. 76 mm-armed Shermans are more dangerous. M4A3E2 Jumbos can lead to stalemates, but getting too close can allow the Jumbo to aim for weak spots. The best way to defeat the Jumbo is to flank and hit them at the side, preferably the lower area at the suspension where it is only 38.1 mm thick.
- Soviet tanks — T-34s are also easy targets, but 57 mm-armed T-34-57s and 85 mm-armed T-34-85s can destroy the StuG in one or two shots. It is easy to penetrate the T-34's hull, as the hull goes nearly unchanged across all variants so they should be detected and destroyed quickly. From long ranges, angling the StuG slightly might enhance the front armour against the T-34's shells, but angling too much will allow the T-34 to punch through the vulnerable side armour. KV-1s can be shot through the side and the front gun mantlet, but their tough armour will often be able to bounce or eat shells. Try to destroy their mobility or weapons before they do the same to you. Autocannon-armed trucks like the ZiS-12 (94-KM) are a diminutive but real danger to the StuG. An HE or HEAT shell should be used to destroy them before they quickly flank and punch through your thin side armour.
- British tanks — British tanks have some low calibre guns, but their high muzzle velocity and fast reload rate will penetrate and destroy the StuG easily. The Cruiser tanks and armoured cars like the Cromwell and SARC Mk VI will be difficult targets, as they are mobile and can flank quickly. Try to be the first to detect the tank and fire at them while they are trying to position themselves, as their armour can be easily pierced by the StuK40 gun. If faced with a Churchill Mk VII from the front, it is recommended to withdraw and call on teammates and aircraft for support. If the Churchill is distracted, reposition to take aim at the side armour and try to destroy the interior with a couple of APHE rounds. Other Churchills (Mk I or Mk III) can be penetrated frontally, as long as they are not angled. Sherman Fireflies and the Archer are equipped with the excellent 17-pounder gun, which can punch through the StuG in one shot. Try to prioritize destroying these vehicles first.
- Japanese tanks — Japanese tanks are generally overlooked and under-prioritized, but don’t underestimate them and never let them flank. Even the Japanese 37 mm guns can penetrate the StuG from the side. JSDF M24s, Na-Tos, Chi-Nu IIs, and Chi-Tos are particularly dangerous. M24s can close the distance fast and manoeuvre faster than the StuG can blink, literally driving circles around it and blowing it up. Na-Tos, Chi-Nu IIs and Chi-Tos have good guns with great post-penetration damage. Allowing one to hit you will result in destruction.
- Italian tanks — Italian vehicles armed with the 90 mm 90/53, like the Breda 501, will be able to destroy the StuG frontally in one shot. The 75/46 M43 is similarly configured to the StuG III, but slightly more dangerous, as penetration of its upper front plate can be unreliable and its 75 mm cannon is more potent.
- Chinese tanks — When facing Chinese ground forces, they will most likely be using the tanks mentioned in the American and Soviet sections. The same concerns apply.
- French tanks — A lot of mid-tier French vehicles like the M4A4 (SA50) have great cannons which can practically ignore the StuG’s armour. Though the AMX-13 (FL11) is not one of those, its high mobility allows it to motor around the StuG and flank. The AMX-13 DCA 40 can wear down the StuG’s modules and crew quickly due to its quick-firing 40 mm cannon.
- Swedish tanks — Though Swedish tanks are generally slow and carry little armour, some Swedish vehicles like the Pvkv II can be dangerous. APDS can penetrate the StuG’s armour but will do little damage post-penetration. Swedish HEAT rounds at the tier can be blocked by the side skirts.
