Sturmgeschütz 40 Ausf. G for Finnish Army

Contents

Recently Unimodels has started to release multiple versions of the Panzer III / StuG III family and this is reflected in the sprue lay-out of this kit as Unimodel has, understandably, followed a modular approach, allowing as many parts to be carried over to other kits as possible. At the time of writing the available kits are Panzer III Ausf. H and Ausf. G, Ausf. L, Bergepanzer III, StuG III Ausf E, Ausf.F/8 and this kit.

The sprue that is common to all the current releases is sprue A, of which two are included. It contains half of the tracks, roadwheels (including spares), rubber return rollers, late idler and late drive sprocket (but still with hubcap), plus some sundry bits (like engine covers). Detail isn't bad at all, although I would have like just a bit more depth on the tracks.
On this sprue the rubber return rollers are not needed according to the parts diagram, but the boxtop shows them installed. More about that later.

Next is the lower hull and other miscellaneous parts (sprue B), which also is a common sprue for all the kits. It is striking that the first return roller isn't molded with the hull sides which would suggest that UM will gives us earlier versions of the Panzer III with the equally spaced return rollers in the future. (Current kits all have the first return roller in a more forward position.)

Sprue C contains various small bits, like two types of steel return rollers. (I have been waiting for years to get some acceptable steel return rollers for the StuG III to fit on my Revell StuGs, and in a span of a few weeks we now have plastic parts from UM and resin parts from JK resin and OKB Grigorov.) Other parts, like the bolted or welded nose armor, are also meant to keep the kits modular.

Sprue D is a typical sprue for the StuG III Asuf. G, with the upper hull and StuK 40 barrel. The upper hull is the late type Ausf.G casemate with side opening hatches for the loader.
Sadly, the fenders (with tubular supports) are bereft of any thread plate detail.

The rear of the engine deck has a casting deficiency in my kit: a small hole at the edge of one of the hatches, which I believe will not be too difficult to remedy.
Sprue E has different parts for other versions of the StuG, like the Topfblende (without MG port), a shorter barrel for the StuK 40 to go with that mantlet and StuH 42 barrels.

The PE parts are mainly for the commander's hatch (which can't be opened) and engine grilles.

Decals are for 3 Finnish Sturmis in the Summer of 1944.

The instructions are typical for UM and from the parts lay-out it is clear that a lot of parts will end up in the spares box.

Strangely, the instructions tell you that the rubber return rollers are not for use and ask you to install one of the types of steel return roller in step 14. These have transformed themselves into rubber return rollers by the time we get to step 16. In step 23 they are metal again, which they stay until the painting instructions. On the boxtop they are rubber again.

Other notable points are that the big box and spare roadwheel for the hull-side, which are typical for Finnish StuGs, are included, together with an extra armor plate that goes onto the lower hull sides and to which spare tracks are attached. A different MG shield is also included.

A embryonic interior is provided in the form of a periscope and gun laying devices, but no breech or other interior is given. As the hatches are all closed, I think that the periscope alone would have done.

Accuracy

Using Andrea Larka's great website, and The Finnish Armoured Vehicles 1918 - 1997, by E. Muikku and J. Purhonen, we learn that the first batch of 30 Sturmis arrived in Finland between July and September 1943. These were early production types from Alkett, MIAG and MAN with

• angular gun-mantlet
• rubber return rollers
• hubcaps on the drive-sprockets
• front/back-opening loader's hatch
• rotating periscope-ring on the commander's cupola
• early fender-supports ("plain pipe" for Alkett and "pipe-and-triangle" for MIAG).
• Schürzen

Some of these StuGs had bolted add-on armor on the nose (and straight-welded rear armor), while others had 80mm homogeneous nose-armor (and interlocking rear armor).

UM offers us the following marking options

• Ps.531-6 "Liisa". This was a MIAG vehicle with bolted nose armor. Pictures can be found here and here.
• Ps.531-8 "Aili". This was a MIAG vehicle with bolted nose armor, but with Panzer III style transmission hatches.
• Ps.531-14. This was a MIAG vehicle as well, with bolted nose armor. A picture can be found here.

As can be seen, all three vehicles are from the first batch, which means that we know that we need to use the rubber return rollers, but... which raises another issue. Indeed, the kit offers the late loaders hatches, while these vehicles had the earlier type. This is what I consider a reasonably difficult conversion to pull off neatly in my opinion. Furthermore, the fender supports (and fender thread-plate detail) need to be modified and for 531-8 we would need to find a source of different transmission hatches. Schürzen are not included either.
There are probably a few other features that are not compatible with the early batch (the Nahverteidigungswaffe and Pilzen come to mind) or the particular vehicles that UM proposes, but I have decided not to go into that much detail just yet, as it clear that the kit is not immediately suited to represent the marking options.

Before the second batch arrived, these StuGs were modified as follows:

• Russian DT MG instead of MG34 with modified loader's shield. This shield is included in the kit, but the Russian machine gun isn't. (An MG34 is provided however.)
• Removal of the Schürzen, which is good as the kit lacks them.
• Spare roadwheels moved from the engine deck to the side of the fighting compartment, where the kit puts them.
• Addition of a large wooden box on the engine deck, which the kit provides.
• Starting crank moved to the rear of the tank, which the instructions faithfully tell you to do.
• Finnish 3-color camo, as per the instructions. Few pictures show the top of the vehicles, but at least one had a Hakaristi on the top of the mantlet, which the kit doesn't provide.

It is clear that the kit is based on post-modification vehicles, but that doesn't solve the issue with the loader's (and transmission) hatches.

So, what about the second batch of Sturmis ?
These 29 vehicles arrived between July and September 1944 and were middle/late production types from Alkett and MIAG with

• Topfblende, except the MIAG vehicles (Ps531-47, -48, -50, -51 and -59).
• steel return rollers ("holes only" for Alkett, "spokes only" for MIAG), except -38, -41 and -42, which had rubber return rollers
• drive-sprockets without hubcap,
• side-opening loaders hatches,
• shot deflector for the commander's cupola (which the boxtop shows, but the parts lack),
• non-rotating periscope-ring for the commander's cupola,
• late type fender supports,
• Zimmerit ("waffle" for Alkett and the "tile" for MIAG).
• (for most) provision for the remote controlled MG and Nahverteidigungswaffe, but with holes plugged. A stand for a DT machine gun was bolted to the MG mount instead, but without shield.
• green camouflage

As the kit contains a fair amount of spare parts (like the necessary return rollers and gun mantlet) and has the late-type loader's hatches and provision for the remote controlled MG and Nahverteidigungswaffe we get a long way towards a correct late batch Sturmi, except for the dreaded Zimmerit, shot deflector and the decals, of course.

All the vehicles were (again) modified during the summer of 1944:

• "Log armor" on the sides, which the kit does not provide.
• Lowered stowage box. I have no details on this.
• Extra track-links on the nose. The instructions don't mention this, but there might be enough spare parts.
• Concrete "armor" next to the gun, which the kit does not have.

Even later the following modifications were implemented

• Extra armor bolted to the sides. The kit has these.
• Small splash-guards next to the gun
• Visor shield for the driver, which the kit provides.

Not all of these modifications were implemented at the same time, but is clear that the kit allows for most of these modifications. It would be best to use historical pictures to know which ones to implement, but.... the modeler that dislike heavy surgery will still have to find decals for a late vehicle (perhaps by cutting up the kit decals), add Zimmerit, a shot deflector for the commander and perhaps other minor details.

But... after the war the following was done to the remaining Sturmis:

• concrete, logs and Zimmerit were removed
• stowage-box on the right side of the fighting compartment instead of box on the engine deck. A stowage box of a different design could be seen on some vehicles already during the war.
• stowage box on the right front corner of the fighting compartment
• spare roadwheels were moved back to the engine deck
• new fittings for tools
• new lights
• extra tracks on the hull sides (as the kit asks you to do)
• addition of gun travel lock for some. The kit asks you to install this, but forgets to mention the Notek that is shown on the boxtop.
• addition of shot deflector for commander's cupola on some
• addition of MG shield for the vehicles that did not have it yet. It seems different designs existed.
• new national markings (roundels) and green camouflage
• often the tracks were mounted backwards (because the sprocket teeth had worn them out in one direction)

As we can see, the kit has a few of the post-war features, and if decals are not an issue, it might be possible to build a second batch vehicle (without Zimmerit) if care is taken which of the parts are used, but some items (like the new stowage box and shot deflector, for instance) would still need to be scratchbuilt. It might even be possible that some vehicles of the second batch had the earlier drive sprocket (with hubcap) taken from a cannibalized first batch vehicle to reduce the workload.

In all, it is clear that the kit cannot be built into an accurate Sturmi when adhering to the instructions and does not have all the necessary parts to build any of the Sturmis without resorting to scratchbuilding and/or the spares bin.

Robert Kru further points out the following:

The fenders of the StuG III Ausf. G received different types of supports during production (From Sturmgeschütz III Rückgrat der Infanterie, Peter Mueller, Wolfgang Zimmermann, History Facts):

1. Four supports (from front to rear): tubular, triangular, triangular, tubular; Alkett, December 42 - February 43
2. Three supports (from front to rear): tubular, triangular, tubular; Alkett, February 43 - March 43
3. Four supports (from front to rear): tubular, triangular, triangular, tubular; Alkett, March -June 43 or MIAG, February 43 - June 43 (different position from 1st type)
4. Four supports (from front to rear): stamped, triangular, triangular, stamped; Alkett, May 43 - end
5. Four supports (from front to rear): tubular with triangular reinforcement, triangular, triangular, tubular with triangular reinforcement, MIAG, March 43 - end

The fenders in the kit are a mixed bag. They have four supports. The first and last are tubular (without triangular supports), but the two in the middle are tubular as well and cover the whole width of the fender. This means two things for those middle supports:

• The type is wrong; they should be triangular.
• They will interfere with the superstructure that goes over the fenders. Note that the instructions show correct length middle supports however.
  (This is different from earlier model StuGs where the superstructure left a narrow gap between the fenders and the sponsons.)

Note that the instructions show fenders that are more correct than the actual kit parts.

Preview sample purchased by the author.

This model can be purchased from

Article Last Updated:
12 January 2018
02 April 2018