Sturmgeschutz III Ausf. B

The most numerous version of the StuG III, over 7800 type G guns were produced between December 1942 and April 1945. The early type G had a welded-type gun mantlet, while an 80mm thick cast Saukopf gun mantlet was added in February 1944. The superstructure was redesigned and an MG42 machine gun with shield, commander's vision cupola and smoke dischargers were also added. Armed with a more powerful, long barreled 75mm L/48 gun, the Ausf.G was assigned the role of a tank destroyer rather than that of an assault gun. The StuH type-42 variant mounted a 105mm howitzer on the StugG III Ausf.G chassis and was developed to fulfill the StuG III's original role of infantry support.