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Question/Info from Sam Wren :

StuG III/StuH of StuG Brigade 341 in S. France, May '44

These are all from the book Wiederkehr: Fotos und Aufzeichnungen von Infanteristen der 277.ID/VGD aus den Kämpfen in Frankreich (Normandie) und in der Eifel 1944/1945 Ed. by Wingolf Scherer which I just received today. It has much more interesting photos than the previous history of the 277. ID. There is a series of photos of the II./Grenadierregiment 989 training with StuGs and StuHs near Narbonne on 26.5.1944. Since the StuG Bde 341 was located in that region during May and I can find no other StuG unit near there, these almost certainly belong to SB 341.

This first photo is of a StuH numbered 243:



The second one shows a Stug III (or StuH) numbered 2X2 with Grenadier Strobel strategically placed over the middle number:



This last one show another Stug III or StuH but no markings are visible. In the foreground (standing) is Lt. Klein, the commander of 6./989:







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Thanks Sam,


StuG Brigade 341

45 StuG/H - 3 company

1./K fought in Normandy at Brecey - starting fight 31 July...
Marking 3-7-8-9 + StuG without marking : 14 vehicles




2./K Southern Avranches/Pontaubault - starting fight 30 july...

Marking : 17 vehicles

2 - 201
211 - 212 - 213 - 214
221 - 222 - 223 - 224
231 - 232 - 233 - 234
241 - 242 - 243



3./K late reinforcement near Chartres from Nantes - starting fight 10 august

Marking Unknow : 14 vehicles

See below a wrecked StuH from StuG.Brigade 341 at Chartres destroyed the 15 august 1944




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1/ StuG.Brigade 341

Dark number, no zimmerit, balkenkreuz sometimes, unicolor

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1/ StuG.Brigade 394

Light color number + black outline, zimmerit, spare tracks line at side of the Hull, camo

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2./Pz.Jäger abt. 243

Dark number + white outline, zimmerit, balkenkreuz Right/Left or Top from the number, unicolor





1/ SS-StuG.abt.2

Light color number + black outline, zimmerit, camo, spare concrete armor,
Schurtzen plates made round, balkenkreuz

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Panzer Jäger abteilung 130 + ( FKL):

balkenkreuz at top of hull side, zimmerit with large square, camo

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902. Sturmgeschütz Abteilung:

Line of spare tracks at side of the Hull and at front sometimes, blason



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StuG units map of retreat roads ( Cotentin Manche ) I made :

Thanks

Fred

Some further views of another StuG from StuG Brigade 341, taken around the same time as the training photos Sam had located above (note mosquito veils also seen on Grenadiers in earlier pix):





The shots help reveal in a little more detail the range of field modifications adopted by this unit, which created in effect a more streamlined design - no doubt in an effort to stop the plates from getting hooked up and damaged whilst passing through brush and other obstructions:



This shot from the excellent www.whehrmacht-awards site was kindly shared by photo collector Bill Petz and shows fairly clearly the manner in which the sheet metal debris guard over the mantelet was attached - four tabs welded to the top of the armour cheeks, onto which the guard was bolted:



Another shot from some Normandie Wochenschau footage shows the same type of guard just visible amongst the foliage:



While the extent to which the streamlined Schurzen modifications were adopted is not clear, due to missing plates in photos, the debris guard at least was by no means unique to StuG Brigade 341 - from photos we have gathered, it appears on vehicles believed to belong to three StuG units in total (based on the locations Fred identified were the vehicles were knocked out):



These three units were interestingly the only ones to serve in Normandie amongst a total of 14 StuG units formed in the Tours area in late '43-early '44. The type of bolted sheet metal guard has so far not surfaced on photos of StuGs from other units in Normandie, nor on other fronts thus far.

It should be noted however that other designs of debris guard were adopted elsewhere, eg a wooden type can be seen on some StuGs of StuG Brigade 907 and a hinged sheet metal type seen on many StuG IVs believed to belong to Pz Abt 190 in Italy:





Baz