Oliver, Dennis Stug IV Assault Gun

German Army and Waffen-SS Units. Eastern Front, 1944-1945

Volume 46 of the Tank Craft series. Since their introduction in 1940, the Wehrmacht's assault guns played an essential role in the Blitzkrieg campaigns, the battles in Russia and the final defensive battles of the war. Based on a mobile bunker buster armed with a short-barrelled howitzer, the assault gun was armoured and equipped with heavier weapons, so that from 1943 onwards it was increasingly used as a tank destroyer. In 1944, the Sturmgeschütz IV was put into service primarily as a stopgap measure, and over 1,000 units were built by the end of the war. As the Wehrmacht's resources continued to dwindle, the Sturmgeschütz were used in every operation and increasingly replaced tanks in official unit lists. In the third volume of the Tank Craft series, which deals with the Sturmgeschütz, Dennis Oliver uses official documents and unit histories to examine the formations that used the Sturmgeschütz IV, and uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the vehicles used on the Eastern Front during the final months of the campaign. An important part of his book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, supplemented by a gallery of built and painted models in various scales. Technical details and modifications introduced during production and in service are also examined, so model builders will find everything they need to faithfully recreate these historic vehicles.