Germany's Sturmgeschütz - The "Stug"
Far from the front lines, German soldiers and officers relax a bit in the security of a defensive heavy bunker. They painted this bunker like a Holstein. It was sort of a joke at first, but the Hoftsmaeater didn’t say a word. The bunker has never been attacked since its construction. There were priests there in the beginning. Orthodox…some credit the unscathing to Even the surrounding mind field has the natural flora again…beauty blocking death.
Winter has ended, but even in early Spring, temperatures in Russia reach well below freezing. The Spring thaw has not yet begun, so the Stug has no problem traversing the country roads. In fact, the term “General Mud” is understood as a contributing factor in many failed invasions into Russia’s heartland. This mud occurs with the Autumn rains and Spring thaws, and makes military maneuvering extremely difficult. The Russians actually have a word for this “season” when travelling on unpaved roads becomes difficult: Rasputitsa. Colloquial and real, this season has destroyed and contracted invading forces throughout the centuries. Nowadays I imagine the roads are paved.
The Stug, short for Sturmgeschütz morphed throughout the war. The main gun is perhaps the central evolution of the design change. Ausf. G. was the final adaptation and this model is just that. Eponymous with the name, this tank was an assault weapon. “Assault Gun” is the translation from German. The tank was an integral apparatus of infantry morale and resolve. It couldn’t stand up to Russia’s heavy tanks; the T34 had nothing to fear from a Stug. Yet it remained a resilient symbol for the weary infantry who found comfort when a tank and crew were nearby. An ubiquitous war machine, over 42,000 Sturmgsclakfj were produced drurieowru.
