Kampfraum (fighting compartment) of armor vehicles were often cramped, thus personal belongings and supplies had to be stored externally. Helmets secured to spare tracks with silicon glue. Stowage brackets made from plastic styrene strips. Antennae made from 1.35th gun recoil rods, rod diameter was larger than relative size, thus future antennae would be made from paint brush bristles.

Stug III carried crew of 4 : 1) Richtschutze (gunner), 2) Fahrer (driver) , 3) Ladeschutze (loader), 4) Kommandeur (commander).

Inset 1 : Stug III ausf G with frontal applique armor and schurzen. Note space between schurzen and hull brace used as stowage, such as bucket and tarpin on left side. About 2,680 Ausf F and G versions were built by manufacturers Alkett, Daimler-Benz, and MIAG between 1942-1945.

Large storage crate upfront from 1.35th TESTOR-ITALERI Willy Jeep kit. Water canisters from 1.35th TAMIYA Jerry Cans kit. Large tent roll on right and brown crate from 1.35th TAMIYA Horch FLAK wagon. Helmets from 1.35th TAMIYA German Panzergrenadier kit.

Inset 2 : Stug III in action, northern Italy late-1944, its gun in full recoil after firing. After American conquest of first Axis capitol Rome in June 1944, retreating Germans erected series of defensive lines from Rome to Bologna. Combat ensued in Italy for remaining WW2, yet majority of historical attention nowadays shifted towards Allied conquest of Germany from 1944 onward. In American psyche, Fascist Italy not considered worthy Axis adversary contrasted with Imperial Japan or Nazi Germany. Hence, there is virtually no mention of Italian combat effectiveness against US expect their mass surrender in Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy. THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN OF WORLD WAR 2 June 1944 - May 1945 - members.aol.com/ItalyWW2/History.htm

Related Model and History : German Sturmpanzer IV and Italian Campaign - UweMilitaria.org/2-Track/Stupa/19.html

Rollover : ( Rollover JPG link ) White unicorn on black shield was unit insignia for Heeres-Sturmartillerie-Brigade 667. Brigade is a Division sub-component in armies worldwide, its purpose and composition was different depending on era and type of warfare. In WW2 due to Soviet tank superiority, most late-war German armor formations replaced traditional composition (ex. tanks, recon, field artillery, field maintenance) with mainly anti-tank self-propelled artillery, tank destroyers, and Panzerknacker (tank cracker) infantrymen. 1944 Nazi Panzerknacker Tank Manual - www.usmbooks.com/panzerknacker.html

Body weathering done via POLLY-S Dark Earth acrylic paint wash which gave a soft wear-and-tear hue appearance. It took about 10 coats of acrylic paint wash for desire effect. Surface details dry-brushed with TESTOR Military Tan enamel paints. Using enamel paint wash would have faster results, but painted surface should be primed with clear matte coat to protect from paint thinner damage when excess paint wash was removed. Axe handle painted TESTOR Military Brown, its head painted TETSOR Black then dry-brushed TESTOR Chrome. Paint Wash Technique - UweMilitaria.org/Technique/wea2Wash.html

Inset 3 : Stug III came in various models with more powerful gun, additional armor, and commander cupola. Number 101 below is early Sturmgeschutz 7.5cm Kanone Ausf A version (SdKfz 142) being prepared for rail transport. SdKfz is abbreviation for SonderKraftfahrzeug (special vehicle built for military use).

Stug III crews wore field-green Panzer uniforms for assault gun crew contrasted with traditional black uniform for tank crews. Black Panzer uniforms were so iconic that most WW2 US servicemen assumed its German crew were Waffen-SS, not realizing they could be SS, Heere (army), or Luftwaffe (air force) units.

Note railroad car inscription Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Imperial Railway) which was legacy name derived from 1920s-era Weimar Republic. Deutsche Reichsbahn - The German State Railway in WWII - www.feldgrau.com/dreichsbahn.html

Inscription Koln (Cologne) referred not only to district where carriage originated, but also its carrying capacity class. WW2 German rail system was one of Reich significant assets, criss-crossing men and material to all corners of the front. Same logistical network was also notorious for transporting slave labor and death camp inmates. Classification of Deutsche Reichsbahn goods wagons (1920-1945) - www.worldrailfans.org/Articles/Europe/GDRGwagons.shtml

After German unification, western and eastern German railways consolidated in 1994 into single Deutchebahn (German Railway) or abbreviated to DB. Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft

• Additional info : DB-Konzern Exhibit - www.db.de/site/bahn/en/db__group/db__museum/exhibitions/exhibitions.html