StuG. III Ausf. F/8., late production. DRAGON 6644

StuG. III Ausf. F/8., late production. Unassembled model kit.

The Sturmgeschu"tz III (StuG.III) has the distinction of being Germany’s most widely produced AFV of WWII, with 10,619 eventually manufactured. Based on the chassis of the Panzer III, it was cheaper and faster to build since it did not have a rotating turret. Once German troops began encountering heavily armored Russian tanks, the StuG III Ausf.F was fitted with a longer 7.5cm gun. This marked its first true emergence as a tank destroyer. The further modified Ausf.F/8 was produced from September-December 1942, with 250 vehicles built. It featured a 7.5cm StuK L/48 main gun. The “8” designation came about because it was the eighth update to the Panzer III hull. Special features of later Ausf.F/8 vehicles were 30mm bolted-on armor plates.