StuG III Ausf. G

ROCO 1:87 Scale Vehicle Review

StuG III Ausf. G, Sd.Kfz. 142/1, 1:87 H0 ROCO 177.

ROCO 1:87 scale Sturmgeschütz III Ausführung G, Sd.Kfz. 142/1. The 7.5 cm Sturmkanone 40 L/48 is still mounted in the Kastenblende box mantlet, which was replaced by the Topfblende pot mantlet (Saukopfblende pig‘s head mantlet) from October 1943 onwards; however, the model already features the shot deflector in front of the commander‘s cupola, which was also introduced in October 1943.

Contents

  • StuG III Ausf. G, Sd.Kfz. 142/1

Evaluation

The StuG III Ausf. G has only 15 parts and is sold fully assembled, ready to play.

The 83.5 × 32.5 × 28.3 mm model is significantly longer, only slightly narrower, and somewhat taller than the real StuG III Ausf. G.

The cast-on detail is very accurate and paints well.

The carpet rollers under the hull should be removed along with the bracket, and the holes in the hull floor closed with free 0.25 mm polystyrene sheet from an old yogurt cup, so that the tracks actually touch ground.

The side skirts should ideally be mounted at a small distance to the vehicle, which unfortunately cannot be implemented with this model due to the lack of the necessary substructure of mounting rails and support brackets. Instead, the side skirts are simply slipped onto the track guards.

Compatible with HO scale model railway equipment and miniatures by Faller, Märklin, Noch, Pola, Preiser, and ROCO.

Historical Employment

  • German Wehrmacht, October 1943 to 1945
  • Finnish Armed Forces, 1943–1960s
  • Romanian Armed Forces, 1943–1944
  • Bulgarian Armed Forces
  • Hungarian Armed Forces
  • Italian Armed Forces
  • Spanish Armed Forces
  • Croatian Milita
  • Yugoslav People‘s Army, 1945–1950s
  • Syrian Armed Forces, 1964–1973

Possible Conversions

  • Sturmhaubitze 42 with 10.5 cm StuH 42, Sd.Kfz. 142/2

The ROCO model of the StuG III Ausf. G was produced in large numbers, and it can be found for little money at flea markets and auctions. The Sturmgeschütz III was the most produced fully tracked armoured vehicle of the Wehrmacht; it possessed an effective gun but was cheaper and faster to manufacture than a comparably armed tank with a rotating turret.

StuG. III