This equipment, consisting of the 7.5 cm Stu. K. 40 (L/48) mounted on the Pz. Kpfw. IV chassis, represents a further development in German assault guns. The design follows that of its predecessor, the Stu. G. 40, mounted on the Pz. Kpfw. III chassis, with the exception that in the later equipment the usual keystone mantlet has been replaced by a cast steel mantlet with curved surfaces to offer the maximum projectile deflection. The mantlet, 130 mm thick, houses the buffer and recuperator.
Armor protection has been increased by the addition of slabs of concrete six inches thick attached to the front plate and the roof over the driver’s compartment by means of wire. The rest of the armor is the same as that provided for the Pz. Kpfw. IV.
The division of chassis space follows the usual design for this type of vehicle, with the driver’s compartment in the front, the fighting compartment in the center, and the engine compartment in the rear.
The gun, the Stu. K. 40 (L/48), with muzzle brake, is a lengthened version of the Stu. K. 40 (L/43) and is similar in design and performance to the Kw. K. 40 (L/48).
In the inset above is shown the 7.5 cm Stu. K. 40 (L/48) mounted on the Pz. Kpfw. III chassis which also has the improved type of rounded gun mantlet.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Weight | ||
| Length | 19 ft., 4 ins. | |
| Width | 9 ft., 7 ins. | |
| Height | ||
| Ground clearance | 15 ins. | |
| Tread centers | 7 ft., 11 ins. | |
| Ground contact | 11 ft., 6 ins. | |
| Width of track | 15 ins. | |
| Pitch of track | 4 3/4 ins. | |
| Track links | 98 | |
| Fording depth | 3 ft. | |
| Theoretical radius of action | ||
| Roads | 130 miles | |
| Cross-country | 80 miles | |
| Speed | ||
| Roads | 28 m.p.h | |
| Cross-country | 15 m.p.h. | |
| Armor | ||
| Front nose plate | 75 mm | |
| Sides | 30 mm | |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Stu. K. 40 (L/48) | |
| Ammunitions (Rds.) | ||
| Engine | Maybach HL 120 TRM, 320 hp. | |
| Transmission | Synchromesh—6 speeds forward, 1 reverse. | |
| Steering | Epicyclic, clutch brake | |
| Crew | 5 |
German: p. 32.1 (April 1, 1945)