Post war use of Axis AFVs and Vehicles.

Has anyone got any views on why the drivers visors on many of these Strongpoint Stugs is damaged?

 

Awwww . C'mon Tomcat. To those whose knowledge is less then some anything with treads is a "Tank" LOL

 

My first thought would be vandalism . They had been there for so long that kids, or whoever ,may have done it. The damage looks to be old and still rusty.

 

The StuG III Ausf. Gs in service with the Bulgarians were actually known as SO-75s. In the pic above you can see what the vision port looked like when in Bulgarian service.

 

Another Bulgarian StuG

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With regard to the strange vandalism no Stugs attached are 3 examples of this, I've got another 3 other vehicles with similar, maybe overkill.

It is probably not significant but I have not found anything similar on Pz4.

 

It is a strange occurance for sure. I can't think of any other reason why.

 

You are right about the PZIVs though.

 

Were there any similar damage to the Jagdpanzer IV ?

 

Surviving Jagdpanzer IVs

http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzer_IV_variants.pdf

 

I looked at the JpIV for any similar damage can't see any ( I think there is only one JPIV). Anyway pretty picture for a change
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LOL Yes it is . Still makes me wonder why for the damage.

 

I can still understand the use of turreted vehicles but not the others. Not much of a field of fire.

 

It is a bit odd, my views on Stugs as defensive weapons are known on another thread, so I don't want to start that again, however this defence line has turreted strongpoints converted to machinegun mounts and OP turrets when the Stugs would have made better machine gun strong points.

 

With the limited traverse and fields of vision that would make alot more sense.

 

Opel Bus postwar

 

Some Stugs being used in the Finnish movie "Etulinjan edessä"

 

Note the modified drivers visor on the Finish Stugs

www.andreaslarka.net/sturmi.html

Great site for Stug III huge amounts of information and photos of the Finnish Stugs

 

Speaking of the usage of StuGs in movies:

From the Finnish movie "Tali-Ihantala".

 

"If you ever get to see the movie "The Eagle has Landed", you'll have the opportunity to see a brief view of a Finnish Stug III.

Right before the scene where Oberst Steiner confronts Brigadefuhrer Stroop in Warsaw, the remains of his unit can be scene heading west on a small troop train. On it is a white-camoflauged Stug III on a flatbed. Since this sequence was filmed in Finland, I can only conclude that the producers were able to obtain a Finnish Stug III for this film as a non-functioning prop. The film was made in the mid-1970's, long before the FV342 conversions used in "Band of Brothers" were available.

The filmmakers need to be commended for their excellent attention to historical detail. A few minutes later a train heading East can be seen. On it are several shapes completely covered in tarps which resemble Panther tanks and several Volkswagen Type 87 sedans (which I don't believe ever served on the Eastern front). "
Axis History Forum • View topic - Finnish Stug III in Film