Sturmgeschütz Sturmgeschütz III Sturmgeschütz is a German word for `` assault gun '' , usually abbreviated StuG. They were widely used to provide fire support for infantry , panzer and panzergrenadier units . The vehicles were essentially a tank chassis with a gun , usually a long-barreled 75mm , directly mounted on it . Due to not having a turret , it afforded the crew more space , allowed a larger gun to be used , but limited the traverse of the gun , requiring the whole vehicle to turn to aim at a target much of the time . Throughout World War II , especially later in the war , Germany produced more assault guns than tanks . This was because they were cheaper and quicker to produce due to the lack of revolving turret and associated complex machinery and lacked ball bearings the Germans had poor access to . Yet they were almost as effective as tanks and had a lower profile , making them somewhat harder to hit . They also provided a use for obsolete tank chassis . Most assault guns were mounted on Panzer III and Panzer IV chassis , producing the StuG III and StuG IV , respectively . External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to : Sturmgeschutz General information Photos of the Sturmgeschutz III at the Canada War Museum in Ottawa Ontario  This military vehicle article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Military vehicle stubs | Assault guns | German self-propelled artillery | World War II self-propelled artillery | World War II German armored fighting vehicles In other languages : Deutsch | 日本語 | Polski Sturmgeschutz 