Customer Reviews

Modelling the Sturmgeschütz III (Osprey Modelling)

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If you buy no other book on the StuG, or on German armor modeling at all, buy this one. Superlatives don't do this one justice. In a field where the most cursory and repetitive modeling and pop historical accounts can be passed off as research or advanced modeling material, this one truly stands out from the crowd. I've built a slew of German armor, and am particularly fond of the Sturmgeschutz family. My models have gotten seriously better (better meaning that I like them more, I feel they are more representative of 'reality', and I enjoy building and finishing them much more) since I have read this book. I've re, and re-re read it, and will continue to do so. I get a little more valuable info and insight with each read. Look at the pictures with a magnifying glass - there is much info there.
In my opinion, this book is right up there with Tony Greenland's Master Modeling Class on armor. Both are indespensible to the scale German AFV builder.
The main benefits to me in this book are around detailing the interiors of these vehicles, and in applying a realistic finish. I applied Gary's techniques to a little Tamiya 1/48 Sturmgeschutz III B which I had built some months back but left sitting around while I figured out what kind of scheme and finish to apply. I took some techniques and schemes from this book and applied them to the model and, in my opinion, produced my most satisfying AFV to date.
I am now planning how to build one of these vehicles with at least a partial (if not full) interior using aftermarket resin sets. It isn't as difficult as one might expect and the StuG offers the ability to open the vehicle up considerably to show off the interior.

I very much recommend this book to the armor scale model builder, the StuG fan in particular.

If money were no object then I would buy hundreds of Osprey's books. They all are fairly general, know their subject, and give a reader a good overview of the particular subject.

I purchased this book to help myself model a Sturmgeschütz III that will be used to depict a picture of Deutsche Heer Soldaten in the eastern front during the Winter retreat of 1941 to 1942. This book is valuable for the average modeler.

This book shows how to make corrections to the average Sturmgeschütz III model. If you get one of the early Tamiya kits from the early 1970s then it may not be worth salvaging. There are lots of small errors to correct and by the time you get the after market accessories and figure your time then the kit may not be worth it.

This book also shows the progression from the early Ausf A models to the later G models with both the swine kopf (pig head) gun guard and the cement extra armor. I didn't know the early 75mm L40 gun was just directly fitted on some of the later Ausf C models. This is a good book.

So, I encourage Sturmgeschütz III builders to get this book. It's far better than anything put out by Fine Scale magazines. It gives a break down of the varous models (Ausf) of the Sturmgeschütz III and they tell a modeler how to correct the kits. Last, they give an up-to-date listing of where a person can get all of the aftermarket items for their kits.

Four Stars.