According to Germany’s Federal Agency for Real Estate, discoveries of this kind usually uncover only isolated remains or vehicle parts. In this case, however, workers came across an almost completely preserved assault gun – a rare relic from the final months of the Second World War in north-west Germany.
The find is a StuG III assault gun, one of the Wehrmacht’s most frequently produced tracked vehicles. Unlike conventional tanks, the vehicle did not have a rotating turret. Instead, the gun was fixed facing forwards, meaning the entire vehicle had to be moved each time to aim.
Arms manufacturer Rheinmetall built more than 9,300 units, and the gun was highly regarded. Production continued into the final weeks of the war and only ceased in April 1945. The assault guns were used primarily to combat enemy tanks.
The vehicle that has now been found belonged to a brigade stationed in Nordholz, which was deployed mainly in France. Whether this particular assault gun was actually used there cannot yet be proven beyond doubt. Experts believe, however, that the vehicle was in action for an extended period. This is suggested by at least 17 white markings on the gun barrel. According to the archaeologists, such markings were most likely added for each enemy tank destroyed.
