According to Germany’s Federal Agency for Real Estate, such finds usually only yield 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 vehicle found is a StuG III assault gun, one of the Wehrmacht’s most widely produced tracked vehicles. Unlike conventional tanks, the vehicle did not have a rotating turret. Instead, the gun was fixed facing forwards, so the entire vehicle had to be manoeuvred in order to aim.
The armaments group Rheinmetall built more than 9,300 of them at the time, and the weapon was highly regarded. Production continued into the final weeks of the war and did not end until April 1945. The assault guns were used primarily to combat enemy tanks.
The vehicle that has now been uncovered belonged to a brigade based in Nordholz that was deployed mainly in France. It has not yet been possible to prove conclusively whether this particular assault gun also saw action there. Experts believe, however, that the vehicle was in service for an extended period. This is suggested by at least 17 white markings on the gun barrel. According to the archaeologists, such markings were probably added for every enemy tank destroyed.
