StuG III Ausf.G, Ps.531-8 "Aili"

The StuG III was an assault gun produced by Germany and built on the Panzer III chassis. Produced in various versions between 1940 and 1945, a total of 9,537 vehicles were manufactured. Initially armed with a short-barreled 75mm gun and later with a long-barreled version, it was a low-profile vehicle with considerable firepower. The main gun was mounted directly on the chassis and could traverse 12 degrees to either side. The vehicle was operated by a four-man crew consisting of a driver, gunner, loader, and commander.

The Sd.Kfz.142/1 StuG III Ausf.G, also known as the StuG 40 G, entered production in December 1942 and was the most widely produced variant of the StuG III. Its main armament was the 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 gun, supplemented by an MG34 machine gun, later replaced by a remotely operated MG42, mounted on the roof. The vehicle weighed 23.9 tonnes and was powered by a 300-hp 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM engine, giving it a top speed of up to 40 km/h.

Finland acquired a total of 59 StuG III Ausf.G-s from Germany between 1943 and 1944. The first 30 were ordered in 1943 and arrived in Finland during the summer of the same year. These were early Ausf.G vehicles with a square gun mantlet and bolted-on additional armor, and they also lacked a Zimmerit anti-magnetic coating. During the modification process, the vehicles were painted in the Finnish standard three-color hard-edged camouflage pattern. The Finnish swastika, known as “Hakaristi” was painted on both sides of the vehicle, as well as on the front and rear armor and the gun mantlet. The main modifications included replacing the MG34 machine gun with the more suitable Soviet DT, installing a large wooden equipment box on a purpose-built frame above the engine deck, relocating the spare wheels to the sides of the crew compartment, and moving the hand crank to a new position on the rear armor.

Ps 531-8 “Aili” arrived in Finland on July 6, 1943. It was manufactured by MIAG and had chassis number 95447. Its main distinguishing feature was the transmission access hatches in the front armor, which opened forward, as on the Panzer III, rather than to the sides as was normally the case on the StuG. No exceptions were made during the Finnish modifications, and as a result, its configuration remained quite similar to that of the other StuGs that arrived in Finland in 1943.

“Aili” belonged to the armored brigade of the Finnish Armored Division, where it was used as a command vehicle. Until the summer of 1944, when active hostilities with the Soviet Union resumed, it took part in various exercises, training maneuvers, and drills. The Sturmi, as the vehicles were known in Finland, saw active frontline service for only three weeks. During this period, “Aili” was credited with a total of seven Soviet T-34 tank kills: five on June 25 near Leitimojärvi during the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, and two on July 11 during the Battle of Vuosalmi. After the armistice with the Soviet Union, attempts were made to use the vehicles against the Germans during the Lapland War, but they did not take part in combat. Today, “Aili” is preserved in restored condition at the Reserviupseerikoulu Museum in Hamina.

The model can be placed in the final days of June 1944, during the battle of Tali-Ihantala.

More information about this model can be found here

(Information on the Finnish StuGs was sourced from Andreas Lärka's website www.andreaslarka.net)

Model: 1:35 Dragon 6320 StuG.III Ausf.G early production
+ Voyager Model PE 35109 fenders for StuG III Ausf G
+ Friulmodel ATL-05 metal track for Panzer III/IV

Fieseler Fi 156 A-0/C-1 Storch

The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch was a small reconnaissance aircraft developed by Fieseler and produced in Germany before and during World War II, as well as under license in several other countries after the war. The aircraft is particularly notable for its ability to take off and land over extremely short distances, which is why the Fi 156 and its foreign-built variants remain popular attractions at air shows to this day.

The Reichsluftfahrtministerium issued a requirement for a new Luftwaffe aircraft as early as 1935. The aircraft was intended for reconnaissance, maintaining communications with frontline units, and providing rapid medical assistance and evacuation in conditions where conventional aircraft operations were difficult. The design proposed by Reinhold Mews and Erich Bachem was approved primarily because of the aircraft's exceptionally short takeoff and landing distances. The wings could be folded backward, allowing the aircraft to be transported on a trailer or, in some cases, even towed directly behind a truck. The long-travel landing gear, with 450 mm of suspension travel, allowed the aircraft to operate from almost any type of terrain.

The prototype made its first flight in the spring of 1936, and the first A-0 production aircraft entered Luftwaffe service in mid-1937. The aircraft was powered by a 240-hp inverted V-8 engine, giving it a maximum speed of 175 km/h while allowing it to fly at speeds as low as 50 km/h. This low-speed capability made the aircraft well suited for aerial reconnaissance in support of ground forces, while its landing distance could be as short as 18 meters. With a light headwind, it required a runway of only 45 meters for takeoff. These characteristics allowed the aircraft to operate from almost any forest clearing.

Later versions were fitted with an MG15 machine gun for self-defense. Skis were also sometimes fitted in place of the wheels, allowing the aircraft to operate in snowy terrain.

The Fieseler Fi 156 was used on almost every front during World War II. One of its most notable operations was the rescue of Benito Mussolini in 1943, when Mussolini and Otto Skorzeny were flown out aboard a Fieseler Storch. After the war, the aircraft saw service with the air forces of numerous countries, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Sweden, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Spain, and Laos. The aircraft was also produced under license in several countries. 

More information about this model can be found here

Model: 1:35 Tristar 35034 Fieseler Fi156 A-0/C-1