Ersatz StuG (GE125)

Ersatz StuG (GE125) includes one Ersatz StuG Assault Gun In preparation for the Ardennes offensive, Hitler had given Otto Skorzeny and his commandos the task of infiltrating American positions to create as much general havoc behind enemy lines as possible and capture key bridges. Skorzeny, who had shot to fame due the successful rescue of Benito Mussolini in September 1943, conceived a daring two-part plan. Check out the Ersatz StuG in the online store here...

The first part required special English-speaking troops to infiltrate enemy lines and create chaos while the second required Panzer Brigade 150 to capture and hold the critical bridges that were so vital to the success of the offensive.

Devil's Charge The Germans had been in retreat since the Allied breakout from Normandy, finally settling into defensive lines on their frontier as Autumn turned into Winter. In early December 1944 it seemed, to the Americans facing them in the Ardennes forests of Belgium and Luxembourg, unlikely that the Germans would attack. Learn more about Devil's Charge here...

A vital part of any success Panzer Brigade 150 would enjoy would be its equipment, all American in origin. However, upon inspection, Skorzeny was less than impressed. In the collection sent to him, there were no operational armoured vehicles other than a few armoured cars and no tanks whatsoever.

To beef up the numbers, Skorzeny was able to acquire five Panthers tanks and StuG III G assault guns. Orders were given to disguise the Panthers to resemble the American M10 tank destroyer while the StuG III Gs were intended to look like the M7 Priest. All of the vehicles were painted green and given large white stars to complete the illusion. While the vehicles were far from convincing, at least Skorzeny now had the numbers he required to secure a route to the Meuse. Designed by Evan Allen Modified by James Brown Painted by James Brown

The Ersatz StuG G in Flames Of War

Armour     Name Mobility Front Side Top Equipment and Notes Weapon Range ROF Anti-tank Firepower   Ersatz StuG G Standard Tank 7 3 1 Hull MG, Enemy disguises, Protected ammo, Schürzen. 7.5cm StuK40 gun 32"/80cm 2 11 3+ Hull mounted.

Enemy Disguises Skorzeny’s troops used captured trucks and painted all of their vehicles green with white stars. The disguises weren’t perfect, but they took whatever advantage they could. A platoon equipped with Enemy Disguises must be Identified before the enemy can shoot at it or assault it. These units start the game unidentified. If a platoon equipped with Enemy Disguises shoots, conducts anti-aircraft fire, or launches an assault, they are immediately identified by all enemy platoons. In order to Identify a platoon equipped with Enemy Disguises, an enemy platoon must attempt to shoot at it or select it as the target for an Artillery Bombardment. Before rolling To Hit or Range In, the platoon rolls a Skill Test. ■ If they pass the Skill Test, they Identify the German platoon and shoot at or bombard it as normal. The German unit is now Identified to all enemy platoons. ■ If they fail, they do not Identify the unit, but may shoot at or bombard other German platoons instead. Enemy Recce teams that attempt to shoot at or bombard a platoon equipped with Enemy Disguises automatically identify them if they are within 8”/20cm. An AOP or Bunker cannot Identify a platoon equipped with Enemy Disguises. Aircraft cannot choose a team that has not been identified as the target of an air strike.

Protected Ammo Many tanks are destroyed not by the enemy shell but by their own ammunition being hit by white-hot fragments of armour and exploding. The chances of this were minimised by providing a safe place for stowing ammunition within the vehicle, such as an armoured compartment or inside a water-filled jacket. If forced to bail out, crews of tanks with protected ammunition are far more confident when it comes to remounting their vehicle quickly. Tanks with Protected Ammo re-roll all failed Motivation Tests to Remount Bailed Out vehicles in the Starting Step (see page 102 of the main rulebook).

Schürzen Schürzen are the thin armoured plates hung on the sides of some German tanks to protect them from infantry anti-tank weapons, like anti-tank rifles and bazookas. When a tank that is protected by Schürzen is hit by a weapon with a Firepower of 5+ or 6 on the Side armour by shooting and fails its Armour Save, roll a special 4+ Schürzen save: ■ If the save is successful the Schürzen protects the tank from the side shot. ■ If the save is not successful the shot penetrated the side armour as normal.

Hull-mounted Guns Some tanks mount weapons in the front of the hull instead of in a turret to save weight or to make them easier to produce. A hull-mounted weapon mounted in the front of a vehicle has a 180-degree Field of Fire covering everything in front of a line drawn across the front of the vehicle. If the weapon is mounted at the rear of the vehicle, the Field of Fire covers everything to the rear of a line drawn across the rear of the vehicle.

Contents of the Ersatz StuG Blister Pack

Contact the customer service team at customerservice@battlefront.co.nz if you have any issues with any of the components.

Description of Components

a. 1x Left-hand side track. b. 1x Right-hand side track. c. 1x 7.5cm gun with muzzle brake.

d. 1x 7.5cm gun without muzzle brake. e. 1x StuG parts sprue. f. 1x Resin Ersatz StuG hull.

Assembling the Ersatz StuG

Below: Each track is stamped with a R or L for (Right and Left) and an arrow (showing which way should point to the front of the vehicle) to ensure correction orientation.		Step 1. Once the correct orientation for the tracks has been established, attach them to the hull. First the left-hand side...

Step 2: ...then the right-hand side.	Step 3: Photos from the period show that some vehicles had muzzle brakes while others had the muzzle brakes removed. Both options are included so you can use whichever you prefer.

Step 4. Next, add the commander's hatch.	Step 5. Then the loader's hatch.	Step 6. When attaching the gun shield for the MG, ensure that it is in the folded down position.	Step 7. With the gun shield in place, the Ersatz StuG is ready for painting. Painting Tip: It is not known if the Germans had any stocks of captured US Olive Drab paint or they used what they on hand. Use Brown Violet (887) for US Olive Drab or Reflective Green (890) for German Olivgrün (Olive Green).

Adding a Tank Commander To add a tank commander, simply model the commander's hatch in an open position and then add a tank commander. Tip: If you have a spare American tank commander feel free to make use of the figure. Far left: Adding the open commander's hatch. Left: Adding the tank commander.