No MG34 on StuG III G & StuH 42 G – Historical Issue

[_СтрапOнесса]

Hello!

I would like to address a question regarding the StuG III Ausf. G and StuH 42 G in War Thunder. Historically, both vehicles were equipped with an MG34 machine gun mounted on a shielded pintle mount for self-defense, especially against infantry. However, in the game, while the shield is visibly modeled on these vehicles, the machine gun itself is not functional.

This omission creates significant gameplay issues, since these vehicles historically relied on their mounted MG34 for protection against close-range threats, which was a critical component of their design.

Sources confirming the presence of the MG34 on these vehicles include:

“Sturmgeschütz III and Sturmhaubitze 42 1940-1945” by Bruce Culver (Osprey Publishing)

“Panzer Tracts No. 8: Sturmgeschütz - Assault Guns” by Thomas L. Jentz

Historical photographs and technical manuals often show the StuG III G and StuH 42 G equipped with a mounted MG34.

I would like to understand:

1. Why is the machine gun missing, even though the shield is present?

2. Are there any plans to implement a functional MG34 for these vehicles in the future to reflect their historical design and improve gameplay?

Thank you for your attention to this matter!

[HussaH]

I agree, casemates even at the lower tiers don’t always perform the best. With the abundance of air around the 4.0 area both the StuG and StuH could benefit immensely from being fitted with a pintle mount. I would also like to see (either as a separate vehicle or an upgrade modification to the existing StuG) the ‘pigs head’ mantlet. This would not only increase the mantlet armour on the StuG, but also allow for the installation of a coaxial machine gun, as per below picture.

[Ghostmaxi]

The weldet mantlet also has the ability to mount the Mg 42, for StuG III F and G as well as StuH 42 G.
https://community.gaijin.net/issues/p/warthunder/i/5SabXWYRqkbd