During construction work at the Nordholz naval air base on the North Sea, workers uncovered a surprise: an almost intact 29‑tonne StuG III assault gun from WWII, buried in the sand for 80 years.
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.
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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.
Crew of four soldiers: "Oppressively cramped"
The vehicle can be opened without difficulty, archaeologist Andreas Hüser told dpa: "The view inside is very impressive." The driver’s seat has been preserved, as have the mountings for the gun. "It really is oppressively cramped."
The assault gun’s crew consisted of four soldiers. While the driver sat in the front section of the vehicle, another soldier operated the gun. The commander coordinated the operation and gave the order to fire, while a fourth man was responsible for reloading the weapon.
Archaeologists believe the assault gun was buried by the Allies shortly after the end of the war, together with other military equipment. Excavations also brought to light remains of ammunition and small grenade fragments.
Because the vehicle lay at the edge of an embankment in dry sand, it has been preserved exceptionally well. In several places, remnants of the original camouflage paint are still visible, and parts of the running gear appear almost unscathed despite having lain in the ground for decades.
In August, the assault gun is to be taken to Munster in the Lüneburg Heath, where specialists will stabilise and restore it. It is then due to be handed over to the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden, where it will be put on public display.
