Panzer Hatch Normandy found can you identify?

[superdoop]

Hi Luckystrike

It seems to me, to be a part of a sight "hatch" from a Stug III. This sight was placed in front of the commanders cupola and its hatch had a rectangular opening with rails to slide its cover. Basically, what you got there is part of the roof from a StuG III, most likely a G model. Sorry for the crappy description, english is not my primary language.

Best regards

Pablo

[zwerge]

You could be right Superdoop, Here is a pic of one, it is a model and this is a Stug, IV. but they are similar.

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Thanks Pablo and Zwerge for your posts and suggestions, I can see what you mean from the picture of the Stug IV, my peice has a couple of clips acting like hinges and internal tightening knobs which makes me feel that its designed to be able to be moved/adjusted as a hatch where as the Stug IV is obviously a fixed peice. I've search the net today but have been unable to locate a picture of the hatch on a Stug III G but hope that maybe another member might have one to confirm its identity. The rails on the Stug IV do appear similar to the rails on my hatch.
Thanks for your help.
Luckystrike.

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Below is a sketch of the hatch to show its dimensions, please excuse my drawing its not to scale. Below it is a picture of a Stug in need of restoration but showing an MG shield.
Luckystrike

[Paul D]

I've got lots of Sturmgeshutz photos and can see where superdoop is coming from but can't see anything on your piece which relates to the Selbstfahrlafetten Zielfernrohr hatch on any model of Assault gun.

regards

Paul

[AndyDenmark]

The worst i have to worry about is a dodgy net connection we are off of the Norwegian coast and it has been snowing a lot with 70 knot winds a couple of days ago...the things we do for cash

[neil]

I'd thought Hetzer. I checked some walk around photos of the Stug and Hetzer but nothing fit. One point that I noticed was that all "Hatches" had external armored hinges not the small inside ones and the edges were not tapered.

Very interesting... I'll keep looking!

neil

[AndyDenmark]

Hi again

The following mail came from the museum to my brother yesterday.It seems to rule out the tiger theory and they have quite a collection of german armour there, but I can't remember all of what they have..

Steve,

Sorry for the lateness of my reply.

This is only a suggestion but we think that the two pieces may be part of a shield or superstructure from a self-propelled gun? The apertures are not right for a hatch on a tank and the beveled edge, clips and brackets suggest that they are part (or an additional part) of an armoured vehicles superstructure but beyond that it is hard to say.



I hope this information is of some help.



Cheers

Stuart

Stuart Wheeler
Assistant Librarian
The Tank Museum
Bovington, Dorset, UK
BH20 6JG

It looks like they took the two pics i sent as two separate bits but even so what they say does make sense to me,I don't know if you can get any info on SP guns from anywhere but at least you know what it isn't off of now...

Andy

[LUCKYSTRIKE]

Hi Andy,
Thank you very much for all your work it has been a great help, even though it's not identified the specific vehicle, it has narrowed the choice some what!
From memory the French Tank Museum at Saumur has plenty of different German SP guns. Most being the amalgamation of other nations running gear or weapons,the Germans being so good at achieving this successfully.
So maybe they'll have some info, I'll keep looking.
Thanks again.
LUCKYSTRIKE

[neil]

well nuts...

I was really hoping they might have an answer, this is really starting to bug me. lol

I think the "rail" is the clue, it's gotta be involved with some kind of slide plate for optics, and the steel thickness would indicate roof armor [in general]. I don't recall ever seeing ANY Allied armor with this kind of setup, only German.

Question...is this the actual "cut" pattern, or is there a fractured edge like it's broken off a bigger piece.


neil