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Originally Posted by Platapus
Serious noob question.
What makes this an Assault Gun as opposed to a Tank or SP arty, or Tank Destroyer?
I never understood the nomenclature.
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The StuG III was supposed to provide direct support for infantry attacks, much in the same way tanks in World War I were used. Therefore it was pretty much designed as a mobile armoured (direct fire) field gun, hence Assault Gun. It's not a tank, because it has no turret and serves a specialized purpose. It is, in fact, a form of self-propelled artillery, though not all SP Arty pieces are Assault Guns (Most are designed for indirect fire). It's not technically a tank destroyer because of its designed purpose, but later versions with higher velocity guns proved rather effective as tank destroyers, so it usually counts as one.