The Weald Foundation’s ‘Black Sea’ Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G will star in The Tank Museum’s arena for TANKFEST for the first time since 2009.
One of the most important and widely produced armoured fighting vehicles of the Second World War, the ‘Black Sea’ Sturmgeschütz III Ausf. G (StuG III) will join the arena line-up at the world’s best display of historic moving armour, 26-28 June, at The Tank Museum in Bovington.
StuG III’s purpose was to support the infantry, using its short-barrelled 75mm KwK 24 gun against targets such as bunkers. However, later versions were fitted with the powerful Stuk 40 gun, with a much longer barrel.
The Weald Foundation’s StuG III was produced by MIAG (Mühlenbau Industrie AG) and was built in October 1943. Of the approximately 8,565 StuG III’s produced during the war, only 2,586 were built at MIAG, and many surviving examples today are Alkett-built, making MIAG-built survivors significantly rarer than their Alkett counterparts.
After it was built, in November 1943, it was loaded aboard a German cargo ship as part of a convoy heading for Sevastopol. However, before it reached Sevastopol, the ship was torpedoed by a Russian Submarine, and as the ship burned, a violent internal explosion tore it in half and sent it to the bottom of the sea, taking everything on board, including 12 StuGs and 2 Jagdpanzers.
In the late 1990s, divers located the wreck in the Black Sea and salvaged two of the StuGs from the hold. The Weald Foundation subsequently acquired one, and it is from this recovery that the vehicle takes its ‘Black Sea’ name.
The Weald Foundation worked hard to meticulously restore the ‘Black Sea’ StuG, which was a significant achievement after the years spent on the sea floor took a considerable toll: the hull was cracked and partially collapsed, the gearbox casing destroyed, all aluminium components lost, and the interior stripped bare.
The restoration of the ‘Black Sea’ StuG III reflects the founding principles of Michael Gibb and The Weald Foundation: that understanding a vehicle’s story is as important as restoring it. Every detail, from the use of an original Maybach engine to what is deliberately left absent, demonstrates that uncompromising commitment to authenticity.
Gemma Butler, Assistant Marketing Manager, said: “We are so grateful to the Weald Foundation for bringing this remarkable vehicle to star in our Second World War display and battle re-enactment at TANKFEST.
“As well as founding the Weald Foundation in 2003, Mike also served as a trustee of The Tank Museum between 2010-2019, making a significant contribution to the preservation of military vehicles through his own Foundation and the Museum. The ‘Black Sea’ StuG is a testament to the vision Mike built the Foundation upon, and to the team that continues his work today.”
