Sturmgeshutz Brigade 276*
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Germany vs USSR*
Fall 1943 - March 1945*
7 Battles*
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The Sturmgeschutz Battalion (later Brigade) 276 was one of the more celebrated of the independent assault gun units. It was formed in 1943 and it participated in some of the fiercest fighting on the Eastern Front. It ended the war in East Prussia in 1945.*
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In this campaign, you will command a battery of this elite formation, and fight with your "StuGs" in 7 battles from the steppes of the Ukraine to the frozen forests of East Prussia.
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Difficulty: moderate. In most battles, a minor victory is required to advance. To win the campaign decisively, get a minimum of 19 points (DV = 3, MV = 2, Draw = 1). Good Luck!*
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Background:*
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The assault gun (the best translation of "sturmgeschutz") units of the wehrmacht were controlled by the artillery branch, and this had a number of effects on their organization, equipment, and employment.*
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Each battalion (Abteilung) had 3 assault gun batteries. Each  battery had 6 vehicles, roughly comparable in manpower to an artillery battery. This number increased during the war to 10 and finally to 14 StuGs in 3 batteries.*
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As a larger HE capability was soon wanted, each battery was also intended to have 3 Sturmgeschutz with the larger 105mm LeFH 18 howitzer (StuH). Late in the war a Begliet or escort battery of infantry was added to some units, mounted on halftracks, trucks, or the StuGs themselves.*
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This steady increase in size caused a redesignation of the batteries (Abteilung) to Brigades in early 1944. From a specialized artillery unit, the Sturmgeschutz brigade became an effective, combined arms assault team.*
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Stug brigades were intended to be committed as an entity in support of an infantry division and not parcelled out in penny packets. Unfortunately the generally desperate nature of the fighting on the east front often forced individual batteries to be assigned where needed. However, wherever they were used, these assault guns were extremely welcomed by the line infantry.*
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Another element of their artillery heritage was the presence of an artillery-style periscopic sight better than that mounted on most panzers. These, coupled with the low silhouette of the StuG made them highly effective tank killers as well. StuG units racked up a large number of destroyed tanks.*
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An outline of StuG Abteilung 276:
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Formed June 1943. First deployment to Briansk area in Sept 1943, and Korosten in early 1944. Most vehicles destroyed but personnel evacuated in the Kamenets-Podolskii pocket April 1944. Rebuilt and transferred to Lithuania in August 1944. Between Fall 1944 and Spring 1945 attached to a number of army units in the East Prussia area.*
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Source: Fleischer, The Combat History of Sturmgeschutz Brigade 276. 
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Campaign Design: C.B. Blackard and Doug McBratney*
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