Announcing the Churchill Mk.IV Tank, StuG III Ausf.G Mobile Assault Gun and IAR-80/81 Pre-Orders!

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

Attention All Pilots and Tankers!

We are proud to announce that we have opened Pre-Orders on two new Collector Tanks and a new Collector Plane for IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles series! 

The following are now available for Pre-Order in the IL-2 Official Webstore! All feature a 20% Pre-Order Discount! 

- Churchill Mk.IV Heavy Tank

- StuG III Ausf.G Mobile Assault Gun

- IAR-80/81 Romanian Fighter-Bomber

We continue to expand the selection of aircraft and tanks that can be operated on any map in the Great Battles series and create entertaining matchups in both our Single-player and Multiplayer environments. We have chosen these subjects as they further bolster the historical options you have as a player or mission builder for Tank Crew, Battle of Stalingrad and Battle of Kuban. However, as always they can be used on any map against any opponent you wish. These new tanks and the IAR-80/81 also add some very interesting history to the Great Battles series. The Churchill tank was offered through the Lend-Lease program and the IAR, flew for both the Axis and Allied sides during the war! The StuG was on just about every battlefield everywhere.  

The tanks are once again being built by our talented partner DigitalForms and the IAR-80/81 is being built by our long time friend and collaborator Ivan Shirshov. We also plan to make a Romanian pilot and language pack for him. 

Churchill Mk.IV

The Churchill was a British heavy Infantry Tank that first saw combat during World War II in 1942 and remained in service in the postwar era until 1952. One of the heaviest Allied tanks of the war, the Churchill went into action for the first time during the Dieppe Raid in France in August 1942 and also saw action in North Africa, Italy, and on the Eastern Front. The chassis design proved very versatile and it was used as the basis for many specialized vehicles throughout the war.

The Churchill Mark IV was the most numerous of the series, with 1,622 produced. This variant was virtually identical to the Churchill Mark III, with the main difference being a cheaper and better-protected cast turret. A Bedford 12-cylinder gasoline engine powered the tank and was capable of providing 350 horsepower. The tank’s top speed was around 24 km/h (15 mph), but Soviet tests claimed that a Churchill Mark III reached 28 km/h (17 mph).

The main armament of the Churchill Mark IV was the Ordnance Quick-Firing (QF) 6-pounder gun of 57mm caliber. The secondary armament consisted of one coaxial 7.92 mm Besa machine gun mounted in the turret and a second Besa machine gun fitted in the hull. Beginning in 1943, some Churchill Mark IVs were refitted with 75 mm M3 guns taken from battle-damaged Shermans in North Africa (as well as a .30 caliber M1919 coaxial machine gun) and became known as the Churchill NA 75. Around two hundred tanks were converted in this manner.

As part of the Lend-Lease program, the Soviet Union was sent 344 Churchill Mark IIs, IIIs and IVs, beginning in 1942, with 91 being lost enroute on the Arctic Convoys. Eventually, these tanks saw action at Leningrad, Stalingrad, Kursk, Prokhorovka, Kharkov and other battles.

      

StuG III Ausf.G

The Sturmgeschütz III (or StuG III) assault gun was one of the Germany’s most-produced armored fighting vehicles during World War II and saw action on all fronts in both Europe and North Africa. Initially deployed as a mobile armored light gun for infantry support, the StuG III underwent constant revisions throughout the war and was eventually heavily employed in the tank destroyer role.
 
The StuG III Ausführung (Ausf.) G was the final and most common variant of the StuG III series with approximately 8400 built. Production of the type began in December 1942 and ended in April 1945. Panzer III Ausf. M chassis and Maybach HL120 V-12 gasoline engine rated at 296 horsepower allowed for a top speed of 40 km/h (25 mph).
 
This StuG III Ausf. G was armed with the 75 mm Sturmkanone 40 (StuK 40) L/48 that was a modification of KwK 40 tank gun with different recoil absorbers (you may be already familiar with it from Pz.IV tank included in Tank Crew). Additionally, a shielded 7.92 mm MG 34 light machine gun was fitted above the loader’s hatch and spaced armor plates were also added to the vehicle front and sides from May 1943.
 
  
  

[WitchyWoman]

The game is in bad need of AI control infantry given this is tank warfare, they play a key part and are jut as much of a threat.

[Dutch_P47M]

On 12/12/2021 at 12:39 AM, WitchyWoman said:

The game is in bad need of AI control infantry given this is tank warfare, they play a key part and are jut as much of a threat.

I Think for the tankgame you are right, as its now a bit lonely according to the youtube. Thats btw for me also counting as an potentially buyer, the tankgame looks great in VR only that sterile environment, is a real immersion breaker. 

While I never understand why spoiling that much effort on two flack vehicles, that little StugIII could be a success. The IAR-80 I guess an project from an modder because I do  think this bird is only for an specific group of (Romanian) players and for the 1C fanboys. 

[+76.IAP-Blackbird]

As long as it makes some money and the people are happy, why not. 

I would take a different approach to the Collector stuff, different vehicles and planes, but it is not up to me to decide... sadly

[Dutch_P47M]

On 12/18/2021 at 4:01 PM, 76.IAP-Blackbird said:

As long as it makes some money and the people are happy, why not. 

I would take a different approach to the Collector stuff, different vehicles and planes, but it is not up to me to decide... sadly

Think that typically for those Russian developers, while Jason is complaining about lack of labor/budget, they are still being prone to spill lots of efforts into minor aspects and small nice to have stuff, while neglecting the hardly needed major aspects totally.