G ▁ 3 4 ▁machine ▁gun . ▁ ▁Com bat ▁service ▁The ▁St ur mt iger ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁heavy ▁inf antry ▁support ▁vehicle , ▁rendering ▁assistance ▁with ▁attacks ▁on ▁heavily ▁fort ified ▁or ▁built - up ▁areas . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁first ▁St ur mt iger ▁were ▁available , ▁however , ▁Germany ▁had ▁lost ▁the ▁initi ative , ▁with ▁the ▁We hr macht ▁being ▁almost ▁exclus ively ▁on ▁the ▁def ensive ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁off ensive . ▁ ▁Three ▁new ▁Pan zer ▁companies ▁were ▁raised ▁to ▁operate ▁the ▁St ur mt iger : ▁Pan zer ▁St ur mm ör ser ▁Kom pan ien ▁( P z St u Mr K p ) ▁(" Arm oured ▁Ass ault ▁Mort ar ▁Company ") ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁ 1 0 0 1 ▁and ▁ 1 0 0 2 . ▁These ▁originally ▁were ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁four teen ▁vehicles , ▁but ▁this ▁figure ▁was ▁later ▁reduced ▁to ▁four ▁each , ▁divided ▁into ▁two ▁pl ato ons . ▁ ▁P z St u Mr K p ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁was ▁raised ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁and ▁fought ▁during ▁the ▁Wars aw ▁U pr ising ▁with ▁two ▁vehicles , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁prototype ▁in ▁a ▁separate ▁action , ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁only ▁time ▁the ▁St ur mt iger ▁was ▁used ▁in ▁its ▁intended ▁role . ▁P z St u Mr K p ▁ 1 0 0 1 ▁(