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With the exception of the longer KwK 40 L/43 gun and a larger ar-mored guard for its recoil and re-cuperator cylinders, the external appearance of the first Ausf. G ve-hicles was identical to its prede-cessor, the Ausf. F. Internal mo-difications included: ammunition rack for 87 longer rounds for the new gun, strengthened internal gun travel lock and an auxiliary hand traverse for the loader.

DesignationThe names of the PzKpfw IV fitted with the long guns were changed a few times. From March to May

The Panzerkampfwagen IV tank, the workhorse of the German Panzerwaffe, was designed around the short-barreled 7.5 cm L/24 gun, which provided excellent high-explosive firepower for the intended “escort” role of the Panzer IV. With the PzKpfw IV Ausf. G, armed with the long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 anti-tank gun, the Panzer IV began its new life as the Wehrmacht’s number one tank killer

1942 it was known as Ausführung F2. In June 1942 the Waffenamt ordered that all new PzKpfw IV fit-ted with KwK 40 gun were to be known as 8/BW (Ausf. G), and in July 1942 it was further clarified that all PzKpfw IV with 7.5 cm KwK 40, including those previo-usly designated as Ausf. F2, be named 8/BW (Ausf. G) instead of 7/BW (Ausf. F2). In October 1942, Ausf. F2 was officially and finally changed to Ausf. G.

ProductionThe PzKpfw IV Ausf. G was pro-duced between March 1942 and

June 1943 by three firms: Krupp-Grusonwerk in Magdeburg, Vo-mag in Plauen and Nibelungen-werke in St. Valentin (Austria). The subcontractors include: Krupp in Essen, Eisenwerke Oberdonau in Linz and Boehler in Kapfen-berg (production of armor pla-te, castings and welding the ar-mor components together), May-bach in Friedrichshafen, Nordbau in Berlin, MAN in Nuremberg and MBA in Nordhausen (assembling the HL 120 TRM engines), Zahn-

radfabrik Friedrichshafen (as-sembling the SSG 76 transmis-sions in its three facilities). The components and subassemblies for 7.5 cm KwK guns were ma-nufactured by more than 10 companies.Of the 1,930 Ausf. G vehicles pro-duced, Krupp AG produced 907 (with chassis numbers ranging from 82701 to 83000, 83201 to 83400 and 83651 to 83950), Vo-mag AG assembled 436 (83001 to 83100, 83401 to 83550 and

[Top] A PzKpfw Ausf. G photo-graphed on the Eastern Front in late February, 1944, as a part of the German troops that were forced to withdraw from an area extending from Ilmen Lake and the Finnish Gulf to Lake Peipus (now in Estonia) in the result of the Soviet offensive to break the siege of Leningrad. The tank’s production batch recognition features include the folding antenna

PzKpfw IV Ausf. GFgSt Nr 83072

1/48th scale

with the wooden trough, the split cupola hatch, the L/43 gun, the tur-ret skirts, the Bosch headlights and the 30 mm appliqué armor welded to the hull front and nose. The wider winter tracks (Winterketten) have been fitted for better flotation on snow as a post-issue modification. A large object carried on the glacis is a complete bogie truck together with its mounting brackets! [ADM]

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83951 to 84100), and Nibelungen-werke AG produced 587 (83101 to 83200, 83551 to 83650 and 84101 to 84400).

Production changesAs with its predecessors, the PzKpfw IV Ausf. G underwent a series of modifications during its long production run.

Turret visorsThe visors on the turret sides and right turret front were deleted to simplify production starting in April 1942, completed in all plants by October 1942.

Spare road wheel and track link racksA rack for two road wheels on the

left fender and mounting brackets for seven spare track links on the glacis plate were fitted from June 1942.

Ventilation hatchesVehicles were completed with Tro-pen ventilation hatches on the rear deck starting in June 1942.

Appliqué armorThe 30 mm face-hardened appli-qué armor (Zusatzpanzer) was welded onto the 50 mm thick face-hardened base on the hull and superstructure front staring from eight vehicles per month in the production run of May 1942. This number gradually increased

[Right] Training in the field! Crews and PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tanks of Panzer-Regiment 1, 1. Panzer Division, exer-cise somewhere in the Balkans in the summer of 1943. The nearest vehicle is fitted with the smoke dischargers, the single-piece commander’s hatch lid, the 30 mm appliqué armor welded to the hull front and nose, and the antenna rod deflector – these features indicate February/March 1943 produc-tion. [ADM]

[Bottom] Another scene from the 7th Company, Panzer-Regiment 1’s exercise. These PzKpw IV Ausf. Gs are practicing recovering a bogged tank. Tank No. 733 (in the foreground), is being recovered buy with the help of tank No. 734 of the same (3rd) pla-toon. [ADM]

[Left] Another Ausf. G of Panzer-Regi-ment 1, 1. Panzer-Division; Athens, Greece, 1943. Note the large log in specially fitted brackets, a feature on all of Panzer-Regiment 1’s tanks at that time. [Daniele Guglielmi Collection]

[Below] A line of PzKpfw IV Ausf. Gs, in very clean condition. From Panzer-Regiment 1, 1. Panzer Division, they are arriving in Greece on the standard four-wheeled flatcars normally used for the PzKpfw IV. Tactical numbers 732, 731 and 733 denote the 7th company, 3rd platoon, and vehicles 2, 1 and 3 respectively. The nearest tank is fitted with the spare road wheel rack and smoke dischargers; just behind the “Bosch headlight” there are two “S” tow hooks and a cylindrical fire extinguisher. [ADM]

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