Just one month prior to the commencement of "Operation Typhoon" (the German assault on Moscow) the Waffenamt was scheduled to begin installing the long-barreled 7.5cm KwK gun on its new Mark IV Ausf G tanks. However, when the Wehrmacht encountered the superior Russian KV-1 and T-34 tanks during the summer campaigning season, a decision was made to mount the 7.5cm KwK40 L/43 gun onto as many existing Mark IVs as possible. Since the new gun fired larger rounds than the short-barreled gun mounted on the F1 tanks, ammunition storage capacity had to be increased and the crew compartment had to be re-arranged to accommodate the modifications.

The Ausf. F tanks that received the new, longer, KwK 40 L/43 gun were temporarily named Ausf. F2 (with the designation Sd.Kfz. 161/1). The tank increased in weight to 23.6 tonnes (26.0 short tons). Differences between the Ausf. F1 and the Ausf. F2 were mainly associated with the change in armament, including an altered gun mantlet, internal travel lock for the main weapon, new gun cradle, new Turmzielfernrohr 5f optic for the L/43 weapon, modified ammunition stowage, and discontinuing of the Nebelkerzenabwurfvorrichtung in favor of turret mounted Nebelwurfgerät. Three months after beginning production, the Panzer IV Ausf. F2 was renamed Ausf. G.

This particular 1:32 scale replica of a German PzKpfw IV Ausf. F1 medium tank was attached to the 20.Panzer Division then serving on the eastern front in 1944. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 7-inches
Width: 3-inches
Height: 3-1/4-inches

Release Date: September 2005

Historical Account: 20.Panzer-Division was formed in October 1940 at Erfurt from parts of the 19.Infanterie-Division. It took part in the invasion of the Soviet Union, fighting on the central sector which advanced towards Moscow. In May 1944, it was transferred south where it suffered heavy losses during the Red Army's summer offensive. It was later sent to Romaina for refitting and was dispatched to East Prussia in October 1944. It was finally ordered to Hungary in January 1945, ending the war in eastern Germany a few months later.