Dragon Armor StuG. IV Late Production

No. 60117, Vintage year - 2005, Scale - 1:72

Unit - 17th Panzer Grenadier Division - Gotz Von Berlichingen 

Campaign - Alsace 1945 - Ardennes, Nordwind and Defense of the West - the unit contained 47 (operational vehicles) assault guns and 2 panzer IVs. Many were trapped in the Pfaelzer Forest after Oberfuhrer Klingenberg was killed in action.

Markings - Tan camouflage with brown and green - with white writing on barrel (Kunigunde) and German cross on side turret casement and left rear hull.

Model - the Mid-Production Krupp model featured a Saukopfblende (pig's head) mantlet that was introduced in February 1944 in addition to a remote-controlled MG-34 machine gun that was mounted on the superstructure roof. The StuG IV used a StuG III Ausf F superstructure mounted on a Panzer IV chassis (ninth chassis version) and was armed with a 75 mm Pak 39 L/48 as the main canon. In August 1943, Hitler was provided reports on the performance of the StuG III at Kursk which noted the relatively superior performance of the StuG III Ausf G compared to the Panzer IV. He thus ordered Krupp to switch production to a more focused tank hunter - the Panzerjager IV that would use the same 75 mm L/70 used by the Panther. Vomag then made a prototype of the Panzerjager IV but the long gun was scarce and ran into supply problems. Concurrently, the StuG III production (Alkett) was halted due to Allied bombing raids in the November-December timeframe). This led to the first models using a 75 mm L/48 gun. Krupp then came up with a new design (cheaper and easier to manufacture than the Jagdpanzer IV) based on the Alkett design. The StuG IV production began in late 1943 and approximately 1,100 were made. No variants (Ausfuehrungs) were made but modifications included zimmerit paste (briefly), the shielded MG-34 on the roof and spaced armor skirts (Schurzen) - the last two seen on this model. 

Condition - New with minor shelf wear on cardboard box

Thank you for your interest.