Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

German Heer 1935-1945.

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PreußensGlanz
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Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

Post by PreußensGlanz »

Hi
Yes this is interesting me, the late Panzer IVG are said to have used the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 instead of the L/43 but when was the L/48 used in the normal production of the Panzer IVG?

The gun seems to have been ready by August 42 for testing and till now the only info I found is that it was used from March 43 on in the production of the Panzer IVG.
Can anyone confirm this or has additional info?
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Re: Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

Post by Martin Block »

On 30.4.1943 German Quartermaster General records for the first time distinguished between the Pz. IV with the L/43 and the L/48 gun.
By that date all existing Pz. IV equipped units reported having only Pz. IV L/24 and L/43 on hand. None already had received any Pz. IV L/48, although a total of 105 had just been allocated to units on the Eastern Front.
By 10.5.1943 still none of the allocated Pz. IV L/48 had reached their assigned units.
But on 20.5.1943 for the first time any Pz. IV L/48 appear among the Pz. IV L/24 and L/43:
15 with Pz.Gren.Div. GD
10 with 5. Pz.Div.
3 with 9. Pz.Div.
2 with 20. Pz.Div.
By 31.5.1943 the figures had risen to:
30 with 13. Pz.Div.
15 with SS-Pz.Gren.Div. LAH
15 with SS-Pz.Gren.Div. DR
15 with SS-Pz.Gren.Div. T
15 with Pz.Gren.Div. GD
10 with 5. Pz.Div.
3 with 9. Pz.Div.
2 with 20. Pz.Div.
10 with 25. Pz.Div. in Norway
So at the very end of May 1943 a total of 100 Pz. IV with the L/48 had reached active service.

With only a total of 68 Pz. IV Ausf. H of the first series produced at Vomag, it is IMHO save to say more than half of the 100 Pz. IV L/48 that had reached the troops must have been late Ausf. G with L/48 guns.
Who received exactly what however can only be finally established if the chassis numbers of the tanks will be known.

Martin Block
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Re: Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

Post by Martin Block »

Sorry, replace 100 with 115. Did I already mention my troubles with mathematics :oops:

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Re: Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

Post by PreußensGlanz »

Very helpful, thanks.

Do you may also know why there is such a long time between the KwK L/48 and the StuK L/48?
According to "The Spielberger German Armor & Military Vehicles Series Vol.II Sturmgeschütz & Its Variants" the first StuK L/48 were produced in June 1942, I guess it didn't take so long for StuGs with the L/48 to arrive at the front maybe August or September I would estimate.
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Re: Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

Post by Martin Block »

Sorry, don't have data on that topic available.

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Re: Panzer IVG, when was the 7,5cm KwK 40 L/48 used?

Post by Alanmccoubrey »

Did the StuG III Ausf F/8 not enter production in September 1942, this was the first version with the L/48 gun.
Alan
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