The 'rounded' muzzle brake was a feature of early Ausf.G with the 7.5cm L/43. The 7.5cm L/48 introduced in April 1943 had the redesiged muzzle brake.Paulus II wrote:I seem to recall the so-called Ausf. F2 having a different muzzlebrake than the Ausf. G. All vehicles with a 'ball-shaped' muzzlebrake being refered to as F2 and later vehicles with the 'typical' muzzlebrake being refered to as G. The F2 being an upgunned F1 and only after changing the muzzlebrake and adding some armour was the vehicle refered to as Ausf. G. Of course this information is based on various books and sites. Are they all wrong?
Panzer IV Ausf F2 first combat?
Moderator: sniper1shot
- wiltaz
- Contributor
- Posts: 219
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 7:47 am
- Location: Chesapeake, Va USA
- Contact:
I think it's not so much as the F2 didn't exist but that the Germans didn't call it the F2. They called the F, Sd Kfz 161 and if it had the longer gun it was the Sd Kfz 161/1. The F2 designation seems to have come along and copied to distinguish the long barrelled versions from the short barrelled versions. My guess is some author added it to keep them seperate without using the Sd Kfz numbers.
According to my sources the Germans planned to introduce the better gun in the G but didn't want to wait. So they lost a month of production and added the L/43 to the F. The only other changes had to do with ammo storage for the larger rounds, seat placement and small details dealing with the new gun. Once the order of Fs was completed then they started making the early G model which was basically the same tank although it evolved over it's life by first switching to the L/48 gun and later additional armor bolted on.
According to my sources the Germans planned to introduce the better gun in the G but didn't want to wait. So they lost a month of production and added the L/43 to the F. The only other changes had to do with ammo storage for the larger rounds, seat placement and small details dealing with the new gun. Once the order of Fs was completed then they started making the early G model which was basically the same tank although it evolved over it's life by first switching to the L/48 gun and later additional armor bolted on.
Re: Panzer IV Ausf F2 first combat?
Hello to all ; a complement................................
Pz Kw IV Ausf F2/G (early) in instruction!
Below, two snapshots of an armored unit in a training ground (for the environment) with Pz Kw IV Ausf. F2 or G (early), since the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L / 43 barrel has a single baffle mouth brake and still has vision ports on the sides of the turret ..................
Sources: https://www.ebay.de/sch/sis.html?_itemI ... 4099.l9146
http://henk.fox3000.com/pz4.htm
Cheers. Raúl M .
Pz Kw IV Ausf F2/G (early) in instruction!
Below, two snapshots of an armored unit in a training ground (for the environment) with Pz Kw IV Ausf. F2 or G (early), since the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L / 43 barrel has a single baffle mouth brake and still has vision ports on the sides of the turret ..................
Sources: https://www.ebay.de/sch/sis.html?_itemI ... 4099.l9146
http://henk.fox3000.com/pz4.htm
Cheers. Raúl M .
- Attachments
-
- image219.jpg (29.93 KiB) Viewed 5355 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
Re: Panzer IV Ausf F2 first combat?
As the new ausf G was only produced from April 42 on, this would have been the first planned German offensive that could've used them.
So 22nd pz div, may 8th,= first mass use?
The above photo from bundesarchiv, via Wikipedia article Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, shows an early G in crimea in may 42. It has early features: the smoke candle Armored cover on the top left of rear-plate; and globular muzzle brake. The large white tank numbers and spotty camo are consistent with 22nd pz; there's a pic of another identically camo'd G in the Repairing the Panzers books, which was confirmed as 22nd Pz Div by Craig Ellis.