Sd.Kfz. 161 Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F. F1/F2 Tank (Qty 2 – Fast Assembly) 1/72 Scale Model Kit

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, is a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.

The Panzer IV was developed in the first few months of the 2nd World War to provide the German armoured forces with a better protected vehicle carrying a 7.5 CM cannon. This was a reaction to the limits of its predecessor, the model III with a 5 CM cannon compared to the threat of the enemy’s means, in particular the soviet T 34s which were equipped with an arm of that calibre as well as good armour plating. The model IV tank was extensively used on all fronts during the 2nd World War by the German Army. Many different gradually improved versions were produced to face the on-going improvements of the opponents means.

In April 1941, production of the Panzer IV Ausf. F began, featuring 50 mm single-plate armor on the turret and hull and 30 mm side armor. The exhaust muffler was shortened, and a compact auxiliary generator muffler was added. The vehicle weight increased to 22.3 tonnes, necessitating a track width modification from 380 to 400 mm to reduce ground pressure and allow for "ice sprags." The rear idler wheel and front sprocket were also modified. The Ausf. F was later renamed Ausf. F1 after the Ausf. F2 model appeared. A total of 471 Ausf. F (later F1) tanks were produced from April 1941 to March 1942.

The Ausf. F tanks that received the longer KwK 40 L/43 gun were temporarily named Ausf. F2 (Sd.Kfz. 161/1). The tank's weight increased to 23.6 tonnes. Key differences between the Ausf. F1 and Ausf. F2 included changes in armament, such as an altered gun mantlet, new gun cradle, and new optics, along with modified ammunition stowage and a switch to turret-mounted smoke dischargers. Three months after production began, the Ausf. F2 was renamed Ausf. G.