Sturmgeschütz IV Sd.Kfz.167

In November 1943, Alkett, the manufacturer of the Sturmgeschütz III, suffered major damage from an Allied bombing raid.
In October 1943, 255 StuG IIIs were still being produced, but by December production had dropped to only 24 vehicles.
A conference held on 6-7 December 1943 considered possible solutions to this problem.
Hitler welcomed the proposal to mount the StuG III body on a Panzer IV chassis. The StuG IV could be produced more easily than the Jagdpanzer IV.
This meant that nothing stood in the way of production. The body of the StuG III Ausf. G was mounted on a Panzer IV chassis, with a casemate superstructure for the driver added.
From December 1943 to May 1945, Krupp converted 1,108 new StuG IVs and another 31 from Panzer IV hulls damaged in combat.
They were probably Germany's most effective armoured vehicles in the final stages of the war.

Plastic model kit

scale 1:35

unbuilt / unpainted