Sturmgeschütz IV (StuG IV, Sd.Kfz. 167) was a German WWII assault gun based on the Panzer IV chassis, designed to supplement the highly successful StuG III. Although initial 1943 plans to mount a StuG superstructure on a Panzer IV hull were dropped due to weight concerns, the project was revived in late 1943 after Allied bombing severely damaged Alkett’s main StuG III factory. By mounting a modified StuG III Ausf. G superstructure—featuring an added armored box compartment for the driver—onto the Panzer IV chassis, Krupp was able to rapidly produce a lighter alternative to the StuG III Ausf. G. Following Hitler’s approval in December 1943, Krupp (along with Alkett) built over 1,140 StuG IVs through May 1945. Serving as both infantry support vehicles and effective tank destroyers alongside the StuG III, they helped bolster the dwindling German armor forces on both the Eastern and Western fronts until the end of the war.
