StuG 40 Ausf. F (1942, 359 units) – The prototype of this version was based on the Ausf. E variant, but the main modification was the installation of a long-barreled 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/43 gun, created by combining a Krupp breech block with a Rheinmetall PaK 40 L/46 barrel. After equipping the first 120 vehicles with this weapon, it was replaced in favor of an even longer-barreled gun—the 7.5 cm StuK 40 L/48—which was installed for the remainder of the production run. Production of the Ausf. F version began at the Alkett plant in early 1942 and continued until September of the same year, when it was succeeded by the Ausf. F/8 variant. Starting with this model, the StuG gradually began taking on the role of a tank destroyer.
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