Background

By the end of WWII the Sturmgeschutz (assault gun) was the most common AFV type in the German army.  After the Alkett factory in Berlin was heavily bombed, it was decided to help make up the production shortfall by fitting the StuG III superstructure onto a Panzer IV chassis, hence the StuG IV entered production at the end of 1943.

Like the StuG III Ausf G, the StuG IV was equipped with the StuK 40 L/48 and over time the profile of the muzzle break changed.   This Elefant barrel has a late war muzzle break with a larger round front flange and is the style depicted in Hilary Doyle’s line drawings of a 1945 StuG IV.  It is also the style of muzzle break fitted to the DML StuG IV late kit.  Judging from photos of Panzer IV and StuG III this muzzle break started appearing in the winter of 1944/45.

This Elefant barrel is for use with the Dragon StuG IV late (kit 6043).    It could also be used with the Dragon StuG III Ausf. G late, which shares a common mantlet.   Many StuG IV produced in 1944 had a muzzle breaks with a smaller flatter front flange and Elefant barrel set 35.430G, which has this muzzle break, could be used as an alternative for either of the DML StuG IV kits.

Contents and Fit

The Elefant barrel set has 6 parts which are shown in the left hand photograph (click on thumbnail for color enlargement):

1) Aluminum barrel tube.
2) 2 etched metal parts to add small detail not found in the DML kit.
3) 2 part metal muzzle break with good detail of the flange and baffle.
4) Metal ring which attaches to the turret end of the muzzle break.

The parts are accurate when compared to scale drawings in Achtung Panzer and by Hilary Doyle in Sturmgeschutz and Its Variants.

I did a dry assembly of this barrel and test fitted it to the Dragon kit.  It fitted together well as per the instruction diagram provided and fit snuggly into the StuG’s mantlet.  The only extra work was to enlarge the barrel end of the muzzle break with a circular file.  Some modellers may prefer to combine the Elefant barrel, metal ring and etched metal with the kit’s muzzle break.  

Summary

This StuG barrel is a well made and accurate representation of a late war StuK 40 L/48 and represents good value relative to similar products.  It fits in well with Elefant’s range of StuG barrels, which allow modellers to select which muzzle break they fit to their StuG kit, while getting the benefits of a turned aluminium barrel.  Recommended.


Review and photography by Neville Lord.


Footnotes

Elefant set 35.430G: 75mm StuK 40 L/48 for StuG III C with L/48 has the muzzle breaks with the smaller flatter front flange and round rear flange.  This profile was common on circa 1944 StuG III and IV.  It is also the profile seen in a late war photo of a StuG III C with the StuK 40 L/48 barrel. This set is shown in the centre photograph.

Elefant set 35.366: 75mm StuK 40 L/48 for StuG IV early has a muzzle break with two large hexagonal flanges with rounded corners.  This profile is similar to that included with the DML StuG IV early and StuG III C with L/48 kits.  This is shown in the right photograph.

Achtung Panzer vol. 5 has good technical illustrations of the StuG III & IV.

Concord’s Armor at War series contains assorted photos of late war StuGs.