Comparing: Pz.Kpfw. IV vs. Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. K

Produced in greater numbers than any other tank of the Panzerwaffe. Manufactured from October 1937 through March 1945, with a total production of 8,519 tanks plus command vehicles. Beginning in May 1942 this tank was equipped with a long-barreled gun.

This tank was developed on the basis of the later Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. J chassis, combining it with the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. F2 turret and a 75-mm gun. The first design plans were completed by the end of December 1941. Manufacturing began, but the vehicle proved overly complex and production was soon canceled. A total of 50 vehicles were completed and used as command vehicles. They featured 50-mm guns; the 75-mm guns were never mounted.