Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.C

Dragon 1/35

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, is a Germanmedium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.

The Panzer IV was the most numerous German tank and the second-most numerous German fully tracked armoured fighting vehicle of the Second World War; 8,553 Panzer IVs of all versions were built during World War II, only exceeded by the StuG III assault gun with 10,086 vehicles. Its chassis was also used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, including the Sturmgeschütz IVassault gun, the Jagdpanzer IVself-propelled anti-tank gun, the Wirbelwind and Ostwindself-propelled anti-aircraft gun, and the Brummbärself-propelled gun. 

The Ausf. C replaced the B in 1938. This saw the turret armour increased to 30 mm (1.18 in), which brought the tank's weight to 18.14 t (20.00 short tons). After assembling 40 Ausf. Cs, starting with chassis number 80341, the
engine was replaced with the improved HL 120TRM. The last of the 140
Ausf. Cs was produced in August 1939.

Production changed to the Ausf. D; this variant, of which 248
vehicles were produced, reintroduced the hull machine gun and changed
the turret's internal gun mantlet to a 35 mm (1.38 in) thick external mantlet. Again, protection was upgraded, this time by increasing side armour to 20 mm (0.79 in). As the German invasion of Poland
in September 1939 came to an end, it was decided to scale up production
of the Panzer IV, which was adopted for general use on 27 September
1939 as the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161 (Sd.Kfz. 161)