Long Barrel Gun in Action Throughout WWII, the Pz.Kpfw.IV was the main battle tank for the German Army, and after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the Ausf.G. with L/43 7.5cm KwK40 gun was developed to counter overpowering Russian tanks such as the T-34. In total, 1,930 were manufactured between March 1942 and June 1943. Its equipment varied depending on the production period and the early production tank featured a shorter barrel and rounded muzzle brake. The Ausf.G. was active at the Eastern Front and in North Africa, and was a constant threat to Russian and British Forces on account of its superlative penetration and long gunshot. British troops nicknamed the Ausf.G. employed by Rommel's Africa Corps the Mk.IV Special.