Jagdpanzer IV (PzJag IV 7.5cm). Captured vehicle seen postwar at Aberdeen Proving Ground with spurious camouflage scheme. The Jagdpanzer IV, Sd.Kfz. 162, was a tank destroyer based on the PzKpfw IV chassis built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turretless Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer, literally "hunting tank") designs, it was developed against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, as a replacement for the Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III). Guderian objected against the needless, in his eyes, diversion of resources from PzKpfw IV tank production, as the Stug III and Sturmgeschütz IV were still more than adequate for their role. Officially, only the L/48-armed vehicle was named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/70-armed vehicle was named Panzer IV/70. In this article, both versions are referred to in general as Jagdpanzer IV, except in the variants and surviving vehicles section. After the Battle of Stalingrad, in September 1942 the Weh...