As stated beforehand, 7.5cm PAK39 L/48 gun barrel on Puma model came from 1.35th Tamiya Jagdpanzer IV model kit. Above photo is real late-war Jagdpanzer IV with 7.5cm PAK39 L/48 gun mount, its muzzle brake removed. Note also field modified installation of Schürzen ( apron or armor skirts ). Usually the skirts are mounted by brackets hung of hull sides. In this instance with no brackets available, field maintenance crew perforated armor plates to fit hull contour atop, then bolted Schürzen directly onto the hull.

Jagdpanzer IV Sd. Kfz. 162 - 75mm L/48 (1944) | ATP

6-plate Schürzen set was designed specifically for Jagdpanzer IV, which covered all side angles from front glacis to rear engine ventilation deck.

1/35 EDU35818 Schurzen Jagdpanzer IV L/70 Detail | GMC

US military news unit converse atop Jagdpanzer IV derelict, this one has the shorter 7.5cm PAK39 L/48 tank gun without its muzzle brake. Its " Lang " ( long ) version had 7.5cm PAK39 L/70 gun mount.

Jagdpanzer IV | AGT

Rippled surface on tank destroyer was Zimmerit ceramic paste contoured into series of parallel lines to create buffer between metal hull and magnetic anti-tank mines being used mainly Soviet infantrymen. Zimmerit was applied at the factory production line and was employed between Summer 1943 and Autumn 1944.

Zimmerit | PWN

ZIMMERIT PART-1 PDF | TAO

Jagdpanzer IV with 7.5cm PAK39 L/48 gun ( again without muzzle brake ), destroyed by Allied aerial bomb at Dasberg - northern Luxembourg, 22 Jan 1945. Then pushed off road into bomb crater to make way for Allied convoy, as US infantrymen inspects the wreckage. Timeline indicates German Ardennes offensive had been defeated and driven back across Germany frontier. Since small nation of Luxembourg ( less than 1,000 square miles size ) is nestled between Belgium and Germany, remnant German units continued rear guard actions in gradual retreat eastward to Germany border.

Luxembourg Map GIF | EZC

In addition, with Allied air superiority in late-WW2 era, most German armor units traveled at night to avoid daytime fighter assaults. To minimize enemy detection on night maneuvers, German vehicle had Bosch slit covers (on their headlights ( such as Jagdpanzer IV headlight on right fender above ) and/or Notek lights. But these only provided minimal road illumination, hence falling into large shell craters was a common incident. With no armor recovery units nearby, crew had no choice but to self-destroy ( or to use British term - Scuttle - ) their vehicles to prevent falling into enemy hands.

The NOTEK Nachtmarschgerät | KKD

1/6 Scale WWII German Vehicle Accessories and Update Kits ( Bosch & Notek ) | AMP

1/35 German Bosch Headlight Set | HLJ

Close-up of another self-destroyed Jadgpanzer IV falling into shell/bomb crater, entire superstructure ripped apart from explosion. Right on front glacis is driver vision port, on left is circular plate armor cap which covers bow machine gun port. Cap hinged on its left side and rotates outward allowing MG34 or MG42 machine gun to peer through port opening.

Note front roadwheels ( probably 4 on each side ) are late-war steel-resilient rimmed, compared to standard rubber-rimmed roadwheels for rest of vehicle. From early-WW2 German armor crews battlefield reports, rubber rimmed roadwheels in vehicle front worn-out more readily than wheels in middle/rear section.

Rationale due to extra traction stress as tracks move from bottom over top drive sprocket. Steel resilient roadwheels solved this wear-n-tear problem. Some tanks were fitted with only front 8 steel resilient wheels ( probably by frontline field maintenance units ), while others had all their roadwheels installed in this manner ( probably at the factory production line ).

Stug III model & Roadhwheel worn-out | UweM

Someone is gonna get Shanked big time ! Jadgpanzer IV concealed among fence / foliage debris in German town, prepared to ambush in-coming US forces, circa Spring 1945.

This is almost impossible to detect from a distance if crew hunkered down with no outside movement.

On left is traditional German timber-framed house, filled in with white plaster. Timber's angular arching layout is design allusion to Runic symbols for good fortune or family protection.

Timber frame house, Idstein, Germany | MKZ

Meaning of Runes | SWC

Color Jadgpanzer IV profiles, top print contains 2 samples. Top #1 | First one belongs to III Battalion / Panzer Regiment " Hermann Göring ", Italy - June 1944. Camouflage pattern is African Yellow base, irregular soft edge pattern red brown, linear forest green for additional silhouette breakup. Note vehicle has Zimmerit ceramic paste on superstructure and bottom hull roadwheel sections, along with replacement non-camouflage gun barrel. June 1944 placed this regiment in defense of Rome southern sector against American advance, by July 1944 it was pulled out of Italy and sent to central Poland to stem Soviet offensive after its destruction of German Heeresgruppe Mit ( Army Group Center ).

Panzer-Division Hermann Göring | AHC

A Brief History of the Hermann Göring Division | RPW

Stug III model and German Army Group Center destruction | UweM

Typical German WW2 era was naming armored units after famed Nazi party persona, be it Adolf Hitler ( via 1st SS Panzer ) or Heinrich Himmler ( via his title Reichsführer-SS in 16th SS Panzergrenadier ). Hermann Göring was Luftwaffe Generaloberst ( Air Force Supreme Commander ) in 1936, Reichsmarshall des Grossdeutschen Reiches ( Reich Marshal of Greater German Empire ) in 1940, and was officially designated to succeed Chancellor Adolf Hitler. Being from Luftwaffe branch, he was in regular political power struggle with other Nazi branches, mainly the Army and later on the SS. Hence, he created German air force armored units to fight on the frontlines, demonstrate its combat zeal, and manpower of Luftwaffe branch. Panzer Regiment " Hermann Göring " was one of these units, which would ultimately be expanded into full Panzer Division status.

Horch FLAK PKW and Panzer Regiment " Hermann Göring " | UweM

Reichsführer-SS | Wiki

Top #2 | Second one ( without muzzle brake ) with lighter hue African Yellow base and hard edged forest green pattern belongs to 38th Panzerjäger Abteilung ( 38th Tank Destroyer Battalion ) of 2nd Panzer Division in central Germany, March 1945. By this time in 1945, division was engaged series of frontier battles to prevent western Allied armies from crossing Rhine river into Germany. It was assigned to German 7th Army - Heeresgruppe B ( Army Group B ) - III Army Corps. Its final battles was at Fulda city - Hesse - central Germany, before surrendering to American forces on 7 May 1945. BTW, spelling differences between " Panzerjäger " vs " Panzerjadger " due to former usage of diacritic marks, but its German pronunciation remains unchanged.

2nd Panzer Division (Germany) | Wiki

2nd Panzer Division History | 2PD

Fulda - Hesse | Wiki

Jadgpanzer IV had designation " Sdkfz 162 " which meant Special Purpose Vehicle version 162. Sdkfz title was German military nomenclature given to all armored tanks, self-propelled guns, halftracks, assault guns, etc. Abbreviated for Sonderkraftfahrzeug ( special purpose vehicle ), that is vehicle built specifically for military operations rather than being kraftfahrzeug ( Kfz ) adopted from civilian vehicles and converted into military platforms.

Jagdpanzer concept | Wiki

Color profile shows Jadgpanzer IV with medium African Yellow base and Red Brown moth pattern overspray. It has Zimmerit ceramic paste on superstructure and hull, but with only 3 upper track idler wheels rather than original 4 set ( to streamline production cost & rollout ) , thereby making it a late 1944 era vehicle. No identified markings, not even German Balkenkreuz national insignia. Germans rushed armor production from production line directly to frontlines. By Spring 1945, average combat life of these new armor vehicles was about 4 weeks from production rollout to ultimate destruction.

Balkenkreuz | Wiki

Final note, looking at Jadgpanzer IV side profile and its angular gun mantle, Germans nicknamed vehicle design " Guderian Ente " ( Guderian Duck ), after Generaloberst Heinz Guderian | who pioneered modern armor warfare / mechanization, and was Inspector-General of Armored Troops. Guderian Duck was designed to replace Stug III assault gun, hence merge multiple features from other projects : 1) Hull from Panzer IV tank, 2) 7.5cm PAK 42 L/70 gun ( some sources state it was 7.5cm PAK39 design ), 3) Low silhouette, but with 100mm frontal armor. Initial designation was " Sturmgeschschütz neuer Art mit 7.5cm PaK L/48 auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw IV (Sd.Kfz.162) " ( Assault Gun new type with 75mm PAK L/48 gun on Undercarriage Panzer IV ), or shorten to Jagdpanzer E-39 project, to eventually Jagdpanzer IV.

Heinz Guderian | Wiki