The Panzerkampfwagen IVf2 was a great improvement over the standard Ausf. (Ausfuerung) F, an earlier model with a short (L/24) gun unsuitable for anti-tank use. A high-velocity 75mm L/43 gun made this tank able to begin to compete with the superior T-34. It was the workhorse of the German Army, not superior or inferior to most Allied tanks. Many variants improved on this early model which appeared around '42. Some major changes were a longer gun (L/48), a double baffle muzzle brake, and a special type of armour called Schurzen (skirts) to protect from bazookas.