Modifications of the tank Panzer 4. Medium tank T-IV Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV, also Pz
The German army entered World War II with a rather strange situation in the tank weapons system. The Pz.Kpfw.III medium tank, which was created as the main tank, actually turned out to be the smallest in the Wehrmacht at that time. As for the other medium tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was designed as a support vehicle, but at the same time there were almost four times more such vehicles in the army than the Pz.Kpfw.III. German industry was able to equalize the number of tanks of these two types in the army only at the very end of 1939. By this time, a new version of the support tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, had already entered production, and in a sense it was a return to the original concept.
Return of the machine gun
The spring of 1938 turned out to be decisive for the future fate of the PzIV. The fact is that the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate is seriously thinking about removing the brainchild of the Krupp concern from the production program. Instead of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was planned to create a support tank based on the Pz.Kpfw.III, thus unifying both medium tanks in their main components and assemblies.
On the one hand, the idea was sound. However, it should be taken into account that the PzIII was not going through the best of times at that time. But the production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was not without problems, but it still went on, and Krupp designers got into the weight category specified by the customers the first time.
Thus, when Erich Wolfert, Krupp's leading engineer, sharply criticized the idea of combining two tanks on one platform on May 2, 1938, victory was on his side. The 6th Department of the Armament Directorate was forced to give in, because Wolfert had not only an industrial giant behind him, but also common sense.
The lesson, however, did not work out well, and the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate continued to struggle with the idea of a single chassis for two types of tanks throughout the war. This impulse, one of the initiators of which was Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, with enviable consistency turned into a rake race, and each time the proper conclusions were not drawn from what had happened earlier.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D in its original configuration. In metal the car looked a little different
Meanwhile, the requirements for a support tank continued to grow. At the beginning of January 1938, discussions began on the characteristics of the fourth modification of the tank, designated 4.Serie/B.W.
One of the first items on the agenda was the return of the machine gun to its place. Someone at the top finally realized that you couldn't even shoot much from the pistol port, let alone hit anything. It was decided to use the Kugelblende 30 installation, developed for the Z.W.38 (future Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E). It had much better protection than the PzIV Ausf.A ball mount. In connection with the return of the course machine gun, the front plate of the turret box again received a characteristic step.
A diagram clearly demonstrating the internal structure of the tank On March 10, 1938, a meeting was held in Berlin, where employees of the Krupp concern and the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate discussed the possibility of strengthening the armor of the tank. The thickness of the side armor of the hull, turret box and turret, amounting to 14.5 mm, was considered insufficient. It was necessary to increase it to 20 mm so that at long distances the tank would not be hit by fire from 20 mm automatic cannons. In addition, the military asked to increase the thickness of the bottom from 8 to 10 mm.
The response to the new demands came on April 12. According to engineers' calculations, increasing the thickness of the armor increased the tank's combat weight by 1256 kg, to almost 20 tons. This led to changes in individual elements of the body. The hatches in the area of the support rollers received a different shape, and the air intakes of the engine compartment were changed. At the end of April, tracks with larger teeth were developed, and the number of suspension travel stops was increased to five per side (one each for the three front bogies and two for the rear).
Serial Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, spring 1940 Certain changes were also made to the design of the tower. First of all, the armor of the gun system was redesigned. The fact is that the previously used design turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. A bullet or shell fragment falling into the gap between the armor elements could easily jam the gun in a vertical plane. At the end of May 1938, development began new protection for the gun. The new system armor was located on the outside of the tower and did its job much better. The thickness of the armor was increased to 35 mm.
In addition, the viewing devices on the side hatches and sides of the turret were replaced.
Hanging up a large number of spare tracks was a very common occurrence. When, on July 4, 1938, a contract was finally signed with the Krupp concern for the production of tanks of the 4.Serie/B.W. modification, the vehicle was quite transformed. According to the contract, the factories of Grusonwerk, one of the divisions of Krupp, were to produce 200 tanks of this series. In October the contract was extended. The SS troops ordered 48 tanks, which were designated 5.Serie/B.W.. In fact, they were no different from 4.Serie/B.W. By the way, in the end, these vehicles never made it to the SS unit, since it was decided to order the StuG III assault self-propelled guns instead.
Tanks of the 4th and 5th series were designated Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. The vehicles were assigned serial numbers in the range 80501–80748.
Based on the experience of the first two campaigns
Serial production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D began in October 1939. Unlike the Pz.Kpfw.III, the production of which was forced by manufacturers, there were no special breakthroughs in the production of support tanks. By the end of 1939, 45 tanks had been assembled; subsequently, volumes averaged 20–25 vehicles per month. In total, by May 1, 1940, 129 vehicles of this modification were manufactured.
Torn turrets were a fairly common occurrence for PzIV Ausf.D. France, May 1940 Meanwhile, back in March 1939, it was decided that in the future the Wehrmacht would continue to order these tanks, and the 6th series (6.Serie/B.W.) vehicles would henceforth be designated as Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. A new contract for the production of 223 tanks of this type was signed in July 1939. In general, this tank was supposed to repeat its predecessor, but already in May some changes began to appear.
To begin with, it was decided to change the driver's viewing device, which had not changed from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, to the Fahrersehklappe 30. This device was distinguished by the fact that instead of massive parts going up and down, it used a thick “eyelash” 30 mm. It covered the viewing slot covered with glass block much more reliably, and its design turned out to be much simpler.
The rather large ventilation hatch from the roof of the tower also disappeared, and a fan appeared in its place. The hatch for signal flags was moved to the place of the periscope device. The shape of the commander's cupola has also changed.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D produced in April 1940, having shielding of the turret box, and at the same time - additional armor of the front hull plate The fact that the Ausf.E in its planned form will definitely not go into production, and that the Ausf.D will face certain changes, became clear after the Polish campaign of September 1939. The fact is that Polish troops massively used 37-mm Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz anti-tank guns against German tanks. 36 Bofors. Even though the Polish shells were not of the best quality, they confidently penetrated German vehicles in all projections. Strengthening the frontal part to 30 mm didn’t really help here either.
In the fall of 1939, research began to be carried out to identify the possibility of additionally loading the Pz.Kpfw.IV with another one and a half tons of armor and increasing its combat weight to 21.4 tons. Tests have shown that the tank can easily tolerate such an increase in mass.
On December 18, 1939, the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate adjusted the assignment for 4.Serie/B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. The last 68 tanks were to receive hulls with frontal plates reinforced to 50 mm. But by the start of the campaign in France, which began on May 10, 1940, the PzIV Ausf.D was still in production with a 30 mm thick front plate.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th tank division, summer 1941 The very first battles showed that such slowness was extremely reckless. Of course, the 37 mm short-barreled guns that were installed on a number of French tanks, including the FCM 36 and Renault R 35, could not penetrate 30 mm thick frontal armor. But they were not at all the main opponents of German tanks. The French were doing well with anti-tank artillery, and for it, armor 30 mm thick was by no means something prohibitive. Even worse for the Germans was that a number of French tanks had 47 mm guns as their main armament.
PzIV losses in France were even higher than in September 1939 in Poland. Of the 279 Pz.Kpfw.IVs available in units on May 10, 1939, 97, that is, more than a third, were irretrievably lost. The battles of May-June 1940 also showed that the 75-mm short-barreled gun was almost powerless against tanks with shell-proof armor.
It became clear that the problem had to be solved, and solved quickly. Back on May 15, the Krupp concern reported that shielding for the hull and turret box had been manufactured and tested. The forehead of the turret box received additional sheets 30 mm thick, due to which their total thickness increased to 60 mm. The sides were reinforced with 20 mm thick screens. Later, in addition to these screens, reinforcement was made for the frontal sheet of the hull, and corners were added at the top and bottom for additional reinforcement.
However, until the end of the French campaign, the troops did not receive a single set of shielding. Deliveries began only on June 25, when they were, in general, not really needed. Since July 1940, tanks began to be equipped with screens as standard. At the same time, the thickness of the frontal plate of the hull, turret and gun mantlet armor increased to 50 mm.
As you can see, not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E received screens Another serious metamorphosis with the PzIV Ausf.D occurred in August 1940. According to the decision made on June 3 of the same year, the last 68 tanks 4.Serie/B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. were manufactured with turrets and turret boxes 6.Serie/B.W. The last such vehicles were delivered to the troops in October 1940, after which tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E modification went into production.
Cars in this series received serial numbers 80801–81006. They can be distinguished from the last 68 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds only if the serial number of the vehicle is known. Additional confusion into what is happening is brought by the fact that not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E, not to mention the Ausf.D, received screens on the frontal part of the turret box.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D with additional Vorpanzer armor, 1942 At the beginning of 1941, some tank units tried to do shielding themselves, but an order came from above to stop this activity. However, another modification was born, also known as the Vorpanzer. It differed in that quite massive screens were attached to the front of the tower. They were installed on tanks of modifications Ausf.D, E and F. Apparently, Vorpanzers were used exclusively by the Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) tank division. It is believed that the division used them only for exercises, but there are also front-line photographs that refute such claims.
For crossings and other purposes
Orders for Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks of the 4th, 5th and 6th series were not fulfilled in full. Some of the total number of PzIV Ausf.Ds ordered went to other purposes. 16 chassis produced in March-April 1940 were used for the production of bridge tanks Brückenleger IV b. These vehicles were included in the engineering battalions assigned to tank divisions. They were used by units that fought during the May-June 1940 campaign in France.
Brückenleger IV b, a series of 16 such vehicles were produced in the spring of 1940 Meanwhile, in the summer of 1940, Krupp produced 16 sets of turret boxes and towers. Later, three bridge tanks with numbers 80685, 80686 and 80687 were converted into regular PzIV Ausf.D. According to a report from May 1941, of the 29 PzIVs produced, 13 were 4.Serie/B.W. Thus, 247 vehicles of the Ausf.D modification still went to the troops as regular tanks. The last, 248th car with serial number 80625 was used as a test chassis.
Brückenleger IV c from the 39th Tank Engineer Battalion, 1941 The situation was slightly different with the PzIV Ausf.E. Instead of the 223 tanks that were originally planned to be built, 206 vehicles were produced in one form or another, of which 200 were as regular tanks. In January 1941, 4 chassis 6.Serie/B.W. was sent to Magirus, where they were used to build the Brückenleger IV c. Like the vehicles of the previous series, they went to the 39th Tank Engineering Battalion, attached to the 3rd Tank Division. In this form they took part in battles on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1941.
This is what Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E 81005 and 81006 looked like with a new chassis The fate of the last two tanks of the 6th series, numbers 81005 and 81006, turned out to be even more interesting. On December 14, 1940, the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate gave the green light to the Krupp concern to develop a new chassis. Its main difference was that the diameter of the road wheels increased to 700 mm, and in order for them all to fit, they had to be placed in a checkerboard pattern. The width of the tracks increased to 422 mm. During 1941–42, these vehicles were actively tested, and then tank 81005 ended up at the Wünsdorf training center. Also, at least one tank was converted into an ammunition carrier for the heavy self-propelled mortar Gerät 040 (“Karl”).
Tauchpanzer IV from the 18th Panzer Division Finally, some of the production tanks were converted into very specific special vehicles. In August-July 1940, 48 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D were converted into Tauchpanzer IV, a tank for crossing rivers along the bottom. Mounts for special sealed covers were installed on the tank, and covers were also placed on the air intakes. In addition, a special hose with a float was used, through which air was supplied to the machine. A number of Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Es produced in January-March 1940 were similarly converted. Similar vehicles were used in June 1941 as part of the 18th Panzer Division.
Blitzkrieg support vehicle
In April 1941, production began of the 7.Serie/B.W., also known as the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F. This tank was created taking into account the experience of the campaigns of the first two years of the war. But it became the main support tank of the German army only in the fall of 1941. Of the 441 Pz.Kpfw.IV, which by June 22, 1941 were concentrated on the border with the USSR, they were a minority. The basis was the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D and Ausf.E.
By that time, the tanks of these modifications had changed somewhat. On February 14, 1941, the first German tanks arrived in Tripoli, and on the 16th the Afrika Korps was formed. In this regard, at the beginning of February, a “tropical” set for the ventilation system was developed.
Since March, tanks have been equipped with a turret box for personal belongings. Because it was originally developed for the Afrika Korps, it was nicknamed the "Rommel Box". It was not installed on all tanks. On many tanks, boxes on the turrets were not installed at all, and instead, an analogue was placed on the side of the hull. And in some units they developed their own “Rommel Box”, which differed in shape from the standard one.
And this was just the beginning of all sorts of alterations that were introduced at the level of tank divisions, and sometimes even at the battalion level. The “body kit” itself, which the Pz.Kpfw.IV received only in 1941, is a topic for a separate large article.
The PzIVs that arrived in Africa found themselves, figuratively speaking, in hothouse conditions. In February 1941, 20 tanks were sent there, 3 of which were lost on the way; another 20 arrived in April. The only truly dangerous enemy for them was the Matildas, which was primarily due to the thick armor of these British tanks. The 2-pounder (40 mm) guns mounted on British vehicles could only penetrate the shielded forehead of a PzIV at point-blank range, and such cases were rare.
Result of the meeting between PzIV and KV-2, summer 1941 Quite different conditions turned out to be on the Eastern Front. During the battles at the end of June 1941, only 15 Pz.Kpfw.IV were irretrievably lost. This is largely due to the fact that their opponents were T-26 and BT, which competed in a completely different weight category. The atmosphere of complete confusion in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War also contributed. However, already in July, 109 tanks, that is, a quarter of the original number, were scrapped. In August, another 68 vehicles were added to them. In total, in 1941, the Germans lost 348 Pz.Kpfw.IV on the Eastern Front, that is, more than 3/4 of their original number.
The German tank crews could quite rightly blame the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate for such significant losses, which approached the issue of strengthening the armor very frivolously. In fact, the shielding installed on the tanks corresponded to the experience of the September 1939 campaign. At the same time, attention was paid to the fact that the French already had 47-mm tank and anti-tank guns. And this was done completely in vain: even the 47-mm SA 35 tank gun with a 32-caliber barrel, as tests in the USSR showed, easily penetrated the 50 mm armor of German tanks at a distance of 400 meters.
The characteristics of the 47-mm Canon de 47 Mle.1937 anti-tank gun, which had a barrel length of 50 calibers, looked even more depressing for the Germans. At a distance of a kilometer, it penetrated armor 57 mm thick. The Germans could reasonably assume that the French were not the only ones who possessed more powerful anti-tank artillery and tank guns than the Poles.
Captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Tank Division, NIIBT Test Site, August 1941 Ultimately, the Wehrmacht had to pay for the miscalculations of the military leadership in assessing the enemy’s weapons with tanks and their crews. While the main opponents of the Pz.Kpfw.IV were the T-26 and BT, everything turned out relatively well for the German tankers. Later, more and more often they had to deal with T-34 and KV-1, armed with 76-mm cannons. In addition, some of the tanks turned out to have only partially thickened armor, which significantly reduced the chances of surviving even under fire from 45-mm tank and anti-tank guns.
They also made a certain contribution heavy tanks KV-2. The hit of his 152-mm shell on a German tank turned it into a pile of scrap metal. However, penetration by other shells did not bring anything good. Cases of ammunition explosions were quite common for Pz.Kpfw.IV. It is worth noting that German tanks were almost powerless against the T-34 and KV-1. Standard armor-piercing shells had almost no effect against new ones Soviet tanks, and the 7.5 cm Gr.Patr.38 Kw.K cumulative shells developed and in service back in April 1941. Hitler allowed its use only in February 1942.
The same car in front. Impacts and a broken screen are visible in the area of the driver's viewing device Already in August 1941, the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Tank Division was delivered to the training ground of the Scientific Research Testing Institute of Armored Vehicles (NIIBT Polygon) in Kubinka. The car was quite badly damaged: there were several hits in the frontal part of the hull, and the shielding in the area of the driver's viewing device was partially knocked down. The Polygon staff compiled a brief description of, according to which the combat weight of the tank, designated as “Medium tank T-IV produced in 1939–40,” was estimated at 24 tons, and the maximum speed at 50 km/h. After preliminary calculations, the following conclusions were made:
.“Armor protection tank T-IV can be hit by artillery of all calibers.
The tank turret, inspection hatches, and the ball mount of the radio operator’s machine gun are hit by large-caliber small arms.”
Captured PzIVs have become quite common since the end of 1941. However, the Polygon was not involved in bringing the tank captured in the summer of 1941 back into working condition or trying to get the NIIBT running trophy.
This is largely due to the fact that the Soviet military did not show much interest in the tank. It seems that they considered it as an addition to the PzIII, despite the fact that the combat weight and engine of the two medium tanks were similar. For approximately the same reasons, the StuG III Ausf.B was not restored to running condition. Studying the performance characteristics of captured Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.38(t) was considered a more important task, and wasting time on secondary vehicles was considered a pointless exercise.
Unlike the StuG III, the frontal armor of the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E 45-mm projectile was quite tough In September 1942, tests took place, during which fire from various weapons was fired at the captured tank. The first thing they did was fire at him from a DShK machine gun. It turned out that the side of the DShK turret cannot be penetrated even from a distance of 50 meters, but at a distance of 100 meters it was possible to penetrate the side and stern of the hull.
Much more interesting were the tests fired from a 45-mm cannon installed in the T-70 tank. At a distance of 50 meters, the frontal hull sheet, 50 mm thick, was pierced. It is worth noting that the same gun did not penetrate the captured StuG III self-propelled gun. The 40 mm thick sides (20+20 mm) were penetrated at a distance of 400 meters.
The final verdict on the German tank was shelling from the 76-mm F-34 cannon installed in the T-34 medium tank. The frontal plate was pierced at a distance of 500 meters (the entrance diameter of the through hole was 90 mm, the exit diameter was 100 mm). The next shot, fired from a distance of 800 meters, split the sheet into two parts. When fired from a distance of 800 meters into the side of the hull, the shell penetrated 40 mm armor on the right side, exploded inside and came out on the left side. When firing a high-explosive shell into the side, the first hit tore off the side turret hatch, the second shell tore off the commander's cupola, and the hit on the side of the engine compartment (20 mm thick) led to the appearance of a hole measuring 130x350 mm. It was decided not to fire from long distances - and so everything was clear.
In addition to the shelling, NII-48 specialists studied the design of the hull and turret.
One of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds, rearmed with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon and equipped with side screens In July 1942, the few Ausf.D and Ausf.E tanks remaining in service were modernized. Instead of a standard gun, they were equipped with a long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. In addition, from May 1943, side screens began to be installed on the hull and turret. By that time, these vehicles had been withdrawn from the first line and transferred to training units, including NSKK (National Socialist Mechanized Corps) institutions.
Such tanks were also available in tank units stationed in France. One of them (Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, serial number 80732, released in July 1940) was captured by the British in the summer of 1944. It is now on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.
The Germans themselves did not have a high opinion of the fighting qualities of the Pz.lV. Here is what Major General von Mellenthin writes about this in his memoirs (in 1941, with the rank of major, he served on Rommel’s headquarters): “The T-IV tank gained a reputation among the British as a formidable enemy mainly because it was armed with a 75-mm cannon However, this gun had a low muzzle velocity and poor penetration, and although we used T-IVs in tank battles, they were much more useful as infantry fire support." The Pz.lV began to play a more significant role in all theaters of war only after acquiring the “long arm” - the 75-mm KwK 40 cannon (F2 series). On the Eastern Front, Pz.lV Ausf.F2 also appeared in the summer of 1942 and took part in the attack on Stalingrad and North Caucasus. After production of the Pz.lll "four" ceased in 1943, it gradually became the main German tank in all theaters of combat. However, in connection with the start of production of the Panther, it was planned to stop production of the Pz.lV, however, thanks to the tough position of the Panzerwaffe Inspector General, General G. Guderian, this did not happen. Subsequent events showed that he was right.
Increased sharply combat characteristics Pz.IV after installing a long-barreled gun. Not inferior to enemy tanks in all other respects, the “four” turned out to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks beyond the range of their guns. We are not talking about English cars - for four years of the war the British were marking time. Until the end of 1943, the combat characteristics of the T-34 remained virtually unchanged, with the Pz.IV taking first place among medium tanks. Since 1942, the tactical and technical characteristics of the Pz.IV have not changed (except for the thickness of the armor) and during the two years of the war they remained unsurpassed by anyone! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into production, overtook it. The Germans no longer had the time or opportunity to give a worthy response. Comparing the characteristics of WWII tanks, we can conclude that the Germans, earlier than others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend in post-war tank building.
In general, it can be argued that of all the German tanks of the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car, various characteristics were harmoniously combined and complemented each other. The "Tiger" and "Panther", for example, had a clear bias towards protection, which led to their overweight and deterioration in dynamic characteristics. The Pz.III, with many other characteristics being equal to the Pz.IV, did not match it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage. The Pz.IV, with a similar Pz.III, but a slightly more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full least. This is the only wartime tank with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The turret of the T-34-85 and Sherman had to be replaced, and, by and large, these were almost new vehicles. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista, changed not the towers, but the tanks! But “Cromwell,” which appeared in 1944, never reached the “four,” as did “Comet,” released in 1945. Only the post-war Centurion was able to bypass the German tank, created in 1937.
From the above, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. Let's say it had insufficient engine power and a rather rigid and outdated suspension, which negatively affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the lowest L/B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks. The equipping of the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be considered a successful move by German designers. HEAT ammunition was rarely used en masse, but the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow passages, blocked most surveillance devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark. 
However, an even more pointless and rather expensive measure was coating the tanks with Zimmerit (anti-magnetic painting, against magnetic mines). But perhaps the biggest mistake the Germans made was trying to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. It did not take place as the latter, joining the Tiger in the class of heavy vehicles, but it played a fatal role in the fate of the Pz.lV. Having concentrated all their efforts on creating new tanks in 1942, the Germans stopped seriously modernizing the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the Panther? The project of installing a “Panther” turret on the Pz.lV is well known, both standard and “close” (Schmall-turm). The project is quite realistic in size - the clear diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV it is 1600 mm. The tower stood up without expanding the turret box. The situation with the weight characteristics was somewhat worse - due to the long reach of the gun barrel, the center of gravity shifted forward and the load on the front road wheels increased by 1.5 tons. However, it could be compensated for by strengthening their suspension. In addition, it must be taken into account that the KwK 42 cannon was created for the Panther, and not for the Pz.IV. For the "four" it was possible to limit ourselves to a gun with smaller weight and dimensions, with a barrel length of, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Even if such a weapon would require replacing the turret, it would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the Panther one. The inevitably increasing (by the way, even without such a hypothetical rearmament) weight of the tank required replacing the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine installed on the Pz.IV were 1220x680x830 mm, and the Panther HL 230P30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost identical for these two tanks. The Panther's was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the inclination of the rear hull plate. Consequently, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an insurmountable design task. The results of this, of course, far from complete, list of possible modernization measures would be very sad, since they would nullify the work on creating the T-34-85 for us and the Sherman with a 76-mm cannon for the Americans. In 1943-1945, the industry of the Third Reich produced about 6 thousand “Panthers” and almost 7 thousand Pz.IV. If we take into account that the labor intensity of manufacturing the "Panther" was almost twice as much as that of the Pz.lV, then we can assume that during the same time German factories could produce an additional 10-12 thousand modernized "fours", which would be delivered to the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition much more trouble than the Panthers.
The warhorse of the German army
When the Krupp factory’s Versuchs-Kraftfahrzeug 622 (Trial Vehicle 622) went into production as the Panzerkampfwagen-IV Ausf. A in November 1937, probably nobody realized that they had developed a vehicle that would become the mainstay of the German Panzerwaffe (Armored Corps) well into the Second World War. It replaced the Panzer III as the most numerous German battle tank and fought alongside the later, and tanks until the end of the war.
The overall design of this tank dated back to November 1934 when the Wa.Prw.6, a section of the Heeres-Waffenamt (Army Procurement Agency), demanded a support tank, later to become the Pzkpfw. IV, and a battle tank, later to become the Pzkpfw. III.
The Panzer IV support tank, with the short barrel 75 mm gun, was covertly designated as the Battalionsfuehrerwagen (Battalion Commanders Vehicle), abbreviated BW, while the Panzer III battle tank was designated the Zugfuehrerwagen (Platoon Leader Vehicle), abbreviated ZW. The covertly designations were used to fool the allied inspectors of their true nature as a Tanks.
The desired specifications of the early Panzer IV support tank were that it had a maximum weight of 24 tons, a medium howitzer to fire high-explosive rounds and a road speed of 35km/h (22 mph).
Krupp responded the quickest. On 13 April 1935 it submitted a proposal for a B.W. support tank. While Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall-Borsig competed for the B.W. contract, it was ultimately Krupp who won it.
Only photographs of the turretless Rheinmetall-Borsig Prototype exist. It is unknown if there were one or two Krupp prototypes. No further documentation has been found. The Krupp chassis featured 8 small roadwheels per side, similar to the ones used on Rheinmetall‘s previously developed heavy tank, that sported rubber rimmed road wheels. The all-steel tracks were borrowed from the Neubau-Fahrzeug as well. The track was not fitted with rubber pads. A turret was not fitted to the prototype. Weights were used to simulate one during trials.
Krupp’s proposal described a vehicle with a crew of 6: commander, gunner, loader and machine gunner in a small turret on the right of the driver plus a radio-operator behind the driver. The B.W.I prototype featured a chassis with eight 420 mm diameter roadwheels per side mounted on leaf-spring double bogie units.
The B.W. II prototype was equipped with six larger roadwheels mounted on a torsion bar system. It had a crew of 5: commander, gunner and loader in the fully traversable turret plus the driver and radio-operator in the chassis.
They weighed 18 tons. The tanks were armed with a short 75 mm KwK (abbreviation for Kampfwagenkanone = combat vehicle/tank gun) L/24. The short barrel howitzer of the Panzer IV was suitable against all kind of fortifications, blockhouses and pillboxes, or antitank guns and artillery positions. It was also armed with a 7.92 mm MG machine gun in the turret and another 7.92 mm MG machine gun mounted in a ballmount in the hull front. The frontal armor of just 16 mm was considered appropriate to protect the crew against the standard anti-tank weapons of the early to mid-30s.
The B.W.I chassis was considered superior to the B.W. II chassis and used on the first Pre-Series Pzkpfw. IV tanks when production started in November 1937.
Overall Layout
Although in production for 8 years and modified during every production run, the overall layout and appearance of the Pzkpfw. IV never changed. The engine was located in the rear of the vehicle, connected to a drive shaft which itself was attached to the transmission in the front.
One unique feature of the Pzkpfw. IV was the asymmetrical hull to connect the turret raze to the transmission to allow the turret to be traversed faster. To accomplish this, the turret was offset 6.50 cm (2.62 in) to the left and the engine 15 cm (6 in) to the right. The drive shaft itself was mounted on the chassis floor below the turret basket. The driver (Fahrer) sat on the front left of the tank with a large square hatch above its head and driver’s visor in front of him. The driver’s visor was protected by 50 mm thick bullet-proof glass and could be closed with an armored cover during combat. When under small arms fire the driver used a binocular periscope with two small openings just above the driver’s visor supported by another visor to his left in the side of the upper structure.
He steered the vehicle with 2 brakes which worked on a conventional Krupp clutch-steering. On his left sat the radio-operator (Funker) below a identical square hatch in charge of an AM-radio with an effective range of up to 2 km. He had a forward mounted close-defence weapon (either a MG or a submachine gun depending on the variant) with a limited pivoting range mounted either in a armored ball mount or just stuck through a armored opening.
The radio operator had a very limited field of view. He could look through the aiming device of the ball mount (or just through the opening if no ball mount was installed) or a visor to his right in the side of the upper structure.
Behind the driver and radio-operator was the fully traversable turret with the 75 mm main gun and co-axial 7.92mm machine gun mounted in the turret front. The gunner (Richtschuetze) was located on the left of the gun, resting on a seat and aiming through a telescopic sight in front of him. To find any targets more easily, a small visor with a armored flap was attached next to the small opening for the gunsight.
The vehicle was equipped with an electrical turret traverse powered by a 2-cylinder DKW PZW-600 petrol engine, providing quick target acquisition and supporting the traverse of the turret in an oblique position. In case of a breakdown of the electrical turret traverse the gunner could operate a lever to switch over to traverse the turret manually. To traverse the turret full 360 degrees, the gunner had to turn the hand wheel 188 times.
The loader (Ladeschuetze) on the right of the turret was responsible for loading and maintaining the main gun and co-axial MG. The ammunition for the maingun and machine gun was dispersed in special containers all over the vehicle interior. For observation purposes he had a visor on his side of the turret front identical to that of the gunner.
The commander (Kommandant) was located right behind the gun breech, observing the battlefield through 5 armored visors mounted around a tube-shaped commander’s cupola. While the gunner and commander sat on seats to offer them at least a minimum of comfort in the cramped turret, the loader could fold his seat up to stand besides the gun during the reloading procedure in combat situations.
A hatch was mounted in each side of the turret for easy access of the gunner and loader. A additional armored visor was installed in front of each hatch, offering additional but limited observation capacity. Two armored close defense openings were located in the rear of the turret to fend of enemy soldiers with pistols or submachine guns supplied to each tank crew.
The armor of the tank consisted of homogenous, nickel-free armor-steel PP694 of ever increasing thickness through production. The gasoline/petrol engine in the back of the chassis was supplied via 3 different fuel tanks (I, II, III). Fuel tank I and III were filled externally via fillers while fuel tank II was filled at the same time as III through a connecting hose which also vented the tank during filling. Fuel tank I contained approx. 140 liters of gasoline/petrol, fuel tank II approx. 110 liters and fuel tank III approx. 220 liters for a total of approx. 470 litres. The Pzkpfw. IVs had non-lubricated tracks consisting of 101 track links per side connected via bolts giving the tank a specific ground-pressure of 0.68kg/cm².
Armament and Ammunition
The main gun of the Pzkpfw. IV Ausf. A to F was the 7.5cm KwK (abbreviation for KampfWagenKanone = Combat Vehicle Tank Gun) 37 L/24. It was a howitzer type weapon with very short barrel just 1.7 m long, mounted in the front of the turret. The gun barrel was mounted in a jacket cradle with the recoil mechanism and recuperator located to its left and right side. It had a semi automatic gun breech at its rear. The gun fired high explosive (HE), armor piercing (AP) and shaped-charge anti-tank rounds (HEAT – high explosive anti-tank) as well as smoke and grapeshot/cannister rounds.
The usual anti-tank armor piercing round was the Kanonengranate rot (Leuchtspur) Panzer(brechend mit Schutzkappe) K. Gr. Rot Pz (Capped anti-tank round with tracer) or better known as Panzergranatpatrone-39 with a weight of 6.8 kg. It had a muzzle velocity of 385m/sec. and able to penetrate 41 mm of rolled homogenous steel plating at an angle of 30 degrees at a distance of 100 m. Three different shaped-charge anti-tank rounds came into use with the KwK 37 during the war, the Granate 1938 mit Hohlladung, Ausf. HL/A, HL/B und HL/C (HEAT round 1938 A, B, C) or just Gr. 38HL/A to C with a weight between 4.5 kg and 4.8 kg with a muzzle velocity of 450m/sec.
The short 75 mm main gun proved adequate against most light tanks fielded by the invaded nations like the French Renault R35 or Soviet T-26, but after facing the well armored Soviet T-34 medium tank and KV-1 plus KV-2 heavy tanks at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, and the French heavy tank Char B1 bis even earlier, the German Panzerwaffe demanded not only more effective tank guns but better ammunition as well.
Production of the HL/A round started on 12 December 1941 while the B followed in September 1942. From the HL/A to the HL/C, the armor piercing capabilities of the rounds was increased from 70 mm at any ranges to 75 mm to a total of 100 mm at any ranges.
A shaped-charge used a conical or hemispherical metal insert with forward facing opening surrounded by a extremely explosive blasting agent to shape a thin jet of cold-formed metal moving with very high speed to pierce through armor plating. One disadvantage of this ammunition was its dispersion because the armor piercing capability of the cold-formed metal jet was reverse proportional to the rotating speed of the round. Its effectiveness and dispersion was crucially reduced when fired by long barreled high velocity guns due to the high angular acceleration of the projectile. However as the intended role of the Pzkpfw. IV was to support the Pzkpfw. III and engage bunkers and field fortifications with the short barreled 75 mm gun, the main ammunition type used was the 7.5 cm Sprenggranate-34 or just 7.5 cm Sprg. 34, a 5.75kg heavy round with a high explosive charge of 0.66kg. These rounds have proven very effective against unarmoured vehicles, bunkers and enemy infantry.
The secondary armament of the Pzkpfw. IV consisted of a MG-34 mounted on the right hand side of the main gun and, depending on the version, a bow mounted MG-34 Panzerlauf (armoured barrel) operated by the radio operator. Not every versions of the early Pzkpfw. IV featured a ball mount for the bow mounted MG-34, some had just an armored flap through which the radio operator fired either with a MG-34 or a submachine gun. The MG-34 Panzerlauf featured an armored barrel cover with a lot fewer of the distinctive ventilation holes of the standard MG-34.
To make it easier to use the machine gun inside the cramped space of the tank, the weapon was used without the wooden butt-stock, but could equipped with one if necessary and a forward mounted bipod and a sight for use outside of the tank. The MG-34 machine gun had a caliber of 7.92 mm chambered for the 7.92 x 57 mm round and had a theoretical rate of fire of 800-900 rounds per minute and a muzzle velocity of 765 m/sec.
Paint and camouflage
When completed at the factories, German tanks received a basecoat of RAL-8012 (RAL-Reichsausschuss fuer Lieferbedingungen = Committee for Delivery Conditions) Rotbraun (Red Oxide Primer) over which the official camouflage pattern had to be applied.
This changed on 2 November 1938. Heeresmitteilung Nr. 687 (Army Announcement number 687) ordered all vehicles repainted in RAL-7021 Dunkelgrau (dark grey) and RAL-7017 Dunkelbraun (dark brown) at a rate of 2/3 to 1/3.
On July 31st 1940, another Heeresmitteilung, Nr. 854, ordered all vehicles to be repainted in just RAL-7021 Dunkelgrau (dark grey) and ordered this pattern as the standard base color for the Wehrmacht.
How long the 2-tone camouflage pattern of gray an brown, from 1938 was used is unclear, especially due to the fact that most pictures from this time are just black and white, but it seems it was more widely distributed than is wrongly assumed.
Over the course of the war, especially at the eastern front, German Panzer crews started to use not only additional paints but also mud and dirt to try and disrupt the visual silhouette of their vehicles. During Winter, the vehicles had to be white washed with either in water dissolved chalk or with a petrol-soluble paste delivered to the front lines. White bedsheets or other white cloth were used when the chalk or white paste was not available.
Vehicles sent to hot climates like Northern Africa in 1941 received a basecoat of RAL-8020 Sandgelb (sand yellow) over the original dark gray paint. Another specification from 1942 ordered the vehicles sent to Northern Africa coated in 2/3 of RAL-8020 Sandgelb and 1/3 of RAL-7027 Sandgrau (sand grey). The Deutsches Afrikakorps fighting in North Africa suffered almost from the beginning of the fighting them from overstretched supply lines and allied attacks on the shipping lines in the Mediterranean and was forced to use even stocks of British paint captured during the initial successes.
When the base color of German vehicles was changed to RAL-7028 Dunkelgelb in February 1943 vehicles in the old Dunkelgrau livery had to be repainted in the new color by the units themselves, during larger repairs behind the frontlines or in factories when sent back for factory refit.
To increase the effect of the camouflage, additional petrol-soluble pastes of RAL-6003 Olivgruen (dark olive green) and RAL-8017 Rotbraun (dark chocolate brown) were delivered to the frontline units. The emerging multi-tone camouflage patterns varied from unit to unit and depended on the availability of the pastes, the time to apply them on the vehicles and orders given by commanders of certain units. These factors effected the camouflage patterns that much, that they could even vary from platoon to platoon or company to company. The paste was thinned with petrol and could be applied by paint spray guns, brushes or even brooms.
Panzer IV Ausf.A (Sd.Kfz.161)
The long version of the tank’s name is Panzerkampfwagen-IV (7.5cm) (Vskfz. 622) Ausfuehrung A, (1./B.W.). Production of the Panzer IV Ausf.A started in November 1937 and ended in June 1938 after 35 vehicles had been completed. The Ausf.A was very similar to the B.W.I Prototype with an eight road wheel suspension which borrowed only a few unchanged parts from its predecessor. The whole vehicle consisted of 4 sub-assemblies: the turret, the superstructure front, superstructure centre, superstructure rear and the lower hull. They were all bolted together.
The early 230hp Maybach HL-108TR gasoline/petrol-engine was located in the rear and separated by a bulkhead from the crew compartment. The V-12 engine enabled the vehicle to achieve a top road speed of 31 km/h (19.3mph) and a range of approx. 150 km (93 miles). It was connected to the SSG75 gearbox with a 5-speed transmission and one reverse gear.
Each side of the chassis featured 8 rubber-rimmed road wheels mounted in pairs on leaf-springed bogeys bolted to the lower hull sides, a drive-sprocket at the front, an idler-wheel at the rear with 4 rubber-rimmed track return rollers . Track tension was provided by the adjustable idler wheel.
The frontal plate of the Panzer IV Ausf. A was stepped towards the right side of the vehicle, offering an additional visor/pistol port for the driver in the resulting corner. The radio operator controlled not only the radio but also a ball mounted 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun in front of him. A split-hatch for easy access was mounted above both the driver and the radio operator, opening length wards to the tank.
A large drum-shaped commander’s cupola with split-hatch was mounted on the backend of the turret roof, enabling a good all around view for the commander by means of 8 vision slits protected by bullet-proof glass of 12 mm thickness. A folding seat made of a metal frame and padded with a cushion was mounted on the rear turret wall below the cupola for the commander.
The gunner was located to the front left of the commander, aiming through a telescopic sight T.Z.F.5b (abbreviation for Turm-Ziel-Fernrohr 5b= turret gunnery sight 5b) with a magnification of 2.5 and 25 degrees field of view (444 m at a distance of 1000 m). The gunner fired the main gun electrical by means of a pistol grip attached to the handwheel of the turret traverse and the co-axial machine gun with a foot lever.
The loader (Ladeschuetze) on the right of the turret was responsible for loading and maintaining the main gun and co-axial machine gun. 122 rounds of 7.5cm ammunition and 38 ammunition drums for the machine guns were stored inside the tank.
One unique feature of the Ausf. A was a foldable anti-aircraft mount for a machine gun attached to the left side of the superstructure, providing the crew with limited AA-cover during rest. The Pzkpfw. IV Ausf. A had a total weight of 18 metric tons, and a maximum armor thickness of 14.5 mm.
Panzer IV Ausf.A specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 5.92 m x 2.83 m x 2.68 m |
| Total weight | 18 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 37 L/24 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | From 8 mm to 30 mm (30 mm on hull front) |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 108 TR V12 230hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 32.4 km/h (20 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 35 Oct 1937 – March 1938 |
Panzer IV Ausf.B (Sd.Kfz.161)
The long version of the tank’s name is Panzerkampfwagen-IV (7.5cm) (Vskfz. 622) Ausfuehrung B, (2./B.W.). Krupp-Gruson completed 42 Panzer IV Ausf.B tanks between May and October 1938, a further 3 of the contract for a total of 45 vehicles were not completed due to problems with critical parts. The main changes of the Ausf. B to the previous Ausf.A were the thickening of the frontal armor to 30 mm and a new 300hp Maybach HL-120TR gasoline/petrol engine connected to a six-speed SSG-76 transmission, offering a top road speed of 40 km/h (24 mph).
The driver’s armored front was fabricated from one piece but without a ball mount for the 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun. Instead a rectangular visor with an armored flap was mounted in front of the radio operator. A circular pistol port protected by an armored cover was fitted to the lower right of the visor. The radio operator could fire a 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun, submachine gun or pistol through this opening to fend off enemy infantry.
A new Fahrersehklappe-30 (driver’s visor No.30) replaced the older, smaller version that was fitted to the Ausf. A. It consisting of two movable sliders mounted above and below a rectangular opening protected by 12 mm thick bullet-proof glass. Both sliders could be closed to protect the opening from heavy enemy fire. In this case, the driver could observe the area in front of his tank through a telescope with two small openings located just over the driver’s visor.
The split-hatches for both driver and radio operator were replaced with single-piece hatches opening to the front of the vehicle. A slightly smaller, better armored split-hatch commander’s cupola with only 5 vision slits protected by bullet-proof glass, replacing the drum-shaped cuppola of the earlier Ausf.A version. The vision slits of the cupola could be protected by two armored sliders mounted above and below the opening. Due to the increased armor strength, the weight of the Ausf. B increased to 18.5 metric tons.
Panzer IV Ausf.B specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 5.92 m x 2.83 m x 2.68 m (19ft 5in x 9ft 3in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 18.5 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 37 L/24 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TR V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 42 April 1938 – Sept 1938 |
Panzer IV Ausf.C (Sd.Kfz.161)
The long version of the tank’s name is Panzerkampfwagen-IV (7.5cm) (Vskfz. 622) Ausfuehrung C, (3./B.W.). The Panzer IV Ausf. C was the most numerous version of the early Pzkpfw. IV tanks, numbering a total of 134 completed vehicles between October 1938 and August 1939 out of a initial contract of 300 vehicles reduced to 160 even before the beginning of the production. A further six chassis were delivered to Wa Prüf. 5 in June 1939 for a special Bruckenleger IV (Armored-vehicle bridge laying tank).
The only external difference of the Ausf. C to the previous Ausf.B was an armored sleeve mounted around the barrel of the co-axial machine gun, making it very difficult to identify an Ausf. B from an Ausf.C if this feature is not visible. The internal differences included improved engine mounts and turret ring plus a modified 300hp Maybach HL-120TRM engine. With 18.5 metric tons, the weight was the same as on the previous Ausf.B.
Panzer IV Ausf.C specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 5.92 m x 2.83 m x 2.68 m (19ft 5in x 9ft 3in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 18.5 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 37 L/24 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | From 8 mm to 16 mm (14.5 mm on hull front) |
| Propulsion | |
| Top road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 134 Sept 1938 – Aug 1939 |
Panzer IV Ausf.D (Sd.Kfz.161)
The long version of this tanks name is Panzerkampfwagen-IV (7.5cm) (Sd. Kfz. 161) Ausfuehrung D, (4. und 5./B.W.) Of the 248 ordered Panzer IV Ausf.D tanks, a total of 231 were completed between October 1938 and October 1939. The order for the first 200 were called series 4 (4. /B.W.) and the further 48 were called series 5 (5. /B.W.). Both series 4 and 5 /BW where of the same design.
Some of the remaining nineteen chassis were used for special version: sixteen were used to construct Bruckenleger IV tanks (Armored-vehicle bridge laying tanks); two for the 10.5cm K18 Sf. IV a Dicker Max self-propelled gun and one as ammunition carrier for the Karl-Gerät, a super-heavy Mortar. One tank was used in the trials to up-gun the Pzkpfw. IV with high-velocity guns. It was equipped with a 5cm KwK39 L/60.
A front hull armored ball mounted 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun was reintroduced. The driver’s front was stepped forwards, similar to the Panzer IV Ausf.A, with a circular visor/pistol port added in the resulting central corner. This gave the driver more vision to his right.
The 7.5cm Kw.K L/24 main gun mantlet was reinforced with a slightly curved armor plate of 35 mm thickness. The side and rear armor of the Ausf.D was increased from 14.5 mm to 20 mm, somewhat improving its survivability.
The front hull and superstructure was built with 30 mm thick face-hardened armour. In February 1940, 30 mm thick applique armor plates were bolted or welded to the front superstructure and hull bringing the armor protection up to 60 mm thick in these areas. Also 20 mm applique armor plates were also bolted or welded to the sides increasing the side armor in the center to 40 mm thick. The last 68 Panzer IV Ausf.D tanks had 50 mm thick front hull armor instead of the original 30 mm. The increased thickness of the armor increased the weight of the Panzer IV Ausf.D to 20 tons.
Panzer IV Ausf.D specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 5.92 m x 2.84 m x 2.68 m |
| Total weight | 20 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 37 L/24 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 229 Oct 1939 – May 1941 |
Panzer IV Ausf.E (Sd.Kfz.161)
The full name of this version of the Panzer IV was Panzerkampfwagen-IV (7.5cm) (Sd.Kfz. 161) Ausfuehrung E, (6./B.W.) Of the 206 Panzer IV Ausf.E medium tanks ordered, a total of 200 were completed between October 1940 and April 1941. Of the six remaining vehicles, four chassis were used for to construct armored vehicle-launched bridge tanks (AVLB) and the two others were modified with a Schachtellaufwerk (box running gear) and participated in extensive trials.
A new drive sprocket without side-holes and improved roadwheels with new hubcabs for improved lubrication were mounted on the Ausf. E. The two hatches offering entrance to the steering brakes in the vehicle front were embedded in the armor plating. While the driver’s front remained the same as on the previous Panzer IV Ausf.D, the Fahrersehklappe-30 drivers visor was changed to the version already used on the Panzer III Ausf.G. An armored smoke grenade launcher was mounted on the left side of the rear enginedeck. A new, better armored split-hatch commander’s cupola with five vision slits, the same as already used on the Pzkpfw. III Ausf. G, was mounted on the turretroof.
The turret rear was changed to a single plate without the overhang of the previous versions. It had a single circular signal gun barrel opening on the left side of the turret roof. An exhausted fan with an armored cover that had been located on the right of the turret roof was now moved further towards the main gun.
The frontal armor of the Ausf.E was increased to 50 mm and many but not all Ausf. E tanks were up-armored with additional 30 mm applique armor bolted or welded to the driver’s front and vehicle bow. Some had 20 mm applique armor bolted or welded to the sides. The improvements added to the Ausf.E increased the vehicle‘s weight of 22 tons.
Panzer IV Ausf.E specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 5.92 m x 2.84 m x 2.68 m (19ft 5in x 9ft 4in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 22 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 37 L/24 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | From 10 mm to 50 mm (30+30 mm on hull front) |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 223 Sept 1940 – April 1941 |
The Ausf.F (Ausf.F1), the last “short version”
The Ausf.F was a landmark in the Panzer IV evolution and development. The early model, “F”, called “F1” when the next model appeared, was the last of the “short” versions. The front bow plate appliqué was now replaced by a full 50 mm (1.97 in) thick armored plate. Side armor and turret thickness were raised to 30 mm (1.18 in). Total weight rose to more than 22 tons, which triggered other modifications, like larger track links (from 380 to 400 mm) to reduce ground pressure, and both the idler wheel and front drive sprockets were modified in turn. The F1 was produced to an extent of 464 units, until its replacement in March 1942. The last 42 were modified to the new F2 standard.
Panzer IV Ausf.F specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 5.92 m x 2.88 m x 2.68 m (19ft 5in x 9ft 5in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 22.3 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 37 L/24 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | From 10 mm to 50 mm (50 mm on hull front) |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 462 April 1941 – March 1942 (L/24 gun) 175+25 March 1942 – July 1942 (L/43 gun) |
The Ausf.G (Ausf.F2), the first “long”
Even equipped with the AP Panzergranate, the low-velocity gun of the Panzer IV was inadequate against well-armored tanks. In the context of the upcoming campaign in Russia, some decision had to be made, which is also concerned about the long-awaited major upgrade of the . The now largely available Pak 38 L/60, which had already proven lethal, was supposed to be mounted in the turret of the Panzer IV by Krupp. In November 1941, the prototype was ready, and production was scheduled to start on the F2 standard. But, with the first encounters of Russian and , the 50 mm (1.97 in) gun, also produced for the , was dropped in favor to a new, more powerful model, built by Rheinmetall, based on the 7.5 cm Pak 40 L/46 (2.95 in). This led to the KwK 40 L/43, a relatively long caliber gun, fitted with a muzzle-brake, which reduced its recoil. Muzzle velocity, with the Panzergranade 39, topped at 990 m/sec (3250 ft/sec). It could penetrate 77 mm (3.03 in) of armor up to 1850 m (6000 ft). After the first prototype was produced by Krupp, in February 1942, production of the F2 started. By July 1942, 175 had been delivered. However, in June 1942, the F2 was renamed Ausf.G, and further modifications were applied on the production line, but both types were known to the Waffenamt as the Sd.Kfz.161/1. Some nomenclatures and reports also speak of it as the F2/G version.
Panzer IV Ausf.G specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 6.63 m x 2.88 m x 2.68 m (21ft 9in x 9ft 5in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 23.6 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 40 L/43 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | From 10 mm to 50 mm (30+50 mm on hull front) |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 42 km/h (26 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 1687 May 1942 – June 1943 |
Scaled-up production
Production figures for the Panzer IV had been relatively small in size until 1942. From the Ausf.A to F2, only 1209 Panzer IVs (of the “short type”) had been delivered to the Wehrmacht. Subsequently, they served primarily in the infantry support role. However, the bulk of the production (around 7500) was spread in only three variants, The Ausf.G, H and J. These remained relatively unchanged until 1945, despite simplifications of the design. As the ‘s 50 mm (1.97 in) gun was not up to the task against the best Russian mediums and heavies, the main model, carrying the bulk of any Panzerdivision, became the Panzer IV. The former was progressively phased out, and replaced on the production line by cheaper SPGs, like the .
Panzer IV Ausf.G: The transitional model
The G was an improved F2, with armor modifications, including a weight saving solution, consisting of a progressive glacis side armor, thicker at the base. The frontal glacis received a new 30 mm (1.18 in) appliqué plate, giving a total of 80 mm (3.15 in). This was largely sufficient against the Russian medium-velocity 76 mm (3 in) gun and the fearful 76.2 mm anti-tank gun. At first, it was decided to bring only half production to this standard, but Adolf Hitler personally ordered, in January 1943, that the full production would be upgraded, a decision well-received by the crews. However, the weight rose to 23.6 tons, further stressing the limited capacity of the chassis and transmission. Both unit reports and mass-production requirements commanded further modifications. The turret vision port slits were eliminated, the engine ventilation and ignition at low temperatures were improved, and additional racks were fitted for spare road wheels and brackets for track links on the glacis. These acted as makeshift protection as well. A new headlight was installed and the commander cupola was up-armored and modified. The late production versions, in March-April 1943, saw the introduction of side skirt armor (Schürzen) to the sides and turret, the latter equipped with smoke grenade launchers. Most importantly, they received the new KwK 40 L/48, with greater penetration power. After 1275 had been delivered by Krupp-Gruson, Vomag and Nibelungenwerke, plus 412 of the upgunned type, the production shifted towards the Ausf.H.
Panzer IV Ausf.H: The main version
The Ausf.H was equipped with the new long caliber KwK 40 L/48, and was subsequently registered as the Sd.Kfz. 161/2 by the ordnance department. Other modifications included simplifications to ease production, like the removal of the hull side vision ports, and, later, part sharing with the . This was by far the biggest production of the type, with a total of 3774 machines, until its replacement by the Ausf.J, in June 1944. Krupp had received a request, in December 1942, for a new version featuring all-sloped armor , which would also require a new chassis, transmission and probably engine as well, due to the added weight. However, production started with an upgraded version of the Ausf.G instead. A new headlight was set, a new Zahnradfabrik ZF SSG-76 transmission, new set of radios (FU2 and 5, and intercom). This was necessary in order to cope with the full glacis protection raised to 80 mm (3.15 in), with no appliqué parts. The H now stood at 25 tons in battle order, and maximum speed fell to 38 km/h (24 mph), but only 25 km/h (16 mph) in real combat conditions, and far less on rough terrain. By the end of 1943, was factory-applied, new air filters were fitted, along with a turret anti-aircraft mount for an extra MG 34 (Fliegerbeschussgerat), as well as modifications to the commander cupola. Side and turret spaced armor was also factory-mounted.
Panzer IV Ausf.H specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 7.02 m x 2.88 m x 2.68 m (23ft x 9ft 5in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 25 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 40 L/48 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 35 km/h (23.6 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 3774 April 1943 – July 1944 |
Panzer IV Ausf.J: The late, simplified version
The last type, the Ausf.J, began to roll of the factory line at Nibelungenwerke (at St Valentin, Austria) and Vomag, as Krupp was now involved with other tasks, and incorporated more mass-production oriented simplifications, rarely welcomed by the crews. A first example was the removal of the electric turret drive, traversing being done manually, sacrificed for an additional 200 liters of fuel capacity, raising the operational range to 300 km (186 mi), a lesson hard learned from the Russian campaign. Other modifications included the removal of the turret visor, pistol ports and turret AA mount in favor of a Naehverteidigungswaffe mount. Zimmerit was not applied anymore, nor was the Schurzen, replaced by cheaper Thoma type wire-mesh panels. The engine’s radiator housing was also simplified. The drive train lost one return roller, and two Flammentoeter (flame-suppressing) mufflers were installed, as well as Pilze 2-ton crane mount sockets. More critically, the late SSG 77 transmission was mounted, despite it being clearly overloaded. Despite these sacrifices, the type J monthly deliveries were increasingly threatened by Allied bombings and the shortages caused, and only a total of 2970 were built until the last days of March 1945, Compare that to the total planned of 5,000, including modified models sporting the turret. All prototypes developed by 1942 were dropped, in favor of the . The chassis was also used for some variants.
Panzer IV Ausf.J specifications |
|
| Dimensions L-W-H | 7.02 m x 2.88 m x 2.68 m (23ft x 9ft 5in x 8ft 5in) |
| Total weight | 25 tons |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armament | 7.5 cm Kw.K 40 L/48 gun |
| Secondary Armament | 7.92 mm MG34 machine-gun |
| Armor | From 10 mm to 80 mm (80 mm on hull front) |
| Propulsion | Maybach HL 120 TRM V12 265hp gasoline engine |
| Top road speed | 38 km/h (23.6 mph) |
| Max. road range | 210 km (130 miles) |
| Total production | 1758 June 1944 – March 1945-0 |
A Panzer IV Ausf.A, Poland, 4th Company, 1st Abteilung, 1st Panzer Regiment, 1st Panzerdivision. 
A Panzer IV Ausf.B, possibly from 2.Kompanie 15.Panzer-Regiment, 5. Panzer Division, Poland, September 1939. Notice the classical makeshift camouflage, with a hastily sprayed reddish brown and yellow unit markings. 
A Panzer IV Ausf.B of the 21st Panzerdivision – Normandy, June 1944. 
A Panzer IV Ausf.C, 8th Korps, IInd Abteilung, 35th Panzer Regiment, 4th Panzerdivision – France, May-June 1940. 
A Panzer IV Ausf.D, DAK (Deutsche Afrika Korps) of the XVth Panzerdivision, El Agheila, December 1941. 
Tauchpanzer IV Ausf.D, provisioned for operation Seelöwe (or Sealion, prospected landings in Britain). It was theoretically capable of fording the Channel in shallow waters and sandbanks (6 to 15 meters/20-50 ft). Tests were also conducted with the and , but remained inclusive. All apertures were carefully blocked and an auto-adaptive submarine type schnorchel mast was mounted on the turret, both for engine air feeding and exhaust. A total of 43 were converted by August-September 1940. Later on, 168 of various versions were also converted for Operation Barbarossa, to ford large rivers. 
Panzer IV Ausf.E of the Afrika Korps, 15th Panzerdivision, Libya, the fall of 1941. 
Panzer IV Ausf.E of the 11th Panzerdivision, April 1941, during the Yugoslavian campaign. Notice the bolted armor. 
Panzer IV Ausf.F1 of the 5th Panzerdivision, Group Center, Russia, January 1942. 
Vorpanzer F1, with extra bolted appliqué armor on the sides, gun mantlet and frontal glacis, with the 5th Panzerdivision, Group Center, Russia, winter 1941-1942. 
Panzer IV Ausf.F1 of the 5th Panzerregiment, 5th Leichtes Panzerdivision, Tobruk, Libya, March 1941. The camouflage was sand (Gelb braun) and degraded sand over the usual Dunkelgrau basis, forming Grau-Grün patches. 
Panzer IV Ausf.F2/G of the 1st Infantry Division (motorized) “Grossdeutschland”, Voronezh, Russia, June 1942. Improvised pattern of sprayed brownish sand over standard factory dunkelgrau. 
Ausf.F2, 1st SS Panzer battalion, SS Division LSSAH in France, which took part to “Case Anton” (invasion and occupation of Vichy French zone), November 1942. 
Ausf.F2, 4th Kompanie, 1st Abteilung, VIIIth Panzer-Regiment, XVth Panzerdivision, DAK, El Alamein (Egypt), October 1942. 
Ausf.F2, 36th Panzer Regiment, XIVth Panzerdivision, Army Group South, Russia, summer 1942. 
Bulgarian Maybach T4G (Ausf.F2/G), 13th unit, Russian border, winter 1942. Early production transitional model. 
Ausf.G, XVth Panzerdivision, Tunisia, spring 1943. This is a late production vehicle, up-gunned with the new KwK 40 L/48 gun. 
Panzer IV Ausf.G of the IVth Panzerdivision, battle of Orel, Russia, early 1943. 
Panzer IV Ausf.G late production vehicle, XIVth Panzerdivision, Stalingrad, winter 1942/43. 
Panzer IV Ausf.G, XXth Panzer Division, Kursk, Russia, summer 1943.
Italeri Panzer IV Ausf.F1/F2/G kit No.6514 construction and review by the Tank Encyclopedia team
Ausf.F/G upgraded to the H standard, with full Schurzen armor – XVIth Panzerdivision, Russia, southern sector, summer 1943. 
Ausf.H – XVIth Panzerdivision, Kursk, July 1943. The H were equipped with the new 7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 40 L48 (3.61 m/11.8 ft barrel) high velocity gun, along with the Pzgr.Patr.40 APCR, with a 990 m /sec muzzle velocity, capable of piercing 80 mm (3.15 in) of armor at 2000 m. 
Panzer IV Ausf.H, 1st Armored Division, Bulgarian army, Hungary, winter 1944. 
Ausf.H of the IInd Panzerdivision, France, June 1944. 
Ausf.H of the 35th Panzer Regiment of the IVrd Panzerdivision, Bobruysk, December 1943. 
Ausf.H of the 35th Panzer Regiment of the IVth Panzerdivision, Kowel, Poland, early 1944. The 35th Regiment inflicted heavy losses on the Soviet 3rd Tank Corps at the Battle of Wołomin (part of operation Bagration). Its symbol was the “Grizlibär”, a menacing brown bear. 
Panzer IV Ausf.H, IXth SS Panzer Division, France, summer 1944. 
Panzer IV Ausf.H, 3rd Company, 130th Regiment of the 1st Panzerdivision, PanzerLehr, France, summer 1944. 
Ausf.H, 9th Panzerdivision, Central Germany, April 1945. Notice the “ambush” type spotted camouflage and turret Schurzen armor open panels. 
Panzer IV Ausf.H, 1st SS Panzerdivision Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, France, summer 1944. 
Ausf.J, 12th Panzerdivision SS “Hitlerjugend”, Normandy, France, June 1944. 
Panzer IV Ausf.J early production (unknown unit), Russia, summer 1944. 
Panzer IV Ausf.J, central Germany, March 1945. Notice the wire-mesh side-skirts armor and complex “ambush pattern” camouflage. 
Ausf.J, 12th Panzerdivision, Northern Russia, early 1944. Notice the long range radio equipment and ring mount for an AA MG 34. 
Panzer IV Ausf.J, IXth Panzerdivision, Ardennes, Belgium, December 1944. This is an early production model, with zimmerit on the entire hull and spaced armor.
History of the Panzer IV
Panzer IV variants
Probably the best and most feared of these versions, this low and very efficient tank hunter was particularly at ease in Italy and Normandy. No less than 1980 were built in all, starting in 1943.
1140 of these excellent support assault tanks were quickly built, sporting the already proven superstructure and main armament.
Panzerbefehlswagen IV
The command version, equipped with a powerful set of radios, complete electrical equipment and corresponding wiring. These tanks were used to coordinate artillery support, infantry, as well as air support with Panzerdivisions. Roomy and dependable, it was probably the best German command tank of the war.
Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV
A well equipped artillery observation vehicle, working alongside and coordinating and SPGs.
240 were built for AA support, with a single 37 mm (1.46 in) gun, produced in 1944-45, to compensate for the loss of air superiority, notably in Europe.
Perhaps more famous, this AA support variant was equipped with the very effective quad 20 mm (0.79 in) Flakvierling. 100+ delivered. Using the same chassis and turret, 66 more were equipped with a single 37 mm gun (1.46 in), known as the Ostwind.
An artillery SPG built on a Panzer IV chassis and with Panzer III parts. Over 666 were built during the course of the war, and was one of the most successful German SPGs ever.
A highly successful tank hunter, equipped with the legendary 88 mm (3.46 in) gun. It was less expensive than the . 473 were delivered overall.
Geschützwagen III/IV Schlepper
Using the same arrangement, 150 ammunition carriers were built.
Bergepanzer IV
A German ARV (Armored Recovery Vehicle), more powerful than previous versions based on the . Mostly used on the Eastern Front. Perhaps 21 or 22 were converted using repaired tanks, without a turret and with a 2-ton crane supported with rigid towing bars. Modified amphibious Panzerfahre (2 prototypes) and Landwasserschlepper were also produced in limited quantities.
Bruckenleger IV
One of the earliest Panzer IV based variants, this was a bridgelayer vehicle. The unfolded bridge was 56 m (183 ft) long. 24 vehicles were produced prior to the campaign of France. 4 modified versions served in Russia with the 3rd Panzer Division, and 20 more with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 10th Panzer Divisions in May 1940.
With increasing losses, makeshift repairs, upgrades to new standards, and cannibalization of all kind of versions, it was difficult by late 1944 to distinguish the J from the H or even G types. Almost any tank was a sub-version in itself. When turretless variants were produced, many surplus turrets were used in armored trains, anti-tank rail cars or fixed concrete antitank positions.
Panzer IV conceptual variants
PzKpfw IV mit Schmalturm
This was intended to be the “final form” of the Panzer IV. It was an attempt to mount the “narrow-turret”, already under development for the Panther II project, on the chassis of a late model Panzer IV H. With the turret came a better gun. Specifically the 75 mm (2.95 in) L/70 tank gun from Rheinmetall. The project, having never left the drawing board, was canceled as it was soon found that the Panzer IV chassis had hit it’s weight and modifiable limits.
Panzer IV mit Hydrostatischem Antrieb
In 1944 an attempt was made to install a . It gave hydraulic power to both the turret rotation mechanism and steering. The Drive was added into the rear of the tank, under a large sloping engine cover, culminating in 2 smaller drive wheels. Just one prototype was produced and was sent back to the United States after the war for assessment. The vehicle now sits in the US Army Museum, Maryland.
Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz
The “Lightning Ball” was a late war prototype for a SPAA, intended to be a replacement for the Wirblewind and Ostwind models. It was one of the first tanks to feature a type of, which was fully enclosed unlike most SPAAs of the era. This ball like turret was mounted with Zwillingsflak “twin-flak” 30mm MK 103 twin anti-aircraft cannons. These cannons fired at an impressive 450 rounds per-minute. A pilot run of 5 hulls and turrets to match is all that was produced by the time the war came to an end, but these were never mated.
Operational Use in World War II
The Pzkpfw. IV participated in the Second World War in ever increasing numbers right from the beginning. Starting with 198 (out of 211 produced) Pzkpfw. IV tanks were used in the attack on Poland in September 1939. A total of 279 were used during the attack on the Netherlands, France and Belgium in May 1940. On June 22nd 1941, the day the Wehrmacht started Operation Barbarossa, the attack on the Soviet Union, German Divisions reported a strength of 441 Pzkpfw. IV among a total of aprox. 3,500 tanks participating in the attack.
The number of Pzkpfw. IV tanks used by the Deutsches Afrika Korps (German Africa Corps) in Northern Africa against Commonwealth Forces between 1941 and 1943 was never that high as the number of Pzkpfw. III tanks although the later, long barreled versions were feared by their counterparts despite their limited numbers.
When more modern tank designs like the Tiger and upgraded versions of the Pzkpfw. IV with the high velocity long barreled 75 mm gun reached the frontlines starting in summer 1942, an ever dwindling number of early short barreled Pzkpfw. IVs soldiered on through the remaining war, either heavily modified, uparmed and armored or unaltered due to various reasons.
When Allied forces landed in Italy in September 1943, they faced the German 26. Panzerdivision, fielding a mix of Pzkpw. III, long barreled Pzkpfw. IV and at least 17 older short barreled Pzkpfw. IV tanks. The 21. Panzerdivision, newly established in France after it was destroyed during the final battles in Northern Africa, had to rely initially on a mix of very old and captured equipment.
Although reinforced with a wide array of custom built vehicles based on obsolete French tanks and modern long barreled Pzkpfw. IVs when the allies landed in the Normandy in July 1944, the Division still employed 6 unmodified early short barreled Pzkpfw. IV of unknown versions. Photographs taken prior to D-Day and subsequently show at least two Panzer IV Ausf. B or C tanks being deployed.
The 116. Panzerdivision, dispatched to the Normandy late in July 1944, fielded a total of 86 Pzkpfw. IV including 3 early short barreled versions. The II./Pz.Rgt.29 of 12. Panzerdivision fighting Soviet forces in the Kurland-Pocket in early March 1945 reported one Pzkpfw. IV L/24 operational besides 61 Pzkpfw. IV L/48 and some Pzkpfw. III on March 1 1945. The l./PzArt.Rgt.2 of the same Division had another Pzkpfw. IV L/24 in use at the same time.
Official German loss-reports from December 1st 1943 to October 31st 1944 accounted for a total of 30 lost Pzkpfw. IV L/24 at the eastern front, plus 12 more lost in the west between September 1 1944 and November 30 1944. Its well accepted that the earlier, short barreled Pzkpfw. IV tanks were sent to the tank driving schools or secondline-units to guard the hinterland when larger numbers of the more effective long barreled Pzkpfw. IVs became available.
These figures also show that a smaller number were retained in service well over their time due to a lack of more modern tanks or other reasons. The 13. verstärkte Polizei-Panzer-Kompanie (13th reinforced Police Tank Company) of the regular German police force was such a unit and deployed a platoon of four Pzkpfw. IV Ausf. F(1) to fight partisans after its formation in February 1943.
Panzer IVs into the Cold War
It must be said that the large provision of surviving Panzer IV tanks were not lost or scrapped, but saw service, like under Bulgarian colors in Europe, until 1989, or under Syrian colors in the Middle East. There, provisions of ex-French and ex-Spanish models were purchased, some equipped with a new Soviet 12.7 mm (0.5 in) heavy machine gun. They took part in the fight for the Golan Heights during the War of 1965, and the Six-Days War of 1967. Their opponents were much more recent Israeli and rearmed, . Some of them are part of the numerous machines still in existence in many museums and private collections around the globe, with perhaps a dozen in running condition.
Panzerkampfwagen IV production numbers and dates
The following figures were obtained from Waffenamt production statistics enhanced and verified by assembly plant reports and Fgst.Nr (chassis number) analysis by Thomas L.Jentz and Hilary Louis Doyle.
38 Responses to Panzer IV
Hi and congratulations to your website!
I have a question about the illustration of the PanzerIV you add to the XVIth Panzerdivision, Kursk 1943 (despite the picture says 6th Panzerdivision...). Anyways, the 16th was annihilated in Stalingrad in February 1943, eventually reinstalled in France and combined with the remaining from the destroyed 16th Division and the Grenadier-Regiment (motorisiert) 890 sent to Italy.
The pattern and Marking is more likely from the 3rd Panzerregiment of the 2nd Panzerdivision, which was indeed involved in the Battle of Kursk.
Hi, I want to use the color scheme of the Panzer IV Ausf.B of the 21st Panzerdivision – Normandy, June 1944 on a model. On the internet I’ve seen that many tanks with this sort of camo have a sand color instead of the light gray – is this the case with this one, and the picture is wrong, or is this one different from the other Ausf. Bs and Cs used in Normandy in 1944? Also, any links to pictures of this tank from other angles would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
No one at the Krupp plant in 1936 could have imagined that this massive vehicle, equipped with a short-barreled infantry support gun and considered auxiliary, would be so widely used. With a final total of 9,000 units, it became the most mass-produced tank ever produced in Germany , the production volumes of which, despite the shortage of materials, grew to the very last days World War II in Europe.
Wehrmacht workhorse
Despite the fact that combat vehicles appeared that were more modern than the German T-4 tank - "Tiger", "Panther" and "Royal Tiger", it not only constituted most weapons of the Wehrmacht, but was also part of many elite SS divisions. The recipe for success was probably the large hull and turret, ease of maintenance, reliability and robust chassis, which allowed for an expanded array of weapons compared to the Panzer III. From the Model A to the F1, early versions using a short 75 mm barrel were gradually replaced by the "long" ones, F2 to H, with a very effective high-velocity gun inherited from the Pak 40, which could cope with the Soviet KV-1 and T -34. In the end, the T-4 (photo presented in the article) completely surpassed the Panzer III both in numbers and in its capabilities.
Krupp prototype design
It was originally intended that the German T-4 tank, the technical characteristics of which were determined in 1934 by the Waffenamt, would serve as an “escort vehicle” in order to hide its true role, prohibited by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Heinz Guderian took part in the development of the concept. This new model was to become an infantry support tank and be deployed in the rearguard. It was planned that at the battalion level one such vehicle should be for every three Panzer IIIs. Unlike the T-3, which was equipped with a variant of the standard 37 mm Pak 36 gun with good anti-tank performance, the short barrel of the Panzer IV howitzer could be used against all types of fortifications, blockhouses, pillboxes, anti-tank guns and artillery positions.
Initially, the weight limit for a combat vehicle was 24 tons. MAN, Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig created three prototypes, and Krupp received the main contract. The suspension was initially completely new, with six alternating wheels. Later the Army required the installation of rod springs, which provided better vertical deflection. Compared to the previous system, this made the ride smoother, but the need for a new tank stopped further development. Krupp returned to a more traditional system with four twin-wheel bogies and leaf springs for easier servicing. A crew of five was planned - three were in the turret (commander, loader and gunner), and the driver and radio operator were in the hull. The fighting compartment was relatively spacious, with improved sound insulation in the rear engine compartment. The inside of the German T-4 tank (photos in the material illustrate this) was equipped with an onboard communication system and radio.
Although not very noticeable, the Panzer IV's hull is asymmetrical, with the turret offset 6.5 cm to the left and the engine 15 cm to the right. This was done in order to directly connect the turret ring to the transmission for faster rotation. As a result, the ammunition boxes were located on the right.
The prototype, developed and built in 1936 at the Krupp AG plant in Magdeburg, was designated Versuchskraftfahrzeug 622 by the Army Weapons Office. However, in the new pre-war nomenclature it quickly became known as the Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sd.Kfz. 161).
The tank had a Maybach HL108TR gasoline engine with a power of 250 hp. s., and a SGR 75 gearbox with five forward and one reverse gears. The maximum speed tested on a flat surface was 31 km/h.
75 mm gun - low-velocity Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 37 L/24. This weapon was intended for firing at concrete fortifications. However, some anti-tank capability was provided by the Panzergranate armor-piercing projectile, whose speed reached 440 m/s. It could penetrate a 43 mm sheet of steel at a distance of 700 m. Two MG-34 machine guns completed the armament, one coaxial and the other at the front of the vehicle.
In the first batch of Type A tanks, the thickness of the hull armor did not exceed 15 mm and the turret armor did not exceed 20 mm. Although it was hardened steel, such protection could only withstand light firearms, light artillery and grenade launcher fragments.
Early "short" preliminary episodes
The German T-4 A tank was a kind of preliminary series of 35 units produced in 1936. The next one was the Ausf. B with a modified commander's canopy, a new Maybach HL 120TR engine developing 300 hp. pp., as well as a new transmission SSG75.
Despite the extra weight, top speed has increased to 39 km/h and protection has been enhanced. The thickness of the armor reached 30 mm in the front inclined part of the hull and 15 mm in other places. In addition, the machine gun was protected by a new hatch.
After the production of 42 vehicles, production switched to the German T-4 C tank. The thickness of the armor on the turret increased to 30 mm. The total weight was 18.15 tons. After delivery of 40 units in 1938, the tank was improved by installing a new Maybach HL 120TRM engine for the next hundred vehicles. It is quite logical that modification D followed. The Dora can be distinguished by the machine gun newly installed on the hull and the embrasure placed outside. The thickness of the side armor increased to 20 mm. A total of 243 vehicles of this model were manufactured, the last of which was at the beginning of 1940. Modification D was the last pre-production one, after which the command decided to increase the scale of production.
Standardization
The German T-4 E tank was the first large-scale series to be produced during the war. Although many studies and reports point to the lack of penetration of the Panzer III's 37mm gun, replacing it was not possible. Looking for a solution to conduct testing on one prototype Panzer IV Ausf. D, a modification of the Pak 38 medium-velocity 50 mm cannon was installed. The initial order for 80 units was canceled after the end of the French campaign. In tank battles, in particular against the British Matilda and the French B1 bis, it finally became clear that the thickness of the armor was insufficient and the penetrating power of the gun was weak. In Ausf. E retained the short-barreled KwK 37L/24 gun, but the thickness of the front armor was increased to 50 mm, with 30 mm steel plate overlays as a temporary measure. By April 1941, when this modification was replaced by Ausf. F, its production reached 280 units.
The last "short" model
Another modification significantly changed the German T-4 tank. The characteristics of the early F model, renamed F1 when the next one was introduced, changed due to the replacement of the front cover plate with a 50 mm plate and an increase in the thickness of the side parts of the hull and turret to 30 mm. The total weight of the tank increased to over 22 tons, which forced other changes such as increasing the width of the tracks from 380 to 400 mm to reduce ground pressure, with a corresponding change in the two idler and drive wheels. The F1 was produced in 464 units before its replacement in March 1942.
The first "long"
Even with the armor-piercing Panzergranate round, the Panzer IV's low-velocity gun was no match for heavily armored tanks. In the context of the upcoming campaign in the USSR, a decision had to be made on a major upgrade of the T-3 tank. The now available Pak 38L/60 gun, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed, was intended for installation in the Panzer IV turret. In November 1941, the prototype was completed and production was scheduled. But during the first battles with the Soviet KV-1 and T-34, production of the 50 mm gun, also used in the Panzer III, was discontinued in favor of a new, more powerful model from Rheinmetall based on the 75 mm Pak 40L/46 gun. This led to the development of the KwK 40L/43, a relatively long caliber equipped to reduce recoil. The initial velocity of the Panzergranade 39 projectile exceeded 990 m/s. It could penetrate 77 mm armor at a distance of up to 1850 m. After the creation of the first prototype in February 1942, mass production of the F2 began. By July, 175 units had been manufactured. In June, the German T-4 F2 tank was renamed T-4 G, but for the Waffenamt both types were designated as Sd.Kfz.161/1. In some documents the model is called F2/G.
Transitional model
The German T-4 G tank was an improved version of the F2 with changes to save metal through the use of progressive frontal armor, thicker at the base. The frontal glacis was reinforced with a new 30mm plate, increasing the thickness to a total of 80mm. This turned out to be enough to successfully counter the Soviet 76 mm gun and 76.2 mm anti-tank gun. At first they decided to bring only half of production to this standard, but in January 1943 Adolf Hitler personally ordered a complete transition. However, the weight of the car increased to 23.6 tons, revealing the limitations of the chassis and transmission.
The German T-4 tank has undergone significant changes inside. Turret inspection slits have been eliminated, engine ventilation and low-temperature ignition have been improved, and additional spare tire holders and track link brackets have been installed on the glacis. They also served as temporary protection. The headlights were updated, the armored dome was strengthened and modified.
Later versions in the spring of 1943 added side armor on the hull and turret, as well as smoke grenade launchers. But most importantly, a new, more powerful KwK 40L/48 gun has appeared. After the production of 1,275 standard and 412 improved tanks, production shifted towards the Ausf.H model.
Main version
The German T-4 N tank (photo below) was equipped with a new long-barreled KwK 40L/48 gun. Further changes concerned ease of production - the side inspection slots were removed, and spare parts common to the Panzer III were used. In total, until the next modification of Ausf. J in June 1944, 3774 vehicles were assembled.
In December 1942, Krupp received an order for a tank with fully sloped armor, which due to the additional weight required the development of a new chassis, transmission and possibly engine. However, production began with an updated version of the Ausf.G. The German T-4 tank received a new ZF Zahnradfabrik SSG-76 gearbox, a new set of radio stations (FU2 and 5, and internal communication). The thickness of the frontal armor increased to 80 mm without overlay plates. The weight of the H reached 25 tons in combat gear, and the maximum speed was reduced to 38 km/h, and in real combat conditions to 25 km/h, and much less over rough terrain. By the end of 1943, the German T-4 N tank began to be coated with Zimmerit paste, the air filters were updated, and an anti-aircraft machine for the MG 34 was installed on the turret.
Latest simplified model
The last tank, the German T-4 J, was assembled at the Nibelungwerke in St. Valentin, Austria, as Vomag and Krupp now had other missions, and was subject to simplifications aimed at greater mass production and which rarely found support among the crews. For example, the electric drive of the turret was removed, aiming was done manually, which made it possible to increase the volume of the fuel tank by 200 liters, increasing the operating range to 300 km. Other modifications included the removal of the turret's viewing window, loopholes and anti-aircraft gun in favor of mounting a smoke grenade launcher. "Zimmerit" was no longer used, as were the Schürzen anti-cumulative "skirts", replaced by cheaper mesh panels. The engine radiator housing has also been simplified. The drive has lost one return roller. Two mufflers with flame arresters appeared, as well as a mount for a 2-ton crane. In addition, the SSG 77 transmission from the Panzer III was used, although it was clearly overloaded. Despite these sacrifices, due to constant Allied bombing, deliveries were in jeopardy, and in total only 2,970 tanks were built out of a planned 5,000 by the end of March 1945.
Modifications
German tank T-4: tactical and technical characteristics
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It must be said that a large number of survivors of the Second World War Panzer tanks IV was not lost or scrapped, but was used for its intended purpose in countries such as Bulgaria and Syria. Some of them were equipped with the new Soviet heavy machine gun. They took part in the battles for Golan Heights during the 1965 war and in 1967. Today, German T-4 tanks are part of museum displays and private collections around the world, and dozens of them are still in working order.
According to the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was prohibited from building tanks and creating armored forces. However, the Germans did not at all strive to thoroughly implement the points of the agreement, which they considered humiliating for themselves. Therefore, long before the Nazis came to power, the German military began to actively develop a doctrine for the use of tank units in modern warfare. It was more difficult to implement theoretical developments in practice, but the Germans succeeded in this: it is widely known that during exercises and maneuvers, mock-ups built on the basis of cars or even bicycles were used as tanks. And the tanks themselves were developed under the guise of agricultural tractors and tested abroad.
After power passed to the Nazis, Germany refused to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. By this time, the country’s armored doctrine had already taken shape quite clearly, and it was, figuratively speaking, a matter of translating the Panzerwaffe into metal.
The first German production tanks: Pz.Kpfw I and Pz.Kpfw II were vehicles that even the Germans themselves perceived as more of a transition to “real” tanks. The Pz.Kpfw I was generally considered a training vehicle, even though it took part in hostilities in Spain, Poland, France, North Africa and the USSR.
In 1936, the first copies of the Pz.Kpfw medium tank entered service with the troops. III, armed with a 37-mm anti-tank gun and protected in the frontal and side projections by 15 mm thick armor. This fighting machine was already a fully-fledged tank that met the requirements of the time. At the same time, due to the small caliber of the gun, it could not fight against fortified enemy firing points and engineering structures.
In 1934, the army issued a task to industry to develop a fire support tank, which was to be armed with a 75-mm cannon containing high-explosive shells. This tank was originally developed as a battalion commander's vehicle, which is where its first designation came from - BW (Batallionführerwagen). Work on the tank was carried out by three competing companies: Rheinmetall-Borsig, MAN and Krupp AG. The Krupp project VK 20.01 was recognized as the best, but it was not allowed into mass production due to the fact that the design of the tank used a chassis with spring suspension. The military demanded the use of a torsion bar suspension, which provided smoother movement and better maneuverability of the combat vehicle. Krupp engineers managed to reach a compromise with the Armament Directorate, proposing to use a version of the spring suspension with eight dual road wheels, almost completely borrowed from the experienced multi-turreted Nb.Fz tank.
An order for the production of a new tank, designated Vs.Kfz. 618, received by Krupp in 1935. In April 1936, the vehicle was renamed Pz.Kpfw IV. The first samples of the “zero” series were produced at Krupp factories in Essen, and in the fall of 1937 production was moved to Magdeburg, where production of the Ausf modification began. A.
Pz.Kpfw. IV was a classically designed vehicle with an engine compartment at the rear of the hull. The transmission was located in front, between the driver’s and radio operator’s workstations. Due to the design of the rotating mechanism, the tank's turret was shifted slightly to the left relative to the longitudinal axis. The chassis on each side consisted of four sprung bogies with four rollers on each of them. The drive wheel was at the front. Note that throughout the entire history of the Pz.Kpfw IV, no significant changes were made to the design of the chassis.
The first modification of the vehicle, Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.A, was equipped with a Maybach HL108TR carburetor engine with a power of 250 hp. s., located closer to the right side of the body.
The armor of the "A" modification hull was 20 mm in the frontal projection and 15 mm in the side and rear projections. The thickness of the turret armor was 30 mm at the front, 20 mm at the side and 10 mm at the rear. The commander's cupola of a characteristic cylindrical shape was located in the rear of the tower in the middle. For observation, it was equipped with six viewing slits covered with armored glass.
Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.A was armed with a 75-mm short-barreled KwK 37 L|24 cannon and two MG34 machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber: coaxial with the cannon and a course gun, located in a ball mount in the frontal armor plate of the hull. The armor plate itself had a broken shape. The presence of this machine gun, along with the cylindrical commander's cupola, is a distinctive feature of the first modification of the Pz.Kpfw. IV. In total, until June 1938, 35 A-series vehicles were produced.
Pz.Kpfw. IV was destined to become the main vehicle of the German armored forces. Its last modification was produced from June 1944 to March 1945. The scope of the article does not allow us to dwell in detail on each change in the design of this tank, so we will briefly consider the main modernizations and improvements that were carried out by German engineers throughout the long journey of the “four”.
In May 1938, production of the Pz.Kpfw version began. IV Ausf.B. Its main difference from the previous version was the use of a direct armor plate in the frontal part of the hull and the elimination of the forward machine gun. Instead, an additional viewing slot for the radio operator and an embrasure through which he could fire from personal weapons appeared in the body. The viewing slots of the commander's cupola received armored shutters. Instead of a 5-speed gearbox, a 6-speed one was used. The engine has also changed: now to the Pz.Kpfw. IV began installing a Maybach HL120TR engine with a power of 300 hp. With. The hull armor was strengthened, and now the “four” was protected by 30 millimeters of steel in the frontal projection of the hull and turret. The frontal armor of the turret was somewhat thinner, its thickness was 25 mm. By October 1938, 42 vehicles of this modification had been built.
Pz.Kpfw series. IV Ausf.C received a new Maybach HL120TRM engine. This engine, like the previous one, had a power of 300 hp. With. and was installed on all subsequent modifications of the Pz IV. Modification “C” was produced from April 1938 to August 1939. Following it, the “D” series entered the production lines, on which they again began to use a broken-shaped frontal armor plate with a frontal machine gun. Since 1940, the Ausf.D's frontal armor has been reinforced with an additional 30 mm plate. In 1941, some vehicles of this series were equipped with a 50 mm cannon. Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D was also built in a tropical modification.
In the E series tanks, produced from April 1940 to April 1941, the designers continued to increase the armor. The 30-mm frontal armor of the hull was additionally reinforced with a plate of the same thickness. The course machine gun was now mounted in a ball mount. The shape of the tower also underwent minor changes.
The latest modification of the “four” with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon was the “F” version. Now the frontal armor of the vehicle reached 50 mm on the hull and 30 mm on the turret. Since 1942, tanks of the Ausf.F series began to be equipped with a long-barreled KwK 40 L/43 cannon of 75 mm caliber. In this version the vehicle received the designation Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.F2.
In March 1942, production of the Pz.Kpfw modification began. IV Ausf.G. It did not differ much from the previous version of the tank. Later vehicles in this series used wider “eastern” tracks, additional frontal armor and side screens. About 400 of the last "fours" of the "G" series were armed with a 75 mm KwK 40 L/43 cannon, and from February 1943 they began to be equipped with a 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 cannon. Based on Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.G prototype of the Hummel self-propelled gun was developed.
In June 1942, work began on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H. The frontal armor of this tank reached 80 mm. Armored screens 5 mm thick were installed on the sides. The commander's cupola housed an anti-aircraft turret for a 7.92 mm machine gun. The tank was coated with zimmerit, a material that made it difficult to attach magnetic mines to the hull. As the main weapon on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H used a 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 gun.
In February 1944, production began of the latest modification of the “four” - Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.J. This tank did not have a turret rotation motor, and the turning mechanism was operated manually. The design of the support and support rollers has been simplified. Due to the installation of screens, the side viewing slots were removed, rendering them useless. Cars of different series had minor differences in internal equipment.
In general, researchers deservedly consider the Pz.Kpfw. IV was the most versatile German tank of World War II. The designers included in it a modernization potential sufficient for the tank to remain a full-fledged combat unit throughout the entire period of its existence. This is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that this tank was in service with a number of countries until the 60s of the 20th century.
