Medium German tank Tiger Panzerkampfwagen IV. History and detailed description

Medium tank Panzer IV

Medium Panzer IV

“We froze when we saw ugly, monstrous cars of bright yellow tiger color appearing from the gardens of Sitno. They slowly rolled towards us, flashing with tongues of shots.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” says Nikitin.
The Germans are moving in a line. I peer at the nearest left-flank tank, which has rushed far ahead. Its outline reminds me of something. But what?
- "Rheinmetall"! - I shouted, remembering the photograph of a German heavy tank that I saw in the school album, and quickly blurted out: - Heavy, seventy-five, direct shot eight hundred, armor forty...”
Thus, in his book “Notes of a Soviet Officer,” tanker G. Penezhko recalls his first meeting with the German Panzer IV tank in the June days of 1941.
However, under this name this combat was almost unknown to the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army. And even now, half a century after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the combination of the German words “Panzer Fir” causes confusion among many readers of the Armored Collection. Both then and now, this tank is better known under the “Russified” name T-IV, which is not used anywhere outside our country.
Panzer IV is the only German tank that was in mass production throughout World War II and became the most popular tank of the Wehrmacht. Its popularity among German tankers was comparable to the popularity of the T-34 among ours and the Sherman among the Americans. Well-designed and extremely reliable in operation, this combat vehicle was, in the full sense of the word, " workhorse"Panzerwaffe.
HISTORY OF CREATION
Already in the early 30s, a doctrine for the construction of tank forces was developed in Germany, and views on the tactical use of various types tanks. And if light vehicles (Pz.l and Pz.ll) were considered primarily as combat training vehicles, then their heavier “brothers” - Pz.lll and Pz.lV - as full-fledged combat vehicles. At the same time, the Pz.lll was supposed to serve as a medium tank, and the Pz.lV as a support tank.
The latter's project was developed within the framework of the requirements for an 18-ton class vehicle intended for tank battalion commanders. Hence its original name Bataillonsfuh-rerwagen - BW. In its design, it was very close to the ZW tank - the future Pz.lll, but, having almost the same tanks, the BW was distinguished by a wider hull and a larger turret ring diameter, which initially laid down a certain reserve for its modernization. The new tank was supposed to be armed with a large-caliber gun and two machine guns. The layout was classic - single-turret, with a front-mounted transmission, traditional for German tank building. The booked volume ensured the normal operation of the crew of 5 people and the placement of equipment.
The BW was designed by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in Düsseldorf and Friedrich Krupp AG in Essen. However, Daimler-Benz and MAN also presented their projects. It is interesting to note that all variants, with the exception of Rheinmetall's, had a chassis with a staggered arrangement of large-diameter road wheels, developed by engineer E. Kniepkamp. The only prototype built in metal - VK 2001 (Rh) - was equipped with a chassis almost entirely borrowed from the heavy multi-turret tank Nb.Fz., several samples of which were manufactured in 1934 - 1935. This chassis design was preferred. The order for the production of the 7.5-cm Geschutz-Panzerwagen (Vs.Kfz.618) tank - “an armored vehicle with a 75-mm cannon (experimental model 618)” - was received by Krupp in 1935. In April 1936, the name was changed to Panzerkampfwagen IV (abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw.lV, often referred to as Panzer IV, and very briefly - Pz.lV). According to the end-to-end designation system for Wehrmacht vehicles, the tank had the index Sd.Kfz.161.
Several zero-series vehicles were manufactured in the workshops of the Krupp plant in Essen, but already in October 1937, production was transferred to the Krupp-Gruson AG plant in Magdeburg, where production of modification A combat vehicles began.
Pz.IV Ausf.A
The armor protection of the Ausf.A hull ranged from 15 (sides and rear) to 20 (forehead) mm. Frontal armor turrets reached 30, sides - 20, stern - 10 mm. The tank's combat weight was 17.3 tons. Armament was a 75-mm KwK 37 cannon with a barrel length of 24 calibers (L/24); it contained 120 shots. Two MG 34 machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber (one coaxial with a cannon, the other course-mounted) had an ammunition capacity of 3,000 rounds. The tank was equipped with a 12-cylinder V-shaped carburetor liquid-cooled Maybach HL 108TR engine with a power of 250 hp. at 3000 rpm and a five-speed manual transmission type Zahnradfabrik ZF SFG75. The engine was located asymmetrically, closer to the starboard side of the hull. Chassis consisted of eight twin small-diameter road wheels, interlocked in pairs into four bogies suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs, four support rollers, a front drive wheel and a idler wheel with a track tension mechanism. Subsequently, with numerous modernizations of the Pz.IV, its chassis did not undergo any serious design changes.
Characteristics modification A vehicles have a cylindrical commander's cupola with six viewing slots and a front-facing machine gun in a ball mount in a broken frontal hull. The tank's turret was shifted to the left of its longitudinal axis by 51.7 mm, which was explained by the internal layout of the turret rotation mechanism, which included a two-stroke gasoline engine, a generator and an electric motor.
By March 1938, 35 tanks of modification A had left the factory floors. This was practically an installation batch.
Pz.IV Ausf.B
Cars of modification B were somewhat different from the previous ones. The broken frontal plate of the hull was replaced with a straight one, the frontal machine gun was eliminated (in its place a radio operator's observation point appeared, and to the right of it there was a loophole for firing from personal weapons), a new commander's cupola and a periscope observation device were introduced, the armor design of almost all observation devices was changed, instead The double-leaf covers of the driver's and radio operator's landing hatches were replaced with single-leaf ones. Ausf.B were equipped with a Maybach HL120TR engine with 300 hp. at 3000 rpm and a six-speed ZF SSG76 gearbox. reduced to 80 shots and 2700 rounds. The armor protection practically remained the same, only the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull and turret was increased to 30 mm.
From April to September 1938, 45 Pz.IV Ausf.B were produced.
Pz.IV Ausf.C
From September 1938 to August 1939, C series tanks were produced - 140 units (according to other sources, 134 tanks and six for the engineering troops). From the 40th car of the series (serial number - 80341) they began to install the Maybach HL120TRM engine - later it was used on all subsequent modifications. Other improvements include a special bumper under the gun barrel to bend the antenna when turning the turret and an armored casing for the coaxial machine gun. Two Ausf.C vehicles were converted into bridge tanks.
Pz.IV Ausf.D
From October 1939 to May 1940, 229 modification D vehicles were produced, which again featured a broken front hull plate and a front-mounted machine gun with additional rectangular armor. The design of the mantlet for the coaxial installation of a cannon and a machine gun has changed. The thickness of the side armor of the hull and turret increased to 20 mm. In 1940 - 1941, the frontal armor of the hull was reinforced with 20 mm sheets. Ausf.D tanks of late production had additional ventilation holes in the engine compartment (Option Tr. - tropen - tropical). In April 1940, 10 D-series vehicles were converted into bridge laying machines.
In 1941, one Ausf.D tank was experimentally armed with a 50-mm KwK 39 cannon with a barrel length of 60 calibers. It was planned to rearm all vehicles of this modification in this way, but in the winter of 1942, preference was given to the F2 variant with a 75-mm long-barreled gun. In 1942-1943, a number of Pz.IV Ausf.D tanks received such guns during a major overhaul. In February 1942, two tanks were converted into self-propelled units, armed with 105-mm K18 howitzers.
Pz.IV Ausf.E
The main difference between the Ausf.E modification and its predecessors was the significant increase in armor thickness. The frontal armor of the hull was increased to 30 mm and, in addition, reinforced with a 30 mm screen. The turret forehead was also increased to 30 mm, and the mantlet to 35...37 mm. The sides of the hull and turret had 20 mm armor, and the rear had 15 mm armor. A new type of commander's cupola with armor reinforced to a thickness of 50...95 mm, a turret, an improved driver's viewing device, a ball mount for the Kugelblende 30 machine gun appeared (the number 30 means that the mount's apple was adapted for mounting in 30 mm armor) , simplified drive and guide wheels, an equipment box mounted on the rear of the turret, and other smaller changes. The design of the turret's rear plate has also undergone changes. The combat weight of the tank reached 21 tons. From September 1940 to April 1941, 223 E-version vehicles left the factory floors.
Pz.IV Ausf.F
Pz.IV Ausf.F appeared as a result of an analysis of the combat use of previous versions of vehicles in Poland and France. The thickness of the armor increased again: the front of the hull and turret - up to 50 mm, the sides - up to 30. The single-leaf doors on the sides of the turret were replaced with double-leaf ones, the frontal plate of the hull again became straight. The machine gun was preserved, but now it was placed in a Kugelblende 50 ball mount. Since the mass of the tank hull increased by 48% compared to the Ausf.E, the vehicle received a new 400 mm track instead of the previously used 360 mm. Additional ventilation holes were made in the roof of the engine compartment and in the transmission hatch covers. The placement and design of the engine mufflers and the turret rotation gas motor have changed.
In addition to Krupp-Gruson, Vomag and Nibelungenwerke were involved in the production of the tank, which lasted from April 1941 to March 1942.
All of the above modifications of the Pz.IV tank were armed with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon with initial speed armor-piercing projectile 385 m/s, which was powerless against both the English Matilda and the Soviet T-34 and KV. After the production of 462 vehicles of the F variant, their production was stopped for one month. During this time, very significant changes were made to the design of the tank: the main one was the installation of a 75-mm KwK 40 cannon with a 43-caliber barrel length and an initial armor-piercing projectile speed of 770 m/s, developed by designers from Krupp and Rheinmetall. Production of these guns began in March 1942. On April 4, the tank with the new gun was shown to Hitler, and after this its production resumed. Vehicles with short guns were designated F1, and those with a new gun - F2. The latter's ammunition consisted of 87 rounds, 32 of which were placed in the turret. The vehicles received a new mask installation and a new TZF 5f sight. The combat weight reached 23.6 tons. Until July 1942, 175 Pz.lV Ausf.F2 were produced, another 25 vehicles were converted from F1.
Pz.IV Ausf.G
The Pz.IV Ausf.G variant (1,687 units produced), production of which began in May 1942 and continued until April 1943, had no fundamental differences from the F modification. The only immediately noticeable new feature was the dual-chamber cannon. In addition, most of the vehicles produced did not have surveillance devices in the front plate of the turret to the right of the gun and on the right side of the turret. However, judging by the photographs, these devices are not present on many machines of the F2 variant. The last 412 Ausf.G tanks received a 75 mm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers. Later production vehicles were equipped with 1,450 kg "eastern tracks" - Ostketten, additional 30 mm frontal armor (about 700 tanks received it) and side screens, which made them almost indistinguishable from the next modification - Ausf.H. One of the production tanks was converted into a prototype Hummel self-propelled gun.
Pz.IV Ausf.H
Tanks of modification N received 80-mm frontal armor, the radio station was moved to the rear of the hull, 5-mm side screens appeared on the hull and turret, protecting against cumulative (or, as we called them then, armor-burning) shells, the design of the drive wheels changed. Some tanks had non-rubber support rollers. The Ausf.H was equipped with a Zahnradfabrik ZF SSG77, similar to that used in the Pz.lll tank. An anti-aircraft machine gun MG 34 - Fliegerbeschussgerat41 or 42 was mounted on the commander's cupola. On the latest production vehicles, the rear hull plate became vertical (previously it was located at an angle of 30° to the vertical). The armor protection of the turret roof has increased to 18 mm. Finally, all external surfaces of the tank were coated with zimmerit. This version of the Pz.IV became the most widespread: from April 1943 to May 1944, the factory floors of three manufacturing companies - Krupp-Gruson AG in Magdeburg, Vogtiandische Maschinenfabrik AG (VOMAG) in Plausen and Nibelungenwerke in S. Valentin - left 3960 combat vehicles. At the same time, 121 tanks were converted into self-propelled and assault guns.
According to other sources, 3935 chassis were manufactured, 3774 of which were used to assemble tanks. Based on 30 chassis, 30 StuG IV assault guns and 130 Brummbar self-propelled guns were produced.
Pz.IV Ausf.J
The latest version of the Pz.IV was the Ausf.J. From June 1944 to March 1945, the Nibelungenwerke plant produced 1,758 vehicles of this model. In general, the Ausf.J tanks, similar to the previous version, have undergone changes associated with technological simplifications. For example, the power unit of the electric drive for turning the turret was eliminated and only the manual drive was preserved! The design of the tower hatches was simplified, the driver's on-board observation device was dismantled (in the presence of on-board screens, it became useless), the support rollers, the number of which on later production vehicles was reduced to three, lost rubber bands, and the design of the idler wheel was changed. The tank was equipped with high-capacity fuel tanks, as a result of which the highway range increased to 320 km. Metal mesh has become widely used for side screens. Some tanks had vertical exhaust pipes, similar to those used on the Panther tank.
During the period from 1937 to 1945, attempts were made repeatedly to carry out deep technical modernization of the Pz.IV. Thus, one of the Ausf.G tanks was equipped with a hydraulic transmission in July 1944. From April 1945, they planned to equip the Pz.IV with 12-cylinder Tatra 103 diesel engines.
The most extensive plans were for rearmament and rearmament. In 1943-1944, it was planned to install a “Panther” turret with a 75-mm KwK 42 gun with a barrel length of 70 calibers or a so-called “tight turret” (Schmalturm) with a 75-mm KwK 44/1 gun on tanks of the H modification. They also built a wooden tank with this gun, located in the standard turret of the Pz.IV Ausf.H tank. Krupp has developed a new turret with a 75/55 mm KwK 41 cannon with a 58-caliber conical barrel.
Attempts were made to equip the Pz.IV with missile weapons. A prototype tank was built with a 280 mm rocket launcher instead of a turret. The combat vehicle, equipped with two 75-mm Rucklauflos Kanone 43 recoilless cannons located on the sides of the turret, and a 30-mm MK 103 in place of the standard KwK 40, did not make it out of the wooden model stage.
From March to September 1944, 97 Ausf.H tanks were converted into command tanks - Panzerbefehlswagen IV (Sd.Kfz.267). These vehicles received an additional FuG 7 radio station, which was serviced by a loader.
For parts self-propelled artillery From July 1944 to March 1945, in the workshops of the Nibelungenwerke plant, 90 Ausf.J tanks were converted into forward artillery observer vehicles - Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV. The main weapons on them have been preserved. Additionally, these vehicles were equipped with a FuG 7 radio station, the antenna of which is easily recognized by the characteristic “broom” at the end, and a TSF 1 rangefinder. Instead of the standard one, the tanks received a commander’s cupola from the StuG 40 assault gun.
In 1940, 20 tanks of modifications C and D were converted into Bruckenleger IV bridge layers. The work was carried out in the workshops of the Friedrich Krupp AG factories in Essen and Magirus in Ulm, while the machines of both companies were somewhat different from each other in design. Four bridgelayers each became part of the sapper companies of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 10th tank divisions.
In February 1940 two Ausf tank.C was converted by Magirus into assault bridges (Infanterie Sturm-steg), designed for infantry to overcome various fortification obstacles. In place of the tower, a sliding ladder was installed, structurally similar to a fire assault ladder.
In preparation for the invasion of the British Isles (Operation Sea Lion), 42 Ausf.D tanks were equipped with underwater equipment. Then these vehicles entered the 3rd and 18th tank divisions of the Wehrmacht. Since the crossing of the English Channel did not take place, they received a baptism of fire on the Eastern Front.
In 1939, during testing of the 600mm Karl mortar, the need for an ammunition carrier arose. In October of the same year, one Pz.lV Ausf.D tank was converted on a trial basis for this purpose. Four 600-mm shells were transported in a special box mounted on the roof of the engine compartment, for loading and unloading of which a crane located on the roof of the front part of the hull served. In 1941, 13 Ausf.FI vehicles were converted into ammunition carriers (Munitionsschlepper).
In October-December 1944, 36 Pz.lV tanks were converted into ARVs.
The given production data for Pz.lV, unfortunately, cannot be considered absolutely accurate. Data on the number of cars produced differ in different sources, and sometimes noticeably. So, for example, I.P. Shmelev in his book “Armor of the Third Reich” gives the following figures: Pz.lV with KwK 37 - 1125, and with KwK 40 - 7394. Just look at the table to see the discrepancies. In the first case, insignificant - by 8 units, and in the second, significant - by 169! Moreover, if we sum up the production data by modification, we get the number of 8714 tanks, which again does not coincide with the total of the table, although the error in this case is only 18 vehicles.
Pz.lV was exported in much larger quantities than other German tanks. Judging by German statistics, Germany's allies, as well as Turkey and Spain, received 490 combat vehicles between 1942 and 1944.
The first Pz.lV was received by the most faithful ally of Nazi Germany, Hungary. In May 1942, 22 Ausf.F1 tanks arrived there, and in September, 10 F2 tanks. The largest batch was delivered in the fall of 1944 and spring of 1945; according to various sources, from 42 to 72 vehicles of the H and J modifications. The discrepancy occurred because some sources question the fact that the tanks were delivered in 1945.
In October 1942, the first 11 Pz.lV Ausf.Gs arrived in Romania. Subsequently, in 1943-1944, the Romanians received another 131 tanks of this type. They were used in combat operations both against the Red Army and against the Wehrmacht, after Romania switched to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
A batch of 97 Ausf.G and H tanks was sent to Bulgaria between September 1943 and February 1944. From September 1944 they accepted Active participation in battles with German troops, being the main striking force of the only Bulgarian tank brigade. In 1950, the Bulgarian army still had 11 combat vehicles of this type.
In 1943, Croatia received several Ausf.F1 and G tanks; in 1944 14 Ausf.J - Finland, where they were used until the early 60s. At the same time, the standard MG 34 machine guns were removed from the tanks, and Soviet diesel engines were installed instead.

DESIGN DESCRIPTION
The layout of the tank is classic, with a front-mounted transmission.
The control compartment was located in front of the combat vehicle. It housed the main clutch, gearbox, turning gear, control instruments, a forward machine gun (with the exception of modifications B and C), a radio station and workplaces for two crew members - the driver and the gunner-radio operator.
The fighting compartment was located in the middle part of the tank. Here (in the turret) there was a cannon and a machine gun, observation and aiming devices, vertical and horizontal aiming mechanisms and seats for the tank commander, gunner and loader. The ammunition was placed partly in the turret and partly in the hull.
In the engine compartment, at the rear of the tank, there was an engine and all its systems, as well as an auxiliary engine for the turret rotation mechanism.
FRAME The tank was welded from rolled armor plates with surface cementation, generally located at right angles to each other.
In the front part of the roof of the turret box there were manholes for the driver and gunner-radio operator, which were closed with rectangular covers that hinged. Modification A has double-leaf lids, while the others have single-leaf lids. Each cover had a hatch for launching signal flares (with the exception of options H and J).
In the frontal plate of the hull on the left there was a driver's viewing device, which included a triplex glass block, closed by a massive armored sliding or folding flap Sehklappe 30 or 50 (depending on the thickness of the frontal armor), and a binocular periscope observation device KFF 2 (for Ausf. A - KFF 1). The latter, when there was no need for it, moved to the right, and the driver could observe through the glass block. Modifications B, C, D, H and J did not have a periscope device.
On the sides of the control compartment, to the left of the driver and to the right of the gunner-radio operator, there were triplex viewing devices, covered with hinged armored covers.
There was a partition between the rear of the hull and the fighting compartment. There were two hatches in the roof of the engine compartment, closed with hinged covers. Starting with Ausf.F1, the covers were equipped with blinds. In the reverse bevel of the left side there was an air inlet window to the radiator, and in the reverse bevel of the right side there was an air outflow window from the fans.
TOWER- welded, hexagonal, mounted on a ball bearing on the turret plate of the hull. In its front part, in the mask, there was a cannon, a coaxial machine gun and a sight. To the left and right of the mask there were observation hatches with triplex glass. The hatches were closed with external armored flaps from inside the turret. Starting with modification G, the hatch to the right of the gun was missing.
The tower was driven by an electromechanical turning mechanism with a maximum speed of 14 degrees/s. A full revolution of the tower was carried out in 26 s. The flywheels of the turret's manual drive were located at the gunner's and loader's workstations.
At the rear of the tower roof there was a commander's cupola with five viewing slots with triplex glass. From the outside, the viewing slots were closed with sliding armored flaps, and in the roof of the turret, intended for the entrance and exit of the tank commander, with a double-leaf lid (later - single-leaf). The turret had a dial-hour type device for determining the target location. A second similar device was at the gunner’s disposal and, having received an order, he could quickly turn the turret towards the target. At the driver's seat there was a turret position indicator with two lights (except for Ausf.J tanks), thanks to which he knew what position the gun was in (this is especially important when driving through wooded areas and populated areas).
For boarding and disembarking crew members, there were hatches on the sides of the turret with single-leaf and double-leaf (starting with version F1) covers. Inspection devices were installed in the hatch covers and sides of the tower. The turret's rear plate was equipped with two hatches for firing personal weapons. On some vehicles of modifications H and J, due to the installation of screens, inspection devices and hatches were missing.
WEAPONS. The main armament of tanks of modifications A - F1 is a 7.5 cm KwK 37 cannon of 75 mm caliber from Rheinmetall-Borsig. The length of the gun barrel is 24 caliber (1765.3 mm). Gun weight - 490 kg. Vertical aiming - ranging from - 10° to +20°. The gun had a vertical wedge breech and an electric trigger. Its ammunition included shots with smoke (weight 6.21 kg, initial speed 455 m/s), high-explosive fragmentation (5.73 kg, 450 m/s), armor-piercing (6.8 kg, 385 m/s) and cumulative (4.44 kg, 450...485 m/s) projectiles.
Ausf.F2 tanks and some Ausf.G tanks were armed with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 43 calibers (3473 mm), weighing 670 kg. Some Ausf.G tanks and Ausf.H and J vehicles were equipped with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers (3855 mm) and a weight of 750 kg. Vertical aiming -8°...+20°. The maximum rollback length is 520 mm. During the march, the gun was fixed at an elevation angle of +16°.
A 7.92-mm MG 34 machine gun was paired with the cannon. The forward machine gun was placed in the front plate of the turret box in a ball mount (except for modifications B and C). On the commander's cupola of the later type, an MG 34 anti-aircraft machine gun could be mounted on a special device Fliegerbeschutzgerat 41 or 42.
Pz.lV tanks were initially equipped with a TZF 5b monocular telescopic sight, and starting with Ausf.E-TZF 5f or TZF 5f/1. These scopes had 2.5x magnification. The MG 34 course machine gun was equipped with a 1.8x KZF 2 telescopic sight.
Depending on the modification of the tank, the gun's ammunition ranged from 80 to 122 rounds. For command tanks and forward artillery observer vehicles it was 64 rounds. Machine gun ammunition - 2700...3150 rounds.
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. The tank was equipped with Maybach HL 108TR, HL 120TR and HL 120TRM engines, 12-cylinder, V-shaped (cylinder camber - 60°), carburetor, four-stroke, with a power of 250 hp. (HL 108) and 300 e.c. (HL 120) at 3000 rpm. Cylinder diameters are 100 and 105 mm. Piston stroke 115 mm. Compression ratio 6.5. Displacement volume 10,838 cm3 and 11,867 cm3. It should be emphasized that both engines were of a similar design.
Leaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74. The capacity of three gas tanks is 420 l (140+110+170). Ausf.J tanks had a fourth tank with a capacity of 189 liters. per 100 km when driving on the highway - 330 liters, off-road - 500 liters. The fuel supply is forced, using two Solex fuel pumps. There are two carburetors, Solex 40 JFF II.
The cooling system is liquid, with one radiator located obliquely on the left side of the engine. WITH right side The engine had two fans.
On the right side of the engine, a DKW PZW 600 (Ausf.A - E) or ZW 500 (Ausf.E - H) engine for the turret rotation mechanism with a power of 11 hp was installed. and a working volume of 585 cm3. The fuel was a mixture of gasoline and oil, the fuel tank capacity was 18 liters.
The transmission consisted of a cardan drive, a three-disc main dry friction clutch, a gearbox, a planetary rotation mechanism, final drives and brakes.
The five-speed Zahnradfabrik SFG75 (Ausf.A) gearbox and the six-speed SSG76 (Ausf.B - G) and SSG77 (Ausf.H and J) are three-shaft, with coaxial drive and driven shafts, with spring disk synchronizers.
CHASSIS The tank, applied to one side, consisted of eight double rubber-coated road wheels with a diameter of 470 mm, interlocked in pairs into four balancing bogies, suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs; four (for part of Ausf.J - three) dual rubber-coated (except for Ausf.J and part of Ausf.H) support rollers.
The front drive wheels had two removable ring gears of 20 teeth each. Pin engagement.
The tracks are steel, fine-linked, made of 101 (starting from variant F1 - 99) single-ridge track tracks each. The track width is 360 mm (up to option E), and then 400 mm.
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT was performed using a single-wire circuit. Voltage 12V. Sources: Bosch GTLN 600/12-1500 generator with a power of 0.6 kW (Ausf.A has two Bosch GQL300/12 generators with a power of 300 kW each), four Bosch batteries with a capacity of 105. Consumers: electric starter Bosch BPD 4/24 with a power of 2.9 kW (Ausf.A has two starters), ignition system, tower fan, control instruments, sight illumination, sound and light signaling devices, internal and external lighting equipment, sound, triggers cannons and machine guns.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. All Pz.lV tanks were equipped with a Fu 5 radio station, with a range of 6.4 km for telephone and 9.4 km for telegraph.
COMBAT USE
First three Panzer tank IV entered the Wehrmacht in January 1938. The total order for combat vehicles of this type included 709 units. The plan for 1938 included the delivery of 116 tanks, and the Krupp-Gruson company almost fulfilled it, delivering 113 vehicles to the troops. The first "combat" operations involving the Pz.lV were the Anschluss of Austria and the capture of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia in 1938. In March 1939 they walked through the streets of Prague.
On the eve of the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht had 211 Pz.lV tanks of modifications A, B and C. According to the then-current staff in tank division there were supposed to be 24 Pz.lV tanks, 12 vehicles in each regiment. However, only the 1st and 2nd tank regiments of the 1st Panzer Division (1. Panzer Division) were fully staffed. The Tank Training Battalion (Panzer Lehr Abteilung), attached to the 3rd Panzer Division, also had a full staff. The remaining formations included only a few Pz.lVs, which were superior in armament and armor protection to all types of Polish tanks opposing them. However, the 37-mm tank and anti-tank guns of the Poles posed a serious danger to the Germans. For example, during the battle near Glowachuv, Polish 7TPs knocked out two Pz.lVs. In total, during the Polish campaign, the Germans lost 76 tanks of this type, 19 of them irretrievably.
By the beginning of the French campaign - May 10, 1940 - the Panzerwaffe already had 290 Pz.lVs and 20 bridge layers at their base. They were mainly concentrated in divisions operating in the directions of the main attacks. In General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division, for example, there were 36 Pz.lVs. Their equal opponents were the French Somua S35 medium tanks and the British Matilda II. Not without a chance of victory, the French B Ibis and 02 could engage in battle with the Pz.lV. During the battles, the French and British managed to knock out 97 Pz.lV tanks. The irretrievable losses of the Germans amounted to only 30 combat vehicles of this type.
In 1940, the share of Pz.lV tanks in Wehrmacht tank formations increased slightly. On the one hand, due to increased production, and on the other, due to a decrease in the number of tanks in the division to 258 units. However, the majority of them were still light Pz.l and Pz.ll.
During the short-lived operation in the Balkans in the spring of 1941, the Pz.lV, which took part in battles with Yugoslav, Greek and British troops, suffered no losses. It was planned to use the Pz.lV in the operation to capture Crete, but paratroopers were used there.
By the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, out of 3,582 combat-ready German tanks, 439 were Pz.lV. It should be emphasized that according to the then accepted Wehrmacht classification of tanks by gun caliber, these vehicles belonged to the heavy class. On our side, the modern heavy tank was the KB - there were 504 of them in the army. In addition to numbers, the Soviet heavy tank had absolute superiority in combat qualities. The medium T-34 also had an advantage over the German vehicle. They penetrated the armor of the Pz.lV and the 45-mm guns of the T-26 and BT light tanks. The short-barreled German tank gun could only effectively fight the latter. All this immediately affected combat losses: during 1941, 348 Pz.lV were destroyed on the Eastern Front.
The Germans faced a similar situation in North Africa, where the short Pz.lV gun turned out to be powerless in front of the powerfully armored Matildas. The first “fours” were unloaded in Tripoli on March 11, 1941, and there were not many of them at all, which is clearly seen in the example of the 2nd battalion of the 5th tank regiment of the 5th light division. As of April 30, 1941, the battalion included 9 Pz.l, 26 Pz.ll, 36 Pz.lll and only 8 Pz.lV (mainly vehicles of modifications D and E). Together with the 5th Light, the 15th Wehrmacht Panzer Division, which had 24 Pz.lVs, fought in Africa. These tanks achieved their greatest success in the fight against the British cruiser tanks A.9 and A. 10 - mobile but lightly armored. The main means of fighting the Matildas were 88-mm guns, and the main German tank in this theater in 1941 was the Pz.lll. As for the Pz.lV, in November there were only 35 of them left in Africa: 20 in the 15th Tank Division and 15 in the 21st (transformed from the 5th Light).
The Germans themselves then had a low 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.
The first F2 modification vehicles were delivered to North Africa in the summer of 1942. At the end of July, Rommel's Afrika Korps had only 13 Pz.lV tanks, of which 9 were F2. In English documents of that period they were called Panzer IV Special. On the eve of the offensive, which Rommel planned for the end of August, there were about 450 tanks in the German and Italian units entrusted to him: including 27 Pz.lV Ausf.F2 and 74 Pz.lll with long-barreled 50-mm guns. Only this equipment posed a danger to the American Grant and Sherman tanks, the number of which in the troops of the 8th British Army of General Montgomery on the eve of the battle at El Alamein reached 40%. During this battle, a turning point in all respects for the African campaign, the Germans lost almost all their tanks. They managed to partially compensate for the losses by the winter of 1943, after retreating to Tunisia.
Despite the obvious defeat, the Germans began to reorganize their forces in Africa. On December 9, 1942, the 5th Tank Army was formed in Tunisia, which included the replenished 15th and 21st Tank Divisions, as well as the 10th Tank Division transferred from France, which was armed with Pz.lV Ausf.G tanks. The “tigers” of the 501st heavy tank battalion also arrived here, who, together with the “fours” of the 10th tank, took part in the defeat of American troops at Kasserine on February 14, 1943. However, this was the last successful operation of the Germans on the African continent - already on February 23 they were forced to go on the defensive, their forces were quickly dwindling. On May 1, 1943, Rommel’s troops had only 58 tanks - 17 of them Pz.lV. 12 May german army capitulated in North Africa.
On the Eastern Front, Pz.lV Ausf.F2 also appeared in the summer of 1942 and took part in the attack on Stalingrad and the 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...


The presence of tanks in German tank and motorized divisions on the eve of Operation Citadel
By the summer of 1943, the staff of the German tank division included tank regiment two-battalion composition. In the first battalion, two companies were armed with Pz.lV, and one with Pz.lll. In the second, only one company was armed with Pz.lV. In total, the division had 51 Pz.lV and 66 Pz.lll in combat battalions. However, judging by the available data, the number of combat vehicles in certain tank divisions sometimes differed greatly from the staff.
In the formations listed in the table, which made up 70% of the tank and 30% of the motorized divisions of the Wehrmacht and SS troops, in addition, they were in service with 119 commander and 41 different types. The motorized division "Das Reich" had 25 T-34 tanks, three heavy tank battalions - 90 "tigers" and the "Panther Brigade" - 200 "Panthers". Thus, the "fours" made up almost 60% of all German tanks involved in Operation Citadel. These were mainly combat vehicles of the G and H modifications, equipped with armored screens (Schurzen), which changed the appearance of the Pz.lV beyond recognition. Apparently for this reason, as well as because of the long-barreled cannon, they were often called “Tiger Type 4” in Soviet documents.
It is quite obvious that it was not the “tigers” and “panthers,” but the Pz.lV and partly the Pz.lll that made up the majority in the Wehrmacht tank units during Operation Citadel. This statement can be well illustrated by the example of the 48th German Tank Corps. It consisted of the 3rd and 11th tank divisions and the motorized division "Grossdeutschland" (Grobdeutschland). In total, there were 144 Pz.lll, 117 Pz.lV and only 15 “tigers” in the corps. The 48th Tank attacked in the Oboyan direction in the zone of our 6th Guards Army and by the end of July 5th managed to wedge into its defenses. On the night of July 6, the Soviet command decided to strengthen the 6th Guards. And two corps of the 1st Tank Army of General Katukov - the 6th Tank and the 3rd Mechanized. In the next two days, the main blow of the German 48th Tank Corps fell on our 3rd Mechanized Corps. Judging by the memoirs of M.E. Katukov and F.V. von Mellenthin, who was then the chief of staff of the 48th Corps, the fighting was extremely fierce. This is what the German general writes about this.
“On July 7, on the fourth day of Operation Citadel, we finally achieved some success. The Grossdeutschland division managed to break through on both sides of the Syrtsev farm, and the Russians retreated to Gremuchy and the village of Syrtsevo. The retreating masses of the enemy came under German artillery fire and suffered very heavy losses. Our tanks, increasing their attack, began to advance to the north-west, but on the same day they were stopped by heavy fire near Syrtsevo, and then counterattacked by Russian tanks. But on the right flank, it seemed that we were about to win a major victory: A message was received that the grenadier regiment of the Grossdeutschland division had reached the village of Verkhopenye.A battle group was created on the right flank of this division to develop the success achieved.
On July 8, a combat group consisting of a reconnaissance detachment and an assault gun battalion of the "Great Germany" division reached the highway (Belgorod - Oboyan highway - Author's note) and reached a height of 260.8; this group then turned west in order to support the division's tank regiment and motorized rifle regiment, which had bypassed Verkhopenye from the east. However, the village was still held by significant enemy forces, so the motorized rifle regiment attacked it from the south. At an altitude of 243.0 north of the village there were Russian tanks that had excellent visibility and fire, and before this height the attack of tanks and motorized infantry foundered. Russian tanks seemed to be everywhere, delivering continuous attacks on the advanced units of the Grossdeutschland division.
During the day, the combat group operating on the right flank of this division repelled seven Russian tank counterattacks and destroyed twenty-one T-34 tanks. The commander of the 48th Panzer Corps ordered the Grossdeutschland Division to advance westward in order to provide assistance to the 3rd Panzer Division, on the left flank of which a very difficult situation had arisen. Neither height 243.0 nor the western outskirts of Verkhopenye were taken that day - there was no longer any doubt that the offensive impulse of the German troops had dried up and the offensive had failed."
And here’s what these events look like in the description of M.E. Katukov: “Dawn had barely broken (July 7 - Author’s note) when the enemy again attempted to break through to Oboyan. Main blow he attacked the positions of the 3rd Mechanized and 31st Tank Corps. A.L. Getman (commander of the btk - Author's note) reported that the enemy was not active in his sector. But S.M. Krivoshey (commander of the 3rd MK - Author's note) who called me did not hide his anxiety:
- Something incredible, Comrade Commander! Today the enemy threw up to seven hundred tanks and self-propelled guns onto our site. Two hundred tanks advance against the first and third mechanized brigades alone.
We have never had to deal with such numbers before. It subsequently turned out that on this day the Nazi command sent the entire 48th Panzer Corps and the SS Panzer Division Adolf Hitler against the 3rd Mechanized Corps. Having concentrated such huge forces in a narrow 10-kilometer area, the German command hoped that it would be able to break through our defenses with a powerful tank ram.
Each tank brigade, each unit increased its combat score by Kursk Bulge. Thus, in just the first day of fighting, the 49th Tank Brigade, interacting on the first defensive line with units of the 6th Army, destroyed 65 tanks, including 10 "tigers", 5 armored personnel carriers, 10 guns, 2 self-propelled guns, 6 vehicles and more than 1000 soldiers and officers.
The enemy failed to break through our defenses. It only pushed back the 3rd Mechanized Corps by 5-6 kilometers."
It would be fair to admit that both of the above passages are characterized by a certain bias in the coverage of events. From the memoirs of the Soviet military leader it follows that our 49th Tank Brigade knocked out 10 Tigers in one day, while the Germans had only 15 of them in the 48th Tank Corps! Taking into account the 13 "tigers" of the motorized division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler", which was also advancing in the zone of the 3rd Mechanized Corps, we get only 28! If you try to add up all the “tigers” that were “destroyed” on the pages of Katukov’s memoirs dedicated to the Kursk Bulge, you will get much more. However, the point here, apparently, is not only the desire of various units and subunits to add more “tigers” to their combat account, but also the fact that in the heat of battle “tigers of type 4” - medium tanks - were mistaken for real “tigers” Pz.lV.
According to German data, 570 “fours” were lost during July and August 1943. For comparison, during the same time, 73 Tiger units were lost, which indicates both the stability of this or that tank on the battlefield and the intensity of their use. In total, in 1943, losses amounted to 2,402 Pz.lV units, of which only 161 vehicles were repaired and returned to service.
In 1944, the organization of the German tank division underwent significant changes. The first battalion of the tank regiment received Pz.V "Panther" tanks, the second was equipped with Pz.lV. In fact, the Panthers did not enter service with all Wehrmacht tank divisions. In a number of formations, both battalions had only Pz.lV.
This is, say, the situation in the 21st Panzer Division, stationed in France. Soon after receiving a message on the morning of June 6, 1944 about the beginning of the landing of Allied forces in Normandy, the division, which had 127 Pz.lV tanks and 40 assault guns, began moving north, hastening to strike the enemy. This advance was prevented by the capture by the British of the only bridge across the Orne River north of Caen. It was already about 16.30 when German troops prepared for the first major tank counter-attack since the Allied invasion against the British 3rd Division, which had landed in Operation Overlord.
From the bridgehead of the British troops they reported that several enemy tank columns were moving towards their position at once. Having encountered an organized and dense wall of fire, the Germans began to roll back to the west. In the area of ​​Hill 61, they met with a battalion of the 27th British Armored Brigade, which was armed with Sherman Firefly tanks with 17-pounder guns. For the Germans, this meeting turned out to be catastrophic: in a few minutes, 13 combat vehicles were destroyed. Only a small number of tanks and motorized infantry of the 21st Division managed to advance to the strongholds of the 716th German Infantry Division that survived in the Lyon-sur-Mer area. At this moment, the British 6th Airborne Division began landing on 250 gliders in the area of ​​Saint-Aubin near the bridge over the Orne. Justifying itself by the fact that the English landing created a threat of encirclement, the 21st Division retreated to the heights located on the outskirts of Caen. By nightfall, a powerful defensive ring was created around the city, reinforced by 24 88-mm guns. During the day, the 21st Panzer Division lost 70 tanks and its offensive potential was exhausted. The 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend", which arrived a little later, was staffed half by "Panthers" and half by Pz.lV, and could not influence the situation.
In the summer of 1944, German troops suffered defeat after defeat in both the West and the East. The losses were also corresponding: in just two months - August and September - 1,139 Pz.lV tanks were knocked out. Nevertheless, their number in the troops continued to remain significant.


It is easy to calculate that in November 1944, Pz.lV made up 40% of German tanks on the Eastern Front, 52% on the Western Front and 57% in Italy.
The last major operations of German troops with the participation of Pz.lV were the counter-offensive in the Ardennes in December 1944 and the counter-attack of the 6th SS Panzer Army in the area of ​​Lake Balaton in January-March 1945, which ended in failure. During January 1945 alone, 287 Pz.lVs were knocked out, of which 53 combat vehicles were recovered and returned to service.
German statistics last year The war ends on April 28 and provides summary information on the Pz.lV tank and the Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer. As of this day, the troops had them: in the East - 254, in the West - 11, in Italy - 119. Moreover, we are talking here only about combat-ready vehicles. As for the tank divisions, the number of “fours” in them varied: in the elite Training Tank Division (Panzer-Lehrdivision), which fought on the Western Front, only 11 Pz.lV remained; The 26th Panzer Division in Northern Italy had 87 vehicles of this type; The 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg" on the Eastern Front remained more or less combat-ready - it had, among other tanks, 30 Pz.lV.
The "Four" took part in hostilities before last days war, including street fighting in Berlin. On the territory of Czechoslovakia, battles involving tanks of this type continued until May 12, 1945. According to German data, from the beginning of World War II to April 10, 1945, the irretrievable losses of Pz.lV tanks amounted to 7,636 units.
Thus, taking into account the tanks supplied by Germany to other countries and the estimated losses during the last month of the war, which was not included in the statistical reporting, about 400 Pz.lV tanks ended up in the hands of the winners, which is quite likely. Of course, the Red Army and our Western allies had captured these combat vehicles before, actively using them in battles against the Germans.
After the surrender of Germany, a large batch of 165 Pz.lV was transferred to Czechoslovakia. Having passed, they were in service with the Czechoslovak army until the beginning of the 50s. In addition to Czechoslovakia post-war years Pz.lV were used in the armies of Spain, Turkey, France, Finland, Bulgaria and Syria.
The “Quartets” entered the Syrian army in the late 40s from France, which then provided this country with the main military assistance. An important role, apparently, was played by the fact that most of the instructors who trained the Syrian tank crews were former Panzerwaffe officers. It is not possible to provide exact data on the number of Pz.lV tanks in the Syrian army. It is only known that Syria purchased 17 Pz.lV Ausf.H vehicles from Spain in the early 50s, and another batch of tanks of the H and J modifications arrived from Czechoslovakia in 1953.
The Quartet's baptism of fire in the Middle Eastern theater took place in November 1964 during the so-called “water war” that broke out over the Jordan River. Syrian Pz.lV Ausf.H, occupying positions on the Golan Heights, fired at Israeli troops.
Then the return fire of the “centurions” did not cause any harm to the Syrians. During the next conflict in August 1965, "" tanks armed with 105 mm cannons fired more accurately. They managed to destroy two Syrian companies of Pz.lV and T-34-85, being out of range of their guns.
The remaining Pz.lVs were captured by the Israelis during the Six Day War of 1967. Ironically, the last serviceable Syrian Pz.lV was shot down by fire from its “ancient enemy” - the Israeli Super Sherman.
Captured Syrian "fours" Ausf.H and J are in several military museums in Israel. In addition, combat vehicles of this type are preserved in almost all major tank museums in the world, including the Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka near Moscow (Ausf.G). By the way, it is this modification that is most widely represented in museum exhibitions. Of greatest interest are the Pz.lV Ausf.D, Ausf.F2 and the experimental Pz.lV with hydraulic transmission, located in the Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum in the USA. A tank captured by the British in Africa is on display in Bovington (Great Britain). This vehicle, apparently, became a “victim of a major overhaul” - it has an Ausf.D hull, an E or F turret with screens, and a long-barreled 75 mm cannon. A well-preserved modification tower can be seen in the Military History Museum in Dresden. It was discovered in August 1993 during excavation work on the territory of one of the former training grounds of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany.
MACHINE ASSESSMENT
Apparently, we should start with a rather unexpected statement that with the creation of the Pz.IV tank in 1937, the Germans determined a promising path for the development of world tank building. This thesis is quite capable of shocking our reader, since we are accustomed to believe that this place in history is reserved for the Soviet T-34 tank. Nothing can be done, you will have to make room and share laurels with the enemy, albeit a defeated one. Well, so that this statement does not look unfounded, we will provide some evidence.
For this purpose, we will try to compare the “four” with the Soviet, British and American tanks that opposed it in different periods of World War II. Let's start with the first period - 1940-1941; At the same time, we will not focus on the then German classification of tanks by gun caliber, which classified the medium Pz.IV as heavy. Since the British did not have a medium tank as such, they would have to consider two vehicles at once: one infantry, the other cruising. In this case, only “pure” declared characteristics are compared, without taking into account the quality of workmanship, operational reliability, level of crew training, etc.
As can be seen from Table 1, in 1940 - 1941 in Europe there were only two full-fledged medium tanks - T-34 and Pz.IV. The British Matilda was superior to the German and Soviet tanks in armor protection to the same extent that the Mk IV was inferior to them. The French S35 was a tank brought to perfection that met the requirements of the First World War. As for the T-34, while inferior to the German vehicle in a number of important positions (separation of functions of crew members, quantity and quality of surveillance devices), it had armor equivalent to the Pz.IV, slightly better mobility and significantly more powerful weapons. This lag of the German vehicle is easily explained - the Pz.IV was conceived and created as an assault tank, designed to fight enemy firing points, but not his tanks. In this regard, the T-34 was more versatile and, as a result, according to its stated characteristics, the best medium tank in the world for 1941. After just six months, the situation changed, as can be judged by the characteristics of tanks from the period 1942 - 1943.
Table 1


table 2


Table 3


Table 2 shows how dramatically the combat characteristics of the Pz.IV increased after the installation of 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. The answer - both Soviet and American - was not long in coming.
Comparing tables 2 and 3, you can see that 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 wars 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 answer.
Analyzing the data from all three tables, 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 slightly more thoughtful layout, had such reserves to the fullest. 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 an insufficient and 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.
Equipping the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be considered a successful move by German designers. Cumulative ones were 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.
Values power density medium tanks


But perhaps the biggest mistake the Germans made was trying to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. As the latter, it did not take place (for more details, see "Armor Collection" No. 2, 1997), 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, 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.
Wikipedia Encyclopedia of technology eBook

“Panzerkampfwagen IV” (“PzKpfw IV”, also “Pz. IV”; in the USSR it was also known as “T‑IV”) - a medium tank of the Wehrmacht armored forces during the Second World War. There is a version that the Pz IV was originally classified by the Germans as a heavy tank, but it is not documented.

The most popular tank of the Wehrmacht: 8,686 vehicles were produced; It was mass-produced from 1937 to 1945 in several modifications. The constantly increasing armament and armor of the tank in most cases allowed the PzKpfw IV to effectively resist tanks of a similar class. French tanker Pierre Danois wrote about the PzKpfw IV (in modification, at that time, with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon): “This medium tank was superior to our B1 and B1 bis in all respects, including armament and, to some extent, armor "

History of creation

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany, defeated in World War I, was prohibited from having armored forces, with the exception of a small number of armored vehicles for police use. But despite this, already since 1925, the Reichswehr Armament Directorate had been secretly working on the creation of tanks. Until the early 1930s, these developments did not go beyond the construction of prototypes, both because of the insufficient characteristics of the latter and because of the weakness of German industry of that period. However, by mid-1933, German designers managed to create their first serial tank- Pz.Kpfw.I and begin its mass production during 1933-1934. The Pz.Kpfw.I, with its machine gun armament and two-man crew, was considered only as a transitional model on the way to the construction of more advanced tanks. The development of two of them began back in 1933 - a more powerful “transitional” tank, the future Pz.Kpfw.II, and a full-fledged battle tank, the future Pz.Kpfw.III, armed with a 37-mm cannon, intended mainly to combat other armored vehicles.

Due to the initial limitations of the PzIII's armament, it was decided to complement it with a fire support tank, with a longer-range cannon with a powerful fragmentation shell capable of hitting anti-tank defenses beyond the range of other tanks. In January 1934, the Armament Directorate organized a competition of projects to create a vehicle of this class, whose mass would not exceed 24 tons. Since work on armored vehicles in Germany at that time was still carried out in secret, the new project, like the others, was given the code name “support vehicle” (German: Begleitwagen, usually shortened to B.W.; a number of sources give incorrect names in German: Bataillonwagen and German: Bataillonfuehrerwagen). From the very beginning, the companies Rheinmetall and Krupp began developing projects for the competition, later joined by Daimler-Benz and M.A.N. Over the next 18 months, all companies presented their developments, and the Rheinmetall project under the designation VK 2001 (Rh) was even manufactured in metal as a prototype in 1934-1935.

Tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J (Armored Vehicle Museum - Latrun, Israel)

All presented projects had a chassis with a staggered arrangement of large-diameter road wheels and the absence of support rollers, with the exception of the same VK 2001(Rh), which generally inherited the chassis with small-diameter road wheels interlocked in pairs and side screens from the experimental Nb heavy tank. Fz. The best of them was eventually recognized as the Krupp project - VK 2001 (K), but the Armament Directorate was not satisfied with its leaf spring suspension, which they demanded to replace with a more advanced torsion bar. However, Krupp insisted on using a chassis with medium-diameter rollers interlocked in pairs on a spring suspension, borrowed from the rejected Pz.Kpfw.III prototype of its own design. To avoid the inevitable delays in the start of production when processing a project for a torsion bar suspension necessary for the army tank, the Armament Directorate was forced to agree to Krupp's proposal. After further refinement of the project, Krupp received an order for the production of a pre-production batch of a new tank, which by that time had received the designation “armored vehicle with a 75-mm gun” (German: 7.5 cm Geschütz-Panzerwagen) or, according to the end-to-end designation system adopted at that time, "experimental sample 618" (German: Versuchskraftfahrzeug 618 or Vs.Kfz.618). Since April 1936, the tank acquired its final designation - Panzerkampfwagen IV or Pz.Kpfw.IV. In addition, it was assigned the index Vs.Kfz.222, which previously belonged to the Pz.Kpfw.II.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G. Armored Museum in Kubinka.

Mass production

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.A - Ausf.F1

The first few Pz.Kpfw.IV "zero" series were manufactured in 1936-1937 at the Krupp plant in Essen. Serial production of the first series, 1.Serie/B.W., began in October 1937 at the Krupp-Gruson plant in Magdeburg. A total of 35 tanks of this modification, designated Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausführung A (Ausf.A - “model A”), were produced until March 1938. According to the unified designation system for German armored vehicles, the tank received the index Sd.Kfz.161. Ausf.A tanks were in many ways still pre-production vehicles and carried bulletproof armor that did not exceed 15-20 mm and poorly protected surveillance devices, especially in the commander's cupola. At the same time, the main design features of the Pz.Kpfw.IV had already been determined at Ausf.A, and although the tank was subsequently subjected to modernization many times, the changes mainly came down to the installation of more powerful armor and weapons, or to unprincipled alterations of individual components.

Immediately after the end of production of the first series, Krupp began production of an improved one - 2.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.B. The most noticeable external difference between the tanks of this modification was the straight upper frontal plate, without a prominent “cabinet” for the driver and with the elimination of the course machine gun, which was replaced by a viewing device and a hatch for firing from personal weapons. The design of the viewing devices was also improved, primarily the commander's cupola, which received armored flaps, and the driver's viewing device. According to other sources, the new commander's cupola was introduced already during the production process, so that some Ausf.B tanks carried the old type commander's cupola. Minor changes affected the landing hatches and various hatches. The frontal armor on the new modification was increased to 30 mm. The tank also received a more powerful engine and a new 6-speed gearbox, which significantly increased its maximum speed, and its range also increased. At the same time, the Ausf.B's ammunition load was reduced to 80 gun rounds and 2,700 machine-gun rounds, instead of 120 and 3,000, respectively, on the Ausf.A. Krupp was given an order for the production of 45 Ausf.B tanks, but due to a shortage of components, only 42 vehicles of this modification were actually produced from April to September 1938.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A on parade, 1938.

The first relatively widespread modification was 3.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.C. Compared to the Ausf.B, the changes in it were minor - outwardly, both modifications are distinguishable only by the presence of an armored casing for the barrel of the coaxial machine gun. The remaining changes consisted of replacing the HL 120TR engine with an HL 120TRM of the same power, as well as installing a bumper under the gun barrel on some of the tanks to bend the antenna located on the hull when the turret is rotated. A total of 300 tanks of this modification were ordered, but already in March 1938 the order was reduced to 140 units, as a result of which from September 1938 to August 1939, according to various sources, 140 or 134 tanks were produced, while 6 chassis were transferred for conversion into bridge laying machines.

Museum Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D with additional armor

The next modification, Ausf.D, was produced in two series - 4.Serie/B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. The most noticeable external change was the return to the broken upper frontal plate of the hull and the forward machine gun, which received enhanced protection. The internal mantlet of the gun, which proved vulnerable to lead splashes from bullet hits, was replaced with an external one. The thickness of the side and rear armor of the hull and turret was increased to 20 mm. In January 1938, Krupp received an order for the production of 200 4.Serie/B.W. and 48 5.Serie/B.W., but during production, from October 1939 to May 1941, only 229 of them were completed as tanks, while the remaining 19 were allocated for the construction of specialized variants. Some of the later Ausf.D tanks were produced in a “tropical” version (German tropen or Tp.), with additional ventilation holes in the engine compartment. A number of sources speak of armor reinforcement carried out in units or during repairs in 1940-1941, which was carried out by bolting additional 20-mm sheets onto the upper side and front plates of the tank. According to other sources, later production vehicles were standardly equipped with additional 20 mm side and 30 mm frontal armor plates of the Ausf.E type. Several Ausf.Ds were re-equipped with long-barreled KwK 40 L/48 guns in 1943, but these converted tanks were used only as training tanks.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B or Ausf.C during exercises. November 1943.

The appearance of a new modification, 6.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.E, was caused primarily by the insufficient armor protection of the vehicles early episodes, demonstrated during the Polish campaign. On the Ausf.E, the thickness of the lower frontal plate was increased to 50 mm; in addition, the installation of additional 30 mm plates above the upper front and 20 mm above the side plates became standard, although on a small part of early production tanks additional 30 mm plates were not were installed. The armor protection of the turret, however, remained the same - 30 mm for the front plate, 20 mm for the side and rear plates and 35 mm for the gun mantlet. A new commander's cupola was introduced, with vertical armor thickness from 50 to 95 mm. The slope of the rear wall of the turret was also reduced, which was now made of a single sheet, without a “swell” for the turret, and on late-production vehicles an unarmored box for equipment began to be attached to the rear of the turret. In addition, the Ausf.E tanks were distinguished by a number of less noticeable changes - a new driver's viewing device, simplified drive and guide wheels, an improved design of various hatches and inspection hatches, and the introduction of a turret fan. The order for the sixth series of Pz.Kpfw.IV amounted to 225 units and was completed in full between September 1940 and April 1941, in parallel with the production of Ausf.D tanks.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F. Finland, 1941.

Shielding with additional armor (on average 10-12 mm), used on previous modifications, was irrational and was considered only as a temporary solution, which was the reason for the appearance of the next modification, 7.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.F. Instead of using mounted armor, the thickness of the frontal upper plate of the hull, the frontal plate of the turret and the gun mantlet was increased to 50 mm, and the thickness of the sides of the hull and the sides and rear of the turret was increased to 30 mm. The broken upper front plate of the hull was again replaced with a straight one, but this time with the preservation of the forward-facing machine gun, and the side hatches of the turret received double doors. Due to the fact that the mass of the tank after the changes increased by 22.5% compared to the Ausf.A, wider tracks were introduced to reduce the specific ground pressure. Other, less noticeable changes included the introduction of ventilation air intakes in the middle front plate to cool the brakes, a different location of mufflers and slightly modified viewing devices due to the thickening of the armor and the installation of a directional machine gun. With the Ausf.F modification, companies other than Krupp joined the production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV for the first time. The latter received the first order for 500 vehicles of the seventh series; later orders for 100 and 25 units were received by Womag and Nibelungenwerke. Of this quantity, from April 1941 to March 1942, before production switched to the Ausf.F2 modification, 462 Ausf.F tanks were produced, 25 of which were converted to Ausf.F2 at the factory.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. Yugoslavia, 1941.

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2 - Ausf.J

Although the main purpose of the 75-mm Pz.Kpfw.IV cannon was to destroy unarmored or lightly armored targets, the presence of an armor-piercing projectile in its ammunition allowed the tank to successfully fight armored vehicles protected by bulletproof or light anti-ballistic armor. But against tanks with powerful anti-ballistic armor, such as the British Matilda or the Soviet KV and T-34, it turned out to be completely ineffective. Back in 1940 - early 1941, the successful combat use of the Matilda intensified work to re-equip the PzIV with a weapon with better anti-tank capabilities. On February 19, 1941, by personal order of A. Hitler, work began on arming the tank with a 50-mm Kw.K.38 L/42 cannon, which was also installed on the Pz.Kpfw.III, and subsequently work began on strengthening the Pz.Kpfw's armament. IV also advanced under his control. In April, one Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D was re-equipped with the newer, more powerful, 50 mm Kw.K.39 L/60 cannon for demonstration to Hitler for his birthday, April 20. It was even planned to produce a series of 80 tanks with such weapons from August 1941, but by that time the interest of the Armament Directorate (Heereswaffenamt) had shifted to the 75 mm long-barreled gun and these plans were abandoned.

Since the Kw.K.39 had already been approved as armament for the Pz.Kpfw.III, it was decided to choose an even more powerful gun for the Pz.Kpfw.IV, which could not be installed on the Pz.Kpfw.III with its smaller turret ring diameter . Since March 1941, Krupp, as an alternative to the 50-mm cannon, has been considering a new 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 40 calibers, intended for re-equipping the StuG.III assault guns. At a distance of 400 meters, it penetrated 70 mm armor at an angle of 60°, but since the Armament Directorate required that the gun barrel not protrude beyond the dimensions of the tank hull, its length was reduced to 33 calibers, which resulted in a decrease in armor penetration to 59 mm under the same conditions. It was also planned to develop a sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile with a separating pan, which would penetrate 86 mm armor under the same conditions. Work to re-equip the Pz.Kpfw.IV with a new gun progressed successfully, and in December 1941 the first prototype with a 7.5 cm Kw.K gun was built. L/34.5.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F2. France, July 1942.

Meanwhile, the invasion of the USSR began, during which German troops encountered T-34 and KV tanks, which were low-vulnerable to the main tank and anti-tank guns of the Wehrmacht and at the same time carried a 76-mm cannon that pierced the frontal armor of German tanks, which were then practically in service with the Panzerwaffe. at any real combat distances. The Special Tank Commission, sent to the front in November 1941 to study this issue, recommended the rearmament of German tanks with a weapon that would allow them to hit soviet cars from long distances, remaining outside the radius of effective fire from the latter. On November 18, 1941, the development of a tank gun was initiated, similar in its capabilities to the new 75-mm anti-tank gun Pak 40. Such a gun, initially designated Kw.K.44, was developed jointly by Krupp and Rheinmetall. The barrel passed to it from the anti-tank gun without changes, but since the latter's shots were too long for use in a tank, a shorter and thicker sleeve was developed for the tank gun, which entailed reworking the breech of the gun and reducing the overall length of the barrel to 43 calibers. The Kw.K.44 also received a single-chamber spherical muzzle brake, which differed from the anti-tank gun. In this form, the gun was adopted as the 7.5 cm Kw.K.40 L/43.

Pz.Kpfw.IVs with the new gun were initially designated as "converted" (German: 7.Serie/B.W.-Umbau or Ausf.F-Umbau), but soon received the designation Ausf.F2, while the Ausf.F vehicles with the old ones The guns began to be called Ausf.F1 to avoid confusion. The designation of the tank according to the unified system changed to Sd.Kfz.161/1. With the exception of a different gun and associated minor changes, such as the installation of a new sight, new firing positions and slightly modified armor for the gun's recoil devices, the early Ausf.F2s were identical to the Ausf.F1 tanks. After a month's break associated with the transition to a new modification, production of the Ausf.F2 began in March 1942 and continued until July of the same year. A total of 175 tanks of this variant were produced and another 25 were converted from Ausf.F1.

Tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G (tail number 727) of the 1st Panzergrenadier Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler". The vehicle was hit by artillerymen of the 4th battery of the 595th anti-tank artillery regiment in the area of ​​the street. Sumskaya in Kharkov, on the night of March 11-12, 1943. On the frontal armor plate, almost in the center, two entrance holes from 76-mm shells are visible.

The appearance of the next modification of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was not initially caused by any changes in the design of the tank. In June - July 1942, by orders of the Armament Directorate, the designation of Pz.Kpfw.IV with long-barreled guns was changed to 8.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.G, and in October the designation Ausf.F2 was finally abolished for previously produced tanks of this modification. The first tanks, released as Ausf.G, were thus identical to their predecessors, but as production continued, more and more changes were made to the tank's design. Ausf.G of early releases still carried the index Sd.Kfz.161/1 according to the end-to-end designation system, which was replaced by Sd.Kfz.161/2 on vehicles of later releases. The first changes, made already in the summer of 1942, included a new two-chamber pear-shaped muzzle brake, the elimination of viewing devices in the front side plates of the turret and the loader's inspection hatch in its frontal plate, the transfer of smoke grenade launchers from the rear of the hull to the sides of the turret and a system for facilitating launch in winter conditions.

Since the 50 mm frontal armor of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was still insufficient, not providing adequate protection against 57 mm and 76 mm guns, it was again reinforced by welding or, on later production vehicles, bolting additional 30-mm mm of plates above the upper and lower frontal plates of the hull. The thickness of the front plate of the turret and gun mantlet, however, was still 50 mm and did not increase during further modernization of the tank. The introduction of additional armor began with the Ausf.F2, when 8 tanks with increased armor thickness were produced in May 1942, but progress was slow. By November, only about half of the vehicles were produced with reinforced armor, and only from January 1943 did it become standard for all new tanks. Another significant change introduced to the Ausf.G from the spring of 1943 was the replacement of the Kw.K.40 L/43 gun with the Kw.K.40 L/48 with a 48-caliber barrel length, which had slightly higher armor penetration. Production of the Ausf.G continued until June 1943; a total of 1,687 tanks of this modification were produced. Of this number, about 700 tanks received reinforced armor and 412 received the Kw.K.40 L/48 gun.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H with side screens and zimmerit coating. USSR, July 1944.

The next modification, Ausf.H, became the most widespread. The first tanks under this designation, which rolled off the assembly line in April 1943, differed from the last Ausf.G only in the thickening of the front turret roof sheet to 16 mm and the rear one to 25 mm, as well as reinforced final drives with cast drive wheels, but the first 30 tanks Ausf.H, due to delays in the supply of new components, only received a thicker roof. Since the summer of the same year, instead of additional 30 mm hull armor, solid-rolled 80 mm plates were introduced to simplify production. In addition, hinged anti-cumulative screens made of 5 mm sheets were introduced, installed on most Ausf.H. In this regard, viewing devices on the sides of the hull and turret were eliminated as unnecessary. Since September, tanks have been coated with vertical armor with Zimmerit to protect them from magnetic mines.

Ausf.H tanks of later production received a turret mount for the MG-42 machine gun at the commander's cupola hatch, as well as a vertical rear plate instead of the inclined one that was present on all previous modifications of the tanks. During production, we also introduced various changes, aimed at reducing the cost and simplifying production, such as the introduction of non-rubber support rollers and the elimination of the driver's periscope viewing device. From December 1943, the frontal hull plates began to be connected to the side joints in a “tenon” manner to enhance resistance to shell hits. Production of the Ausf.H continued until July 1944. Data on the number of tanks of this modification produced, given in various sources, vary somewhat, from 3935 chassis, of which 3774 were completed as tanks, to 3960 chassis and 3839 tanks.

The German medium tank Pz.Kpfw destroyed on the Eastern Front. IV lying upside down on the side of the road. Part of the caterpillar in contact with the ground is missing, in the same place there are no rollers with a fragment of the lower part of the hull, a bottom sheet is torn off, and the second caterpillar is torn off. The upper part of the car, as far as one can judge, does not suffer such fatal damage. A typical picture of a landmine explosion.

The appearance of the Ausf.J modification on assembly lines in June 1944 was associated with the desire to reduce the cost and simplify the production of the tank as much as possible in the conditions of Germany's deteriorating strategic position. The only, but significant, change that distinguished the first Ausf.J from the last Ausf.H was the elimination of the electric drive for turning the turret and the associated auxiliary carburetor engine with a generator. Soon after the start of production of the new modification, the pistol ports in the stern and sides of the turret, which were useless due to the screens, were eliminated, and the design of other hatches was simplified. Since July, an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 liters began to be installed in place of the liquidated auxiliary engine, but the fight against its leakage dragged on until September 1944. In addition, the 12-mm hull roof began to be reinforced by welding additional 16-mm sheets. All subsequent changes were aimed at further simplifying the design, the most notable among them being the abandonment of the Zimmerit coating in September and the reduction in the number of support rollers to three per side in December 1944. Production of tanks of the Ausf.J modification continued almost until the very end of the war, until March 1945, but a decrease in production rates associated with the weakening of German industry and difficulties with the supply of raw materials led to the fact that only 1,758 tanks of this modification were produced.

Production volumes of the T-4 tank

Design

The Pz.Kpfw.IV had a layout with a combined transmission and control compartment located in the front, an engine compartment in the rear, and a fighting compartment in the middle part of the vehicle. The tank's crew consisted of five people: a driver and gunner-radio operator, located in the control compartment, and a gunner, loader and tank commander, located in a three-man turret.

Armored hull and turret

The turret of the PzKpfw IV tank made it possible to modernize the tank's gun. Inside the turret there was a commander, gunner and loader. The commander's position was located directly under the commander's cupola, the gunner was located to the left of the breech of the gun, and the loader was located to the right. Additional protection was provided by anti-cumulative screens, which were also installed on the sides. The commander's cupola at the rear of the turret gave the tank good visibility. The tower had an electric drive for rotation.

Soviet soldiers examine a broken German Pz.Kpfw tank. IV Ausf. H (single-leaf hatch and absence of three-barrel grenade launchers on the turret). The tank is painted in three-color camouflage. Oryol-Kursk direction.

Surveillance and communications equipment

In non-combat conditions, the tank commander, as a rule, conducted observation while standing in the hatch of the commander's cupola. In battle, to view the area, he had five wide viewing slits around the perimeter of the commander's cupola, giving him an all-round view. The commander's viewing slits, like those of all other crew members, were equipped with a protective triplex glass block on the inside. On the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A the viewing slots did not have any additional cover, but on the Ausf.B the slots were equipped with sliding armor flaps; in this form, the commander’s viewing devices remained unchanged on all subsequent modifications. In addition, on tanks of early modifications, the commander's cupola had a mechanical device for determining the target's heading angle, with the help of which the commander could carry out precise target designation to the gunner, who had a similar device. However, due to excessive complexity, this system was eliminated, starting with the Ausf.F2 modification. The gunner's and loader's viewing devices on Ausf.A - Ausf.F consisted of, for each of them: a viewing hatch with an armored cover without viewing slots, in the front plate of the turret on the sides of the gun mantlet; an inspection hatch with a slot in the front side sheets and an inspection slot in the turret side hatch cover. Starting with the Ausf.G, as well as on some of the Ausf.F2 of late production, the inspection devices in the front side plates and the loader's inspection hatch in the front plate were eliminated. On some tanks of the Ausf.H and Ausf.J modifications, due to the installation of anti-cumulative screens, the viewing devices on the sides of the turret were completely eliminated.

The main means of observation for the driver of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was a wide viewing slot in the front hull plate. On the inside, the gap was protected by a triplex glass block; on the outside, on the Ausf.A it could be closed with a simple folding armor flap; on the Ausf.B and subsequent modifications, it could be closed with a Sehklappe 30 or 50 sliding flap, which was also used on the Pz.Kpfw.III. A periscope binocular viewing device K.F.F.1 was located above the viewing slit on Ausf.A, but it was eliminated on Ausf.B - Ausf.D. On Ausf.E - Ausf.G the viewing device appeared in the form of an improved K.F.F.2, but starting with Ausf.H it was abandoned again. The device was brought out into two holes in the front plate of the body and, if there was no need for it, was moved to the right. The radio operator-gunner on most modifications did not have any means of viewing the frontal sector, in addition to the sight of the forward machine gun, but on Ausf.B, Ausf.C and parts of Ausf.D, in place of the machine gun there was a hatch with a viewing slot in it. Similar hatches were located in the side plates on most Pz.Kpfw.IVs, being eliminated only on Ausf.Js due to the installation of anti-cumulative shields. In addition, the driver had a turret position indicator, one of two lights warned about the turret turning to one side or another in order to avoid damage to the gun when driving in cramped conditions.

For external communications, Pz.Kpfw.IV platoon commanders and above were equipped with a Fu 5 model VHF radio station and a Fu 2 receiver. Line tanks were equipped only with a Fu 2 receiver. FuG5 had a transmitter power of 10 W and provided a communication range of 9.4 km in telegraph and 6.4 km in telephone mode. For internal communications, all Pz.Kpfw.IVs were equipped with a tank intercom for four crew members, with the exception of the loader.

Attempts to improve the tank's protection led to the appearance of the "Ausfuhrung G" modification at the end of 1942. The designers knew that the weight limit that the chassis could withstand had already been chosen, so they had to make a compromise solution - dismantling the 20-mm side screens that were installed on all “fours”, starting with the “E” model, while simultaneously increasing the base armor of the hull to 30 mm, and due to the saved weight, install 30 mm thick overhead screens in the frontal part.

Another measure to increase the tank's security was the installation of removable anti-cumulative screens ("schurzen") 5 mm thick on the sides of the hull and turret; adding screens increased the weight of the vehicle by about 500 kg. In addition, the gun's single-chamber muzzle brake was replaced with a more effective two-chamber one. The appearance of the vehicle also underwent a number of other changes: instead of the aft smoke launcher, built-in blocks of smoke grenade launchers began to be mounted in the corners of the turret, and the openings for launching flares in the driver and gunner hatches were eliminated.

By the end of the serial production of the PzKpfw IV "Ausfuhrung G" tanks, their standard main weapon became a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers, and the commander's cupola hatch became single-leaf. The PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tanks of later production are almost identical in appearance to the early vehicles of the Ausf.N modification. From May 1942 to June 1943, 1687 tanks of the Ausf.G model were manufactured, an impressive figure considering that in five years, from the end of 1937 to the summer of 1942, 1300 PzKpfw IV of all modifications were built (Ausf.A -F2), chassis No. - 82701-84400.

In 1944 it was manufactured tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.G with hydrostatic drive wheels. The drive design was developed by specialists from the Tsanradfabrik company in Augsburg. The main Maybach engine drove two oil pumps, which in turn activated two hydraulic motors connected by output shafts to the drive wheels. The entire power plant was located in the rear of the hull; accordingly, the drive wheels had a rear location, rather than the front one, which is usual for the PzKpfw IV. The speed of the tank was controlled by the driver, controlling the oil pressure created by the pumps.

After the war, the experimental machine came to the USA and was tested by specialists from the Vickers company from Detroit, this company at that time was engaged in work in the field of hydrostatic drives. The tests had to be interrupted due to material failures and a lack of spare parts. Currently, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tank with hydrostatic drive wheels is on display in the US Army Tank Museum, Aberdeen, USA. Maryland.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.H (Sd.Kfz. 161/2)

The installation of a long-barreled 75 mm gun turned out to be a rather controversial measure. The gun led to excessive overload of the front part of the tank, the front springs were under constant pressure, and the tank acquired a tendency to sway even when moving on a flat surface. It was possible to get rid of the unpleasant effect with the “Ausfuhrung H” modification, which was put into production in March 1943.

On tanks of this model, the integral armor of the frontal part of the hull, superstructure and turret was strengthened to 80 mm. The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H tank weighed 26 tons and even despite the use of the new SSG-77 transmission, its characteristics turned out to be lower than those of the “fours” of previous models, so the speed of movement over rough terrain decreased by no less than 15 km, the specific pressure on the ground, the acceleration characteristics of the vehicle dropped. On experimental tank The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H was tested with a hydrostatic transmission, but tanks with such a transmission did not go into mass production.

During the production process, many minor modifications were introduced to the Ausf.H model tanks, in particular, they began to install all-steel rollers without rubber, the shape of the drive wheels and idlers changed, a turret for the MG-34 anti-aircraft machine gun appeared on the commander's cupola ("Fligerbeschussgerat 42" - installation of an anti-aircraft machine gun), the tower embrasures for firing pistols and the hole in the roof of the tower for launching signal flares were eliminated.

Ausf.H tanks were the first "fours" to use Zimmerit antimagnetic coating; Only the vertical surfaces of the tank were supposed to be covered with zimmerit, but in practice the coating was applied to all surfaces that could be reached by an infantryman standing on the ground; on the other hand, there were also tanks on which only the forehead of the hull and superstructure were covered with zimmerit. Zimmerit was applied both in factories and in the field.

Tanks of the Ausf.H modification became the most popular among all PzKpfw IV models, 3,774 of them were built, production ceased in the summer of 1944. Factory chassis numbers - 84401-89600, some of these chassis served as the basis for the construction of assault guns.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.J (Sd.Kfz.161/2)

The last model launched into the series was the modification "Ausfuhrung J". Vehicles of this variant began to enter service in June 1944. From a design point of view, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.J represented a step back.

Instead of an electric drive for turning the turret, a manual one was installed, but it became possible to install an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 liters. The increase in the cruising range on the highway from 220 km to 300 km (on the off-road - from 130 km to 180 km) due to the placement of additional fuel seemed extremely important decision, since panzer divisions increasingly played the role of “fire brigades”, which were transferred from one sector of the Eastern Front to another.

An attempt to somewhat reduce the weight of the tank was the installation of welded wire anti-cumulative screens (such screens were called “Tom screens”, after the surname of General Tom). Such screens were installed only on the sides of the hull, and the previous screens made of sheet steel remained on the towers. On tanks of late production, three rollers were installed instead of four, and vehicles were also produced with steel road wheels without rubber.

Almost all modifications were aimed at reducing the labor intensity of manufacturing tanks, including: the elimination of all embrasures on the tank for firing pistols and extra viewing slots (only the driver's, in the commander's cupola and in the frontal armor plate of the tower remained), installation of simplified towing loops , replacing the muffler with an exhaust system with two simple pipes. Another attempt to improve the vehicle's security was to increase the armor of the turret roof by 18 mm and the rear armor by 26 mm.

Production of PzKpfw IV Ausf.J tanks ceased in March 1945; a total of 1,758 vehicles were built.

By 1944, it became clear that the design of the tank had exhausted all reserves for modernization; a revolutionary attempt to increase the combat effectiveness of the PzKpfw IV by installing a turret from the Panther tank, armed with a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 70 calibers, was not crowned with success - the chassis turned out to be too overloaded. Before installing the Panther turret, the designers tried to squeeze the Panther cannon into the turret of the PzKpfw IV tank. Installation wooden model The gun showed the complete impossibility of crew members working in the turret due to the tightness created by the breech of the gun. As a consequence of this failure, the idea was born to mount the entire turret from the Panther on the Pz.IV hull.

Due to the constant modernization of tanks during factory repairs, it is not possible to accurately determine how many tanks of one modification or another were built. Very often there were various hybrid options, for example, turrets from Ausf.G were installed on the hulls of the Ausf.D model.

On January 11, 1934, at a meeting of the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate, the basic principles of arming tank divisions were approved. Soon after this, a prototype of the future PzKpfw IV tank was born, which for conspiracy purposes was called the already familiar definition of “medium tractor” - Mittleren Tractor. When the need for secrecy disappeared and the combat vehicle began to be openly called the tank of the battalion commander - Batail-lonfuhrerswagen (BW).

This name lasted until the introduction of a unified designation system for German tanks, when the BW finally became the PzKpfw IV medium tank. Medium tanks were supposed to serve as infantry support. The weight of the vehicle was not supposed to exceed 24 tons, and it was supposed to be armed with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon. It was decided to borrow the general layout, the thickness of the armor plates, the principle of crew placement and other characteristics from the previous tank, the PzKpfw III. Work on creating a new tank began in 1934. The Rheinmetall-Borsig company was the first to present a plywood model of the future machine, and the following year a real prototype appeared, designated VK 2001/Rh.

The prototype was made of mild welded steel and weighed approximately 18 tons. No sooner had he left the walls of the manufacturing plant than he was immediately sent for testing to Kummersdorf. (It was in Kummersdorf that Adolf Hitler first became acquainted with Wehrmacht tanks. During this familiarization trip, Hitler showed great interest in the issues of motorization of the army and the creation of armored forces. Chief of Staff of the Armored Forces Guderian arranged demonstration tests of motorized mechanized forces for the Reich Chancellor. Hitler was shown motorcycle and anti-tank platoons , as well as platoons of light and heavy armored vehicles. According to Guderian, the Fuhrer was very pleased with the visit.)

PzKpfw IV and PzKpfw III tanks at Tankfest in Bovington

Daimler-Benz, Krupp and MAN also built their prototypes of the new tank. Krupp presented combat vehicle, almost similar to the prototype of the platoon commander’s vehicle they had previously proposed and rejected. After the tests, the technical department of the tank forces chose the VK 2001/K version, proposed by Krupp, for mass production, making minor changes to its design. In 1936, the first prototype of the 7.5 cm Geschiitz-Panzerwagen tank (VsKfz 618) was built, an armored vehicle with a 75 mm cannon (experimental model 618).

The initial order was for 35 vehicles, which were produced by the Friedrich Krupp AG factories in Essen between October 1936 and March 1937. Thus began the production of the most massive German tank, which remained in service with the armored forces of the Third Reich until the very end of the war. The PzKpfw IV medium tank owes its high combat characteristics entirely to the designers, who brilliantly coped with the task of enhancing the armor and firepower of the tank without making significant changes to the basic design.

MODIFICATIONS OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A became the model for the creation of all subsequent modifications. The armament of the new tank consisted of a 75mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon, coaxial with a turret machine gun, and a front-mounted machine gun located in the hull. The power plant was a 12-cylinder carburetor liquid-cooled Maybach HL 108TR engine, which developed a power of 250 hp. The hull also housed an additional engine that drove an electric generator, which provided power to the electric drive for rotating the turret. The combat weight of the tank was 17.3 tons, the thickness of the frontal armor reached 20 mm.

A characteristic feature of the Pz IV Ausf A tank was the cylindrical commander's cupola with eight viewing slots covered with armored glass blocks.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A

The chassis, applied to one side, consisted of eight road wheels, interlocked in pairs into four bogies, suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs. There were four small road wheels on top. The drive wheel is front-mounted. The guide wheel (sloth) had a mechanism for tensioning the tracks. It should be noted that this design of the chassis of the PzKpfw IV Ausf A tank was practically not subject to significant changes in the future. The PzKpfw IV Ausf A tank is the first production tank of this type.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A (SdKfz 161)

Date of creation......................... 1935 (the first tank appeared in 1937)
Combat weight (t) ........................... 18.4
Dimensions (m):
length........................5.0
width........................2.9
height........................2.65
Armament: ............ main 1 x 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon secondary 2 x 7.92 mm MG 13 machine guns
Ammunition - main...................122 rounds
Armor (mm): ....................maximum 15 minimum 5
Engine type...................Maybach HL 108 TR (3000 rpm)
Maximum power (hp) .................250
Crew...................5 people
Maximum speed (km/h) ..................32
Cruising range (km)....................150

The following tank modification: PzKpfw IV Ausf B- featured an improved Maybach HL 120TRM engine with a power of 300 hp. at 3000 rpm and a new six-speed ZFSSG 76 gearbox instead of the five-speed SSG 75. The main difference between the PzKpfw FV Ausf B was the use of a straight body plate instead of the broken one of its predecessor. At the same time, the front-mounted machine gun was dismantled. In its place was a radio operator’s viewing device, which could fire personal weapons through the loophole. Frontal armor increased to 30 mm, thanks to which combat mass increased to 17.7 tons. The commander's cupola also underwent changes, whose viewing slots were covered with removable covers. The order for the new “four” (still called 2/BW) was 45 vehicles, however, due to a lack of necessary parts and materials, the Krupp company was able to produce only 42.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf B

Tanks PzKpfw IV version Ausf C appeared in 1938 and differed very little from the Ausf B vehicles. Externally, these tanks are so similar that it can be very difficult to distinguish them. An additional similarity with the previous version is given by a straight frontal plate without an MG machine gun, instead of which an additional viewing device has appeared. Minor changes affected the introduction of an armored casing for the barrel of the MG-34 machine gun, as well as the installation of a special bumper under the gun, which bent the antenna when turning the turret, preventing it from breaking. In total, approximately 140 units of 19-ton Ausf C tanks were produced.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf C

Tanks of the next model - PzKpfw IV D- received an improved design of the gun mantlet. The practice of using tanks forced a return to the original design of a broken front plate (as on the PzKpfw IV Ausf A tanks). The front machine gun mount was protected by a square armor casing, and the side and rear armor increased from 15 to 20 mm. After the new tanks were tested, the following entry appeared in the military circular (No. 685 dated September 27, 1939): “PzKpfw IV (with a 75-mm cannon) SdKfz 161 is from now on declared suitable for successful use in military formations.” .

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf D

A total of 222 Ausf D tanks were produced, with which Germany entered World War II. During the Polish campaign, several “fours” ingloriously returned from the battlefields to their homeland for repairs and modifications. It turned out that the thickness of the armor of the new tanks was insufficient to ensure their safety, so additional armor plates were urgently required to protect the most important components. It is curious that in the reports of the English military intelligence At that time, there was an assumption that the strengthening of the combat armor of tanks often took place “illegally”, without corresponding orders from above, and sometimes even in spite of it. Thus, an order from the German military command intercepted by the British strictly prohibited the unauthorized welding of additional armor plates onto the hulls of German tanks. The order explained that “makeshift* fastening of armor plates does not increase, but reduces the protection of the tank, therefore the Wehrmacht command ordered commanders to strictly follow the instructions regulating the work to enhance the armor protection of combat vehicles.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf E

Soon the long-awaited “quartet” was born PzKpfw IV Ausf E, the design of which took into account all the previously identified shortcomings of the PzKpfw IV Ausf D. First of all, this related to increased armor protection. Now the 30 mm frontal armor of the hull was protected by additional 30 mm plates, and the sides were covered with 20 mm sheets. All these changes led to the fact that the combat weight increased to 21 tons. In addition, the Pz-4 Ausf E tanks had a new commander's cupola, which now almost did not extend beyond the turret. The course machine gun received a Kugelblende 30 ball mount. A box for spare parts and equipment was mounted on the rear wall of the turret. The chassis used new simplified drive wheels and wider tracks of a new type with a width of 400 mm instead of the old ones with a width of 360 mm.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1

The next option was a tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1. These tanks had a solid front plate 50 mm thick and 30 mm sides. The forehead of the turret also received 50 mm armor. This tank was the last model armed with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon with a low muzzle velocity.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F2

Soon, Hitler personally ordered the replacement of this ineffective gun with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L/43 - thus the medium tank was born PzKpfw IV F2. The new weapon required changes to the design of the turret's fighting compartment in order to accommodate the increased ammunition load. 32 shots out of 87 were now placed in the turret. The initial speed of a conventional armor-piercing projectile has now increased to 740 m/s (versus 385 m/s for the previous gun), and armor penetration has increased by 48 mm and amounted to 89 mm versus the previous 41 mm (with an armor-piercing projectile at a range of 460 meters at an impact angle of 30°) . The new powerful weapon immediately and forever changed the role and place of the new tank in the German armored forces. In addition, the PzKpfw IV received a new Turmzielfernrohr TZF Sf sight and a gun mantlet of a different shape. From now on, the PzKpfw III medium tank fades into the background, content with the role of an infantry support and escort tank, and the PzKpfw IV for a long time becomes the main “assault” tank of the Wehrmacht. In addition to Krupp-Gruson AG, two more enterprises joined the production of PzKpfw IV tanks: VOMAG and Nibelungenwerke. The appearance on the theater of operations of the modernized Pz IV “fours” significantly complicated the position of the allies, since the new gun allowed the German tank to successfully fight against most of the armored vehicles of the USSR and coalition member countries. In total, 1,300 early Ausf fours (from A to F2) were produced during the period until March 1942.

PzKpfw IV is called the main tank of the Wehrmacht. More than 8,500 “fours” formed the basis of the Wehrmacht’s tank forces, its main striking force.

The next large-scale version was the tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G. From May 1942 to June 1943, much more of them were created than vehicles of previous modifications, more than 1,600 units.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G

The very first Pz IV Ausf Gs were practically no different from the PzKpfw IV F2, but during the production process numerous changes were made to the basic design. First of all, this concerns the installation of a 75-mm KwK 40 L/48 cannon with a two-chamber muzzle brake. The upgraded version of the KwK 40 tank gun had an initial projectile speed of 750 m/s. The new model of the Quartet tank was equipped with additional 5-mm protective screens to protect the turret and sides of the hull, which received the humorous nickname “apron” among the troops. The Pz Kpfw IV Aufs G tank, produced since March 1943, was armed with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of L/48 instead of the previous one with a barrel length of 43 calibers. A total of 1,700 vehicles of this modification were produced. Despite the increased armament, the PZ-4 still could not compete with the Russian T-34.
Weak armor protection made them too vulnerable. In this photo you can see how the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G tank uses sandbags as additional protection. Of course, such measures could not significantly improve the situation.

The most popular series was the tank PzKpfw IV Ausf N, more than 4,000 units were produced, including various self-propelled guns, created on the T-4 chassis (“four”).

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf H

This tank was distinguished by the most powerful frontal armor (up to 80 mm), the introduction of 5-mm side screens of the hull and turret, the MG-34 -Fliegerbeschussgerat 41/42 anti-aircraft machine gun mount mounted on the commander's turret, a new, improved ZF SSG 77 gearbox and minor changes in the transmission. The combat weight of this modification of the Pz IV reached 25 tons. The latest version of the Quartet was the tank PzKpfw IV J, which continued to be produced until March 1945. From June 1944 to March 1945, more than 1,700 of these vehicles were produced. Tanks of this type were equipped with high-capacity fuel tanks, which increased the cruising range to 320 km. However, in general, the latest “fours” have been significantly simplified compared to previous models.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK DESIGN

TURRET AND HULL OF TANK Pz IV

The hull and turret of the Pz-4 tank were welded. There were evacuation hatches on each side of the tower for boarding and disembarking crew members.

Tank Pz IV with installed protection against cumulative shells

The tower was equipped with a commander's cupola with five viewing slots equipped with armored glass blocks - triplex and protective armor covers, which were lowered and raised using a small lever located under each slot.

Inside the Pz IV Ausf G tank. The photo was taken from the right hatch (loader).

The tower's pole rotated with her. The armament consisted of a 75-mm (short-barreled KwK 37 or long-barreled KwK 40) cannon and a coaxial turret machine gun, as well as an MG course machine gun mounted in the frontal armor of the hull in a ball mount and intended for the radio operator. This armament scheme is typical for all modifications of the “fours” with the exception of version C tanks.

Inside the Pz IV Ausf G tank. Photo taken from the left hatch (gunner).

Layout of the PzKpfw IV tank- classic, with front transmission. Inside, the tank hull was divided into three compartments by two bulkheads. The rear compartment contained the engine compartment.

As in other German tanks, a cardan shaft was thrown from the engine to the gearbox and drive wheels, running under the turret floor. Next to the engine was an auxiliary engine for the turret rotation mechanism. Because of this, the turret was shifted to the left along the axis of symmetry of the tank by 52 mm. Three fuel tanks were installed on the floor of the central fighting compartment, under the floor of the turret. total capacity 477 liters. The fighting compartment turret housed the remaining three crew members (commander, gunner and loader), weapons (a cannon and a coaxial machine gun), observation and aiming devices, vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms. The driver and radio operator firing from a machine gun mounted in a ball joint were located in the front compartment of the hull, on both sides of the gearbox.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A. View of the driver's seat.

Armor thickness of the PzKpfw IV tank was constantly increasing. The frontal armor of the T-4 was welded from rolled armor plates with surface cementation and was usually thicker and stronger than the side armor. Additional protection using armor plates was not used until the creation of the Ausf D tank. To protect the tank from bullets and cumulative shells, zimmerit coating was applied to the lower and side surfaces of the hull and the side surfaces of the turret. Testing of the T-4 Ausf G carried out by the British using the Brinell method gave the following results: front front plate in an inclined plane (outer surface) - 460-490 HB; front vertical plate (outer surface) - 500-520 HB; inner surface -250-260 HB; tower forehead (outer surface) - 490-51 0 HB; hull sides (outer surface) - 500-520 HB; inner surface - 270-280 HB; tower sides (outer surface) -340-360 HB. As mentioned above, on the “fours” latest versions additional armored “screens” were used, made of steel sheets measuring 114 x 99 cm and mounted on the sides of the hull and turret, at a distance of 38 cm from the hull. The turret was protected by 6 mm thick armor plates attached around the rear and sides, and the protective screen had hatches located exactly in front of the turret hatches.

TANK ARMAMENT.

The PzKpfw IV Ausf A - F1 tanks were equipped with a short-barreled 75-mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon with a 24-caliber barrel length, a vertical bolt and an initial projectile velocity not exceeding 385 m/s. The PzKpfw III Ausf N tanks and StuG III assault guns were equipped with exactly the same guns. The gun's ammunition included almost all types of shells: armor-piercing tracer, armor-piercing tracer sub-caliber, cumulative, high-explosive fragmentation and smoke.

View of the double-leaf escape hatch in the turret of the Pz IV tank

To rotate the gun by the required 32° (from -110 to +21, 15 full revolutions were required. The Pz IV tanks used both an electric drive and a manual drive for turning the turret. The electric drive was powered by a generator driven by a two-cylinder two-stroke water-cooled engine. For rough For target designation, a dial-clock type system was used. For this, the horizontal firing angle of the tank's turret gun, equal to 360°, was divided into twelve divisions, and the division corresponding to the traditional position of the number 12 on the clock dial indicated the direction of movement of the tank. Another transmission via a hinge shaft drove the gear ring in the commander's cupola was set in motion, this ring was also graduated from 1 to 12 a. In addition, the external scale of the cupola, corresponding to the dial of the main gun, was equipped with a fixed pointer.

View of the rear of the PZ IV tank

Thanks to this device, the commander could determine the approximate location of the target and give appropriate instructions to the gunner. The driver's position was equipped with a turret position indicator (with two lights) on all models of the PzKpfw IV tank (except Ausf J). Thanks to this device, the driver knew the location of the turret and tank gun. This was especially important when moving through the forest and in populated areas. The gun was mounted together with a coaxial machine gun and a TZF 5v telescopic sight (on early modifications of tanks); TZF 5f and TZF 5f/l (on tanks starting with PzKpfw IV Ausf E tanks). The machine gun was powered from a flexible metal strip, and the shooter fired using a special foot pedal. The telescopic 2.5x sight was equipped with scales of three ranges (for the main gun and machine gun).

View of the front part of the turret of the Pz IV tank

The MG-34 course machine gun was equipped with a KZF 2 telescopic sight. The full ammunition load consisted of 80-87 (depending on modification) artillery rounds and 2,700 rounds of ammunition for two 7.92 mm machine guns. Starting with the Ausf F2 modification, the short-barreled gun is replaced by a more powerful long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L/43 cannon, and the latest modifications (starting with Ausf H) receive an improved L/48 gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers. The short-barreled guns had a single-chamber muzzle brake, while the long-barreled ones had to be equipped with two-chamber ones. Increasing the barrel length required a counterweight. To achieve this, the latest modifications of the Pz-4 were equipped with a heavy compression spring installed in a cylinder attached to the front of the rotating turret floor.

Engine and transmission

The first versions of the PzKpfw IV were equipped with the same engine as the tanks of the PzKpfw III series - the 12-cylinder Maybach HL 108 TR with a power of 250 hp, which required gasoline with an octane rating of 74. Subsequently, they began to use the tank as a power plant. improved Maybach HL 120 TR and HL 120 TRM engines with 300 hp power. The engine as a whole was distinguished by its high reliability and resistance to temperature changes, but this did not apply to the conditions of the African heat and the sultry regions of southern Russia. To avoid the engine boiling, the driver had to drive the tank with all possible caution. Used in winter conditions special installation, which allows pumping heated liquid (ethylene glycol) from a working tank into a tank that needed to be started. Unlike the PzKpfw III tanks, the engine of the T-4 was located asymmetrically, on the right side of the hull. The small-link caterpillars of the T-4 tank consisted of 101 or 99 links (starting from F1) with a width (variants) of the PzKpfw IV Ausf A -E 360 mm, and in the Ausf F-J - 400 mm, their total weight was close to 1300 kg. The tension of the caterpillar was adjusted using rear guide wheel mounted on an eccentric axis. The ratchet mechanism prevented the axle from turning backward and causing the track to sag.

TRACK REPAIR.
Each crew of the Pz IV tank had at its disposal an industrial belt of the same width as the tracks. The edges of the belt were perforated so that the holes coincided with the teeth of the drive wheel. If the track failed, a belt was attached to the damaged area, passed over the support rollers and attached to the teeth of the drive wheel. After this, the engine and transmission were started. The drive wheel turned and pulled the track and belt forward until the track caught on the wheel. Anyone who has ever had to lift a heavy long caterpillar“in the old-fashioned way” - using a piece of rope or fingers, he will appreciate what a salvation this simple scheme was for the crew.

BATTLE RECORD OF Pz IV TANK

The “four” began their combat journey in Poland, where, despite their small numbers, they immediately became a noticeable strike force. On the eve of the invasion of Poland, there were almost twice as many “fours” in the Wehrmacht troops as “threes” - 211 versus 98. The fighting qualities of the “fours” immediately attracted the attention of Heinz Guderian, who from that moment on would constantly insist on increasing their production. Of the 217 tanks lost by Germany during the 30-day war with Poland, there were only 19 “fours”. In order to better imagine the Polish stage of the PzKpfw IV’s combat path, let’s turn to the documents. Here I want to introduce readers to the history of the 35th Tank Regiment, which took part in the occupation of Warsaw. I present to your attention excerpts from the chapter dedicated to the assault on the Polish capital, written by Hans Schaufler.

“It was the ninth day of the war. I have just joined the brigade headquarters as a liaison officer. We were standing in the small suburb of Ochota, located on the Rawa-Ruska-Warsaw road. Another attack on the Polish capital was coming. The troops are on full alert. The tanks were lined up in a column, with infantry and sappers behind them. We are waiting for the order to advance. I remember the strange calm that reigned among the troops. No rifle shots or machine gun fire were heard. Only occasionally the silence was broken by the rumble of a reconnaissance aircraft flying over the column. I was sitting in the command tank next to General von Hartlieb. To be honest, it was a bit cramped in the tank. The brigade adjutant, Captain von Harling, studied the topographic map with applied furnishings. Both radio operators clung to their radios. One listened to the message from the division headquarters, the second kept his hand on the key to immediately begin transmitting orders to the units. The engine purred loudly. Suddenly a whistle cut through the silence, the next second drowned out by a loud explosion. First it hit the right, then the left of our car, then from behind. Artillery came into action. The first groans and cries of the wounded were heard. Everything is as usual - the Polish artillerymen send us their traditional “hello”.
Finally the order was received to go on the offensive. The engines roared and the tanks moved towards Warsaw. Quite quickly we reached the suburbs of the Polish capital. Sitting in the tank, I heard the chatter of machine gun fire, the explosions of hand grenades and the clicking of bullets on the armored sides of our vehicle. Our radio operators received one message after another. “Forward to the street barricade*,” was transmitted from the headquarters of the 35th regiment. “Anti-tank gun - five tanks destroyed - there is a mined barricade ahead,” neighbors reported. “Order for the regiment! Turn straight south!" - thundered the general's bass. He had to yell above the hellish noise outside.

“Pass the message to division headquarters,” I ordered the radio operators. -We approached the outskirts of Warsaw. The streets are barricaded and mined. Turn right*. After some time, a short message comes from the regiment headquarters: -The barricades have been taken*.
And again the sound of bullets and loud explosions to the left and right of our tank... I feel like someone is pushing me in the back. “The enemy’s positions are three hundred meters ahead,” the general shouted. - Turn right!* The terrible grinding of caterpillars on the cobblestone street - and we enter a deserted square. -Faster, damn it! Even faster!* - the general shouts furiously. He's right, you can't hesitate - the Poles shoot very accurately. “We came under heavy artillery fire,” reports from the 36th Regiment. *3b regiment! - the general answers immediately. “Demand artillery cover immediately!” You can hear stones and shell fragments hitting the armor. The blows are getting stronger. Suddenly, a monstrous explosion is heard very close by, and I smash my head into the radio. The tank is tossed up and thrown to the side. The engine stalls.
Through the hatch cover I see a dazzling yellow flame.

Tank PzKpfw IV

In the fighting compartment, everything is turned upside down, gas masks, fire extinguishers, camp bowls, and other small things are lying everywhere... A few seconds of eerie numbness. Then everyone shakes themselves, looks at each other anxiously, and quickly feels themselves. Thank God, alive and well! The driver engages third gear, we wait with bated breath for the familiar sound and take a breath of relief when the tank obediently moves away. True, there is a suspicious tapping noise coming from the right track, but we are too happy to take such trifles into account. However, as it turned out, our misfortunes were far from over. Before we had time to drive a few meters, a new strong shock shook the tank and threw it to the right. From every house, from every window we were bombarded with furious machine-gun fire. From the roofs and attics, the Poles threw hand grenades and incendiary bottles with condensed gasoline at us. There were probably a hundred times more enemies than there were, but we did not turn back.

We stubbornly continued to move in a southerly direction and neither the barricades of overturned trams, twisted barbed wire and rails dug into the ground could stop us. Every now and then our tanks came under fire from anti-tank guns. “Lord, make sure they don’t knock out our tank!”- we silently prayed, fully aware that any forced stop would be the last in our lives. Meanwhile, the sound of the caterpillar became increasingly loud and threatening. Finally we drove into some kind of orchard and hid behind the trees. By this time, some units of our regiment managed to break through to the outskirts of Warsaw, but further advance became more and more difficult. Disappointing messages came over the radio every now and then: “The offensive was stopped by heavy enemy artillery fire - the tank hit a mine - the tank was hit by an anti-tank gun - artillery support is urgently required”.

We also did not manage to take a proper breath under the shade of the fruit trees. The Polish artillerymen quickly found their bearings and brought down a barrage of fierce fire on us. With every second the situation became more and more frightening. We tried to leave the shelter that had become dangerous, but it turned out that the damaged track had completely failed. Despite all our efforts, we could not even move. The situation seemed hopeless. It was necessary to repair the track on site. Our general could not even temporarily leave command of the operation; he dictated message after message, order after order. We sat idle... When the Polish guns fell silent for a while, we decided to take advantage of this short respite to inspect the damaged chassis. However, as soon as we opened the hatch cover, the fire resumed. The Poles settled somewhere very close and, remaining invisible to us, turned our car into an excellent target. After several unsuccessful attempts, we managed to climb out of the tank and, taking cover in the thorny blackberries, were finally able to inspect the damage. The results of the examination were most disappointing. The inclined frontal plate, bent by the explosion, turned out to be the most insignificant of all the damages. The chassis was in the most deplorable condition. Several sections of the tracks fell apart, with small metal parts getting lost along the way; the rest were kept on their word of honor. Not only the tracks themselves were damaged, but even the road wheels. With great difficulty, we somehow tightened up the loose parts, removed the tracks, fastened the torn tracks with new pins... It was obvious that even with the most favorable outcome, these measures would give us the opportunity to walk another couple of kilometers, but nothing more could be done in such conditions it was impossible. I had to climb back into the tank.

Even more unpleasant news awaited us there. The division headquarters reported that air support was impossible, and the artillery was not able to cope with the superior enemy forces. Therefore, we were ordered to return immediately.

The general led the retreat of his units. Tank after tank, platoon after platoon, ours retreated, and the Poles showered them with ferocious fire from their guns. In some areas, progress was so difficult that for some time we forgot about the deplorable condition of our tank. Finally, when the last tank got out of the suburb that had become hell, it was time to think about yourself. After consulting, we decided to retreat along the same route we came in. At first everything went calmly, but in this calmness we felt some kind of hidden danger. The ominous silence got on the nerves much more than the sounds of cannonade that had become familiar. None of us doubted that it was no accident that the Poles were hiding, that they were waiting for the right moment to end our lives. Slowly moving forward, we felt with our skin the hateful gaze of an invisible enemy fixed on us... Finally we got to the place where we received the first damage. A few hundred meters away lay the highway leading to the division's location. But the path to the highway was blocked by another barricade - abandoned and silent, like the rest of the surrounding area. We carefully overcame the last obstacle, entered the highway and crossed ourselves.

And then a terrible blow fell on the poorly protected stern of our tank. It was followed by another and another... Four strikes in total. The worst thing happened - we came under targeted fire from an anti-tank gun. The engine roared and the tank made a desperate attempt to escape from the shelling, but in the next second we were thrown to the side by a strong explosion. The engine stalled.
The first thought was - it’s all over, the Poles will destroy us with their next shot. What to do? They jumped out of the tank and rushed to the ground. We are waiting for what will happen... A minute passes, then another... But for some reason there is no shot. What's the matter? And suddenly we look - there is a column of black smoke above the stern of the tank. The first thought is that the engine is on fire. But where does this strange whistling sound come from? We took a closer look and couldn’t believe our eyes - it turns out that a shell fired from the barricade hit smoke bombs located at the rear of our vehicle, and the breeze blew the smoke to the skies. What saved us was that a black cloud of smoke hung just above the barricade and the Poles decided that the tank was on fire.

Revived PzKpfw IV tank

*Brigade headquarters - division headquarters* - the general tried to get in touch, but the radio was silent. Our tank looked terrible - black, dented, with a mangled rear. The completely fallen off caterpillar was lying nearby... No matter how hard it was, I had to face the truth - I had to abandon the car and try to get to my people on foot. We pulled out machine guns, took walkie-talkies and folders with documents and last time looked at the mutilated tank. My heart sank with pain... According to the instructions, the damaged tank was supposed to be blown up so that it would not fall to the enemy, but none of us could decide to do this... Instead, we disguised the vehicle as best we could with branches. In our hearts, everyone hoped that if circumstances were favorable, we would soon return and tow the car to our people...
To this day I remember with horror the way back... Covering each other with fire, in short dashes, we moved from house to house, from garden to garden... When we finally got to ours in the evening, we immediately collapsed and fell asleep .
However, I never managed to get enough sleep. After some time, I opened my eyes in horror and went cold, remembering that we had abandoned our tank... I could see it standing, defenseless, with an open turret, right opposite the Polish barricade... When I woke up again from sleep, then I heard the hoarse voice of the driver above me: “Are you with us?” I didn’t understand, half asleep, and asked: “Where?” “I found a repair car,” he explained shortly. I immediately jumped to my feet, and we went to rescue our tank. It would take a long time to tell how we got there, how we labored over the resuscitation of our mangled car. The main thing is that that night we still managed to put our command “four” into action (The author of the memoirs is most likely mistaken in calling his tank “four”. The fact is that the Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks began to re-equip command vehicles only since 1944. Most likely, we are talking about a command tank based on the Pz. Kpfw. III version D.)
When the awakened Poles tried to stop us with fire, we had already finished our work, so we quickly climbed into the tower and left. We were happy in our souls... Even though our tank was knocked out and badly damaged, we still could not abandon it to the joy of the triumphant enemy! A month-long campaign in conditions of poor Polish roads and loose, swampy soil had the most unfavorable effect on the condition of German tanks. The cars were in urgent need of repair and restoration. This circumstance, among others, influenced the postponement of the Hitler invasion of Western Europe. The Wehrmacht command was able to learn lessons from the experience of the war in Poland and made significant changes to the previously existing scheme for organizing the repair and maintenance of combat vehicles. About efficiency new system repair and restoration of Wehrmacht tanks can be judged by a newspaper article published in one of the German newspapers and reprinted in England in May 1941. The article was called “The Secret of the Combat Power of German Tanks” and contained a detailed list of measures to organize the uninterrupted operation of the repair and restoration service, which was part of in each tank division.
“The secret of the success of German tanks is largely determined by the impeccably organized system of evacuation and repair of damaged tanks, which allows all necessary operations to be carried out in the shortest possible time. The greater the distances that tanks have to cover during the march, the greater the importance of a flawlessly adjusted mechanism for repairing and maintaining failed vehicles.
1. Each tank battalion has at its disposal a special repair and restoration platoon for emergency assistance in case of minor damage. This platoon, being the smallest repair unit, is located in close proximity to the front line. The platoon includes engine repair mechanics, radio mechanics and other specialists. The platoon has at its disposal light trucks for transporting the necessary spare parts and tools, as well as a special armored repair and recovery vehicle, converted from a tank, for transporting these parts to the disabled tank. The platoon is commanded by an officer who, if necessary, can call for help from several such platoons and send them all together to the area where emergency assistance is required.

It should be especially emphasized that the efficiency of the repair and restoration platoon directly depends on the availability of the necessary spare parts, tools and appropriate transport. Since time is worth its weight in gold in combat conditions, the chief mechanic of a repair platoon always has at his disposal a supply of basic components, assemblies and parts. This allows him, without wasting a second, to be the first to go to the damaged tank and begin work, while the remaining supply of necessary materials is carried on the truck. If the damage received by the tank is so serious that it cannot be repaired on site, or repairs require for a long time, the car is sent back to the manufacturer.
2. Each tank regiment has at its disposal a repair and restoration company, which has everything necessary equipment and tools. In the mobile workshops of the repair company, experienced craftsmen charged batteries, welding work and complex engine repairs. The workshops are equipped with special cranes, milling, drilling and grinding machines, as well as special tools for plumbing, carpentry, painting and tinsmithing. Each repair and restoration company includes two repair platoons, one of which can be assigned to a specific battalion of the regiment. In practice, both platoons are constantly moving around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the recovery work cycle. Each platoon had its own truck for transporting spare parts. In addition, the repair and restoration company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles, which deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or collection point, where the tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and radio repair shops.
In practice, both platoons are constantly moving around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the cycle of restoration work. Each platoon had its own truck for transporting spare parts. In addition, the repair and restoration company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles, which deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or collection point, where the tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and radio repair shops.

3. If well-equipped repair shops exist behind the front line or in territory occupied by us, troops often use them to save transport and reduce the volume of railway traffic. In such cases, all necessary spare parts and equipment are ordered from Germany, and a staff of highly qualified craftsmen and mechanics is assigned.
It can be said with all certainty that without a thoroughly thought-out and clearly functioning scheme for the work of repair units, our valiant tankers would not have been able to cover such vast distances and win such brilliant victories in a real war*.

Before the invasion of Western Europe, the Fours still constituted an absolute minority of Panzerwaffe tanks - only 278 out of 2,574 combat vehicles. The Germans were opposed by more than 3,000 Allied vehicles, most of which were French. Moreover, many French tanks at that time were significantly superior to even the “four” so beloved by Guderian, both in terms of armor protection and weapon efficiency. However, the Germans had an undeniable advantage in strategy. In my opinion, the essence of “blitzkrieg” is best expressed in a short phrase by Heinz Guderian: “Do not touch with your fingers, but punch with your fist!” Thanks to the brilliant implementation of the “blitzkrieg” strategy, Germany easily won the French campaign, in which the PzKpfw IV was very successful. It was at this time that German tanks managed to create a formidable reputation for themselves, many times exceeding the real capabilities of these weakly armed and insufficiently armored vehicles. There were especially many PzKpfw IV tanks in Rommel's Afrika Korps, but in Africa they were assigned an auxiliary role of infantry support for too long.
In February 1941, a review of the German press, regularly published in the British press, published a special selection dedicated to the new PzKpfw IV tanks. The articles indicate that each Wehrmacht tank battalion has at its disposal a company of ten PzKpfw IV tanks, which are used, firstly , as an assault artillery gun, and secondly, as the most important element of rapidly advancing tank columns. The first purpose of the PzKpfw IV tanks was explained simply. Since field artillery is not able to instantly support armored forces in one direction or another, the PzKpfw IV took on its role with its powerful 75 mm cannon. Other advantages of using the "four" stemmed from the fact that its 75-mm gun with maximum range firing over 8,100 m could dictate the time and place of the battle, and the speed and maneuverability of the tak made it an extremely dangerous weapon.
The articles, in particular, contain examples of how six PzKpfw IV tanks were used as an artillery formation against the advancing Allied column, how they were also used as weapons for counter-battery combat, and also acted from an ambush into which British tanks were lured by several German armored vehicles. In addition, PzKpfw IVs were also used in defensive operations, an example of which is the following episode of the African campaign. On June 16, 1941, the Germans surrounded British troops in the Capuzzo area. This was preceded by an unsuccessful attempt by the British to break through to Tobruk and recapture the fortress besieged by Rommel’s troops. On June 15, they rounded the mountain range southeast of the Halfaya pass and advanced northward through Ridot ta Capuzzo almost to Bardia. This is how a direct participant in the events from the British side recalls it:

“Armored vehicles stretched out along a wide front. They moved in twos or threes, and if they met serious resistance, they immediately turned back. The vehicles were followed by infantry in trucks. This was the start of a full-scale attack. Tank crews fired to kill, the fire accuracy was 80-90%. They positioned their tanks so that their front and sides faced our positions. This allowed the Germans to effectively hit our guns while remaining motionless. They rarely fired while moving. In some cases, PzKpfw IV tanks suddenly opened fire from their guns, and they did not shoot at any specific target, but simply creating a wall of fire as they moved at ranges of 2000-3600 m. All this was done in order to terrify the our defenders. To be honest, they succeeded quite well.”

The first clash between American and German troops in Tunisia occurred on November 26, 1942, when troops of the 190th Tank Battalion of the Afrika Korps in the Mateur area came into contact with the 2nd Battalion of the 13th Regiment of the 1st Tank Division. The Germans in this area had approximately three PzKpfw III tanks and at least six new PzKpfw IV tanks with long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 guns. This is how this episode is described in the book “Old Ironsides”.
“While enemy forces were gathering from the north, Waters’ battalion wasted no time. Having dug deep lines of defense, camouflaged their tanks and done other necessary work, they not only had time to prepare for the meeting with the enemy, but even carved out an extra day of respite for themselves. The next day the head of a German column appeared. Siglin's company prepared to rush towards the enemy. An assault gun platoon under the command of Lieutenant Ray Wasker moved forward to intercept and destroy the enemy. Three 75-mm howitzers on the chassis of half-track armored personnel carriers, located on the edge of a dense olive grove, allowed the Germans to approach approximately 900 m and opened rapid fire. However, hitting enemy tanks was not such an easy task. The Germans quickly retreated and, almost completely hidden by clouds of sand and dust, responded with volleys of their powerful guns. The shells exploded very close to our positions, but for the time being did not cause any serious damage.

Soon Wasker received an order from the battalion commander to set fire to smoke bombs and withdraw his self-propelled guns. artillery installations to a safe distance. At this time, Siglin's company, consisting of 12 M3 General Stewart light tanks, attacked the enemy's western flank. The first platoon managed to break through closest to the enemy positions, but the Italo-German troops were not at a loss, quickly found the target and brought down the full power of their guns on it. In a matter of minutes, Company A lost six of its tanks, but despite this, it still managed to push back the enemy vehicles, turning them with their rear towards the positions of Company B. This played a decisive role in the battle. Company B brought down the fire of its guns on the most vulnerable spots of the German tanks and, without allowing the enemy to come to their senses, disabled six PzKpfw IVs and one PzKpfw III. The remaining tanks retreated in disarray (In order for the reader to feel the severity of the situation in which the Americans found themselves, it makes sense for comparison to cite the main performance characteristics of the M 3 Stuart light tank: combat weight - 12.4 tons; crew - 4 people; reservation - from 10 to 45 mm; armament - 1 x 37 mm tank gun; 5 x 7.62 mm machine guns; engine "Continental" W 670-9A, 7-cylinder, carburetor power 250 hp; speed - 48 km/h ; power reserve (on the highway) - 113 km.).
To be fair, it should be noted that the Americans did not always emerge victorious from fights with German tank forces. Much more often, circumstances turned out exactly the opposite, and the Americans had to suffer serious losses in military equipment and people. However, in this case they actually won a convincing victory.

Despite the fact that on the eve of the invasion of Russia, Germany significantly increased the production of PzKpfw IV tanks, they still accounted for no more than one sixth of all Wehrmacht combat vehicles (439 out of 3332). True, by that time the number of outdated light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II and most the Panzerwaffe began to consist of the Czech LT-38 (PzKpfw 38 (1) and the German “troikas”. With such forces, the Germans began to implement the Barbarossa plan. Some superiority of the Soviet Union in military equipment did not confuse the OKW strategists too much; they had no doubt that the German vehicles will quickly cope with this gigantic fleet of obsolete Russian tanks. At first this was the case, but the appearance on the theater of operations of the new Soviet medium tank T-34 and the heavy KV-1 radically changed the situation. Before the creation of the "Panthers" and "Tigers" not a single German tank could withstand competition with these magnificent tanks... At close ranges, they literally shot down weakly armored German technology. The situation changed somewhat with the appearance in 1942 of a new “four”, armed with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 cannon. Now I want to introduce you to an excerpt from the memoirs of a former tankman of the 24th Tank Regiment, which describes the duel of the new “four” "with a Soviet tank in the summer of 1942 near Voronezh.
“There were bloody street battles for Voronezh. Even by the evening of the second day, the valiant defenders of the city did not lay down their arms. Unexpectedly, Soviet tanks, which were the main force of defense, attempted to break through the ring of troops closed around the city. A fierce tank battle ensued." The author then quotes in detail
Sergeant Freyer's report: “On July 7, 1942, on my PzKpfw IV, armed with a long-barreled cannon, I took a position at a strategically important crossroads in Voronezh. Well disguised, we hid in a dense garden near one of the houses. A wooden fence hid our tank from the street side. We received orders to support the advance of our light combat vehicles with fire, protecting them from enemy tanks and anti-tank guns. At first everything was relatively calm, except for a few clashes with scattered groups of Russians, but nevertheless the battle in the city kept us in constant suspense.

It was a hot day, but after sunset it seemed to get even hotter. At about eight o'clock in the evening a Russian T-34 medium tank appeared to our left, clearly intending to cross the intersection we were guarding. Since the T-34 was followed by at least 30 other tanks, we could not allow such a maneuver. I had to open fire. At first, luck was on our side; with the first shots we managed to knock out three Russian tanks. But then our gunner, non-commissioned officer Fischer, radioed: “The gun is jammed!” Here it is necessary to explain that our front sight was completely new, and there were often problems with it, namely that after firing every second or third shell, the empty cartridge case got stuck in the breech. At this time, another Russian tank was fiercely pouring fire on the entire space around itself. Our loader, Corporal Groll, was seriously wounded in the head. We pulled him out of the tank and laid him on the ground, and the radio operator took the vacated loader’s place. The gunner extracted the spent cartridge case and resumed firing... Several more times, NCO Schmidt and I had to feverishly pick at the barrel with an artillery banner under enemy fire in order to pull out the stuck cartridges. The fire from Russian tanks smashed the wooden fence to pieces, but our tank still did not receive a single damage.

In total, we knocked out 11 enemy vehicles, and the Russians managed to break through only once, at the moment when our gun jammed again. Almost 20 minutes passed from the start of the battle before the enemy was able to open targeted fire on us from their guns. In the falling twilight, shell explosions and roaring flames gave the landscape some kind of eerie supernatural look... Apparently, it was from this flame that our people found us. They helped us get to the location of the regiment, stationed on the southern outskirts of Voronezh. I remember that, despite being tired, I could not sleep because of the sweltering heat and stuffiness... The next day, Colonel Rigel noted our merits in the order for the regiment:
"The Fuhrer and the Supreme High Command award Sergeant Freyer of the 4th platoon with the Knight's Cross. In the battle of Voronezh, Sergeant Freyer, commander of the PzKpfw IV tank, destroyed 9 medium Russian T-34 tanks and two light T-60 tanks. This happened at the moment when a column of 30 Russian tanks tried to break through to the city center. Despite the overwhelming majority of the enemy, Sergeant Freyer remained faithful to his military duty and did not leave his post. He allowed the enemy to approach and opened fire on him from his tank. As a result, the Russian tank column was scattered and partially destroyed.Meanwhile, our infantry, after heavy bloody fighting, managed to occupy the city.
In front of the entire regiment, I want to be the first to congratulate Sergeant Freyer on his high award. The entire 24th Tank Regiment is proud of our Knight's Cross and wishes him continued success in future battles. I would also like to take this opportunity to express special gratitude to the other members of the brave tank crew:
To gunner non-commissioned officer Fischer
Driver-mechanic non-commissioned officer Schmidt
Loading Corporal Groll
Radio operator Corporal Muller

and convey your admiration for their actions on July 7, 1942. Your feat will go down in the golden chronicle of the glory of our valiant regiment.”

It was improved and modified many times, thanks to which it was very effective against other medium tanks throughout the war.

History of creation

The decision to develop the Pz.Kpfw.IV was made in 1934. The vehicle was primarily made to support infantry and suppress enemy firing points. The design was based on the Pz.Kpfw.III, a recently developed medium tank. When development began, Germany still did not advertise the work on prohibited types of weapons, so the project for the new tank was called Mittleren Tractor, and later, less secrecy, Bataillonfuhrerswagen (BW), that is, “battalion commander’s vehicle.” Of all the projects, the VK 2001(K) project presented by AG Krupp was selected.

The project was not accepted immediately - at first the military was not satisfied with the spring suspension, but the development of a new, torsion bar suspension could take a lot of time, and Germany was in dire need of a new tank, so it was decided to simply modify the existing project.

In 1934, the first model was born, still called the Bataillonfuhrerswagen. However, when the Germans introduced a unified tank designation system, it received its last name - the PzKpfw IV tank, which sounds exactly like Panzerkampfwagen IV.

The first prototype was made of plywood, and soon a prototype made of mild welding steel appeared. It was immediately sent for testing to Kummersdorf, which the tank successfully passed. In 1936, mass production of the machine began.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A

TTX

general information

• Classification – medium tank;
• Combat weight - 25 tons;
• The layout is classic, transmission at the front;
• Crew – 5 people;
• Years of production: from 1936 to 1945;
• Years of operation – from 1939 to 1970;
• A total of 8686 pieces were produced.

Dimensions

• Case length – 5890 mm;
• Case width – 2880 mm;
• Height – 2680 mm.

Booking

• Type of armor – forged steel, rolled with surface hardening;
• Forehead – 80 mm/degree;
• Bead – 30 mm/degree;
• Hull stern – 20 m/degree;
• Tower forehead - 50 mm/degree;
• Tower side – 30 mm/degree;
• Feed cutting – 30 mm/degree;
• Tower roof – 18 mm/degree.

Armament

• Caliber and brand of gun - 75 mm KwK 37, KwK 40 L/43, KwK 40 L/48, depending on modification;
• Barrel length - 24, 43 or 48 calibers;
• Ammunition - 87;
• Machine guns - 2 × 7.92 mm MG-34.

Mobility

• Engine power – 300 horsepower;
• Highway speed – 40 km/h;
• Cruising range on the highway – 300 km;
• Specific power – 13 hp. per ton;
• Climbability – 30 degrees;
• The ditch to be overcome is 2.2 meters

Modifications

• Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A. – with bulletproof armor and weak protection for surveillance devices. In fact, this is a pre-production modification - only 10 of them were produced, and an order immediately came in for an improved model;
• PzKpfw IV Ausf. B - a hull of a different shape, the absence of a frontal machine gun and improved viewing devices. The frontal armor has been strengthened, a powerful engine and a new gearbox have been installed. Of course, the mass of the tank increased, but the speed also increased to 40 km/h. 42 were produced;
• PzKpfw IV Ausf. C is a truly massive modification. Similar to option B, but with a new engine and some changes. Since 1938, 140 pieces have been manufactured;
• Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D – model with an external turret mantlet, thicker side armor and some improvements. The last peaceful model, 45 were produced;
• Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. E is a model that took into account the experience of the first war years. Received a new commander's tower and reinforced armor. The chassis, the design of inspection devices and hatches were improved, as a result, the weight of the vehicle increased to 21 tons;
• Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2 – with a 75 mm cannon. Still had insufficient protection compared to Soviet tanks;
• Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G - a more protected tank, some were equipped with a 75-mm cannon with a length of 48 calibers;
• Ausf.H is a 1943 vehicle, the most popular. Similar to Model G, but with thicker turret roof and new transmission;
• Ausf.J - an attempt to simplify and reduce the cost of tank production in 1944. There was no electric drive for turning the turret; soon after release, the pistol ports were removed and the design of the hatches was simplified. Tanks of this modification were produced until the end of the war.

Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf.H

Vehicles based on Pz. IV

Several special vehicles were also built on the basis of the Panzerkampfwagen IV:

• StuG IV – medium self-propelled gun of the assault gun class;
• Nashorn (Hornisse) – medium anti-tank self-propelled gun;
• Möbelwagen 3.7 cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw. IV(sf); Flakpanzer IV "Möbelwagen" - anti-aircraft self-propelled gun;
• Jagdpanzer IV - medium self-propelled gun, tank destroyer;
• Munitionsschlepper - ammunition transporter;
• Sturmpanzer IV (Brummbär) - medium self-propelled howitzer/assault gun class;
• Hummel - self-propelled howitzer;
• Flakpanzer IV (3.7cm FlaK) Ostwind and Flakpanzer IV (2cm Vierling) Wirbelwind are self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.

The PzKpfw IV Hydrostatic with a hydrostatic drive was also developed, but it remained experimental and did not go into production.

Use in combat

The Wehrmacht received the first three Pz tanks. IV in January 1938. A total of 113 cars were produced in 1938. The first operations of these tanks were the Anschluss of Austria and the capture of the Judiciary region of Czechoslovakia in 1938. And in 1939 they drove through the streets of Prague.

Before the invasion of Poland, the Wehrmacht had 211 Pz. IV A, B and C. All of them were superior to Polish vehicles, but anti-tank guns were dangerous for them, so many tanks were lost.

By May 10, 1940, the Panzerwaffe had 290 Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks. They successfully fought French tanks, winning with fewer losses. However, while the troops still had more lungs Pz.l and Pz.ll than Pz. IV. In subsequent operations they suffered virtually no losses.

After 1940

By the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the Germans had 439 Pz.lV. There is evidence that at that time the Germans classified them as heavy tanks, but they were significantly inferior to the Soviet heavy KVs in terms of combat qualities. However, the Pz.lV was inferior even to our T-34. Because of this, about 348 Pz.Kpfw.IV units were lost in battles in 1941. A similar situation occurred in North Africa.

Even the Germans themselves did not speak very well of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, which was the reason for so many modifications. In Africa, the vehicles were clearly defeated, and several successful operations involving Pz.lV Ausf.G and Tigers ultimately did not help anything - in North Africa the Germans had to capitulate.

On the Eastern Front, Ausf.F2s took part in the attack on the North Caucasus and Stalingrad. When the Pz.lll ceased production in 1943, it was the four that became the main German tank. And although after the start of production of the “Panther” the four wanted to stop producing them, they abandoned this decision, and for good reason. As a result, in 1943, Pz.IVs made up 60% of all German tanks - most of them were modifications G and H. They were often confused with Tigers due to their armored screens.

It was the Pz.lV that actively participated in Operation Citadel - there were many more Tigers and Panthers. At the same time, it seems that the Soviet troops just accepted many Pz. IV for the Tigers, since according to reports they knocked out many more Tigers than were present on the German side.

In all these battles, a lot of fours were lost - in 1943 this number reached 2402, and only 161 were repaired.

Shot down Pz. IV

End of the war

In the summer of 1944, German troops were constantly losing both in the East and in the West, and Pz.lV tanks could not withstand the onslaught of enemies. 1,139 vehicles were destroyed, but the troops still had enough of them.

The last major operations in which the Pz.lV participated on the German side were the counter-offensive in the Ardennes and the counter-attack on Lake Balaton. They ended in failure, many tanks were knocked out. In general, the fours participated in hostilities until the very end of the war - they could be found in street battles in Berlin and on the territory of Czechoslovakia.

Of course, the captured Pz. IV were actively used by the Red Army and allies in various battles.

After World War II

After the surrender of Germany, a fairly large batch of fours was transferred to Czechoslovakia. They were repaired and were in service until the 50s. The Pz.lV was also actively used in Syria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Turkey and Spain.

In the Middle East, Pz.Kpfw.IV fought in 1964, in the “water war” over the Jordan River. Then the Pz.lV Ausf.H fired at Israeli troops, but were soon destroyed in large numbers. And in 1967, during the “six-day” war, the Israelis captured the remaining vehicles.

Pz. IV in Syria

Tank in culture

Tank Pz. IV was one of the most popular German tanks, so it has a strong presence in modern culture.

In bench modeling, 1:35 scale plastic kits are produced in China, Japan, Russia and South Korea. On the territory of the Russian Federation, the most common models of the Zvezda company are the late shielded tank and the early short-barreled tank, with a 75-mm cannon.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A, model

A tank is very common in games. Pz. IV A, D and H can be found in the game Word of Tanks, in Battlefield 1942 it is the main German tank. He can also be seen in both parts of Company of Heroes, in Advanced Military Commander, in the games “Behind Enemy Lines”, Red Orchestra 2 and others. Modifications of Ausf. C, Ausf. E, Ausf. F1, Ausf. F2, Ausf. G, Ausf. H, Ausf. J are presented. On mobile platforms Pz.IV Ausf. F2 can be seen in the game "Armored Aces".

Memory of a tank

The PzKpfw IV was produced very en masse, so many of its modifications, especially the later ones, are presented in various museums around the world:

• Belgium, Brussels – Museum of the Royal Army and Military History, PzKpfw IV Ausf J;
• Bulgaria, Sofia - Museum of Military History, PzKpfw IV Ausf J;
• UK – Duxford War Museum and Bovington Tank Museum, Ausf. D;
• Germany – Museum of Technology in Sinsheim and Tank Museum in Munster, Ausf G;
• Israel – Israel Defense Forces Museum in Tel Aviv, Ausf. J, and the Israeli Armored Forces Museum in Latrun, Ausf. G;
• Spain, El Goloso – Museum of Armored Vehicles, Ausf H;
• Russia, Kubinka – Armored Museum, Ausf G;
• Romania, Bucharest – National War Museum, Ausf J;
• Serbia, Belgrade – Military Museum, Ausf H;
• Slovakia – Museum of the Slovak Uprising in Banska Bystrica and the Museum of the Carpathian-Dukele Operation in Svidnik, Ausf J;
• USA - Military Vehicle Technology Foundation Museum in Portola Valley, Ausf. H, US Army Armament Museum at Fort Lee: Ausf. D, Ausf. G, Ausf. H;
• Finland, Parola – Tank Museum, Ausf J;
• France, Saumur – Tank Museum, Ausf J;
• Switzerland, Thun – Tank Museum, Ausf H.

Pz.Kpfw.IV In Kubinka

Photo and video

Flakpanzer IV "Möbelwagen"