Pz.4A - installation batch. Combat weight 17.3 tons. Engine Maybach HL 108 TR power 250 hp, five-speed co- shy of gears Dimensions 5920x2830x2680 mm. Armament: 75 mm cannon KwK 37 with a 24 caliber barrel length and two machine guns MG 34. Armor thickness 8 - 20 mm. Outlaw- 35 weapons were shipped.

Pz.4B - straight front hull plate. The course machine gun was confiscated. A new commander's cupola and periscope observation device were introduced. Engine Maybach HL 120 TR power 300 HP, six-speed gearbox. Lobo thickness- howl of turret and hull armor - 30 mm. From- 42 (or 45) units prepared.

Pz.4C - a special bumper under the gun barrel for bending the antenna when turning the turret, armored casing spa- rented machine gun. Starting from the 40th car- we series engine installed Maybach HL 120 TRM. 140 units produced.

Pz.4 D - frontal part of the hull like Pz. lVA, including a front-mounted machine gun. Izme- Nena gun mask. The thickness of the side armor of the hull and turret was increased to 20 mm. In 1940 - 1941, the frontal armor of the hull and turret was reinforced with 20 mm armor- mi sheets. 229 units produced.

Pz.4 E - frontal hull armor 30 mm plus additional 30 mm armor plate. Frontal armor of the turret - 30 mm, mass- ka guns - 35... 37 mm. Installed but- high commander's cupola with reinforced armor and ball mount for chickens- Kugelblende 30 owl machine gun, simplified - new drive and guide wheels, ba- worn box for equipment, etc.- weight 21 tons. 223 units produced.

Pz .4 F (F 1 ) - the latest modification with a short-barreled gun. Direct lobo- a hull plate with a forward-facing machine gun. New design commander's cupola- tions. Single-leaf hatches in the sides of the towers- nor replaced by double-leaf ones. Frontal armor 50 mm thick. The track is 400 mm wide. 462 units produced.

PZ .4 F 2 - 75 mm KwK gun 40 with a 43 caliber barrel length and a pear-shaped muzzle- brake. New gun mask installation and new sight TZF 5f. Combat mas - ca 23.6 tons. 175 units manufactured.

Pz .4 G (Sd . Kfz . 161/1) - two-chamber gun muzzle brake. Late production tanks were armed with a 75 mm cannon KwK 40 with a barrel length of 48 calibers, they are- were equipped with additional armor plates- that in the frontal part of the hull with a thickness of 30 mm, 1450 kg "eastern tracks" and

side screens. 1687 units were produced.

Pz. 4N (Sd. Kfz. 161/2) - 75 mm KwK gun 40 with a barrel length of 48 calibers. 80 mm frontal armor. The radio antenna was moved from the side of the hull to its stern. Anti-cumulative 5 mm screens are installed. New type commander's cupola with anti-aircraft installation machine gun MG 34. Vertical stern plate of the hull. Six-speed gearbox ZF SSG 77. 3960 (or 3935) units produced.

Pz. lVJ (Sd. Kfz. 161/2) - technologically and structurally simplified version Pz. lVH. Manual drive for turning the turret. Support rollers without rubber bands. Increased fuel capacity- nyh tanks. 1758 units were produced.

The first Pz tanks. 4 entered the Wehrmacht in January 1938. General order for combat vehicles this type included 709 tank units weapons.

The plan for 1938 provided for the village- 116 tanks, and the company Krupp almost you - completed it by transferring 113 vehicles to the troops. The first "combat" operations involving- eat Pz. IV became the Anschluss of Austria and the seizure of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia in 1938. In March 1939, they marched through the streets of Prague.

On the eve of the invasion of Poland 1 September- In 1939, the Wehrmacht had 211 tanks Pz. 4 modifications A, B and C. According to the then existing staff, a tank division should have consisted of 24 tanks Pz. IV, 12 vehicles in each regiment. One- but only the 1st and 2nd tank regiments of the 1st tank were fully staffed- howl division (1. Panzer Division). The Training Tank Battalion also had a full staff(Panzer Lehr Abteilung), attached 3rd tan- war division. In the remaining formations there were only a few Pz. IV, which - These were superior in armament and armor protection to all types of Polish tanks opposing them. However, over time- During the Polish campaign, the Germans lost 76 tanks of this type, 19 of them irretrievably.

To the beginning of the French Pan campaign- cervaffe already had 290 Pz. IV and 20 bridge laying machines at their base. Like Pz. lll they were concentrated in divisions operating in the directions of the main attacks. General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division, for example, had 36 Pz. IV. During the battles, the French and English- we managed to knock out 97 tanks Pz. IV. Without - The return losses of the Germans amounted to only 30 combat vehicles of this type.

In 1940, the share of tanks Pz. IV in Wehrmacht tank formations increased slightly. On the one hand, thanks to the growth of production, and on the other, due to the decrease- reducing the number of tanks in the division to 258 units. During a short-lived operation in the Balkans in the spring of 1941. Pz. IV, participation - who fought in battles with the Yugoslav, Greek- mi and British troops, no losses- carried

T PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TANK Pz. lVFI

COMBAT WEIGHT, t; 22.3, CREW, people; 5.

OVERALL DIMENSIONS mm: length - 5920, width - 2880, height - 2680, ground clearance - 400.

WEAPONS: 1 cannon KwK 37 caliber 75 mm and 2 machine guns MG 34 caliber 7.92 mm.

AMMUNITION: 80 - 87 artillery rounds and 2700 rounds of ammunition. AIMING DEVICES* telescopic sight TZF 5b. RESERVATION, mm: hull front - 50; board - 20+20; feed - 20; roof -11; bottom - 10; tower - 30 - 50.

ENGINE: Maybach HL 120 TRM, 12-cylinder carburetor, V -shaped, liquid cooling; working volume 11,867 cm 3 ; power 300 hp (221 kW) at 3000 rpm. TRANSMISSION - three-disc dry friction main clutch, six-speed synchronized gearbox ZF SSG 76, planetary rotation mechanism, final drives. RUNNING GEAR: eight small rubber-coated road wheels- meter on board, interlocked in pairs into four trolleys, suspended- mounted on quarter-elliptic leaf springs; leading to- forest front location with removable ring gears (behind- lantern clutch); four rubberized support rollers; each caterpillar has 99 tracks with a width of 400 mm. MAXIMUM SPEED, km/h: 42. POWER RESERVE, km: 200.

OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME: ascent angle, degrees - 30; width- on the ditch, m - 2.3; wall height, m ​​- 0.6; ford depth, m - 1. COMMUNICATIONS: radio station Fu 5.

To the beginning of Operation Barbarossa Ver- Macht had 439 tanks Pz. IV, by the end of 1941, 348 of them were lost without recovery- military. Pz. IV, armed short-barreled- guns, could not effectively- rummage with Soviet medium and heavy- mi tanks. Only with the advent of the long-barreled modification did the situation level out. By mid-1943 Pz. IV became the main German tank on Vos- exact front. The staff of the German tank division included a two-battalion tank regiment. In the first battalion, two companies were armed Pz. IV, in the second, only one company. Overall, the race division- I thought there were 51 tanks Pz. IV combat battalions - nah. In Operation Citadel they made up- or almost 60% of the tanks that took part- ity in combat.

In North Africa, up to the capital- lation of German troops, Pz. IV successfully resisted all types of Union tanks- nicknames These tanks achieved their greatest success in the fight against the British- Ser tanks A.9 and A. 10 - mobile- new, but lightly armored. First modification cars F 2 was delivered to

North Africa in the summer of 1942. At the end of July, Rommel's Afrika Korps raced- I thought there were only 13 tanks Pz. IV, of which 9 were F 2. In English documents of that period they were called Panzer IV Special.

Despite the defeat at El Alamein, the Germans began to reorganize- tion of their forces in Africa. On December 9, 1942, the 5th Tank Army was formed in Tunisia, which included- sneeze entered transferred from France

The 10th Panzer Division, which had- weapons of tanks Pz. IV Ausf. G. These tanks took part in the defeat of American troops at Kasserine on February 14, 1943. However, this was the last successful operation.- German radio on the African continent- those - already on February 23 they were forced- We went on the defensive, their forces were quickly melting away. On May 1, 1943 in German troops- kakh in Tunisia there were only 58 tanks - of which 17 Pz. IV.

In 1944, the organization of the German tank- howl division has undergone significant changes. The first battalion of the tank regiment received tanks Pz. V "Panther", second - the swarm was complete Pz. IV. In fact, the "panthers" entered military service- the existence of not all Wehrmach tank divisions- ta. In a number of formations, both battalions had only Pz. IV.

In the summer of 1944, German troops- whether defeat after defeat, as in Za- pada, and in the East. I comply- There were also significant losses: in only two months- Syatsa - August and September - 1139 tanks were destroyed Pz. IV. However, me - no, their number in the troops continued to increase- to be significant. In November 1944 Pz. IV accounted for 40% of German tanks on the Eastern Front, 52% in the West- nom and 57% in Italy.

The last major operations of the German army involving Pz. IV began the counteroffensive in the Ardennes in December 1944 and the counterattack of the 6th tank army SS in the area of ​​Lake Balaton in January - March 1945, which ended in failure- scrap. During January 1945 alone, 287 were shot down. Pz. IV, from them rose - refurbished and returned to service 53 ma- tires.

Pz. IV took part in hostilities before last days war, including street fighting in Berlin. On the territory of Czechoslovakia, battles with fate- The production of tanks of this type continued until May 12, 1945.

major tank losses Pz. IV amounted to 7636 units.

Pz. IV in significantly larger quantities- wow, than other German tanks, having delivered- was intended for export. Judging by the German hundred- tistics, Germany's allies, as well as Turkey and Spain arrived in 1942 - 1944. 490 combat vehicles. Besides Ger- Pz mania. IV were in service in Hungary (74, according to other sources - 104), Romania (142), Bulgaria (97), Fin- Land (14) and Croatia.

Based on Pz. IV were issued self-propelled artillery installations, commanders- such tanks, advanced artillery vehicles- Riy observers, evacuation tractors and bridge tanks.

After the surrender of Germany, a large batch of 165 Pz. IV was handed over to Che- Khoslovakia. Having undergone repairs, they are- was in service with the Czechoslovak army until the early 1950s. Except for Czechoslovakia in the post-war years Pz. IV were used in the armies of Spain, Turkey, France, Finland, Bulgaria and Syria.

The Germans themselves did not have a high opinion of the fighting qualities of the Pz.lV. Here is what Major General von Mellenthin writes about this in his memoirs (in 1941, with the rank of major, he served on Rommel’s headquarters): “The T-IV tank gained a reputation among the British as a formidable enemy mainly because it was armed with a 75-mm cannon However, this gun had a low initial speed projectile and weak penetration, and although we used the T-IV in tank battles, they were much more useful as a means of fire support for infantry." The Pz.lV began to play a more significant role in all theaters of war only after acquiring the "long arm" - the 75-mm KwK 40 cannon (F2 series). On the Eastern Front, the Pz. lV Ausf.F2 also appeared in the summer of 1942 and took part in the attack on Stalingrad and North Caucasus. After production of the Pz.lll "four" ceased in 1943, it gradually became the main German tank in all theaters of combat. However, in connection with the start of production of the Panther, it was planned to stop production of the Pz.lV, however, thanks to the tough position of the Panzerwaffe Inspector General, General G. Guderian, this did not happen. Subsequent events showed that he was right.

Increased sharply combat characteristics Pz.IV after installing a long-barreled gun. Not inferior to enemy tanks in all other respects, the “four” turned out to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks out of range of their guns. We are not talking about English cars - for four years of the war the British were marking time. Until the end of 1943, the combat characteristics of the T-34 remained virtually unchanged, with the Pz.IV taking first place among medium tanks. Since 1942 performance characteristics Pz.IV did not change (except for the thickness of the armor) and during two years of the war remained unsurpassed by anyone! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into production, overtook it. The Germans no longer had the time or opportunity to give a worthy response. Comparing the characteristics of WWII tanks, we can conclude that the Germans, earlier than others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend in post-war tank building.

In general, it can be argued that of all the German tanks of the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car, various characteristics were harmoniously combined and complemented each other. The "Tiger" and "Panther", for example, had a clear bias towards security, which led to their overweight and deterioration dynamic characteristics. The Pz.III, with many other characteristics being equal to the Pz.IV, did not match it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage. The Pz.IV, with a similar Pz.III, but a slightly more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full least. This is the only wartime tank with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The turret of the T-34-85 and Sherman had to be replaced, and, by and large, these were almost new vehicles. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista, changed not the towers, but the tanks! But “Cromwell,” which appeared in 1944, never reached the “four,” as did “Comet,” released in 1945. Only the post-war Centurion was able to bypass the German tank, created in 1937.

From the above, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. Let's say it had insufficient engine power and a rather rigid and outdated suspension, which negatively affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the lowest L/B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks. The equipping of the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be considered a successful move by German designers. HEAT ammunition was rarely used en masse, but the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow passages, blocked most surveillance devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark.
However, an even more pointless and rather expensive measure was coating the tanks with Zimmerit (anti-magnetic painting, against magnetic mines). But perhaps the biggest mistake the Germans made was trying to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. It did not take place as the latter, joining the Tiger in the class of heavy vehicles, but it played a fatal role in the fate of the Pz.lV. Having concentrated all their efforts on creating new tanks in 1942, the Germans stopped seriously modernizing the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the Panther? The project of installing a “Panther” turret on the Pz.lV is well known, both standard and “close” (Schmall-turm). The project is quite realistic in size - the clear diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV it is 1600 mm. The tower stood up without expanding the turret box. The situation was somewhat worse with weight characteristics- due to the large 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 by strengthening their suspension. In addition, it must be taken into account that the KwK 42 cannon was created for the Panther, and not for the Pz.IV. For the "four" it was possible to limit ourselves to a gun with smaller weight and dimensions, with a barrel length of, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Even if such a weapon would require replacing the turret, it would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the Panther one. The inevitably increasing (by the way, even without such a hypothetical rearmament) weight of the tank required replacing the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine installed on the Pz.IV were 1220x680x830 mm, and the Panther HL 230P30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost identical for these two tanks. The Panther's was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the inclination of the rear hull plate. Consequently, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an insurmountable design task. The results of this, of course, far from complete, list of possible modernization measures would be very sad, since they would nullify the work on creating the T-34-85 in our country and the Sherman with a 76-mm cannon in 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 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.

(Pz.III), the power plant is located at the rear, and the power transmission and drive wheels are located at the front. The control compartment housed the driver and gunner-radio operator, firing from a machine gun mounted in a ball joint. The fighting compartment was located in the middle of the hull. A multifaceted welded turret was mounted here, which housed three crew members and installed weapons.

T-IV tanks were produced with the following weapons:

• modifications A-F, assault tank with 75 mm howitzer;
• modification G, tank with a 75-mm cannon with a 43-caliber barrel;
• modifications N-K, a tank with a 75 mm cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers.

Due to the constant increase in the thickness of the armor, the weight of the vehicle during production increased from 17.1 tons (modification A) to 24.6 tons (modifications NK). Since 1943, to enhance armor protection, armor screens were installed on tanks for the sides of the hull and turret. The long-barreled gun introduced on modifications G, NK allowed the T-IV to withstand enemy tanks of equal weight (a 75-mm sub-caliber projectile at a range of 1000 meters penetrated armor 110 mm thick), but its maneuverability, especially the overweight latest modifications, was unsatisfactory. In total, about 9,500 T-IV tanks of all modifications were produced during the war.

Tank PzKpfw IV. History of creation.

In the 20s and early 30s, the theory of the use of mechanized troops, in particular tanks, developed through trial and error; the views of theorists changed very often. A number of supporters of tanks believed that the appearance of armored vehicles would make positional warfare in the style of battles of 1914-1917 tactically impossible. In turn, the French relied on the construction of well-fortified long-term defensive positions, such as the Maginot Line. A number of experts believed that the main armament of a tank should be a machine gun, and the main task of armored vehicles is to fight enemy infantry and artillery; the most radically thinking representatives of this school considered a battle between tanks pointless, since, supposedly, neither side would be able to cause damage to the other. There was an opinion that the victory in the battle would be won by the side that could destroy the largest number of enemy tanks. Special guns with special shells - anti-tank guns with armor-piercing shells - were considered as the main means of fighting tanks. In fact, no one knew what the nature of hostilities would be in a future war. Experience civil war in Spain also did not clarify the situation.

The Treaty of Versailles prohibited Germany from having tracked combat vehicles, but could not prevent German specialists from working on studying various theories of using armored vehicles, and the creation of tanks was carried out by the Germans in secrecy. When Hitler abandoned the restrictions of Versailles in March 1935, the young Panzerwaffe already had all the theoretical developments in the field of use and organizational structure of tank regiments.

In mass production under the guise of "agricultural tractors" there were two types of light armed tanks, PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II.
The PzKpfw I tank was considered a training vehicle, while the PzKpfw II was intended for reconnaissance, but it turned out that the “two” remained the most popular tank of the panzer divisions until it was replaced by the PzKpfw III medium tanks, armed with a 37 mm cannon and three machine guns.

The development of the PzKpfw IV tank dates back to January 1934, when the army issued a specification to industry new tank fire support weighing no more than 24 tons, the future vehicle received the official designation Gesch.Kpfw. (75 mm)(Vskfz.618). Over the next 18 months, specialists from Rheinmetall-Borzing, Krupp and MAN worked on three competing designs for the battalion commander's vehicle (Battalionführerswagnen, abbreviated as BW). The VK 2001/K project, presented by the Krupp company, was recognized as the best, with a turret and hull shape similar to the PzKpfw III tank.

However, the VK 2001/K did not go into production, since the military was not satisfied with the six-wheel design chassis with medium-diameter wheels on a spring suspension, it needed to be replaced with a torsion bar. The torsion bar suspension, compared to the spring one, ensured smoother movement of the tank and had a greater vertical travel of the road wheels. Krupp engineers, together with representatives of the Arms Procurement Directorate, agreed on the possibility of using an improved design of spring suspension on the tank with eight small-diameter road wheels on board. However, the Krupp company largely had to revise the proposed original design. In the final version, the PzKpfw IV was a combination of the hull and turret of the VK 2001/K with a chassis newly developed by Krupp.

The PzKpfw IV tank is designed according to the classic layout with a rear engine. The commander's position was located along the axis of the tower directly under the commander's cupola, the gunner was located to the left of the breech of the gun, and the loader was to the right. In the control compartment, located in the front part of the tank hull, there were workstations for the driver (to the left of the vehicle axis) and the radio operator (to the right). Between the driver's and gunner's seats there was a transmission. Interesting feature The design of the tank was to shift the turret approximately 8 cm to the left of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the engine - 15 cm to the right to allow passage of the shaft connecting the engine and transmission. This design decision made it possible to increase the internal reserved volume on the right side of the hull to accommodate the first shots, which could be most easily reached by the loader. The turret rotation drive is electric.

Click on the tank picture to enlarge

The suspension and chassis consisted of eight small-diameter road wheels grouped into two-wheeled bogies suspended on leaf springs, drive wheels, sloths installed in the rear of the tank, and four rollers supporting the track. Throughout the entire history of operation of the PzKpfw IV tanks, their chassis remained unchanged, only minor improvements were introduced. The prototype of the tank was manufactured at the Krupp plant in Essen and was tested in 1935-36.

Description of the PzKpfw IV tank

Armor protection.
In 1942, consulting engineers Mertz and McLillan conducted a detailed examination of the captured PzKpfw IV Ausf.E tank, in particular, they carefully studied its armor.

Several armor plates were tested for hardness, all of them were machined. The hardness of the machined armor plates on the outside and inside was 300-460 Brinell.
- The 20 mm thick applied armor plates, which enhance the armor of the hull sides, are made of homogeneous steel and have a hardness of about 370 Brinell. The reinforced side armor is not capable of "holding" 2 pound shells fired from 1000 yards.

On the other hand, shelling of a tank carried out in the Middle East in June 1941 showed that a distance of 500 yards (457 m) can be considered as the limit for effectively hitting a PzKpfw IV in the frontal area with fire from a 2-pounder gun. A report on the armor protection of a German tank prepared in Woolwich notes that “the armor is 10% better than similar treated mechanically English, and in some respects even better homogeneous."

At the same time, the method of connecting armor plates was criticized; a specialist from Leyland Motors commented on his research: “The welding quality is poor, the welds of two of the three armor plates in the area where the projectile hit came apart.”

Changing the design of the frontal part of the tank hull

Power point.
The Maybach engine is designed to operate in moderate climatic conditions, where its characteristics are satisfactory. At the same time, in tropical or highly dusty conditions, it breaks down and is prone to overheating. British intelligence, after studying the PzKpfw IV tank captured in 1942, concluded that engine failures were caused by sand getting into the oil system, distributor, dynamo and starter; air filters are inadequate. Celebrated frequent cases sand getting into the carburetor.

The Maybach engine operating manual requires the use of only 74 octane gasoline with a complete lubricant change after 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 km. Recommended engine speed at normal conditions operation - 2600 rpm, but in hot climates (southern regions of the USSR and North Africa) this number of revolutions does not provide normal cooling. Using the engine as a brake is permissible at 2200-2400 rpm; at a speed of 2600-3000 this mode should be avoided.

The main components of the cooling system were two radiators installed at an angle of 25 degrees to the horizontal. The radiators were cooled by an air flow forced by two fans; The fans are driven by a belt from the main engine shaft. Water circulation in the cooling system was ensured by a centrifuge pump. Air entered the engine compartment through an opening on the right side of the hull, covered by an armored damper, and was exhausted out through a similar opening on the left side.

The synchro-mechanical transmission proved efficient, although pulling force in high gears was low, so 6th gear was used only for highway driving. The output shafts are combined with the braking and turning mechanism into a single device. To cool this device, a fan was installed to the left of the clutch box. The simultaneous release of the steering control levers could be used as an effective parking brake.

On tanks of later versions, the spring suspension of the road wheels was heavily overloaded, but replacing the damaged two-wheeled bogie seemed to be a fairly simple operation. The track tension was regulated by the position of the idler mounted on the eccentric. On the Eastern Front, special track extenders, known as "Ostketten", were used, which improved the maneuverability of tanks in winter months of the year.

An extremely simple but effective device for dressing a slipped caterpillar was tested on experimental tank PzKpfw IV. It was a factory-made belt, which had the same width as the tracks, and was perforated for engagement with the ring gear of the drive wheel. One end of the tape was attached to the slipped track, and the other, after it was passed over the rollers, to the drive wheel. The motor turned on, the drive wheel began to rotate, pulling the tape and the tracks attached to it until the rims of the drive wheel entered the slots on the tracks. The whole operation took a few minutes.

The engine was started by a 24-volt electric starter. Since the auxiliary electric generator saved battery power, it was possible to try to start the engine more times on the “four” than on the PzKpfw III tank. In case of starter failure, or when the lubricant thickened in severe frost, an inertial starter was used, the handle of which was connected to the engine shaft through a hole in the rear armor plate. The handle was turned by two people at the same time; the minimum number of turns of the handle required to start the engine was 60 rpm. Starting the engine from an inertia starter has become commonplace in the Russian winter. The minimum temperature of the engine at which it began to operate normally was t = 50 degrees C with a shaft rotation of 2000 rpm.

To make engine starting easier in the cold climate of the Eastern Front, a special system was developed known as a "Kuhlwasserubertragung" - a cold water heat exchanger. After starting and warming up to normal temperature engine of one tank, warm water from it was pumped into the cooling system of the next tank, and cold water came to an already running motor - an exchange of coolants between the running and non-running motors took place. After the warm water warmed up the engine somewhat, you could try starting the engine with an electric starter. The "Kuhlwasserubertragung" system required minor modifications to the tank's cooling system.

" Heavy, with powerful armor and a deadly 88-mm cannon, this tank was distinguished by its perfect, truly Gothic beauty. However, the most important role In the history of World War II, a completely different vehicle played a role - Panzerkampfwagen IV (or PzKpfw IV, as well as Pz.IV). In Russian historiography it is usually called T IV.

Panzerkampfwagen IV is the most produced German tank of the Second World War. The combat path of this vehicle began in 1938 in Czechoslovakia, then Poland, France, the Balkans and Scandinavia. In 1941, it was the PzKpfw IV tank that was the only worthy opponent of the Soviet T-34 and KV. Paradox: although, in terms of its main characteristics, the T IV was significantly inferior to the Tiger, this particular vehicle can be called a symbol of the blitzkrieg; the main victories of German weapons are associated with it.

The biography of this vehicle can only be envied: this tank fought in the African sands, in the snows of Stalingrad, and was preparing to land in England. Active development of the T IV medium tank began immediately after the Nazis came to power, and the T IV fought its last battle in 1967 as part of the Syrian army, repelling attacks by Israeli tanks on the Dutch Heights.

A little history

After the end of World War I, the Allies did everything possible to ensure that Germany would never again become a powerful military power. She was forbidden not only to have tanks, but even to engage in work in this area.

However, these restrictions could not prevent the German military from working on the theoretical aspects of the use of armored forces. The concept of blitzkrieg, developed by Alfred von Schlieffen at the beginning of the 20th century, was refined and supplemented by a number of talented German officers. Tanks not only found their place in it, they became one of its main elements.

Despite the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, practical work The creation of new tank models continued. Work was also underway on organizational structure tank units. All this took place in an atmosphere of strict secrecy. After the nationalists came to power, Germany threw away prohibitions and quickly began to create a new army.

The first German tanks put into mass production were the light Pz.Kpfw.I and Pz.Kpfw.II vehicles. The One was essentially a training vehicle, while the Pz.Kpfw.II was intended for reconnaissance and was armed with a 20-mm cannon. The Pz.Kpfw.III was already considered a medium tank; it was armed with a 37 mm gun and three machine guns.

The decision to develop a new tank (Panzerkampfwagen IV), armed with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon, was made in 1934. The main task of the vehicle was to be direct support for infantry units; this tank was supposed to suppress enemy firing points (primarily anti-tank artillery). In its design and layout, the new vehicle was largely the same as the Pz.Kpfw.III.

In January 1934, three companies received technical specifications for the development of the tank: AG Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall. At that moment, Germany was still trying not to advertise its work on types of weapons prohibited by the Versailles agreements. Therefore, the vehicle was given the name Bataillonsführerwagen or B.W., which translates as “battalion commander’s vehicle.”

The project developed by AG Krupp, VK 2001(K), was recognized as the best. The military was not satisfied with its spring suspension; they demanded that it be replaced with a more advanced torsion bar suspension, which provides the tank with a smoother ride. However, the designers managed to insist on their own. The German army was in dire need of a tank, and the development of a new chassis could take a lot of time, so it was decided to leave the suspension the same, just seriously modify it.

Production of the tank and its modifications

In 1936, mass production of new machines began. The first modification of the tank was the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A. The first samples of this tank had bulletproof armor (15-20 mm) and poor protection for surveillance devices. Modification of Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A can be called pre-production. After the release of several dozen PzKpfw IV Ausf. A, AG Krupp immediately received an order for the production of an improved model of the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. IN.

Model B had a different hull shape, it did not have a front-mounted machine gun, and the viewing devices (especially the commander's cupola) were improved. The frontal armor of the tank was strengthened to 30 mm. PzKpfw IV Ausf. It received a more powerful engine, a new gearbox, and its ammunition load was reduced. The tank's weight increased to 17.7 tons, while its speed, thanks to the new power plant, increased to 40 km/h. A total of 42 Ausf tanks rolled off the production line. IN.

The first modification of the T IV, which can be called truly widespread, was the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. S. It appeared in 1938. Externally, this car was slightly different from the previous model; a new engine was installed on it, and some other minor changes were made. In total, about 140 Ausf units were produced. WITH.

In 1939, production of the next tank model began: Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D. Its main difference was the appearance of the external mask of the tower. In this modification, the thickness of the side armor was increased (20 mm), and several other improvements were made. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. D is latest model peacetime tank, before the start of the war the Germans managed to make 45 Ausf.D tanks.

By September 1, 1939, the German army had 211 units of the T-IV tank of various modifications. These vehicles performed well during the Polish campaign and became the main tanks. German army. Combat experience has shown that weak point T-IV was its armor protection. Polish anti-tank guns easily penetrated both the armor of light tanks and heavier “fours”.

Taking into account the experience gained in the first years of the war, a new modification of the vehicle was developed - Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. E. On this model, the frontal armor was reinforced with 30 mm thick hinged plates, and 20 mm thick on the side. The tank received a commander's cupola of a new design, and the shape of the tower was changed. Minor changes were made to the tank's chassis, and the design of the hatches and inspection devices was improved. The weight of the vehicle increased to 21 tons.

The installation of mounted armor screens was irrational and could only be considered as a necessary measure and a way to improve the protection of the first T-IV models. Therefore, the creation of a new modification, the design of which would take into account all the comments, was only a matter of time.

In 1941, production of the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F model began, in which the hinged screens were replaced by integral armor. The thickness of the frontal armor was 50 mm, and the sides - 30 mm. As a result of these changes, the weight of the vehicle increased to 22.3 tons, which led to a significant increase in the specific load on the ground.

To eliminate this problem, the designers had to increase the width of the tracks and make changes to the chassis of the tank.

Initially, the T-IV was not suitable for destroying enemy armored vehicles; the “four” was considered an infantry fire support tank. Although, the tank's ammunition included armor-piercing shells, which allowed it to fight enemy armored vehicles equipped with bulletproof armor.

However, the first meetings of German tanks with the T-34 and KV, which had powerful anti-ballistic armor, plunged the German tank crews into shock. The Four turned out to be absolutely ineffective against the Soviet armored giants. The first alarm bell that showed the futility of using T-IV against powerful heavy tanks, began military clashes with the English Matilda tank in 1940-41.

Even then it became clear that the PzKpfw IV should be equipped with a different weapon, which would be more suitable for destroying tanks.

At first, the idea was born to install a 50-mm gun with a length of 42 calibers on the T-IV, but the experience of the first battles on the Eastern Front showed that this gun was significantly inferior to the Soviet 76-mm, which was installed on the KV and T-34. The total superiority of Soviet armored vehicles over Wehrmacht tanks was a very unpleasant discovery for German soldiers and officers.

Already in November 1941, work began on the creation of a new 75-mm cannon for the T-IV. Vehicles with the new gun received the abbreviation Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2. However, the armor protection of these vehicles was still inferior to Soviet tanks.

It was this problem that German designers wanted to solve by developing a new modification of the tank at the end of 1942: Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G. Additional armor screens 30 mm thick were installed in the frontal part of this tank. Some of these vehicles were equipped with a 75 mm cannon with a length of 48 calibers.

The most popular T-IV model was the Ausf.H, which first rolled off the assembly line in the spring of 1943. This modification was practically no different from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G. A new transmission was installed on it and the turret roof was thickened.

Description of the Pz.VI design

The T-IV tank is made according to the classical design, with the power plant located in the rear of the hull, and the control compartment in the front.

The tank's hull is welded, the slope of the armor plates is less rational than that of the T-34, but it provides more internal space for the vehicle. The tank had three compartments, separated by bulkheads: a control compartment, a combat compartment and a power compartment.

The control compartment housed the driver and gunner-radio operator. It also housed the transmission, instruments and controls, a walkie-talkie and a machine gun (not on all models).

IN fighting compartment, located in the center of the tank, there were three crew members: commander, gunner and loader. The turret was equipped with a cannon and a machine gun, observation and aiming devices, as well as ammunition. The commander's cupola provided excellent visibility for the crew. The tower was rotated by an electric drive. The gunner had a telescopic sight.

The power plant was located at the rear of the tank. The T-IV was equipped with a 12-cylinder water-cooled carburetor engine different models, developed by Maybach.

The Four had a large number of hatches, which made life easier for the crew and technical personnel, but reduced the security of the vehicle.

The suspension was spring, the chassis consisted of 8 rubber-coated road wheels and 4 support rollers and a drive wheel.

Combat use

The first serious campaign in which the Pz.IV took part was the war against Poland. Early modifications of the tank had weak armor and became easy prey for Polish artillerymen. During this conflict, the Germans lost 76 Pz.IV units, 19 of which were irretrievable.

In the hostilities against France, the opponents of the “fours” were not only anti-tank guns, but also tanks. The French Somua S35 and the English Matildas performed well.

In the German army, tank classification was based on the caliber of the gun, so the Pz.IV was considered a heavy tank. However, with the outbreak of war on the Eastern Front, the Germans saw what a real heavy tank was. The USSR also had an overwhelming advantage in the number of combat vehicles: at the beginning of the war in western districts there were more than 500 KV tanks. The short-barreled Pz.IV cannon could not cause any harm to these giants even at close range.

It should be noted that the German command very quickly drew conclusions and began modifying the “fours”. Already at the beginning of 1942, modifications of the Pz.IV with a long gun began to appear on the Eastern Front. The armor protection of the vehicle was also increased. All this made it possible for German tankers to fight the T-34 and KV on equal terms. Considering better ergonomics German cars, excellent sights, Pz.IV has become a very dangerous opponent.

After installing a long-barreled gun (48 calibers) on the T-IV, its combat characteristics increased even more. After this, the German tank could hit both Soviet and American cars without entering the range of their guns.

It should be noted the speed with which changes were made to the design of the Pz.IV. If we take the Soviet "thirty-four", then many of its shortcomings were revealed at the stage of factory testing. It took the leadership of the USSR several years of war and huge losses to begin modernizing the T-34.

German T-IV tank can be called a very balanced and versatile machine. Later heavy German vehicles have a clear bias towards security. The Four can be called a unique machine in terms of the reserve for modernization inherent in it.

This is not to say that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. It had shortcomings, the main ones of which were insufficient engine power and outdated suspension. The power plant clearly did not match the mass of later models. The use of a rigid spring suspension reduced the maneuverability of the vehicle and its maneuverability. Installing a long gun significantly increased the combat characteristics of the tank, but it created additional load on the front rollers of the tank, which led to significant rocking of the vehicle.

Equipping the Pz.IV with anti-cumulative shields was also not a very good solution. Cumulative ammunition was rarely used; the screens only increased the weight of the vehicle, its dimensions and impaired the crew’s visibility. Also a very expensive idea was to paint the tanks with Zimmerit, a special anti-magnetic paint against magnetic mines.

However, many historians consider the biggest miscalculation of the German leadership to be the start of production of heavy tanks “Panther” and “Tiger”. For almost the entire war, Germany was limited in resources. The Tiger was a truly excellent tank: powerful, comfortable, and with a deadly weapon. But also very expensive. In addition, both the “Tiger” and the “Panther” were able to get rid of many “childhood” diseases that are inherent in any new technology until the end of the war.

There is an opinion that if the resources spent on the production of “Panthers” were used to produce additional “fours”, this would create much more problems for the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Specifications

Video about the Panzerkampfwagen IV tank

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