All surviving German tanks pz kpfw 4. Mikhail Baryatinsky - Medium tank Panzer IV. Packaging and equipment
Second world war the German army entered with a rather strange situation in the system of tank weapons. The medium tank Pz.Kpfw.III, which was created as the main one, in fact at that time turned out to be the smallest in the Wehrmacht. As for the other medium tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was designed as a support vehicle, but at the same time, there were almost four times more such vehicles in the troops than the Pz.Kpfw.III. The German industry was able to equalize the number of tanks of these two types in the army only at the very end of 1939. By this time, a new version of the support tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, had already gone into production, and in a sense, it became a return to the original concept.
Return of the course machine gun
The spring of 1938 was decisive for further fate Pz.Kpfw.IV. The fact is that the 6th department of the Arms Administration seriously thought about removing the brainchild of the Krupp concern from the production program. Instead of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was supposed to create a support tank based on the Pz.Kpfw.III, thus unifying both medium tanks in terms of the main components and assemblies.
On the one hand, the idea was sound. However, it should be noted that the Pz.Kpfw.III at that time was going through far from the best of times. And the production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was not without problems, but it still went on, and the Krupp designers got into the weight category determined by the customers from the first time.
Thus, when on May 2, 1938, Erich Wolfert, Krupp's chief engineer, sharply criticized the idea of \u200b\u200bcombining two tanks on one platform, victory was on his side. The 6th department of the Armaments Directorate was forced to give in, because behind Wolfert was not only an industrial giant, but also common sense.
The lesson, however, did not benefit, and the 6th Department of the Armaments Directorate continued to compete with the idea of a single chassis for two types of tanks throughout the war. This impulse, one of the initiators of which was Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, with enviable constancy turned into a rake race, and each time the proper conclusions were not drawn from what had happened before.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D in original configuration. In metal, the car looked a little different.
The requirements for a support tank, meanwhile, continued to grow. Back in early January 1938, discussions began on the characteristics of the fourth modification of the tank, which received the designation 4.Serie / B.W.
One of the first items on the agenda was the return to the place of the course machine gun. Someone upstairs finally realized that you can’t even shoot much from the pistol port, let alone hit somewhere. It was decided to use the Kugelblende 30 mount, developed for the Z.W.38 (future Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E). It had much more successful protection than the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A ball mount. In connection with the return of the course machine gun, the front plate of the turret box again received a characteristic step.
Diagram showing the internal structure of the tank On March 10, 1938, a meeting was held in Berlin, where employees of the Krupp concern and the 6th department of the Arms Administration discussed the possibility of strengthening the tank's armor. The thickness of the side armor of the hull, turret box and turret, which was 14.5 mm, was considered insufficient. It was necessary to increase it to 20 mm, so that at long distances the tank would not be hit by the fire of 20 mm automatic guns. In addition, the military asked to increase the thickness of the bottom from 8 to 10 mm.
The answer to the new requirements came on April 12. According to the calculations of engineers, the increase in the thickness of the armor increased the combat weight of the tank by 1256 kg, to almost 20 tons. This was followed by changes in individual elements of the hull. The hatches in the area of the support rollers received a different shape, the air intakes of the engine compartment have changed. At the end of April, tracks with increased teeth were developed, and the number of suspension travel stops was increased to five per side (one each for the three front bogies and two for the rear).
Serial Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, spring 1940 Certain changes were made to the design of the tower. First of all, the armor of the gun system was reworked. The fact is that the previously used design turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. A bullet or a fragment of a projectile, falling into the gap between the elements of the armor, could well jam the gun in a vertical plane. At the end of May 1938, development began new protection for the gun. The new armor of the system was located on the outside of the tower and coped with its task much better. The thickness of the armor has been increased to 35 mm.
In addition, viewing devices on the side hatches and sides of the tower were replaced.
Hinge a large number spare tracks was very common When, on July 4, 1938, a contract was finally signed with the Krupp concern for the manufacture of tanks of the 4.Serie / B.W. modification, the car changed quite a lot. According to the contract, the factories of Grusonwerk, one of the divisions of Krupp, were to produce 200 tanks of this series. In October, the contract was extended. The SS troops ordered 48 tanks, which received the designation 5.Serie/B.W. In fact, they were no different from the 4.Serie/B.W. By the way, in the end, these vehicles did not get into the SS unit, since it was decided to order StuG III assault self-propelled guns instead.
Tanks of the 4th and 5th series received the designation Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. The machines were assigned serial numbers in the range 80501–80748.
Based on the experience of the first two campaigns
Serial production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D began in October of 1939. Unlike the Pz.Kpfw.III, whose production was accelerated by manufacturers, there were no special breakthroughs in the production of support tanks. Until the end of 1939, 45 tanks were assembled, later the volumes averaged 20-25 vehicles per month. In total, by May 1, 1940, 129 machines of this modification were manufactured.
Broken turrets were a fairly common occurrence for the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. France, May 1940 Meanwhile, back in March of 1939, it was decided that in the future the Wehrmacht would continue to order these tanks, and the vehicles of the 6th series (6.Serie / B.W.) would henceforth be designated as Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. A new contract for the manufacture of 223 tanks of this type was signed in July 1939. In general, this tank was supposed to repeat its predecessor, but already in May some changes began to appear.
To begin with, it was decided to change the driver’s viewing device, which did not change from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, to the Fahrersehklappe 30. This device was distinguished by the fact that instead of massive parts going up and down, it used an “eyelash” thick 30 mm. It covered the viewing slot covered with glass block much more reliably, and its design turned out to be much simpler.
A rather large ventilation hatch from the roof of the tower also disappeared, and a fan appeared instead. A hatch for signal flags has moved to the place of the periscope device. The shape of the commander's cupola has also changed.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, issued in April 1940, with shielding of the turret box, and at the same time additional armor of the frontal hull plate It became clear after the Polish campaign in September 1939 that the Ausf.E would not go into production as planned, and that the Ausf.D would also undergo certain changes. The fact is that Polish troops massively used 37-mm anti-tank guns Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz against German tanks. 36 Bofors. Even though the Polish shells were not the most best quality, they confidently pierced German vehicles in all projections. The strengthening of the frontal part up to 30 mm did not help much here either.
In the autumn of 1939, studies began to be carried out to identify the possibility of additionally loading the Pz.Kpfw.IV with another 1.5 tons of armor and bringing its combat weight to 21.4 tons. Tests have shown that the tank quite easily tolerates such an increase in mass.
On December 18, 1939, the 6th Department of the Ordnance Directorate adjusted the task for 4.Serie / B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. The last 68 tanks were to receive hulls with front plates reinforced to 50 mm. But by the start of the campaign in France, which began on May 10, 1940, the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D still continued to be produced with a 30 mm thick front plate.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Panzer Division, summer 1941 The very first battles showed that such slowness is extremely reckless. Of course, the 37-mm short-barreled guns that were placed in a row French tanks, including the FCM 36 and Renault R 35, 30 mm thick frontal armor could not be penetrated. But they were not at all the main opponents of German tanks. The French were doing well with anti-tank artillery, and for her armor 30 mm thick was by no means something outrageous. Even worse for the Germans was that a number of French tanks had 47 mm guns as their main armament.
The losses of the Pz.Kpfw.IV in France were even higher than in September 1939 in Poland. Of the 279 Pz.Kpfw.IVs available in units on May 10, 1939, 97, that is, more than a third, were irretrievably lost. The battles of May-June 1940 also showed that the 75-mm short-barreled gun was almost powerless against tanks with anti-cannon armor.
It became clear that the problem must be solved, and solved quickly. On May 15, the Krupp concern reported that shielding for the hull and turret box had been manufactured and tested. The forehead of the turret box received additional sheets 30 mm thick, due to which their total thickness increased to 60 mm. The sides were reinforced with 20 mm thick screens. Later, in addition to these screens, a reinforcement was made for the frontal hull sheet, while corners appeared at the top and bottom for additional reinforcement.
Nevertheless, until the end of the French campaign, the troops did not receive a single shielding kit. Deliveries began only on June 25, when they were already, in general, not really needed. From July 1940, tanks began to be equipped with screens as standard. At the same time, the thickness of the front hull plate, turret and armor of the gun mantlet increased to 50 mm.
As you can see, not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E received screens Another serious metamorphosis with the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D happened in August 1940. According to the decision made on June 3 of the same year, the last 68 4.Serie / B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. were made with turrets and turret boxes 6.Serie/B.W. The last such vehicles were delivered to the troops in October 1940, after which tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E modification went into production.
The machines of this series received serial numbers 80801-81006. They can be distinguished from the latest 68 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds only if the vehicle's serial number is known. Additional confusion in what is happening is the fact that not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E, not to mention Ausf.D, received screens on the frontal part of the turret box.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D with additional Vorpanzer armor, 1942 At the beginning of 1941, some tank units tried to do shielding on their own, but an order came from above to stop this activity. However, another modification was born, also known as the Vorpanzer. It differed in that quite massive screens were attached to the front of the tower. They were installed on tanks of the Ausf.D, E and F modifications. Apparently, the Vorpanzer were used exclusively by the Grossdeutschland (Großdeutschland) Panzer Division. It is believed that the division used them only in exercises, but there are also front-line photographs that refute such claims.
For crossings and other purposes
Orders for Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks of the 4th, 5th and 6th series were not fulfilled in full. Some of the total number of ordered Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D went to other purposes. 16 chassis produced in March-April 1940 went to the manufacture of bridge tanks Brückenleger IV b. These vehicles were included in the engineering battalions assigned to tank divisions. They were used as part of the units that fought during the May-June 1940 campaign in France.
Brückenleger IV b, in the spring of 1940 a series of 16 of these vehicles was produced Meanwhile, in the summer of 1940, Krupp produced 16 sets of turret boxes and turrets. Later, three bridge tanks with numbers 80685, 80686 and 80687 were converted into regular Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. According to a report for May 1941, out of 29 Pz.Kpfw.IVs produced, 13 belonged to 4.Serie/B.W. Thus, 247 vehicles of the Ausf.D modification nevertheless went to the troops as ordinary tanks. The last, 248th car with serial number 80625 was used as a test chassis.
Brückenleger IV c from the 39th tank engineer battalion, 1941 A slightly different situation developed with the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. Instead of the 223 tanks that were originally planned to be built, 206 vehicles were produced in one form or another, of which 200 were ordinary tanks. In January 1941, 4 chassis 6.Serie/B.W. was sent to Magirus, where they were built bridge layers Brückenleger IV c. Like the vehicles of the previous series, they went to the 39th tank engineering battalion, attached to the 3rd tank division. In this form, they participated in the battles on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1941.
This is what Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E 81005 and 81006 looked like with a new chassis The fate of the last two tanks of the 6th series, numbers 81005 and 81006, turned out to be even more interesting. On December 14, 1940, the 6th Department of the Armaments Directorate gave the go-ahead to the Krupp concern to develop a new undercarriage. Its main difference was that the diameter of the road wheels grew to 700 mm, and in order for all of them to fit, they had to be placed in a checkerboard pattern. The width of the tracks at the same time increased to 422 mm. During 1941-42, these vehicles were actively tested, and then tank 81005 ended up in training center Wunsdorf. Also, at least one tank was converted into an ammunition carrier for the Gerät 040 ("Karl") heavy self-propelled mortar.
Tauchpanzer IV from the 18th Panzer Division Finally, some of the serial tanks were converted into very specific special vehicles. In August-July 1940, 48 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds were converted into Tauchpanzer IV, a tank for crossing rivers along the bottom. Attachments for special sealed covers were installed on the tank, and covers were also placed on the air intakes. In addition, a special hose with a float was used, through which air was supplied to the machine. Similarly, a number of Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Es produced in January-March 1940 were redone. Similar vehicles were used in June 1941 as part of the 18th Panzer Division.
Blitzkrieg support vehicle
In April 1941, production of 7.Serie/B.W., aka Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F., began. This tank was created taking into account the experience of the campaigns of the first two years of the war. But it only became the main support tank for the German army in the fall of 1941. Of the 441 Pz.Kpfw.IV, which by June 22, 1941 concentrated on the border with the USSR, they were a minority. The basis was Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D and Ausf.E.
By that time, the tanks of these modifications had changed somewhat. On February 14, 1941, the first german tanks, and on the 16th the Afrika Korps was formed. In this regard, back in early February, a “tropical” set for the ventilation system was developed.
Since March, they began to put a turret box for personal belongings on tanks. Since it was originally designed for the Afrika Korps, it was nicknamed the "Rommel box". It was not placed on all tanks. On many tanks, boxes on the turrets were not installed at all, and instead of them, an analogue was placed on the side of the hull. And in some units they developed their own "Rommel Box", which differs in shape from the regular one.
And this was only the beginning of all sorts of alterations that were introduced at the level of tank divisions, and sometimes even at the level of battalions. The body kit itself, which the Pz.Kpfw.IV received only in 1941, is a topic for a separate large material.
The Pz.Kpfw.IVs that ended up in Africa found themselves, figuratively speaking, in greenhouse conditions. In February 1941, 20 tanks were sent there, 3 of which were lost on the way, 20 more units arrived in April. The only truly dangerous enemy for them was the Matildas, which was primarily due to the thick armor of these English tanks. The 2-pounder (40-mm) guns on the British vehicles could only penetrate the shielded forehead of the Pz.Kpfw.IV at point-blank range, and such cases were rare.
The result of the meeting of the Pz.Kpfw.IV with the KV-2, summer 1941 Quite different conditions turned out to be on the Eastern Front. During the fighting at the end of June 1941, only 15 Pz.Kpfw.IVs were irretrievably lost. This is largely due to the fact that their opponents were T-26 and BT, who performed in a completely different weight category. The atmosphere of complete confusion in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War. However, already in July, 109 tanks, that is, a quarter of the original number, were scrapped. In August, 68 more cars were added to them. In total, in 1941, the Germans lost 348 Pz.Kpfw.IVs on the Eastern Front, that is, more than 3/4 of their original number.
The German tank crews could quite rightly blame the 6th department of the Arms Directorate for such significant losses, which approached the issue of strengthening the armor very lightly. In fact, the shielding installed on the tanks corresponded to the experience of the September 1939 campaign. At the same time, the fact that the French already had 47-mm tank and anti-tank guns was ignored. And this was done completely in vain: even a 47-mm SA 35 tank gun with a barrel length of 32 calibers, as tests in the USSR showed, pierced 50 mm armor of German tanks at a distance of 400 meters without any problems.
The characteristics of the 47 mm looked even more depressing for the Germans. anti-tank gun Canon de 47 Mle.1937, which had a barrel length of 50 calibers. At a distance of a kilometer, she pierced armor with a thickness of 57 mm. The Germans could reasonably assume that the French were not the only ones with more powerful anti-tank artillery and tank guns than the Poles.
Captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Panzer Division, NIIBT Polygon, August 1941 Ultimately, the Wehrmacht had to pay for the miscalculations of the military leadership in assessing the weapons of the enemy with tanks and their crews. While the main opponents of the Pz.Kpfw.IV were the T-26 and BT, everything was shaping up for German tankers relatively good. In the future, more and more often they had to deal with the T-34 and KV-1, armed with 76-mm guns. In addition, some of the tanks ended up with only partially thickened armor, which significantly reduced the chances of surviving even under fire from 45-mm tank and anti-tank guns.
Made a certain contribution and heavy tanks KV-2. The hit of his 152-mm projectile on a German tank turned it into a pile of scrap metal. However, penetration by other shells did not bring anything good. Cases of ammunition detonation were quite common for the Pz.Kpfw.IV. It is worth noting that German tanks were almost powerless against the T-34 and KV-1. Regular armor-piercing shells had almost no effect against new Soviet tanks, and the 7.5 cm Gr.Patr.38 Kw.K. Hitler allowed the use only in February 1942.
The same car in front. Hits and a split screen are visible in the area of \u200b\u200bthe driver's viewing device Already in August 1941, the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Panzer Division was delivered to the site of the Scientific Research Testing Institute armored vehicles(NIIBT Polygon) to Kubinka. The car was quite badly damaged: there were several hits in the frontal part of the hull, and the shielding in the area of the driver's viewing device was also partially shot down. Polygon staff compiled a brief description of, according to which the combat weight of the tank, designated as " medium tank T-IV release 1939–40”, was estimated at 24 tons, and top speed- at 50 km/h. After preliminary calculations, the following conclusions were made:
.“The armor protection of the T-IV tank is affected by artillery of all calibers.
The tank turret, inspection hatches, ball mount of the radio operator's machine gun are affected by large-caliber small arms.
Captured Pz.Kpfw.IV from the end of 1941 became a fairly frequent occurrence. Nevertheless, the NIIBT Polygon did not engage in bringing the tank captured back in the summer of 1941 into working condition or trying to get a running trophy.
This is largely due to the fact that special interest the Soviet military did not show up to the tank. It seems that they considered it as an addition to the Pz.Kpfw.III, despite the fact that the combat weight and engine of the two medium tanks were similar. For approximately the same reasons, the StuG III Ausf.B was not restored to running condition. It was considered more important to study the driving characteristics of the captured PzIII and Pz38(t), and wasting time on secondary vehicles was considered a pointless exercise.
Unlike the StuG III, the frontal armor of the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E was quite tough for a 45mm shell. In September 1942, tests took place, during which fire was fired at the captured tank from various weapons. First of all, he was fired from a DShK machine gun. It turned out that the side of the DShK turret did not penetrate even from a distance of 50 meters, but at a distance of 100 meters it was possible to break through the side and rear of the hull.
Much more interesting were tests by shelling from a 45-mm cannon installed in the T-70 tank. At a distance of 50 meters, a frontal hull sheet 50 mm thick was pierced. It is worth noting that the same gun did not penetrate the captured StuG III self-propelled guns. Boards with a thickness of 40 mm (20 + 20 mm) were pierced at a distance of 400 meters.
The final verdict on the German tank was the shelling of the 76-mm F-34 cannon mounted in the T-34 medium tank. The front plate was pierced at a distance of 500 meters (inlet diameter of the through hole - 90 mm, output - 100 mm). The next shot, made from a distance of 800 meters, split the sheet into two parts. When firing from a distance of 800 meters into the side of the hull, the projectile pierced the 40-mm armor on the right side, exploded inside and exited from the left side. When firing a high-explosive projectile on the side, the side turret hatch was torn off by the first hit, the commander's turret was torn off by the second projectile, and hitting the side of the engine compartment (20 mm thick) led to a breach measuring 130 × 350 mm. It was decided not to fire from long distances - and so everything was clear.
In addition to shelling, NII-48 specialists studied the design of the hull and turret.
One of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds re-armed with the 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon and fitted with side shields In July 1942, the few Ausf.D and Ausf.E tanks remaining in service were upgraded. Instead of a regular gun, they installed a long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. In addition, from May 1943, side screens began to be installed on the hull and turret. By that time, these machines were withdrawn from the first line and transferred training units, including the institutions of the NSKK (National Socialist Mechanized Corps).
Such tanks were also part of tank units stationed in France. One of them (Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, serial number 80732, released in July 1940) was captured by the British in the summer of 1944. It is now on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.
Attempts to improve the protection of the tank led to the appearance at the end of 1942 modification "Ausfuhrung G". The designers knew that the mass limit that the undercarriage could withstand had already been chosen, so they had to make a compromise solution - to dismantle 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 mass, install overhead screens 30 mm thick in the frontal part.
Another measure to increase the security of the tank was the installation of removable anti-cumulative screens ("schurzen") 5 mm thick on the sides of the hull and turret, the attachment of 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 efficient two-chamber one. The appearance of the vehicle also underwent a number of other changes: instead of a stern smoke launcher, built-in blocks of smoke grenade launchers began to be mounted at the corners of the turret, holes for launching flares in the hatches of the driver and gunner were eliminated.
By the end of the serial production of the PzKpfw IV "Ausfuhrung G" tanks, their regular main weapon was a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers, the hatch of the commander's cupola became single-leaf. Late production PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tanks are outwardly almost identical to the early Ausf.N. From May 1942 to June 1943, 1,687 Ausf.G tanks were manufactured, an impressive figure, given that in five years, from the end of 1937 to the summer of 1942, 1,300 PzKpfw IVs of all modifications (Ausf.A -F2), chassis no. - 82701-84400.
In 1944 was made tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.G with hydrostatic drive wheels. The design of the drive was developed by specialists from the firm "Zanradfabrik" in Augsburg. The Maybach's main 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 aft part of the hull, respectively, and the drive wheels had a rear, and not the usual front position 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 United States 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 at the US Army Tank Museum, Aberdeen, pc. Maryland.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.H (Sd.Kfz. 161/2)
The installation of a long-barreled 75 mm gun proved to be a rather controversial measure. The cannon led to an excessive overload of the front of the tank, the front springs were under constant pressure, the tank acquired a tendency to swing even when moving on a flat surface. It was possible to get rid of the unpleasant effect on the modification "Ausfuhrung H", 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 reinforced up 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 at least 15 km, and the specific pressure on the ground, the acceleration characteristics of the machine fell. 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, a lot of minor improvements were introduced to the tanks of the Ausf.H model, in particular, they began to install completely steel rollers without rubber, the shape of the drive wheels and sloths changed, a turret for the MG-34 anti-aircraft machine gun appeared on the commander's cupola ("Fligerbeschussgerat 42" - installation anti-aircraft machine gun), tower embrasures for firing pistols and a hole in the roof of the tower for launching signal rockets were eliminated.
The Ausf.H tanks were the first "fours" to use zimmerite anti-magnetic coating; only the vertical surfaces of the tank were to be covered with zimmerite, however, in practice, the coating was applied to all surfaces that an infantryman standing on the ground could reach, on the other hand, there were also tanks on which only the forehead of the hull and superstructure was covered with zimmerite. Zimmerite was applied both in factories and in the field.
The tanks of the Ausf.H modification became the most popular among all PzKpfw IV models, 3774 of them were built, production was discontinued in the summer of 1944. Chassis serial numbers are 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". Machines of this variant began to enter service in June 1944. From a constructive point of view, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.J was a step backwards.
Instead of an electric drive for turning the tower, a manual one was installed, but it became possible to place an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 liters. An increase in the cruising range on the highway from 220 km to 300 km due to the placement of additional fuel (off-road - from 130 km to 180 km) seemed to be an extremely important decision, since panzer divisions increasingly played the role of "fire brigades", which were transferred from one sector of the Eastern Front another.
An attempt to somewhat reduce the weight of the tank was the installation of welded wire anti-cumulative screens; such screens were called "Thoma screens", after the name of General Tom). Such screens were placed only on the sides of the hull, and the former screens made of sheet steel remained on the towers. On tanks of late production, instead of four rollers, three were installed, and vehicles with steel track rollers without rubber were also produced.
Almost all improvements 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, in the commander's turret and in the frontal armor plate of the turret remained), installation of simplified towing loops , replacing the muffler exhaust system with two simple pipes. Another attempt to improve the security of the car was to increase the armor of the turret roof by 18 mm and the stern by 26 mm.
The production of PzKpfw IV Ausf.J tanks ceased in March 1945, with a total of 1,758 vehicles 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 undercarriage was too overloaded. Before proceeding with the installation of the Panther turret, the designers tried to squeeze the gun from the Panther into the turret tank PzKpfw IV. The installation of a wooden model of the gun showed the complete impossibility of the crew members working in the turret due to the tightness created by the breech of the gun. As a result 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 in the course of factory repairs, it is not possible to determine with accuracy how many tanks of one or another modification were built in total. Very often there were various hybrid variants, for example, turrets from Ausf.G were placed on the hulls of the Ausf.D model.
6-04-2015, 15:06
Good day to all! The ACES.GG team is with you, and today we will talk about the German medium tank of the fifth level Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H. Consider its weak and strengths, we will analyze the performance characteristics, as well as the methods and tactics of using this machine in combat.
Tier 5 German medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H can be opened with the tier 4 medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D for 12,800 experience, as well as with with the help of a lung tank of the fourth level Pz.38 nA, but already for 15,000 experience. It will cost 373,000 credits at the time of purchase.
Let's analyze the performance characteristics of the Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H
Pz. IV H has an average HP of 480 at its level. Of course, this is not very much, but if you do not waste them, then it is quite enough. The dynamics of the tank is acceptable, it does not cause much discomfort. The tank is gaining its 40 km / h quite well. If we talk about armor, then the tank is not the best, especially in the stern and on the sides. But the tank may well take a hit, with correct use, from machines of their level and below. Also, the car has an acceptable visibility at its level, which is 350 meters.
Pz.Kpfw guns. IV ausf. H
Now let's talk about the guns, the tank has three of them to choose from.
The first is the 7.5 cm Kw.K. 40L/43. It is given to us in the stock configuration of the tank at the time of purchase. This weapon has no special advantages, not counting its rate of fire. But we will have to play with him until we open one of the following weapons.
Second gun 7.5 cm Kw.K. 40L/48. It can be considered the top one for this tank, of course, if you are not a fan of high explosives. This gun has acceptable armor penetration for its tier. Not the best, but still good accuracy, as well as a good rate of fire. The average damage per shot is 110 units, which is not too much, but again, for its level, this is quite an acceptable indicator.
And the third gun 10.5 cm Kw.K. L/28. The main advantage of this weapon is its cumulative shells. Penetration is 104 mm, which is enough to annihilate most of the enemies that the Pz.Kpfw will meet. IV Ausf. H. Also, do not forget about land mines, with the help of them we will be able to destroy weakly armored targets with one shot. Do not forget that this weapon has very poor accuracy, so it is advisable to always bring it to the end.
Equipment for Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H
The standard for me and the standard for many medium tanks
medium-caliber gun rammer, improved ventilation and reinforced aiming drives.
Skills and abilities of the Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H
Standard and good choice will:
Commander - Sixth Sense, Repair, Combat Brotherhood.
Gunner - Repair, Smooth turn of the tower Combat Brotherhood.
Driver - Repair, Smooth running, Combat brotherhood.
Radio operator - Repair, Radio interception, Combat brotherhood.
Loader - Repair, Non-contact ammo rack, Combat Brotherhood.
My choice:
The choice of equipment Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H
Here is another standard, namely: a small repair kit, a small first aid kit and a hand-held fire extinguisher. I advise you to use premium equipment, which is quite expensive, but can significantly increase the survivability of your vehicle in battle. So feel free to put a large repair kit, a large first aid kit and an automatic fire extinguisher on your tank. You can also put a chocolate bar instead of an automatic fire extinguisher.
Tactics and style of play Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H
Tactics of the game on Pz. IV H depends on what levels of tanks you have to fight.
Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H in the top
On Pz. IV H in the top is best at the beginning of the battle to take a good position at medium or long range, and shoot the enemies caught in the light. You can also take part in the rush, if one is planned. The main thing to keep in mind is that there should be allies next to you who can cover you, as well as shelters for which you can leave after the shot in order to reload. Thanks to the rate of fire of the 7.5 cm gun, you can do quite good damage to the enemy, and with the 10.5 cm gun it will be possible to destroy lightly armored tanks with one shot. The main thing with all this is to try not to be substituted for the enemy’s shots.
Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H vs. sixth levels
In battles against the sixth levels, you can also act aggressively or passively. With an aggressive play style, it will be possible to support the allied rush by shooting at the enemies from behind the backs of the allies, or simply illuminate enemy tanks for allied vehicles. And with a passive style, you will need to take a place in the bushes and shoot damage at enemies caught in the light. Most importantly, we will need to avoid vehicles with high average damage per shot, such as the KV-2, KV-85 with a 122mm gun, and the like. After all, if they don’t kill us with one shot, they will make us crippled until the end of the battle.
Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H vs seventh levels
We will have nothing to do against the seventh levels on the front line, so it will be best to act from behind the backs of the allies on the second or third line. So we will be able to deal damage to enemies, while not receiving it ourselves, because many tanks of the seventh level will kill us with one or two shots. Well, if you don’t like this kind of gameplay, then you can try to gently drive forward towards fate, which will decide whether you bend over or just merge. But seriously, on the first line we will need to act very carefully, because in which case we will simply simply turn into an easy frag. Therefore, this tactic is extremely risky, but if everything is done correctly, then it can bear fruit.
Well, most importantly in any battle, you will need to be able to correctly analyze the map, team lineups, and the departure of your allies. Based on the analysis, it is already worth choosing the tactics and direction in which you will act. Also, do not forget to look at the minimap, so that if something happens, timely move to one or another direction where our help will be needed.
Outcome
Pz. IV H is a typical representative of medium tanks at their level, which are quite well balanced, and deliver a lot of pleasant impressions from the game. The tank has quite a good potential, thanks to which it will be possible to influence the outcome of the battle. Also Pz. IV H, like many vehicles of the fifth level, is able to farm credits quite well and bring its owner a lot of pleasure from playing on it.
Apparently, we should start with a rather unexpected statement that the creation of the Pz.IV tank in 1937, the Germans determined the promising path for the development of world tank building. This thesis is quite capable of shocking our reader, since we are used to believing that this place in history is reserved for the Soviet T-34 tank. Nothing can be done, you have to make room and share the laurels with the enemy, although defeated. Well, so that this statement does not look unfounded, we present a number of proofs.
To this end, we will try to compare the "four" with the Soviet, British and American tanks that opposed it in different periods of the Second World War. Let's start with the first period - 1940-1941; At the same time, we will not focus on the then German classification of tanks according to the caliber of the gun, which attributed the medium Pz.IV to the heavy class. Since the British did not have a medium tank as such, we would have to consider two vehicles at once: one for infantry, the other for cruising. In this case, only the "pure" declared characteristics are compared, without taking into account the quality of manufacture, operational reliability, the level of crew training, etc.
As can be seen from Table 1, in 1940-1941 there were only two full-fledged medium tanks in Europe - the T-34 and Pz.IV. The British "Matilda" was superior to the German and soviet tank in armor protection to the same extent that the Mk IV was inferior to them. The French S35 was a perfected tank that met the requirements of the First World War. As for the T-34, it was inferior to the German vehicle in a number of important positions (separation of the functions of crew members, the number and quality of surveillance devices), it had the same armor as the Pz.IV, somewhat better mobility and much more powerful weapons. Such a lag of the German vehicle is easily explained - the Pz.IV was conceived and created as an assault tank, designed to deal with enemy firing points, but not with his tanks. In this regard, the T-34 was more versatile and, as a result, according to the declared characteristics, the best medium tank in the world in 1941. Just six months later, the situation changed, as can be seen from the characteristics of the tanks of the period 1942-1943.
Table 1
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* The commander's cupola counts as one surveillance device
table 2
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* Only the 75 mm cannon is taken into account for the Grant I tank.
Table 3
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Table 2 shows how sharply 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" proved to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks beyond the reach 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, Pz.IV took 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 performance characteristics of the Pz.IV have not changed (except for the thickness of the armor) and during the two years of the war they remained unsurpassed by anyone! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into the series, surpassed it. For a decent response, the Germans had neither time nor opportunity.
Analyzing the data of 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 during the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car, various characteristics 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 of dynamic characteristics. Pz.III, with many other equal characteristics with Pz.IV, did not reach it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage.
Pz.IV with a similar Pz.III, but a little more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full. This is the only tank of the war years with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The T-34-85 and Sherman had to change the turret, and, by and large, they were almost new machines. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista outfits, they changed not towers, but tanks! But the Cromwell, which appeared in 1944, did not reach the Quartet, as, indeed, did the Comet, released in 1945. Bypass the German tank, created in 1937, could only post-war "Centurion".
From what has been said, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. For example, it had insufficient engine power and a rather rigid and outdated suspension, which adversely affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the smallest L / B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks.
The equipment of the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be attributed to the successful move of the German designers. HEAT munitions were rarely used en masse, but the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow aisles, blocked most of the observation devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark. However, even more senseless and rather expensive was the coating of tanks with zimmerite.
Values of specific power of medium tanks
But perhaps the biggest mistake of the Germans was to try to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. As the latter, it did not take place (for more details, see "Armored Collection" No. 2, 1997), making the company "Tiger" in the class of heavy vehicles, but played a fatal role in the fate of Pz.lV.
Having concentrated all efforts in 1942 on the creation of new tanks, the Germans ceased to seriously modernize the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the "Panther"? The project of installing the "Panther" turret on the Pz.lV, both standard and "close" (Schmall-turm), is well known. The project is quite realistic in terms of dimensions - the inside diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV-1600 mm. The tower rose without expanding the turret box. The situation with the weight characteristics was somewhat worse - due to the large overhang 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 confine oneself to a gun with smaller weight and size data, with a barrel length, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Such a gun, even if it would require the replacement of the turret, would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the "Panther" one.
The inevitable increase (by the way, even without such a hypothetical re-equipment) of the tank's weight required the replacement of the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine, installed on the Pz.IV, were 1220x680x830 mm, and the "Panther" HL 230R30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost the same for these two tanks. At the "Panther" it was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the slope of the rear hull plate. Therefore, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an unsolvable design problem.
The results of such a, 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 gun 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 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.
According to the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden to build tanks and create armored forces. However, the Germans were by no means striving to thoroughly fulfill the clauses of the agreement, which they considered humiliating for themselves. Therefore, long before the Nazis came to power, the German military began to actively develop the doctrine of the use of tank units in modern warfare. It was more difficult to implement theoretical developments in practice, but the Germans succeeded in this too: it is widely known that mock-ups built on the basis of cars or even bicycles were used as tanks in exercises and maneuvers. And the tanks themselves were developed under the guise of agricultural tractors and tested abroad.
After power passed to the Nazis, Germany's refusal to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles followed. By this time, the country's armored doctrine had already taken shape quite clearly, and the matter was, figuratively speaking, the embodiment of the Panzerwaffe in metal.
The first German serial tanks: Pz.Kpfw I and Pz.Kpfw II - were vehicles that even the Germans themselves perceived more as transitional to "real" tanks. Pz.Kpfw I was generally considered training, although he had a chance to take part in hostilities in Spain, Poland, France, North Africa and the USSR.
In 1936, the troops received the first copies of the medium tank Pz.Kpfw. III, armed with a 37 mm anti-tank gun and protected in frontal and side projections with 15 mm thick armor. This fighting machine was already quite a full-fledged tank that met the requirements of the time. At the same time, due to the small caliber of the gun, she could not fight the fortified firing points and engineering structures of the enemy.
In 1934, the army gave the industry a task to develop a fire support tank, which was to be armed with a 75-mm cannon with high-explosive shells in the ammunition load. Initially, this tank was developed as a battalion commander's vehicle, from which its first designation, BW (Batallionführerwagen), came from. Three competing firms were working on the tank: Rheinmetall-Borsig, MAN and Krupp AG. The project VK 20.01 of the Krupp company was recognized as the best, however, by serial production it was not allowed due to the fact that the design of the tank used a running gear on a spring suspension. The military demanded the use of a torsion bar suspension, which provided smoother movement and better maneuverability of the combat vehicle. The Krupp engineers managed to reach a compromise with the Ordnance Department, proposing to use a version of the spring suspension with eight twin road wheels, almost completely borrowed from the experienced Nb.Fz multi-turreted tank.
An order for the manufacture of a new tank, designated Vs.Kfz. 618, Krupp received in 1935. In April 1936, the vehicle was renamed Pz.Kpfw IV. The first samples of the "zero" series were produced at the Krupp factories in Essen, and in the fall of 1937, production was transferred to Magdeburg, where the production of the Ausf modification began. A.
Pz.Kpfw. IV was a car of a classic layout with an engine compartment in the rear of the hull. The transmission was located in front, between the jobs of the driver and gunner-radio operator. Due to the layout of the swivel mechanism, the tank turret was shifted slightly to the left relative to the longitudinal axis. Chassis from each side consisted of four sprung bogies with four rollers on each of them. The drive wheel was in front. Note that throughout the entire history of the existence of the Pz.Kpfw IV, no significant changes were made to the design of the chassis.
The first modification of the machine, Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.A, equipped with Maybach HL108TR carbureted engine with 250 horsepower. with., located closer to the right side of the body.
Reservation of the hull modification "A" was 20 mm in the frontal projection and 15 mm in the side and aft projections. The thickness of the armor of the tower was 30 mm in the front, 20 mm in the side and 10 mm in the rear. The commander's turret of a characteristic cylindrical shape was located in the rear of the tower in the middle. For observation, it was equipped with six viewing slots covered with armored glass.
Pz.Kpfw. The IV Ausf.A was armed with a 75 mm short-barreled KwK 37 L|24 cannon and two 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns: coaxial with a cannon and a course gun located in a ball mount in the front armor plate of the hull. The armor plate itself had a broken shape. The presence of this machine gun, along with a cylindrical commander's turret, - distinguishing feature the first modification of the Pz.Kpfw. IV. In total, until June 1938, 35 A-series vehicles were produced.
Pz.Kpfw. IV was destined to become the main vehicle of the German armored forces. Its last modification was made from June 1944 to March 1945. The volume of the article does not allow dwelling in detail on each change in the design of this tank, so we will briefly consider the main upgrades and improvements that were carried out by German engineers over the course of long way"fours".
In May 1938, the production of the Pz.Kpfw version began. IV Ausf.B. Its main difference from previous version consisted in the use of direct armor plates in the frontal part of the hull and the elimination of the course machine gun. Instead, an additional observation slot for the radio operator and an embrasure appeared in the hull, through which he could fire from personal weapons. The observation slots of the commander's cupola received armored shutters. Instead of a 5-speed gearbox, a 6-speed was used. The engine has also changed: now on Pz.Kpfw. IV began to install a Maybach HL120TR engine with a capacity of 300 hp. With. The armor of the hull was strengthened, and now in the frontal projection of the hull and turret the “four” was protected by 30 mm of steel. The frontal armor of the turret was somewhat thinner, its thickness was 25 mm. Until October 1938, 42 machines of this modification were built.
Series Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.C received a new Maybach HL120TRM engine. This engine, like the previous one, had a power of 300 liters. With. and was installed on all subsequent modifications of the Pz IV. Modification "C" was produced from April 1938 to August 1939. Following it, the “D” series entered the conveyors, on which they again began to use a broken-shaped frontal armor plate with a course machine gun. From 1940, the Ausf.D's frontal armor was reinforced with an additional 30 mm sheet. In 1941, a 50-mm cannon was installed on some machines of this series. Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D was also built in a tropical modification.
In the tanks of the "E" series, produced from April 1940 to April 1941, the designers continued to build up armor. The 30-mm frontal armor of the hull was additionally reinforced with a plate of the same thickness. The course machine gun was now mounted in a ball mount. The shape of the tower has also undergone minor changes.
The latest modification of the "four" with a short-barreled 75-mm gun was the "F" version. Now the frontal armor of the vehicle reached 50 mm on the hull and 30 mm on the turret. Since 1942, the tanks of the Ausf.F series began to be equipped with a long-barreled gun KwK 40 L / 43 of 75 mm caliber. In this version, the vehicle received the designation Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.F2.
Since March 1942, the production of the Pz.Kpfw modification began. IV Ausf.G. She didn't have big differences from the previous version of the tank. Later machines of this series used wider "eastern" tracks, additional frontal armor and side screens. About 400 of the last "fours" of the "G" series were armed with a 75 mm KwK 40 L / 43 cannon, and from February 1943 they were equipped with a 75 mm KwK 40 L / 48 cannon. Based on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.G prototype was developed self-propelled gun Hummel.
Since June 1942, work began on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H. The frontal armor of this tank reached 80 mm. Armored screens 5 mm thick were installed along the sides. The commander's cupola housed an anti-aircraft turret for a 7.92 mm machine gun. The tank was coated with zimmerite, a material that made it difficult to attach magnetic mines to the hull. As the main weapon on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H, a 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 cannon was used.
In February 1944, the production of the last modification of the "four" began - Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.J. This tank did not have a turret rotation motor, and the swivel mechanism was manually operated. The design of support and support rollers has been simplified. Due to the installation of screens, side viewing slots were removed, which became useless. Machines of different series had minor differences in internal equipment.
In general, researchers deservedly consider Pz.Kpfw. IV the most versatile German tank of World War II. The designers have laid in it the potential for modernization, sufficient for the tank to be able to remain a full-fledged combat unit throughout the entire period of its existence. This is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that this tank was in service with a number of countries until the 60s of the twentieth century.
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