Tank pz 4 all modifications. Tank Pz.Kpfw.V "Panther" is the most massive German heavy tank of World War II. Armored corps and turret
Medium tank Pz Kpfw IV
and its modifications
The most massive tank of the III Reich. Produced from October 1937 until the end of the war. A total of 8,519 tanks were produced Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A, B, C, D, E, F1, F2, G, H, J, of which - 1100 with a short-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK37 L / 24, 7,419 tanks - with a long-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK40 L / 43 or L / 48).
Pz IV Ausf A Pz IV Ausf B Pz IV Ausf C
Pz IV Ausf D Pz IV Ausf E
Pz IV Ausf F1 Pz IV Ausf F2
Pz IV Ausf G Pz IV Ausf H
Pz IV Ausf J
Crew - 5 people.
Engine - "Maybach" HL 120TR or TRM (Ausf A - HL 108TR).
The Maybach HL 120TR 12-cylinder carburetor engine (3000 rpm) had a power of 300 hp. With. and allowed the tank to develop a maximum speed on the highway up to 40 - 42 km / h.
All Pz Kpfw IV tanks had a tank gun with a caliber of 75 mm (7.5 cm in German terminology). In the series from modification A to F1, short-barreled 7.5cm KwK37 L / 24 guns with an initial armor-piercing projectile velocity of 385 m / s were installed, which were powerless against the armor of Soviet T-34 and KV tanks, as well as against most British and American tanks. From March 1942, the last F vehicles (175 vehicles designated F2), as well as all G, H and J tanks, were armed with long-barreled 7.5cm KwK40 L/43 or L/48 guns. (The KwK 40 L / 48 cannon was installed on parts of the G series vehicles, and then on the H and J modifications.) The Pz Kpfw IV tanks, armed with KwK40 cannons with an armor-piercing projectile muzzle velocity of 770 m / s, received fire superiority over the T-34 for some time (2nd half of 1942 - 1943)
tanks Pz Kpfw IVs were also armed with two MG 34 machine guns. In modifications B and C, there was no radio operator machine gun; instead of it - a viewing slot and a pistol embrasure.
All tanks have FuG 5 radios.
Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A(Sd Kfz 161)
35 tanks were produced from October 1937 to March 1938 by Krupp-Guson.
Combat weight - 18.4 tons. Length - 5.6 m. Width - 2.9 m. Height - 2.65 m.
Armor 15 mm.
Engine - "Maybach" HL 108TR. Speed - 31 km / h. Power reserve - 150 km.
Combat use: they fought in Poland, Norway, France; were withdrawn from service in the spring of 1941.
Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, Ausf C(Sd Kfz 161)
42 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B tanks were produced (from April to September 1938) and 134 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C tanks (from September 1938 to August 1939).
Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B
Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C
Installed a different engine, a new 6-speed gearbox. The speed increased to 40 km/h. The thickness of the frontal armor has been increased to 30 mm. A new commander's cupola has been installed. In the modification of Ausf C, the installation of the motor was changed and the turret swivel ring was improved.
Combat weight - 18.8 tons (Ausf B) and 19 tons (Ausf C). Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.83 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 15 mm.
In modifications B and C, there was no radio operator machine gun; instead of it - a viewing slot and a pistol embrasure.
Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, Ausf C fought in Poland, France, the Balkans and the Eastern Front. Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C remained in service until 1943. Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B were gradually out of service by the end of 1944.
Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf D(Sd Kfz 161)
229 tanks produced from October 1939 to May 1941
The main difference between the Ausf D modification was the increase in the thickness of the armor of the sides and stern to 20 mm.
Combat weight - 20 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 20 mm.
Speed - 40 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.
Combat use: fought in France, the Balkans, North Africa and on the Eastern Front until early 1944.
Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf E(Sd Kfz 161)
223 tanks produced from September 1940 to April 1941
On the Ausf E increased the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull to 50 mm; a new type of commander's cupola appeared. Armor plates were used on the forehead of the superstructure (30 mm) and on the sides of the hull and superstructure (20 mm).
Combat weight - 21 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull - 50 mm, forehead of the superstructure and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 20 mm.
Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf E took part in the battles in the Balkans, North Africa and on the Eastern Front.
Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1(Sd Kfz 161)
462 tanks were produced from April 1941 to March 1942, of which 25 vehicles were converted into Ausf F2.
On the The armor of the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F was increased again: the forehead of the hull and turret was up to 50 mm, the sides of the turret and hull were up to 30 mm. Single doors in the sides of the turret were replaced with double doors, the track width increased from 360 to 400 mm. Tanks of modifications Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F, G, H were produced at the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson, Fomag, and Nibelungenwerke.
Combat weight - 22.3 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Speed - 42 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.
Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 fought in all areas Eastern Front in 1941-44, participated in. They entered service in and.
medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2(Sd Kfz 161/1)
Produced from March to July 1942. 175 tanks and 25 vehicles converted from Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1.
Starting with this model, all subsequent models were equipped with a long-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK 40 L/43 (48). The ammunition load of the gun was increased from 80 to 87 rounds.
Combat weight - 23 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull, superstructure and turret - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed - 40 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.
They entered service with new tank regiments and motorized divisions, as well as to replenish losses. In the summer of 1942, the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2 tanks could withstand the Soviet T-34s and KVs, comparable to the latter in terms of firepower, and surpassed the British and American tanks of that period.
medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G(Sd Kfz 161/2)
1687 vehicles were produced from May 1942 to July 1943.
A new gun muzzle brake has been introduced. Smoke grenade launchers were installed on the sides of the tower. Reduced the number of viewing slots in the tower. About 700 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G tanks received additional 30 mm frontal armor. On the latest machines, armored screens made of thin steel (5 mm) were installed along the sides of the hull and around the turret. Tanks of modifications Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F, G, H were produced at the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson, Fomag and Nibelungenwerke.
Combat weight - 23.5 tons. Length - 6.62 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull, superstructure and turret - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed - 40 km / h. Power reserve - 210 km.
medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf N(Sd Kfz 161/2)
3774 vehicles were produced from April 1943 to July 1944.
The Ausf H modification series - the most massive - received 80 mm frontal hull armor (the thickness of the turret armor remained the same - 50 mm); armor protection of the turret roof increased from 10 to 15 mm. An external air filter has been installed. The radio station antenna was moved to the rear of the hull. A mount for an anti-aircraft machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola. 5-mm side screens were installed on the hull and turret, protecting them from cumulative projectiles. Some of the tanks had non-rubberized (steel) support rollers. The tanks of the Ausf H modification were produced at the factories of three companies: Nibelungenwerke, Krupp-Gruson (Magdeburg) and Fomag in Plauen. A total of 3,774 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf H and another 121 chassis for self-propelled and assault guns were produced.
Combat weight - 25 tons. Length - 7.02 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Speed - 38 km / h. Power reserve - 210 km.
medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf J(Sd Kfz 161/2)
1758 cars were produced from June 1944 to March 1945 at the Nibelungenwerke plant.
The turret's electrical traverse was replaced with a dual mechanical traverse. An additional fuel tank was installed in the vacant seat. Cruising range increased to 320 km. For close combat, a mortar was installed in the roof of the tower, firing fragmentation or smoke grenades to defeat enemy soldiers who had climbed onto the tank. Viewing slots and pistol loopholes in the side doors and behind the turret have been removed.
Combat weight - 25 tons. Length - 7.02 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and superstructure - 80 mm, forehead of the tower - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed - 38 km / h. Power reserve - 320 km.
Combat use of medium tanks Pz Kpfw IV
Before the invasion of France, the troops had 280 tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A, B, C, D.
Before the beginning Operation Barbarossa Germany had 3,582 combat-ready tanks. The 17 tank divisions deployed against the Soviet Union included 438 Pz IV Ausf B, C, D, E, F tanks. Soviet tanks KV and T-34 had an advantage over the German Pz Kpfw IV. The shells of the KV and T-34 tanks pierced the armor of the Pz Kpfw IV at considerable distances. The armor of the Pz Kpfw IV was also penetrated by 45-mm Soviet anti-tank guns and 45-mm guns of T-26 and BT light tanks. And the short-barreled German tank gun could only effectively deal with light tanks. Therefore, during 1941, 348 Pz Kpfw IVs were destroyed on the Eastern Front.
Tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 5th tank division in November 1941 near Moscow
In June 1942 years on the Eastern Front, there were 208 tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, C, D, E, F1 and about 170 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2 and Ausf G tanks with a long-barreled gun.
In 1942 Pz Kpfw IV tank battalion was to consist of four tank companies of 22 Pz Kpfw IV plus eight tanks in the headquarters company of the regiment.
Tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C and panzergrenadiers
Spring 1943
The Germans themselves did not have a high opinion about the combat 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 in Rommel's headquarters): "The T-IV tank gained the reputation of a formidable enemy among the British mainly because it was armed with a 75-mm cannon However, this gun had a low muzzle velocity and poor penetration, and although we used 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 military operations only after acquiring a "long arm" - a 75-mm KwK 40 cannon (F2 series). On the Eastern Front, Pz.lV. lV Ausf.F2 also appeared in the summer of 1942 and took part in the attack on Stalingrad and the North Caucasus.After the cessation of production of the Pz.lll in 1943, the "four" gradually became the main German tank in all theaters of military operations. "Panther" was planned to stop production and Pz.lV, however, thanks to the tough position of the General Inspector of the Panzerwaffe, General G. Guderian, this did not happen. Subsequent events showed that he was right ..
have risen sharply combat characteristics Pz.IV after installing 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. Since 1942, the tactical and technical characteristics of the Pz.IV have not changed (with the exception of 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. The Germans had no time or opportunity for a decent response. Comparing the characteristics of WWII tanks, we can conclude that the Germans, before others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend of 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 measure. 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 (anti-magnetic painting, from magnetic mines). But perhaps the most big mistake Germans was to try to switch to a new type of medium tank - "Panther". As the latter, it did not take place, making the company "Tiger" in the class of heavy vehicles, but played a fatal role in the fate of the 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.
On January 11, 1934, at a meeting of the Wehrmacht's Armaments Department, the basic principles for arming tank divisions were approved. Shortly thereafter, a prototype of the future PzKpfw IV tank was born, which, for the purpose of secrecy, was called the already familiar definition of “medium tractor” - the Mittleren Tractor. When the need for conspiracy disappeared and the combat vehicle began to be openly called the tank of the battalion commander - Batail-lonfuhrerswagen (BW).
This name lasted until the introduction of a unified designation system for German tanks, when the BW finally turned into a medium tank PzKpfw IV. Medium tanks were supposed to serve to support the infantry. The weight of the vehicle was not to exceed 24 tons, it was supposed to be armed with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon. It was decided to borrow the general layout scheme, the thickness of the armor plates, the principle of crew placement and other characteristics from the previous tank - Pz Kpfw III. Work on the creation of a new tank began in 1934. Rheinmetall-Borsig was the first to present a plywood model future car, and the following year appeared real prototype, designated VK 2001/Rh.
The prototype was made of mild weldable steel and weighed approximately 18 tons. He did not have time to leave the walls of the manufacturer, as he was immediately sent for testing in Kummersdorf. (It was in Kummersdorf that Adolf Hitler first became acquainted with the tanks of the Wehrmacht. During this study tour, Hitler showed great interest in the motorization of the army and the creation of armor tank troops. Guderian, Chief of Staff of the Directorate of the Armored Forces, arranged demonstration tests of motorized forces for the Reich Chancellor. Hitler was shown a motorcycle and anti-tank platoon, as well as platoons of light and heavy armored vehicles. According to Guderian, the Fuhrer was very pleased with the visit.)
Tanks PzKpfw IV and PzKpfw III at "Tankfest" in Bovington
Daimler-Benz, Krupp and MAN also built their prototypes of the new tank. "Krupp" presented a combat vehicle, almost similar to the prototype of the platoon commander's vehicle that they had previously proposed and rejected. After the tests, the technical department of the tank forces chose the VK 2001 / K variant proposed by Krupp for mass production, making minor changes to its design. In 1936, the first prototype of the 7.5 cm Geschiitz-Panzerwagen (VsKfz 618) tank was built, an armored vehicle with a 75 mm gun (experimental model 618).
The initial order was 35 vehicles, which were produced by the factories of the Friedrich Krupp AG concern in Essen from October 1936 to March 1937. Thus began the production of the most massive German tank, which remained in service with the armored forces of the Third Reich until the very end of the war. The medium tank PzKpfw IV owes its high combat characteristics entirely to the designers, who brilliantly coped with the task of strengthening the armor and firepower of the tank without making significant changes to the basic design.
MODIFICATIONS OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A became a model for the creation of all subsequent modifications. The armament of the new tank consisted of a 75mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon coaxial with a turret machine gun and a forward machine gun located in the hull. As a power plant, a 12-cylinder liquid-cooled Maybach HL 108TR carburetor engine was used, which developed a power of 250 hp. The hull also housed an additional engine that powered an electric generator that provided power to the turret's electric drive. The combat weight of the tank was 17.3 tons, the thickness of the frontal armor reached 20 mm.
A characteristic feature of the Pz IV Ausf A tank was a cylindrical commander's cupola with eight viewing slots covered with armored glass blocks.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A
The undercarriage for one side consisted of eight road wheels, interlocked in pairs in four bogies, suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs. Four small road wheels were provided on top. Drive wheel - front location. The idler wheel (sloth) had a track tensioning mechanism. It should be noted that this design of the undercarriage of the PzKpfw IV Ausf A tank was practically not subjected to significant changes in the future. Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A - the first production tank of this type.
The performance characteristics of the medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A (SdKfz 161)
Creation date ....................... 1935 (the first tank appeared in 1937)
Combat weight (t) .........................18.4
Dimensions (m):
length.........................5.0
width.........................2.9
height.........................2.65
Armament: ............ main 1 x 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon secondary 2 x 7.92 mm MG 13 machine guns
Ammunition-main .............................. 122 shots
Reservation (mm): ..................... maximum 15 minimum 5
Engine type..............Maybach HL 108 TR (3000 rpm)
Maximum power (hp) .................250
Crew...................5 people
Maximum speed (km/h) .................32
Cruising range (km) ............... 150
Next modification of the tank: PzKpfw IV Ausf B- featured an improved Maybach HL 120TRM engine with 300 hp. at 3000 rpm and a new six-speed gearbox ZFSSG 76 instead of a five-speed SSG 75. The main difference between the PzKpfw FV Ausf B was the use of a straight hull plate instead of the broken one of its predecessor. At the same time, the course machine gun was dismantled. In its place was a radio operator's viewing device, which could fire from personal weapons through the loophole. Frontal armor increased to 30 mm, due to which the combat weight increased to 17.7 tons. The commander's turret was also changed, whose viewing slots were closed with removable covers. The order for the new "four" (still called 2 / BW) was 45 cars, however, due to a lack of necessary parts and materials, Krupp was able to produce only 42.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf B
tanks PzKpfw IV version Ausf C appeared in 1938 and differed very little from the Ausf B vehicles. Outwardly, these tanks are so similar that it can be very difficult to distinguish them. An additional similarity with the previous version is given by a straight frontal plate without the MG machine gun, instead of which an additional viewing device appeared. Minor changes affected the introduction of an armored casing for the MG-34 machine gun barrel, as well as the installation of a special bumper under the gun, which bent the antenna when the turret turned, preventing it from breaking. In total, approximately 140 units of 19-ton Ausf C tanks were produced.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf C
Tanks of the next model - PzKpfw IVD- received an improved design of the gun mask. The practice of using tanks forced us to return to the original design of a broken frontal plate (as on the PzKpfw IV Ausf A tanks). The installation of the front machine gun was protected by a square armor casing, and side and aft armor increased from 15 to 20 mm. After the new tanks were tested, the following entry appeared in the military circular (No. 685 of September 27, 1939): "PzKpfw IV (with a 75-mm cannon) SdKfz 161 from this moment is declared suitable for successful use and military formations" "" .
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf D
A total of 222 Ausf D tanks were produced, with which Germany entered the Second world war. During the Polish campaign, several "fours" ingloriously returned from the battlefields to their homeland for repairs and improvements. It turned out that the thickness of the armor of the new tanks was not enough to ensure their safety, so additional armor plates were urgently needed to protect the most important nodes. It is curious that the reports of the British military intelligence of that time contain the assumption that the strengthening of the combat armor of tanks often took place “illegally”, without an appropriate order from above, and sometimes despite it. So, in the order of the German military command intercepted by the British, unauthorized welding of additional armor plates on the hulls of German tanks was strictly prohibited. The order explained that “handicraft* fastening of armor plates does not increase, but reduces the protection of the tank, so the Wehrmacht command ordered the commanders to strictly follow the instructions governing the work to strengthen the armor protection of combat vehicles.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf E
Soon the long-awaited "four" was born PzKpfw IV Ausf E, in the design of which all the previously identified shortcomings of the PzKpfw IV Ausf D were taken into account. First of all, this referred to the strengthening of armor protection. Now the 30 mm frontal armor of the hull was protected by additional 30 mm plates, and the sides were covered with 20 mm sheets. All these changes led to the fact that the combat weight increased to 21 tons. In addition, a new commander's cupola appeared on the Pz-4 Ausf E tanks, which now almost did not go beyond the tower. The course machine gun received a Kugelblende 30 ball mount. A box for spare parts and equipment was mounted on the rear wall of the turret. The undercarriage used new simplified drive wheels and wider tracks of a new type with a width of 400 mm instead of the old ones, with a width of 360 mm.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1
Tank was the next option. PzKpfw IV Ausf F1. These tanks had a one-piece frontal plate 50 mm thick and 30 mm sides. The forehead of the tower also received 50 mm armor. This tank has become latest model, armed with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon with a low muzzle velocity.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F2
Soon, Hitler personally ordered that this ineffective gun be replaced with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L / 43 - this is how the medium tank was born PzKpfw IV F2. The new weapon required changes to the design of the turret's combat compartment in order to accommodate the increased ammunition load. 32 shots out of 87 were now placed in the tower. The initial speed of a conventional armor-piercing projectile has now increased to 740 m/s (versus 385 m/s for the previous gun), and armor penetration has increased by 48 mm and amounted to 89 mm against the previous 41 mm ( armor-piercing projectile at a distance of 460 meters at a meeting angle of 30 °). The new powerful gun immediately and forever changed the role and place of the new tank in the German armored forces. In addition, the PzKpfw IV received a new Turmzielfernrohr TZF Sf sight and a different shaped cannon mask. From now on, the medium tank PzKpfw III fades into the background, content with the role of a support tank and infantry escort, and the PzKpfw IV becomes the main "assault" tank of the Wehrmacht for a long time. In addition to Krupp-Gruson AG, two more enterprises joined the production of PzKpfw IV tanks: VOMAG and Nibelungenwerke. The appearance on the stage of the theater of operations of the modernized "fours" Pz IV significantly complicated the position of the allies, since the new gun allowed the German tank to successfully fight against most of the armored vehicles of the USSR and coalition member countries. In total, for the period up to March 1942, 1,300 "fours" of early Ausfs (from A to F2) were produced.
PzKpfw IV is called the main tank of the Wehrmacht. More than 8,500 "fours" formed the basis of the Wehrmacht's tank forces, its main striking force.
The next large-scale version was the tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G. From May 1942 to June 1943, they were created much more than the machines of previous modifications, more than 1600 units.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G
The very first Pz IV Ausf G practically did not differ from the PzKpfw IV F2, however, during the production process, numerous changes were made to the basic design. First of all, this concerns the installation of a 75-mm gun KwK 40 L / 48 with a two-chamber muzzle brake. The upgraded version of the KwK 40 tank gun had a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s. The new model of the "four" tank was equipped with additional protective 5-mm screens to protect the turret and sides of the hull, which received the joking nickname "apron" in the troops. The Pz Kpfw IV Aufs G tank, produced since March 1943, was armed with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of L / 48 instead of the previous one with a barrel length of 43 caliber. A total of 1700 machines of this modification were produced. Despite the enhanced armament, the PZ-4s still could not compete with the Russian T-34s.
Weak armor protection made them too vulnerable. In this photo you can see how the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G tank uses sandbags as additional protection. Of course, such measures could not substantially improve the situation.
Tank became the most massive series PzKpfw IV Ausf N, more than 4,000 units were produced, including various self-propelled guns created on the T-4 ("four") chassis.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf H
This tank was distinguished by the most powerful frontal armor (up to 80 mm), the introduction of 5 mm side screens for the hull and turret, the MG-34 -Fliegerbeschussgerat 41/42 anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the commander's turret, a new, improved ZF SSG 77 gearbox and minor changes in the transmission. The combat weight of this modification Pz IV reached 25 tons. latest version"four" became a tank PzKpfw IV J, which continued to be produced until March 1945. From June 1944 to March 1945, more than 1,700 of these machines were produced. Tanks of this type were equipped with high-capacity fuel tanks, which made it possible to increase the cruising range to 320 km. However, in general, the latest “fours” have been significantly simplified compared to previous models.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DESIGN OF THE TANK PzKpfw IV
TOWER AND HULL OF TANK Pz IV
The hull and turret of the Pz-4 tank were welded. On each side of the tower for landing and disembarking crew members were evacuation hatches.
Tank Pz IV with protection against cumulative projectiles installed on it
The tower was equipped with a commander's cupola with five viewing slots equipped with armored glass blocks - triplex and protective armor covers, which were lowered and raised using a small lever located under each slot.
Inside the Pz IV Ausf G tank. The photo was taken from the side of the right hatch (loader).
The floor of the tower rotated with it. The armament consisted of a 75-mm (short-barreled KwK 37 or long-barreled KwK 40) cannon and a turret machine gun coaxial with it, as well as an MG machine gun mounted in the frontal armor of the hull in a ball mount and intended for the gunner-radio operator. This armament scheme is typical for all modifications of the "fours" with the exception of tanks of version C.
Inside the Pz IV Ausf G tank. The photo was taken from the side of the left hatch (gunner).
The layout of the tank PzKpfw IV- classic, with a front-mounted transmission. Inside the tank hull was divided by two bulkheads into three compartments. In the rear compartment was the engine compartment.
As in other German tanks, a cardan shaft was transferred from the engine to the gearbox and drive wheels, passed under the turret floor. An auxiliary engine for the turret rotation mechanism was located next to the motor. Because of this, the tower was shifted to the left along the axis of symmetry of the tank by 52 mm. On the floor of the central fighting compartment, under the floor of the tower, three fuel tanks with a total capacity of 477 liters were installed. The turret of the fighting compartment housed the remaining three crew members (commander, gunner and loader), weapons (cannon and coaxial machine gun), observation and aiming devices, vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms. The driver and gunner-radio operator, firing from a machine gun mounted in a ball bearing, were located in the front compartment of the hull, on both sides of the gearbox.
German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A. View of the driver's seat.
The thickness of the armor of the tank PzKpfw IV constantly increased. The frontal armor of the T-4 was welded from rolled armor plates with surface carburizing and was usually thicker and stronger than the side armor. Additional protection with armor plates was not used until the creation of the Ausf D tank. To protect the tank from bullets and cumulative projectiles on the lower and side surfaces the hull and side surfaces of the tower were coated with zimmerite. The British testing of the T-4 Ausf G using the Brinell method gave the following results: the front end plate in an inclined plane (outer surface) - 460-490 HB; front vertical plate (outer surface) - 500-520 HB; inner surface -250-260 HB; tower forehead (outer surface) - 490-51 0 HB; hull sides (outer surface) - 500-520 HB; inner surface - 270-280 HB; sides of the tower (outer surface) -340-360 HB. As mentioned above, on the "fours" of the latest versions, additional armored "screens" were used, produced from steel sheets, 114 x 99 cm in size and mounted on the sides of the hull and turret, at a distance of 38 cm from the hull. The tower was protected by armor plates 6 mm thick, fixed around the rear and sides, and in the protective screen there were hatches located exactly in front of the tower hatches.
ARMAMENT OF THE TANK.
On the PzKpfw IV Ausf A - F1 tanks, a short-barreled 75-mm KwK 37 L / 24 cannon was installed with a barrel length of 24 calibers, a vertical shutter and an initial projectile velocity not exceeding 385 m / s. The PzKpfw III Ausf N tanks and StuG III assault guns were equipped with exactly the same guns. The gun ammunition included almost all types of shells: armor-piercing tracer, armor-piercing tracer sub-caliber, cumulative, high-explosive fragmentation and smoke.
View of the double-leaf evacuation hatch in the turret of the Pz IV tank
To carry out the rotation of the gun at the prescribed 32 ° (from - 110 to + 21, 15 full revolutions were required. In the Pz IV tanks, both an electric drive and a manual drive for turning the turret were used. The electric drive was powered by a generator driven by a two-cylinder two-stroke water-cooled engine. For rough For this purpose, the angle of horizontal fire of the tank's turret gun, equal to 360 °, was divided into twelve divisions, and the division corresponding to the traditional position of the number 12 on the watch dial indicated the direction of the tank's movement. the notched ring in the commander's turret was set into motion.
View of the stern of the tank PZ IV
Thanks to this device, the commander could determine the approximate location of the target and give appropriate instructions to the gunner. The driver's seat was equipped with a turret position indicator (with two lights) on all models of the PzKpfw IV tank (except Ausf J). Thanks to this device, the driver knew the location of the turret and tank gun. This was especially important when moving through the forest and in settlements. The gun was mounted together with a coaxial machine gun and a TZF 5v telescopic sight (on tanks of early modifications); TZF 5f and TZF 5f/l (on tanks starting from PzKpfw IV Ausf E). The machine gun was powered by a flexible metal tape, the shooter fired using a special foot pedal. The telescopic 2.5-fold sight was supplied with scales of three ranges (for the main gun and machine gun).
View of the frontal part of the Pz IV tank turret
The MG-34 course machine gun was equipped with a KZF 2 telescopic sight. The full ammunition load consisted of 80-87 (depending on modification) artillery rounds and 2700 rounds for two 7.92-mm machine guns. Starting with the Ausf F2 modification, the short-barreled gun is replaced by a more powerful long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L / 43 cannon, and the latest modifications (starting with the Ausf H) receive an improved L / 48 gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers. Short-barreled guns had a single-chamber muzzle brake, long-barreled guns had to be equipped with two-chamber ones. The increase in barrel length required a counterweight. To do this, the latest Pz-4 modifications were supplied with a heavy pressure spring installed in a cylinder attached to the front of the turret's rotary floor.
Engine and transmission
The first versions of the PzKpfw IV were powered by the same engine as the tanks of the PzKpfw III series - the 12-cylinder Maybach HL 108 TR with a power of 250 hp, which required gasoline with an octane rating of 74. Subsequently, they began to use improved Maybach HL 120 TR and HL 120 TRM engines with 300 hp The engine as a whole was distinguished by high reliability and resistance to temperature extremes, but this did not apply to the conditions of the African heat and sultry regions of southern Russia. To avoid boiling the engine, the driver had to drive the tank with all possible caution. In winter conditions, a special installation was used, which made it possible to pump a heated liquid (ethylene glycol) from a running tank to a tank that needed to be started. Unlike the PzKpfw III tanks, the engine of the T-4 was located asymmetrically, on the right side of the hull. Fine-linked tracks of the T-4 tank consisted of 101 or 99 links (starting from F1) with a width (options) PzKpfw IV Ausf A -E 360 mm, and in Ausf F-J- 400 mm, their total weight approached 1300 kg. The track tension was regulated using a rear guide wheel mounted on an eccentric axle. The ratchet mechanism prevented the axle from turning back and the track from sagging.
REPAIR OF TRACKS.
Each crew of the Pz IV tank had at its disposal an industrial belt of the same width as the tracks. The edges of the belt were perforated so that the holes matched the teeth of the drive wheel. If the caterpillar failed, a belt was attached to the damaged area, passed over the support rollers and attached to the teeth of the drive wheel. After that, the engine and transmission were started. The drive wheel turned and pulled the caterpillar with the belt forward until the caterpillar did not cling to the wheel. Anyone who has ever pulled off a heavy long caterpillar in the “old-fashioned way” - with a piece of rope or fingers, will appreciate what a salvation this simple scheme has become for the crew.
BATTLE CHRONICLE OF TANKS Pz IV
The "four" began its combat path in Poland, where, despite a small number, they immediately became noticeable strike force. On the eve of the invasion of Poland, there were almost twice as many "fours" in the Wehrmacht troops than "triples" - 211 against 98. fighting qualities"fours" immediately attracted the attention of Heinz Guderian, who from now on will constantly insist on increasing their production. Of the 217 tanks lost by Germany during the 30-day war with Poland, there were only 19 "fours". In order to better imagine the Polish stage of the PzKpfw IV's combat path, let's turn to the documents. Here I want to acquaint readers with the history of the 35th Tank Regiment, which took part in the occupation of Warsaw. I present to your attention excerpts from the chapter on the assault on the Polish capital, written by Hans Schaufler.
“It was the ninth day of the war. I have just joined the brigade headquarters as a liaison officer. We were in the small suburb of Okhota, which lies on the Rawa-Russkaya-Warsaw road. Another attack on the Polish capitals was coming. The troops are on full alert. Tanks lined up in a column, behind - infantry and sappers. We are waiting for the order to advance. I remember the strange calm that reigned in the troops. Neither rifle shots nor machine-gun bursts were heard. Only occasionally the silence was broken by the rumble of a reconnaissance aircraft flying over the convoy. I was sitting in the command tank next to General von Hartlieb. To be honest, it was a bit crowded in the tank. The brigade adjutant, Captain von Harling, carefully studied the topographic map with the applied situation. Both radio operators clung to their radios. One listened to the message of the division headquarters, the second kept his hand on the key in order to immediately begin transmitting orders in parts. The engine rumbled loudly. Suddenly, a whistle cut through the silence, drowned out by a loud explosion the next second. First it exploded to the right, then to the left of our car, then to the rear. Artillery came into play. The first groans and cries of the wounded were heard. Everything is as usual - the Polish gunners send us their traditional "hello".
Finally received the order to go on the offensive. The engines roared, and the tanks moved to Warsaw. Quite quickly we reached the suburbs of the Polish capital. Sitting in the tank, I heard the chirping of machine gun bursts, the explosions of hand grenades and the clatter of bullets on the armored sides of our vehicle. Our radio operators received one message after another. “Forward - to the street barricade *,” he also transmitted from the headquarters of the 35th regiment. "Anti-tank gun - five tanks destroyed - a mined barricade ahead," the neighbors reported. "Order to the regiment! Turn straight south!" rumbled the general's bass. He had to yell over the infernal roar outside.
“Give a message to the division headquarters,” I ordered the radio operators. -Come to the outskirts of Warsaw. The streets are barricaded and mined. Turn right*. After some time, a short message comes from the headquarters of the regiment: -The barricades have been taken *.
And again the sound of bullets and loud explosions to the left and right of our tank ... I feel someone pushing me in the back. “The enemy positions are three hundred meters straight ahead,” the general shouted. - We turn right! * A terrible rattle of caterpillars on a cobblestone pavement - and we drive into a deserted square. - Faster, damn it! Even faster! * - the general shouts in a rage. He's right, you can't linger - the Poles shoot very accurately. “We came under heavy shelling,” reports from the 36th regiment. * 3rd regiment! the general replies immediately. “Request artillery cover immediately!” You can hear the drumming of stones and shell fragments on the armor. The blows are getting stronger. Suddenly, a monstrous explosion is heard very close by, and I smash my head into the radio with a swing. The tank throws up, throws to the side. Motor stalls.
Through the manhole cover I see a dazzling yellow flame.
Tank PzKpfw IV
In the fighting compartment, everything is turned upside down, gas masks, fire extinguishers, camping bowls, other trifles are scattered everywhere ... A few seconds of terrible stupor. Then everyone shakes themselves, looks at each other anxiously, quickly feels themselves. Thank God, alive and well! The driver turns on the third gear, we wait with bated breath for a familiar sound and take a breath with relief when the tank obediently moves off. True, there is a suspicious tapping from the right track, but we are too happy to take into account such trifles. However, as it turned out, our troubles were far from over. Before we had time to drive a few meters, a new strong push shook the tank and threw it to the right. From every house, from every window, we were showered with furious machine-gun fire. From rooftops and attics, the Poles threw hand grenades and incendiary bottles of condensed gasoline at us. There were probably a hundred times more enemies than we passed, but we did not turn back.
We stubbornly continued to move in a southerly direction and could not be stopped by a barricade of overturned trams, twisted barbed wire and rails dug into the ground. Every now and then our tanks came under fire. anti-tank guns. "God, make sure they don't knock out our tank!"- we silently prayed, perfectly aware that any forced stop would be the last in our life. Meanwhile, the sound of the caterpillar became louder and more menacing. Finally we drove into some kind of orchard and hid behind the trees. By this time, some units of our regiment managed to break through to the outskirts of Warsaw, but further advance became more and more difficult. Disappointing messages kept coming over the radio: "The offensive was stopped by heavy enemy artillery fire - the tank was blown up by a mine - the tank was hit by an anti-tank gun - artillery support is urgently required".
We also did not manage to take a breath under the canopy of fruit trees. The Polish gunners quickly took their bearings and unleashed a flurry of ferocious fire on us. Every second the situation became more and more frightening. We tried to leave the shelter, which had become dangerous, but then it turned out that the damaged caterpillar was completely out of order. Despite our best efforts, we couldn't even move. The situation seemed hopeless. It was necessary to repair the caterpillar on the spot. Our general could not even temporarily leave command of the operation, he dictated message after message, order after order. We sat idle ... When the Polish guns fell silent for a while, we decided to take advantage of this short respite to inspect the damaged undercarriage. However, as soon as we opened the hatch cover, the fire resumed. The Poles settled somewhere very close and, remaining invisible to us, turned our car into an excellent target. After several unsuccessful attempts, we nevertheless managed to get out of the tank and, hiding in thorny brambles, were finally able to inspect the damage. The results of the inspection were the most disappointing. The inclined frontal plate bent by the explosion turned out to be the most minor of all the damage. The undercarriage was in the most deplorable state. Several sections of the tracks fell apart, and small metal parts were confused along the way, the rest kept on parole. Damaged were not only the tracks themselves, but even the road wheels. With great difficulty, we somehow tightened the loose parts, removed the tracks, fastened the torn tracks with new fingers ... It was obvious that even with the most favorable outcome, these measures would give us the opportunity to go another couple of kilometers, but nothing else to do in such conditions was impossible. I had to climb back into the tank.
Even worse news awaited us there. From the headquarters of the division reported that air support was impossible, and the artillery was not able to cope with the superior forces of the enemy. Therefore, we were ordered to return immediately.
The general led the retreat of his units. Tank after tank, platoon after platoon, ours retreated, and the Poles rained down on them with the ferocious fire of their guns. In some sectors, the advance was so difficult that for some time we forgot about the deplorable state of our tank. Finally, when the last tank made it out of the suburbs that had become hell, it was time to think about yourself. After conferring, they decided to retreat along the same route they had come in. At first everything went quietly, but in this calmness some kind of hidden danger was felt. The ominous silence acted on the nerves much stronger than the familiar sounds of cannonade. None of us doubted that the Poles were hiding not by chance, that they were waiting for a convenient moment to finish us off. Slowly moving forward, we felt with our skin the hating glances of an invisible enemy directed at us ... Finally, we reached the place where we received the first damage. A few hundred meters away lay the highway leading to the location of the division. But another barricade blocked the path to the highway - abandoned and silent, like all the surroundings. We carefully overcame the last obstacle, entered the highway and crossed ourselves.
And then a terrible blow hit the weakly protected stern of our tank. It was followed by another and another ... Only four blows. The worst thing happened - we came under the aimed fire of an anti-tank gun. Roaring the engine, the tank made a desperate attempt to escape from the shelling, but the next second we were thrown aside by a strong explosion. Engine stalled.
The first thought was - it's all over, the Poles will destroy us with the next shot. What to do? Jumped out of the tank, rushed to the ground. We are waiting for what will happen ... A minute passes, then another ... But for some reason there is no shot and no. What's the matter? And suddenly we look - there is a column of black smoke above the stern of the tank. My first thought is that the engine is on fire. But where does this strange whistling sound come from? We took a closer look and couldn't believe our eyes - it turns out that a shell fired from the barricade hit the smoke bombs located at the stern of our car, and the breeze blew the smoke to the skies. We were saved by the fact that a black cloud of smoke hung just above the barricade and the Poles decided that the tank was on fire.
Animated tank PzKpfw IV
* The headquarters of the brigade - the headquarters of the division * - the general tried to get in touch, but the radio was silent. Our tank looked terrible - black, rumpled, with a mangled stern. The caterpillar, which had finally flown off, was lying nearby ... No matter how hard it was, you had to face the truth - you had to leave the car and try to get to your people on foot. We pulled out machine guns, took walkie-talkies and folders with documents and looked at the mutilated tank for the last time. My heart sank with pain... According to the instructions, the wrecked tank was supposed to be blown up so that the enemy would not get it, but none of us could decide on this... Instead, we masked the car with branches as best we could. Everyone hoped in their hearts that, if the circumstances were favorable, we would soon return and tow the car to our...
Until now, I recall with horror the way back ... Covering each other with fire, short dashes, we moved from house to house, from garden to garden ... When we finally reached our own in the evening, we immediately fell down and fell asleep .
However, I never managed to get enough sleep. After some time, I opened my eyes in horror and turned cold, remembering that we had abandoned our tank ... I could see how it was standing, defenseless, with an open turret, directly opposite the Polish barricade ... When I woke up again from sleep, then I heard the hoarse voice of the driver above me: “Are you with us?” I didn’t understand waking up and asked: “Where?” "I found a repair vehicle," he explained curtly. I immediately jumped to my feet, and we went to rescue our tank. It will take a long time to tell how we got there, how we busied ourselves over the resuscitation of our mutilated car. The main thing is that on that night we still managed to put our commander’s “four” into motion (The author of the memoirs is most likely mistaken when he calls his tank “four.” The fact is that Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks began to convert command vehicles only since 1944. Most likely, we are talking about a command tank based on the Pz.Kpfw.III version D.)
When the awakened Poles tried to stop us with fire, we had already finished the work, so we quickly climbed into the tower and left. We were happy in our hearts... Even though our tank was hit and badly damaged, we still could not leave it to the joy of the triumphant enemy! A month-long campaign in the conditions of bad Polish roads and loose marshy soil had the most unfavorable effect on the condition of German tanks. The cars were in urgent need of repair and restoration. This circumstance, among others, influenced the postponement of the Nazi invasion to Western Europe. The Wehrmacht command was able to learn from the experience of the war in Poland and made significant changes to the hitherto existing scheme for organizing the repair and maintenance of combat vehicles. About efficiency new system repair and restoration of Wehrmacht tanks can be judged from a newspaper article published in one of the German newspapers and reprinted in England in May 1941. The article was called "The Secret of the Combat Power of German Tanks" and contained a detailed list of measures to organize the smooth operation of the repair and restoration service, which included in each tank division.
“The secret of the success of German tanks is largely determined by the impeccably organized system of evacuation and repair of damaged tanks, which makes it possible to carry out all the necessary operations at the very shortest time. The greater the distance that the tanks have to cover during the march, the more important is the flawlessly debugged mechanism for the repair and maintenance of failed vehicles.
1. Each tank battalion has at its disposal a special repair and restoration platoon for emergency assistance in case of minor damage. This platoon, being the smallest repair unit, is located in close proximity to the front line. The platoon consists of engine repair mechanics, radio mechanics and other specialists. The platoon has at its disposal light trucks to transport the necessary spare parts and tools, as well as a special armored recovery vehicle, converted from a tank, to transport these parts to the failed tank. A platoon is commanded by an officer who, if necessary, can call for help from several such platoons and send them all together to the area where emergency assistance is required.
It should be emphasized that the efficiency of the repair and restoration platoon directly depends on the availability of the necessary spare parts, tools and appropriate vehicles. Since in combat conditions time is worth its weight in gold, the chief mechanic of a repair platoon always has at his disposal a supply of basic components, assemblies and parts. This allows him, without wasting a second, to be the first to go to the damaged tank and get to work, while the rest of the supply of necessary materials is being transported by truck. If the damage received by the tank is so serious that it cannot be repaired on the spot, or repairs long time, the machine is sent back to the factory.
2. Each tank regiment has at its disposal a repair and restoration company, which has everything necessary equipment and tools. In the mobile workshops of the repair company, experienced craftsmen carried out battery charging, welding work and complex engine repairs. Workshops are equipped with special cranes, milling, drilling and grinding machines, as well as special tools for metalwork, carpentry, painting and tin work. Each repair and restoration company includes two repair platoons, one of which can be assigned to a specific battalion of the regiment. In practice, both platoons are constantly moving around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the recovery cycle. Each platoon had its own truck for the delivery of spare parts. In addition, a repair and recovery company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles that deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or to a collection point, where a tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and workshops for the repair of radio stations.
In practice, both platoons constantly move around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the recovery cycle. Each platoon had its own truck for the delivery of spare parts. In addition, a repair and recovery company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles that deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or to a collection point, where a tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and workshops for the repair of radio stations.
3. In the event that well-equipped repair shops exist behind the front lines or in territory occupied by us, the troops often use them to save transport and reduce rail traffic. In such cases, all the necessary spare parts and equipment are ordered from Germany, and a staff of highly qualified craftsmen and mechanics is also issued.
It can be said with all certainty that without a well-thought-out and well-functioning scheme for the work of repair units, our valiant tankers would not have been able to cover such vast distances and win such brilliant victories in a real war*.
Before the invasion of Western Europe, the "fours" were still an absolute minority of Panzerwaffe tanks - only 278 out of 2574 combat vehicles. The Germans were opposed by more than 3,000 Allied vehicles, most of which were French. And many French tanks at that time, even the “fours” so beloved by Guderian were significantly superior both in terms of armor protection power and weapon efficiency. However, the Germans had an undeniable advantage in strategy. In my opinion, the essence of "blitzkrieg" is best expressed in short phrase Heinz Guderian: "Do not feel with your fingers, but beat with your fist!" Thanks to the brilliant implementation of the "blitzkrieg" strategy, Germany easily won the French campaign, in which the PzKpfw IV slippers operated very successfully. It was at this time that German tanks managed to create for themselves a formidable glory, many times greater than the real capabilities of these poorly armed and insufficiently well-armored vehicles. There were especially many PzKpfw IV tanks in Rommel's Afrika Korps, but in Africa they were assigned an auxiliary infantry support role for too long.
In February 1941, in a review of the German press, regularly published in the British press, a special selection was published on the new PzKpfw IV tanks. The articles indicate that each tank battalion of the Wehrmacht has at its disposal a company of ten PzKpfw IV tanks, which are used, firstly , as an assault artillery gun, and secondly, as the most important element of rapidly advancing tank columns. The first purpose of the PzKpfw IV tanks was explained simply. Since field artillery is not able to instantly support armored forces in one direction or another, the PzKpfw IV took over its role with its powerful 75-mm cannon. Other advantages of using the "four" came from the fact that its 75-mm gun with a maximum range of more than 8100 m could dictate the time and place of the battle, and the speed and maneuverability of the tayk made it an extremely dangerous weapon.
The articles, in particular, contain examples of how six PzKpfw IV tanks were used as an artillery formation against an advancing Allied column, how they were also used as weapons for counter-battery combat, and also acted from an ambush into which British tanks were lured by several German armored vehicles. In addition, PzKpfw IVs were also used in defensive operations, an example of which may be the next episode of the African campaign. On June 16, 1941, the Germans surrounded the British troops in the Capuzzo area. This was preceded by an unsuccessful attempt by the British to break through to Tobruk and recapture the fortress besieged by Rommel's troops. On June 15 they rounded the mountain range southeast of the Halfaya pass and advanced northward through Ridot ta Capuzzo almost to Bardia. Here is how a direct participant in the events from the British side recalls this:
“Armored vehicles stretched out along a wide front. They moved two or three, and if they met serious resistance, they immediately turned back. The vehicles were followed by infantry on trucks. This was the beginning of a full scale attack. Tank crews fired to kill, the accuracy of fire was 80-90%. They positioned their tanks so that they looked in front and sides at our positions. This allowed the Germans to effectively hit our guns, while remaining motionless. On the move, they rarely fired. In some cases, PzKpfw IV tanks suddenly opened fire from their guns, and they did not shoot at any specific target, but simply, creating a wall of fire in the course of their movement at ranges of 2000-3600 m. All this was done in order to terrify the our defenders. To be honest, they succeeded quite well.”
The first clash between American and German troops in Tunisia took place on November 26, 1942, when the troops of the 190th tank battalion of the African Corps in the area of the city of Matera came into contact with the 2nd battalion of the 13th regiment of the 1st tank division. The Germans in this area had about three PzKpfw III tanks and at least six new PzKpfw IV tanks with long-barreled 75 mm KwK 40 guns. This is how this episode is described in the book "Old Ironsides".
“While the enemy forces were gathering from the north, the Waters battalion wasted no time in vain. By digging deep lines of defense, camouflaging their tanks, and doing other necessary work, they not only had time to prepare for a meeting with the enemy, but even carved out an extra day of respite. The next day, the head of the German column appeared. Siglin's company prepared to rush towards the enemy. A platoon of assault guns under the command of Lieutenant Ray Wasker moved forward to intercept and destroy the enemy. Three 75-mm howitzers on the chassis of half-track armored personnel carriers, located on the edge of a dense olive grove, let the Germans in at about 900 m and opened rapid fire. However, hitting the enemy tanks was not so easy. The Germans quickly withdrew and, almost completely hidden by clouds of sand and dust, responded with volleys of their powerful guns. The shells were bursting very close to our positions, but for the time being they did not cause any serious harm.
Wasker soon received an order from the battalion commander to set fire to the smoke bombs and withdraw his self-propelled artillery mounts to a safe distance. At this time, Siglin's company, consisting of 12 light tanks M3 "General Stuart", attacked the western flank of the enemy. The first platoon managed to break through closest to the enemy positions, but the Italo-German troops did not lose their heads, quickly found the target and brought down the full power of their guns on it. In a matter of minutes, Company A lost six of its tanks, but despite this, it still managed to push back the enemy vehicles, turning them behind the positions of Company B. This played a decisive role in the battle. Company B brought down the fire of its guns on the most vulnerable places of German tanks and, without letting the enemy come to their senses, disabled six PzKpfw IVs, one PzKpfw III. The rest of the tanks retreated in disarray (In order for the reader to feel the urgency of the situation in which the Americans found themselves, it makes sense for comparison to cite the main performance characteristics of the M 3 Stuart light tank: combat weight - 12.4 tons; crew - 4 people; booking - from 10 to 45 mm; armament - 1 x 37-mm tank gun; 5 x 7.62-mm machine guns; engine "Continental" W 670-9A, 7-cylinder, carbureted power of 250 hp; speed - 48 km / h ; cruising range (on the highway) - 113 km.).
In fairness, it should be noted that the Americans did not always emerge victorious from duels with German tank forces. Much more often, the circumstances developed in the opposite way, and the Americans had to suffer serious losses in military equipment and in people. However, in this case they really won a convincing victory.
Despite the fact that on the eve of the invasion of Russia, Germany significantly increased the production of PzKpfw IV tanks, they still accounted for no more than one sixth of all Wehrmacht combat vehicles (439 out of 3332). True, by that time the number of obsolete light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II had significantly decreased (thanks to the actions of the Red Army), and Czech LT-38s (PzKpfw 38 (1) and German "troikas" began to make up most of the Panzerwaffe. With such forces, the Germans began to implement The slight superiority of the Soviet Union in military equipment did not confuse the OKW strategists too much, they had no doubt that german cars quickly deal with this gigantic fleet of obsolete Russian tanks. At first, it turned out that way, but the appearance on the stage of the theater of operations of the new Soviet medium tank T-34 and the heavy KV-1, radically changed the situation. Before the creation of the Panthers and Tigers, no German tank could compete with these magnificent tanks. At close range, they literally shot at weakly armored German vehicles. The situation changed somewhat with the appearance in 1942 of a new "four" armed with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 cannon. Now I want to introduce you to an excerpt from the memoirs of a former tankman of the 24th tank regiment, "which just describes the duel of the new" four "with a Soviet tank in the summer of 1942 near Voronezh.
“There were bloody street battles for Voronezh. Even by the evening of the second day, the valiant defenders of the city did not lay down their arms. Suddenly, Soviet tanks, which were the main defense force, made an attempt to break through the ring of troops that had closed around the city. A fierce tank battle". The author then cites a detailed
Sergeant Freyer's report: “On July 7, 1942, on my PzKpfw IV, armed with a long-barreled gun, I took up a position at a strategically important crossroads of Voronezh. Well disguised, we hid in a dense garden near one of the houses. A wooden fence hid our tank from the side of the street. We received orders to support the advance of our light combat vehicles with fire, protecting them from enemy tanks and anti-tank guns. At first everything was relatively calm, except for a few clashes with scattered groups of Russians, nevertheless, the battle in the city kept us in constant tension.
The day was hot, but after sunset it seemed to get even hotter. At about eight o'clock in the evening, a Russian T-34 medium tank appeared to our left, clearly intending to cross the intersection guarded by us. Since the T-34 was followed by at least 30 other tanks, we could not allow such a maneuver. I had to open fire. At first luck was on our side, with the very first shots we managed to knock out three Russian tanks. But then our gunner, non-commissioned officer Fisher, radioed: “The gun is jammed!” here it must be clarified that our front sight was completely new, and there were often problems with it, which consisted in the fact that after shooting every second or third projectile, an empty sleeve stuck in the breech. At this time, another Russian tank ferociously poured fire all over the space around it. Our loader, Corporal Groll, was seriously wounded in the head. We pulled him out of the tank and laid him on the ground, and the radio operator took the vacant place of the loader. The gunner extracted the spent cartridge case and resumed firing... A few more times, NCO Schmidt and I had to feverishly pick at the barrel with an artillery banner under enemy fire in order to pull out the stuck cartridge cases. The fire of Russian tanks blew the wooden fence to pieces, but our tank still did not receive any damage.
In total, we knocked out 11 enemy vehicles, and the Russians managed to break through only once, at the moment when our gun jammed again. Almost 20 minutes passed from the beginning of the battle before the enemy was able to open aimed fire at us from their guns. In the descending twilight, shell explosions and a roaring flame gave the landscape some kind of eerie, supernatural look ... Apparently, it was from this flame that they found us. They helped us get to the location of the regiment stationed on the southern outskirts of Voronezh. I remember that, despite being tired, I could not sleep because of the exhausting heat and stuffiness ... The next day, Colonel Rigel noted our merits in the order for the regiment:
"The Fuhrer and the Supreme High Command award the Sergeant of the 4th Platoon Freyer with the Knight's Cross. In the battle near Voronezh, Sergeant Freyer, the commander of the PzKpfw IV tank, destroyed 9 medium Russian T-34 tanks and two light T-60 tanks. This happened at the moment when a column of 30 Russian tanks tried to break into the city center.Despite the overwhelming majority of the enemy, Sergeant Freyer remained faithful to his military duty and did not leave his post.He allowed the enemy to approach and opened fire on him from his tank.As a result, the Russian tank column was scattered and In the meantime, our infantry, after heavy bloody battles, managed to occupy the city.
In front of the entire regiment, I would like to be the first to congratulate Sergeant Freyer on his high award. The entire 24th Tank Regiment is proud of our Knight's Cross holder and wishes him further success in future battles. I would also like to take this opportunity to express special thanks to the rest of the brave tank crew:
Gunner non-commissioned officer Fischer
To the driver, non-commissioned officer Schmidt
Charging Corporal Groll
Radio operator corporal Muller
and convey my admiration for their actions on July 7, 1942. Your feat will go down in the golden annals of the glory of our valiant regiment.
The decision to develop a medium tank (which is also called a tank artillery support) with a short-barreled gun was accepted in January of the 34th year. The following year, Krupp-Gruson, MAN and Rheinmetall-Borsig presented their prototypes for testing. The army team liked the Krupp project. Machines of modification A were produced in 1937, modifications B (the so-called installation batches) - in 1938. Over the next year, 134 tanks of the C.
The combat weight of the tanks is 18.4 - 19 tons, the thickness of the armor is up to 30 millimeters, the maximum speed on the highway is 40 km / h, the cruising range is 200 kilometers. The turret was equipped with a 75 mm long L / 24 gun (24 caliber) and a coaxial machine gun. Another one was located on the right in the frontal sheet of the hull in a ball mount. In terms of design and layout, the tank basically repeated the medium Pz Kpfw III.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B or Ausf.C during exercises. November 1943
German medium tanks PzKpfw IV Ausf H during an exercise to work out the interaction of crews. Germany, June 1944
As of September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht had 211 Pz Kpfw IV tanks. The tank proved to be excellent during the Polish campaign, and along with the Pz Kpfw III medium tank, it was approved as the main one. Its mass production began in October of the same year. Already in the 40th year, 278 pieces were produced. modifications D and E.
In the tank divisions of Germany at the time of the French invasion of Western theater there were about 280 tanks Pz Kpfw IV. Operation in combat conditions has shown that the armor protection is insufficient. As a result, the thickness of the sheets of the frontal part was increased to 60 mm, the sides - up to 40 mm, the turret - up to 50 mm. As a result, the combat weight of modifications E and F, which were produced in 40-41, increased to 22 tons. To keep the specific pressure within acceptable limits, the width of the tracks was slightly increased - up to 400 millimeters from 380.
The German “fours” lost firefights with Soviet-made KB and T-34 tanks due to inadequate weapon characteristics. Starting in the spring of 1942, 75-mm long-barreled guns (L / 43) began to be installed on the Pz Kpfw IV. The initial speed of the sub-caliber projectile was 920 meters per second. This is how the Sd Kfz 161/1 (modification F2) appeared, which surpassed even the T-34-76 in armament. Modification G was produced in 1942-1943, H - from 43rd and J - from June 44th (all modifications were coded as Sd Kfz 161/2). The last two modifications were the most perfect. The thickness of the frontal armor plates was increased to 80 millimeters. The power of the gun increased: the barrel length was 48 calibers. Weight increased to 25 thousand kg. Ausf J at one gas station could move on the highway for a distance of up to 320 kilometers. Since 1943, 5-mm screens have become mandatory on all tanks, which protected the sides and the turret behind and to the side from bullets from anti-tank rifles and cumulative projectiles.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. Yugoslavia, 1941
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F. Finland, 1941
The welded hull of the tank was simple in design, although it did not differ in the rational slope of the armor plates. A large number of hatches facilitated access to various mechanisms and assemblies, but at the same time reduced the strength of the hull. Partitions divided the interior into three compartments. The control compartment occupied the front compartment, which housed the gearboxes: onboard and general. The driver and radio operator were located in the same compartment, both had their own observation devices. The multifaceted tower and the middle compartment were assigned to fighting compartment. The main armament, ammunition rack and other crew members: loader, gunner and commander were located in it. Ventilation was improved by hatches on the sides of the turret, but they reduced the projectile resistance of the tank.
The commander's cupola had five viewing devices with armored shutters. There were also viewing slots in the side hatches of the tower and on both sides of the gun mantlet. The gunner had a telescopic sight. The tower rotated manually or with the help of an electric motor, the vertical aiming of the gun was carried out only manually. The ammunition included smoke and high-explosive fragmentation grenades, cumulative, sub-caliber and armor-piercing shells.
In the engine compartment (aft of the hull) housed a 12-cylinder water-cooled carburetor engine. The undercarriage included eight rubber-coated road wheels of small diameter, which were interlocked in two. Leaf springs were elastic suspension elements.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F2. France, July 1942
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H with side screens and zimmerite coating. USSR, July 1944
The medium tank Pz Kpfw IV proved to be an easy-to-handle and reliable car. However, its cross-country ability, especially for the overweight tanks of the latest releases, was rather poor. In terms of armor protection and armament, it surpassed all similar ones produced in Western countries, except for some modifications of the English "Comets" and American M4.
Technical characteristics of the medium tank Pz Kpfw IV (Ausf D/Ausf F2/Ausf J):
Year of issue - 1939 / 1942 / 1944;
Combat weight - 20000 kg / 23000 kg / 25000 kg;
Crew - 5 people;
Body length - 5920 mm / 5930 mm / 5930 mm;
Length with gun forward - 5920 mm / 6630 mm / 7020 mm;
Width - 2840 mm / 2840 mm / 2880 mm;
Height - 2680 mm;
BOOKING:
Thickness of armor plates (angle of inclination to the vertical):
The frontal part of the body - 30 mm (12 degrees) / 50 mm (12 degrees) / 80 mm (15 degrees);
Hull sides - 20 mm / 30 mm / 30 mm;
The frontal part of the tower - 30 mm (10 degrees) / 50 mm (11 degrees) / 50 mm (10 degrees);
The bottom and roof of the hull - 10 and 12 mm / 10 and 12 mm / 10 and 16 mm;
WEAPONS:
Gun brand - KwK37/KwK40/KwK40;
Caliber - 75 mm
Barrel length - 24 klb. / 43 klb. / 48 klb.;
Ammunition - 80 shots / 87 shots / 87 shots;
The number of machine guns - 2;
Machine gun caliber - 7.92 mm;
Ammunition - 2700 rounds / 3000 rounds / 3150 rounds
MOBILITY:
Engine type and brand - "Maybach" HL120TRM;
Engine power - 300 liters. s./300 l. s./272 l. With.;
Maximum speed on the highway - 40 km / h / 40 km / h / 38 km / h;
Fuel supply - 470 l / 470 l / 680 l;
Power reserve on the highway - 200 km / 200 km / 320 km;
The average ground pressure is 0.75 kg/cm2/0.84 kg/cm2; 0.89 kg/cm2.
In ambush
German infantry near the PzKpfw IV tank. Vyazma region. October 1941
Pz Kpfw III (T-III)
Until the summer of 1943, the Germans divided theirs into light, medium and heavy armaments. Therefore, with approximately equal weight and armor thickness Pz. III was considered medium, and Pz. IV - heavy.
However, it was the tank Pz. III was destined to become one of the specific incarnations military doctrine fascist Germany. Not making up the majority in the Wehrmacht tank divisions either in the Polish (96 units) or in the French campaign (381 units), by the time of the attack on the USSR, it was already produced in significant quantities and was the main vehicle of the Panzerwaffe. Its history began simultaneously with other tanks. with which Germany entered World War II.
In 1934, the weapons service ground forces issued an order for a combat vehicle with a 37-mm cannon, which received the designation ZW (Zugfuhrerwagen - company commander). from four firms. participating in the competition. only one - "Daimler-Benz" - received an order for the production of an experimental batch of 10 cars. In 1936, these tanks were transferred for military trials under the army designation PzKpfw III Ausf. A (or Pz. IIIA). They clearly bore the stamp of the influence of W. Christie's designs - five large-diameter road wheels.
The second experimental batch of 12 Model B units had a completely different undercarriage with 8 small road wheels, reminiscent of the Pz, IV. On the next 15 experimental Ausf C tanks, the undercarriage was similar, but the suspension was noticeably improved. It should be emphasized that all other combat characteristics on the mentioned modifications remained basically unchanged.
This cannot be said about the tanks of the D series (50 units), the frontal and side armor of which was increased to 30 mm, while the mass of the tank reached 19.5 tons, and the specific increased from 0.77 to 0.96 kg/cm2.
In 1938, the factories of three companies at once - Daimler-Benz, "" and MAN - began production of the first mass modification of the "troika" - Ausf. E. 96 tanks of this model received a chassis with six rubber-coated road wheels and a torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers. which has not been significantly changed since then. The combat weight of the tank was 19.5 tons. The crew consisted of 5 people. This is the number of crew members, starting with the PzKpfw III. became standard on all subsequent German medium and heavy tanks. Thus, already from the mid-30s, the Germans achieved a functional separation of duties of crew members. Opponents of them came to this much later - only by 1943-1944.
The PzKpfw III E was armed with a 37 mm cannon with a barrel length of 46.5 calibers and three MG 34 machine guns (131 shots and 4500 rounds). 12-cylinder carburetor "Maybach" HL 120TR with a capacity of 300 hp. at 3000 rpm allowed the tank to reach a maximum speed of 40 km/h on the highway; the cruising range at the same time was 165 km on the highway and 95 km - when driving over rough terrain.
The layout of the tank was traditional for the Germans - with a front-mounted transmission, which reduced the length and increased the height of the vehicle, simplified the design of control drives and their maintenance. In addition, prerequisites were created for increasing the dimensions of the fighting compartment.
Characteristic for the hull of this tank, as. however, for all German tanks of that period, there was an equal strength of armor plates on all main planes and an abundance of hatches. Until the summer of 1943, the Germans preferred the convenience of access to the units to the strength of the hull.
Deserves a positive assessment, which was characterized by a large number of gears in the gearbox with a small number of gears: one gear per gear. The rigidity of the box, in addition to the ribs in the crankcase, was provided by a "shaftless" gear mounting system. In order to facilitate management and improve average speed movement were applied equalizers and servomechanisms.
The width of the tracks - 360 mm - was chosen based mainly on the conditions of traffic on the roads, while off-road patency was significantly limited. However, in the conditions of the Western European theater of operations, off-road still had to be looked for.
The PzKpfw III medium tank was the first truly battle tank of the Wehrmacht. It was developed as a vehicle for platoon commanders, but from 1940 to early 1943 it was the main medium tank of the German army. PzKpfw III of various modifications were produced from 1936 to 1943 by Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN, Alkett, Krupp, FAMO, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG.
Germany entered World War II, having in service, in addition to light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II, medium tanks PzKpfw III versions A, B, C, D and E (see the chapter "Tanks of the interwar period. 1918-1939", section " Germany").
Between October 1939 and July 1940, FAMO, Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN and Alkett produced 435 PzKpfw III Ausf. F, which slightly differed from the previous modification E. The tanks received armored protection for the air intakes of the brake system and control system, access hatches to the mechanisms of the control system were made of two parts, the base of the turret was covered by special protection so that the turret would not jam when a projectile hit. Additional marker lights were installed on the wings. Three running lamps of the Notek type were located on the front of the hull and the left wing of the tank.
PzKpfw III Ausf. F were armed with a 37 mm cannon with the so-called internal mantlet, and 100 vehicles of the same version were armed with a 50 mm cannon with an external mantlet. 50 mm guns were built as early as June 1940.
Production of tanks of the G version began in April - May 1940, and by February 1941, 600 tanks of this type entered the tank units of the Wehrmacht. The initial order was 1250 vehicles, but after the capture of Czechoslovakia, when the Germans put into operation many Czechoslovak LT-38 tanks, received the designation PzKpfw 38 (t) in the German army, the order was reduced to 800 vehicles.
On the PzKpfw III Ausf. G rear armor thickness increased to 30 mm. The observation slot of the driver began to be closed by an armored flap. On the roof of the tower appeared electric in a protective casing.
The tanks were supposed to be armed with a 37 mm gun, but most of the vehicles left the assembly shops with a 50 mm KwK 39 L / 42 gun, developed by Krupp in 1938. At the same time, the re-equipment of previously released tanks of models E and F with a new artillery system began. The new gun consisted of 99 shots, 3750 rounds were intended for two MG 34 machine guns. After rearmament, the weight of the tank increased to 20.3 tons.
The location of the boxes with spare parts and tools on the fenders has changed. On the roof of the tower there was a hole for launching signal rockets. An additional box for equipment was often attached to the rear wall of the tower. jokingly called "Rommel's chest".
Tanks of a later production were equipped with a new type of commander's cupola, which was also installed on the PzKpfw IV and was equipped with five periscopes.
Tropicalized tanks were also built. They were designated PzKpfw III Ausf. G (trop) and featured an improved cooling system and air filters. Such machines were produced 54 units.
Version G tanks entered service with the Wehrmacht during the French campaign.
In October 1940, the company MAN, Alkett. Henschel, Wegmann, MNH and MIAG launched serial production of version N tanks. By April 1941, 310 (according to some sources 408) vehicles were built out of 759 ordered in January 1939.
The armor thickness of the rear wall of the PzKpfw III Ausf. H increased to 50 mm. The applied frontal armor was reinforced with an additional armor plate 30 mm thick.
Due to the increase in the mass of the tank and the use of tracks 400 mm wide, special guides had to be installed on the support and road wheels, which increased the diameter of the rollers by 40 mm. To eliminate excessive track sag, the front carrier roller, which on the G version tanks was located almost next to the spring damper, had to be moved forward.
Among other improvements, it should be noted a change in the position of the headlight on the wing, towing hooks, and the shape of the access hatches. The box with smoke bombs was moved by the designers under the canopy of the rear plate of the power compartment. An angular profile was installed at the base of the tower, protecting the base from a projectile.
Instead of the Variorex gearbox, the SSG 77 type (six gears forward and one back) was installed on version H machines. The design of the turret changed in such a way that the crew members who were in it rotated with the turret. The tank commander, as well as the gunner and loader, had their own hatches in the side walls and roof of the tower.
Baptism of fire tanks PzKpfw III Ausf. H received during Operation Barbarossa. In 1942-1943, the tanks were re-equipped with a 50 mm KwK L/60 cannon.
The next production version was the PzKpfw III Ausf. J. They were produced from March 1941 to July 1942. The forehead and stern of the car were protected by 50 mm armor. The armor of the sides and the turret was 30 mm. The armor protection of the gun mantlet has increased by 20 mm. Among other minor improvements, the most significant was the new type of installation of the MG 34 machine gun.
Initially tanks PzKpfw III Ausf. J were armed with a 50 mm KwK 38 L/42 cannon, but starting from December 1941, they began to install a new 50 mm KwK 39 cannon with a barrel length of 60 calibers. A total of 1549 vehicles with the KwK 38 L/42 gun and 1067 vehicles with the KwK 38 L/60 gun were built.
The appearance of a new version -PzKpfw III Ausf. L - due to the unsuccessful installation of the PzKpfw III Ausf. J of the standard turret of the PzKpfw IV Ausf G tank. After the failure of this experiment, it was decided to start production of a new series of tanks with the improvements provided for the L version and armed with a 50 mm KwK 39 L / 60 cannon.
Between June and December 1942, 703 tanks of the L version were produced. Compared to previous versions, the new vehicles had reinforced cannon mantlet armor, which at the same time served as a counterweight to the elongated barrel of the KwK 39 L/60 gun. The forehead of the hull and turret was protected by additional 20 mm armor plates. The driver's viewing slot and the mask of the MG 34 course machine gun were located in the holes in the frontal armor. Other changes concerned the mechanism for tensioning the tracks, the location of smoke bombs on the stern of the tank under the bend of the armor, the design and location of navigation lights and the placement of tools on the fenders. The viewing slot of the loader in the additional armor of the gun mask was eliminated. At the top of the armor protection of the mask there was a small hole for inspection and maintenance of the gun's recoil mechanism. Besides. designers eliminated armor protection the base of the tower, which was on top of the tank hull, and viewing slots on the sides of the tower. One tank of the L version was tested with the KwK 0725 recoilless rifle.
Of the ordered 1000 PzKpfw III Ausf. Only 653 L tanks were built. The rest were converted to N version tanks equipped with a 75 mm cannon.
The last version of the PzKpfw III tank with a 50 mm gun was the M. The tanks of this modification were a further PzKpfw development III Ausf. L and were built from October 1942 to February 1943. The initial order for new vehicles was 1,000 units, but given the advantages of Soviet tanks over the PzKpfw III with a 50 mm gun, the order was reduced to 250 vehicles. Some of the remaining tanks were converted to Stug III self-propelled guns and PzKpfw III (FI) flamethrower tanks, while the other part was converted to the N version, installing 75-mm guns on the vehicles.
Compared to the L version, the PzKpfw III Ausf. M had minor differences. Built-in 90 mm NbKWg smoke grenade launchers were installed on both sides of the turret, a counterweight for the KwK 39 L / 60 gun was mounted, and escape hatches were eliminated in the side walls of the hull. All this made it possible to increase the ammunition load from 84 to 98 shots.
The exhaust system of the tank allowed him to overcome water obstacles up to 1.3 m deep.
Other improvements concerned changing the shape of tow hooks, running lights, installing a rack for mounting an anti-aircraft machine gun, and brackets for attaching additional armored screens. The price of one PzKpfw III Ausf. M (unarmed) amounted to 96183 Reichsmarks.
On April 4, 1942, Hitler ordered to study the feasibility of re-equipping the PzKpfw III tanks with the 50-mm Pak 38 cannon. For this purpose, one tank was equipped new cannon but the experiment failed.
The tanks of the latest production version received the designation PzKpfw III Ausf. N. They had the same hull and turret as the machines of the L and M versions. 447 and 213 chassis and turrets of both versions were used for their production, respectively. The main thing that distinguished the PzKpfw III Ausf. N from its predecessors, this is the 75 mm KwK 37 L/24, which was armed with the PzKpfw IV tanks of the A-F1 versions. Ammunition was 64 rounds. PzKpfw III Ausf. N had a modified gun mantlet and a one-piece commander's cupola, the armor of which reached 100 mm. The observation slot to the right of the gun was eliminated. In addition, there were a number of other minor differences from the machines of earlier versions.
Production of the N version tanks began in June 1942 and continued until August 1943. A total of 663 vehicles were produced, and another 37 tanks were converted to Ausf. N during the repair of machines of other versions.
In addition to combat, the so-called linear tanks, 5 types of command tanks were produced. total strength 435 pieces. 262 tanks were converted into artillery fire control vehicles. A special order - 100 flamethrower tanks - was carried out by Wegmann. For a flamethrower with a range of up to 60 meters, 1000 liters of fire mixture were required. The tanks were intended for Stalingrad, but they got to the front only at the beginning of July 1943 - near Kursk.
At the end of the summer of 1940, 168 tanks of the F, G and H versions were converted for movement under water and were to be used when landing on the English coast. The immersion depth was 15m; fresh was supplied with a hose 18 m long and 20 cm in diameter. In the spring of 1941, experiments were continued with a 3.5-m pipe - "snorkel". Since the landing in England did not take place, a number of such tanks from the 18th Panzer Division on June 22, 1941 crossed the Western Bug along the bottom.
From July 1944, the PzKpfw III was also used as an ARV. At the same time, a square cabin was installed in place of the tower. In addition, small batches of vehicles for transporting ammunition and carrying out engineering work were produced. There were prototypes of a minesweeper tank and conversion options line tank into the rail.
PzKpfw IIIs were used in all theaters of operations - from the Eastern Front to the African desert, everywhere enjoying the love of German tankers. The amenities created for the work of the crew could be considered a role model. Not a single Soviet, English or American tank of that time had them. Excellent observation and aiming devices allowed the "troika" to successfully deal with the more powerful T-34, KB and "Matilda" in cases where the latter did not have time to detect it. Captured PzKpfw IIIs were the favorite command vehicles in the Red Army precisely because of the above reasons: comfort, excellent optics, plus an excellent radio station. However, they, like other German tanks, were successfully used by Soviet tankers for their direct, combat, purpose. There were entire battalions armed with captured tanks.
The production of PzKpfw III tanks was discontinued in 1943, after the production of approximately 6,000 vehicles. In the future, only the production of self-propelled guns based on them continued. Encyclopedia of technology