The Pz.Kpfw.V “Panther” tank is the most popular German heavy tank of the Second World War. Medium German tank Tiger Panzerkampfwagen IV. History and detailed description of Tank PZ 4 all modifications

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

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

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

PzKpfw IV and PzKpfw III tanks at Tankfest in Bovington

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

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

MODIFICATIONS OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK

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

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A

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

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

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

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf B

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf C

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf D

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf E

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1

The next option was a tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1. These tanks had a solid front plate 50 mm thick and 30 mm sides. The forehead of the turret also received 50 mm armor. This tank became 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 the replacement of this ineffective gun with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L/43 - thus the medium tank was born PzKpfw IV F2. The new weapon required changes to the design of the turret's fighting compartment in order to accommodate the increased ammunition load. 32 shots out of 87 were now placed in the turret. The initial speed of a conventional armor-piercing projectile has now increased to 740 m/s (versus 385 m/s for the previous gun), and armor penetration has increased by 48 mm and amounted to 89 mm versus the previous 41 mm (with an armor-piercing projectile at a range of 460 meters at an impact angle of 30°) . The new powerful weapon immediately and forever changed the role and place of the new tank in the German armored forces. In addition, the PzKpfw IV received a new Turmzielfernrohr TZF Sf sight and a gun mantlet of a different shape. From now on, the PzKpfw III medium tank fades into the background, content with the role of an infantry support and escort tank, and the PzKpfw IV for a long time becomes the main “assault” tank of the Wehrmacht. In addition to Krupp-Gruson AG, two more enterprises joined the production of PzKpfw IV tanks: VOMAG and Nibelungenwerke. The appearance on the theater of operations of the modernized Pz IV “fours” significantly complicated the position of the allies, since the new gun allowed the German tank to successfully fight against most of the armored vehicles of the USSR and coalition member countries. In total, 1,300 early Ausf fours (from A to F2) were produced during the period until March 1942.

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

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G

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

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

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf H

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

DESCRIPTION OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK DESIGN

TURRET AND HULL OF TANK Pz IV

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

Tank Pz IV with installed protection against cumulative shells

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TANK ARMAMENT.

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

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

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

View of the rear of the PZ IV tank

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

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

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

Engine and transmission

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

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

BATTLE RECORD OF Pz IV TANK

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

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

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

Tank PzKpfw IV

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revived PzKpfw IV tank

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

It should be especially emphasized that the efficiency of the repair and restoration platoon directly depends on the availability of the necessary spare parts, tools and appropriate transport. Since 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 begin work, while the remaining supply of necessary materials is carried on the truck. If the damage sustained by the tank is so serious that it cannot be repaired on site, or repairs require for a long time, the car is sent back to the manufacturer.
2. Each tank regiment has at its disposal a repair and restoration company, which has all the necessary equipment and tools. In the mobile workshops of the repair company, experienced craftsmen carried out battery charging, welding work and complex engine repairs. The workshops are equipped with special cranes, milling, drilling and grinding machines, as well as special tools for plumbing, carpentry, painting and tinsmithing. Each repair and restoration company includes two repair platoons, one of which can be assigned to a specific battalion of the regiment. In practice, both platoons are constantly moving around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the recovery work cycle. Each platoon had its own truck for transporting spare parts. In addition, the repair and restoration company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles, which deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or collection point, where the tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and radio repair shops.
In practice, both platoons are constantly moving around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the cycle of restoration work. Each platoon had its own truck for transporting spare parts. In addition, the repair and restoration company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles, which deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or collection point, where the tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and radio repair shops.

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

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

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

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

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

Despite the fact that on the eve of the invasion of Russia, Germany significantly increased the production of PzKpfw IV tanks, they still accounted for no more than one sixth of all Wehrmacht combat vehicles (439 out of 3332). True, by that time the number of obsolete light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II had decreased significantly (thanks to the actions of the Red Army), and the majority of the Panzerwaffe began to be made up of Czech LT-38 (PzKpfw 38 (1) and German “troikas”. With such forces, the Germans began to implement Plan "Barbarossa" Some superiority Soviet Union strategists from the OKW were not too confused about military equipment; they had no doubt that German vehicles would quickly cope with this gigantic fleet of outdated 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, not a single German tank could compete with these magnificent tanks. At close ranges, they literally shot down 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 describes the duel of the new “four” "with a Soviet tank in the summer of 1942 near Voronezh.
“There were bloody street battles for Voronezh. Even by the evening of the second day, the valiant defenders of the city did not lay down their arms. Unexpectedly, Soviet tanks, which were the main force of defense, attempted to break through the ring of troops closed around the city. A fierce tank battle ensued." The author then quotes in detail
Sergeant Freyer's report: “On July 7, 1942, on my PzKpfw IV, armed with a long-barreled cannon, I took a position at a strategically important crossroads in Voronezh. Well disguised, we hid in a dense garden near one of the houses. A wooden fence hid our tank from the street side. We received orders to support the advance of our light combat vehicles with fire, protecting them from enemy tanks and anti-tank guns. At first everything was relatively calm, except for a few clashes with scattered groups of Russians, but nevertheless the battle in the city kept us in constant suspense.

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

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

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

The German army entered World War II with a rather strange situation in the tank weapons system. The Pz.Kpfw.III medium tank, which was created as the main tank, actually turned out to be the smallest in the Wehrmacht at that time. As for the other medium tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was designed as a support vehicle, but at the same time there were almost four times more such vehicles in the army than the Pz.Kpfw.III. German industry was able to equalize the number of tanks of these two types in the army only at the very end of 1939. By this time, a new version of the support tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, had already entered production, and in a sense it was a return to the original concept.

Return of the machine gun

The spring of 1938 turned out to be decisive for future fate Pz.Kpfw.IV. The fact is that the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate is seriously thinking about removing the brainchild of the Krupp concern from the production program. Instead of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was planned to create a support tank based on the Pz.Kpfw.III, thus unifying both medium tanks in their main components and assemblies.

On the one hand, the idea was sound. However, it should be taken into account that the Pz.Kpfw.III at that time was far from experiencing better times. But the production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was not without problems, but it still went on, and Krupp designers got into the weight category specified by the customers the first time.

Thus, when Erich Wolfert, Krupp's leading engineer, sharply criticized the idea of ​​combining two tanks on one platform on May 2, 1938, victory was on his side. The 6th Department of the Armament Directorate was forced to give in, because Wolfert had not only an industrial giant behind him, but also common sense.

The lesson, however, did not work out well, and the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate continued to struggle with the idea of ​​a single chassis for two types of tanks throughout the war. This impulse, one of the initiators of which was Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, ​​with enviable consistency turned into a rake race, and each time the proper conclusions were not drawn from what had happened earlier.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D in its original configuration. In metal the car looked a little different

Meanwhile, the requirements for a support tank continued to grow. At the beginning of January 1938, discussions began on the characteristics of the fourth modification of the tank, designated 4.Serie/B.W.

One of the first items on the agenda was the return of the machine gun to its place. Someone at the top finally realized that you couldn't even shoot much from the pistol port, let alone hit anything. It was decided to use the Kugelblende 30 installation, developed for the Z.W.38 (future Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E). It had much better protection than the PzIV Ausf.A ball mount. In connection with the return of the course machine gun, the front plate of the turret box again received a characteristic step.

A diagram clearly demonstrating the internal structure of the tank

On March 10, 1938, a meeting was held in Berlin, where employees of the Krupp concern and the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate discussed the possibility of strengthening the armor of the tank. The thickness of the side armor of the hull, turret box and turret, amounting to 14.5 mm, was considered insufficient. It was necessary to increase it to 20 mm so that at long distances the tank would not be hit by fire from 20 mm automatic cannons. In addition, the military asked to increase the thickness of the bottom from 8 to 10 mm.

The response to the new demands came on April 12. According to engineers' calculations, increasing the thickness of the armor increased the tank's combat weight by 1256 kg, to almost 20 tons. This led to changes in individual elements of the body. The hatches in the area of ​​the support rollers received a different shape, and the air intakes of the engine compartment were changed. At the end of April, tracks with larger teeth were developed, and the number of suspension travel stops was increased to five per side (one each for the three front bogies and two for the rear).

Serial Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, spring 1940

Certain changes were also made to the design of the tower. First of all, the armor of the gun system was redesigned. The fact is that the previously used design turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. A bullet or shell fragment falling into the gap between the armor elements could easily jam the gun in a vertical plane. At the end of May 1938, development of a new protection for the gun began. The new system armor was located on the outside of the tower and did its job much better. The thickness of the armor was increased to 35 mm.

In addition, the viewing devices on the side hatches and sides of the turret were replaced.

Hanging up a large number of spare tracks was a very common occurrence.

When, on July 4, 1938, a contract was finally signed with the Krupp concern for the production of tanks of the 4.Serie/B.W. modification, the vehicle was quite transformed. According to the contract, the factories of Grusonwerk, one of the divisions of Krupp, were to produce 200 tanks of this series. In October the contract was extended. The SS troops ordered 48 tanks, which were designated 5.Serie/B.W.. In fact, they were no different from 4.Serie/B.W. By the way, in the end, these vehicles never made it to the SS unit, since it was decided to order the StuG III assault self-propelled guns instead.

Tanks of the 4th and 5th series were designated Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. The vehicles were assigned serial numbers in the range 80501–80748.

Based on the experience of the first two campaigns

Serial production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D began in October 1939. Unlike the Pz.Kpfw.III, the production of which was forced by manufacturers, there were no special breakthroughs in the production of support tanks. By the end of 1939, 45 tanks had been assembled; subsequently, volumes averaged 20–25 vehicles per month. In total, by May 1, 1940, 129 vehicles of this modification were manufactured.

Torn turrets were a fairly common occurrence for PzIV Ausf.D. France, May 1940

Meanwhile, back in March 1939, it was decided that in the future the Wehrmacht would continue to order these tanks, and the 6th series (6.Serie/B.W.) vehicles would henceforth be designated as Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. A new contract for the production of 223 tanks of this type was signed in July 1939. In general, this tank was supposed to repeat its predecessor, but already in May some changes began to appear.

To begin with, it was decided to change the driver's viewing device, which had not changed from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, to the Fahrersehklappe 30. This device was distinguished by the fact that instead of massive parts going up and down, it used a thick “eyelash” 30 mm. It covered the viewing slot covered with glass block much more reliably, and its design turned out to be much simpler.

The rather large ventilation hatch from the roof of the tower also disappeared, and a fan appeared in its place. The hatch for signal flags was moved to the place of the periscopic device. The shape of the commander's cupola has also changed.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D produced in April 1940, having shielding of the turret box, and at the same time - additional armor of the front hull plate

The fact that the Ausf.E in its planned form will definitely not go into production, and that the Ausf.D will face certain changes, became clear after the Polish campaign of September 1939. The fact is that Polish troops Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz. 37-mm anti-tank guns were widely used against German tanks. 36 Bofors. Even though the Polish shells were not of the best quality, they confidently penetrated German vehicles in all projections. Strengthening the frontal part to 30 mm didn’t really help here either.

In the fall of 1939, research began to be carried out to identify the possibility of additionally loading the Pz.Kpfw.IV with another one and a half tons of armor and increasing its combat weight to 21.4 tons. Tests have shown that the tank can easily tolerate such an increase in mass.

On December 18, 1939, the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate adjusted the assignment for 4.Serie/B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. The last 68 tanks were to receive hulls with frontal plates reinforced to 50 mm. But by the start of the campaign in France, which began on May 10, 1940, the PzIV Ausf.D was still in production with a 30 mm thick front plate.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Panzer Division, summer 1941

The very first battles showed that such slowness was extremely reckless. Of course, the 37 mm short-barreled guns that were installed on a number of French tanks, including the FCM 36 and Renault R 35, could not penetrate 30 mm thick frontal armor. But they were not at all the main opponents of German tanks. The French were doing well with anti-tank artillery, and for it, armor 30 mm thick was by no means something prohibitive. Even worse for the Germans was that a number of French tanks had 47 mm guns as their main armament.

PzIV losses in France were even higher than in September 1939 in Poland. Of the 279 Pz.Kpfw.IVs available in units on May 10, 1939, 97, that is, more than a third, were irretrievably lost. The battles of May-June 1940 also showed that the 75-mm short-barreled gun was almost powerless against tanks with shell-proof armor.

It became clear that the problem had to be solved, and solved quickly. Back on May 15, the Krupp concern reported that shielding for the hull and turret box had been manufactured and tested. The forehead of the turret box received additional sheets 30 mm thick, due to which their total thickness increased to 60 mm. The sides were reinforced with 20 mm thick screens. Later, in addition to these screens, reinforcement was made for the frontal sheet of the hull, and corners were added at the top and bottom for additional reinforcement.

However, until the end of the French campaign, the troops did not receive a single set of shielding. Deliveries began only on June 25, when they were, in general, not really needed. Since July 1940, tanks began to be equipped with screens as standard. At the same time, the thickness of the frontal plate of the hull, turret and gun mantlet armor increased to 50 mm.

As you can see, not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E received screens

Another serious metamorphosis with the PzIV Ausf.D occurred in August 1940. According to the decision made on June 3 of the same year, the last 68 tanks 4.Serie/B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. were manufactured with turrets and turret boxes 6.Serie/B.W. The last such vehicles were delivered to the troops in October 1940, after which tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E modification went into production.

Cars in this series received serial numbers 80801–81006. They can be distinguished from the last 68 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds only if the serial number of the vehicle is known. Additional confusion into what is happening is brought by the fact that not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E, not to mention the Ausf.D, received screens on the frontal part of the turret box.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D with additional Vorpanzer armor, 1942

At the beginning of 1941, some tank units tried to do shielding themselves, but an order came from above to stop this activity. However, another modification was born, also known as the Vorpanzer. It differed in that quite massive screens were attached to the front of the tower. They were installed on tanks of modifications Ausf.D, E and F. Apparently, Vorpanzers were used exclusively by the Greater Germany (Großdeutschland) tank division. It is believed that the division used them only for exercises, but there are also front-line photographs that refute such claims.

For crossings and other purposes

Orders for Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks of the 4th, 5th and 6th series were not fulfilled in full. Some of total number ordered Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D went to other purposes. 16 chassis produced in March-April 1940 were used for the production of bridge tanks Brückenleger IV b. These vehicles were included in the engineering battalions assigned to tank divisions. They were used by units that fought during the May-June 1940 campaign in France.

Brückenleger IV b, a series of 16 such vehicles were produced in the spring of 1940

Meanwhile, in the summer of 1940, Krupp produced 16 sets of turret boxes and towers. Later, three bridge tanks with numbers 80685, 80686 and 80687 were converted into regular PzIV Ausf.D. According to a report from May 1941, of the 29 PzIVs produced, 13 were 4.Serie/B.W. Thus, 247 vehicles of the Ausf.D modification still went to the troops as regular tanks. The last, 248th car with serial number 80625 was used as a test chassis.

Brückenleger IV c from the 39th Tank Engineer Battalion, 1941

The situation was slightly different with the PzIV Ausf.E. Instead of the 223 tanks that were originally planned to be built, 206 vehicles were produced in one form or another, of which 200 were as regular tanks. In January 1941, 4 chassis 6.Serie/B.W. was sent to Magirus, where they were used to build Brückenleger IV c. Like the vehicles of the previous series, they went to the 39th Tank Engineering Battalion, attached to the 3rd Tank Division. In this form they took part in battles on Eastern Front in the summer of 1941.

This is what Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E 81005 and 81006 looked like with a new chassis

The fate of the last two tanks of the 6th series, numbers 81005 and 81006, turned out to be even more interesting. On December 14, 1940, the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate gave the green light to the Krupp concern to develop a new chassis. Its main difference was that the diameter of the road wheels increased to 700 mm, and in order for them all to fit, they had to be placed in a checkerboard pattern. The width of the tracks increased to 422 mm. During 1941–42, these vehicles were actively tested, and then tank 81005 ended up at the Wünsdorf training center. Also, at least one tank was converted into an ammunition carrier for the Gerät 040 (“Karl”) heavy self-propelled mortar.

Tauchpanzer IV from the 18th Panzer Division

Finally, some of the production tanks were converted into very specific special vehicles. In August-July 1940, 48 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D were converted into Tauchpanzer IV, a tank for crossing rivers along the bottom. Mounts for special sealed covers were installed on the tank, and covers were also placed on the air intakes. In addition, a special hose with a float was used, through which air was supplied to the machine. A number of Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Es produced in January-March 1940 were similarly converted. Similar vehicles were used in June 1941 as part of the 18th Panzer Division.

Blitzkrieg support vehicle

In April 1941, production began of the 7.Serie/B.W., also known as the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F. This tank was created taking into account the experience of the campaigns of the first two years of the war. But it became the main support tank of the German army only in the fall of 1941. Of the 441 Pz.Kpfw.IV, which by June 22, 1941 were concentrated on the border with the USSR, they were a minority. The basis was the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D and Ausf.E.

By that time, the tanks of these modifications had changed somewhat. On February 14, 1941, the first German tanks arrived in Tripoli, and on the 16th the Afrika Korps was formed. In this regard, at the beginning of February, a “tropical” set for the ventilation system was developed.

Since March, tanks have been equipped with a turret box for personal belongings. Because it was originally developed for the Afrika Korps, it was nicknamed the "Rommel Box". It was not installed on all tanks. On many tanks, boxes on the turrets were not installed at all, and instead, an analogue was placed on the side of the hull. And in some units they developed their own “Rommel Box”, which differed in shape from the standard one.

And this was just the beginning of all sorts of alterations that were introduced at the level of tank divisions, and sometimes even at the battalion level. The “body kit” itself, which the Pz.Kpfw.IV received only in 1941, is a topic for a separate large article.

The PzIVs that arrived in Africa found themselves, figuratively speaking, in hothouse conditions. In February 1941, 20 tanks were sent there, 3 of which were lost on the way; another 20 arrived in April. The only truly dangerous enemy for them was the Matildas, which was primarily due to the thick armor of these British tanks. The 2-pounder (40 mm) guns mounted on British vehicles could only penetrate the shielded forehead of a PzIV at point-blank range, and such cases were rare.

Result of the meeting between PzIV and KV-2, summer 1941

Quite different conditions turned out to be on the Eastern Front. During the battles at the end of June 1941, only 15 Pz.Kpfw.IV were irretrievably lost. This is largely due to the fact that their opponents were T-26 and BT, which competed in a completely different weight category. The atmosphere of complete confusion in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War also contributed. Patriotic War. However, already in July, 109 tanks, that is, a quarter of the original number, were scrapped. In August, another 68 vehicles were added to them. In total, in 1941, the Germans lost 348 Pz.Kpfw.IV on the Eastern Front, that is, more than 3/4 of their original number.

The German tank crews could quite rightly blame the 6th Department of the Armament Directorate for such significant losses, which approached the issue of strengthening the armor very frivolously. In fact, the shielding installed on the tanks corresponded to the experience of the September 1939 campaign. At the same time, attention was paid to the fact that the French already had 47-mm tank and anti-tank guns. And this was done completely in vain: even the 47-mm SA 35 tank gun with a 32-caliber barrel, as tests in the USSR showed, easily penetrated the 50 mm armor of German tanks at a distance of 400 meters.

The characteristics of the 47-mm Canon de 47 Mle.1937 anti-tank gun, which had a barrel length of 50 calibers, looked even more depressing for the Germans. At a distance of a kilometer, it penetrated armor 57 mm thick. The Germans could reasonably assume that the French were not the only ones who possessed more powerful anti-tank artillery and tank guns than the Poles.

Captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Tank Division, NIIBT Test Site, August 1941

Ultimately, the Wehrmacht had to pay for the miscalculations of the military leadership in assessing the enemy’s weapons with tanks and their crews. While the main opponents of the Pz.Kpfw.IV were the T-26 and BT, everything turned out relatively well for the German tankers. Later, more and more often they had to deal with T-34 and KV-1, armed with 76-mm cannons. In addition, some of the tanks turned out to have only partially thickened armor, which significantly reduced the chances of surviving even under fire from 45-mm tank and anti-tank guns.

KV-2 heavy tanks also made a certain contribution. The hit of his 152-mm shell on a German tank turned it into a pile of scrap metal. However, penetration by other shells did not bring anything good. Cases of ammunition explosions were quite common for Pz.Kpfw.IV. It is worth noting that German tanks were almost powerless against the T-34 and KV-1. Standard armor-piercing shells had almost no effect against new Soviet tanks, while those developed and in service as early as April 1941 cumulative shells 7.5 cm Gr.Patr.38 Kw.K. Hitler allowed its use only in February 1942.

The same car in front. Impacts and a broken screen are visible in the area of ​​the driver's viewing device

Already in August 1941, the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Tank Division was delivered to the training ground of the Scientific Research Testing Institute of Armored Vehicles (NIIBT Polygon) in Kubinka. The car was quite badly damaged: there were several hits in the frontal part of the hull, and the shielding in the area of ​​the driver's viewing device was partially knocked down. The Polygon staff compiled a brief description, according to which the combat weight of the tank, designated as “Medium tank T-IV produced in 1939–40,” was estimated at 24 tons, and maximum speed- at 50 km/h. After preliminary calculations, the following conclusions were made:

.“The armor protection of the T-IV tank is hit by artillery of all calibers.

The tank turret, inspection hatches, and the ball mount of the radio operator’s machine gun are hit by large-caliber small arms.”

Captured Pz.Kpfw.IVs have become quite common since the end of 1941. However, the Polygon was not involved in bringing the tank captured in the summer of 1941 back into working condition or trying to get the NIIBT running trophy.

This is largely due to the fact that the Soviet military did not show much interest in the tank. It seems that they considered it as an addition to the PzIII, despite the fact that the combat weight and engine of the two medium tanks were similar. For approximately the same reasons, the StuG III Ausf.B was not restored to running condition. Studying the performance characteristics of captured Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.38(t) was considered a more important task, and wasting time on secondary vehicles was considered a pointless exercise.

Unlike the StuG III, the frontal armor of the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E 45-mm projectile was quite tough

In September 1942, tests took place, during which fire from various weapons was fired at the captured tank. The first thing they did was fire at him from a DShK machine gun. It turned out that the side of the DShK turret cannot be penetrated even from a distance of 50 meters, but at a distance of 100 meters it was possible to penetrate the side and stern of the hull.

Much more interesting were the tests fired from a 45-mm cannon installed in the T-70 tank. At a distance of 50 meters, the frontal hull sheet, 50 mm thick, was pierced. It is worth noting that the same gun did not penetrate the captured StuG III self-propelled gun. The 40 mm thick sides (20+20 mm) were penetrated at a distance of 400 meters.

The final verdict on the German tank was shelling from the 76-mm F-34 cannon installed in the T-34 medium tank. The frontal plate was pierced at a distance of 500 meters (the entrance diameter of the through hole was 90 mm, the exit diameter was 100 mm). The next shot, fired from a distance of 800 meters, split the sheet into two parts. When fired from a distance of 800 meters into the side of the hull, the shell penetrated 40 mm armor on the right side, exploded inside and came out on the left side. When firing a high-explosive shell into the side, the first hit tore off the side turret hatch, the second shell tore off the commander's cupola, and the hit on the side of the engine compartment (20 mm thick) led to the appearance of a hole measuring 130x350 mm. It was decided not to fire from long distances - and so everything was clear.

In addition to the shelling, NII-48 specialists studied the design of the hull and turret.

One of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds, rearmed with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon and equipped with side screens

In July 1942, the few Ausf.D and Ausf.E tanks remaining in service were modernized. Instead of a standard gun, they were equipped with a long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. In addition, from May 1943, side screens began to be installed on the hull and turret. By that time, these vehicles had been withdrawn from the first line and transferred to training units, including NSKK (National Socialist Mechanized Corps) institutions.

Such tanks were also available in tank units stationed in France. One of them (Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, serial number 80732, released in July 1940) was captured by the British in the summer of 1944. It is now on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.

With update 9.17.1 comes new changes to the German research branch of World of Tanks, and with them new heavy tanks. Pz.Kpfw. VII is the top tier 10 WoT tank in the research branch (Tapka B) and VK 45.02 (P) Ausf. A. According to its technical parameters, Pz.Kpfw. VII is very similar to VK 72.01 (K), which was given as a reward for battles on the global map. However, with a lot of similar characteristics, there are also quite a lot of differences between these machines.

Historical facts of Panzerkampfwagen VII

In January 1942, the industrialist Krupp presented for consideration a project for a fundamentally new heavy machine VK 70.01. The equipment was supposed to penetrate the armor of enemy tanks with a thickness of 160 mm from a distance of 1 kilometer. Four months later, the project was renamed Pz.Kpfw. VII.

The new vehicle was to be equipped with improved weapons and armor. At the same time, the location of the frontal armor plates was planned at an optimal angle, in order to increase the chance of ricocheting enemy hits. The project included the option of placing the turret at the rear, which had only one drawback: not the best viewing angle. The designers also discussed the decision to use the chassis of the Tiger combat vehicle in order to increase the unification of equipment in combat conditions. The development of the super-heavy tank continued until the end of July 1942. However, the project was suspended and the Pz.Kpfw. VII remained forever a “paper project”.

Pz.Kpfw. VII Performance characteristics

To begin with, it is worth noting a very decent review for a level 10 heavyweight: 400 meters. In addition, the tank’s safety margin also looks quite decent – ​​2,500 units. Of course, these are not the most record figures, however, compared to their classmates they allow us to feel quite confident. If we talk about speed indicators, then among the armored “Germans” Pz.Kpfw. VII may well be considered a record holder. At the same time, the tank has frankly weak dynamics and maneuverability, so the mobility of the vehicle will cause a lot of criticism.

Among the characteristics of any heavy tank, the parameters of the gun are fundamental. In the case of Pz.Kpfw. VII, the heavy gun turned out to be truly formidable and deadly in terms of weapons, so let’s look at the main indicators of the gun.

So, first of all, what catches your eye is a relatively good alpha strike, complemented by an excellent rate of fire for a heavy weapon. This makes it possible to deal up to 2,100 units of pure damage per unit of time. The weak points of the gun include poor vertical guidance angles, but if you take into account the rear location of the turret, 7 degrees down looks very acceptable.

Decent firepower indicators are organically complemented by impressive armor penetration indicators, which helps you confidently deal with armored opponents using basic shells. However, for a more comfortable game, it is recommended to include 10-15 gold shells in your ammunition load to counter your classmates. If we talk about accuracy, then everything looks pretty good here too. In addition, the gun has minimal dispersion and an enviable aiming speed, which makes the Pz.Kpfw. VII is a very dangerous opponent in a random game.

The values ​​of the tested characteristics of a Tier 10 heavy tank of the German research branch are presented in the image below in comparison with the existing Tier 10 tanks in World of Tanks:

Reservation Pz.Kpfw. VII

An important nuance for all heavy tanks deserves special attention: armor. At first glance, Pz.Kpfw. VII looks quite secure, but everything here is not as ordinary as it seems. The armor values ​​at the moment do not differ from the similar tank VK 72.01 (K):

The frontal armor looks just great: the thickness of the armor plates is 240 millimeters and they are located at the right angles. In total, this gives 40 mm more than the VK 72.01 (K), so you can confidently tank damage, but be wary of top AT and gold shells. The heavy turret is similar to that installed on its twin brother, while the frontal armor looks somewhat worse than the protection of the front part of the hull. The situation is saved by the gun mask, which covers almost the entire forehead of the turret and has sloping cheeks. As a result, hits by opponents in the mask invariably lead to ricochets and non-penetrations.

The strand has problems with the sides, and quite serious ones. According to the stated characteristics, the side armor is 160 mm, which looks good, and given the rear placement of the turret, it is a reason to effectively tank with a reverse diamond. However, the front part is narrowed, and accordingly, when the hull is turned further, the base of the tower is exposed to the enemy, into which even opponents at a lower level can penetrate.

How does the Pz tank tank? Kpfw VII

Research Pz.Kpfw. VII

How to play Pz.Kpfw. VII

Pz.Kpfw. VII seems to be a truly powerful technique, albeit not without some flaws. If we recall the weak dynamics, we can conclude that we are dealing with a tank of one direction. In addition, if you are not confident in the reliability of your teammates, you can simply take an advantageous position near the base.

On the fields of random, Pz.Kpfw. VII can be on the front line, confidently pushing out opponents or holding back an attack in the chosen direction. This is facilitated by good armor and powerful weapons. However, positions should be chosen in such a way as to avoid artillery fire. In addition, when tanking damage, you should not turn the body too much, exposing the base of the tower to shots. Taking these features into account, you can act like this: we roll out at a right angle, take a shot and roll back into cover on the CD, catching ricochets with the frontal armor of the tower. Otherwise, we act according to the standard scheme: we monitor the mini-map, protect the sides from the artillery and hide from the artillery. To avoid the deadly carousel of medium tanks, we select the position in such a way as to exclude room for maneuvers: in a head-on collision, even classmates will not be able to penetrate the armor of the formidable heavy tank.

If you compare the tank with its almost identical counterpart, the VK 72.01 (K), you can see that it is protected by the Pz.Kpfw. VII is much better. However, we are dealing with preliminary characteristics that may be later changed by developers.

Equipment and skills of the Pz.Kpfw crew. VII

When choosing modules, players usually try to mitigate the weaknesses of the equipment. In the case of Pz.Kpfw. VII, it is recommended to improve its advantages in order to get a truly killer machine. Therefore, the choice of equipment may look like this:

1. Rammer– This is a standard module for most vehicles in the game, helping to increase the rate of fire and, accordingly, damage per minute.
2. Gun stabilization– will help reduce dispersion and increase the accuracy of the gun.
3. Enlightenment— gives the right to the first shot and increases good visibility indicators.

However, the last module can be replaced with “Ventilation”
to receive a minor bonus to all vehicle characteristics.

If we talk about the crew, the importance of leveling up the right perks for tankers is known even to novice players. German tank Pz.Kpfw. VII has a crew of five. It is important to take into account that we are talking about a level 10 heavy, which should push the direction and distribute maximum damage to opponents. Taking these features into account, the choice of perks will be as follows:

Equipment also plays an important role. The set for heavy “Germans” is usually standard:

small fire extinguisher, first aid kit and repair kit. However, if the supply of in-game silver allows, the equipment can be replaced with full-size analogues. It's important to note that the automatic fire extinguisher can be replaced with a chocolate bar to add a little more to the machine's capabilities.

Results for Pz.Kpfw. VII

If we compare the general characteristics, we can understand that the Pz.Kpfw. VII is really good. However, to get a full understanding of its capabilities, you need to summarize its advantages and disadvantages. The result will be a picture like this.

Advantages:

• Excellent frontal armor for the hull and turret.
• Comfortable DPM and Alphastrike.
• High level of gun penetration with a basic projectile.
• One of the best accuracy indicators at the level.
• The horizontal guidance of the barrel is quite acceptable for the rear position of the turret.

Flaws

• Frankly weak dynamics.
• Cardboard sides.
• Bulky silhouette.

Video Pz.Kpfw. VII

4-02-2017, 21:43

Hello to all lovers of innovation, the site is here! Friends, update 0.9.17 will be released pretty soon, which will bring with it a lot of new things, and now a test client is available to everyone, on which a new German heavy tank of the tenth level has appeared and is now in front of you Pz.Kpfw. VII guide.

The fact is that with the arrival of the patch, an alternative branch of development of German heavyweights will appear in the game. Cars already familiar to you have moved into it and, well, the logical conclusion will be a new one Pz.Kpfw. VII WoT tank . Let's take a closer look at this innovation so you can understand whether it's worth downloading.

But I hasten to remind you that the testing stage is now open, so by the time of release the parameters of this machine may still change. In addition, in terms of its appearance, the Pz.Kpfw. VII has a twin brother - it is also a top German heavy, but it was given out as a reward for battles on the global map, its name, or as players like to say, is “tapkolev”. However, in terms of performance characteristics, these cars are also similar, but there are quite a lot of differences.

TTX Pz.Kpfw. VII

As always, we will start with the fact that this German has at its disposal not a record-breaking, but very worthy by the standards of the TT-10 safety margin, as well as a good basic viewing range of 400 meters.

In the case of heavy tanks, their security always deserves special attention, and in our case this issue is no less important. U Pz.Kpfw. VII characteristics reservations, on the one hand, are very good, but on the other, there are serious nuances.

To begin with, the hull in the frontal projection is very seriously armored; everywhere the thickness of the armor plates is 240 millimeters, and at a good angle, which is 40 millimeters heavier than that of the VK 72.01(K). In general, you can tank really effectively, but you should be afraid of gold and shots from top tank destroyers.

Our hero's turret is identical to the one installed on the "tapkolv" and from the forehead Pz.Kpfw. VII World of Tanks slightly less protected than the body. However, almost the entire front part is covered by a huge gun mantlet, which has a very advantageous ricochet shape, and the cheeks are perfectly beveled, thanks to which you can catch a lot of ricochets and non-penetrations.

But with the sides heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VII has serious problems and now you will understand what he means we're talking about. Nominally 160 millimeters of armor is quite bad; with a rear-mounted turret, it could be perfectly tanked with a reverse diamond. But due to the fact that the front part of the hull is narrow, when turning it the base of the tower is exposed to the enemy, and if they shoot there, they will penetrate us very easily.

In terms of driving characteristics, we can immediately say that among the German top heavy tanks we are practically the best, but this does not mean that the tank is very mobile. Pz.Kpfw. VII WoT has a good maximum speed (which is inferior to the maximum speed of the VK 72.01(K)), but has weak dynamics and maneuverability. That is, we are not moving frankly slowly, but rather stiffly, so in general our mobility is weak.

gun

The gun is a fundamental feature of every tank, and looking ahead, I will say that in our case the weapon turned out to be truly formidable. In addition, this barrel has nothing in common with the one installed on the VK 72.01(K), but whether it is better or worse, judge for yourself.

So, have Pz.Kpfw. VII gun has a really powerful alpha strike, and also, importantly, good rate of fire, thanks to which it is possible to inflict about 2100 units of pure level per minute.

In addition to good firepower, German heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VII has outstanding penetration parameters. You will be able to penetrate most of the enemies you encounter with a regular armor-piercing projectile, but for confrontation with heavies, it is worth carrying about 10-15 sub-calibers with you.

In terms of accuracy, everything is good again, since Pz.Kpfw. VII World of Tanks received a very pleasant dispersion for its caliber, good aiming speed and enviable stabilization, which makes us an extremely dangerous opponent.

The only not entirely comfortable parameter can be considered the vertical declination angle of the gun, but with the rear position of the turret, the ability to lower the gun by 7 degrees is also a very decent indicator.

Advantages and disadvantages

Based on most of the characteristics known at the moment, we can conclude that this German heavyweight is really good. But in order to realize the potential inherent in Pz.Kpfw. VII WoT, you need to clearly understand its advantages and disadvantages, so it’s worth focusing on these details.
Pros:
Good frontal armor;
Powerful alpha strike and decent DPM;
High penetration ability even for BB;
Excellent accuracy parameters;
Good vertical aiming angles.
Minuses:
Poor mobility;
Vulnerable aircraft reservations;
Quite large dimensions.

Equipment for Pz.Kpfw. VII

To properly equip a machine with additional modules, you need to know its strengths and weaknesses. In our case, it will be necessary to focus on increasing existing advantages, so tank Pz.Kpfw. VII equipment It’s better to set it according to this principle:
1. is the optimal and most popular module for most tanks, because it increases the rate of fire and DPM.
2. – with excellent accuracy already available, this choice will allow you to deal damage very effectively and comfortably.
3. – our German’s viewing parameters are also fine, and with optics you can easily achieve maximum “vision”.

But as often happens, the third point has a worthy replacement, and in our case it will be. A 5% boost to all the necessary characteristics is almost never superfluous, and if your crew has upgraded their vision perks, then you won’t lose much in this parameter either.

Crew training

There is no point in reminding you of the importance of upgrading your crew; everyone already understands very well that a lot depends on the skills you choose. You just have to understand that you have a real heavy tank in your hands, which should hold back the enemy, but at the same time can cause tons of damage. Thus, for Pz.Kpfw. VII perks learn the following:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner – , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Loader – , , , .

Equipment for Pz.Kpfw. VII

Purchased equipment also plays an important role in battle, and not only the saved margin of safety may depend on your choice. However, in cases where silver reserves are small, you can get by with a set of , , . Otherwise, it is much safer to carry Pz.Kpfw. VII equipment in the form , , , and if desired, you can replace the last option with .

Tactics of playing Pz.Kpfw. VII

Judging by what this heavy vehicle is at the moment, then we have in our hands a really strong machine, although not without its shortcomings. Taking mobility into account Pz.Kpfw. VII World of Tanks, we can say that this is a one-way tank, so if you are unsure of your team, it is better not to go far from the base.

At the same time, the best place for us is on the front line, because for Pz.Kpfw. VII tactics is built on holding back the enemy, pushing through directions and inflicting a ton of damage thanks to its excellent weapons. Speaking of tanking, you need to take a position where artillery cannot shoot at you and take damage only with your forehead, dancing slightly. It is dangerous to turn the hull further, as we expose the vulnerable base of the tower into which they will penetrate us.

At the same time, you shouldn’t constantly be under fire, Pz.Kpfw. VII tank WoT has a truly formidable gun and even despite its rate of fire, it is better to play as an alpha. We roll out of cover exposing only the forehead of the hull or turret, take a shot and hide, everything is quite simple.

Otherwise, as already mentioned, look around and at the mini-map, beware of artillery shots, hide the sides and don’t let yourself get caroused. Heavy tank Pz.Kpfw. VII has poor mobility, which means that any mobile ST can kill us without difficulty if it has room to maneuver.

To summarize, I would like to say that this vehicle has quite a lot in common with the special VK 72.01(K) tank, especially in terms of appearance (the tanks are practically twins) and armor parameters. However, at the moment it is clear that the Pz.Kpfw. The VII tank is protected somewhat better and, in my opinion, its weapons are more versatile and formidable. What will happen in practice and what will be the final performance characteristics of our guest today, time will tell.

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

History of creation

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

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

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

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

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A

TTX

general information

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

Dimensions

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

Booking

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

Armament

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

Mobility

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

Modifications

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

Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf.H

Vehicles based on Pz. IV

On Panzerkampfwagen base IV, several special vehicles were also built:

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

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

Use in combat

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

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

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

After 1940

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

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

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

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

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

Shot down Pz. IV

End of the war

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

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

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

After World War II

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

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

Pz. IV in Syria

Tank in culture

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

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

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A, model

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

Memory of a tank

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

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

Pz.Kpfw.IV In Kubinka

Photo and video

Flakpanzer IV "Möbelwagen"