History and detailed description. Medium German tank Tiger Panzerkampfwagen IV. History and detailed description Modifications of the pzkpfw iv tank
According to the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forbidden to build tanks and create armored forces. However, the Germans were by no means striving to thoroughly fulfill the clauses of the agreement, which they considered humiliating for themselves. Therefore, long before the Nazis came to power, the German military began to actively develop the doctrine of the use of tank units in modern warfare. It was more difficult to implement theoretical developments in practice, but the Germans succeeded in this too: it is widely known that mock-ups built on the basis of cars or even bicycles were used as tanks in exercises and maneuvers. And the tanks themselves were developed under the guise of agricultural tractors and tested abroad.
After power passed to the Nazis, Germany's refusal to comply with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles followed. By this time, the country's armored doctrine had already taken shape quite clearly, and the matter was, figuratively speaking, the embodiment of the Panzerwaffe in metal.
The first German production tanks: Pz.Kpfw I and Pz.Kpfw II - were vehicles that even the Germans themselves perceived rather as transitional to "real" tanks. Pz.Kpfw I was generally considered training, although he had a chance to take part in hostilities in Spain, Poland, France, North Africa and the USSR.
In 1936, the troops received the first copies of the medium tank Pz.Kpfw. III, armed with 37mm anti-tank gun and protected in frontal and side projections with armor 15 mm thick. This combat vehicle was already a full-fledged tank that met the requirements of the time. At the same time, due to the small caliber of the gun, she could not fight the fortified firing points and engineering structures of the enemy.
In 1934, the army gave the industry a task to develop a fire support tank, which was to be armed with a 75-mm cannon with high-explosive shells in the ammunition load. Initially, this tank was developed as a battalion commander's vehicle, from which its first designation, BW (Batallionführerwagen), came from. Three competing firms were working on the tank: Rheinmetall-Borsig, MAN and Krupp AG. The Krupp project VK 20.01 was recognized as the best, however, it was not allowed for serial production due to the fact that the tank design used a chassis on a spring suspension. The military demanded the use of a torsion bar suspension, which provided smoother movement and better maneuverability of the combat vehicle. The Krupp engineers managed to reach a compromise with the Ordnance Department, proposing to use a version of the spring suspension with eight twin road wheels, almost completely borrowed from the experienced Nb.Fz multi-turreted tank.
An order for the manufacture of a new tank, designated Vs.Kfz. 618, Krupp received in 1935. In April 1936, the vehicle was renamed Pz.Kpfw IV. The first samples of the "zero" series were produced at the Krupp factories in Essen, and in the fall of 1937, production was transferred to Magdeburg, where the production of the Ausf modification began. A.
Pz.Kpfw. IV was a car of a classic layout with an engine compartment in the rear of the hull. The transmission was located in front, between the jobs of the driver and gunner-radio operator. Due to the layout of the swivel mechanism, the tank turret was shifted slightly to the left relative to the longitudinal axis. The undercarriage on each side consisted of four sprung bogies with four rollers on each of them. The drive wheel was in front. Note that throughout the entire history of the existence of the Pz.Kpfw IV, no significant changes were made to the design of the chassis.
The first modification of the machine, Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.A, equipped with Maybach HL108TR carbureted engine with 250 horsepower. with., located closer to the right side of the body.
Reservation of the hull modification "A" was 20 mm in the frontal projection and 15 mm in the side and aft projections. The thickness of the armor of the tower was 30 mm in the front, 20 mm in the side and 10 mm in the rear. The commander's turret of a characteristic cylindrical shape was located in the rear of the tower in the middle. For observation, it was equipped with six viewing slots covered with armored glass.
Pz.Kpfw. The IV Ausf.A was armed with a 75 mm short-barreled KwK 37 L|24 cannon and two 7.92 mm MG34 machine guns: coaxial with a cannon and a course gun located in a ball mount in the front armor plate of the hull. The armor plate itself had a broken shape. The presence of this machine gun, along with a cylindrical commander's cupola, is a distinctive feature of the first modification of the Pz.Kpfw. IV. In total, until June 1938, 35 A-series vehicles were produced.
Pz.Kpfw. IV was destined to become the main vehicle of the German armor tank troops. Its last modification was made from June 1944 to March 1945. The volume of the article does not allow dwelling in detail on each change in the design of this tank, so we will briefly consider the main upgrades and improvements that were carried out by German engineers throughout the long journey of the "four".
In May 1938, the production of the Pz.Kpfw version began. IV Ausf.B. Its main difference from the previous version was the use of a direct armor plate in the frontal part of the hull and the elimination of the course machine gun. Instead, an additional observation slot for the radio operator and an embrasure appeared in the hull, through which he could fire from personal weapons. The observation slots of the commander's cupola received armored shutters. Instead of a 5-speed gearbox, a 6-speed was used. The engine has also changed: now on Pz.Kpfw. IV began to install a Maybach HL120TR engine with a capacity of 300 hp. With. The armor of the hull was strengthened, and now in the frontal projection of the hull and turret the “four” was protected by 30 mm of steel. The frontal armor of the turret was somewhat thinner, its thickness was 25 mm. Until October 1938, 42 machines of this modification were built.
Series Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.C received a new Maybach HL120TRM engine. This engine, like the previous one, had a power of 300 liters. With. and was installed on all subsequent modifications of the Pz IV. Modification "C" was produced from April 1938 to August 1939. Following it, the “D” series entered the conveyors, on which they again began to use a broken-shaped frontal armor plate with a course machine gun. From 1940, the Ausf.D's frontal armor was reinforced with an additional 30 mm sheet. In 1941, a 50-mm cannon was installed on some machines of this series. Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.D was also built in a tropical modification.
In the tanks of the "E" series, produced from April 1940 to April 1941, the designers continued to build up armor. The 30-mm frontal armor of the hull was additionally reinforced with a plate of the same thickness. The course machine gun was now mounted in a ball mount. The shape of the tower has also undergone minor changes.
The latest modification of the "four" with a short-barreled 75-mm gun was the "F" version. Now the frontal armor of the vehicle reached 50 mm on the hull and 30 mm on the turret. Since 1942, the tanks of the Ausf.F series began to be equipped with a long-barreled gun KwK 40 L / 43 of 75 mm caliber. In this version, the vehicle received the designation Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.F2.
Since March 1942, the production of the Pz.Kpfw modification began. IV Ausf.G. She did not have big differences from the previous version of the tank. Later machines of this series used wider "eastern" tracks, additional frontal armor and side screens. About 400 of the last "fours" of the "G" series were armed with a 75 mm KwK 40 L / 43 cannon, and from February 1943 they were equipped with a 75 mm KwK 40 L / 48 cannon. Based on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.G prototype was developed self-propelled gun Hummel.
Since June 1942, work began on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H. The frontal armor of this tank reached 80 mm. Armored screens 5 mm thick were installed along the sides. The commander's cupola housed an anti-aircraft turret for a 7.92 mm machine gun. The tank was coated with zimmerite, a material that made it difficult to attach to the hull magnetic mines. As the main weapon on the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.H, a 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 cannon was used.
In February 1944, the production of the last modification of the "four" began - Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf.J. This tank did not have a turret rotation motor, and the swivel mechanism was manually operated. The design of support and support rollers has been simplified. Due to the installation of screens, side viewing slots were removed, which became useless. Machines of different series had minor differences in internal equipment.
In general, researchers deservedly consider Pz.Kpfw. IV the most versatile German tank of World War II. The designers laid in it the potential for modernization, sufficient for the tank to be able to remain a full-fledged combat unit throughout the entire period of its existence. This is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that this tank was in service with a number of countries until the 60s of the twentieth century.
medium tank T-IV Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV, also Pz. IV), Sd.Kfz.161
The production of this tank, created by Krupp, began in 1937 and continued throughout the Second World War. Tells
Like the T-III- (Pz.III) tank, the power plant is located at the rear, and the power transmission and drive wheels are at the front. The control compartment housed the driver and gunner-radio operator, firing from a machine gun mounted in a ball bearing. The fighting compartment was in the middle of the hull. A multifaceted welded tower was mounted here, in which three crew members were accommodated and weapons were installed.
T-IV tanks were produced with the following weapons:
- modifications A-F, assault tank with a 75-mm howitzer;
- modification G, a tank with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 43 caliber;
- modifications N-K, a tank with a 75 mm cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers.
Due to the constant increase in the thickness of the armor, the weight of the vehicle during production increased from 17.1 tons (modification A) to 24.6 tons (modification H-K). Since 1943, to enhance armor protection, armored screens were installed on the sides of the hull and turret. The long-barreled gun introduced on modifications G, H-K allowed the T-IV to withstand enemy tanks of equal weight (a 75-mm sub-caliber projectile pierced 110-mm armor at a distance of 1000 meters), but its maneuverability, especially of the latest overweight modifications, was unsatisfactory. In total, about 9,500 T-IV tanks of all modifications were produced during the war years.
Tank PzKpfw IV. History of creation.
In the 1920s and early 1930s, the theory of the use of mechanized troops, in particular tanks, was developed by trial and error, the views of theorists changed very often. A number of tank supporters believed that the appearance of armored vehicles would make positional warfare in the style of fighting 1914-1917 impossible from a tactical point of view. In turn, the French relied on the construction of well-fortified long-term defensive positions, such as the Maginot Line. A number of experts believed that the main armament of the tank should be a machine gun, and the main task of armored vehicles is to fight the infantry and artillery of the enemy, the most radically thinking representatives of this school considered the battle between tanks to be pointless, since, allegedly, neither side could inflict damage on the other. There was an opinion that the side that could destroy the largest number of enemy tanks would win the battle. As the main means of fighting tanks, special weapons with special shells were considered - anti-tank guns with armor-piercing shells. In fact, no one knew what the nature of hostilities would be in a future war. The experience of the Spanish Civil War also did not clarify the situation.
The Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany to have combat tracked vehicles, but could not prevent German specialists from working on studying various theories of the use of armored vehicles, and the creation of tanks was carried out by the Germans in secrecy. When in March 1935 Hitler abandoned the restrictions of Versailles, the young "Panzerwaffe" already had all the theoretical studies in the field of application and organizational structure of tank regiments.
In mass production under the banner of "agricultural tractors" were two types of light armed tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II.
The PzKpfw I tank was considered a training vehicle, while the PzKpfw II was intended for reconnaissance, but it turned out that the "two" remained the most massive tank of panzerdivisions until it was replaced by medium tanks PzKpfw III, armed with a 37-mm cannon and three machine guns.
The beginning of the development of the PzKpfw IV tank dates back to January 1934, when the army gave the industry a specification for a new fire support tank weighing no more than 24 tons, the future vehicle received the official designation Gesch.Kpfw. (75 mm)(Vskfz.618). Over the next 18 months, specialists from Rheinmetall-Borzing, Krupp and MAN worked on three competing projects for the battalion commander’s vehicle (“battalionführerswagnen” abbreviated as BW). The VK 2001 / K project, presented by Krupp, was recognized as the best, the shape of the turret and hull is close to the PzKpfw III tank.
However, the VK 2001 / K machine did not go into series, because the military was not satisfied with the six-support undercarriage with medium-diameter wheels on spring suspension, it needed to be replaced with a torsion bar. The torsion bar suspension, compared to the spring suspension, provided a smoother movement of the tank and had a greater vertical travel of the road wheels. Krupp engineers, together with representatives of the Office for the Procurement of Arms, agreed on the possibility of using an improved spring suspension design with eight small-diameter road wheels on board on the tank. However, Krupp had to largely revise the proposed original design. In the final version, the PzKpfw IV was a combination of the hull and turret of the VK 2001 / K vehicle with a chassis newly developed by Krupp.
The PzKpfw IV tank was designed according to the classic layout with a rear engine. The commander's seat was located along the axis of the tower directly under the commander's cupola, the gunner was located to the left of the cannon breech, the loader was to the right. In the control compartment, located in front of the tank hull, there were jobs for the driver (to the left of the vehicle axis) and the radio operator's gunner (to the right). Between the driver's seat and the arrow was the transmission. An interesting design feature of the tank was the displacement of the turret by about 8 cm to the left of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the engine - by 15 cm to the right to pass the shaft connecting the engine and transmission. Accepted such constructive solution made it possible to increase the internal reserved volume on the right side of the hull for the placement of the first shots, which the loader could most easily get. The tower turn drive is electric.
The suspension and chassis consisted of eight small-diameter road wheels grouped into two-wheeled carts suspended on leaf springs, drive wheels installed in the stern of the sloth tank and four rollers supporting the caterpillar. Throughout the history of the operation of PzKpfw IV tanks, their undercarriage remained unchanged, only minor improvements were introduced. The prototype of the tank was manufactured at the Krupp plant in Essen and tested in 1935-36.
Description of the tank PzKpfw IV
armor protection.
In 1942, consulting engineers Mertz and McLillan conducted a detailed survey captured tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.E, in particular, they carefully studied its armor.
- Several armor plates were tested for hardness, all of them were machined. The hardness of the machined armor plates outside and inside was 300-460 Brinell.
- Overhead armor plates with a thickness of 20 mm, with which the armor of the hull sides is reinforced, are made of homogeneous steel and have a hardness of about 370 Brinell. The reinforced side armor is unable to "hold" 2-pound projectiles fired from a distance of 1000 yards.
On the other hand, a tank attack conducted in the Middle East in June 1941 showed that a distance of 500 yards (457 m) can be considered as the limit for effective frontal engagement of a PzKpfw IV with a 2-pounder gun. A report prepared at Woolwich on the study of armor protection of a German tank notes that "armor is 10% better than similarly processed mechanically English, and in some respects even better homogeneous.
At the same time, the method of connecting the armor plates was criticized, a specialist from Leyland Motors commented on his research: “The quality of the welding is poor, the welds of two of the three armor plates in the area where the shell hit the projectile diverged.”
Power point.
The Maybach engine is designed to operate in moderate climatic conditions, where its performance is satisfactory. At the same time, in the tropics or high dustiness, it breaks down and is prone to overheating. British intelligence, after studying the PzKpfw IV tank captured in 1942, concluded that engine failures were caused by sand entering the oil system, distributor, dynamo and starter; air filters are inadequate. There were frequent cases of sand getting into the carburetor.
The Maybach engine manual requires the use of gasoline only with an octane rating of 74 with a complete lubricant change after 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 km of run. The recommended engine speed under normal operating conditions is 2600 rpm, but in hot climates (southern regions of the USSR and North Africa), this speed does not provide normal cooling. The use of the engine as a brake is permissible at 2200-2400 rpm, at a speed of 2600-3000 this mode should be avoided.
The main components of the cooling system were two radiators installed at an angle of 25 degrees to the horizon. The radiators were cooled by an airflow forced by two fans; fan drive - belt driven from the main motor shaft. The circulation of water in the cooling system was provided by a centrifuge pump. Air entered the engine compartment through a hole covered with an armored shutter from the right side of the hull and was thrown out through a similar hole on the left side.
The synchro-mechanical transmission proved to be effective, although pulling power in high gears was low, so 6th gear was only used on the highway. The output shafts are combined with the braking and turning mechanism into a single device. To cool this device, a fan was installed to the left of the clutch box. The simultaneous disengagement of the steering control levers could be used as an effective parking brake.
On tanks of later versions, the spring suspension of the road wheels was heavily overloaded, but replacing the damaged two-wheeled bogie seemed to be a fairly simple operation. The tension of the caterpillar was regulated by the position of the sloth mounted on the eccentric. On the Eastern Front, special track expanders, known as "Ostketten", were used, which improved the maneuverability of tanks in winter months of the year.
Deutsch medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf. B on the training ground during an exercise.
An extremely simple but effective device for dressing a jumped caterpillar was tested on experimental tank PzKpfw IV. It was a factory-made tape that had the same width as the tracks, and perforation for engagement with the gear rim of the drive wheel. One end of the tape was attached to the track that had come off, the other, after it was passed over the rollers, to the drive wheel. The motor was turned on, the drive wheel began to rotate, pulling the tape and the tracks fastened to it until the rims of the drive wheel entered the slots on the tracks. The whole operation took several minutes.
The engine was started by a 24-volt electric starter. Since the auxiliary electric generator saved battery power, it was possible to try to start the engine more times on the "four" than on the PzKpfw III tank. In the event of a starter failure, or when the grease thickened in severe frost, an inertial starter was used, the handle of which was connected to the engine shaft through a hole in the aft armor plate. The handle was turned by two people at the same time, the minimum number of turns of the handle required to start the engine was 60 rpm. Starting the engine from an inertial starter has become commonplace in the Russian winter. Minimum temperature engine, at which it began to work normally was t=50 gr.C with a shaft rotation of 2000 rpm.
To facilitate starting the engine in the cold climate of the Eastern Front, a special system was developed, known as the "Kuhlwasserubertragung" - a cold water heat exchanger. After the engine of one tank was started and warmed up to normal temperature, warm water from it it was pumped into the cooling system of the next tank, and cold water was supplied to the already working engine - there was an exchange of refrigerants between the working and non-working engines. After the warm water warmed up the motor a little, it was possible to try to start the engine with an electric starter. The Kuhlwasserubertragung system required minor modifications to the tank's cooling system.
Weapons and optics.
The 75 mm L/24 howitzer installed on the early models of the PzKpfw IV tank had a barrel with 28 grooves 0.85 mm deep and a semi-automatic vertical sliding bolt. The gun was equipped with a clinometric sight, which, if necessary, allowed the tank to conduct aimed fire from closed positions. The barrel recoil cylinder protruded beyond the gun mantlet and covered most of the gun barrel. The gun cradle was heavier than required, resulting in a slight imbalance in the turret.
The composition of the tank gun ammunition included high-explosive, anti-tank, smoke and grapeshot shells. The gunner aimed the gun and the machine gun coaxial with it in elevation, turning a special steering wheel with his left hand. The turret could be deployed either electrically by switching the toggle switch, or manually, for which a steering wheel mounted to the right of the vertical guidance mechanism was used. Both the gunner and the loader could manually deploy the turret; maximum speed manual turn of the tower by the efforts of the gunner was 1.9 g / s, the gunner - 2.6 g / s.
The turret turn electric drive is mounted on the left side of the turret, the turn speed is controlled manually, the maximum turning speed using the electric drive reaches 14 g/s (about two times lower than on British tanks), the minimum is 0.14 g/s. Since the motor responds to control signals with a delay, it is difficult to track a moving target by rotating the turret with an electric drive. The gun is fired with the help of an electric trigger, the button of which is mounted on the handwheel of the manual drive for turning the turret. The recoil mechanism of the barrel after the shot has a hydropneumatic shock absorber. The tower is equipped with various instruments and devices that ensure safe working conditions for crew members.
German tank PzKpfw IV Ausf. G on the march in Normandy.
The installation of long-barreled guns L / 43 and L / 48 instead of the short-barreled L / 24 led to an imbalance in the turret gun mount (the barrel outweighed the breech), a special spring had to be mounted to compensate for the increased mass of the barrel; the spring was installed in a metal cylinder in the right front segment of the tower. More powerful guns also had stronger recoil when fired, which required a redesign of the recoil mechanism, which became wider and longer, but despite the improvements made, the barrel recoil after firing still increased by 50 mm compared to the barrel recoil of the 24-caliber gun. When making marches on their own or when transporting by rail, in order to slightly increase the free internal volume, the 43- and 48-caliber guns rose to an angle of 16 degrees and were fixed in this position by a special external folding support
The telescopic sight of the long-barreled 75-mm gun had two rotating scales and for its time had enough high level complexing. The first scale, the distance scale, rotated around its axis, aiming marks for firing from a cannon and a machine gun were applied to the scale in different quadrants; shooting scale high-explosive shells(Gr34) and for firing from a machine gun was graduated within 0-3200 m, while the scales for firing armor-piercing shells (PzGr39 and PzGr40) were graduated, respectively, at a distance of 0-2400 m and 0-1400 m. The second scale, scale sighting shifted in the vertical plane. Both scales could move at the same time, the sighting scale was raised or lowered, and the distance scale was rotated. To hit the selected target, the distance scale rotated until the required mark was set opposite the mark in the upper part of the sight, and the mark of the sighting scale was superimposed on the target by turning the turret and pointing the gun in a vertical plane.
German medium tanks PzKpfw IV Ausf H during an exercise to work out the interaction of crews. Germany, June 1944
In many respects, the PzKpfw IV tank was the perfect combat vehicle for its time. Inside the commander's tower of the tank, a scale was applied, graduated in the range from 1 to 12, in each sector it was divided into divisions for another 24 intervals. When turning the tower, due to a special gear, the commander's cupola rotated in the opposite direction at the same speed so that the number 12 constantly remained on the center line of the vehicle body. This design made it easier for the commander to search for the next target and indicate to the gunner the direction to it. To the left of the gunner's seat, an indicator was installed that repeated the layout of the commander's cupola scale and rotated similarly to it. After receiving a command from the commander, the gunner turned the turret in the indicated direction (for example, 10 hours), referring to the repeater scale, and after visually detecting the target, he aimed the gun at it.
The driver had a turret turn indicator in the form of two blue lights indicating in which direction the gun was deployed. It was important for the driver to know in which direction the gun barrel was exposed, so as not to catch it when driving for some kind of obstacle. On the PzKpfw IV tanks of the latest modifications, the driver's signal lights were not installed.
The ammunition load of a tank armed with a cannon with a barrel length of 24 caliber consisted of 80 shells for the cannon and 2700 cartridges for machine guns. On tanks with long-barreled guns, the ammunition load was 87 shells and 3150 rounds of ammunition. It was not easy for the loader to get to most of the ammunition load. Ammunition for machine guns was in drum-type stores with a capacity of 150 rounds. In general, for the convenience of placing ammunition german tank inferior to English. The installation of the course machine gun on the "four" was not balanced, the barrel outweighed, in order to correct this drawback, it was necessary to install a balancing spring. For emergency escape from the control compartment in the floor under the seat of the gunner-radio operator there was a round hatch with a diameter of 43 cm.
In the early versions of the PzKpfw IV, the smoke grenade guides were mounted on the aft armor plate, each guide placed up to five grenades held by springs. The tank commander could launch grenades, both singly and in series. The start was carried out by means of a wire rod, each jerk of the rod caused the rod to turn 1/5 of a full turn and released the next spring. After the appearance of smoke grenade launchers of a new design, which were mounted on the sides of the tower, the old system was abandoned. The commander's turret was equipped with armored shutters that closed the observation glass blocks, the armored shutters could be installed in three positions: fully closed, fully open and intermediate. The viewing glass block of the driver was also closed with an armored shutter. German optics of that time had a slight greenish tint.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.A (Sonderkraftfahrzeug - Sd.Kfz.161)
The first in 1936 in mass production At the Krupp plant in Magdeburg-Bukkau, the Ausfurung A model was launched. Structurally, technologically, the vehicle was similar to the PzKpfw III tank: chassis, hull, hull superstructure, turret. Ausf.A tanks were equipped with 12-cylinder Maybach HL108TR internal combustion engines with an HP 250 power. The ZF "Allklauen SFG 75" transmission had five forward gears and one reverse gear.
The armament of the tank consisted of a 75-mm gun and a 7.92-mm machine gun coaxial with it, another 7.92-mm machine gun was installed in the tank hull; ammunition - 122 shells for the cannon and 3000 rounds for two machine guns. Observation devices closed with armored shutters were located in the frontal sheet of the tower, to the left and right of the gun mantlet and in the side tower hatches, in addition, there was one embrasure on the sides of the tower (also closed by an armored shutter) for firing from personal weapons.
In the rear part of the roof of the tower, a commander's cupola of a simple cylindrical shape was mounted, which had eight viewing slots. The turret had a single hinged hatch. The gunner controlled the turn of the turret, the electric drive of the turn was powered by a two-stroke auxiliary electric generator "DKW" installed in the left side of the engine compartment. The electric generator made it possible not to waste the energy of the batteries on the turn of the tower and saved the resource of the main engine. The engine compartment was separated from the combat fire partition, which had a hatch for access to the engine from inside the tank. Three fuel tanks with a total capacity of 453 liters were placed under the floor of the fighting compartment.
The places of the gunner-radio operator and the driver were in the front of the tank, in the roof of the hull above the seats of both crew members there were double-leaf hatches with holes in the covers for launching signal rockets; the holes were closed with armored shutters. The armor thickness of the Ausf.A tank hull was 14.5 mm, the turret was 20 mm, the tank weight was 17.3 tons, and the maximum speed was 30 km/h. A total of 35 Ausf.A modification machines were manufactured; Chassis No. 80101 - 80135.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.B
The production of machines of the Ausfurung B model began in 1937; a large number of changes, but the main innovation was the installation of a 320-horsepower Maybach HL120TR engine and a transmission with six forward and one reverse speeds. The thickness of the armor in the frontal part was also increased to 30 mm, on some tanks they began to install commander's cupolas of a more advanced form with observation devices covered with armored shutters.
The installation of a course machine gun at the gunner-radio operator was eliminated, instead of a machine gun, a viewing slot and an embrasure for firing a pistol appeared, loopholes for firing from personal weapons were also made in the side tower hatches under observation devices; the hatches of the driver and gunner-radio operator became single-leaf. The mass of the Ausf.B tank increased to 17.7 tons, but due to the use of a more powerful engine, the maximum speed also increased to 40 km / h. A total of 45 PzKpfw IV Ausf.B tanks were built; Chassis No. 80201-80300.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.С
In 1938, the modification "Ausfurung C" appeared, already 134 copies of this model were built (chassis no. 80301-80500). Externally, the Ausf.A, B and C tanks practically did not differ from each other, perhaps the only external difference between the Ausf.C tank and the Ausf. B became an armored mask of a machine gun coaxial with a cannon, which was absent on tanks of previous models.
On the PzKpfw IV Ausf. Since later releases, a special frame was mounted under the gun barrel, which served to deflect the antenna when the turret was turned to the right, similar deflectors were also mounted on the Ausf.A and Ausf.B vehicles. The armor protection of the frontal part of the turret of the Ausf.C tank was increased to 30 mm, and the weight of the vehicle increased to 18.5 tons, although the maximum speed on the highway remained the same - 35 km / h.
The upgraded Maybach HL120TRM engine of the same power was installed on the tank; this engine became standard for all subsequent variants of the PzKpfw IV.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.D
The turret armament of the Ausf.A, B and C tanks was mounted in an internal mask, which could easily be jammed by shell fragments; Since 1939, the production of Ausfurung D tanks began, which had an external mask, a course machine gun reappeared on the tanks of this modification, the loophole for firing a pistol through the frontal armor plate of the hull was shifted closer to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
The thickness of the armor of the sides and stern of the hull was increased to 20 mm; on the tanks of later releases, add-on armor was installed, which was bolted to the hull and superstructure or welded on.
As a result of various improvements, the mass of the tank increased to 20 tons. Before the start of World War II, only 45 Ausfurung D tanks were made, in total, 229 copies of this modification were built (chassis no. - 80501-80748) - more than the Ausf.A, B and C tanks combined. Some PzKpfw IV Ausf.D tanks were subsequently equipped with 75-mm cannons with a barrel length of 48 calibers, these vehicles were used mainly in training units.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.E
The next step in the development of tanks of the PzKpfw IV family was the Ausfurung E model, with increased armor in the frontal part of the hull due to the attachment of 30 mm screens (total thickness - 50 mm), the sides of the hull were built up with 20 mm thick screens. The mass of the Ausf.E tank was already 21 tons. In the course of the factory repair, applied armor was also installed on the “fours” of earlier modifications.
On the PzKpfw IV Ausf.E tanks, the commander's cupola was slightly shifted forward, and its armor was increased from 50 mm to 95 mm; road wheels of a new design and drive wheels of a simplified form were installed. Other innovations include a driver's observation device with a larger glass area, a smoke grenade launcher mounted in the rear of the hull (similar installations were also installed on previous models), brake inspection hatches are made flush with the upper armor plate of the hull (on Ausf.A-D hatches protruded above the armor plate and there were cases when they were torn off by bullets from anti-tank rifles). Serial production of Ausf.E tanks began in December 1939. 224 vehicles of this modification were manufactured (chassis no. 80801-81500), before production in April 1941 switched to the release of the next version - "Ausfurung F".
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.F1
The PzKpfw IV Ausf.F tanks had a thickness of the integral frontal armor of the hull and turret of 50 mm, sides - 30 mm; overhead armored screens were absent. The turret armor was 50 mm thick in the frontal part, 30 mm in the sides and rear, and the thickness of the gun mantlet was also 50 mm. The strengthening of armor protection did not go unnoticed for the mass of the tank, which again increased to 22.3 tons. improvements to the drive wheels and sloths.
On machines of early releases, new tracks were installed after inserting into the drive wheels and idlers of expansion inserts. Instead of a single-leaf hatch, the commander's turrets of the Ausf.F tanks received double-leaf hatches, and a large box for equipment was mounted on the rear walls of the towers at the factory; the course machine gun was mounted in a ball mount "Kugelblende-50" of a new design. A total of 462 PzKpfw IV Ausf.F tanks were manufactured.
In addition to the Krupp company, the Ausf.F model vehicles were produced by the Vomag factories (64 tanks were assembled, chassis No. 82501-82395) and the Nibelungwerke (13 cars 82601-82613). No. tank chassis produced by the Krupp factory in Magdeburg -82001-82395. Later, the Austrian firm Steyr-Daimler-Puch joined the production of PzKpfw IV tanks, and Vomag (Vogtiandischie Maschinenfabrik AG) in 1940-41. specifically for the production of "fours" built a new plant in Plauen.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.F2 (Sd.Kfz.161/1)
In the months preceding the start of Operation Barbarossa, the possibility of arming PzKpfw IV tanks with a 50-mm gun with a barrel length of 42 caliber, similar to that installed on PzKpfw III tanks, was considered. Hitler was extremely interested in this project, since it was possible to transfer the "four" from the category of fire support vehicles to the category of main battle tanks. However, the experience of the war in Russia made it clear not only the fact that the German 50-mm gun is inferior to the 76-mm Soviet one, but also the complete inability of the 50-mm gun with a barrel length of 42 caliber to penetrate the armor of Soviet tanks. It seemed more promising to arm the PzKpfw IV tanks with 50-mm guns with a barrel length of 60 calibers, one such experimental vehicle was built.
The history of tank armament fully showed Germany's unpreparedness for a long war, this is also evidenced by the lack finished projects second generation tanks. The morale of the soldiers and officers of the Panzerwaffe was greatly affected by the unpleasant discovery of the overwhelming superiority in the characteristics of the tanks in service with the Red Army.
The problem of restoring parity has acquired exceptional importance. PzKpfw III tanks began to arm themselves with guns with a barrel length of 60 calibers, since the turret shoulder strap of the “four” had a larger diameter than the shoulder strap of the “troika”, then if a 50-mm gun with a barrel length of 60 calibers was installed on the PzKpfw IV, the chassis would be too large with too small gun. The "four" turret could withstand a greater recoil momentum than that of a short-barreled 75-mm gun, it was possible to install a 75-mm gun on the tank with high pressure in the trunk channel.
The choice was made in favor of the 75 mm KwK40 cannon with a 43-caliber barrel and a muzzle brake, the projectile of which could penetrate harrows up to 89 mm thick at an encounter angle of 30 degrees. After such guns were installed on the PzKpfw IV, the designation of the vehicle changed to "Ausfuhrung F2", while vehicles of the same modification, but armed with short-barreled guns, received the designation "Ausfuhrung F1".
Ammunition for the gun consisted of 87 shells, 32 of them were located in the hull superstructure, 33 - in the tank hull. Among the smaller external differences tanks "Ausfuhrung F2" - the absence of observation devices in the side tower hatches and an enlarged armored casing of the recoil mechanism.
Tanks "Ausfuhrung F2" entered service in early 1942 and proved in practice their ability to deal with the Soviet T-34 and KB, although the armor of the "fours" by the standards of the Eastern Front was still insufficient. The mass of the tank, which increased to 23.6 tons, somewhat worsened its characteristics.
25 PzKpfw IV Ausf tanks were converted into the Ausfuhrung F2 variant. F, about 180 more vehicles were built from scratch, production was discontinued in the summer of 1942. Tank chassis no. built by Krupp - 82396-82500, tank chassis no. built by Vomag - 82565-82600, tank chassis no. firm "Nibelungwerke" - 82614-82700.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.G (Sd.Kfz.161/1 and 161/2)
Attempts to increase the security of the tank led to the appearance at the end of 1942 of the modification "Ausfuhrung G". The designers knew that the mass limit that the undercarriage could withstand had already been chosen, so they had to make a compromise solution - to dismantle the 20-mm side screens that were installed on all "fours", starting with the "E" model, while simultaneously increasing the base armor of the hull to 30 mm, and due to the saved mass, install overhead screens 30 mm thick in the frontal part.
Another measure to increase the security of the tank was the installation of removable anti-cumulative screens (“schurzen”) 5 mm thick on the sides of the hull and turret, the hinge of the screens increased the weight of the vehicle by about 500 kg. In addition, the gun's single-chamber muzzle brake was replaced with a more efficient two-chamber one. The appearance of the vehicle also underwent a number of other changes: instead of a stern smoke launcher, built-in blocks of smoke grenade launchers began to be mounted at the corners of the turret, holes for launching flares in the hatches of the driver and gunner were eliminated.
By the end of the serial production of PzKpfw IV "Ausfuhrung G" tanks, their regular main weapon was a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers, the hatch of the commander's cupola became single-leaf. Late production PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tanks are outwardly almost identical to the early Ausf.N. From May 1942 to June 1943, 1,687 Ausf.G tanks were manufactured, an impressive figure, given that in five years, from the end of 1937 to the summer of 1942, 1,300 PzKpfw IVs of all modifications (Ausf.A -F2), chassis no. - 82701-84400.
In 1944 was made tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.G with hydrostatic drive wheels. The design of the drive was developed by specialists from the firm "Zanradfabrik" in Augsburg. The Maybach's main engine drove two oil pumps, which, in turn, activated two hydraulic motors connected by output shafts to the drive wheels. The entire power plant was located in the aft part of the hull, respectively, and the drive wheels had a rear, and not the front, usual for the PzKpfw IV. The speed of the tank was controlled by the driver, controlling the oil pressure created by the pumps.
After the war, the experimental machine came to the United States and was tested by specialists from the Vickers company from Detroit, this company at that time was engaged in work in the field of hydrostatic drives. The tests had to be interrupted due to material failures and a lack of spare parts. Currently, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tank with hydrostatic drive wheels is on display at the US Army Tank Museum, Aberdeen, pc. Maryland.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.H (Sd.Kfz. 161/2)
The installation of a long-barreled 75 mm gun proved to be a rather controversial measure. The cannon led to an excessive overload of the front of the tank, the front springs were under constant pressure, the tank acquired a tendency to swing even when moving on a flat surface. It was possible to get rid of the unpleasant effect on the Ausfuhrung H modification, put into production in March 1943.
On tanks of this model, the integral armor of the frontal part of the hull, superstructure and turret was reinforced up to 80 mm. The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H tank weighed 26 tons, and even despite the use of the new SSG-77 transmission, its characteristics turned out to be lower than those of the “fours” of previous models, so the speed of movement over rough terrain decreased by at least 15 km, and the specific pressure on the ground, the acceleration characteristics of the machine fell. A hydrostatic transmission was tested on the PzKpfw IV Ausf.H experimental tank, but tanks with such a transmission did not go into serial production.
During the production process, many minor improvements were introduced to the tanks of the Ausf.H model, in particular, they began to install completely steel rollers without rubber, the shape of the drive wheels and sloths changed, a turret for the MG-34 anti-aircraft machine gun appeared on the commander's cupola ("Fligerbeschussgerat 42" - installation of an anti-aircraft machine gun), the tower embrasures for firing pistols and a hole in the roof of the tower for launching signal rockets were eliminated.
The Ausf.H tanks were the first "fours" to use zimmerite anti-magnetic coating; only the vertical surfaces of the tank were supposed to be covered with zimmerite, however, in practice, the coating was applied to all surfaces that an infantryman standing on the ground could reach, on the other hand, there were also tanks on which only the forehead of the hull and superstructure was covered with zimmerite. Zimmerite was applied both in factories and in the field
Tanks of the Ausf.H modification became the most popular among all PzKpfw IV models, 3774 of them were built, production was discontinued in the summer of 1944. Chassis serial numbers are 84401-89600, some of these chassis served as the basis for the construction of assault guns.
Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.J (Sd.Kfz.161/2)
The last model launched into the series was the Ausfuhrung J modification. Machines of this variant began to enter service in June 1944. From a constructive point of view, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.J was a step backwards.
Instead of an electric drive for turning the tower, a manual one was installed, but it became possible to place an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 liters. The increase due to the placement of additional fuel in the cruising range on the highway from 220 km to 300 km (off-road - from 130 km to 180 km) seemed extremely important decision, since the panzer divisions increasingly played the role of "fire brigades", which were transferred from one section of the Eastern Front to another.
An attempt to somewhat reduce the weight of the tank was the installation of welded wire anti-cumulative screens; such screens were called "Thoma screens", after the name of General Tom). Such screens were placed only on the sides of the hull, and the former screens made of sheet steel remained on the towers. On tanks of late production, instead of four rollers, three were installed, and vehicles with steel track rollers without rubber were also produced.
Almost all improvements were aimed at reducing the labor intensity of manufacturing tanks, including: the elimination of all loopholes on the tank for firing pistols and extra viewing slots (only the driver, in the commander's turret and in the frontal armor plate of the turret remained), installation of simplified towing loops , replacing the muffler exhaust system with two simple pipes. Another attempt to improve the security of the car was to increase the armor of the turret roof by 18 mm and the stern by 26 mm.
The production of PzKpfw IV Ausf.J tanks ceased in March 1945, with a total of 1,758 vehicles built.
By 1944, it became clear that the design of the tank had exhausted all reserves for modernization, a revolutionary attempt to increase the combat effectiveness of the PzKpfw IV by installing a turret from the Panther tank, armed with a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 70 calibers, was unsuccessful - the undercarriage was too overloaded. Before proceeding with the installation of the Panther's turret, the designers tried to squeeze the gun from the Panther into the turret of the PzKpfw IV tank. Installation wooden layout guns showed the complete impossibility of the work of the crew members in the tower due to the tightness created by the breech of the gun. As a result of this failure, the idea was born to mount the entire turret from the Panther on the Pz.IV hull.
Due to the constant modernization of tanks in the course of factory repairs, it is not possible to determine with accuracy how many tanks of one or another modification were built in total. Very often there were various hybrid variants, for example, turrets from Ausf.G were placed on the hulls of the Ausf.D model.
Tactical and technical characteristics of tanks Pz IV
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Modern battle tanks Russia and the world photo, video, pictures watch online. This article gives an idea of the modern tank fleet. It is based on the classification principle used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become a museum exhibit. And all for 10 years! To follow in the footsteps of the Jane's guide and not consider this combat vehicle (quite by the way, curious in design and fiercely discussed at the time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, the authors considered it unfair.
Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of weapon ground forces. The tank was and probably will remain a modern weapon for a long time due to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable crew protection. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technologies accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers of combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the age-old confrontation "projectile - armor", as practice shows, protection from a projectile is being improved more and more, acquiring new qualities: activity, multilayeredness, self-protection. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.
Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to perform quick maneuvers on impassable roads, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through the territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, induce panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and caterpillars . The war of 1939-1945 became the most difficult test for all mankind, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was the battle of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all the warring parties. At this time, a "check for lice" and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank troops took place. And it is the Soviet tank troops that are most affected by all this.
Tanks in battle that became a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, be able to launch powerful tank formations on the battlefield already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks "in the days of testing ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from the archives of Russia and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that was deposited in my memory with some depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and stopped only at the beginning of forty-third, - said the former general designer of self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, - there was some kind of pre-stormy state.
Tanks of the Second World War, it was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of "the wisest of the wise leader of all peoples"), who was able to create that tank that, a few years later, would shock German tank generals. And what’s more, he didn’t just create it, the designer managed to prove to these stupid military men that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked “highway”. The author is in slightly different positions that he formed after meeting with the pre-war documents of the RGVA and RGAE. Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something "generally accepted". This work describes the history of Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of all the activities of design bureaus and people's commissariats in general, during a frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.
Tanks Wikipedia the author wants to express his special gratitude for the help in the selection and processing of materials to M. Kolomiyets, and also to thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication "Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941" because this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, unclear before. I would also like to recall with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former Chief Designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union. Today, for some reason, it is customary to talk about 1937-1938 in our country. only from the point of view of repressions, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime ... "From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinkogo.
Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time sounded from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to turn from a "mechanized cavalry" (in which one of its combat qualities protruded by reducing others) into a balanced combat vehicle, which simultaneously had powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good cross-country ability and mobility with armor protection, capable of maintaining its combat capability when shelling a potential enemy with the most massive anti-tank weapons.
It was recommended that large tanks be introduced into the composition in addition only special tanks - floating, chemical. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was reinforced by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form in 1938 to the four existing mechanized corps three more additionally, believing that these formations are immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they require a different rear organization. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, have been adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov, the new chief demanded to strengthen the armor of new tanks so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).
The latest tanks in the world when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one step ... "This problem could be solved in two ways: First, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly," by using increased armor resistance". It is easy to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially hardened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its resistance by 1.2-1.5 It was this path (the use of specially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.
Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most massively used, the properties of which were identical in all directions. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of the armor business, the craftsmen strove to create just such armor, because uniformity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of the armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. So heterogeneous (heterogeneous) armor came into use.
In military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a result) to an increase in brittleness. Thus, the most durable armor, other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often pricked even from bursts of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production in the manufacture of homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the highest possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened by saturation with carbon and silicon armor was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, processing a hot plate with a jet of lighting gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required high costs and an increase in production culture.
Tank of the war years, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But still, it was expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in terms of protection to the same, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in mass.
Also, by the mid-1930s, in tank building, they learned how to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known from late XIX century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.
How tanks shoot videos up to half the thickness of the plate, which, of course, was worse than carburizing, since despite the fact that the hardness of the surface layer was higher than during carburizing, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the "Krupp method" in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even somewhat more than carburizing. But the hardening technology that was used for sea armor of large thicknesses was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost never used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.
Combat use of tanks The most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun mod 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain, it was believed that its power was enough to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that the 45-mm gun could only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even the shelling of manpower in the mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point if direct hit. Shooting at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high-explosive action of a projectile weighing only about two kg.
Types of tanks photo so that even one hit of a projectile reliably disables an anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, in order to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun on the armor of a potential enemy, since, using the example of French tanks (already having an armor thickness of the order of 40-42 mm), it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly increased. There was a right way to do this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun of a larger caliber fires heavier projectiles at a higher muzzle velocity over a greater distance without correcting the pickup.
The best tanks in the world had a large caliber gun, also has big sizes breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil reaction. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, the placement of large shots in the closed volume of the tank led to a decrease in the ammunition load.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give an order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik Design Bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained free, who from the beginning of 1935 tried to bring his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the team of plant No. 8 slowly brought the "forty-five".
Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but in mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one was accepted ... "In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, which were worked on in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to the series. Moreover, despite the decisions on the highest levels of the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was held back by a number of factors.Of course, diesel had significant efficiency.It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour.Diesel fuel is less prone to ignition, since the flash point of its vapors was very high.
Even the most advanced of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (there were no machine tools of the required accuracy yet), financial investments and strengthening personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel engine with a capacity of 180 hp. will go to serial tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to find out the causes of tank engine accidents, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not fulfilled. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.
Brands of tanks with specific indicators that suited the tank builders quite well. Tank tests were carried out according to new methodology, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to combat service in wartime. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop traffic) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a "platform" with obstacles, "bathing" in the water with an additional load, simulating an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for examination.
Super tanks online after the improvement work seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general course of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during the tests, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. The chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new improved protection turret. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank a larger ammunition load for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (before there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).
US tanks as part of modernization work, on one serial model of the tank in 1938-1939. the torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar in tests did not show enough nice results, and therefore the torsion bar suspension did not immediately pave its way in the course of further work. Obstacles to be overcome: rises of at least 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, overlapping ditch 2-2.5 m.
YouTube about tanks work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes. "Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that a wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank version (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully meet the requirements of the ABTU.Variant 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull according to the type of hull, but with vertical side sheets of case-hardened armor 10-13 mm thick, because: "Sloping sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) broadening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.
Video reviews of tanks in which the power unit of the tank was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was mastered by the industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. Gasoline of the 1st grade was placed in a tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully met the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK caliber 12.7 mm and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS appears) caliber 7.62 mm. The combat weight of a tank with a torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with a spring suspension - 5.26 tons. The tests were carried out from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, with special attention paid to tanks.
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 car was primarily made to support infantry and suppress enemy firing points. The Pz.Kpfw.III, a recently developed medium tank, was taken as the basis for the design. When development began, Germany still did not advertise work on prohibited weapons, so the project for the new tank was called the Mittleren Tractor, and later, less secretly, the Bataillonfuhrerswagen (BW), that is, the "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 be very delayed, and Germany was in dire need of a new tank, so it was decided to simply finalize the existing project.
In 1934, the first layout was born, still called Bataillonfuhrerswagen. However, when the Germans introduced a unified tank designation system, he received his last name - the PzKpfw IV tank, which fully sounds like Panzerkampfwagen IV.
The first mock-up was made from plywood, and soon a prototype made from mild welded steel appeared. He was immediately sent for testing in Kummersdorf, which the tank successfully passed. In 1936, mass production of the machine began.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A performance characteristics
general information
- Classification - medium tank;
- Combat weight - 25 tons;
- Layout scheme - classic, front transmission;
- Crew - 5 people;
- Years of production - from 1936 to 1945;
- Years of operation - from 1939 to 1970;
- Total released - 8686 pieces.
Dimensions
- Case length - 5890 mm;
- Hull width - 2880 mm;
- Height - 2680 mm.
Booking
- Type of armor - forged steel, rolled with surface hardening;
- Forehead - 80 mm / degree;
- Board - 30 mm / degree;
- Hull feed - 20 m / degree;
- Tower forehead - 50 mm / degree;
- Tower board - 30 mm / degree;
- Cutting feed - 30 mm / degree;
- Tower roof - 18 mm / degree.
Armament
- The caliber and make of the gun are 75 mm KwK 37, KwK 40 L/43, KwK 40 L/48, depending on the 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;
- Power reserve on the highway - 300 km;
- Specific power - 13 hp per ton;
- Climbability - 30 degrees;
- Crossable moat - 2.2 meters
Modifications
- Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A. - with bulletproof armor and poor protection of surveillance devices. In fact, this is a pre-production modification - only 10 of them were produced, and an order for an improved model was immediately received;
- PzKpfw IV Ausf. B - a hull of a different shape, the absence of a course machine gun and improved viewing devices. Frontal armor has been strengthened, a powerful engine has been installed, a new gearbox has been installed. Of course, the mass of the tank increased, but the speed 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 made;
- Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D - model with an external turret mantlet, thicker side armor and some improvements. The last peaceful model, 45 pieces were produced;
- Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. E - a model that took into account the experience of the first war years. Got a new one commander's tower and reinforced armor. The chassis, the design of viewing devices and hatches have improved, as a result, the weight of the machine has increased to 21 tons;
- Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2 - with a 75 mm gun. 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 - machine of 1943, the most massive. 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 the 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 the Pz. IV
Several special vehicles were also built on the basis of the Panzerkampfwagen IV:
- StuG IV - medium self-propelled guns of the assault gun class;
- Nashorn (Hornisse) - medium anti-tank self-propelled guns;
- Möbelwagen 3,7 cm FlaK auf Fgst Pz.Kpfw. IV(sf); Flakpanzer IV "Möbelwagen" - anti-aircraft self-propelled guns;
- Jagdpanzer IV - medium self-propelled gun, tank destroyer;
- Munitionsschlepper - ammunition transporter;
- Sturmpanzer IV (Brummbär) - medium class self-propelled howitzer/assault gun;
- Hummel - self-propelled howitzer;
- Flakpanzer IV (3.7cm FlaK) Ostwind and Flakpanzer IV (2cm Vierling) Wirbelwind are self-propelled anti-aircraft guns.
A PzKpfw IV Hydrostatic machine with a hydrostatic drive was also developed, but it remained experimental and did not enter the series.
Use in combat
The Wehrmacht received the first three tanks Pz. 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. They were all superior to the Polish vehicles, but the anti-tank guns were dangerous for them, so many tanks were lost.
By May 10, 1940, the Panzerwaffe had 290 Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks. They successfully fought French tanks, winning with fewer losses. However, while the troops still had more light Pz.l and Pz.ll than Pz. IV. In further operations, they practically did not suffer losses.
After 1940
By the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the Germans had 439 Pz.lV. There is evidence that then the Germans attributed them to heavy tanks, but they were significantly inferior to the Soviet heavy KV in combat qualities. However, 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 machines were clearly defeated, and several successful operations involving Pz.lV Ausf.G and Tigers did not help in the end - in North Africa, the Germans had to capitulate.
On the Eastern Front in the offensive against North Caucasus and Stalingrad participated Ausf.F2. When Pz.lll ceased production in 1943, it was the four that became the main German tank. And although after the start of the release of the Panther, the four wanted to stop releasing, this decision was abandoned, and for good reason. As a result, in 1943, Pz.IVs accounted for 60% of all German tanks - most of all there were G and H modifications. They were often confused with Tigers due to armor screens.
It was Pz.lVs 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 a lot more Tigers than were present from the German side.
In all these battles, a lot of fours were lost - in 1943 this number reached 2402, and only 161 units were repaired.
Padded 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 the Pz.lV tanks could not withstand the onslaught of enemies. 1139 vehicles were destroyed, but there were still enough of them in the troops.
The last major operations in which Pz.lV participated on the side of Germany were the counteroffensive in the Ardennes and the counterattack on Lake Balaton. They ended in failure, many tanks were knocked out. In general, the fours participated in the hostilities until the very end of the war - they could be found both in street battles in Berlin and on the territory of Czechoslovakia.
Of course, the captured Pz. IV was actively used by the Red Army and the 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. Pz.lV was also actively exploited in Syria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Turkey and Spain.
Pz.Kpfw.IV fought in the Middle East in 1964, in " water war»because of the Jordan River. Then Pz.lV Ausf.H fired on Israeli troops, but were soon destroyed in large numbers. And in 1967, in the "six-day" war, the Israelis captured the remaining cars.
Pz. IV in Syria Tank in culture
Tank Pz. The IV was one of the most popular German tanks, so it has a strong presence in modern culture.
In bench modeling, plastic prefabricated models in 1:35 scale 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 a late shielded tank and an early short-barreled one, with a 75-mm cannon.
Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A, model Very often the tank is found 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. It can also be seen in both parts of Company of Heroes, in Advanced Military Commander, in the games Behind Enemy Lines, Red Orchestra 2, and others. Modifications of the 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 Armored Aces.
tank memory
The PzKpfw IV was produced in large quantities, so many of its modifications, especially 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;
- United Kingdom - 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 Museum of the Carpathian-Dukela Operation in Svidnik, Ausf J;
- USA - Military Vehicle Technology Foundation Museum in Portola Valley, Ausf. H, US Army Ordnance Museum at Fort Lee: Ausf. D, ausf. G, Ausf. H;
- Finland, Parola - Tank Museum, Ausf J;
- France, Saumur - Tank Museum, Ausf J;
- Switzerland, Tuna - Tank Museum, Ausf H.
Pz.Kpfw.IV in Kubinka Photo and video
Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen 
Description
The development of the tank began in the mid-30s. It was designed by well-known firms Rheinmetal, Krupp, Daimler-Benz and MAN. The design was outwardly similar to the previously created PzIII tank, but differed primarily in the width of the hull and the diameter of the turret ring, which opened up prospects for further modernization for the tank. Of the four companies that submitted their projects, the military preferred a Krupp-designed tank. In 1935, the production of the first sample of the new tank began, and in the spring of the following year it received its name - Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.IV). In October 1937, Krupp began mass production of Pz.IV tanks of modification A. The first Pz.IV tanks were distinguished by rather weak armor - 15-20mm. The tank was armed with a 75-mm gun, powerful enough for the middle and late 30s. It was most effective against infantry and lightly armored targets. It was not as effective against vehicles with good anti-projectile armor, since it had a low muzzle velocity. The tank took part in the Polish and French.jpg)
campaigns culminating in the triumph of German arms. 211 Pz.IV tanks took part in the battles with the Poles, and 278 "fours" took part in the war in the West against the Anglo-French troops. In June 1941, as part of german army 439 "Pz.IV" tanks had already invaded the USSR. By the time of the attack on the USSR, the frontal armor of the "Pz.IV" had been increased to 50mm. The German tankers were in for a big surprise - for the first time they encountered new Soviet tanks, the existence of which they did not even suspect - the Soviet tanks "T-34" and heavy "KV". The Germans did not immediately realize the degree of superiority of the enemy tanks, but soon the Panzerwaffe tankers began to experience certain difficulties. The armor of "Pz.IV" in 1941 could theoretically be pierced even by 45mm guns of light tanks "BT-7" and "T-26". At the same time, the Soviet "babies" had a chance to destroy a German tank in an open battle, and even more so from an ambush with close range. And yet, with light Soviet tanks and armored vehicles, the "four" could fight quite effectively, but when confronted with the new Russian tanks "T-34" and "KV", the Germans were shocked. The fire of the short-barreled 75mm gun "Pz.IV" on these tanks was depressingly ineffective, while soviet tanks easily hit the four at medium and long distances. The low muzzle velocity of the 75mm cannon projectile had an effect, which is why the T-34 and KV were practically invulnerable to German tank fire in 1941. It was obvious that the tank needed modernization and, above all, the installation of a more powerful gun. .jpg)
Only in April 1942, the Pz.IV was equipped with a more powerful long-barreled gun, providing successful fight with "T-34" and "KV". In general, "Panzer IV" had a number of shortcomings. The large pressure on the ground made it difficult to move along the Russian impassability, and in the conditions of the spring thaw, the tank was uncontrollable. All this slowed down the advance of the German tank wedges in 1941 and prevented the rapid movement along the front in the subsequent stages of the war. "Pz.IV" was the most massive German tank in World War II. During the war, his armor was constantly strengthened, and equipping with more powerful guns made it possible to fight on equal terms with his opponents in 1942-1945. As a result, the main and decisive trump card of the Pz.IV tank was its modernization potential, which allowed the German designers to constantly increase the armor and firepower of this tank. The tank became the main combat vehicle of the Wehrmacht until the very end of the war, and even the appearance of "Tigers" and "Panthers" in the German army did not diminish the role of the "Panzer IV" in the operations of the German army on the eastern front. German industry during the war was able to produce more than 8 thousand. such tanks.