medium tank pz Kpfw IV
and its modifications

The most massive tank of the III Reich. Produced from October 1937 until the end of the war. A total of 8,519 tanks were produced Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A, B, C, D, E, F1, F2, G, H, J, of which - 1100 with a short-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK37 L / 24, 7,419 tanks - with a long-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK40 L / 43 or L / 48).

Pz IV Ausf A Pz IV Ausf B Pz IV Ausf C

Pz IV Ausf D Pz IV Ausf E

Pz IV Ausf F1 Pz IV Ausf F2

Pz IV Ausf G Pz IV Ausf H

Pz IV Ausf J

Crew - 5 people.
Engine - "Maybach" HL 120TR or TRM (Ausf A - HL 108TR).

The Maybach HL 120TR 12-cylinder carburetor engine (3000 rpm) had a power of 300 hp. with. and allowed the tank to develop a maximum speed on the highway up to 40 - 42 km / h.

All Pz Kpfw IV tanks had a tank gun with a caliber of 75 mm (7.5 cm in German terminology). In the series from modification A to F1, short-barreled 7.5cm KwK37 L / 24 guns with an initial armor-piercing projectile velocity of 385 m / s were installed, which were powerless against the armor of Soviet T-34 and KV tanks, as well as against most British and American tanks. From March 1942, the last F vehicles (175 vehicles designated F2), as well as all G, H and J tanks, were armed with long-barreled 7.5cm KwK40 L/43 or L/48 guns. (The KwK 40 L / 48 cannon was installed on parts of the G series vehicles, and then on the H and J modifications.) The Pz Kpfw IV tanks, armed with the KwK40 cannons with an armor-piercing projectile muzzle velocity of 770 m / s, received fire superiority over the T-34 for some time (2nd half of 1942 - 1943)

tanks Pz Kpfw IVs were also armed with two MG 34 machine guns. In modifications B and C, there was no radio operator machine gun; instead of it - a viewing slot and a pistol embrasure.

All tanks have FuG 5 radios.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A(Sd Kfz 161)

35 tanks were produced from October 1937 to March 1938 by Krupp-Guson.

Combat weight - 18.4 tons. Length - 5.6 m. Width - 2.9 m. Height - 2.65 m.
Armor 15 mm.
Engine - "Maybach" HL 108TR. Speed ​​- 31 km / h. Power reserve - 150 km.

Combat use: they fought in Poland, Norway, France; were withdrawn from service in the spring of 1941.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, Ausf C(Sd Kfz 161)

42 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B tanks were produced (from April to September 1938) and 134 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C tanks (from September 1938 to August 1939).

Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B

Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C

Installed a different engine, a new 6-speed gearbox. The speed increased to 40 km/h. The thickness of the frontal armor has been increased to 30 mm. A new commander's cupola has been installed. In the modification of Ausf C, the installation of the motor was changed and the turret swivel ring was improved.

Combat weight - 18.8 tons (Ausf B) and 19 tons (Ausf C). Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.83 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 15 mm.

In modifications B and C, there was no radio operator machine gun; instead of it - a viewing slot and a pistol embrasure.

Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, Ausf C fought in Poland, France, the Balkans and the Eastern Front. Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C remained in service until 1943. Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B were gradually out of service by the end of 1944.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf D(Sd Kfz 161)

229 tanks produced from October 1939 to May 1941

The main difference between the Ausf D modification was the increase in the thickness of the armor of the sides and stern to 20 mm.

Combat weight - 20 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 40 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.

Combat use: fought in France, the Balkans, North Africa and on the Eastern Front until early 1944.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf E(Sd Kfz 161)

223 tanks produced from September 1940 to April 1941

On the Ausf E increased the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull to 50 mm; a new type of commander's cupola appeared. Armor plates were used on the forehead of the superstructure (30 mm) and on the sides of the hull and superstructure (20 mm).

Combat weight - 21 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull - 50 mm, forehead of the superstructure and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 20 mm.

Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf E took part in the battles in the Balkans, North Africa and on the Eastern Front.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1(Sd Kfz 161)

462 tanks were produced from April 1941 to March 1942, of which 25 vehicles were converted into Ausf F2.

On the The armor of the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F was increased again: the forehead of the hull and turret was up to 50 mm, the sides of the turret and hull were up to 30 mm. Single doors in the sides of the turret were replaced with double doors, the track width increased from 360 to 400 mm. Tanks of modifications Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F, G, H were produced at the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson, Fomag, and Nibelungenwerke.

Combat weight - 22.3 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.

Speed ​​- 42 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.

Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 fought on all sectors of the Eastern Front in 1941-44, participated in. They entered service in and.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2(Sd Kfz 161/1)

Produced from March to July 1942. 175 tanks and 25 vehicles converted from Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1.

Starting with this model, all subsequent models were equipped with a long-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK 40 L/43 (48). The ammunition load of the gun was increased from 80 to 87 rounds.

Combat weight - 23 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull, superstructure and turret - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 40 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.

They entered service with new tank regiments and motorized divisions, as well as to replenish losses. In the summer of 1942, the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2 tanks could withstand the Soviet T-34 and KV, being comparable to the latter in terms of firepower, and surpassed the British and american tanks of that period.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G(Sd Kfz 161/2)

1687 vehicles were produced from May 1942 to July 1943.

A new gun muzzle brake has been introduced. Smoke grenade launchers were installed on the sides of the tower. Reduced the number of viewing slots in the tower. About 700 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G tanks received additional 30 mm frontal armor. On the latest machines, armored screens made of thin steel (5 mm) were installed along the sides of the hull and around the turret. Tanks of modifications Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F, G, H were produced at the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson, Fomag and Nibelungenwerke.

Combat weight - 23.5 tons. Length - 6.62 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull, superstructure and turret - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 40 km / h. Power reserve - 210 km.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf N(Sd Kfz 161/2)

3774 vehicles were produced from April 1943 to July 1944.

The Ausf H modification series - the most massive - received 80 mm frontal hull armor (the thickness of the turret armor remained the same - 50 mm); armor protection of the turret roof increased from 10 to 15 mm. An external air filter has been installed. The radio station antenna was moved to the rear of the hull. A mount for an anti-aircraft machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola. 5-mm side screens were installed on the hull and turret, protecting them from cumulative projectiles. Some of the tanks had non-rubberized (steel) support rollers. The tanks of the Ausf H modification were produced at the factories of three companies: Nibelungenwerke, Krupp-Gruson (Magdeburg) and Fomag in Plauen. A total of 3,774 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf H and another 121 chassis for self-propelled and assault guns were produced.

Combat weight - 25 tons. Length - 7.02 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.

Speed ​​- 38 km / h. Power reserve - 210 km.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf J(Sd Kfz 161/2)

1758 cars were produced from June 1944 to March 1945 at the Nibelungenwerke plant.

The turret's electrical traverse was replaced with a dual mechanical traverse. An additional fuel tank was installed in the vacant seat. Cruising range increased to 320 km. For close combat, a mortar was installed in the roof of the tower, firing fragmentation or smoke grenades to defeat enemy soldiers who had climbed onto the tank. Viewing slots and pistol loopholes in the side doors and behind the turret have been removed.

Combat weight - 25 tons. Length - 7.02 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and superstructure - 80 mm, forehead of the tower - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 38 km / h. Power reserve - 320 km.

Combat use of medium tanks Pz Kpfw IV

Before the invasion of France, the troops had 280 tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A, B, C, D.

Before the beginning Operation Barbarossa Germany had 3,582 combat-ready tanks. As part of 17 tank divisions deployed against Soviet Union, there were 438 tanks Pz IV Ausf B, C, D, E, F. Soviet tanks KV and T-34 had an advantage over the German Pz Kpfw IV. The shells of the KV and T-34 tanks pierced the armor of the Pz Kpfw IV at considerable distances. They also pierced the armor of the Pz Kpfw IV 45-mm Soviet anti-tank guns and 45-mm guns of T-26 and BT light tanks. And the short-barreled German tank gun could only effectively deal with light tanks. Therefore, during 1941, 348 Pz Kpfw IVs were destroyed on the Eastern Front.

Tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 of the 5th Panzer Division in November 1941 near Moscow

In June 1942 years on the Eastern Front, there were 208 tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, C, D, E, F1 and about 170 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2 and Ausf G tanks with a long-barreled gun.

In 1942 Pz Kpfw IV tank battalion was to consist of four tank companies of 22 Pz Kpfw IV plus eight tanks in the headquarters company of the regiment.

Tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C and panzergrenadiers

Spring 1943

Medium tank Panzer IV

Medium Panzer IV

“We froze when we saw the ugly, monstrous machines of bright yellow tiger coloring that appeared from the gardens of Sitno. They slowly rolled in our direction, flashing with the tongues of shots.
“I haven’t seen any of these yet,” says Nikitin.
The Germans are moving in a line. I peered into the nearest left-flank tank, which had pulled out far ahead. Its outline reminds me of something. But what?
- "Rheinmetall"! - I shouted, remembering the photo of a German heavy tank, which I saw in the album of the school, and quickly blurted out: - Heavy, seventy-five, direct shot eight hundred, armor forty ... "
So in his book "Notes of a Soviet Officer" he recalls the first meeting with the German Panzer IV tank in the June days of 1941, tankman G. Penezhko.
However, under this name, this combat was almost unknown to the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army. And now, half a century after the end of the Great Patriotic War, the combination of the German words "panzer fir" for many readers of the "Armored Collection" is bewildering. Both then and now, this tank is better known under the "Russified" name T-IV, which is not used anywhere outside of our country.
Panzer IV - the only German tank that was in mass production throughout the Second World War and became the most massive tank of the Wehrmacht. Its popularity among German tankers was comparable to the popularity of the T-34 among ours and the Sherman among the Americans. Well-designed and exceptionally reliable in operation, this combat vehicle in the full sense of the word was the "workhorse" of the Panzerwaffe.
HISTORY OF CREATION
Already in the early 1930s, a construction doctrine was developed in Germany. tank troops, there were views on the tactical use various types tanks. And if light vehicles (Pz.l and Pz.ll) were considered mainly as combat training, then their heavier "brothers" - Pz.lll and Pz.lV - as full-fledged combat vehicles. At the same time, Pz.lll was supposed to serve as a medium tank, and Pz.lV - as a support tank.
The project of the latter was developed within the framework of the requirements for an 18-ton class vehicle intended for commanders of tank battalions. Hence its original name Bataillonsfuh-rerwagen - BW. By its design, it was very close to the ZW tank - the future Pz.lll, but, having almost the same hull, the BW had a wider hull and a larger turret ring diameter, which initially provided a certain reserve for its modernization. New tank It was supposed to be armed with a large-caliber gun and two machine guns. The layout was laid classical - single-turret, with a traditional front transmission for German tank building. The booked volume ensured the normal operation of the crew of 5 people and the placement of equipment.
The BW was designed by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in Düsseldorf and Friedrich Krupp AG in Essen. However, Daimler-Benz and MAN also presented their projects. It is interesting to note that all variants, with the exception of the Rheinmetall one, had a chassis with a staggered arrangement of large-diameter road wheels, developed by engineer E. Knipkamp. The only prototype built in metal - VK 2001 (Rh) - was equipped with undercarriage, almost completely borrowed from the heavy multi-turreted Nb.Fz. tank, several samples of which were made in 1934-1935. This chassis design was preferred. The order for the production of the 7.5-cm Geschutz-Panzerwagen (Vs.Kfz.618) tank - "an armored vehicle with a 75-mm cannon (experimental model 618)" - was received by Krupp in 1935. In April 1936, the name was changed to Panzerkampfwagen IV (abbreviated Pz.Kpfw.lV, Panzer IV is common, and very short - Pz.lV). According to the end-to-end designation system for Wehrmacht vehicles, the tank had the index Sd.Kfz.161.
Several machines of the zero series were manufactured in the workshops of the Krupp plant in Essen, but already in October 1937, production was transferred to the Krupp-Gruson AG plant in Magdeburg, where the production of combat vehicles of modification A.
Pz.IV Ausf.A
The armor protection of the Ausf.A hull ranged from 15 (sides and rear) to 20 (forehead) mm. The frontal armor of the tower reached 30, sides - 20, stern - 10 mm. The combat weight of the tank was 17.3 tons. The armament was a 75-mm KwK 37 cannon with a barrel length of 24 calibers (L / 24); it included 120 shots. Two machine guns MG 34 caliber 7.92 mm (one coaxial with a gun, the other course) had 3,000 rounds of ammunition. The tank was equipped with a Maybach HL 108TR 12-cylinder V-shaped liquid-cooled carburetor engine with an HP 250 power. at 3000 rpm and a five-speed manual transmission type Zahnradfabrik ZF SFG75. The engine was located asymmetrically, closer to the starboard side of the hull. The undercarriage consisted of eight twin road wheels of small diameter, interlocked in pairs in four bogies, suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs, four support rollers, a front-mounted drive wheel and a steering wheel with a caterpillar tension mechanism. Subsequently, with numerous upgrades of the Pz.IV, its undercarriage did not undergo any major structural changes.
Characteristic features of the machines of modification A were a cylindrical commander's cupola with six viewing slots and a course machine gun in a ball mount in a broken frontal hull plate. The turret of the tank was shifted to the left of its longitudinal axis by 51.7 mm, which was explained by the internal layout of the turret rotation mechanism, which included a two-stroke gasoline engine, a generator and an electric motor.
Until March 1938, 35 tanks of modification A left the factory shops. In practice, this was an installation batch.
Pz.IV Ausf.B
Modification B machines were somewhat different from the previous ones. The broken frontal plate of the hull was replaced with a straight one, the course machine gun was eliminated (an observation radio operator appeared in its place, and a loophole for firing from personal weapons appeared to its right), a new commander's cupola and a periscope observation device were introduced, the armor design of almost all viewing devices was changed, instead of double-leaf covers of the landing hatches of the driver and radio operator were installed single-leaf. Ausf.Bs were equipped with a 300 hp Maybach HL120TR engine. at 3000 rpm and a six-speed ZF SSG76 gearbox. reduced to 80 shots and 2700 rounds. The armor protection practically remained the same, only the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull and turret was increased to 30 mm.
From April to September 1938, 45 Pz.IV Ausf.B.
Pz.IV Ausf.C
From September 1938 to August 1939, tanks of the C series were produced - 140 units (according to other sources, 134 tanks and six for engineering troops). From the 40th car of the series (serial number - 80341), they began to install the Maybach HL120TRM engine - in the future it was used on all subsequent modifications. Other improvements include a special chipper under the gun barrel for bending the antenna when turning the turret and the armor casing of the coaxial machine gun. Two Ausf.C vehicles were converted into bridge tanks.
Pz.IV Ausf.D
From October 1939 to May 1940, 229 modification D vehicles were manufactured, on which a broken frontal hull plate and a machine gun with additional rectangular armor appeared again. The design of the mask of the twin installation of the gun and machine gun has changed. The thickness of the side armor of the hull and turret increased to 20 mm. In 1940 - 1941, the frontal armor of the hull was reinforced with 20 mm sheets. Ausf.D tanks of later releases had additional ventilation holes in the engine compartment (option Tr. - tropen - tropical). In April 1940, 10 D-series vehicles were converted into bridgelayers.
In 1941, one Ausf.D tank was experimentally armed with a 50-mm KwK 39 cannon with a barrel length of 60 calibers. It was planned to re-arm all vehicles of this modification in this way, however, in the winter of 1942, preference was given to the F2 variant with a 75-mm long-barreled gun. In 1942-1943, a number of Pz.IV Ausf.D tanks received such guns during the overhaul. In February 1942, two tanks were converted into self-propelled units armed with 105 mm K18 howitzers.
Pz.IV Ausf.E
The main difference between the Ausf.E modification and its predecessors was a significant increase in the thickness of the armor. The frontal armor of the hull was increased to 30 mm and, in addition, reinforced with a 30 mm screen. The forehead of the tower was also brought to 30 mm, and the mantlet to 35...37 mm. The sides of the hull and turret had 20 mm armor, and the stern had 15 mm armor. A new type of commander's turret appeared with armor reinforced to a thickness of 50 ... 95 mm, a turret, an improved driver's viewing device, a ball mount for a Kugelblende 30 course machine gun (the number 30 means that the mount's apple was adapted for mounting in 30 mm armor) , simplified drive and steering wheels, an equipment box attached to the rear of the turret, and other minor changes. The design of the stern sheet of the tower has also undergone changes. The combat weight of the tank reached 21 tons. From September 1940 to April 1941, 223 vehicles of the E version left the factory shops.
Pz.IV Ausf.F
Pz.IV Ausf.F appeared as a result of analysis combat use machines of previous versions in Poland and France. The thickness of the armor increased again: the forehead of the hull and turret - up to 50 mm, the sides - up to 30. The single-leaf doors in the sides of the turret were replaced with double-leaf ones, the frontal hull plate again became straight. At the same time, the machine gun was preserved, but now it was placed in a Kugelblende 50 ball mount. Since the mass of the tank hull increased by 48% compared to the Ausf.E, the vehicle received a new 400 mm caterpillar instead of the previously used 360 mm. Additional ventilation holes were made in the roof of the engine compartment and in the covers of the transmission hatches. The placement and design of the engine mufflers and the turret traverse motor have been changed.
In addition to the Krupp-Gruson company, Vomag and Nibelungenwerke joined the production of the tank, which lasted from April 1941 to March 1942.
All of the above modifications of the Pz.IV tank were armed with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon with an initial velocity of an armor-piercing projectile of 385 m/s, which was powerless against both the English Matilda and the Soviet T-34s and KVs. After the release of 462 machines of the F variant, their production was stopped for one month. During this time, very significant changes were made to the design of the tank: the main one was the installation of a 75-mm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 43 caliber and an initial speed of an armor-piercing projectile of 770 m / s, developed by designers from Krupp and Rheinmetall. The production of these guns began in March 1942. On April 4, a tank with a new gun was shown to Hitler, and after that its production was resumed. Vehicles with short guns were designated F1, and those with the new gun were designated F2. The ammunition load of the latter consisted of 87 rounds, 32 of which were placed in the turret. The vehicles received a new mask mount and a new TZF 5f sight. The combat weight reached 23.6 tons. Until July 1942, 175 Pz.lV Ausf.F2 were produced, another 25 vehicles were converted from F1.
Pz.IV Ausf.G
The Pz.IV Ausf.G variant (1687 units manufactured), the production of which began in May 1942 and continued until April 1943, had no fundamental differences from the F machines. The only novelty immediately conspicuous was the two-chamber muzzle gun. In addition, on most of the vehicles produced, there were no observation devices in the frontal sheet of the turret to the right of the gun and on the right side of the turret. However, judging by the photographs, these devices are not present on many machines of the F2 variant. The last 412 Ausf.G tanks received a 75 mm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers. Later production vehicles were equipped with 1450-kg "eastern tracks" - Ostketten, additional 30-mm frontal armor (about 700 tanks received it) and side screens, which made them almost indistinguishable from the next modification - Ausf.H. One of production tanks was converted into a prototype self-propelled gun Hummel.
Pz.IV Ausf.H
Tanks of the H modification received 80-mm frontal armor, the radio station was moved to the rear of the hull, 5-mm side screens appeared on the hull and turret, which protected against cumulative (or, as they were called then, armor-burning) shells, the design of the drive wheels changed. Part of the tanks had non-rubber support rollers. The Ausf.H was equipped with the Zahnradfabrik ZF SSG77, similar to the one used in the Pz.lll tank. An anti-aircraft machine gun MG 34 - Fliegerbeschussgerat41 or 42 was mounted on the commander's cupola. On the machines of the latest releases, the aft hull plate became vertical (previously it was located at an inclination of 30 ° to the vertical). The armor protection of the turret roof increased to 18 mm. Finally, all the outer surfaces of the tank were coated with zimmerite. This version of the Pz.IV became the most massive: from April 1943 to May 1944, the factory shops of three manufacturing companies - Krupp-Gruson AG in Magdeburg, Vogtiandische Maschinenfabrik AG (VOMAG) in Plausn and Nibelungenwerke in S. Valentin - left 3960 combat vehicles. At the same time, 121 tanks were converted into self-propelled and assault guns.
According to other sources, 3935 chassis were made, 3774 of which were used to assemble tanks. On the basis of 30 chassis, 30 StuG IV assault guns and 130 Brummbar self-propelled guns were fired.
Pz.IV Ausf.J
The last version of the Pz.IV was the Ausf.J. From June 1944 to March 1945, the Nibelungenwerke plant produced 1758 machines of this model. In general, similar to the previous version, the Ausf.J tanks have undergone changes related to technological simplifications. So, for example, the power unit of the electric drive for turning the turret was eliminated and only the manual drive was preserved! The design of the tower hatches was simplified, the driver's on-board observation device was dismantled (it became useless in the presence of side screens), the supporting rollers, the number of which on late-production vehicles was reduced to three, lost rubber bandages, and the design of the steering wheel changed. High-capacity fuel tanks were installed on the tank, as a result of which the cruising range on the highway increased to 320 km. Metal mesh has been widely used for side screens. Some of the tanks had vertical exhaust pipes similar to those used on the Panther tank.
During the period from 1937 to 1945, attempts were repeatedly made to deep technical modernization of the Pz.IV. So, one of the Ausf.G tanks was equipped with a hydraulic transmission in July 1944. From April 1945, they were going to equip the Pz.IV with 12-cylinder Tatra 103 diesel engines.
The most extensive were the plans for rearmament and rearmament. In 1943-1944, it was planned to install a Panther turret with a 75-mm KwK 42 cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers or the so-called "close tower" (Schmalturm) with a 75-mm KwK 44/1 gun. They also built a wooden tank with this gun, placed in the standard turret of the Pz.IV Ausf.H tank. Krupp has developed a new turret with a 75/55 mm KwK 41 gun with a 58-caliber conical barrel.
Attempts were made to equip the Pz.IV with rocket weapons. A prototype tank was built with a 280 mm rocket launcher instead of a turret. The combat vehicle, equipped with two 75-mm Rucklauflos Kanone 43 recoilless guns located on the sides of the turret, and a 30-mm MK 103 in place of the standard KwK 40, did not leave the stage of the wooden model.
From March to September 1944, 97 Ausf.H tanks were converted into command tanks - Panzerbefehlswagen IV (Sd.Kfz.267). These machines received an additional FuG 7 radio station, which was serviced by the loader.
For self-propelled artillery units, from July 1944 to March 1945, in the workshops of the Nibelungenwerke plant, 90 Ausf.J tanks were converted into advanced artillery observer vehicles - Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV. Their main armament was preserved. Additionally, these vehicles were equipped with a FuG 7 radio station, the antenna of which is easily recognizable by the characteristic "panicle" at the end, and a TSF 1 rangefinder. Instead of a regular tank, they received a commander's cupola from the StuG 40 assault gun.
In 1940, 20 tanks of modifications C and D were converted into Bruckenleger IV bridgelayers. The work was carried out in the workshops of the Friedrich Krupp AG factories in Essen and Magirus in Ulm, while the machines of both companies differed somewhat from each other in design. Four bridgelayers were included in the sapper companies of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 10th tank divisions.
In February 1940, Magirus converted two Ausf.C tanks into assault bridges (Infanterie Sturm-steg), designed to overcome various fortification obstacles by infantry. In place of the tower, a sliding one was mounted, structurally similar to a fire assault ladder.
In preparation for the invasion of the British Isles (Operation " Sea lion") 42 Ausf.D tanks were equipped with underwater equipment. Then these vehicles entered the 3rd and 18th tank divisions of the Wehrmacht. Since the English Channel crossing did not take place, they received their baptism of fire on the Eastern Front.
In 1939, during tests of the 600mm Karl mortar, a need arose for an ammunition carrier. In October of the same year, one Pz.lV Ausf.D. tank was converted for this purpose. In a special box mounted on the roof of the engine compartment, four 600-mm projectiles were transported, for loading and unloading of which a crane was located on the roof of the front of the hull. In 1941, 13 Ausf.FI vehicles were converted into ammunition carriers (Munitionsschlepper).
In October-December 1944, 36 Pz.lV tanks were converted into ARVs.
The given production data of the Pz.lV, unfortunately, cannot be considered absolutely accurate. AT different sources data on the number of cars produced vary, and sometimes noticeably. So, for example, I.P. Shmelev in his book "Armored of the Third Reich" gives the following figures: Pz.lV with KwK 37 - 1125, and with KwK 40 - 7394. It is enough to look at the table to see the discrepancies. In the first case, insignificant - by 8 units, and in the second, significant - by 169! Moreover, if we summarize the production data by modifications, we get the number of 8714 tanks, which again does not coincide with the total of the table, although the error in this case is only 18 vehicles.
Pz.lV in significantly large quantities, than others german tanks, was exported. Judging by German statistics, 490 combat vehicles were delivered to Germany's allies, as well as to Turkey and Spain in 1942-1944.
The first Pz.lV was received by the most loyal ally of Nazi Germany-Hungary. In May 1942, 22 Ausf.F1 tanks arrived there, in September - 10 F2. The largest batch was delivered in autumn 1944-spring 1945; according to various sources, from 42 to 72 vehicles of modification H and J. The discrepancy happened because some sources question the fact that tanks were delivered in 1945.
In October 1942, the first 11 Pz.lV Ausf.G arrived in Romania. Later, in 1943-1944, the Romanians received another 131 tanks of this type. They were used in hostilities both against the Red Army and against the Wehrmacht, after the transition of Romania to the side of the anti-Hitler coalition.
A batch of 97 Ausf.G and H tanks was sent to Bulgaria between September 1943 and February 1944. From September 1944 they took Active participation in battles with German troops, being the main strike force the only Bulgarian tank brigade. In 1950, the Bulgarian army still had 11 combat vehicles of this type.
In 1943 Croatia received several Ausf.F1 and G tanks; in 1944, 14 Ausf.J - Finland, where they were used until the beginning of the 60s. At the same time, the standard MG 34 machine guns were removed from the tanks, and Soviet diesel engines were installed instead.

DESIGN DESCRIPTION
The layout of the tank is classic, with a front-mounted transmission.
The department of management was in front of the combat vehicle. It housed the main clutch, gearbox, turning, control devices, course machine gun (with the exception of modifications B and C), a radio station and jobs for two crew members - a driver and a radio operator gunner.
The fighting compartment was located in the middle of the tank. Here were (in the tower) a cannon and a machine gun, observation and aiming devices, vertical and horizontal aiming mechanisms and seats for the tank commander, gunner and loader. Ammunition was located partly in the tower, partly in the hull.
In the engine compartment, in the aft part of the tank, there was an engine and all its systems, as well as an auxiliary engine for the turret traverse mechanism.
FRAME the tank was welded from rolled armor plates with surface carburizing, mostly located at right angles to each other.
In front of the roof of the turret box there were manholes for the driver and gunner-radio operator, which were closed with rectangular hinged covers. Modification A has double-leaf lids, the rest have single-leaf lids. Each lid was provided with a hatch for launching flares(with the exception of options H and J).
In the frontal hull sheet on the left was the driver's viewing device, which included a triplex glass block, closed by a massive armored sliding or folding shutter Sehklappe 30 or 50 (depending on the thickness of the frontal armor), and a KFF 2 binocular periscope observation device (for Ausf. A-KFF 1). The latter, if there was no need for it, moved to the right, and the driver could observe through the glass block. Modifications B, C, D, H and J did not have a periscope device.
On the sides of the control compartment, to the left of the driver and to the right of the gunner-radio operator, there were triplex viewing devices closed by folding armored covers.
Between the stern of the hull and the fighting compartment was a partition. In the roof of the engine compartment there were two hatches closed with hinged covers. Starting with Ausf.F1, the covers were equipped with blinds. In the reverse bevel of the left side there was an air inlet to the radiator, and in the reverse bevel of the starboard side there was an air outlet from the fans.
TOWER- welded, hexagonal, mounted on a ball bearing on the turret hull sheet. In its front part, in a mask, there was a cannon, a coaxial machine gun and a sight. To the left and right of the mask there were observation hatches with triplex glass. The hatches were closed with external armored shutters from inside the tower. Starting with modification G, the hatch to the right of the gun was missing.
The tower was driven into rotation by an electromechanical rotary mechanism with maximum speed 14 deg/s. A full rotation of the tower was carried out in 26 s. The flywheels of the manual drive of the tower were located at the workplaces of the gunner and loader.
In the rear part of the roof of the tower there was a commander's cupola with five viewing slots with triplex glass. Outside, the viewing slots were closed with sliding armored shutters, and in the roof of the turret, intended for the entry and exit of the tank commander, with a double-leaf lid (later - a single-leaf). The turret had a dial-hour type device for determining the location of the target. The second such device was at the disposal of the gunner and, having received an order, he could quickly turn the turret on the target. At the driver’s seat there was a turret position indicator with two lights (except for Ausf.J tanks), thanks to which he knew what position the gun was in (this is especially important when driving through wooded areas and settlements).
For boarding and disembarking crew members on the sides of the tower there were hatches with single-leaf and double-leaf (starting with the F1 variant) covers. Viewing devices were installed in the manhole covers and sides of the tower. The aft sheet of the tower was equipped with two hatches for firing personal weapons. On some machines of modifications H and J, in connection with the installation of screens, viewing devices and hatches were absent.
WEAPONS. The main armament of tanks of modifications A - F1 is a 7.5 cm KwK 37 gun of 75 mm caliber from Rheinmetall-Borsig. The length of the gun barrel is 24 calibers (1765.3 mm). Gun weight - 490 kg. Vertical aiming - in the range from - 10 ° to + 20 °. The gun had a vertical wedge gate and electric trigger. Its ammunition included shots with smoke (weight 6.21 kg, muzzle velocity 455 m/s), high-explosive fragmentation (5.73 kg, 450 m/s), armor-piercing (6.8 kg, 385 m/s) and cumulative (4.44 kg, 450...485 m/s) shells.
The Ausf.F2 tanks and part of the Ausf.G tanks were armed with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 43 caliber (3473 mm), which had a mass of 670 kg. Part of the Ausf.G tanks and the Ausf.H and J vehicles were equipped with a 7.5 cm KwK 40 cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers (3855 mm) and a mass of 750 kg. Vertical aiming -8°...+20°. The maximum rollback length is 520 mm. On the march, the gun was fixed at an elevation angle of + 16 °.
A 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun was paired with the cannon. An MG 34 anti-aircraft machine gun could be mounted on a late-type commander's cupola on a special Fliegerbeschutzgerat 41 or 42 device.
The Pz.lV tanks were originally equipped with the TZF 5b monocular telescopic sight, and starting with the Ausf.E-TZF 5f or TZF 5f/1. These sights had a 2.5x magnification. The MG 34 course machine gun was equipped with a 1.8x KZF 2 telescopic sight.
The ammunition load of the gun, depending on the modification of the tank, ranged from 80 to 122 shots. At command tanks and vehicles of advanced artillery observers, it was 64 shots. Machine gun ammunition - 2700 ... 3150 rounds.
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION. The tank was equipped with Maybach HL 108TR, HL 120TR and HL 120TRM engines, 12-cylinder, V-shaped (camber - 60 °), carburetor, four-stroke, 250 hp. (HL 108) and 300 e.c. (HL 120) at 3000 rpm. Cylinder diameters 100 and 105 mm. Piston stroke 115 mm. The compression ratio is 6.5. The working volume is 10,838 cm3 and 11,867 cm3. It should be emphasized that both engines were of a similar design.
Fuel-leaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74. The capacity of three gas tanks is 420 liters (140+110+170). Ausf.J tanks had a fourth with a capacity of 189 liters. per 100 km when driving on the highway - 330 liters, off-road - 500 liters. The fuel supply is forced, using two Solex fuel pumps. Carburettors - two, brand Solex 40 JFF II.
The cooling system is liquid, with one radiator located obliquely on the left side of the engine. On the right side of the engine were two fans.
On the right side of the engine, a DKW PZW 600 (Ausf.A - E) or ZW 500 (Ausf.E - H) engine of the 11 hp turret traverse mechanism was installed. and a working volume of 585 cm3. The fuel was a mixture of gasoline and oil, capacity fuel tank- 18 l.
The transmission consisted of a cardan drive, a three-disk main clutch of dry friction, a gearbox, a planetary turning mechanism, final drives and brakes.
The five-speed gearbox Zahnradfabrik SFG75 (Ausf.A) and the six-speed SSG76 (Ausf.B - G) and SSG77 (Ausf.H and J) are three-shaft, with a coaxial arrangement of the drive and driven shafts, with spring disk synchronizers.
CHASSIS the tank in relation to one side consisted of eight double rubber-coated road wheels with a diameter of 470 mm, interlocked in pairs in four balancing carts suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs; four (for part Ausf.J - three) dual rubberized (except Ausf.J and part Ausf.H) support rollers.
The front drive wheels had two removable gear rims of 20 teeth each. Pin engagement.
Caterpillars are steel, small-linked, from 101 (starting with the F1 - 99) single-ridge track each. Track width 360 mm (up to option E), and then 400 mm.
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT was done in a single line. Voltage 12V. Sources: Bosch GTLN 600 / 12-1500 generator with a power of 0.6 kW (Ausf.A has two Bosch GQL300 / 12 generators with a power of 300 kW each), four Bosch batteries with a capacity of 105 . Consumers: Bosch BPD 4/24 electric starter with a power of 2.9 kW (Ausf.A has two starters), ignition system, tower fan, control devices, sight illumination, sound and light signaling devices, internal and external lighting equipment, sound, descents cannons and machine guns.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. All Pz.lV tanks were equipped with a Fu 5 radio station, with a range of 6.4 km telephone and 9.4 km telegraph.
COMBAT APPLICATION
First three Panzer tank IV entered the Wehrmacht in January 1938. The total order for combat vehicles of this type included 709 units. The plan for 1938 provided for the supply of 116 tanks, and the Krupp-Gruson company almost fulfilled it, transferring 113 vehicles to the troops. The first "combat" operations involving Pz.lV were the Anschluss of Austria and the capture of the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia in 1938. In March 1939 they marched through the streets of Prague.
On the eve of the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht had 211 Pz.lV tanks of modifications A, B and C. According to the current staff, a tank division should have consisted of 24 Pz.lV tanks, 12 vehicles in each regiment. However, only the 1st and 2nd tank regiments of the 1st Panzer Division (1. Panzer Division) were completed to the full state. The Training Tank Battalion (Panzer Lehr Abteilung), attached to the 3rd Panzer Division, also had a full staff. In the rest of the formations, there were only a few Pz.lVs, which, in terms of armament and armor protection, surpassed all types of Polish tanks opposing them. However, the 37-mm tank and anti-tank guns of the Poles posed a serious danger to the Germans. For example, during the battle near Glovachuv, Polish 7TRs knocked out two Pz.lVs. In total, during the Polish campaign, the Germans lost 76 tanks of this type, 19 of them irretrievably.
By the beginning of the French campaign - May 10, 1940 - the Panzerwaffe already had 290 Pz.lV and 20 bridge layers based on them. Basically, they were concentrated in the divisions operating in the directions of the main attacks. In the 7th Panzer Division of General Rommel, for example, there were 36 Pz.lV. Their equal opponents were the average French tanks Somua S35 and English "Matilda II". Not without a chance to win, French B Ibis and 02 could engage in battle with Pz.lV. During the battles, the French and British managed to knock out 97 Pz.lV tanks. The irretrievable losses of the Germans amounted to only 30 combat vehicles of this type.
In 1940, the proportion of Pz.lV tanks in the tank formations of the Wehrmacht increased slightly. On the one hand, due to the increase in production, and on the other hand, due to a decrease in the number of tanks in the division to 258 units. At the same time, most of them were still light Pz.l and Pz.ll.
During the fleeting operation in the Balkans in the spring of 1941, the Pz.lV, which took part in the battles with the Yugoslav, Greek and British troops, suffered no losses. It was planned to use the Pz.lV in the operation to capture Crete, but paratroopers managed there.
By the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, out of 3582 combat-ready German tanks, 439 were Pz.lV. It should be emphasized that according to the classification of tanks adopted by the Wehrmacht according to the caliber of the guns, these vehicles belonged to the heavy class. On our side, the KB was a modern heavy tank - there were 504 of them in the troops. In addition to numerical, Soviet heavy tank had absolute superiority in combat qualities. The average T-34 also had an advantage over the German machine. They pierced the armor of Pz.lV and 45-mm guns of T-26 and BT light tanks. The short-barreled German tank gun could only effectively deal with the latter. All this was not long in affecting combat losses: during 1941, 348 Pz.lV were destroyed on the Eastern Front.
The Germans faced a similar situation in North Africa, where the short gun Pz.lV was powerless in front of the powerfully armored Matildas. The first "fours" were unloaded in Tripoli on March 11, 1941, and there were not many of them at all, which is clearly seen in the example of the 2nd battalion of the 5th tank regiment 5th Light Division. As of April 30, 1941, the battalion included 9 Pz.l, 26 Pz.ll, 36 Pz.lll and only 8 Pz.lV (mostly vehicles of modifications D and E). Together with the 5th Light in Africa, the 15th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht, which had 24 Pz.lV, fought. Greatest Success these tanks achieved in the fight against the British cruiser tanks A.9 and A. 10 - mobile, but lightly armored. The main means of fighting the "Matildas" were 88-mm guns, and the main German tank in this theater in 1941 was the Pz.lll. As for the Pz.lV, in November there were only 35 of them left in Africa: 20 in the 15th Panzer Division and 15 in the 21st (converted from the 5th Light Division).
The Germans themselves then held a low opinion about the combat qualities of the Pz.lV. Here is what Major General von Mellenthin writes about this in his memoirs (in 1941, with the rank of major, he served in Rommel's headquarters): "The T-IV tank gained the reputation of a formidable enemy among the British mainly because it was armed with a 75-mm cannon "However, this gun had a low muzzle velocity and poor penetration, and although we used the T-IV in tank battles, they were much more useful as an infantry support weapon." The Pz.lV began to play a more significant role in all theaters of operations only after acquiring a "long arm" - the 75-mm KwK 40 cannon.
The first vehicles of the F2 modification were delivered to North Africa in the summer of 1942. At the end of July, Rommel's African Corps had only 13 Pz.lV tanks, of which 9 were F2. In English documents of that period, they were called Panzer IV Special. On the eve of the offensive, which Rommel planned for the end of August, there were about 450 tanks in the German and Italian units entrusted to him: including 27 Pz.lV Ausf.F2 and 74 Pz.lll with long-barreled 50-mm guns. Only this technique posed a danger to the American tanks "Grant" and "Sherman", the number of which in the troops of the 8th British Army of General Montgomery on the eve of the battle at El Alamein reached 40%. In the course of this battle, which was in every respect a turning point for the African campaign, the Germans lost almost all the tanks. They managed to partially make up for their losses by the winter of 1943, after retreating to Tunisia.
Despite the obvious defeat, the Germans began to reorganize their forces in Africa. On December 9, 1942, the 5th Panzer Army was formed in Tunisia, which included the replenished 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions, as well as the 10th Panzer Division transferred from France, which was armed with Pz.lV Ausf.G tanks. The "tigers" of the 501st heavy tank battalion also arrived here, which, together with the "fours" of the 10th tank, participated in the defeat of the American troops at Kasserine on February 14, 1943. However, this was the last successful operation of the Germans on the African continent - already on February 23 they were forced to go on the defensive, their forces were quickly dwindling. On May 1, 1943, Rommel's troops had only 58 tanks - 17 of them Pz.lV. On May 12, the German army in North Africa capitulated.
Pz.lV Ausf.F2 also appeared on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1942 and took part in the offensive against Stalingrad and the North Caucasus. After the production of the Pz.lll was discontinued in 1943, the "four" gradually became the main German tank in all theaters of operations. However, in connection with the start of production of the Panther, it was planned to stop production of the Pz.lV, however, due to the tough position of the General Inspector of the Panzerwaffe, General G. Guderian, this did not happen. Subsequent events showed that he was right ...


The presence of tanks in German armored and motorized divisions on the eve of Operation Citadel
By the summer of 1943, the staff of the German tank division included a two-battalion tank regiment. In the first battalion, two companies were armed with Pz.lV, and one with Pz.lll. In the second, only one company was armed with Pz.lV. In general, the division had 51 Pz.lV and 66 Pz.lll in combat battalions. However, judging by the available data, the number of combat vehicles in various tank divisions sometimes differed greatly from the state.
In the formations listed in the table, which accounted for 70% of the tank and 30% of the motorized divisions of the Wehrmacht and SS troops, in addition, 119 command and 41 different types were in service. In the motorized division "Das Reich" there were 25 T-34 tanks, in three heavy tank battalions - 90 "tigers" and "Panther Brigade" - 200 "panthers". Thus, the "fours" accounted for almost 60% of all German tanks involved in Operation Citadel. Basically, these were combat vehicles of modifications G and H, equipped with armored screens (Schurzen), which changed appearance Pz.lV beyond recognition. Apparently, for this reason, and also because of the long-barreled gun, they were often called "Tiger type 4" in Soviet documents.
It is quite obvious that not "tigers" with "panthers", namely Pz.lV and partly Pz.lll, made up the majority in the tank units of the Wehrmacht during Operation Citadel. This statement can be well illustrated by the example of the 48th German Panzer Corps. It consisted of the 3rd and 11th Panzer Divisions and the motorized division "Grossdeutschland" (Grobdeutschland). In total, there were 144 Pz.lll, 117 Pz.lV and only 15 "tigers" in the corps. The 48th Panzer attacked in the Oboyan direction in the zone of our 6th Guards Army and by the end of July 5 managed to penetrate its defenses. On the night of July 6, the Soviet command decided to strengthen the 6th Guards. And two corps of the 1st tank army of General Katukov - the 6th tank and 3rd mechanized. In the next two days, the main blow of the 48th tank corps of the Germans fell on our 3rd mechanized corps. Judging by the memoirs of M.E. Katukov and F.V. von Mellenthin, who was then chief of staff of the 48th corps, the fighting was extremely fierce. Here is what the German general writes about this.
“July 7, on the fourth day of Operation Citadel, we finally achieved some success. The Grossdeutschland division managed to break through on both sides of the Syrtsev farm, and the Russians withdrew to Gremuchemy and the village of Syrtsevo. The retreating masses of the enemy came under fire German artillery and suffered very heavy losses. Our tanks, building up their blow, began to move northwest, but on the same day they were stopped by heavy fire near Syrtsevo, and then counterattacked by Russian tanks. On the other hand, on the right flank, we seemed to be about to win a major victory: a message was received that the grenadier regiment of the "Grossdeutschland" division had reached the settlement of Verkhopenye. On the right flank of this division was created battle group to build on the success.
On July 8, a combat group consisting of a reconnaissance detachment and an assault gun battalion of the "Grossdeutschland" division entered the highway (Belgorod - Oboyan highway - ed.) and reached a height of 260.8; then this group turned to the west in order to support the division's tank regiment and motorized rifle regiment, which bypassed Verkhopenye from the east. However, the village was still held by significant enemy forces, so the motorized rifle regiment attacked it from the south. At a height of 243.0 north of the village there were Russian tanks, which had excellent visibility and shelling, and before this height the attack of tanks and motorized infantry bogged down. It seemed that Russian tanks were everywhere, inflicting continuous attacks on the advanced units of the "Grossdeutschland" division.
During the day, the battle group operating on the right flank of this division repulsed seven Russian tank counterattacks and destroyed twenty-one T-34 tanks. The commander of the 48th Panzer Corps ordered the "Grossdeutschland" division to advance in a westerly direction in order to assist the 3rd Panzer Division, on the left flank of which a very difficult situation had developed. Neither height 243.0 nor western edge Verkhopenya was not taken that day - there was no longer any doubt that the offensive impulse German troops dried up, the offensive failed.
And here is how these events look like in the description of M.E. Katukov: “Dawn had barely dawned (July 7 - Approx.aut.), As the enemy again made an attempt to break through to Oboyan. Main blow he struck at the positions of the 3rd mechanized and 31st tank corps. A.L.Getman (commander of the BTK - Author's note) reported that the enemy was not active in his area. But on the other hand, S.M. Krivoshey, who called me (commander of the 3rd MK - Approx. Aut.), did not hide his anxiety:
- Something incredible, comrade commander! The enemy today threw up to seven hundred tanks and self-propelled guns into our sector. Two hundred tanks advance against the first and third mechanized brigades alone.
We have never dealt with such numbers before. Subsequently, it turned out that on that day the Nazi command threw the entire 48th Panzer Corps and the SS Panzer Division "Adolf Hitler" against the 3rd Mechanized Corps. Having concentrated such huge forces on a narrow, 10-kilometer sector, the German command hoped that it would be able to break through our defenses with a powerful tank ram.
Each tank brigade, each unit increased its combat score by Kursk Bulge. So, in the first day of the fighting, the 49th tank brigade, interacting on the first defensive line with units of the 6th army, destroyed 65 tanks, including 10 "tigers", 5 armored personnel carriers, 10 guns, 2 self-propelled guns, 6 vehicles and over 1000 soldiers and officers.
The enemy did not manage to break through our defenses. He only pressed the 3rd mechanized corps by 5-6 kilometers.
It would be fair to admit that both of these passages are characterized by a certain tendentiousness in the coverage of events. From the memoirs of the Soviet commander it follows that our 49th tank brigade knocked out 10 "tigers" in one day, and the Germans had only 15 of them in the 48th tank corps! Taking into account 13 "tigers" of the motorized division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler", also advancing in the band of the 3rd mechanized corps, it turns out only 28! If you try to add up all the "tigers" "destroyed" on the pages of Katukov's memoirs dedicated to the Kursk Bulge, you will get much more. However, the point here, apparently, is not only the desire of various units and subunits to record more "tigers" on their combat account, but also the fact that in the heat of battle for real "tigers" they took "type 4 tigers" - medium tanks Pz.lv.
According to German data, 570 "fours" were lost during July and August 1943. For comparison, during the same time, "tigers" were lost 73 units, which indicates both the stability of a particular tank on the battlefield, and the intensity of their use. In total, in 1943, losses amounted to 2402 Pz.lV units, of which only 161 vehicles were repaired and returned to service.
In 1944, the organization of the German Panzer Division underwent significant changes. The first battalion of the tank regiment received Pz.V "Panther" tanks, the second was equipped with Pz.lV. In fact, the "panthers" did not enter service with all Wehrmacht tank divisions. In a number of formations, both battalions had only Pz.lV.
So, let's say, was the situation in the 21st Panzer Division, stationed in France. Shortly after receiving on the morning of June 6, 1944, the message about the beginning of the landing of the allied forces in Normandy, the division, in the ranks of which there were 127 Pz.lV tanks and 40 assault guns, began to move north, hastening to strike at the enemy. This advance was prevented by the capture by the British of the only bridge across the Orne River north of Caen. It was already around 4:30 p.m. when the German troops prepared for the first major tank counterattack since the Allied invasion against the British 3rd Division, which had landed during Operation Overlord.
From the bridgehead of the British troops they reported that several enemy tank columns were moving at once in their position. Encountering an organized and dense wall of fire, the Germans began to roll back to the west. At Hill 61 they encountered a battalion of the 27th Armored Brigade armed with Sherman Firefly tanks with 17-pounder guns. For the Germans, this meeting turned out to be disastrous: 13 combat vehicles were destroyed in a few minutes. Only a small number of tanks and motorized infantry of the 21st division managed to advance to the strongholds of the 716th German infantry division. At this moment, the landing of the 6th British Airborne Division began with a landing method on 250 gliders in the area near St. Aubin near the bridge over the Orne. Justifying itself by the fact that the British landing created a threat of encirclement, the 21st Division withdrew to the heights located on the outskirts of Caen. By nightfall, a powerful defensive ring was created around the city, reinforced by 24 88-mm guns. During the day, the 21st Panzer Division lost 70 tanks and its offensive potential was exhausted. The 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" (Hitlerjugend), which was half equipped with Panthers and half Pz.lV, could not influence the situation either.
In the summer of 1944, German troops suffered defeat after defeat both in the West and in the East. The losses were also corresponding: in just two months - August and September - 1139 Pz.lV tanks were knocked out. Nevertheless, their number in the troops continued to be significant.


It is easy to calculate that in November 1944 Pz.lV accounted for 40% of German tanks on the Eastern Front, 52% on the Western and 57% in Italy.
The last major operations of the German troops with the participation of Pz.lV were the counteroffensive in the Ardennes in December 1944 and the counterattack of the 6th SS Panzer Army in the area of ​​Lake Balaton in January-March 1945, which ended in failure. Only during January 1945, 287 Pz.lVs were shot down, of which 53 combat vehicles were restored and returned to service.
The German statistics of the last year of the war ends on April 28 and gives summary information on the Pz.lV tank and the Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyer. On this day, the troops had them: in the East - 254, in the West - 11, in Italy - 119. And we are talking here only about combat-ready vehicles. As for the tank divisions, the number of "fours" in them was different: in the elite Training Tank Division (Panzer-Lehrdivision), which fought on the Western Front, only 11 Pz.lV remained; The 26th Panzer Division in Northern Italy had 87 vehicles of this type; the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg remained more or less combat-ready on the Eastern Front - in addition to other tanks, it had 30 Pz.lV.
"Four" took part in hostilities until last days war, including street fighting in Berlin. On the territory of Czechoslovakia, battles involving tanks of this type continued until May 12, 1945. According to German data, during the period from the beginning of World War II to April 10, 1945, the irretrievable losses of Pz.lV tanks amounted to 7636 units.
Thus, taking into account the tanks supplied by Germany to other countries, and the estimated losses for those not included in the statistical reporting last month of the war, about 400 Pz.lV tanks turned out to be in the hands of the winners, which is quite likely. Of course, the Red Army and our Western allies captured these combat vehicles before, actively using them in battles against the Germans.
After the surrender of Germany, a large batch of 165 Pz.lV was transferred to Czechoslovakia. Having passed, they were in service with the Czechoslovak army until the beginning of the 50s. In addition to Czechoslovakia, in the post-war years, Pz.lVs were used in the armies of Spain, Turkey, France, Finland, Bulgaria and Syria.
"Fours" entered the Syrian army in the late 40s from France, which then provided this country with the main military aid. An important role, apparently, was played by the fact that most of the instructors who trained the Syrian tankers were former officers panzerwaffe. It is not possible to give exact data on the number of Pz.lV tanks in the Syrian army. It is only known that Syria acquired 17 Pz.lV Ausf.H vehicles in Spain in the early 50s, and another batch of H and J tanks in 1953 came from Czechoslovakia.
Baptism of fire The "fours" in the Middle East theater took place in November 1964 during the so-called "water war" that broke out over the Jordan River. Syrian Pz.lV Ausf.H, occupying positions on the Golan Heights, fired on Israeli troops.
Then the return fire of the "centurions" did not cause any harm to the Syrians. During the next conflict in August 1965, tanks "", armed with 105-mm cannons, fired more accurately. They managed to destroy two Syrian companies of Pz.lV and T-34-85, being out of range of the fire of their guns.
The remaining Pz.lVs were captured by the Israelis during the "six-day" war of 1967. Ironically, the last serviceable Syrian Pz.lV was hit by fire from its "old enemy" - the Israeli "Super Sherman".
Captured Syrian "fours" Ausf.H and J are in several military museums in Israel. In addition, combat vehicles of this type are preserved in almost all major tank museums in the world, including the Museum of armored weapons and equipment in Kubinka near Moscow (Ausf.G). By the way, it is this modification that is most widely represented in museum expositions. Of greatest interest are the Pz.lV Ausf.D, Ausf.F2 and the experimental Pz.lV with hydraulic transmission, located in the Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum in the USA. Bovington (Great Britain) exhibits a tank captured by the British in Africa. This machine, apparently, became a "victim of a big repair" - it has an Ausf.D hull, an E or F turret with screens, a long-barreled 75-mm gun. A well-preserved modification tower can be seen in the Military History Museum in Dresden. It was discovered in August 1993 during earthworks on the territory of one of former landfills Groups of Soviet troops in Germany.
MACHINE EVALUATION
Apparently, we should start with a rather unexpected statement that the creation of the Pz.IV tank in 1937, the Germans determined the promising path for the development of world tank building. This thesis is quite capable of shocking our reader, since we are used to believing that this place in history is reserved for the Soviet T-34 tank. Nothing can be done, you have to make room and share the laurels with the enemy, although defeated. Well, so that this statement does not look unfounded, we present a number of proofs.
To this end, we will try to compare the "quartet" with those who opposed it in different periods World War II Soviet, British and American tanks. Let's start with the first period - 1940-1941; At the same time, we will not focus on the then German classification of tanks according to the caliber of the gun, which attributed the medium Pz.IV to the heavy class. Since the British did not have a medium tank as such, we would have to consider two vehicles at once: one for infantry, the other for cruising. In this case, only the "pure" declared characteristics are compared, without taking into account the quality of manufacture, operational reliability, the level of crew training, etc.
As can be seen from Table 1, in 1940-1941 there were only two full-fledged medium tanks in Europe - the T-34 and Pz.IV. The British "Matilda" was superior to the German and soviet tank in armor protection to the same extent that the Mk IV was inferior to them. The French S35 was a perfected tank that met the requirements of the First World War. As for the T-34, it was inferior to the German vehicle in a number of important positions (separation of the functions of crew members, the number and quality of surveillance devices), it had the same armor as the Pz.IV, somewhat better mobility and much more powerful weapons. Such a lag german car easily explainable - Pz.IV was conceived and created as assault tank, designed to deal with enemy firing points, but not with his tanks. In this regard, the T-34 was more versatile and, as a result, according to the declared characteristics, the best medium tank in the world in 1941. Just six months later, the situation changed, as can be seen from the characteristics of the tanks of the period 1942-1943.
Table 1


table 2


Table 3


Table 2 shows how sharply increased combat characteristics Pz.IV after installing a long-barreled gun. Not inferior to enemy tanks in all other respects, the "four" proved to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks beyond the reach of their guns. We are not talking about English cars - for four years of the war the British were marking time. Until the end of 1943, the combat characteristics of the T-34 remained virtually unchanged, Pz.IV took first place among medium tanks. The answer - both Soviet and American - was not long in coming.
Comparing tables 2 and 3, you can see that since 1942 performance characteristics Pz.IV did not change (with the exception of the thickness of the armor) and during the two wars remained unsurpassed by anyone! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into the series, surpassed it. For a decent response, the Germans had neither time nor opportunity.
Analyzing the data of all three tables, we can conclude that the Germans, earlier than others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend in post-war tank building.
In general, it can be argued that of all the German tanks during the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car various characteristics harmoniously combined and complemented each other. The "Tiger" and "Panther", for example, had a clear bias towards security, which led to their overweight and deterioration of dynamic characteristics. Pz.III, with many other equal characteristics with Pz.IV, did not reach it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage.
Pz.IV with a similar Pz.III, but a little more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full. This is the only tank of the war years with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The T-34-85 and Sherman had to change the turret, and, by and large, they were almost new machines. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista outfits, they changed not towers, but tanks! But the Cromwell, which appeared in 1944, did not reach the Quartet, as, indeed, did the Comet, released in 1945. Bypass the German tank, created in 1937, could only post-war "Centurion".
From what has been said, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. For example, he had an insufficient and rather rigid and outdated suspension, which adversely affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the smallest L / B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks.
Equipping the Pz.lV (as, indeed, other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be attributed to the successful move of German designers. In large numbers, cumulative ones were rarely used, while the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow aisles, blocked most of the observation devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark. However, even more senseless and rather expensive was the coating of tanks with zimmerite.
Values power density medium tanks


But perhaps the biggest mistake of the Germans was to try to switch to new type medium tank - "Panther". As the latter, it did not take place (for more details, see "Armored Collection" No. 2, 1997), making the company "Tiger" in the class of heavy vehicles, but played a fatal role in the fate of Pz.lV.
Having concentrated all efforts in 1942 on the creation of new tanks, the Germans ceased to seriously modernize the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the "Panther"? The project of installing the "Panther" turret on the Pz.lV, both standard and "close" (Schmall-turm), is well known. The project is quite realistic in terms of dimensions - the inside diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV-1600 mm. The tower rose without expanding the turret box. The situation with weight characteristics was somewhat worse - due to the large overhang of the gun barrel, the center of gravity shifted forward and the load on the front road wheels increased by 1.5 tons. However, it could be compensated by strengthening their suspension. In addition, it must be taken into account that the KwK 42 cannon was created for the Panther, and not for the Pz.IV. For the "four" it was possible to confine oneself to a gun with smaller weight and size data, with a barrel length, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Such a gun, even if it would require the replacement of the turret, would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the "Panther" one.
The inevitable increase (by the way, without such a hypothetical re-equipment) of the tank's weight required the replacement of the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine, installed on the Pz.IV, were 1220x680x830 mm, and the "Panther" HL 230R30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost the same for these two tanks. At the "Panther" it was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the slope of the rear hull plate. Therefore, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an unsolvable design problem.
The results of such a, of course, far from complete, list of possible modernization measures would be very sad, since they would nullify the work on creating the T-34-85 for us and the Sherman with a 76-mm gun for the Americans. In 1943-1945, the industry of the Third Reich produced about 6 thousand "panthers" and almost 7 thousand Pz.IV. If we take into account that the labor intensity of manufacturing the Panther was almost twice that of the Pz.lV, then we can assume that during the same time German factories could produce an additional 10-12 thousand modernized "fours", which would be delivered to the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition much more trouble than the Panthers.
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The Germans themselves did not have a high opinion about the combat qualities of the Pz.lV. Here is what Major General von Mellenthin writes about this in his memoirs (in 1941, with the rank of major, he served in Rommel's headquarters): "The T-IV tank gained the reputation of a formidable enemy among the British mainly because it was armed with a 75-mm cannon "However, this gun had a low muzzle velocity and poor penetration, and although we used the T-IV in tank battles, they were much more useful as an infantry support weapon." The Pz.lV began to play a more significant role in all theaters of military operations only after acquiring a "long arm" - a 75-mm KwK 40 cannon (F2 series). Pz.lV Ausf.F2 also appeared on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1942 and took part in the offensive against Stalingrad and the North Caucasus. After the production of the Pz.lll was discontinued in 1943, the "four" gradually became the main German tank in all theaters of operations. However, in connection with the start of production of the Panther, it was planned to stop production of the Pz.lV, however, due to the tough position of the General Inspector of the Panzerwaffe, General G. Guderian, this did not happen. Subsequent events showed that he was right.

The combat characteristics of the Pz.IV increased sharply after the installation of a long-barreled gun. Not inferior to enemy tanks in all other respects, the "four" proved to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks beyond the reach of their guns. We are not talking about English cars - for four years of the war the British were marking time. Until the end of 1943, the combat characteristics of the T-34 remained virtually unchanged, Pz.IV took first place among medium tanks. Since 1942, the tactical and technical characteristics of the Pz.IV have not changed (with the exception of the thickness of the armor) and during the two years of the war they remained unsurpassed by anyone! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into the series, surpassed it. The Germans had no time or opportunity for a decent response. Comparing the characteristics of WWII tanks, we can conclude that the Germans, before others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend of post-war tank building.

In general, it can be argued that of all the German tanks during the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car, various characteristics harmoniously combined and complemented each other. The "Tiger" and "Panther", for example, had a clear bias towards security, which led to their overweight and deterioration of dynamic characteristics. Pz.III, with many other equal characteristics with Pz.IV, did not reach it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage. Pz.IV with a similar Pz.III, but a slightly more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full measure. This is the only tank of the war years with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The T-34-85 and Sherman had to change the turret, and, by and large, they were almost new machines. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista outfits, they changed not towers, but tanks! But the Cromwell, which appeared in 1944, did not reach the Quartet, as, indeed, did the Comet, released in 1945. Bypass the German tank, created in 1937, could only post-war "Centurion".

From what has been said, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. For example, it had insufficient engine power and a rather rigid and outdated suspension, which adversely affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the smallest L / B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks. The equipment of the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be attributed to the successful move of the German designers. HEAT munitions were rarely used en masse, but the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow aisles, blocked most of the observation devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark.
However, even more senseless and rather expensive was the coating of tanks with zimmerite (anti-magnetic painting, from magnetic mines). But perhaps the biggest mistake of the Germans was to try to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. As the latter, it did not take place, making the company "Tiger" in the class of heavy vehicles, but played a fatal role in the fate of the Pz.lV. Having concentrated all efforts in 1942 on the creation of new tanks, the Germans ceased to seriously modernize the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the "Panther"? The project of installing the "Panther" turret on the Pz.lV, both standard and "close" (Schmall-turm), is well known. The project is quite realistic in terms of dimensions - the inside diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV-1600 mm. The tower rose without expanding the turret box. The situation with weight characteristics was somewhat worse - due to the large overhang of the gun barrel, the center of gravity shifted forward and the load on the front road wheels increased by 1.5 tons. However, it could be compensated by strengthening their suspension. In addition, it must be taken into account that the KwK 42 cannon was created for the Panther, and not for the Pz.IV. For the "four" it was possible to confine oneself to a gun with smaller weight and size data, with a barrel length, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Such a gun, even if it would require the replacement of the turret, would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the "Panther" one. The inevitable increase (by the way, even without such a hypothetical re-equipment) of the tank's weight required the replacement of the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine, installed on the Pz.IV, were 1220x680x830 mm, and the "Panther" HL 230R30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost the same for these two tanks. At the "Panther" it was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the slope of the rear hull plate. Therefore, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an unsolvable design problem. The results of such a, of course, far from complete, list of possible modernization measures would be very sad, since they would nullify the work on creating the T-34-85 for us and the Sherman with a 76-mm gun for the Americans. In 1943-1945, the industry of the Third Reich produced about 6 thousand "panthers" and almost 7 thousand Pz.IV. If we take into account that the labor intensity of manufacturing the Panther was almost twice that of the Pz.lV, then we can assume that during the same time German factories could produce an additional 10-12 thousand modernized "fours", which would be delivered to the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition much more trouble than the Panthers.

Apparently, we should start with a rather unexpected statement that the creation of the Pz.IV tank in 1937, the Germans determined the promising path for the development of world tank building. This thesis is quite capable of shocking our reader, since we are used to believing that this place in history is reserved for the Soviet T-34 tank. Nothing can be done, you have to make room and share the laurels with the enemy, although defeated. Well, so that this statement does not look unfounded, we present a number of proofs.

To this end, we will try to compare the "four" with the Soviet, British and American tanks that opposed it in different periods of the Second World War. Let's start with the first period - 1940-1941; At the same time, we will not focus on the then German classification of tanks according to the caliber of the gun, which attributed the medium Pz.IV to the heavy class. Since the British did not have a medium tank as such, we would have to consider two vehicles at once: one for infantry, the other for cruising. In this case, only the "pure" declared characteristics are compared, without taking into account the quality of manufacture, operational reliability, the level of crew training, etc.

As can be seen from Table 1, in 1940-1941 there were only two full-fledged medium tanks in Europe - the T-34 and Pz.IV. The British "Matilda" was superior to the German and Soviet tank in armor protection to the same extent that the Mk IV was inferior to them. The French S35 was a perfected tank that met the requirements of the First World War. As for the T-34, it was inferior to the German vehicle in a number of important positions (separation of the functions of crew members, the number and quality of surveillance devices), it had the same armor as the Pz.IV, somewhat better mobility and much more powerful weapons. Such a lag of the German vehicle is easily explained - the Pz.IV was conceived and created as an assault tank, designed to deal with enemy firing points, but not with his tanks. In this regard, the T-34 was more versatile and, as a result, according to the declared characteristics, the best medium tank in the world in 1941. Just six months later, the situation changed, as can be seen from the characteristics of the tanks of the period 1942-1943.

Table 1

* The commander's cupola counts as one surveillance device

table 2

* Only the 75 mm cannon is taken into account for the Grant I tank.

Table 3

Table 2 shows how sharply the combat characteristics of the Pz.IV increased after the installation of a long-barreled gun. Not inferior to enemy tanks in all other respects, the "four" proved to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks beyond the reach of their guns. We are not talking about English cars - for four years of the war the British were marking time. Until the end of 1943, the combat characteristics of the T-34 remained virtually unchanged, Pz.IV took first place among medium tanks. The answer - both Soviet and American - was not long in coming.

Comparing tables 2 and 3, you can see that since 1942 the performance characteristics of the Pz.IV have not changed (except for the thickness of the armor) and remained unsurpassed by anyone during the two years of the war! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into the series, surpassed it. For a decent response, the Germans had neither time nor opportunity.

Analyzing the data of all three tables, we can conclude that the Germans, earlier than others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend in post-war tank building.

In general, it can be argued that of all the German tanks during the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car, various characteristics harmoniously combined and complemented each other. The "Tiger" and "Panther", for example, had a clear bias towards security, which led to their overweight and deterioration of dynamic characteristics. Pz.III, with many other equal characteristics with Pz.IV, did not reach it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage.

Pz.IV with a similar Pz.III, but a little more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full. This is the only tank of the war years with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The T-34-85 and Sherman had to change the turret, and, by and large, they were almost new machines. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista outfits, they changed not towers, but tanks! But the Cromwell, which appeared in 1944, did not reach the Quartet, as, indeed, did the Comet, released in 1945. Bypass the German tank, created in 1937, could only post-war "Centurion".

From what has been said, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. For example, it had insufficient engine power and a rather rigid and outdated suspension, which adversely affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the smallest L / B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks.

The equipment of the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be attributed to the successful move of the German designers. HEAT munitions were rarely used en masse, but the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow aisles, blocked most of the observation devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark. However, even more senseless and rather expensive was the coating of tanks with zimmerite.

Values ​​of specific power of medium tanks

But perhaps the biggest mistake of the Germans was to try to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. As the latter, it did not take place (for more details, see "Armored Collection" No. 2, 1997), making the company "Tiger" in the class of heavy vehicles, but played a fatal role in the fate of Pz.lV.

Having concentrated all efforts in 1942 on the creation of new tanks, the Germans ceased to seriously modernize the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the "Panther"? The project of installing the "Panther" turret on the Pz.lV, both standard and "close" (Schmall-turm), is well known. The project is quite realistic in terms of dimensions - the inside diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV-1600 mm. The tower rose without expanding the turret box. The situation with weight characteristics was somewhat worse - due to the large overhang of the gun barrel, the center of gravity shifted forward and the load on the front road wheels increased by 1.5 tons. However, it could be compensated by strengthening their suspension. In addition, it must be taken into account that the KwK 42 cannon was created for the Panther, and not for the Pz.IV. For the "four" it was possible to confine oneself to a gun with smaller weight and size data, with a barrel length, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Such a gun, even if it would require the replacement of the turret, would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the "Panther" one.

The inevitable increase (by the way, even without such a hypothetical re-equipment) of the tank's weight required the replacement of the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine, installed on the Pz.IV, were 1220x680x830 mm, and the "Panther" HL 230R30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost the same for these two tanks. At the "Panther" it was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the slope of the rear hull plate. Therefore, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an unsolvable design problem.

The results of such a, of course, far from complete, list of possible modernization measures would be very sad, since they would nullify the work on creating the T-34-85 for us and the Sherman with a 76-mm gun for the Americans. In 1943-1945, the industry of the Third Reich produced about 6 thousand "panthers" and almost 7 thousand Pz.IV. If we take into account that the labor intensity of manufacturing the Panther was almost twice that of the Pz.lV, then we can assume that during the same time German factories could produce an additional 10-12 thousand modernized "fours", which would be delivered to the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition much more trouble than the Panthers.

The decision to create a medium tank with a short-barreled 75 mm gun was made in January 1934. Preference was given to the project of the Krupp company, and in 1937 - 1938 it produced about 200 machines of modification A, B, C and D.

These tanks had combat weight from 18 to 20 tons, armor up to 20 mm thick, speed on the highway no more than 40 km / h and cruising range on the highway 200 km. A 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 23.5 caliber was installed in the tower, coaxial with a machine gun.

During the attack on Poland on September 1, 1939, the German army had only 211 T-4 tanks. The tank proved to be a good side and was approved as the main one along with the T-3. From December 1939, its mass production began (in 1940 - 280 pieces.).

By the beginning of the campaign in France (May 10, 1940), there were only 278 T-4 tanks in the German tank divisions in the West. The only result of the Polish and French campaigns was an increase to 50 mm in the thickness of the armor of the frontal part of the hull, onboard up to 30 and turret up to 50 mm. The mass reached 22 tons (modification F1, produced in 1941 - 1942). The track width was increased from 380 to 400 mm.

Soviet tanks T-34 and KV (see below) from the first days of the war demonstrated the superiority of their weapons and armor over the T-4. The Nazi command demanded that their tank be re-equipped with a long-barreled gun. In March 1942, he received a 75 mm cannon with a barrel length of 43 caliber (machines of the T-4F2 modification).

In 1942, modifications G were produced, since 1943 - H and since March 1944 - J. The tanks of the last two modifications had 80 mm frontal armor of the hull and were armed with 48-caliber guns. The mass increased to 25 tons, and the cross-country ability of the vehicles noticeably worsened. On modification J, the fuel supply was increased and the cruising range increased to 300 km. Since 1943, tanks began to install 5-mm screens that protected the sides and the turret (side and rear) from artillery shells and bullets from anti-tank guns.

The welded hull of a tank of simple design did not have a rational inclination of the armor plates. There were many hatches in the hull, which facilitated access to units and mechanisms, but reduced the strength of the hull. Internal partitions divided it into three compartments. In front of the control compartment there were final drives, the driver (on the left) and the gunner-radio operator, who had his own observation devices, were located. The fighting compartment with a multifaceted turret housed three crew members: commander, gunner and loader. The tower had hatches in the sides, which reduced its projectile resistance. The commander's cupola is equipped with five viewing devices with armored shutters. There were also viewing devices on both sides of the gun mantlet and in the side hatches of the turret. The rotation of the tower was carried out by an electric motor or manually, vertical aiming - manually. The ammunition included high-explosive fragmentation and smoke grenades, armor-piercing, sub-caliber and cumulative shells. An armor-piercing projectile (weight 6.8 kg, muzzle velocity - 790 m/s) pierced armor up to 95 mm thick, and a sub-caliber (4.1 kg, 990 m/s) - about 110 mm at a distance of 1000 m (data for a gun in 48 calibers).

In the engine compartment in the aft part of the hull, a 12-cylinder water-cooled Maybach carburetor engine was installed.

The T-4 turned out to be a reliable and easy-to-handle vehicle (it was the Wehrmacht's most massive tank), but poor maneuverability, a weak gasoline engine (tanks burned like matches) and undifferentiated armor were disadvantages over Soviet tanks.