Attempts to improve the protection of the tank led to the appearance at the end of 1942 modification "Ausfuhrung G". The designers knew that the mass limit that the undercarriage could withstand had already been chosen, so they had to make a compromise solution - to dismantle the 20-mm side screens that were installed on all "fours", starting with the "E" model, while simultaneously increasing the base armor of the hull to 30 mm, and due to the saved mass, install overhead screens 30 mm thick in the frontal part.

Another measure to increase the security of the tank was the installation of removable anti-cumulative screens ("schurzen") 5 mm thick on the sides of the hull and turret, the attachment of screens increased the weight of the vehicle by about 500 kg. In addition, the gun's single-chamber muzzle brake was replaced with a more efficient two-chamber one. Appearance the machine 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 tower, holes for launching flares in the hatches of the driver and gunner were eliminated.

By the end serial production tanks PzKpfw IV "Ausfuhrung G" their regular main weapon was a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers, the hatch of the commander's cupola became single-leaf. Late production PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tanks are outwardly almost identical to the early Ausf.N. From May 1942 to June 1943, 1,687 Ausf.G tanks were manufactured, an impressive figure, given that in five years, from the end of 1937 to the summer of 1942, 1,300 PzKpfw IVs of all modifications (Ausf.A -F2), chassis no. - 82701-84400.

In 1944 was made tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.G with hydrostatic drive wheels. The design of the drive was developed by specialists from the firm "Zanradfabrik" in Augsburg. The Maybach's main engine drove two oil pumps, which, in turn, activated two hydraulic motors connected by output shafts to the drive wheels. The entire power plant was located in the aft part of the hull, respectively, and the drive wheels had a rear, and not the usual front position for the PzKpfw IV. The speed of the tank was controlled by the driver, controlling the oil pressure created by the pumps.

After the war, the experimental machine came to the United States and was tested by specialists from the Vickers company from Detroit, this company at that time was engaged in work in the field of hydrostatic drives. The tests had to be interrupted due to material failures and a lack of spare parts. Currently, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.G tank with hydrostatic drive wheels is on display at the US Army Tank Museum, Aberdeen, pc. Maryland.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.H (Sd.Kfz. 161/2)

The installation of a long-barreled 75 mm gun proved to be a rather controversial measure. The cannon led to an excessive overload of the front of the tank, the front springs were under constant pressure, the tank acquired a tendency to swing even when moving on a flat surface. It was possible to get rid of the unpleasant effect on the modification "Ausfuhrung H", put into production in March 1943.

On tanks of this model, the integral armor of the frontal part of the hull, superstructure and turret was reinforced up to 80 mm. The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H tank weighed 26 tons, and even despite the use of the new SSG-77 transmission, its characteristics turned out to be lower than those of the "fours" of previous models, so the speed of movement over rough terrain decreased by at least 15 km, and the specific pressure on the ground, the acceleration characteristics of the machine fell. On the experimental tank The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H was tested with a hydrostatic transmission, 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 ceased in the summer of 1944. Chassis serial numbers are 84401-89600, some of these chassis served as the basis for the construction of assault guns.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.J (Sd.Kfz.161/2)

The last model launched into the series was the modification "Ausfuhrung J". Machines of this variant began to enter service in June 1944. From a constructive point of view, the PzKpfw IV Ausf.J was a step backwards.

Instead of an electric drive for turning the tower, a manual one was installed, but it became possible to place an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 l. 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 panzerdivisions 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.

Characteristic features of the tank turret Pz.IV Ausf.J.

The given production data for the Pz.IV, 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 Vehicles of the Third Reich" gives the following figures: Pz.IV 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.IV was exported in much larger quantities than other German tanks. Judging by German statistics, 490 combat vehicles were delivered to the allies of Germany, as well as to Turkey and Spain in 1942-1944.

The first Pz.IV received 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 the fall of 1944 - in the spring of 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.IV 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 an active part in the battles with German troops, being the main striking force of 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.

PRODUCTION OF TANKS Panzer IV

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 mechanism, controls, control devices, a course machine gun (with the exception of modifications B and C), a radio station and the workplaces of 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 cover was provided with a hatch for launching signal rockets (with the exception of options H and J).

Pz.IV Ausf.F1. Manhole covers (driver and machine gunner) with round hatches for launching signal rockets are clearly visible. A semi-cylinder welded to the side of the hull closes the exhaust port of the brake cooling system before storing the spare rollers.

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.

The layout of the tank Pz.IV:

1 - tower; 2 - commander's cupola; 3 - box for equipment; 4 - rotating polik of the fighting compartment; 5 - fans; 6 - engine; 7 - fan drive pulley; 8 - exhaust manifold; 9 - muffler of the turret traverse engine; 10 - silencer; 11 - guide wheel; 12 - suspension trolley; 13 - cardan shaft; 14 - gearbox; 15 - gearshift link; 16 - drive wheel.

Armor scheme for a medium tank Pz.IV.

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 by an electromechanical rotary mechanism with a maximum speed of 14 degrees / 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.

Aft part of the turret modification Ausf.E.

In the rear part of the roof of the tower was a commander's cupola with five viewing slots with triplex glass. Outside, the viewing slots were closed with sliding armored shutters, and the hatch in the roof of the turret, designed for the entry and exit of the tank commander, was 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 turret and gun were in (this is especially important when driving along wooded area 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.

Hitler, surrounded by senior Wehrmacht and SS officers, inspects one of the first Ausf.F2 tanks, Berlin, April 4, 1942.

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.

"Panzerkampfwagen IV" ("PzKpfw IV", also "Pz. IV"; in the USSR it was also known as "T‑IV") - medium tank armored forces Wehrmacht during World War II. There is a version that the Pz IV was originally classified by the German side as a heavy tank, but it has not been documented.

Most bulk tank Wehrmacht: 8,686 vehicles were produced; serially produced from 1937 to 1945 in several modifications. The ever-increasing armament and armor of the tank in most cases allowed the PzKpfw IV to effectively resist tanks of a similar class. The French tanker Pierre Danois wrote about the PzKpfw IV (in modification, at that time, still with a short-barreled 75-mm gun): “This medium tank was superior to our B1 and B1 bis in all respects, including weapons and, to some extent, armor ".

History of creation

Under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty, Germany, defeated in the First World War, was forbidden to have armored troops, with the exception of a small number of armored vehicles for the needs of the police. But despite this, since 1925, the Reichswehr Armaments Office has been secretly working on the creation of tanks. Until the early 1930s, these developments did not go beyond the construction of prototypes, both because of the insufficient performance of the latter, and because of the weakness of the German industry of that period. However, by the middle of 1933, German designers managed to create their first production tank- Pz.Kpfw.I and during 1933-1934 start its mass production. The Pz.Kpfw.I, with its machine gun armament and crew of two, was seen as only a transitional model on the way to building more advanced tanks. The development of two of them began back in 1933 - a more powerful "transitional" tank, the future Pz.Kpfw.II and a full-fledged battle tank, the future Pz.Kpfw.III, armed with a 37-mm cannon, designed mainly to fight other armored vehicles.

Due to the initial limitations of the Pz.Kpfw.III armament, it was decided to create a fire support tank in addition to it, with a longer-range cannon with a powerful fragmentation projectile capable of hitting anti-tank defense beyond the reach of other tanks. In January 1934, the Armaments Department organized a project competition for the creation of a machine of this class, whose mass would not exceed 24 tons. Since work on armored vehicles in Germany at that time was still carried out in secret, the new project, like the rest, was given the code name “support vehicle” (German: Begleitwagen, usually abbreviated to B.W .; incorrect names are given in a number of sources of German. Bataillonwagen and German Bataillonfuehrerwagen). From the very beginning, the firms Rheinmetall and Krupp took up the development of projects for the competition, later they were joined by Daimler-Benz and M.A.N. Over the next 18 months, all firms presented their developments, and the Rheinmetall project under the designation VK 2001 (Rh) was even made in metal in the form of a prototype in 1934-1935.

Tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. J (Armoured Vehicles Museum - Latrun, Israel)

All the projects presented had a chassis with a staggered arrangement of large-diameter road wheels and no support rollers, with the exception of the same VK 2001 (Rh), which, on the whole, inherited the chassis with small-diameter road wheels interlocked in pairs and side screens from an experimental heavy tank Nb. fz. As a result, the Krupp project - VK 2001 (K) was recognized as the best of them, but the Arms Administration did not satisfy its spring suspension, which they demanded to be replaced with a more advanced torsion bar. However, Krupp insisted on the use of a running gear with interlocked pairs of rollers of medium diameter on a spring suspension, borrowed from the rejected Pz.Kpfw.III prototype of its own design. In order to avoid the inevitable delays in the processing of the project for a torsion bar suspension with the start of production of a tank badly needed by the army, the Ordnance Department was forced to agree to the Krupp proposal. After the subsequent refinement of the project, Krupp received an order for the production of a pre-production batch of a new tank, which by that time had received the designation "armored vehicle with a 75-mm gun" (German: 7.5 cm Geschütz-Panzerwagen) or, according to the end-to-end designation system adopted at that time, "experimental model 618" (German: Versuchskraftfahrzeug 618 or Vs.Kfz.618). From April 1936, the tank acquired its final designation - Panzerkampfwagen IV or Pz.Kpfw.IV. In addition, he was assigned the index Vs.Kfz.222, previously owned by Pz.Kpfw.II.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G. Armored Museum in Kubinka.

Mass production

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.A - Ausf.F1

The first few Pz.Kpfw.IV "zero" series were manufactured in 1936-1937 at the Krupp factory in Essen. The serial production of the first series, 1.Serie / B.W., was launched in October 1937 at the Krupp-Gruson plant in Magdeburg. In total, until March 1938, 35 tanks of this modification were produced, designated as Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausführung A (Ausf.A - “model A”). According to the unified designation system of German armored vehicles, the tank received the index Sd.Kfz.161. The Ausf.A tanks were in many ways still pre-production vehicles and carried bulletproof armor that did not exceed 15-20 mm and weakly protected observation devices, especially in the commander's cupola. At the same time, the main design features of the Pz.Kpfw.IV had already been determined on the Ausf.A, and although the tank was subsequently upgraded many times, the changes mainly boiled down to the installation of more powerful armor and weapons, or to an unprincipled alteration of individual units.

Immediately after the end of production of the first series, Krupp began production of an improved 2.Serie / B.W. or Ausf.B. The most noticeable outward difference of the tanks of this modification was a straight upper frontal plate, without a prominent driver's cabin and with the elimination of the course machine gun, which was replaced by a viewing device and a hatch for firing personal weapons. The design of viewing devices was also improved, primarily the commander's cupola, which received armored shutters, and the driver's viewing device. According to other sources, the new commander's cupola was already introduced during production, so some of the Ausf.B tanks carried the old-style commander's cupola. Minor changes also affected the landing hatches and various hatches. Frontal armor on the new modification was brought up to 30 mm. The tank also received a more powerful engine and a new 6-speed gearbox, which made it possible to significantly increase its maximum speed, and its cruising range also increased. At the same time, the ammunition load of the Ausf.B was reduced to 80 rounds for the gun and 2,700 machine gun rounds, instead of 120 and 3,000 rounds for the Ausf.A, respectively. Krupp was given an order for the production of 45 Ausf.B tanks, but due to a shortage of components, only 42 vehicles of this modification were actually produced from April to September 1938.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A on parade, 1938.

The first relatively massive modification was 3.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.C. Compared to the Ausf.B, the changes in it were insignificant - externally, both modifications are distinguishable only by the presence of an armored casing for the barrel of a coaxial machine gun. The rest of the changes came down to replacing the HL 120TR engine with an HL 120TRM of the same power, as well as the beginning of installing a fender under the gun barrel on part of the tanks to bend the antenna located on the hull when the turret turns. In total, 300 tanks of this modification were ordered, but already in March 1938 the order was reduced to 140 units, as a result of which, according to various sources, 140 or 134 tanks were produced from September 1938 to August 1939, while 6 chassis were transferred for conversion into bridgelayers.

Museum Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D with additional armor

Machines of the next modification, Ausf.D, were produced in two series - 4.Serie / B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. The most noticeable external change was the return to the broken upper frontal plate of the hull and the forward machine gun, which received enhanced protection. The inner mantlet of the gun, which proved vulnerable to lead spatter from bullet hits, was replaced with an outer one. The thickness of the side and rear armor of the hull and turret was increased to 20 mm. In January 1938, Krupp received an order for the production of 200 4.Serie / B.W. and 48 5.Serie/B.W., but during production, from October 1939 to May 1941, only 229 of them were completed as tanks, while the remaining 19 were allocated for the construction of specialized variants. Some of the late production Ausf.D tanks were produced in a "tropical" version (German tropen or Tp.), with additional ventilation holes in the engine compartment. A number of sources speak of armor reinforcement carried out in 1940-1941 in parts or during repairs, which was carried out by bolting additional 20-mm sheets to the upper side and frontal plates of the tank. According to other sources, later production vehicles were regularly equipped with additional 20 mm side and 30 mm frontal armor plates of the Ausf.E type. Several Ausf.Ds were re-armed with KwK 40 L/48 long guns in 1943, but these converted tanks were only used as training tanks.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B or Ausf.C on exercises. November 1943.

The appearance of a new modification, 6.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.E, was caused primarily by the lack of armor protection of vehicles early series, demonstrated during the Polish campaign. On Ausf.E, the thickness of the lower frontal plate was increased to 50mm, in addition, it became standard to install additional 30mm plates above the upper frontal and 20mm above the side plates, although on a small part of the tanks of early production, additional 30mm plates were not were established. The armor protection of the tower, however, remained the same - 30 mm for the frontal plate, 20 mm for the side and aft plates and 35 mm for the gun mantlet. A new commander's cupola was introduced, with a vertical armor thickness of 50 to 95 mm. The inclination of the aft wall of the turret was also reduced, now made of a single sheet, without the "influx" for the turret, and on late production vehicles, an unarmored equipment box was attached to the stern of the turret. In addition, the Ausf.E tanks featured a number of less noticeable changes - a new driver's viewing device, simplified drive and steering wheels, an improved design of various hatches and inspection hatches, and the introduction of a turret fan. The order for the sixth series of Pz.Kpfw.IVs amounted to 225 units and was completed in full between September 1940 and April 1941, in parallel with the production of Ausf.D tanks.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F. Finland, 1941.

Shielding with additional armor (on average by 10-12 mm), used on previous modifications, was irrational and was considered only as a temporary solution, which was the reason for the appearance of the next modification, 7.Serie/B.W. or Ausf.F. Instead of using hinged armor, the thickness of the frontal top plate of the hull, the frontal plate of the turret and the mantlet of the gun was increased to 50 mm, and the thickness of the sides of the hull and the sides and rear of the turret was increased to 30 mm. The broken upper frontal plate of the hull was again replaced by a straight one, but this time with the preservation of the course machine gun, and the side hatches of the turret received double doors. Due to the fact that the mass of the tank increased by 22.5% compared to the Ausf.A after the changes made, wider tracks were introduced to reduce ground pressure. Other, less noticeable changes included the introduction of ventilation air intakes in the middle frontal plate to cool the brakes, a different arrangement of silencers and slightly modified viewing devices due to the thickening of the armor, and the installation of a course machine gun. On the Ausf.F modification, other firms, in addition to Krupp, joined the production of Pz.Kpfw.IV for the first time. The latter received the first order for 500 machines of the seventh series, later orders for 100 and 25 units were received by Vomag and Nibelungenwerke. Of this number, from April 1941 to March 1942, before switching production to the Ausf.F2 modification, 462 Ausf.F tanks were produced, 25 of which were converted to Ausf.F2 at the factory.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. Yugoslavia, 1941.

Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2 - Ausf.J

Although the main purpose of the 75 mm Pz.Kpfw.IV cannon was to destroy unarmored or lightly armored targets, the presence of an armor-piercing projectile in its ammunition load allowed the tank to successfully fight armored vehicles protected by bulletproof or light anti-ballistic armor. But against tanks with powerful anti-cannon armor, such as the British Matilda or the Soviet KV and T-34, it proved to be completely ineffective. Back in 1940 - early 1941, the successful combat use of the Matilda intensified work on re-equipping the Pz.Kpfw.IV with a gun with better anti-tank capabilities. On February 19, 1941, on the personal order of A. Hitler, work began on arming the tank with a 50-mm Kw.K.38 L / 42 cannon, which was also installed on the Pz.Kpfw.III, and in further work to strengthen the armament of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, they also advanced under his control. In April, one Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D was re-armed with the newest, more powerful 50 mm Kw.K.39 L/60 gun for demonstration to Hitler on his birthday, April 20th. It was even planned to produce a series of 80 tanks with such weapons from August 1941, but by that time the interest of the Ordnance Department (Heereswaffenamt) had shifted to a 75-mm long-barreled gun and these plans were abandoned.

Since the Kw.K.39 had already been approved as a weapon for the Pz.Kpfw.III, it was decided to choose an even more powerful gun for the Pz.Kpfw.IV, which could not be installed on the Pz.Kpfw.III with its smaller turret ring diameter . Since March 1941, Krupp, as an alternative to the 50-mm cannon, has been considering a new 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 40 calibers, intended to rearm StuG.III assault guns. At a distance of 400 meters, it pierced 70 mm armor at a meeting angle of 60 °, but since the Ordnance Department demanded that the gun barrel did not protrude beyond the dimensions of the tank hull, its length was reduced to 33 calibers, which led to a decrease in armor penetration to 59 mm under the same conditions. It was also planned to develop a sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile with a detachable pallet, penetrating 86-mm armor under the same conditions. Work on re-equipping the Pz.Kpfw.IV with the new gun was going well, and in December 1941 the first prototype was built with a 7.5 cm Kw.K. L/34.5.

Tank Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F2. France, July 1942.

In the meantime, the invasion of the USSR began, during which German troops encountered T-34 and KV tanks, which were slightly vulnerable to the main tank and anti-tank guns of the Wehrmacht and at the same time carried a 76-mm cannon that pierced the frontal armor of German tanks, which were then practically in service with the Panzerwaffe. at any real combat distances. The Special Tank Commission, sent to the front in November 1941 to study this issue, recommended that the German tanks be re-equipped with a weapon that would allow them to hit Soviet vehicles from long distances, while remaining outside the radius of effective fire of the latter. On November 18, 1941, the development of a tank gun was initiated, similar in its capabilities to the new 75-mm anti-tank gun. Pak gun 40. Such a tool, originally designated Kw.K.44, was developed jointly by Krupp and Rheinmetall. The barrel passed to him from the anti-tank gun without changes, but since the shots of the latter were too long for use in a tank, a shorter and thicker cartridge case was developed for the tank gun, which led to a reworking of the breech of the gun and a reduction in the overall length of the barrel to 43 calibers. Kw.K.44 also received a single-chamber muzzle brake of a spherical shape, different from the anti-tank gun. In this form, the gun was adopted as the 7.5 cm Kw.K.40 L/43.

The Pz.Kpfw.IVs with the new gun were initially designated as "refitted" (German 7.Serie/B.W.-Umbau or Ausf.F-Umbau), but soon received the designation Ausf.F2, while the Ausf.F vehicles with the old guns were called Ausf.F1 to avoid confusion. The designation of the tank according to a single system changed to Sd.Kfz.161/1. With the exception of a different gun and related minor changes, such as the installation of a new sight, new shot stowage and slightly modified gun recoil armor, the early production Ausf.F2s were identical to the Ausf.F1 tanks. After a month-long break due to the transition to a new modification, the production of Ausf.F2 began in March 1942 and continued until July of the same year. A total of 175 tanks of this variant were produced and another 25 converted from the Ausf.F1.

Tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G (tail number 727) of the 1st Panzergrenadier Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler". The vehicle was hit by gunners of the 4th battery of the 595th anti-tank fighter artillery regiment in the area of ​​st. Sumy in Kharkov, on the night of March 11-12, 1943. On the frontal armor plate, almost in the center, two inlets from 76-mm shells are visible.

The appearance of the next modification Pz.Kpfw.IV was not initially caused by any changes in the design of the tank. In June - July 1942, by orders of the Ordnance Department, the designation Pz.Kpfw.IV with long-barreled guns was changed to 8.Serie / B.W. or Ausf.G, and in October the Ausf.F2 designation was finally abolished for previously produced tanks of this modification. The first tanks produced as the Ausf.G were therefore identical to their predecessors, but more and more changes were made to the design of the tank during later production. Ausf.G of early releases still carried the index Sd.Kfz.161/1 according to the end-to-end notation, which was replaced by Sd.Kfz.161/2 on later releases. The first changes, made already in the summer of 1942, included a new two-chamber pear-shaped muzzle brake, the elimination of viewing devices in the front side plates of the turret and the observation hatch for the loader in its frontal plate, the transfer of smoke grenade launchers from the rear of the hull to the sides of the turret, and a system to facilitate launching in winter conditions .

Since the 50 mm frontal armor of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was still insufficient, not providing adequate protection against 57 mm and 76 mm guns, it was again reinforced, by welding or, on later production vehicles, by bolting additional 30 mm mm plates above the upper and lower end plates of the hull. The thickness of the frontal plate of the turret and gun mantlet, however, was still 50 mm and did not increase in the process of further modernization of the tank. The introduction of additional armor began on the Ausf.F2, when 8 tanks with increased armor thickness were produced in May 1942, but progress was slow. By November, only about half of the vehicles were produced with enhanced armor, and only from January 1943 did it become the standard for all new tanks. Another significant change introduced to the Ausf.G in the spring of 1943 was the replacement of the Kw.K.40 L/43 cannon with the Kw.K.40 L/48 gun with a 48-caliber barrel, which had slightly better armor penetration. Production of the Ausf.G continued until June 1943, with a total of 1,687 tanks of this modification produced. Of this number, about 700 tanks received enhanced armor and 412 received the Kw.K.40 L/48 cannon.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.H with side screens and zimmerite coating. USSR, July 1944.

The next modification, Ausf.H, became the most massive. The first tanks under this designation, which rolled off the production line in April 1943, differed from the last Ausf.G only in the thickening of the front turret roof sheet up to 16 mm and the rear up to 25 mm, as well as reinforced final drives with cast drive wheels, but the first 30 tanks Ausf.H, due to delays in the supply of new components, received only a thickened roof. Since the summer of the same year, instead of an additional 30 mm hull armor, solid-rolled 80 mm plates were introduced to simplify production. In addition, hinged anti-cumulative screens made of 5 mm sheets were introduced, which were installed on most Ausf.H. In this regard, as unnecessary, viewing devices in the sides of the hull and turret were eliminated. Since September, the tanks have been coated with vertical armor with zimmerite to protect against magnetic mines.

Late production Ausf.H tanks received a turret mount for the MG-42 machine gun at the commander's cupola hatch, as well as a vertical stern plate instead of the inclined one that was on all previous tank modifications. In the course of production, various changes were also introduced to reduce the cost and simplify production, such as the introduction of non-rubbered support rollers and the elimination of the driver's periscope viewing device. Since December 1943, the front plates of the hull began to be connected to the side connection "into a spike", to increase resistance to projectile hits. Production of the Ausf.H continued until July 1944. Data on the number of produced tanks of this modification, given in various sources, differ somewhat, from 3935 chassis, of which 3774 were completed as tanks, to 3960 chassis and 3839 tanks.

Destroyed on the Eastern Front, the German medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV lying upside down on the side of the road. Part of the caterpillar in contact with the ground is missing, in the same place there are no rollers with a fragment of the lower part of the hull, the bottom sheet is torn off, the second caterpillar is torn off. Top part the machine, as far as one can judge, does not have such fatal destruction. A typical picture during a land mine explosion.

The appearance of the Ausf.J modification on the assembly lines since June 1944 was associated with the desire to reduce the cost and simplify the production of the tank as much as possible in the face of the deteriorating strategic position of Germany. The only but significant change that distinguished the first Ausf.J from the latest Ausf.H was the elimination of the electric turret traverse and the associated auxiliary carburetor engine with a generator. Soon after the launch of the new modification, the pistol ports in the stern and sides of the turret were eliminated, which were useless because of the screens, and the design of other hatches was also simplified. Since July, an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 liters was installed in place of the liquidated auxiliary engine, but the fight against its leakage dragged on until September 1944. In addition, the 12-mm roof of the hull began to be reinforced by welding additional 16-mm sheets. All subsequent changes were aimed at further simplifying the design, the most notable among them being the abandonment of the zimmerite coating in September and the reduction of the number of carrier rollers to three per side in December 1944. The production of Ausf.J modification tanks continued almost until the very end of the war, until March 1945, but the slowdown in production due to the weakening of the German industry and difficulties in the supply of raw materials led to the fact that only 1758 tanks of this modification were produced.

Production volumes of the T-4 tank

Design

The Pz.Kpfw.IV had a layout with a combined transmission compartment and control compartment in the front, the engine compartment in the aft, and the fighting compartment in the middle part of the vehicle. The crew of the tank consisted of five people: a driver and gunner-radio operator, located in the control compartment, and a gunner, loader and tank commander, who were in a triple tower.

Armored corps and turret

The turret of the PzKpfw IV tank made it possible to upgrade the tank gun. Inside the tower were the commander, gunner and loader. The commander's seat was directly under the commander's turret, the gunner was located to the left of the cannon breech, the loader was to the right. Additional protection was provided by anti-cumulative screens, which were also installed on the sides. The commander's cupola at the rear of the turret gave the tank good visibility. The tower had an electric turn drive.

Soviet soldiers examine the broken german tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H (single hatch and no triple-barreled grenade launchers on the turret). The tank is painted in tricolor camouflage. Oryol-Kursk direction.

Means of observation and communication

The tank commander in non-combat conditions, as a rule, conducted observation, standing in the hatch of the commander's cupola. In battle, to view the area, he had five wide viewing slots around the perimeter of the commander's cupola, which gave him an all-round view. The viewing slots of the commander, like those of all other crew members, were equipped with a protective triplex glass block with inside. On the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A, the viewing slots did not have any additional cover, but on the Ausf.B, the slots were equipped with sliding armor shutters; in this form, the commander's viewing devices remained unchanged on all subsequent modifications. In addition, on tanks of early modifications in the commander's cupola there was a mechanical device for determining the heading angle of the target, with the help of which the commander could carry out accurate target designation to the gunner who had a similar device. However, due to excessive complexity, this system was eliminated starting with the Ausf.F2 modification. Viewing devices for the gunner and loader on the Ausf.A - Ausf.F consisted of, for each of them: a viewing hatch with an armored cover without viewing slots, in the frontal plate of the tower on the sides of the gun mantlet; inspection hatch with a slot in the front side plates and a viewing slot in the side hatch cover of the tower. Starting with the Ausf.G, as well as on parts of the late production Ausf.F2, viewing devices in the front side plates and the loader's viewing hatch in the frontal plate were eliminated. On the part of the tanks of modifications Ausf.H and Ausf.J, in connection with the installation of anti-cumulative screens, viewing devices in the sides of the tower were completely eliminated.

The main means of observation for the driver of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was a wide viewing slot in the frontal plate of the hull. From the inside, the slit was protected by a triplex glass block, from the outside, on the Ausf.A it could be closed with a simple folding armored flap, on the Ausf.B and subsequent modifications with a replaced Sehklappe 30 or 50 sliding flap, also used on the Pz.Kpfw.III. A periscopic binocular viewing device K.F.F.1 was located above the viewing slot on Ausf.A, but it was eliminated on Ausf.B - Ausf.D. On Ausf.E - Ausf.G, the viewing device appeared already in the form of an improved K.F.F.2, but starting with Ausf.H, it was again abandoned. The device was brought out through two holes in the frontal plate of the hull and, if it was not needed, was moved to the right. The gunner-radio operator on most modifications did not have any means of viewing the frontal sector, in addition to the sight of the course machine gun, but on the Ausf.B, Ausf.C and part of the Ausf.D, in place of the machine gun, there was a hatch with a viewing slot in it. Similar hatches were placed in the side plates on most Pz.Kpfw.IVs, being eliminated only on Ausf.J in connection with the installation of anti-cumulative screens. In addition, the driver had a turret position indicator, one of two lights warned of the turret turning to one side or another, in order to avoid damage to the gun when driving in cramped conditions.

For external communications, Pz.Kpfw.IV platoon commanders and above were equipped with a Fu 5 VHF radio station and a Fu 2 receiver. Line tanks were equipped only with a Fu 2 receiver. The FuG5 had a transmitter power of 10 W and provided a communication range of 9.4 km in telegraph and 6.4 km in telephone mode. For internal communication, all Pz.Kpfw.IVs were equipped with a tank intercom for four of the crew members, with the exception of the loader.

Less is more—at least sometimes. A smaller caliber can indeed sometimes be more effective than a large caliber - even if at first glance such a statement seems paradoxical.

On the threshold of 1942, German designers armored vehicles were under tremendous pressure. Over the past few months, they have significantly improved the modification of existing German T-4 tanks, bringing the thickness of the lower frontal plate to 50mm, as well as equipping the vehicles with additional frontal plates 30mm thick.

Due to the increased weight of the tank by 10%, now amounting to 22.3 tons, it was necessary to increase the track width from 380 to 400 mm. To do this, it was necessary to make changes to the design of the guide and drive wheels. In the automotive industry, such improvements like to be called a model change - in the case of the T-4, the designation of the modification changed from "E" to "F".

However, these improvements were not enough to turn the T-4 into a full-fledged rival of the Soviet T-34. First of all, the weak point of these machines was their armament. Along with 88 mm anti-aircraft gun, as well as captured cannons from the stocks of the Red Army - 76-mm guns, which the Germans called "rach-boom" - in the autumn and summer seasons, only 50-mm proved its effectiveness anti-tank gun Pak 38, because it fired tungsten core blanks.

The leadership of the Wehrmacht was well aware of the existing problems. As early as the end of May 1941, before the attack on Soviet Union, the urgent equipment of the T-4 tank with the Pak 38 cannon was discussed, which was supposed to replace the short 75-mm KwK 37 tank gun, which was called "Shtummel" (Russian cigarette butt). The Pak 38 was only two-thirds larger than the KwK 37.

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Due to the length of the gun at 1.8 m, it was impossible to give the projectiles sufficient acceleration, since their initial velocity was only 400-450 m/s. starting speed Pak 38 shells, despite the fact that the gun caliber was only 50 mm, reached more than 800 m / s, and later almost 1200 m / s.

In mid-November 1941, the first prototype of the T-4 tank, equipped with the Pak 38 gun, was to be ready. However, shortly before that, it was discovered that the envisaged modification of the T-4, which was considered a temporary solution on the way to creating a tank capable of resisting the T-34 tank, impossible to implement: Germany did not have enough tungsten to begin mass production of blanks.

On November 14, 1941, a meeting was held at the Fuhrer's headquarters, which cost the German engineers a quiet Christmas. Because Hitler ordered that the production of armored vehicles be completely reorganized as soon as possible. From now on, it was planned to produce only four types of vehicles: light reconnaissance tanks, medium battle tanks based on the old T-4, new heavy tanks ordered for production at the end of June 1941 of the T-6 Tiger tanks, as well as additional "heaviest" tanks.

Four days later, an order was given to develop a new 75-mm cannon, the barrel of which was lengthened from 1.8 m to 3.2 m, and which was supposed to replace the Stummel. The initial velocity of the projectile increased from 450 to 900 m/s - this was enough to destroy any T-34 from a distance of 1000-1500 m, even using high-explosive shells.

However, there were also tactical changes. Until now, the T-3 tanks formed the basis of the military equipment of the German tank divisions. They were supposed to fight enemy tanks, while the heavier T-4 tanks were originally designed as auxiliary vehicles to destroy targets that small-caliber guns could not handle. However, even in battles against French tanks it turned out that only the T-4 could become a serious opponent.

Each German tank regiment nominally had 60 T-3 tanks and 48 T-4 tanks, as well as other lighter tracked vehicles, some of which were produced in the Czech Republic. However, on July 1, 1941, in fact, on the entire eastern front, only 551 T-4 tanks were at the disposal of 19 fighting tank divisions. Despite the fact that the continuous supply of troops with armored vehicles in the amount of about 40 vehicles per month was carried out from factories in Germany for three army groups participating in hostilities in the Soviet Union, due to war-related interruptions in supplies, by the spring of 1942, the number of tanks increased only up to 552.

Nevertheless, according to Hitler's decision, T-4 tanks, which in the past were auxiliary vehicles, were to become the main combat vehicles of tank divisions. This also affected the subsequent modification of German combat vehicles, which at that time was under development, namely the T-5 tank, known as the Panther.

© RIA Novosti, RIA Novosti

This model, which began to be developed back in 1937, was put into production on November 25, 1941 and managed to gain experience in confronting T-34 tanks. It was the first German tank to have front and side armor plates mounted at an angle. However, it was clear that the supply of tanks of this model in more or less sufficient quantities could be realized no earlier than 1943.

Meanwhile, the T-4 tanks had to cope with the role of the main combat vehicles. The engineers of the companies involved in the development of armored vehicles, primarily Krupp in the city of Essen and Steyr-Puch in the city of St. Valentin (Lower Austria), managed to increase production by the new year and at the same time reorient it to the production of the F2 model, equipped with an elongated Kwk gun 40 supplied to the front since March 1942. Earlier, in January 1942, the production of 59 T-4 tanks in a month for the first time exceeded the established norm of 57 tanks.

Now the T-4 tanks in terms of artillery were approximately on par with the T-34 tanks, but they were still inferior to the powerful Soviet vehicles in terms of mobility. But at that time, another existing drawback was more important - the number of cars produced. For the whole of 1942, 964 T-4 tanks were produced, and only half of them were equipped with an elongated gun, while T-34s were produced in the amount of more than 12 thousand vehicles. And here even new guns could not change anything.

The materials of InoSMI contain only assessments of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI.

". Heavy, with powerful armor and a deadly 88 mm cannon, this tank was distinguished by perfect, truly Gothic beauty. However, the most important role in the history of World War II was played by a completely different machine - Panzerkampfwagen IV (or PzKpfw IV, as well as Pz.IV). In Russian historiography, it is usually called T IV.

Panzerkampfwagen IV is the most massive German tank of World War II. The combat path of this machine began in 1938 in Czechoslovakia, then there was Poland, France, the Balkans and Scandinavia. In 1941, it was the PzKpfw IV tank that was the only worthy opponent of the Soviet T-34s and KVs. Paradox: although, according to the main characteristics, the T IV was significantly inferior to the Tiger, but this particular vehicle can be called a symbol of the blitzkrieg, the main victories of German weapons are associated with it.

The biographies of this vehicle can only be envied: this tank fought in the African sands, in the snows of Stalingrad, and was preparing to land in England. The active development of the T IV medium tank began immediately after the Nazis came to power, and the T IV took its last battle in 1967 as part of the Syrian army, repelling the attacks of Israeli tanks on the Dutch heights.

A bit of history

After the end of the First World War, the Allies did everything possible to ensure that Germany would never again become a powerful military power. She was forbidden not only to have tanks, but even to engage in work in this area.

However, these restrictions could not prevent the German military from working on theoretical aspects use of armored forces. The concept of blitzkrieg, developed by Alfred von Schlieffen at the beginning of the 20th century, was finalized and supplemented by a number of talented German officers. Tanks not only found their place in it, they became one of its main elements.

Despite the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles, practical work over the creation of new models of tanks continued. Work was also underway on the organizational structure tank units. All this took place in an atmosphere of strict secrecy. After the Nationalists came to power, Germany abandoned the prohibitions and quickly began to create a new army.

The first German tanks put into serial production were the Pz.Kpfw.I and Pz.Kpfw.II light vehicles. "Edinichka", in fact, was a training vehicle, and Pz.Kpfw.II was intended for reconnaissance and was armed with a 20-mm cannon. The Pz.Kpfw.III was already considered a medium tank; it was armed with a 37 mm gun and three machine guns.

The decision to develop a new tank (Panzerkampfwagen IV), armed with a short-barreled 75 mm gun, was made in 1934. The main task of the vehicle was to be the direct support of infantry units, this tank was supposed to suppress enemy firing points (primarily anti-tank artillery). By design and layout new car largely repeated the Pz.Kpfw.III.

In January 1934, three companies at once received the terms of reference for the development of the tank: AG Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall. At that moment, Germany was still trying not to advertise the work on the types of weapons prohibited by the Versailles agreements. Therefore, the car was given the name Bataillonsführerwagen or B.W., which translates as "battalion commander's car."

The project developed by AG Krupp, VK 2001(K), was recognized as the best. The military was not satisfied with its spring suspension, they demanded to replace it with a more advanced one - a torsion bar, which provides the tank with a smoother ride. However, the designers managed to insist on their own. The German army was in dire need of a tank, and it could take a lot of time to develop a new suspension, it was decided to leave the suspension the same, only to seriously modify it.

Tank production and modifications

In 1936, mass production of new machines began. The first modification of the tank was the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A. The first samples of this tank had anti-bullet armor (15-20 mm) and poor protection for surveillance devices. Modification of the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A can be called pre-production. After the release of several dozen tanks PzKpfw IV Ausf. A, AG Krupp immediately received an order for the production of an improved Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. AT.

Model B had a hull of a different shape, it did not have a course machine gun, and viewing devices were improved (especially the commander's cupola). The front armor of the tank was increased to 30 mm. PzKpfw IV Ausf. B received a more powerful engine, a new gearbox, and its ammunition load was reduced. The mass of the tank increased to 17.7 tons, while its speed, thanks to the new power plant, increased to 40 km / h. A total of 42 Ausf tanks left the assembly line. AT.

The first modification of the T IV, which can be called truly massive, was the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. S. She appeared in 1938. Outwardly, this car differed little from the previous model, a new engine was installed on it, some more minor changes were made. In total, about 140 Ausf. FROM.

In 1939, the production of the following tank model began: Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D. Its main difference was the appearance of the outer mask of the tower. In this modification, the thickness of the side armor was increased (20 mm), and several more improvements were also made. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. D is latest model peacetime tank, before the start of the war, the Germans managed to make 45 Ausf.D tanks.

By September 1, 1939, the German army had 211 units of the T-IV tank of various modifications. These machines performed well during Polish campaign and became the main tanks of the German army. Combat experience showed that the weak point of the T-IV was its armor protection. Polish anti-tank guns they easily pierced both the armor of light tanks and heavier "fours".

Taking into account the experience gained in the first years of the war, a new modification of the machine was developed - Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. E. On this model, the frontal armor was reinforced with hinged plates 30 mm thick, and the side armor was 20 mm thick. The tank received a commander's turret of a new design, the shape of the turret was changed. Minor changes were made to the undercarriage of the tank, the design of hatches and viewing devices was improved. The weight of the machine has increased to 21 tons.

The installation of hinged armor screens was irrational and could only be considered as forced measure and a way to improve the protection of the first T-IV models. Therefore, the creation of a new modification, the design of which would take into account all the comments, was only a matter of time.

In 1941, the production of the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F model began, in which the hinged screens were replaced with integral armor. The thickness of the frontal armor was 50 mm, and the sides - 30 mm. As a result of these changes, the weight of the machine increased to 22.3 tons, which led to a significant increase in the specific load on the ground.

To eliminate this problem, the designers had to increase the width of the tracks and make changes to the undercarriage of the tank.

Initially, the T-IV was not suitable for destroying enemy armored vehicles, the "four" was considered an infantry fire support tank. Although, the tank's ammunition included armor-piercing shells, which allowed him to deal with enemy armored vehicles equipped with bulletproof armor.

However, the first encounters of German tanks with the T-34 and KV, which had powerful anti-shell armor, shocked the German tankers. The "Four" turned out to be absolutely ineffective against Soviet armored giants. The first wake-up call, which showed the futility of using the T-IV against powerful heavy tanks, was the combat clashes with the British Matilda tank in 1940-41.

Even then, it became clear that the PzKpfw IV should be equipped with another weapon that would be more suitable for destroying tanks.

At first, the idea was born to install a 50-mm gun with a length of 42 calibers on the T-IV, but the experience of the first battles on the Eastern Front showed that this gun was significantly inferior to the Soviet 76-mm gun, which was installed on the KV and T-34. The total superiority of Soviet armored vehicles over Wehrmacht tanks was a very unpleasant discovery for German soldiers and officers.

Already in November 1941, work began on the creation of a new 75-mm gun for the T-IV. Vehicles with the new gun received the abbreviation Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F2. However, the armor protection of these vehicles was still inferior to Soviet tanks.

It was this problem that German designers wanted to solve by developing a new modification of the tank at the end of 1942: Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G. In the frontal part of this tank, additional armor screens 30 mm thick were installed. A 75-mm cannon with a length of 48 calibers was installed on some of these machines.

The Ausf.H became the most mass-produced model of the T-IV; it first rolled off the assembly line in the spring of 1943. This modification practically did not differ from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G. A new transmission was installed on it and the roof of the tower was thickened.

Design description Pz.VI

The T-IV tank is made according to the classical scheme, with the power plant located in the rear of the hull, and the control compartment in the front.

The hull of the tank is welded, the slope of the armor plates is less rational than that of the T-34, but it provides more interior space for the vehicle. The tank had three compartments separated by bulkheads: control compartment, combat and power compartment.

In the department of management there was a place for a driver and a gunner-radio operator. It also contained a transmission, instruments and controls, a walkie-talkie and a course machine gun (not on all models).

In the fighting compartment, located in the center of the tank, there were three crew members: commander, gunner and loader. A cannon and a machine gun, observation and aiming devices, as well as ammunition were installed in the tower. The commander's cupola provided excellent visibility for the crew. The tower was turned by an electric drive. The gunner had a telescopic sight.

In the stern of the tank was the power plant. The T-IV was equipped with a 12-cylinder water-cooled carburetor engine of various models, developed by the Maybach company.

The "four" had a large number of hatches, which made life easier for the crew and technical staff, but reduced the security of the machine.

Suspension - spring, chassis consisted of 8 rubber-coated road wheels and 4 support rollers and a drive wheel.

Combat use

The first serious campaign in which the Pz.IV took part was the war against Poland. Early modifications of the tank had weak armor and became easy prey for the Polish gunners. During this conflict, the Germans lost 76 Pz.IV units, 19 of which were irretrievable.

In the fighting against France, the opponents of the "fours" were not only anti-tank guns, but also tanks. The French Somua S35 and the English Matildas showed themselves worthy.

In the German army, tank classification was based on the caliber of the gun, so the Pz.IV was considered a heavy tank. However, with the outbreak of war on the Eastern Front, the Germans saw what a real heavy tank was. The USSR also had an overwhelming advantage in the number of combat vehicles: at the beginning of the war in western districts there were more than 500 KV tanks. The short-barreled gun Pz.IV could not cause any harm to these giants even at close range.

It should be noted that the German command very quickly drew conclusions and began modifying the "fours". Already at the beginning of 1942, modifications of the Pz.IV with a long gun began to appear on the Eastern Front. The armor protection of the vehicle was also increased. All this made it possible for German tankers to fight the T-34 and KV on an equal footing. Given the best ergonomics of German cars, excellent sights, Pz.IV became a very dangerous opponent.

After installing a long-barreled gun (48 calibers) on the T-IV, its combat characteristics increased even more. After that, the German tank could hit both Soviet and American vehicles without entering the range of their guns.

It should be noted the speed with which changes were made to the design of the Pz.IV. If we take the Soviet "thirty-four", then many of its shortcomings were revealed even at the stage of factory testing. It took the leadership of the USSR several years of war and huge losses to start modernizing the T-34.

The German T-IV tank can be called very balanced and universal machine. In later heavy German vehicles, there is a clear bias towards security. The "Four" can be called a unique machine in terms of the reserve for modernization inherent in it.

It cannot be said that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. He had flaws, the main of which can be called insufficient engine power and an outdated suspension. The power plant clearly did not match the mass of later models. The use of a rigid leaf spring suspension reduced the maneuverability of the vehicle and its cross-country ability. The installation of a long gun significantly increased the combat characteristics of the tank, but it created an additional load on the front rollers of the tank, which led to its significant rocking of the vehicle.

Equipping the Pz.IV with anti-cumulative screens was also not a very good decision. Cumulative ammunition was rarely used, the screens only increased the weight of the vehicle, its dimensions and worsened the visibility of the crew. It was also a very expensive idea to paint the tanks with zimmerite, a special anti-magnetic paint against magnetic mines.

However, many historians consider the start of production of heavy Panther and Tiger tanks to be the biggest miscalculation of the German leadership. Almost the entire war, Germany was limited in resources. The "Tiger" was a really great tank: powerful, comfortable, with a deadly weapon. But also very expensive. In addition, both the "Tiger" and "Panther" were able to get rid of many "childhood" diseases that are inherent in any new technology until the end of the war.

There is an opinion that if the resources spent on the production of "Panthers" were used to produce additional "fours", then this would create much more problems for the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Specifications

Video about the tank Panzerkampfwagen IV

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