Panzer IV
| General Characteristics (Ausf H) | |
| Length: | 5.89 m |
| Width: | 2.88 m |
| Height: | 2.68 m |
| Weight: | 23 t |
| Speed: | 38 km/h (road) 16 km/h (off-road) |
| Range: | 300 km |
| Primary armament: | 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 gun |
| Secondary armament: | Two 7.92mm machine guns |
| Power plant: | 224 kW (300 hp) |
| Crew: | 5 (Commander, gunner, loader, driver and radio operator) |
The Panzer IV is a German medium tank used in World War II.
| Table of contents |
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2 Combat History 3 Design 4 Armor 5 Armament 6 Movement 7 Crew 8 See Also |
Production History
The first prototypes of the Panzer IV were designed in 1934. Production started in October 1937.
The Panzer IV was the workhorse of the German tank corps, being produced and used in combat throughout the entire war. Panzer IVs saw combat on all the major European fronts, and most of the minor ones. The design was upgraded repeatedly to deal with the changing threats from enemy forces.
Krupp, Rheinmetall, and MAN all produced prototypes, which were tested in 1935. As a result of the trials, Krupp was selected as the manufacturer of the Panzer IV. The first Panzer IV A was produced in October of 1937, with a total of 35 produced over the next six months.
Between 1937 and 1940, attempts were made to standardize parts between Krupp's Panzer IV and Daimler-Benz's Panzer III.
Although originally intended as an infantry support tank, starting with the Panzer IV F2 model, the design was modified to allow it to take over the Panzer III's role as a main battle tank, the Panzer III being unable to mount the more powerful gun needed to take out opposing tanks such as the Soviet T-34.
All models of the Panzer IV had a 7.62mm machine gun mounted coaxially with the turret, and all except the IV B and IV C had a second 7.62mm gun in the hull.
Like all of Germany's World War II tanks, the Panzer II was fueled by gasoline.
Major Variants
As the workhorse tank of the German army, there were numerous other variants, such as command tanks with a dummy gun and long-range radios, amphibious tanks, bridgelayer tanks, engineering tanks with cranes or winches, artillery observation tanks, and ammunition carriers.Combat History
Used in the campaigns agains Poland, France, the Soviet Union and in North Africa.Design
On January 11, 1934, the Army Weapons Department drew up specifications for a medium tank, with a maximum weight of 24,000 kg. It was intended for artillery support, using a low-velocity, large-caliber gun firing high-explosive shells.Armor
The Panzer IV A had 15mm of slightly sloped homogenous steel armor on all sides, with 10mm of armor on the top and 5mm on the bottom. This was deemed sufficient, as the Panzer IV was intended for anti-infantry work, while Panzer IIIs were to deal with opposing tanks. In practice, Panzer IVs would frequently face enemy tanks and anti-tank guns unsupported, and the armor was upgraded to 30mm on the front hull in the Panzer IV B, 50mm in the IV E, and 80mm in the IV H, with armor on the sides and rear increased as well. Further, Panzer IVs frequently had armor skirts or additional layers of armor added in the field.Armament
As the Panzer IV was intended to fill an anti-infantry combat role, early models were fitted with a low-velocity 75mm KwK37 L/24 gun firing high-explosive shells. After the Germans encountered the Soviet T-34, the Panzer IV F2 and some IV G models were armed with high-velocity 75mm KwK40 L/43 anti-tank guns. Later IV G models, and all later Panzer IVs, were armed with the longer 75mm KwK40 L/48 anti-tank gun.Movement
The Panzer IV A was powered by a 230hp, 12-cylinder Maybach HL 108 TR engine, giving a top speed of 30km/h (18mph) and a range of 150km (95mi). All later models were powered by the 320hp, 12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM engine. Top speed varied among models, depending on the transmission, armor, and gun, but was around 40km/h (25mph). The range was generally around 200km (125mi).Crew
The Panzer IV had a crew of five. In the turret were the commander, gunner, and loader, while the driver and machine-gunner/radio operator sat in the forward hull.See Also