Land Weapons

Medium Tank (1938)

Krupp

Panzer IV

Panzer IV Ausf H (Heer)
Ausf E
Ausf H

The Panzer IV had the distinction of being the most widely produced German tank of the war, and the only to be produced throughout the whole duration of the European war. It was designed alongside the Pz III as one of the two standard medium tank designs, but focused on supporting infantry rather than in an anti-tank role. As a result, it was equipped with a high-caliber gun (the 7.5cm KwK L/24) that could fire high explosive rounds. Aside from that, the layout and design was broadly similar to the Pz III, the main visual difference being a turret mounted closer to the rear of the hull (the turret also had an electric traverse rather than manual as in the Pz III). Like the Pz III, the turret ring was large enough to allow a wide variety of armament configurations as the tank gradually assumed a more prominent anti-armor role. Mechanical performance was considered good while armor protection was gradually improved as it was initially deemed to be inadequate. Later in the war, many were fitted with Schürzen side and turret skirts which gave them their characteristic late-war appearance while some others had Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste added as well. A small number of Pz IVs were in action during the invasion of Poland, and numbers gradually increased until it composed the bulk of Germany's tank strength with the Pz III by the time of Operation Barbarossa. By 1942, the eventual fitting of a high-velocity 7.5cm KwK 40 gave it a significant boost in firepower, enabling it to remain competitive against almost all Allied tanks that it was to face, including the Sherman and the T-34 until the end of the war and long after the Pz III had been retired from front-line service. The Pz IV was also exported in large numbers to Germany's allies, which included Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Italy, Rumania and Hungary, as well as Spain and Turkey. A small number of Pz IVs found their way to Syria and these served well into the post-war era, seeing combat during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Origins of the PzKpfw IV (SdKfz 161) began as early as 1935 under the same specification that called for the Pz III. The initial Ausf A and B were built in small numbers but saw action in the early blitzkrieg campaigns, the latter had a six-speed transmission, thicker armor and a revised cupola. The Ausf C was built in larger quantities and had mostly had modest improvements, while the Ausf D had various armor improvements including extra bolt on plates and a thicker mantlet; even thicker plates were added to the Ausf E in addition to a redesigned cupola. The Ausf F came in two versions, the first of which had extra all-around armor as well as wider tracks, while the Ausf F2 was the first to be fitted with the long-barreled 7.5cm KwK 40 gun giving it vastly improved anti-tank capability as it was capable of defeating all Allied armor in mid-1942. The Ausf G that followed was initially identical to the F but later versions had various design improvements as well as Schürzen skirts to the turret and hull sides. It was followed by the Ausf H, the most widely produced version, with a new transmission and thicker base armor. The final tank variant was the Ausf J, which replaced the electric traverse with a manual one, increased the turret armor, among other modifications. Non-tank variants included the Tauchpanzer IV submersible tank, Pz Bef Wg command or observation post tank, Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär (SdKfz 167) and StuG IV (SdKfz 167) assault guns, and Jagdpanzer IV (SdKfz 162) tank destroyer. The chassis was also used for the Hornisse and Nashorn self-propelled anti-tank guns, and Hummel self-propelled howitzer. Anti-tank plaforms included the 3.7cm FlaK, Wirbelwind, and Ostwind I. Non-combat variants included the Brükenleger IV bridgelayer and the Bergepanzer IV recovery vehicle along with numerous experimental or prototype versions. Many variants are described separately.

Preceded by:

Panzer III (1937)

Related:

StuG IV (1942)
Jagdpanzer IV (1944)

Succeeded by:

Panther (1943)

Datafile

DesignPzKpfw IV Ausf CPzKpfw IV Ausf EPzKpfw IV Ausf GPzKpfw IV Ausf HPzKpfw IV Ausf J
TypeMedium TankMedium TankMedium TankMedium TankMedium Tank
Year19391941194219431944
Crew55555
Dimensions
Length (w/Gun)5.92 m5.92 m5.92 m (6.62 m)5.92 m (7.02 m)5.92 m (7.02 m)
Width2.830 m2.840 m2.840 m2.880 m2.880 m
Height2.680 m2.680 m2.680 m2.680 m2.680 m
Ground Clearance0 m0 m0 m0 m0 m
Track0 m0 m0 m0 m0 m
Track on Ground0 m0 m0 m0 m0 m
Weight
Combat19,000 kg21,000 kg23,000 kg25,000 kg25,000 kg
Ground Pressure0.77 kg/cm²0.91 kg/cm²0.84 kg/cm²0.77 kg/cm²0.89 kg/cm²
SuspensionLeaf springsLeaf springsLeaf springsLeaf springsLeaf springs
Performance
Speed (Off-Road)40 km/h (20 km/h)42 km/h (20 km/h)40 km/h (16 km/h)38 km/h (16 km/h)38 km/h (16 km/h)
Range (Off-Road)200 km (95 km)200 km (95 km)210 km (130 km)210 km (130 km)320 km (210 km)
AmphibiousNoNoNoNoNo
Fording0.80 m0.80 m1 m1.20 m1.20 m
Vertical Obstacle0.60 m0.60 m0.60 m0.60 m0.60 m
Trench2.30 m2.30 m2.20 m2.20 m2.20 m
Gradient30%30%30%30%30%
Powerplant
Engine1 x 300-hp
Maybach
HL 120 TR
1 x 300-hp
Maybach
HL 120 TRM
1 x 300-hp
Maybach
HL 120 TRM
1 x 300-hp
Maybach
HL 120 TRM
1 x 300-hp
Maybach
HL 120 TRM112
FuelGasolineGasolineGasolineGasolineGasoline
Power/Weight15.79 hp/t14.29 hp/t13.04 hp/t12.00 hp/t12.00 hp/t
Armament
Main1 x 75-mm L/24
7.5cm KwK 37

Rifled Gun
↑ 20° / ↓ -10° / ↔ 360°
1 x 75-mm L/24
7.5cm KwK 37

Rifled Gun
↑ 20° / ↓ -8° / ↔ 360°
1 x 75-mm L/43
7.5cm KwK 40 L/43

Rifled Gun
↑ 20° / ↓ -8° / ↔ 360°
1 x 75-mm L/43
7.5cm KwK 40 L/48

Rifled Gun
↑ 20° / ↓ -8° / ↔ 360°
1 x 75-mm L/43
7.5cm KwK 40 L/48

Rifled Gun
↑ 20° / ↓ -8° / ↔ 360°
SecondaryCoaxial:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Coaxial:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Bow:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Coaxial:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Bow:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Coaxial:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Bow:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Coaxial:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Bow:
1 x 7.92-mm
MG 34
Ammo7.92-mm: 2,400
7.92-mm: 2,700
7.92-mm: 3,000
7.92-mm: 3,150
7.92-mm: 3,150
Armor
TypeSteelSteel/AppliquéSteel/AppliquéSteelSteel
Thickness5 - 30 mm10 - 60 mm10 - 50 mm10 - 80 mm10 - 80 mm
Max Effective30 - 31 mm RHAe40 - 60 mm RHAe51 - 58 mm RHAe58 - 82 mm RHAe58 - 83 mm RHAe
Hull Upper Front30 mm / 7°60 mm / 7°50 mm / 10°80 mm / 10°80 mm / 8°
Hull Lower Front30 mm / 12°50 mm / 15°50 mm / 12°80 mm / 12°80 mm / 15°
Hull Upper Sides15 mm40 mm30 mm30 mm30 mm
Hull Lower Sides15 mm40 mm30 mm30 mm30 mm
Hull Lower Rear15 mm20 mm20 mm20 mm20 mm
Hull Top12 mm / 85°12 mm / 84°12 mm / 85°12 mm / 85°12 mm / 85°
Hull Bottom5 mm10 mm10 mm10 mm10 mm
Turret Mantlet30 mm / Round35 mm / 29°50 mm / 30°50 mm / 30°50 mm / 30°
Turret Front30 mm / 10°30 mm / 10°50 mm / 11°50 mm / 10°50 mm / 10°
Turret Sides15 mm / 25°20 mm / 24°30 mm / 26°30 mm / 26°30 mm / 25°
Turret Rear15 mm / 24°20 mm / 14°30 mm / 10°30 mm / 15°30 mm / 15°
Turret Top10 mm / 83°10 mm / 83°10 mm / 83°15 mm / 84°26 mm
Production
Built1342231,6873,7741,758
Total8,569

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