What to put on PZ 4. Medium German tank Tiger Panzerkampfwagen IV

No one at the Krupp plant in 1936 could have imagined that this massive vehicle, equipped with a short-barreled infantry support gun and considered auxiliary, would be so widely used. With a final total of 9,000 units, it became the most mass-produced tank ever produced in Germany , whose production volumes, despite shortages of materials, grew until the very last days of World War II in Europe.

Wehrmacht workhorse

Despite the fact that there were fighting vehicles more modern than the German T-4 tank - "Tiger", "Panther" and "Royal Tiger", it not only constituted the majority of the Wehrmacht's weapons, but was also part of many elite SS divisions. The recipe for success was probably the large hull and turret, ease of maintenance, reliability and robust chassis, which allowed for an expanded array of weapons compared to the Panzer III. From the Model A to the F1, early versions using a short 75 mm barrel were gradually replaced by the "long" ones, F2 to H, with a very effective high-velocity gun inherited from the Pak 40, which could cope with the Soviet KV-1 and T -34. In the end, the T-4 (photo presented in the article) completely surpassed the Panzer III both in numbers and in its capabilities.

Krupp prototype design

It was originally assumed that the German T-4 tank, technical specifications which were determined in 1934 by the Waffenamt, would serve as an “escort vehicle” in order to conceal its true role, prohibited by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

Heinz Guderian took part in the development of the concept. This new model was to become an infantry support tank and be deployed in the rear guard. It was planned that at the battalion level one such vehicle should be for every three Panzer IIIs. Unlike the T-3, which was equipped with a variant of the standard 37 mm Pak 36 gun with good anti-tank performance, the short barrel of the Panzer IV howitzer could be used against all types of fortifications, blockhouses, pillboxes, anti-tank guns and artillery positions.

Initially, the weight limit for a combat vehicle was 24 tons. MAN, Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig created three prototypes, and Krupp received the main contract. The suspension was initially completely new, with six alternating wheels. Later the Army required the installation of rod springs, which provided better vertical deflection. Compared to the previous system, this made the ride smoother, but the need for a new tank stopped further development. Krupp returned to a more traditional system with four twin-wheel bogies and leaf springs for easier servicing. A crew of five was planned - three were in the turret (commander, loader and gunner), and the driver and radio operator were in the hull. The fighting compartment was relatively spacious, with improved sound insulation in the rear engine compartment. The inside of the German T-4 tank (photos in the material illustrate this) was equipped with an onboard communication system and radio.

Although not very noticeable, the Panzer IV's hull is asymmetrical, with the turret offset 6.5 cm to the left and the engine 15 cm to the right. This was done in order to directly connect the turret ring to the transmission for faster rotation. As a result, the ammunition boxes were located on the right.

The prototype, developed and built in 1936 at the Krupp AG plant in Magdeburg, was designated Versuchskraftfahrzeug 622 by the Army Weapons Office. However, in the new pre-war nomenclature it quickly became known as the Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sd.Kfz. 161).

The tank had a Maybach HL108TR gasoline engine with a power of 250 hp. s., and a SGR 75 gearbox with five forward and one reverse gears. The maximum speed tested on a flat surface was 31 km/h.

75 mm gun - low-velocity Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 37 L/24. This weapon was intended for firing at concrete fortifications. However, some anti-tank capability was provided by the Panzergranate armor-piercing projectile, whose speed reached 440 m/s. It could penetrate a 43 mm sheet of steel at a distance of 700 m. Two MG-34 machine guns completed the armament, one coaxial and the other at the front of the vehicle.

In the first batch of Type A tanks, the thickness of the hull armor did not exceed 15 mm and the turret armor did not exceed 20 mm. Although it was hardened steel, such protection could only withstand light firearms, light artillery and grenade launcher fragments.

Early "short" preliminary episodes

The German T-4 A tank was a kind of preliminary series of 35 units produced in 1936. The next one was the Ausf. B with a modified commander's canopy, a new Maybach HL 120TR engine developing 300 hp. pp., as well as a new transmission SSG75.

Despite the extra weight, top speed has increased to 39 km/h and protection has been enhanced. The thickness of the armor reached 30 mm in the front inclined part of the hull and 15 mm in other places. In addition, the machine gun was protected by a new hatch.

After the production of 42 vehicles, production switched to the German T-4 C tank. The thickness of the armor on the turret increased to 30 mm. The total weight was 18.15 tons. After delivery of 40 units in 1938, the tank was improved by installing a new Maybach HL 120TRM engine for the next hundred vehicles. It is quite logical that modification D followed. The Dora can be distinguished by the machine gun newly installed on the hull and the embrasure placed outside. The thickness of the side armor increased to 20 mm. A total of 243 vehicles of this model were manufactured, the last of which was at the beginning of 1940. Modification D was the last pre-production one, after which the command decided to increase the scale of production.

Standardization

The German T-4 E tank was the first large-scale series to be produced during the war. Although many studies and reports point to the lack of penetration of the Panzer III's 37mm gun, replacing it was not possible. Looking for a solution to conduct testing on one prototype Panzer IV Ausf. D, a modification of the Pak 38 medium-velocity 50 mm cannon was installed. The initial order for 80 units was canceled after the end of the French campaign. In tank battles, in particular against the British Matilda and the French B1 bis, it finally became clear that the thickness of the armor was insufficient and the penetrating power of the gun was weak. In Ausf. E retained the short-barreled KwK 37L/24 gun, but the thickness of the front armor was increased to 50 mm, with 30 mm steel plate covers as a temporary measure. By April 1941, when this modification was replaced by Ausf. F, its production reached 280 units.

The last "short" model

Another modification significantly changed the German T-4 tank. The characteristics of the early F model, renamed F1 when the next one was introduced, changed due to the replacement of the front cover plate with a 50 mm plate and an increase in the thickness of the side parts of the hull and turret to 30 mm. The total weight of the tank increased to over 22 tons, which forced other changes such as increasing the width of the tracks from 380 to 400 mm to reduce ground pressure, with a corresponding change in the two idler and drive wheels. The F1 was produced in 464 units before its replacement in March 1942.

The first "long"

Even with the armor-piercing Panzergranate round, the Panzer IV's low-velocity gun was no match for heavily armored tanks. In the context of the upcoming campaign in the USSR, a decision had to be made on a major upgrade of the T-3 tank. The now available Pak 38L/60 gun, the effectiveness of which has been confirmed, was intended for installation in the Panzer IV turret. In November 1941, the prototype was completed and production was scheduled. But during the first battles with the Soviet KV-1 and T-34, production of the 50 mm gun, also used in the Panzer III, was discontinued in favor of a new, more powerful model from Rheinmetall based on the 75 mm Pak 40L/46 gun. This led to the development of the KwK 40L/43, a relatively long caliber equipped to reduce recoil. The initial velocity of the Panzergranade 39 projectile exceeded 990 m/s. It could penetrate 77 mm armor at a distance of up to 1850 m. After the creation of the first prototype in February 1942, mass production of the F2 began. By July, 175 units had been manufactured. In June, the German T-4 F2 tank was renamed T-4 G, but for the Waffenamt both types were designated as Sd.Kfz.161/1. In some documents the model is called F2/G.

Transitional model

The German T-4 G tank was an improved version of the F2 with changes related to saving metal through the use of progressive frontal armor, thicker at the base. The frontal glacis was reinforced with a new 30mm plate, increasing the thickness to 80mm in total. This was enough to successfully counter the Soviet 76 mm gun and 76.2 mm anti-tank gun. At first they decided to bring only half of production to this standard, but in January 1943 Adolf Hitler personally ordered a complete transition. However, the weight of the car increased to 23.6 tons, revealing the limitations of the chassis and transmission.

The German T-4 tank has undergone significant changes inside. Turret inspection slits have been eliminated, engine ventilation and low-temperature ignition have been improved, and additional spare tire holders and track link brackets have been installed on the glacis. They also served as temporary protection. The headlights were updated, the armored dome was strengthened and modified.

Later versions in the spring of 1943 added side armor on the hull and turret, as well as smoke grenade launchers. But most importantly, a new, more powerful KwK 40L/48 gun has appeared. After the production of 1,275 standard and 412 improved tanks, production shifted towards the Ausf.H model.

Main version

The German T-4 N tank (photo below) was equipped with a new long-barreled KwK 40L/48 gun. Further changes concerned ease of production - the side inspection slots were removed, and spare parts common to the Panzer III were used. In total, until the next modification of Ausf. J in June 1944, 3774 vehicles were assembled.

In December 1942, Krupp received an order for a tank with fully sloped armor, which due to the additional weight required the development of a new chassis, transmission and possibly engine. However, production began with an updated version of the Ausf.G. The German T-4 tank received a new ZF Zahnradfabrik SSG-76 gearbox, a new set of radio stations (FU2 and 5, and internal communication). The thickness of the frontal armor increased to 80 mm without overlay plates. The weight of the H reached 25 tons in combat gear, and the maximum speed was reduced to 38 km/h, and in real combat conditions to 25 km/h, and much less over rough terrain. By the end of 1943, the German T-4 N tank began to be coated with Zimmerit paste, the air filters were updated, and an anti-aircraft machine for the MG 34 was installed on the turret.

Latest simplified model

The last tank, the German T-4 J, was assembled at the Nibelungwerke in St. Valentin, Austria, as Vomag and Krupp now had other missions, and was subject to simplifications aimed at greater mass production and which rarely found support among the crews. For example, the electric drive of the turret was removed, aiming was done manually, which made it possible to increase the volume of the fuel tank by 200 liters, increasing the operating range to 300 km. Other modifications included the removal of the turret's viewing window, loopholes and anti-aircraft gun in favor of mounting a smoke grenade launcher. "Zimmerit" was no longer used, as were the Schürzen anti-cumulative "skirts", replaced by cheaper mesh panels. The engine radiator housing has also been simplified. The drive has lost one return roller. Two mufflers with flame arresters appeared, as well as a mount for a 2-ton crane. In addition, the SSG 77 transmission from the Panzer III was used, although it was clearly overloaded. Despite these sacrifices, due to constant Allied bombing, deliveries were in jeopardy, and in total only 2,970 tanks were built out of a planned 5,000 by the end of March 1945.

Modifications

German tank T-4: tactical and technical characteristics

Parameter
Height, m
Width, m
Body/forehead armor, mm
Turret body/front, mm
Machine guns
Shot/Pat.
Max. speed, km/h
Max. distance, km
Prev. ditch, m
Prev. walls, m
Prev. ford, m

I must say that large number The Panzer IV tanks that survived the Second World War were not lost or scrapped, but were used for their intended purpose in countries such as Bulgaria and Syria. Some of them were equipped with the new Soviet heavy machine gun. They took part in the battles for the Golan Heights during the 1965 war and in 1967. Today, German T-4 tanks are part of museum displays and private collections around the world, and dozens of them are still in working order.

Modern battle tanks of Russia and the world photos, videos, pictures watch online. This article gives an idea of ​​the modern tank fleet. It is based on the principle of classification used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, others have already become museum pieces. And just for 10 years! Follow in the footsteps of Jane's Guide and skip this one combat vehicle(very interesting in design and fiercely discussed at one time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, was considered unfair by the authors.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of weapon for the ground forces. The tank was and will probably remain a modern weapon for a long time due to its ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable crew protection. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technology accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers in combat properties and achievements of the military-technical level. In the eternal confrontation between “projectile and armor”, as practice shows, protection against projectiles is increasingly being improved, acquiring new qualities: activity, multi-layeredness, self-defense. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.

Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to make quick maneuvers on off-road, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, cause panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and tracks . The war of 1939-1945 became the most difficult test for all of humanity, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was a clash of the titans - the most unique period that theorists debated in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all belligerents. At this time, a “lice test” and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank forces took place. And it is the Soviet tank forces that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle have become a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, which had lost most of its European territories and had difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, was able to release powerful tank formations onto the battlefields already in 1943? This book is intended to answer these questions, telling about the development of Soviet tanks “during the testing days ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from Russian archives and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that remained in my memory with some kind of depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and only stopped at the beginning of forty-three,” said the former general designer of the self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, “some kind of pre-storm state was felt.

Tanks of the Second World War It was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of “the wisest of the wise leaders of all nations”), who was able to create the tank that a few years later would shock the German tank generals. And not only that, he not only created it, the designer managed to prove to these military fools that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked "motor vehicle." The author is in slightly different positions, which formed in him after meeting the pre-war documents of the Russian State Military Academy and the Russian State Academy of Economics. Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something “generally accepted.” This work describes the history of Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of the entire activity of design bureaus and people's commissariats in general. during the frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, transfer industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia the author would like to express his special gratitude to M. Kolomiets for his assistance in selecting and processing materials, and also thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication “Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941” , since this book helped to understand the fate of some projects that was previously unclear. I would also like to remember with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former chief designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War Soviet Union. For some reason today it is common for us to talk about 1937-1938. only from the point of view of repression, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime...” From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinky.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time was heard from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer and closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to transform from “mechanized cavalry” (in which one of its combat qualities was emphasized at the expense of others) into a balanced combat vehicle, simultaneously possessing powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good maneuverability and mobility with armor protection capable of maintaining its combat effectiveness when fired upon by the most massive anti-tank weapons of a potential enemy.

It was recommended that large tanks be supplemented with only special tanks - amphibious tanks, chemical tanks. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was strengthened by moving from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form three additional mechanized corps in addition to the four existing mechanized corps in 1938, believing that these formations were immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they required a different rear organization. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, were adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov, the new boss demanded that the armor of the new tanks be strengthened so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The newest tanks in the world, when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one stage...” This problem could be solved in two ways: Firstly, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly, by “using increased armor resistance." It is not difficult to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially strengthened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its durability by 1.2-1.5 times. It was this path (the use of especially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.

Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most widely used, the properties of which were identical in all areas. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of armor making, craftsmen sought to create just such armor, because homogeneity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of an armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. This is how heterogeneous (non-uniform) armor came into use.

For military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a consequence) to an increase in fragility. Thus, the most durable armor, all other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often chipped even from the explosions of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production, when producing homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the maximum possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened armor with carbon and silicon saturation was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, treating a hot plate with a jet of illuminating gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required large expenses and improved production standards.

Wartime tanks, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But it was still expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in level of protection to the same one, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in weight.
Also, by the mid-1930s, tank building had learned to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known from late XIX century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks fire video up to half the thickness of the slab, which was, of course, worse than cementation, since while the hardness of the surface layer was higher than with cementation, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the “Krupp method” in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even slightly more than cementation. But the hardening technology that was used for thick naval armor was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost not used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use of tanks The most proven tank gun was the 45-mm tank gun model 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain it was believed that its power was quite sufficient to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that a 45-mm gun can only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even shelling of manpower in mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point in the event of a direct hit . Firing at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the low high-explosive effect of a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photos so that even one shell hit can reliably disable an anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun on the armor of a potential enemy, since using the example of French tanks (which already had an armor thickness of about 40-42 mm), it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly strengthened. There was a sure way for this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun larger caliber fires heavier projectiles with a higher initial velocity over a greater distance without aiming correction.

The best tanks in the world had a cannon large caliber, also has a larger breech, significantly greater weight and increased recoil response. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, placing large-sized rounds in a closed tank volume led to a decrease in transportable ammunition.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give the order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik design bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained in the wild, who, since the beginning of 1935, had been trying to develop his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the staff of Plant No. 8 was slowly finishing the “forty-five”.

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one has been accepted..." In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, work on which was carried out in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to series. Moreover, despite the decisions At the very top levels of the transition in tank construction exclusively to diesel engines, this process was constrained by a number of factors. Of course, diesel had significant efficiency. It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour. Diesel fuel was less susceptible to fire, since the flash point of its vapor was very high. high.

New tanks video, even the most advanced of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required a reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (they did not yet have their own machines of the required accuracy), financial investments and strengthening of personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel would produce 180 hp. will go to production tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to determine the causes of tank engine failures, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not implemented. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder engine was also started. gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp.

Brands of tanks had specific indicators that suited tank builders quite well. The tanks were tested according to new technique, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to combat service in wartime. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop movement) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a “platform” with obstacles, “swimming” in water with an additional load that simulated an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for inspection.

Super tanks online, after improvement work, seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general progress of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during testing, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. Chief designer N. Astrov was removed from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new turret with improved protection. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank more ammunition for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (previously there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one production model of the tank in 1938-1939. The torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the design bureau of plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar did not show good enough results in tests, and therefore the torsion bar suspension did not immediately pave the way for itself in the course of further work. Obstacles to be overcome: climbs of at least 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, covered ditch 2-2.5 m."

YouTube about tanks, work on the production of prototypes of the D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes." Justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that the wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 or 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank variant (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully satisfy the ABTU requirements. Option 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull. according to the type of hull, but with vertical side sheets of cemented armor 10-13 mm thick, since: “The inclined sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) widening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

Video reviews of tanks in which the tank’s power unit was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was being developed by industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. 1st grade gasoline was placed in the tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully corresponded to the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK 12.7 mm caliber and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS is listed) 7.62 mm caliber. The combat weight of the tank with torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with spring suspension - 5.26 tons. Tests took place from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, with special attention being paid to tanks.

On January 11, 1934, at a meeting of the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate, the basic principles of arming tank divisions were approved. Soon after this, a prototype of the future PzKpfw IV tank was born, which for conspiracy purposes was called the already familiar definition of “medium tractor” - Mittleren Tractor. When the need for secrecy disappeared and the combat vehicle began to be openly called the tank of the battalion commander - Batail-lonfuhrerswagen (BW).

This name lasted until the introduction of a unified designation system for German tanks, when the BW finally became the PzKpfw IV medium tank. Medium tanks were supposed to serve as infantry support. The weight of the vehicle was not supposed to exceed 24 tons, and it was supposed to be armed with a short-barreled 75-mm cannon. It was decided to borrow the general layout, the thickness of the armor plates, the principle of crew placement and other characteristics from the previous tank - PzKpfw III. Work on creating a new tank began in 1934. The Rheinmetall-Borsig company was the first to present a plywood model of the future machine, and the following year a real prototype appeared, designated VK 2001/Rh.

The prototype was made of mild welded steel and weighed approximately 18 tons. No sooner had he left the walls of the manufacturing plant than he was immediately sent for testing to Kummersdorf. (It was in Kummersdorf that Adolf Hitler first became acquainted with Wehrmacht tanks. During this familiarization trip, Hitler showed great interest in the issues of motorization of the army and the creation of armored forces. Chief of Staff of the Armored Forces Guderian arranged demonstration tests of motorized mechanized forces for the Reich Chancellor. Hitler was shown motorcycle and anti-tank platoons , as well as platoons of light and heavy armored vehicles, according to Guderian, the Fuhrer was very pleased with the visit.)

PzKpfw IV and PzKpfw III tanks at Tankfest in Bovington

Daimler-Benz, Krupp and MAN also built their prototypes of the new tank. Krupp presented a combat vehicle, almost similar to the prototype of the platoon commander’s vehicle they had previously proposed and rejected. After the tests, the technical department of the tank forces chose the VK 2001/K version, proposed by Krupp, for mass production, making minor changes to its design. In 1936, the first prototype of the 7.5 cm Geschiitz-Panzerwagen tank (VsKfz 618) was built, an armored vehicle with a 75 mm cannon (experimental model 618).

The initial order was for 35 vehicles, which were produced by the Friedrich Krupp AG factories in Essen between October 1936 and March 1937. Thus began the production of the most massive German tank, which remained in service with the armored forces of the Third Reich until the very end of the war. The PzKpfw IV medium tank owes its high combat characteristics entirely to the designers, who brilliantly coped with the task of enhancing the armor and firepower of the tank without making significant changes to the basic design.

MODIFICATIONS OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A became the model for the creation of all subsequent modifications. The armament of the new tank consisted of a 75mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon, coaxial with a turret machine gun, and a front-mounted machine gun located in the hull. The power plant was a 12-cylinder carburetor liquid-cooled Maybach HL 108TR engine, which developed a power of 250 hp. The hull also housed an additional engine that drove an electric generator, which provided power to the electric drive for rotating the turret. The combat weight of the tank was 17.3 tons, the thickness of the frontal armor reached 20 mm.

A characteristic feature of the Pz IV Ausf A tank was the cylindrical commander's cupola with eight viewing slots covered with armored glass blocks.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A

The chassis, applied to one side, consisted of eight road wheels, interlocked in pairs into four bogies, suspended on quarter-elliptical leaf springs. There were four small road wheels on top. The drive wheel is front-mounted. The guide wheel (sloth) had a mechanism for tensioning the tracks. It should be noted that this design of the chassis of the PzKpfw IV Ausf A tank was practically not subject to significant changes in the future. The PzKpfw IV Ausf A tank is the first production tank of this type.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A (SdKfz 161)

Date of creation......................... 1935 (the first tank appeared in 1937)
Combat weight (t) ........................... 18.4
Dimensions (m):
length........................5.0
width........................2.9
height........................2.65
Armament: ............ main 1 x 75 mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon secondary 2 x 7.92 mm MG 13 machine guns
Ammunition - main...................122 rounds
Armor (mm): ....................maximum 15 minimum 5
Engine type...................Maybach HL 108 TR (3000 rpm)
Maximum power (hp) .................250
Crew...................5 people
Maximum speed (km/h) ..................32
Cruising range (km)....................150

The following tank modification: PzKpfw IV Ausf B- featured an improved Maybach HL 120TRM engine with a power of 300 hp. at 3000 rpm and a new six-speed ZFSSG 76 gearbox instead of the five-speed SSG 75. The main difference between the PzKpfw FV Ausf B was the use of a straight body plate instead of the broken one of its predecessor. At the same time, the front-mounted machine gun was dismantled. In its place was a radio operator’s viewing device, which could fire personal weapons through the loophole. Frontal armor increased to 30 mm, due to which the combat weight increased to 17.7 tons. The commander's cupola also underwent changes, whose viewing slots were covered with removable covers. The order for the new “four” (still called 2/BW) was 45 vehicles, however, due to a lack of necessary parts and materials, the Krupp company was able to produce only 42.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf B

Tanks PzKpfw IV version Ausf C appeared in 1938 and differed very little from the Ausf B vehicles. Externally, these tanks are so similar that it can be very difficult to distinguish them. An additional similarity with the previous version is given by a straight frontal plate without an MG machine gun, instead of which an additional viewing device has appeared. Minor changes affected the introduction of an armored casing for the barrel of the MG-34 machine gun, as well as the installation of a special bumper under the gun, which bent the antenna when turning the turret, preventing it from breaking. In total, approximately 140 units of 19-ton Ausf C tanks were produced.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf C

Tanks of the next model - PzKpfw IV D- received an improved design of the gun mantlet. The practice of using tanks forced a return to the original design of a broken front plate (as on the PzKpfw IV Ausf A tanks). The front machine gun mount was protected by a square armor casing, and the side and rear armor increased from 15 to 20 mm. After the new tanks were tested, the following entry appeared in the military circular (No. 685 dated September 27, 1939): “PzKpfw IV (with a 75-mm cannon) SdKfz 161 is from now on declared suitable for successful use in military formations.” .

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf D

A total of 222 Ausf D tanks were produced, with which Germany entered World War II. During Polish campaign several “fours” ingloriously returned from the battlefields to their homeland for repairs and modifications. It turned out that the thickness of the armor of the new tanks was insufficient to ensure their safety, so additional armor plates were urgently required to protect the most important components. It is curious that the reports of British military intelligence of that time suggest that the strengthening of the combat armor of tanks often took place “illegally”, without corresponding orders from above, and sometimes even in spite of it. Thus, an order from the German military command intercepted by the British strictly prohibited the unauthorized welding of additional armor plates onto the hulls of German tanks. The order explained that “makeshift* fastening of armor plates does not increase, but reduces the protection of the tank, therefore the Wehrmacht command ordered the commanders to strictly follow the instructions regulating the work to enhance the armor protection of combat vehicles.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf E

Soon the long-awaited “quartet” was born PzKpfw IV Ausf E, the design of which took into account all the previously identified shortcomings of the PzKpfw IV Ausf D. First of all, this related to increased armor protection. Now the 30-mm frontal armor of the hull was protected by additional 30-mm plates, and the sides were covered with 20-mm sheets. All these changes led to the fact that the combat weight increased to 21 tons. In addition, the Pz-4 Ausf E tanks had a new commander's cupola, which now almost did not extend beyond the turret. The course machine gun received a Kugelblende 30 ball mount. A box for spare parts and equipment was mounted on the rear wall of the turret. The chassis used new simplified drive wheels and wider tracks of a new type with a width of 400 mm instead of the old ones with a width of 360 mm.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1

The next option was a tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F1. These tanks had a solid front plate 50 mm thick and 30 mm sides. The forehead of the turret also received 50 mm armor. This tank was the last model armed with a short-barreled 75 mm cannon with a low muzzle velocity.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf F2

Soon, Hitler personally ordered the replacement of this ineffective gun with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L/43 - thus the medium tank was born PzKpfw IV F2. The new weapon required changes to the design of the turret's fighting compartment in order to accommodate the increased ammunition load. 32 shots out of 87 were now placed in the turret. The initial speed of a conventional armor-piercing projectile has now increased to 740 m/s (versus 385 m/s for the previous gun), and armor penetration has increased by 48 mm and amounted to 89 mm versus the previous 41 mm (with an armor-piercing projectile at a range of 460 meters at an impact angle of 30°) . The new powerful weapon immediately and forever changed the role and place of the new tank in the German armored forces. In addition, the PzKpfw IV received a new Turmzielfernrohr TZF Sf sight and a gun mantlet of a different shape. From now on, the PzKpfw III medium tank fades into the background, content with the role of an infantry support and escort tank, and the PzKpfw IV for a long time becomes the main “assault” tank of the Wehrmacht. In addition to Krupp-Gruson AG, two more enterprises joined the production of PzKpfw IV tanks: VOMAG and Nibelungenwerke. The appearance on the theater of operations of the modernized Pz IV “fours” significantly complicated the position of the allies, since the new gun allowed the German tank to successfully fight against most of the armored vehicles of the USSR and coalition member countries. In total, 1,300 early Ausf fours (from A to F2) were produced during the period until March 1942.

PzKpfw IV is called the main tank of the Wehrmacht. More than 8,500 “fours” formed the basis of the Wehrmacht’s tank forces, its main striking force.

The next large-scale version was the tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G. From May 1942 to June 1943, much more of them were created than vehicles of previous modifications, more than 1,600 units.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf G

The very first Pz IV Ausf Gs were practically no different from the PzKpfw IV F2, but during the production process numerous changes were made to the basic design. First of all, this concerns the installation of a 75-mm KwK 40 L/48 cannon with a two-chamber muzzle brake. The upgraded version of the KwK 40 tank gun had an initial projectile speed of 750 m/s. The new model of the Quartet tank was equipped with additional 5-mm protective screens to protect the turret and sides of the hull, which received the humorous nickname “apron” among the troops. The Pz Kpfw IV Aufs G tank, produced since March 1943, was armed with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of L/48 instead of the previous one with a barrel length of 43 calibers. A total of 1,700 vehicles of this modification were produced. Despite the increased armament, the PZ-4 still could not compete with the Russian T-34.
Weak armor protection made them too vulnerable. In this photo you can see how the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G tank uses sandbags as additional protection. Of course, such measures could not significantly improve the situation.

The most popular series was the tank PzKpfw IV Ausf N, more than 4,000 of them were produced, including various self-propelled guns created on the T-4 (“four”) chassis.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf H

This tank was distinguished by the most powerful frontal armor (up to 80 mm), the introduction of 5-mm side screens of the hull and turret, the MG-34 -Fliegerbeschussgerat 41/42 anti-aircraft machine gun mount mounted on the commander's turret, a new, improved ZF SSG 77 gearbox and minor changes in the transmission. The combat weight of this modification of the Pz IV reached 25 tons. The latest version of the Quartet was the tank PzKpfw IV J, which continued to be produced until March 1945. From June 1944 to March 1945, more than 1,700 of these vehicles were produced. Tanks of this type were equipped with high-capacity fuel tanks, which increased the cruising range to 320 km. However, in general, the latest “fours” have been significantly simplified compared to previous models.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PzKpfw IV TANK DESIGN

TURRET AND HULL OF TANK Pz IV

The hull and turret of the Pz-4 tank were welded. There were evacuation hatches on each side of the tower for boarding and disembarking crew members.

Tank Pz IV with installed protection against cumulative shells

The tower was equipped with a commander's cupola with five viewing slots equipped with armored glass blocks - triplex and protective armor covers, which were lowered and raised using a small lever located under each slot.

Inside the Pz IV Ausf G tank. The photo was taken from the side of the right hatch (loader).

The tower's pole rotated with her. The armament consisted of a 75-mm (short-barreled KwK 37 or long-barreled KwK 40) cannon and a coaxial turret machine gun, as well as an MG course machine gun mounted in the frontal armor of the hull in a ball mount and intended for the radio operator. This armament scheme is typical for all modifications of the “fours” with the exception of version C tanks.

Inside the Pz IV Ausf G tank. Photo taken from the left hatch (gunner).

Layout of the PzKpfw IV tank- classic, with front transmission. Inside, the tank hull was divided into three compartments by two bulkheads. The rear compartment contained the engine compartment.

As in other German tanks, a cardan shaft was thrown from the engine to the gearbox and drive wheels, running under the turret floor. Next to the engine was an auxiliary engine for the turret rotation mechanism. Because of this, the turret was shifted to the left along the axis of symmetry of the tank by 52 mm. Three fuel tanks with a total capacity of 477 liters were installed on the floor of the central fighting compartment, under the floor of the turret. The fighting compartment turret housed the remaining three crew members (commander, gunner and loader), weapons (a cannon and a coaxial machine gun), observation and aiming devices, vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms. The driver and radio operator firing from a machine gun mounted in a ball joint were located in the front compartment of the hull, on both sides of the gearbox.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf A. View of the driver's seat.

Armor thickness of the PzKpfw IV tank was constantly increasing. The frontal armor of the T-4 was welded from rolled armor plates with surface cementation and was usually thicker and stronger than the side armor. Additional protection using armor plates was not used until the creation Ausf tank D. To protect the tank from bullets and cumulative shells, Zimmerit coating was applied to the lower and side surfaces of the hull and the side surfaces of the turret. Testing of the T-4 Ausf G carried out by the British using the Brinell method gave the following results: front front plate in an inclined plane (outer surface) - 460-490 HB; front vertical plate (outer surface) - 500-520 HB; inner surface -250-260 HB; tower forehead (outer surface) - 490-51 0 HB; hull sides (outer surface) - 500-520 HB; inner surface - 270-280 HB; tower sides (outer surface) -340-360 HB. As mentioned above, on the latest versions of the Quartet, additional armored “screens” were used, made of steel sheets measuring 114 x 99 cm and mounted on the sides of the hull and turret, at a distance of 38 cm from the hull. The turret was protected by 6 mm thick armor plates attached around the rear and sides, and the protective screen had hatches located exactly in front of the turret hatches.

TANK ARMAMENT.

The PzKpfw IV Ausf A - F1 tanks were equipped with a short-barreled 75-mm KwK 37 L/24 cannon with a 24-caliber barrel length, a vertical breech and an initial projectile velocity not exceeding 385 m/s. The PzKpfw III Ausf N and assault tanks were equipped with exactly the same guns. StuG guns III. The gun's ammunition included almost all types of projectiles: armor-piercing tracer, armor-piercing tracer sub-caliber, cumulative, high-explosive fragmentation and smoke.

View of the double-leaf escape hatch in the turret of the Pz IV tank

To rotate the gun by the required 32° (from -110 to +21, 15 full revolutions were required. The Pz IV tanks used both an electric drive and a manual drive for turning the turret. The electric drive was powered by a generator driven by a two-cylinder two-stroke water-cooled engine. For rough For target designation, a dial-clock type system was used. For this purpose, the horizontal firing angle was used. turret gun tank, equal to 360°, was divided into twelve divisions, and the division corresponding to the traditional position of the number 12 on the clock dial indicated the direction of movement of the tank. Another transmission, via a hinge shaft, drove a gear ring in the commander's cupola. This ring was also graduated from 1 to 12 a, in addition, the external scale of the turret, corresponding to the dial of the main gun, was equipped with a fixed pointer.

View of the rear of the PZ IV tank

Thanks to this device, the commander could determine the approximate location of the target and give appropriate instructions to the gunner. The driver's position was equipped with a turret position indicator (with two lights) on all models of the PzKpfw IV tank (except Ausf J). Thanks to this device, the driver knew the location of the turret and tank gun. This was especially important when moving through the forest and in populated areas. The gun was mounted together with a coaxial machine gun and a TZF 5v telescopic sight (on early modifications of tanks); TZF 5f and TZF 5f/l (on tanks starting with PzKpfw IV Ausf E tanks). The machine gun was powered from a flexible metal strip, and the shooter fired using a special foot pedal. The telescopic 2.5x sight was equipped with scales of three ranges (for the main gun and machine gun).

View of the front part of the turret of the Pz IV tank

The MG-34 course machine gun was equipped with a KZF 2 telescopic sight. The full ammunition load consisted of 80-87 (depending on modification) artillery rounds and 2,700 rounds of ammunition for two 7.92 mm machine guns. Starting with the Ausf F2 modification, the short-barreled gun is replaced by a more powerful long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 L/43 cannon, and the latest modifications (starting with Ausf H) receive an improved L/48 gun with a barrel length of 48 calibers. The short-barreled guns had a single-chamber muzzle brake, while the long-barreled ones had to be equipped with two-chamber ones. Increasing the barrel length required a counterweight. To achieve this, the latest modifications of the Pz-4 were equipped with a heavy compression spring installed in a cylinder attached to the front of the rotating turret floor.

Engine and transmission

The first versions of the PzKpfw IV were equipped with the same engine as the tanks of the PzKpfw III series - the 12-cylinder Maybach HL 108 TR with a power of 250 hp, which required gasoline with an octane number of 74. Subsequently, they began to use improved Maybach HL 120 TR and HL 120 TRM engines with 300 hp power. The engine as a whole was distinguished by its high reliability and resistance to temperature changes, but this did not apply to the conditions of the African heat and the sultry regions of southern Russia. To avoid the engine boiling, the driver had to drive the tank with all possible caution. In winter conditions, a special installation was used that made it possible to pump heated liquid (ethylene glycol) from a working tank into a tank that needed to be started. Unlike the PzKpfw III tanks, the engine of the T-4 was located asymmetrically, on the right side of the hull. The small-link caterpillars of the T-4 tank consisted of 101 or 99 links (starting with F1) with a width (variants) of PzKpfw IV Ausf A - E 360 mm, and in Ausf F-J - 400 mm, their total weight was close to 1300 kg. The tension of the caterpillar was adjusted using rear guide wheel mounted on an eccentric axis. The ratchet mechanism prevented the axle from turning backward and causing the track to sag.

TRACK REPAIR.
Each crew of the Pz IV tank had at its disposal an industrial belt of the same width as the tracks. The edges of the belt were perforated so that the holes coincided with the teeth of the drive wheel. If the track failed, a belt was attached to the damaged area, passed over the support rollers and attached to the teeth of the drive wheel. After this, the engine and transmission were started. The drive wheel turned and pulled the track and belt forward until the track caught on the wheel. Anyone who has ever pulled off a heavy long caterpillar the “old-fashioned way” - using a piece of rope or fingers, will appreciate what a salvation this simple scheme was for the crew.

BATTLE RECORD OF Pz IV TANK

The “four” began their combat journey in Poland, where, despite their small numbers, they immediately became a noticeable strike force. On the eve of the invasion of Poland, there were almost twice as many “fours” in the Wehrmacht troops as “threes” - 211 versus 98. The fighting qualities of the “fours” immediately attracted the attention of Heinz Guderian, who from that moment on would constantly insist on increasing their production. Of the 217 tanks lost by Germany during the 30-day war with Poland, there were only 19 “fours”. In order to better imagine the Polish stage of the PzKpfw IV’s combat path, let’s turn to the documents. Here I want to introduce readers to the history of the 35th Tank Regiment, which took part in the occupation of Warsaw. I present to your attention excerpts from the chapter dedicated to the assault on the Polish capital, written by Hans Schaufler.

“It was the ninth day of the war. I have just joined the brigade headquarters as a liaison officer. We were standing in the small suburb of Ochota, located on the Rawa-Ruska-Warsaw road. Another attack on the Polish capital was coming. The troops are on full alert. The tanks were lined up in a column, with infantry and sappers behind them. We are waiting for the order to advance. I remember the strange calm that reigned among the troops. No rifle shots or machine gun fire were heard. Only occasionally the silence was broken by the rumble of a reconnaissance aircraft flying over the column. I was sitting in the command tank next to General von Hartlieb. To be honest, it was a bit cramped in the tank. The brigade adjutant, Captain von Harling, carefully studied the topographic map showing the situation. Both radio operators clung to their radios. One listened to the message from the division headquarters, the second kept his hand on the key to immediately begin transmitting orders to the units. The engine purred loudly. Suddenly a whistle cut through the silence, the next second drowned out by a loud explosion. First it hit the right, then the left of our car, then from behind. Artillery came into action. The first groans and cries of the wounded were heard. Everything is as usual - the Polish artillerymen send us their traditional “hello”.
Finally the order was received to go on the offensive. The engines roared and the tanks moved towards Warsaw. Quite quickly we reached the suburbs of the Polish capital. Sitting in the tank, I heard the chatter of machine gun fire, the explosions of hand grenades and the clicking of bullets on the armored sides of our vehicle. Our radio operators received one message after another. “Forward to the street barricade*,” was transmitted from the headquarters of the 35th regiment. “Anti-tank gun - five tanks destroyed - there is a mined barricade ahead,” neighbors reported. “Order for the regiment! Turn straight south!" - thundered the general's bass. He had to yell above the hellish noise outside.

“Pass the message to division headquarters,” I ordered the radio operators. -We approached the outskirts of Warsaw. The streets are barricaded and mined. Turn right*. After some time, a short message comes from the regiment headquarters: -The barricades have been taken*.
And again the sound of bullets and loud explosions to the left and right of our tank... I feel like someone is pushing me in the back. “The enemy’s positions are three hundred meters ahead,” the general shouted. - Turn right!* The terrible grinding of caterpillars on the cobblestone street - and we enter a deserted square. -Faster, damn it! Even faster!* - the general shouts furiously. He's right, you can't hesitate - the Poles shoot very accurately. “We came under heavy artillery fire,” reports from the 36th Regiment. *3b regiment! - the general answers immediately. “Demand artillery cover immediately!” You can hear stones and shell fragments hitting the armor. The blows are getting stronger. Suddenly, a monstrous explosion is heard very close by, and I smash my head into the radio. The tank is tossed up and thrown to the side. The engine stalls.
Through the hatch cover I see a dazzling yellow flame.

Tank PzKpfw IV

In the fighting compartment, everything is turned upside down, gas masks, fire extinguishers, camp bowls, and other small things are lying everywhere... A few seconds of eerie numbness. Then everyone shakes themselves, looks at each other anxiously, and quickly feels themselves. Thank God, alive and well! The driver engages third gear, we wait with bated breath for the familiar sound and take a breath of relief when the tank obediently moves away. True, there is a suspicious tapping noise coming from the right track, but we are too happy to take such trifles into account. However, as it turned out, our misfortunes were far from over. Before we had time to drive a few meters, a new strong shock shook the tank and threw it to the right. From every house, from every window we were bombarded with furious machine-gun fire. Poles attacked us from rooftops and attics hand grenades and incendiary bottles with condensed gasoline. There were probably a hundred times more enemies than there were, but we did not turn back.

We stubbornly continued to move in a southerly direction and neither the barricades of overturned trams, twisted barbed wire and rails dug into the ground could stop us. Every now and then our tanks came under fire from anti-tank guns. “Lord, make sure they don’t knock out our tank!”- we silently prayed, fully aware that any forced stop would be the last in our lives. Meanwhile, the sound of the caterpillar became increasingly loud and threatening. Finally we drove into some kind of orchard and hid behind the trees. By this time, some units of our regiment managed to break through to the outskirts of Warsaw, but further advance became more and more difficult. Disappointing messages came over the radio every now and then: “The offensive was stopped by heavy enemy artillery fire - the tank hit a mine - the tank was hit by an anti-tank gun - artillery support is urgently required”.

We also did not manage to take a proper breath under the shade of the fruit trees. The Polish artillerymen quickly found their bearings and brought down a barrage of ferocious fire on us. With every second the situation became more and more frightening. We tried to leave the shelter that had become dangerous, but it turned out that the damaged track had completely failed. Despite all our efforts, we could not even move. The situation seemed hopeless. It was necessary to repair the track on site. Our general could not even temporarily leave command of the operation; he dictated message after message, order after order. We sat idle... When the Polish guns fell silent for a while, we decided to take advantage of this short respite to inspect the damaged chassis. However, as soon as we opened the hatch cover, the fire resumed. The Poles settled somewhere very close and, remaining invisible to us, turned our car into an excellent target. After several unsuccessful attempts, we managed to climb out of the tank and, taking cover in the thorny blackberries, were finally able to inspect the damage. The results of the examination were most disappointing. The inclined front plate, bent by the explosion, turned out to be the most insignificant of all the damages. The chassis was in the most deplorable condition. Several sections of the tracks fell apart, with small metal parts getting lost along the way; the rest were kept on their word of honor. Not only the tracks themselves were damaged, but even the road wheels. With great difficulty, we somehow tightened up the loose parts, removed the tracks, fastened the torn tracks with new pins... It was obvious that even with the most favorable outcome, these measures would give us the opportunity to walk another couple of kilometers, but nothing more could be done in such conditions it was impossible. I had to climb back into the tank.

Even more unpleasant news awaited us there. The division headquarters reported that air support was impossible, and the artillery was not able to cope with the superior enemy forces. Therefore, we were ordered to return immediately.

The general led the retreat of his units. Tank after tank, platoon after platoon, ours retreated, and the Poles showered them with ferocious fire from their guns. In some areas, progress was so difficult that for some time we forgot about the deplorable condition of our tank. Finally, when last tank got out of the suburbs that had become hell, it was time to think about myself. After consulting, we decided to retreat along the same route we came in. At first everything went calmly, but in this calmness we felt some kind of hidden danger. The ominous silence got on the nerves much more than the sounds of cannonade that had become familiar. None of us doubted that it was no accident that the Poles were hiding, that they were waiting for the right moment to end our lives. Slowly moving forward, we felt with our skin the hateful gaze of an invisible enemy fixed on us... Finally we got to the place where we received the first damage. A few hundred meters away lay the highway leading to the division's location. But the path to the highway was blocked by another barricade - abandoned and silent, like the rest of the surrounding area. We carefully overcame the last obstacle, entered the highway and crossed ourselves.

And then a terrible blow fell on the poorly protected stern of our tank. It was followed by another and another... Four strikes in total. The worst thing happened - we came under targeted fire from an anti-tank gun. The engine roared and the tank made a desperate attempt to escape from the shelling, but the next second a strong explosion threw us to the side. The engine stalled.
The first thought was - it’s all over, the Poles will destroy us with their next shot. What to do? They jumped out of the tank and rushed to the ground. We are waiting for what will happen... A minute passes, then another... But for some reason there is no shot. What's the matter? And suddenly we look - there is a column of black smoke above the stern of the tank. The first thought is that the engine is on fire. But where does this strange whistling sound come from? We took a closer look and couldn’t believe our eyes - it turns out that a shell fired from the barricade hit smoke bombs located at the rear of our vehicle, and the breeze blew the smoke to the skies. What saved us was that a black cloud of smoke hung just above the barricade and the Poles decided that the tank was on fire.

Revived PzKpfw IV tank

*Brigade headquarters - division headquarters* - the general tried to get in touch, but the radio was silent. Our tank looked terrible - black, dented, with a mangled rear. The completely fallen off caterpillar was lying nearby... No matter how hard it was, I had to face the truth - I had to abandon the car and try to get to my people on foot. We pulled out machine guns, took walkie-talkies and folders with documents and last time looked at the mutilated tank. My heart sank with pain... According to the instructions, the damaged tank was supposed to be blown up so that it would not fall to the enemy, but none of us could decide to do this... Instead, we disguised the vehicle as best we could with branches. In our hearts, everyone hoped that if circumstances were favorable, we would soon return and tow the car to our people...
To this day I remember the way back with horror... Covering each other with fire, in short dashes, we moved from house to house, from garden to garden... When we finally got to ours in the evening, we immediately collapsed and fell asleep .
However, I never managed to get enough sleep. After some time, I opened my eyes in horror and went cold, remembering that we had abandoned our tank... I could see it standing, defenseless, with an open turret, right opposite the Polish barricade... When I woke up again from sleep, then I heard the hoarse voice of the driver above me: “Are you with us?” I didn’t understand, half asleep, and asked: “Where?” “I found a repair car,” he explained briefly. I immediately jumped to my feet, and we went to rescue our tank. It would take a long time to tell how we got there, how we labored over the resuscitation of our mangled car. The main thing is that that night we still managed to put our command “four” into action (The author of the memoirs is most likely mistaken in calling his tank “four”. The fact is that the Pz. Kpfw. IV tanks began to re-equip command vehicles only since 1944. Most likely we're talking about about the command tank based on Pz. Kpfw. III version D.)
When the awakened Poles tried to stop us with fire, we had already finished our work, so we quickly climbed into the tower and left. We were happy in our souls... Even though our tank was knocked out and badly damaged, we still could not abandon it to the joy of the triumphant enemy! A month-long campaign in conditions of poor Polish roads and loose, swampy soil had the most unfavorable effect on the condition of German tanks. The cars were in urgent need of repair and restoration. This circumstance, among others, influenced the postponement of the Hitler invasion of Western Europe. The Wehrmacht command was able to learn from the experience of the war in Poland and made significant changes to the previously existing scheme for organizing the repair and maintenance of combat vehicles. About efficiency new system repair and restoration of Wehrmacht tanks can be judged by a newspaper article published in one of the German newspapers and reprinted in England in May 1941. The article was called “The Secret of the Combat Power of German Tanks” and contained a detailed list of measures to organize the uninterrupted operation of the repair and restoration service, which was part of in each tank division.
“The secret of the success of German tanks is largely determined by the impeccably organized system of evacuation and repair of damaged tanks, which allows all necessary operations to be carried out in the shortest possible time. The greater the distances that tanks have to cover during the march, the greater the importance of a flawlessly adjusted mechanism for repairing and maintaining failed vehicles.
1. Each tank battalion has at its disposal a special repair and restoration platoon for emergency assistance in case of minor damage. This platoon, being the smallest repair unit, is located in close proximity to the front line. The platoon includes engine repair mechanics, radio mechanics and other specialists. The platoon has at its disposal light trucks for transporting the necessary spare parts and tools, as well as a special armored repair and recovery vehicle, converted from a tank, for transporting these parts to the disabled tank. The platoon is commanded by an officer who, if necessary, can call for help from several such platoons and send them all together to the area where emergency assistance is required.

It should be especially emphasized that the efficiency of the repair and restoration platoon directly depends on the availability of the necessary spare parts, tools and appropriate transport. Since in combat conditions time is worth its weight in gold, the chief mechanic of a repair platoon always has at his disposal a supply of basic components, assemblies and parts. This allows him, without wasting a second, to be the first to go to the damaged tank and begin work, while the remaining supply of necessary materials is carried on the truck. If the damage sustained by the tank is so serious that it cannot be repaired on site, or repairs require for a long time, the car is sent back to the manufacturer.
2. Each tank regiment has at its disposal a repair and restoration company, which has all the necessary equipment and tools. In the mobile workshops of the repair company, experienced craftsmen carried out charging batteries, welding work and complex engine repairs. The workshops are equipped with special cranes, milling, drilling and grinding machines, as well as special tools for plumbing, carpentry, painting and tinsmithing. Each repair and restoration company includes two repair platoons, one of which can be assigned to a specific battalion of the regiment. In practice, both platoons are constantly moving around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the recovery work cycle. Each platoon had its own truck for transporting spare parts. In addition, the repair and restoration company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles, which deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or collection point, where the tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and radio repair shops.
In practice, both platoons constantly move around the regiment, ensuring the continuity of the cycle of restoration work. Each platoon had its own truck for transporting spare parts. In addition, the repair and restoration company necessarily included a platoon of emergency repair and recovery vehicles, which deliver failed tanks to a repair shop or collection point, where the tank repair platoon or the entire company was then sent. In addition, the company also includes a weapons repair platoon and radio repair shops.

3. If there are well-equipped repair shops behind the front line or in territory occupied by us, troops often use them to save transport and reduce the volume of railway traffic. In such cases, all necessary spare parts and equipment are ordered from Germany, and a staff of highly qualified craftsmen and mechanics is also assigned.
It can be said with all certainty that without a thoroughly thought-out and clearly functioning scheme for the work of repair units, our valiant tankers would not have been able to cover such vast distances and win such brilliant victories in a real war*.

Before the invasion of Western Europe, the Fours still constituted an absolute minority of Panzerwaffe tanks - only 278 out of 2,574 combat vehicles. The Germans were opposed by more than 3,000 Allied vehicles, most of which were French. Moreover, many French tanks at that time were significantly superior to even the “four” so beloved by Guderian, both in terms of armor protection and weapon efficiency. However, the Germans had an undeniable advantage in strategy. In my opinion, the essence of "blitzkrieg" is best expressed in short phrase Heinz Guderian: “Don’t touch with your fingers, but hit with your fist!” Thanks to the brilliant implementation of the “blitzkrieg” strategy, Germany easily won the French campaign, in which the PzKpfw IV was very successful. It was at this time that German tanks managed to create a formidable reputation for themselves, many times exceeding the real capabilities of these weakly armed and insufficiently armored vehicles. There were especially many PzKpfw IV tanks in Rommel's Afrika Korps, but in Africa they were assigned an auxiliary role of infantry support for too long.
In February 1941, a review of the German press, regularly published in the British press, published a special selection dedicated to the new PzKpfw IV tanks. The articles indicate that each Wehrmacht tank battalion has at its disposal a company of ten PzKpfw IV tanks, which are used, firstly , as an assault artillery gun, and secondly, as an essential element of rapidly advancing tank columns. The first purpose of the PzKpfw IV tanks was explained simply. Since field artillery is not able to instantly support armored forces in one direction or another, the PzKpfw IV took on its role with its powerful 75 mm cannon. Other advantages of using the Quartet stemmed from the fact that its 75 mm gun, with a maximum firing range of more than 8,100 m, could dictate the time and place of battle, and the speed and maneuverability of the gun made it an extremely dangerous weapon.
The articles, in particular, contain examples of how six PzKpfw IV tanks were used as an artillery formation against the advancing Allied column, how they were also used as weapons for counter-battery combat, and also acted from an ambush into which British tanks were lured by several German armored vehicles. In addition, PzKpfw IVs were also used in defensive operations, an example of which is the following episode of the African campaign. On June 16, 1941, the Germans surrounded British troops in the Capuzzo area. This was preceded by an unsuccessful attempt by the British to break through to Tobruk and recapture the fortress besieged by Rommel’s troops. On June 15, they rounded the mountain range southeast of the Halfaya pass and advanced northward through Ridot ta Capuzzo almost to Bardia. This is how a direct participant in the events from the British side recalls it:

“Armored vehicles stretched out along a wide front. They moved in twos or threes, and if they met serious resistance, they immediately turned back. The vehicles were followed by infantry in trucks. This was the start of a full-scale attack. Tank crews fired to kill, the fire accuracy was 80-90%. They positioned their tanks so that their front and sides faced our positions. This allowed the Germans to effectively hit our guns while remaining motionless. They rarely fired while moving. In some cases, PzKpfw IV tanks suddenly opened fire from their guns, and they did not shoot at any specific target, but simply creating a wall of fire as they moved at ranges of 2000-3600 m. All this was done in order to terrify the our defenders. To be honest, they succeeded quite well.”

The first clash between American and German troops in Tunisia occurred on November 26, 1942, when troops of the 190th Tank Battalion of the Afrika Korps in the Mateur area came into contact with the 2nd Battalion of the 13th Regiment of the 1st Tank Division. The Germans in this area had approximately three PzKpfw III tanks and at least six new PzKpfw IV tanks with long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 guns. This is how this episode is described in the book “Old Ironsides”.
“While enemy forces were gathering from the north, Waters’ battalion wasted no time. Having dug deep lines defense, camouflaging their tanks and doing other necessary work, they not only managed to prepare for the meeting with the enemy, but even carved out an extra day of respite for themselves. The next day the head of a German column appeared. Siglin's company prepared to rush towards the enemy. An assault gun platoon under the command of Lieutenant Ray Wasker moved forward to intercept and destroy the enemy. Three 75-mm howitzers on the chassis of half-track armored personnel carriers, located on the edge of a dense olive grove, allowed the Germans to approach approximately 900 m and opened rapid fire. However, hitting enemy tanks was not such an easy task. The Germans quickly retreated and, almost completely hidden by clouds of sand and dust, responded with volleys of their powerful guns. The shells exploded very close to our positions, but for the time being did not cause any serious damage.

Soon, Wasker received orders from the battalion commander to light smoke bombs and withdraw his self-propelled artillery units to a safe distance. At this time, Siglin's company, consisting of 12 M3 General Stewart light tanks, attacked the enemy's western flank. The first platoon managed to break through closest to the enemy positions, but the Italo-German troops were not at a loss, quickly found the target and brought down the full power of their guns on it. In a matter of minutes, Company A lost six of its tanks, but despite this, it still managed to push back the enemy vehicles, turning them with their rear towards the positions of Company B. This played a decisive role in the battle. Company B brought down the fire of its guns on the most vulnerable spots of the German tanks and, without allowing the enemy to come to their senses, disabled six PzKpfw IVs and one PzKpfw III. The remaining tanks retreated in disarray (In order for the reader to feel the severity of the situation in which the Americans found themselves, it makes sense for comparison to cite the main performance characteristics of the M 3 Stuart light tank: combat weight - 12.4 tons; crew - 4 people; reservation - from 10 to 45 mm; armament - 1 x 37-mm tank gun; 5 x 7.62-mm machine guns; engine "Continental" W 670-9A, 7-cylinder, carburetor power 250 hp; ; power reserve (on the highway) - 113 km.).
To be fair, it should be noted that the Americans did not always emerge victorious from fights with German tank forces. Much more often, circumstances turned out exactly the opposite, and the Americans had to suffer serious losses in military equipment and people. However, in this case they actually won a convincing victory.

Despite the fact that on the eve of the invasion of Russia, Germany significantly increased the production of PzKpfw IV tanks, they still accounted for no more than one sixth of all Wehrmacht combat vehicles (439 out of 3332). True, by that time the number of obsolete light tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II had decreased significantly (thanks to the actions of the Red Army), and the majority of the Panzerwaffe began to be made up of Czech LT-38 (PzKpfw 38 (1) and German “troikas”. With such forces, the Germans began to implement plan "Barbarossa". Some superiority of the Soviet Union in military equipment did not confuse the strategists from the OKW; they had no doubt that German vehicles would quickly cope with this gigantic fleet of outdated Russian tanks. At first it turned out that way, but the appearance of a new one on the theater of operations. The Soviet medium tank T-34 and the heavy KV-1 radically changed the situation. Before the creation of the Panthers and Tigers, not a single German tank could compete with these magnificent tanks. At close ranges, they literally shot down weakly armored German vehicles. changed somewhat with the appearance in 1942 of a new “four”, armed with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 cannon. Now I want to introduce you to an excerpt from the memoirs of a former tankman of the 24th Tank Regiment,” which describes the duel of the new “four” with a Soviet tank in the summer of 1942 near Voronezh.
“There were bloody street battles for Voronezh. Even by the evening of the second day, the valiant defenders of the city did not lay down their arms. Unexpectedly, Soviet tanks, which were the main force of defense, attempted to break through the ring of troops closed around the city. A fierce battle ensued tank battle" The author then quotes in detail
Sergeant Freyer's report: “On July 7, 1942, on my PzKpfw IV, armed with a long-barreled cannon, I took a position at a strategically important crossroads in Voronezh. Well disguised, we hid in a dense garden near one of the houses. A wooden fence hid our tank from the street side. We received orders to support the advance of our light combat vehicles with fire, protecting them from enemy tanks and anti-tank guns. At first everything was relatively calm, except for a few clashes with scattered groups of Russians, but nevertheless the battle in the city kept us in constant suspense.

It was a hot day, but after sunset it seemed to get even hotter. At about eight o'clock in the evening a Russian T-34 medium tank appeared to our left, clearly intending to cross the intersection we were guarding. Since the T-34 was followed by at least 30 other tanks, we could not allow such a maneuver. I had to open fire. At first, luck was on our side; with the first shots we managed to knock out three Russian tanks. But then our gunner, non-commissioned officer Fischer, radioed: “The gun is jammed!” Here it is necessary to explain that our front sight was completely new, and there were often problems with it, namely that after firing every second or third shell, the empty cartridge case got stuck in the breech. At this time, another Russian tank was fiercely pouring fire on the entire space around itself. Our loader, Corporal Groll, was seriously wounded in the head. We pulled him out of the tank and laid him on the ground, and the radio operator took the vacated loader’s place. The gunner extracted the spent cartridge case and resumed firing... Several more times, NCO Schmidt and I had to feverishly pick at the barrel with an artillery banner under enemy fire in order to pull out the stuck cartridges. The fire from Russian tanks smashed the wooden fence to pieces, but our tank still did not receive a single damage.

In total, we knocked out 11 enemy vehicles, and the Russians managed to break through only once, at the moment when our gun jammed again. Almost 20 minutes passed from the start of the battle before the enemy was able to open targeted fire on us from their guns. In the falling twilight, shell explosions and roaring flames gave the landscape some kind of eerie supernatural look... Apparently, it was through this flame that our people found us. They helped us get to the location of the regiment, stationed on the southern outskirts of Voronezh. I remember that, despite being tired, I could not sleep because of the sweltering heat and stuffiness... The next day, Colonel Rigel noted our merits in the order for the regiment:
"The Fuhrer and the Supreme High Command award Sergeant Freyer of the 4th platoon with the Knight's Cross. In the battle of Voronezh, Sergeant Freyer, commander of the PzKpfw IV tank, destroyed 9 medium Russian T-34 tanks and two light T-60 tanks. This happened at the moment when A column of 30 Russian tanks tried to break through to the city center. Despite the overwhelming majority of the enemy, Sergeant Freyer remained faithful to his military duty and did not leave his post. He allowed the enemy to approach and opened fire on him from his tank. As a result, the Russian tank column was scattered. partially destroyed. Meanwhile, our infantry, after heavy bloody battles, managed to occupy the city.
In front of the entire regiment, I want to be the first to congratulate Sergeant Freyer on his high award. The entire 24th Tank Regiment is proud of our Knight's Cross and wishes him continued success in future battles. I would also like to take this opportunity to express special gratitude to the other members of the brave tank crew:
To gunner non-commissioned officer Fischer
Driver-mechanic non-commissioned officer Schmidt
Loading Corporal Groll
Radio operator Corporal Muller

and convey your admiration for their actions on July 7, 1942. Your feat will go down in the golden chronicle of the glory of our valiant regiment.”

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

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

The biography 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. Active development of the T IV medium tank began immediately after the Nazis came to power, and the T IV fought its last battle in 1967 as part of the Syrian army, repelling attacks by Israeli tanks on the Dutch Heights.

A little history

After the end of World War I, 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 refined 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 on the creation of new tank models continued. Work was also underway on the organizational structure of tank units. All this took place in an atmosphere of strict secrecy. After the nationalists came to power, Germany threw away prohibitions and quickly began to create a new army.

The first German tanks put into mass production were the light Pz.Kpfw.I and Pz.Kpfw.II vehicles. The One was essentially a training vehicle, while the 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 cannon, was made in 1934. The main task of the vehicle was to be direct support for infantry units; this tank was supposed to suppress enemy firing points (primarily anti-tank artillery). In its design and layout, the new vehicle was largely the same as the Pz.Kpfw.III.

In January 1934, three companies received technical specifications for the development of the tank: AG Krupp, MAN and Rheinmetall. At that moment, Germany was still trying not to advertise its work on types of weapons prohibited by the Versailles agreements. Therefore, the vehicle was given the name Bataillonsführerwagen or B.W., which translates as “battalion commander’s vehicle.”

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 that it be replaced with a more advanced torsion bar suspension, 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 the development of a new chassis could take a lot of time, so it was decided to leave the suspension the same, just seriously modify it.

Production of the tank and its 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 bulletproof armor (15-20 mm) and poor protection for surveillance devices. Modification of Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A can be called pre-production. After the release of several dozen PzKpfw IV Ausf. A, AG Krupp immediately received an order for the production of an improved model of the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. IN.

Model B had a different hull shape, it did not have a front-mounted machine gun, and the viewing devices (especially the commander's cupola) were improved. The frontal armor of the tank was strengthened to 30 mm. PzKpfw IV Ausf. It received a more powerful engine, a new gearbox, and its ammunition load was reduced. The tank's weight 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 rolled off the production line. IN.

The first modification of the T IV, which can be called truly widespread, was the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. S. It appeared in 1938. Externally, this car was slightly different from the previous model; a new engine was installed on it, and some other minor changes were made. In total, about 140 Ausf units were produced. WITH.

In 1939, production of the next tank model began: Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. D. Its main difference was the appearance of the external mask of the tower. In this modification, the thickness of the side armor was increased (20 mm), and several other improvements were made. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. D is the last model of a 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 vehicles performed well during the Polish campaign and became the main tanks of the German army. Combat experience has shown that weak point T-IV was its armor protection. Polish anti-tank guns easily penetrated 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 vehicle was developed - Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. E. On this model, the frontal armor was reinforced with 30 mm thick hinged plates, and 20 mm thick on the side. The tank received a commander's cupola of a new design, and the shape of the tower was changed. Minor changes were made to the tank's chassis, and the design of the hatches and inspection devices was improved. The weight of the vehicle increased to 21 tons.

The installation of mounted armor screens was irrational and could only be considered as a necessary 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, production of the Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.F model began, in which the hinged screens were replaced by 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 vehicle 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 chassis 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 it to fight enemy armored vehicles equipped with bulletproof armor.

However, the first meetings of German tanks with the T-34 and KV, which had powerful anti-ballistic armor, plunged the German tank crews into shock. The Four turned out to be absolutely ineffective against the Soviet armored giants. The first alarm bell that showed the futility use of T-IV against powerful heavy tanks, began military clashes with English tank"Matilda" in 1940-41

Even then it became clear that the PzKpfw IV should be equipped with a different weapon, which 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, 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 cannon 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. Additional armor screens 30 mm thick were installed in the frontal part of this tank. Some of these vehicles were equipped with a 75 mm cannon with a length of 48 calibers.

The most popular T-IV model was the Ausf.H, which first rolled off the assembly line in the spring of 1943. This modification was practically no different from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.G. A new transmission was installed on it and the turret roof was thickened.

Description of the Pz.VI design

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

The tank's hull is welded, the slope of the armor plates is less rational than that of the T-34, but it provides more internal space for the vehicle. The tank had three compartments, separated by bulkheads: a control compartment, a combat compartment and a power compartment.

The control compartment housed the driver and gunner-radio operator. It also housed the transmission, instruments and controls, a walkie-talkie and a machine gun (not on all models).

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

The power plant was located at the rear of the tank. 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 personnel, but reduced the security of the vehicle.

The suspension was spring, the 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 Polish artillerymen. During this conflict, the Germans lost 76 Pz.IV units, 19 of which were irretrievable.

In the hostilities against France, the opponents of the “fours” were not only anti-tank guns, but also tanks. The French Somua S35 and the English Matildas performed well.

IN 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, there were more than 500 KV tanks in the western districts. The short-barreled Pz.IV cannon 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 German tank crews fight the T-34 and KV on equal terms. Considering the better ergonomics of German vehicles and excellent sighting devices, the Pz.IV became a very dangerous opponent.

After installing a long-barreled gun (48 calibers) on the T-IV, it combat characteristics increased even more. After this, the German tank could hit both Soviet and American cars 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 at the stage of factory testing. It took the leadership of the USSR several years of war and huge losses to begin modernizing the T-34.

The German T-IV tank can be called a very balanced and versatile vehicle. Later heavy German vehicles have a clear bias towards security. "Four" can be called unique car from the point of view of the reserve for modernization inherent in it.

This is not to say that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. It had shortcomings, the main ones of which were insufficient engine power and outdated suspension. The power plant clearly did not match the mass of later models. The use of a rigid spring suspension reduced the maneuverability of the vehicle and its maneuverability. Installing a long gun significantly increased the combat characteristics of the tank, but it created additional load on the front rollers of the tank, which led to significant rocking of the vehicle.

Equipping the Pz.IV with anti-cumulative shields was also not a very good solution. Cumulative ammunition was rarely used; the screens only increased the weight of the vehicle, its dimensions and impaired the crew’s visibility. Also a very expensive idea was to paint the tanks with Zimmerit, a special anti-magnetic paint against magnetic mines.

However, many historians consider the biggest miscalculation of the German leadership to be the start of production of heavy tanks “Panther” and “Tiger”. For almost the entire war, Germany was limited in resources. The Tiger was a truly excellent tank: powerful, comfortable, and with a deadly weapon. But also very expensive. In addition, both the “Tiger” and the “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”, this would create much more problems for the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition.

Specifications

Video about the Panzerkampfwagen IV tank

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