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===Western Front (1944–1945)===
===Western Front (1944–1945)===
[[Image:Knocked out German Mk IV tank.jpg|thumb|British officers inspect a German Pzkw-IV knocked out in France in June 1944 by the [[Durham Light Infantry]].]]
[[Image:Knocked out German Mk IV tank.jpg|thumb|British officers inspect a German Pzkw-IV knocked out in France in June 1944 by the [[Durham Light Infantry]].]]
Panzer IVs comprised around half of the available German tank strength on the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]] prior to the [[Invasion of Normandy|Allied invasion of Normandy]] on June 6 1944.<ref name=hastings133>Hastings (1999), p. 133</ref> Most of the 11 panzer divisions that saw action in Normandy initially contained an armored regiment of one battalion of Panzer IVs and another of Panthers, for a total of around 160 tanks, although [[Waffen-SS]] panzer divisions were generally larger and better-equipped than their ''[[Heer (1935-1945)|Heer]]'' counterparts.<ref name=hastings413>Hastings (1999), p. 413</ref><ref>Forty (2000), p. 88</ref> Regular upgrades to the Panzer IV had helped to maintain its reputation as a formidable opponent.<ref name=hastings133 /> Despite overwhelming Allied air superiority, the Norman [[bocage]] countryside in the US sector heavily favored defense, and German tanks and anti-tank guns inflicted horrendous casualties on Allied armor during the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy campaign]]. On the offensive, however, the Panzer IVs, Panthers and other armored vehicles proved equally vulnerable in the bocage, and counter-attacks rapidly stalled in the face of [[Anti-tank warfare#Infantry weapons|infantry-held anti-tank weapons]], [[tank destroyers]] and [[anti-tank gun]]s, as well as the ubiquitous [[ground-attack aircraft|fighter bomber aircraft]].<ref>Perrett (1999), p. 43</ref> That the terrain was highly unsuitable for tanks was illustrated by the constant damage suffered to the side-skirts of the Ausf. H's; essential for defence against [[shaped charge]] anti-tank weapons such as the British [[PIAT]], all German armored units were "exasperated" by the way these were torn off during movement through the dense orchards and hedgerows.<ref name=hastings133 /> The Allies had also been developing lethality improvement programs of their own; the widely-used American-designed [[M4 Sherman]] medium tank, while mechanically reliable, suffered from thin armor and an inadequate gun.<ref name=hastings225>Hastings (1999), p. 225</ref> Against earlier-model Panzer IVs it could hold its own, but with its [[75 mm US tank gun#M3 2|75 mm M3 gun]], was almost helpless in the face of the late-model Panzer IV, as well as the Panther and Tiger tanks, unable to penetrate their frontal armor at virtually any range.<ref>Hastings (1999), pp. 225–227</ref> The {{convert|80|mm|in|2|adj=on}} frontal armor could easily withstand hits fron the {{convert|75|mm|in|2|adj=on}} weapon on the Sherman at normal combat ranges.<ref>Jentz & Doyle (2001), p. 176</ref> The British up-gunned the Sherman with their highly effective [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder|QF 17 pounder anti-tank gun]], resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]];<ref>Fletcher (2008), pp. 5–8</ref> although this was the only Allied tank capable of dealing with all current German tanks at normal combat ranges, few (about 300) were available in time for the Normandy invasion.<ref name=hastings225 /> It was not until July 1944 that American Shermans, fitted with the {{convert|76|mm|in|2|adj=on}} [[76 mm gun M1|M1 tank gun]], began to achieve a parity in firepower with the Panzer IV.<ref>Fletcher (2008), p. 43</ref><ref>Hastings (1999), p. 221</ref> However, despite the general superiority of its armored vehicles, by August 29 1944, as the last surviving German troops of [[Fifth Panzer Army]] and [[7th Army (Germany)|Seventh Army]] retreated toward [[Paris]], the twin cataclysms of the [[Falaise Pocket]] and the [[Seine]] crossing had cost the Wehrmacht dearly. Of the 2,300 tanks and assault guns it had committed to Normandy (including around 750 Panzer IVs<ref name=forty92 />), over 2,200 had been lost.<ref name=wilmot434>Wilmott (1997), p. 434</ref> [[Field Marshal]] [[Walter Model]] reported to [[Hitler]] that his panzer divisions had remaining, on average, five or six tanks each.<ref name=wilmot434 />
Panzer IVs comprised around half of the available German tank strength on the [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Front]] prior to the [[Invasion of Normandy|Allied invasion of Normandy]] on June 6 1944.<ref name=hastings133>Hastings (1999), p. 133</ref> Most of the 11 panzer divisions that saw action in Normandy initially contained an armored regiment of one battalion of Panzer IVs and another of Panthers, for a total of around 160 tanks, although [[Waffen-SS]] panzer divisions were generally larger and better-equipped than their ''[[Heer (1935-1945)|Heer]]'' counterparts.<ref name=hastings413>Hastings (1999), p. 413</ref><ref>Forty (2000), p. 88</ref> Regular upgrades to the Panzer IV had helped to maintain its reputation as a formidable opponent.<ref name=hastings133 /> Despite overwhelming Allied air superiority, the Norman [[bocage]] countryside in the US sector heavily favored defense, and German tanks and anti-tank guns inflicted horrendous casualties on Allied armor during the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy campaign]]. On the offensive, however, the Panzer IVs, Panthers and other armored vehicles proved equally vulnerable in the bocage, and counter-attacks rapidly stalled in the face of [[Anti-tank warfare#Infantry weapons|infantry-held anti-tank weapons]], [[tank destroyers]] and [[anti-tank gun]]s, as well as the ubiquitous [[ground-attack aircraft|fighter bomber aircraft]].<ref>Perrett (1999), p. 43</ref> That the terrain was highly unsuitable for tanks was illustrated by the constant damage suffered to the side-skirts of the Ausf. H's; essential for defence against [[shaped charge]] anti-tank weapons such as the British [[PIAT]], all German armored units were "exasperated" by the way these were torn off during movement through the dense orchards and hedgerows.<ref name=hastings133 /> The Allies had also been developing lethality improvement programs of their own; the widely-used American-designed [[M4 Sherman]] medium tank, while mechanically reliable, suffered from thin armor and an inadequate gun.<ref name=hastings225>Hastings (1999), p. 225</ref> Against earlier-model Panzer IVs it could hold its own, but with its [[75 mm US tank gun#M3 2|75 mm M3 gun]], was almost helpless in the face of the late-model Panzer IV, as well as the Panther and Tiger tanks, unable to penetrate their frontal armor at virtually any range.<ref>Hastings (1999), pp. 225–227</ref> The British up-gunned the Sherman with their highly effective [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder|QF 17 pounder anti-tank gun]], resulting in the [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]];<ref>Fletcher (2008), pp. 5–8</ref> although this was the only Allied tank capable of dealing with all current German tanks at normal combat ranges, few (about 300) were available in time for the Normandy invasion.<ref name=hastings225 /> It was not until July 1944 that American Shermans, fitted with the {{convert|76|mm|in|2|adj=on}} [[76 mm gun M1|M1 tank gun]], began to achieve a parity in firepower with the Panzer IV.<ref>Fletcher (2008), p. 43</ref><ref>Hastings (1999), p. 221</ref> However, despite the general superiority of its armored vehicles, by August 29 1944, as the last surviving German troops of [[Fifth Panzer Army]] and [[7th Army (Germany)|Seventh Army]] retreated toward [[Paris]], the twin cataclysms of the [[Falaise Pocket]] and the [[Seine]] crossing had cost the Wehrmacht dearly. Of the 2,300 tanks and assault guns it had committed to Normandy (including around 750 Panzer IVs<ref name=forty92 />), over 2,200 had been lost.<ref name=wilmot434>Wilmott (1997), p. 434</ref> [[Field Marshal]] [[Walter Model]] reported to [[Hitler]] that his panzer divisions had remaining, on average, five or six tanks each.<ref name=wilmot434 />


[[Image:Pz-IVG-latrun-2.jpg|thumb|right|A Syrian Panzer IV Ausf. J, captured during the Six-Day War, on display in the [[Yad La-Shiryon]] Museum, Israel.]]
[[Image:Pz-IVG-latrun-2.jpg|thumb|right|A Syrian Panzer IV Ausf. J, captured during the Six-Day War, on display in the [[Yad La-Shiryon]] Museum, Israel.]]

Revision as of 16:18, 20 April 2009

Panzerkampfwagen IV
Panzer IV Ausf. C
TypeMedium tank
Place of origin Nazi Germany
Service history
In service1939–45 (Nazi Germany)
Used byNazi Germany, Romania, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Finland, Spain, Syria
WarsWorld War II, Six-Day War
Production history
DesignerKrupp
Designed1936
ManufacturerKrupp, Steyr-Daimler-Puch
Produced1936–45
No. built8,800 est.
Specifications (Pz IV Ausf H, 1943[1])
Mass25.0 tonnes (27.6 short tons)
Length7.02 m (23.0 ft)
Width2.88 m (9.4 ft)
Height2.68 m (8.8 ft)
Crew5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, rad. op./bow machine-gunner)
Armor10–80 mm (0.39–3.15 in)
Main
armament
75 mm (2.95 in) KwK 40 L/48 main gun (87 rds.)
Secondary
armament
2-3 × 7.92-mm Maschinengewehr 34
Engine12-cylinder Maybach HL 120 TRM
300 PS (296 hp, 220 kW)
Power/weight12 PS/t
Transmission6 fwd., 1 rev. speeds
SuspensionLeaf spring
Fuel capacity470 L (120 US gal)
Operational
range
200 km (120 mi)
Maximum speed 42 km/h (26 mph) road, 16 km/h (9.9 mph) off road

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.

Designed as an infantry-support tank, the Panzer IV was not originally intended to engage enemy armor—that function was performed by the lighter Panzer III. However, with the flaws of pre-war doctrine becoming apparent and in the face of Soviet T-34 tanks in combat, the Panzer IV soon assumed the tank-fighting role of its increasingly obsolescent cousin. The most widely manufactured and deployed German tank of the Second World War, the Panzer IV was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, including tank destroyers and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Robust and reliable, it saw service in all combat theaters, and has the distinction of being the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout the war with over 8,500 produced between 1936 and 1945. Upgrades and design modifications, often made in response to the appearance of new Allied tanks, extended its service life. Generally these involved increasing the Panzer IV's armor protection or upgrading its weapons, although during the last months of the war and with Germany's pressing need for rapid replacement of losses, design changes also included retrograde measures to simplify and speed manufacture.

The Panzer IV was the most widely exported tank in German service, with around 300 sold to partners such as Finland, Spain and Bulgaria. After the war, the French and Spanish sold dozens of Panzer IVs to Syria, where during the 1960s they saw combat in the Six-Day War.

Development history

The Panzer IV was the brainchild of German general and innovative armored warfare theorist Heinz Guderian.[1] In concept it was intended to be a support tank for use against enemy anti-tank guns and fortifications.[2] Ideally, the tank battalions of a panzer division would each have three medium companies equipped with Panzer IIIs, and one heavy company of Panzer IVs.[3] On 11 January 1934, the German army wrote the specifications for a "medium tractor", and issued them to a number of defense companies. To support the Panzer III, which was to be armed with a 37 millimetres (1.46 in) anti-tank gun, the new vehicle would mount a short-barrelled 75 millimetres (2.95 in) main gun, and was allotted a weight limit of 24 tonnes (26.46 short tons). Development was carried out under the name Bataillonsführerwagen (battalion commander's vehicle), or BW, to disguise its actual purpose, given that Germany was still theoretically bound by the Treaty of Versailles.[4] MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig each developed prototypes,[3] with Krupp's being selected for further development.[5]

The chassis had originally been designed with a six-wheeled interleaved suspension, but the German Army amended this to a torsion bar system. Permitting greater vertical deflection of the roadwheels, this was intended to improve performance and crew comfort both on- and off-road.[5][6] However, due to the urgent requirement for the new tank, neither proposal was adopted, and Krupp instead equipped it with a leaf spring double-bogie suspension. The prototype required a crew of five; the hull contained the engine bay to the rear, with the driver and radio operator, who doubled as the hull gunner, seated at the front-left and front-right, respectively. In the turret, the tank commander sat beneath his roof hatch, while the gunner was situated to the left of the gun breech and the loader to the right. The turret was offset 66.5 millimetres (2.62 in) to the left of the chassis center line, while the engine was moved 152.4 millimetres (6.00 in) to the right. This allowed the torque shaft to clear the rotary base junction, which provided electrical power to turn the turret, while connecting to the transmission box mounted in the hull between the driver and radio operator. Due to the asymmetric layout, the right side of the tank contained the bulk of its stowage volume, which was taken up by ready-use ammunition lockers.[5]

Accepted into service as the Versuchskraftfahrzeug 622 (Vs.Kfz. 622),[4] production began in 1936 at Krupp-Grusonwerke AG's factory at Magdeburg.[7]

Ausf. A to Ausf. F

PzKpfw IV Ausf. D

The first mass-produced version of the Panzer IV was the Ausführung, A (Ausf. A or Batch A), in 1936. It was powered by Maybach's HL 108TR, producing 250 metric horsepower (183.87 kW), and used the SGR 75 transmission with five forward gears and one reverse,[8] achieving a maximum road speed of 31 kilometres per hour (19.26 mph).[9] As main armament, the vehicle mounted the Kampfwagenkanone 37 L/24 (KwK 37 L/24) 75-millimetre (2.95 in) tank gun, which was a low-velocity gun designed mainly to fire high-explosive shells.[10] Against armored targets, firing the Panzergranate (armor-piercing shell) at 430 metres per second (1,410 ft/s) the KwK 37 could penetrate 43 millimetres (1.69 in), inclined at 30 degrees, at ranges of up to 700 metres (2,300 ft).[11] A 7.92-millimetre (0.31 in) MG 34 machine gun was mounted coaxially with the main gun in the turret, while a second machine gun of the same type was mounted in the front plate of the hull.[5] The Ausf. A was protected by 14.5 millimetres (0.57 in) of steel armor on the front plate of the chassis, and 20 millimetres (0.79 in) on the turret. This was capable only of stopping artillery fragments, small-arms fire, and light anti-tank projectiles.[12]

The 300 horsepower Maybach HL 120TRM engine used in most Panzer IV production models.

After manufacturing 35 tanks of the A version, in 1937 production moved to the Ausf. B.[4] Improvements included the replacement of the original engine with the more powerful 300 metric horsepower (220.65 kW) Maybach HL 120TR, and the transmission with the new SSG 75 transmission, with six forward gears and one reverse gear. Despite a weight increase to 16 tonnes (18 short tons), this improved the tank's speed to 39 kilometres per hour (24 mph).[13] The glacis plate was augmented to a maximum thickness of 30 millimetres (1.18 in),[12] and the hull-mounted machine gun was replaced by a covered pistol port. Forty-two Panzer IV Ausf. Bs were manufactured before the introduction of the Ausf. C in 1938.[14][4] This saw the turret armor increased to 30 millimetres (1.18 in), which brought the tank's weight to 18.14 tonnes (20.00 short tons).[14] After assembling 40 Ausf. Cs, starting with chassis number 80341 the engine was replaced with the improved HL 120TRM. The last of the 140 Ausf. Cs was produced in August 1939, and production changed to the Ausf. D; this variant, totaling 248 vehicles, reintroduced the hull machine gun and changed the turret's internal gun mantlet to an external one.[14] Again protection was upgraded, this time by increasing side armor to 20 millimetres (0.79 in).[10] As the German invasion of Poland in September 1939 came to an end, it was decided to scale up production of the Panzer IV, which was adopted for general use on 27 September 1939 as the Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161 (Sd.Kfz. 161).[4]

An early-war Panzer IV Ausf. D, painted with Afrika Korps markings.

In September 1940 the Ausf. E was introduced. This had 50 millimetres (1.97 in) of armor on the bow plate, while a 30-millimetre (1.18 in) appliqué steel plate was added to the glacis as an interim measure. Finally, the commander's cupola was moved forward into the turret. Older model Panzer IV tanks were retrofitted with these features when returned to the manufacturer for servicing.[14] Two hundred and twenty-three Ausf. Es were produced between September 1940 and April 1941.[citation needed]

In April 1941 production of the Panzer IV Ausf. F started. It featured 50-millimetre (1.97 in) single-plate armor on the turret and hull, as opposed to the appliqué armor added to the Ausf. E,[14] and a further increase in side armor to 30 millimetres (1.18 in).[15] The weight of the vehicle was now 22.3 tonnes (24.6 short tons), which required a corresponding modification of track width from 380 to 400 millimetres (14.96 to 15.75 in) to reduce ground pressure. The wider tracks also facilitated the fitting of ice sprags, and the rear idler wheel and front sprocket were modified.[16] A total of 464 Ausf. Fs were produced from April 1941 to March 1942.[citation needed] On May 26 1941, during a conference with Hitler, it was decided to improve the Panzer IV's main armament. Krupp was awarded the contract to integrate a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) L/60 gun into the turret and to deliver the first prototype by November 15 1941.[citation needed]

The short-barreled Panzer IV Ausf. F1.
The 1942 Panzer IV Ausf. F2 was an upgrade of the Ausf. F, fitted with the KwK 40 L/43 anti-tank gun to counter Soviet T-34 and KV tanks.

The shock of encountering the Soviet T-34 medium and KV-1 heavy tanks during the first months of Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941 necessitated a new tank gun to meet these threats.[17] In response to the difficulty of penetrating British Matildas during the Battle of France, the Germans had earlier installed a 50-millimetre (1.97 in) L/60 gun—based on the 5 cm PaK 38 anti-tank gun—on a Panzer IV Ausf. D. However, with the rapid German victory in Russia, the original order of 80 tanks was cancelled before they entered production.[18] In November 1941, the decision to up-gun the Panzer IV to the 50-millimetre (1.97 in) L/60 gun was dropped, and instead Krupp was contracted in a joint development to modify Rheinmetall's pending 75-millimetre (2.95 in) anti-tank gun design (later known as 7.5 cm PaK 40 L/46). Because the recoil length of the PaK 40 was too long for the tank's turret, the recoil mechanism and chamber were shortened. This resulted in the 75-millimetre (2.95 in) KwK 40 L/43.[19]

The KwK 40 L/43 was mounted on the Panzer IV Ausf. F, and those tanks which received the new, longer gun were renamed Ausf. F2 (with the designation Sd.Kfz. 161/1), while tanks with the shorter gun received the designation Ausf. F1. The F2 increased in weight to 23.6 tonnes (26.0 short tons), but firing an armor-piercing shot, the gun's muzzle velocity was increased from 430 metres per second (1,410 ft/s) to 990 metres per second (3,250 ft/s).[16] Initially, the gun was mounted with a single-chamber, ball-shaped muzzle brake which provided just under 50% of the recoil system's braking ability.[20] Firing the Panzergranate 39, the KwK 40 L/43 could penetrate 77 millimetres (3.03 in) of steel armor at a range of 1,830 metres (6,000 ft).[21] Three months after beginning production, the Panzer IV. Ausf. F2 was renamed Ausf. G.[22] Four hundred and sixty-two Ausf. F (later F1) tanks were produced from April 1941 to March 1942, of which 25 were converted to the F2 on the production line. One hundred and seventy-five Ausf. F2s were produced from March 1942 to July 1942.[citation needed]

Ausf. G to Ausf. J

A Panzer IV Ausf G. in desert colors, bearing the 'umbrella' insignia of the 15th Panzer Division of the Africa Corps.

During its production run from May 1942 to June 1943, the Panzer IV Ausf. G went through further modifications, including another armor upgrade. Given that the tank was reaching its viable limit, to avoid a corresponding weight increase, the appliqué 20-millimetre (0.79 in) steel plates were removed from its side armor, which instead had its base thickness increased to 30 millimetres (1.18 in). The weight saved was transferred to the front, which saw a 30-millimetre (1.18 in) face-hardened appliqué steel plate welded (later bolted) to the glacis—in total, frontal armor was now 80 millimetres (3.15 in) thick.[23] To simplify production, the vision ports on either side of the turret and on the left turret front were removed, while a rack for two spare roadwheels was installed on the track guard on the left side of the hull. Complementing this, brackets for seven spare track links were added to the glacis plate. For operation in high temperatures, the engine's ventilation was improved by creating slits over the engine deck to the rear of the chassis, and cold weather performance was boosted by adding a device to heat the engine's coolant, as well as a starter fluid injector. A new light replaced the original headlight, and the signal port on the turret was removed.[24] In April 1943, the KwK 40 L/43 was replaced by the longer 75-millimetre (2.95 in) KwK 40 L/48 gun, with a redesigned multi-baffle muzzle brake with improved recoil efficiency.[25]

A Panzer IV Ausf H at the Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France, with its distinctive Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine coating, turret skirts, and wire-mesh side-skirts.

The next version, the Ausf. H, began production in April 1943 and received the designation Sd. Kfz. 161/2. This variant saw the integrity of the glacis armor improved by manufacturing it as a single 80-millimetre (3.15 in) plate. To prevent adhesion of magnetic anti-tank mines, which the Germans feared would be used in large numbers by the Allies, Zimmerit paste was added to all the vertical surfaces of the tank's armor.[26] The vehicle's side and turret were further protected by the addition of 5-millimetre (0.20 in) side-skirts and a turret skirt.[27] During the Ausf. H's production run its rubber-tired return rollers were replaced with cast steel; the hull was fitted with triangular supports for the easily-damaged side-skirts.[28] A hole in the roof, designed for a new close-support weapon, was plugged by an armored plate due to the shortage of machine guns.[29] These modifications meant that the tank's weight jumped to 25 tonnes (27.56 short tons), reducing its speed,[26] a situation not improved by the decision to adopt the Panzer III's six-speed SSG 77 transmission, which was inferior to that of earlier-model Panzer IVs.[27]

The Ausf. J was the final production model, and was greatly simplified compared to earlier variants to speed construction. This shows an exported Finnish model.

Despite addressing the mobility problems introduced by the previous model, the final production version of the Panzer IV—the Ausf. J—was considered a retrograde from the Ausf. H. Born of German necessity to replace heavy losses, it was greatly simplified to speed production.[30] The electric generator that powered the tank's turret traverse was removed to allow the installation of an auxiliary 200-litre (44 imp gal) fuel tank; road range was thereby increased to 320 kilometres (198.84 mi),[31] but the turret had to be rotated manually. The pistol and vision ports in the turret were removed, and the engine's radiator housing was simplified by changing the slanted sides to straight sides.[29] In addition, the cylindrical muffler was replaced by two flame-suppressing mufflers. By late 1944, Zimmerit was no longer being applied to German armored vehicles, and the Panzer IV's side-skirts had been replaced by wire mesh, while to further speed production the number of return rollers was reduced from four to three.[32]

In a bid to augment the Panzer IV's firepower, an attempt was made to mate a Panther turret—carrying the longer 75-millimetre (2.95 in) L/70 tank gun—to a Panzer IV hull. This was unsuccessful, and confirmed that the chassis had, by this time, reached the limits of its adaptability in both weight and available volume.[30]

Production

Panzer IV production by year[33]
Date Number of Vehicles Additional Information
1937–1939 262 Ausf. A – D
1940 386 Ausf. E[34]
1941[35] 769  
1942 est. 880 Ausf. E – G[36]
1943 3,013 Ausf. H
1944 3,125 Ausf. J
1945 est. 435  
Total 8,870[37]  

The Panzer IV was originally intended to be used only on a limited scale, so initially Krupp was its sole manufacturer. Prior to the Polish campaign, only 262 Panzer IVs were produced: 35 Ausf. A; 42 Ausf. B; 140 Ausf. C; and 45 Ausf. D.[38] After the invasion of Poland, and with the decision to adopt the tank as the mainstay of Germany's armored divisions, production was extended to the Nibelungenwerke factory (managed by Steyr-Daimler-Puch) in the Austrian city of St. Valentin. Production increased as the Ausf. E was introduced, with 223 tanks delivered to the German army.[39] By 1941, 462 Panzer IV Ausf. Fs had been assembled, and the up-gunned Ausf. F2 was entering production.[40] The yearly production total had more than quadrupled since the start of the war.[41]

As the later Panzer IV models emerged, a third factory, Vomag (located in the city of Plauen), began assembly. In 1941 an average of 39 tanks per month were built, and this rose to 83 in 1942, 252 in 1943, and 300 in 1944. However, in December 1943, Krupp's factory was diverted to manufacture the Sturmgeschütz IV, and in the spring of 1944 the Vomag factory began production of the Jagdpanzer IV, leaving the Nibelungenwerke as the only plant still assembling the Panzer IV.[41] With the slow collapse of German industry under pressure from Allied air and ground offensives — in October 1944 the Nibelungenwerke factory was severely damaged during a bombing raid — by March and April 1945 production had fallen to pre-1942 levels, with only around 55 tanks per month coming off the assembly lines.[42]

Export

The Panzer IV was the most exported German tank of the Second World War.[43] In 1942 Germany delivered 11 tanks to Romania and 32 to Hungary, many of which were lost on the Eastern Front between the final months of 1942 and the beginning of 1943.[44] To arm Bulgaria, Germany supplied 46[45] or 91[46] Panzer IVs, and offered Italy 12 tanks to form the nucleus of a new armored division. These were used to train Italian crews while Italian dictator Benito Mussolini was deposed, but were retaken by Germany during its occupation of Italy in mid-1943.[45] The Spanish government petitioned for 100 Panzer IVs in March 1943, but only 20 were ever delivered, by December.[47] Finland received 20 Panzer IVs in 1944,[46] and the same year a second batch of 62[45] or 72[46] were sent to Hungary (although 20 of these were diverted to replace German losses).[46] In total some 297 Panzer IVs of all models were delivered to Germany's allies.[48]

Combat History

A Panzer IV Ausf. E showing signs of multiple hits to the turret, including the gun barrel.

The Panzer IV was the only German tank to remain in both production and combat throughout World War II,[49][50] and measured over the entire war it comprised 30% of the Wehrmacht's total tank strength.[51] Although in service by early 1939, in time for the occupation of Czechoslovakia,[52] at the start of the war the majority of German armor was made up of obsolete Panzer Is and Panzer IIs.[53] The Panzer I in particular had already proved inferior to Soviet tanks, such as the T-26, during the Spanish Civil War.[54]

Western Front and North Africa (1939–1942)

When Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, its armored corps was composed of 1,445 Panzer Is, 1,223 Panzer IIs, 98 Panzer IIIs and 211 Panzer IVs; the more modern vehicles amounted to less than 10% of Germany's armored strength.[55] The 1st Panzer Division had a roughly equal balance of types, with 17 Panzer Is, 18 Panzer IIs, 28 Panzer IIIs, and 14 Panzer IVs per battalion. The remaining panzer divisions were heavy with obsolete models, equipped as they were with 34 Panzer Is, 33 Panzer IIs, 5 Panzer IIIs, and 6 Panzer IVs per battalion.[56] Although the Polish army possessed less than 200 tanks capable of penetrating the German light tanks, Polish anti-tank guns proved more of a threat, reinforcing German faith in the value of the close-support Panzer IV.[57]

A British Crusader tank passing a burning German Panzer IV during Operation Crusader, late 1941.

Despite increasing production of the medium Panzer IIIs and IVs prior to the German invasion of France on 10 May 1940, the majority of German tanks were still light types. According to Heinz Guderian, the Wehrmacht invaded France with 523 Panzer Is, 955 Panzer IIs, 349 Panzer IIIs, 278 Panzer IVs, 106 Panzer 35(t)s and 228 Panzer 38(t)s.[58] Through the use of tactical radios[59] and superior tactics, the Germans were able to outmaneuver and defeat French and British armor.[60] However, Panzer IVs armed with the KwK 37 L/24 75-millimetre (2.95 in) tank gun found it difficult to engage French tanks such as Somua S35 and Char B1.[61] The Somua S35 had a maximum armor thickness of 55 millimetres (2.17 in),[62], while the KwK 37 L/24 could only penetrate 43 millimetres (1.69 in) at a range of 700 metres (2,296.59 ft).[11] Likewise, the British Matilda Mk II was heavily armored, with up to 78 millimetres (3.07 in) of steel on the turret.[63]

Although the Panzer IV was deployed to North Africa with the German Afrika Korps, until the longer gun variant began production the tank was outperformed in penetrating armour by the Panzer III.[64] Both the Panzer III and IV had difficulty in penetrating the British Matilda II's thick armor, while the Matilda's 40 mm QF 2 pdr gun could knock out either German tank; its major disadvantage was its low speed.[65] By August 1942, Rommel had only received 27 Panzer IV Ausf. F2s, armed with the L/43 gun, which he deployed to spearhead his armored offensives.[65] The longer gun could penetrate all American and British tanks in theater at ranges of up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft).[66] Although more of these tanks arrived in North Africa between August and October 1942, their numbers were insignificant compared to the amount of matériel shipped to British forces.[67]

The Panzer IV also took part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and the invasion of Greece in early 1941.[68]

Eastern Front (1941–1945)

A PzKpfw IV Ausf. H of the 12th Panzer Division operating on the Eastern Front in the USSR, 1944.

With the launching of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 1941, the unanticipated appearance of the KV-1 and T-34 tanks prompted the decision to further upgrade the Panzer IV's 75-millimetre (2.95 in) gun. The decision was also made to give the Panzer IV's a high-velocity 75-millimetre (2.95 in) gun suitable for antitank use. The up-gunning of the Panzer IV meant that it could now penetrate the T-34 tank at ranges of up to 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) at any angle.[69] Shipment of the first model to mount the new gun, the Ausf. F2, began in spring 1942, and by the summer offensive there were around 135 Panzer IVs with the L/43 tank gun available. At the time, these were the only German tank that could defeat the Soviet T-34 or KV-1.[70] They played a crucial role in the events which unfolded between June 1942 and March 1943,[71] and the Panzer IV became the mainstay of the German panzer divisions.[72] Although in service by late September 1942, the Tiger I was not yet numerous enough to make an impact, and was suffering from serious teething problems, while the Panther would not be delivered to German units in the Soviet Union until May 1943.[73] The extent of German reliance on the Panzer IV during this period is reflected by their losses; 502 were destroyed on the Eastern Front in 1942.[74]

The Panzer IV continued to play an important role during operations in 1943, including at the Battle of Kursk. Newer types such as the Panther were still experiencing crippling reliability problems which restricted their combat efficiency,[75] so much of the effort fell to the 841 Panzer IVs which took part in the battle.[76] Throughout 1943, the German army lost 2,352 Panzer IVs on the Eastern Front;[77] some divisions were reduced to 12–18 tanks by the end of the year.[72] In 1944, a further 2,643 Panzer IVs were destroyed, and such losses were becoming increasingly difficult to replace.[78] The elimination of Army Group Center in mid-1944, during Operation Bagration, crippled the Wehrmacht.[79] By the last year of the war, the Panzer IV was definitively outclassed by the upgraded T-34-85, mounting an 85-millimetre (3.35 in) gun, and other late-model Soviet tanks such as the 122-millimetre (4.80 in)-armed IS-2 heavy tank.[80] Nevertheless, due to a shortage of replacement Panther tanks, the Panzer IV continued to form the core of Germany's armored divisions, including elite units such as the II SS Panzer Corps, through 1944.[81]

In January 1945, 287 Panzer IVs were lost on the Eastern Front. It is estimated that combat against Soviet forces accounted for 6,153 Panzer IVs, or about 75% of all Panzer IV losses during the war.[82]

Western Front (1944–1945)

British officers inspect a German Pzkw-IV knocked out in France in June 1944 by the Durham Light Infantry.

Panzer IVs comprised around half of the available German tank strength on the Western Front prior to the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6 1944.[83] Most of the 11 panzer divisions that saw action in Normandy initially contained an armored regiment of one battalion of Panzer IVs and another of Panthers, for a total of around 160 tanks, although Waffen-SS panzer divisions were generally larger and better-equipped than their Heer counterparts.[84][85] Regular upgrades to the Panzer IV had helped to maintain its reputation as a formidable opponent.[83] Despite overwhelming Allied air superiority, the Norman bocage countryside in the US sector heavily favored defense, and German tanks and anti-tank guns inflicted horrendous casualties on Allied armor during the Normandy campaign. On the offensive, however, the Panzer IVs, Panthers and other armored vehicles proved equally vulnerable in the bocage, and counter-attacks rapidly stalled in the face of infantry-held anti-tank weapons, tank destroyers and anti-tank guns, as well as the ubiquitous fighter bomber aircraft.[86] That the terrain was highly unsuitable for tanks was illustrated by the constant damage suffered to the side-skirts of the Ausf. H's; essential for defence against shaped charge anti-tank weapons such as the British PIAT, all German armored units were "exasperated" by the way these were torn off during movement through the dense orchards and hedgerows.[83] The Allies had also been developing lethality improvement programs of their own; the widely-used American-designed M4 Sherman medium tank, while mechanically reliable, suffered from thin armor and an inadequate gun.[87] Against earlier-model Panzer IVs it could hold its own, but with its 75 mm M3 gun, was almost helpless in the face of the late-model Panzer IV, as well as the Panther and Tiger tanks, unable to penetrate their frontal armor at virtually any range.[88] The British up-gunned the Sherman with their highly effective QF 17 pounder anti-tank gun, resulting in the Firefly;[89] although this was the only Allied tank capable of dealing with all current German tanks at normal combat ranges, few (about 300) were available in time for the Normandy invasion.[87] It was not until July 1944 that American Shermans, fitted with the 76-millimetre (2.99 in) M1 tank gun, began to achieve a parity in firepower with the Panzer IV.[90][91] However, despite the general superiority of its armored vehicles, by August 29 1944, as the last surviving German troops of Fifth Panzer Army and Seventh Army retreated toward Paris, the twin cataclysms of the Falaise Pocket and the Seine crossing had cost the Wehrmacht dearly. Of the 2,300 tanks and assault guns it had committed to Normandy (including around 750 Panzer IVs[92]), over 2,200 had been lost.[93] Field Marshal Walter Model reported to Hitler that his panzer divisions had remaining, on average, five or six tanks each.[93]

A Syrian Panzer IV Ausf. J, captured during the Six-Day War, on display in the Yad La-Shiryon Museum, Israel.

During the winter of 1944–45, the Panzer IV was one of the most widely used tanks in the Ardennes offensive, where further heavy losses—as often due to fuel shortages as to enemy action—impaired major German armored operations in the West thereafter.[94] The Panzer IVs which took part were those which had survived the battles in France between June and September 1944, [dubious – discuss] with around 260 additional Panzer IV Ausf. Js issued as reinforcements.[92]

Post-1945

In the 1960s Syria received a number of Panzer IVs from the French, replacing the turret's machine gun with a Soviet-made 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) machine gun. These were used to shell Israeli settlements below the Golan Heights, and were fired upon during the 1965 "Water War" by Israeli Centurion tanks.[94] Syria received 17 more Panzer IVs from Spain, which saw combat during the Six-Day War in 1967.[95]

The Finns bought 15 new Panzer IV Ausf J in 1944, for 5,000,000 Finnish markkas each (about twice the production price). The tanks arrived too late to see action against the Soviets, but were instead used against the Germans in the Lapland War. After the war, they served as training tanks, and one portrayed a Soviet KV-1 tank in the movie The Unknown Soldier in 1955.

Variants

A Jagdpanzer IV/48 tank destroyer, based on the Panzer IV chassis, mounting the 75 mm PaK L/48 anti-tank gun.

In keeping with the wartime German design philosophy of mounting an existing anti-tank gun on a convenient chassis to give mobility, several tank destroyers and infantry support guns were built around the Panzer IV hull. Both the Jagdpanzer IV, initially armed with the 75-millimetre (2.95 in) L/48 tank gun,[96] and the Krupp-manufactured Sturmgeschütz IV, which was the casemate of the Sturmgeschütz III mounted on the body of the Panzer IV,[97] proved highly effective in defense. Cheaper and faster to construct than tanks, but with the disadvantage of a very limited gun traverse, around 1,980 Jagdpanzer IV's[98] and 1,140 Sturmgeschütz IVs[99] were produced. The Jagdpanzer IV eventually received the same 75 millimeter L/70 gun that was mounted on the Panther.[100]

Another variant of the Panzer IV was the Panzerbefehlswagen IV (Pz.Bef.Wg. IV) command tank. This conversion entailed the installation of additional radio sets, mounting racks, transformers, junction boxes, wiring, antennas and an auxiliary electrical generator. To make room for the new equipment, ammunition stowage was reduced from 87 to 72 rounds. The vehicle could coordinate with nearby armor, infantry or even aircraft. Seventeen Panzerbefehlswagen were converted from Ausf. J chassis, while another 88 were based on refurbished chassis.[101]

The Panzerbeobachtungswagen IV (Pz.Beob.Wg. IV) was an artillery observation vehicle built on the Panzer IV chassis. This, too, received new radio equipment and an electrical generator, installed in the left rear corner of the fighting compartment. Panzerbeobachtungswagens worked in cooperation with self-propelled artillery Wespe and Hummel batteries.[102]

A Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär infantry-support gun.

Also based on the Panzer IV chassis was the Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär 150-millimetre (5.91 in) infantry-support self-propelled gun. These vehicles were primarily issued to four Sturmpanzer units (Numbers 216, 217, 218 and 219) and used during the battle of Kursk and in Italy in 1943. Two separate versions of the Sturmpanzer IV existed, one without a machine gun in the mantlet and one with a machine gun mounted on the mantlet of the casemate.[103] Furthermore, a 105-millimetre (4.13 in) artillery gun was mounted in an experimental turret on a Panzer IV chassis. This variant was called the Heuschrecke, or Grasshopper.[104]

The Wirbelwind armored anti-aircraft vehicle.

Four different self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles were built on the Panzer IV hull. The Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen was armed with a 37-millimetre (1.46 in) anti-aircraft cannon; 240 were built between 1944 and 1945. In late 1944 a new Flakpanzer, the Wirbelwind, was designed, with enough armor to protect the gun's crew and a rotating turret, armed with quadruple Flak 38 guns; at least 100 were manufactured. Sixty-five similar vehicles were built, named the Ostwind, but with a single 37-millimetre (1.46 in) anti-aircraft cannon instead. This vehicle was designed to replace the Wirbelwind. The final model was the Flakpanzer IV Kugelblitz, of which only five were built. This vehicle featured a covered turret armed with twin 30-millimetre (1.18 in) anti-aircraft cannons.[105]

Although not a direct modification of the Panzer IV, some of its components, in conjunction with parts from the Panzer III, were utilized to make one of the most widely-used self-propelled artillery chassis of the war—the Geschützwagen III/IV. This chassis was the basis of the Hummel artillery piece, of which 666 were built, and also the 88 millimetres (3.46 in) gun armed Nashorn tank destroyer, with 473 manufactured.[106] To resupply self-propelled howitzers in the field, 150 ammunition carriers were manufactured on the Geschützwagen III/IV chassis.[52]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Panzerkampfwagen IV.

Notes

  1. ^ Spielberger (1972), p. 69
  2. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 5
  3. ^ a b Perrett (1999), p. 4
  4. ^ a b c d e Spielberger (1972), p. 70
  5. ^ a b c d Perrett (1999), p. 5
  6. ^ Simpkin (1979), p. 106
  7. ^ de Mazarrasa (1994), p. 46
  8. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 5; Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 6
  9. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 6
  10. ^ a b Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 7
  11. ^ a b Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 4
  12. ^ a b Perrett (1999), p. 6; Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 7
  13. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 6; Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 6
  14. ^ a b c d e Perrett (1999), p. 6
  15. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 31
  16. ^ a b Spielberger (1972), p. 71
  17. ^ Perrett (1999), p.7
  18. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 5
  19. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), pp. 6–7
  20. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 7
  21. ^ Spielberger (1972), p. 73
  22. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 8
  23. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 38
  24. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), pp. 11–12
  25. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 12
  26. ^ a b Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 44
  27. ^ a b Perrett (1999), p. 8
  28. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 13
  29. ^ a b Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 14
  30. ^ a b Perrett (1999), p. 9
  31. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), pp. 53–54
  32. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 15
  33. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 36; Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 16; Spielberger (1972), p. 72
  34. ^ Entered service December 1939; Perrett (1999), p. 6
  35. ^ Spielberger (1972), p. 72; Cabellero & Moline (2006) suggest 467 Panzer IVs were manufactured in 1941 and only 278 manufactured in 1940 (p. 4)
  36. ^ Ausf. F entered production during the spring of 1941 and Ausf. G entered service sometime later the same year; Perrett (1999), p. 8
  37. ^ McCarthy & Syron (2002) suggest that 8,600 were manufactured total (p. 36)
  38. ^ Perrett (1999), pp. 5–6
  39. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 33
  40. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 36
  41. ^ a b Spielberger (1972), p. 72
  42. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 16
  43. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 63
  44. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), pp. 63–66
  45. ^ a b c Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 66
  46. ^ a b c d Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 41; Perrett (1999), p. 44, claims Bulgaria received 88 Panzer IVs.
  47. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), pp. 76–82
  48. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 67
  49. ^ McCarthy & Syron (2002), p. 36
  50. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 4
  51. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 3
  52. ^ a b Spielberger (1972), p. 82
  53. ^ McCarthy & Syron (2002), p. 51
  54. ^ McCarthy & Syron (2002), p. 34
  55. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 24
  56. ^ Perrett (1998), p. 37
  57. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 33
  58. ^ Guderian (1996), p. 472
  59. ^ McCarthy & Syron (2002), p. 72
  60. ^ McCarthy & Syron (2002), p. 73
  61. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), pp. 4–5
  62. ^ Crawford (2000), p. 4
  63. ^ Crawford (2000), p. 50
  64. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 34
  65. ^ a b Ormeño (2007), p. 48
  66. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 21
  67. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 23
  68. ^ Perrett (1999), pp. 34–35
  69. ^ Jentz (1996), p. 243
  70. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 33
  71. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 35–36
  72. ^ a b Spielberger (1972), p. 87
  73. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 42
  74. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 39
  75. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 39
  76. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 47
  77. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 48
  78. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), p. 51
  79. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), p. 38
  80. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 40
  81. ^ Reynolds (2002), p. 5
  82. ^ Caballero & Molina (2006), pp. 59–62
  83. ^ a b c Hastings (1999), p. 133
  84. ^ Hastings (1999), p. 413
  85. ^ Forty (2000), p. 88
  86. ^ Perrett (1999), p. 43
  87. ^ a b Hastings (1999), p. 225
  88. ^ Hastings (1999), pp. 225–227
  89. ^ Fletcher (2008), pp. 5–8
  90. ^ Fletcher (2008), p. 43
  91. ^ Hastings (1999), p. 221
  92. ^ a b Forty (2000), p. 92
  93. ^ a b Wilmott (1997), p. 434
  94. ^ a b Perrett (1999), p. 44
  95. ^ de Mazarrasa (1994), p. 50
  96. ^ Scheibert (1991), p. 38
  97. ^ Scheibert (1991), p. 37
  98. ^ Parada, George. "Jagdpanzer IV" (HTML). achtungpanzer.com. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  99. ^ Parada, George. "Sturmgeschütz III / IV" (HTML). achtungpanzer.com. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
  100. ^ Scheibert (1991), p. 44
  101. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), pp. 41–42
  102. ^ Doyle & Jentz (2001), pp. 42–43
  103. ^ Scheibert (1991), pp. 32–33
  104. ^ Scheibert (1991), p. 43
  105. ^ Scheibert (1991), pp. 37–42
  106. ^ Spielberger (1972), pp. 81–82

References

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