How much does the side screens of the pz lv tank cost. Medium tank T-IV Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV, also Pz

Medium tank Pz Kpfw IV
and its modifications

The most massive tank III Reich. Produced from October 1937 until the end of the war. A total of 8,519 tanks were produced Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A, B, C, D, E, F1, F2, G, H, J, of which - 1100 with a short-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK37 L / 24, 7,419 tanks - with a long-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK40 L / 43 or L / 48).

Pz IV Ausf A Pz IV Ausf B Pz IV Ausf C

Pz IV Ausf D Pz IV Ausf E

Pz IV Ausf F1 Pz IV Ausf F2

Pz IV Ausf G Pz IV Ausf H

Pz IV Ausf J

Crew - 5 people.
Engine - "Maybach" HL 120TR or TRM (Ausf A - HL 108TR).

The Maybach HL 120TR 12-cylinder carburetor engine (3000 rpm) had a power of 300 hp. With. and allowed the tank to develop a maximum speed on the highway up to 40 - 42 km / h.

All Pz Kpfw IV tanks had a tank gun with a caliber of 75 mm (7.5 cm in German terminology). In the series from modification A to F1, short-barreled 7.5cm KwK37 L / 24 guns with an initial armor-piercing projectile velocity of 385 m / s were installed, which were powerless against the armor of Soviet T-34 and KV tanks, as well as against most English and American tanks. From March 1942, the last F vehicles (175 vehicles designated F2), as well as all G, H and J tanks, were armed with long-barreled 7.5cm KwK40 L/43 or L/48 guns. (The KwK 40 L / 48 cannon was installed on parts of the G series vehicles, and then on the H and J modifications.) The Pz Kpfw IV tanks, armed with KwK40 cannons with an armor-piercing projectile muzzle velocity of 770 m / s, received fire superiority over the T-34 for some time (2nd half of 1942 - 1943)

tanks Pz Kpfw IVs were also armed with two MG 34 machine guns. In modifications B and C, there was no radio operator machine gun; instead of it - a viewing slot and a pistol embrasure.

All tanks have FuG 5 radios.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A(Sd Kfz 161)

35 tanks were produced from October 1937 to March 1938 by Krupp-Guson.

Combat weight - 18.4 tons. Length - 5.6 m. Width - 2.9 m. Height - 2.65 m.
Armor 15 mm.
Engine - "Maybach" HL 108TR. Speed ​​- 31 km / h. Power reserve - 150 km.

Combat use: they fought in Poland, Norway, France; were withdrawn from service in the spring of 1941.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, Ausf C(Sd Kfz 161)

42 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B tanks were produced (from April to September 1938) and 134 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C tanks (from September 1938 to August 1939).

Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B

Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C

Installed a different engine, a new 6-speed gearbox. The speed increased to 40 km/h. The thickness of the frontal armor has been increased to 30 mm. A new commander's cupola has been installed. In the modification of Ausf C, the installation of the motor was changed and the turret swivel ring was improved.

Combat weight - 18.8 tons (Ausf B) and 19 tons (Ausf C). Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.83 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 15 mm.

In modifications B and C, there was no radio operator machine gun; instead of it - a viewing slot and a pistol embrasure.

Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, Ausf C fought in Poland, France, the Balkans and the Eastern Front. Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C remained in service until 1943. Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B were gradually out of service by the end of 1944.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf D(Sd Kfz 161)

229 tanks produced from October 1939 to May 1941

The main difference between the Ausf D modification was the increase in the thickness of the armor of the sides and stern to 20 mm.

Combat weight - 20 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 40 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.

Combat use: fought in France, the Balkans, North Africa and on the Eastern Front until early 1944.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf E(Sd Kfz 161)

223 tanks produced from September 1940 to April 1941

On the Ausf E increased the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull to 50 mm; a new type of commander's cupola appeared. Armor plates were used on the forehead of the superstructure (30 mm) and on the sides of the hull and superstructure (20 mm).

Combat weight - 21 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull - 50 mm, forehead of the superstructure and turret - 30 mm, side and stern - 20 mm.

Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf E took part in the battles in the Balkans, North Africa and on the Eastern Front.

Medium support tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1(Sd Kfz 161)

462 tanks were produced from April 1941 to March 1942, of which 25 vehicles were converted into Ausf F2.

On the The armor of the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F was increased again: the forehead of the hull and turret was up to 50 mm, the sides of the turret and hull were up to 30 mm. Single doors in the sides of the turret were replaced with double doors, the track width increased from 360 to 400 mm. Tanks of modifications Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F, G, H were produced at the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson, Fomag, and Nibelungenwerke.

Combat weight - 22.3 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.

Speed ​​- 42 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.

Combat use: tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 fought on all sectors of the Eastern Front in 1941-44, participated in. They entered service in and.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2(Sd Kfz 161/1)

Produced from March to July 1942. 175 tanks and 25 vehicles converted from Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1.

Starting with this model, all subsequent models were equipped with a long-barreled gun 7.5cm KwK 40 L/43 (48). The ammunition load of the gun was increased from 80 to 87 rounds.

Combat weight - 23 tons. Length - 5.92 m. Width - 2.84 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull, superstructure and turret - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 40 km / h. Power reserve - 200 km.

They entered service with new tank regiments and motorized divisions, as well as to replenish losses. In the summer of 1942, the Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2 tanks could withstand the Soviet T-34s and KVs, comparable to the latter in terms of firepower, and surpassed the British and American tanks of that period.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G(Sd Kfz 161/2)

1687 vehicles were produced from May 1942 to July 1943.

A new gun muzzle brake has been introduced. Smoke grenade launchers were installed on the sides of the tower. Reduced the number of viewing slots in the tower. About 700 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf G tanks received additional 30 mm frontal armor. On the latest machines, armored screens made of thin steel (5 mm) were installed along the sides of the hull and around the turret. Tanks of modifications Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F, G, H were produced at the factories of three companies: Krupp-Gruson, Fomag and Nibelungenwerke.

Combat weight - 23.5 tons. Length - 6.62 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull, superstructure and turret - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 40 km / h. Power reserve - 210 km.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf N(Sd Kfz 161/2)

3774 vehicles were produced from April 1943 to July 1944.

The Ausf H modification series - the most massive - received 80 mm frontal hull armor (the thickness of the turret armor remained the same - 50 mm); armor protection of the turret roof increased from 10 to 15 mm. An external air filter has been installed. The radio station antenna was moved to the rear of the hull. A mount for an anti-aircraft machine gun is mounted on the commander's cupola. 5-mm side screens were installed on the hull and turret, protecting them from cumulative projectiles. Some of the tanks had non-rubberized (steel) support rollers. The tanks of the Ausf H modification were produced at the factories of three companies: Nibelungenwerke, Krupp-Gruson (Magdeburg) and Fomag in Plauen. A total of 3,774 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf H and another 121 chassis for self-propelled and assault guns were produced.

Combat weight - 25 tons. Length - 7.02 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.

Speed ​​- 38 km / h. Power reserve - 210 km.

medium tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf J(Sd Kfz 161/2)

1758 cars were produced from June 1944 to March 1945 at the Nibelungenwerke plant.

The electrical system of the horizontal aiming of the tower was replaced by a double one mechanical system manual guidance. An additional fuel tank was installed in the vacant seat. Cruising range increased to 320 km. For close combat, a mortar was installed in the roof of the tower, firing fragmentation or smoke grenades to defeat enemy soldiers who had climbed onto the tank. Viewing slots and pistol loopholes in the side doors and behind the turret have been removed.

Combat weight - 25 tons. Length - 7.02 m. Width - 2.88 m. Height - 2.68 m.
Armor: forehead of the hull and superstructure - 80 mm, forehead of the tower - 50 mm, side - 30 mm, feed - 20 mm.
Speed ​​- 38 km / h. Power reserve - 320 km.

Combat use of medium tanks Pz Kpfw IV

Before the invasion of France, the troops had 280 tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf A, B, C, D.

Before the beginning Operation Barbarossa Germany had 3,582 combat-ready tanks. The 17 tank divisions deployed against the Soviet Union included 438 Pz IV Ausf B, C, D, E, F tanks. Soviet tanks KV and T-34 had an advantage over the German Pz Kpfw IV. The shells of the KV and T-34 tanks pierced the armor of the Pz Kpfw IV at considerable distances. The armor of the Pz Kpfw IV was also penetrated by 45-mm Soviet anti-tank guns and 45-mm guns of T-26 and BT light tanks. And the short-barreled German tank gun could only effectively deal with light tanks. Therefore, during 1941, 348 Pz Kpfw IVs were destroyed on the Eastern Front.

Tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 5th tank division in November 1941 near Moscow

In June 1942 years on the Eastern Front, there were 208 tanks Pz Kpfw IV Ausf B, C, D, E, F1 and about 170 Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F2 and Ausf G tanks with a long-barreled gun.

In 1942 Pz Kpfw IV tank battalion was to consist of four tank companies of 22 Pz Kpfw IV plus eight tanks in the headquarters company of the regiment.

Tank Pz Kpfw IV Ausf C and panzergrenadiers

Spring 1943

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2

Main characteristics

Briefly

in detail

3.3 / 3.3 / 3.7 BR

5 people Crew

Mobility

22.7 tons Weight

6 forward
1 ago checkpoint

Armament

87 shells ammo

10° / 20° UVN

3,000 rounds of ammunition

150 rounds clip size

900 shots/min rate of fire

Economy

Description

Panzerkampfwagen IV (7.5 cm) Ausführung F2 or Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2- medium tank armed forces of the Third Reich. Unlike previous modifications, it was armed with a long-barreled 75-mm KwK 40 gun with a barrel length of 43 calibers and improved armor protection. It became the first German tank capable of standing up to the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks on an equal footing, but this only applied to weapons, in terms of armor protection it was still inferior to its rivals and could easily be destroyed by Soviet tank 76-mm guns. For this reason, the armor of the vehicle was often reinforced by the crew itself by attaching spare tracks and other improvised means.

Issue Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 lasted from April to July 1942. During this period, 175 units were built and another 25 vehicles were converted from the F1 modification. The tank was used mainly on the Eastern Front, part of the vehicles of this modification was sent to the African Corps, where it was used to suppress the firing points and manpower of the allies, due to the shortage of armor-piercing shells. The tank played a significant role in the war, counteracting the tanks and armored vehicles of the Allies, which the rest of the German tanks, which had weaker weapons, could not cope with. After the production of the F2 modification was discontinued, the vehicle gave way to more advanced modifications of the Pz.Kpfw medium tank. IV.

Main characteristics

Armor protection and survivability

The location of the crew and modules inside the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. The F2 does not have the best armor protection among similar tanks on its battle rating (BRe). The entire frontal armor of the tank has a thickness of 50 mm, except for the armor section under the driver's slot, which has a thickness of 20 mm, but is located at an angle of inclination of 73 degrees, which gives the reduced armor thickness the same 50 mm. In addition, having studied the modification "Applied Armor", the frontal armor is reinforced with additional tracks 15 mm thick. The side and rear armor of the turret and hull is 30 mm and is easily hit even by heavy machine guns. The tight layout of the crew and modules negatively affects the survivability of the tank. The downside is the high commander's cupola, which can protrude from behind cover, even if the tank is completely hidden from the eyes of opponents.

Mobility

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 has high speed and mobility. The maximum speed of the car is 48 km / h, it is gained quickly and is almost not lost from small obstacles. The rear speed is 8 km / h and it is quite enough to roll back after a shot or to pass backwards to drive behind cover. The maneuverability of the car is good both from a standstill and while driving. From a standstill, the tank turns around briskly, even better and faster on the move, but noticeably loses speed. Patency Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 high.

Armament

main gun

The most important advantage of the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 is its long-barreled 75 mm KwK40 L43 gun with 87 rounds of ammunition. The gun has simply amazing armor penetration. Due to the length of the barrel, unlike previous modifications with short-barreled guns, the KwK40 L43 has good projectile ballistics. In terms of armored action, Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 is inferior to T-34 and KV-1 shells, but it is quite enough to destroy most enemy with one precise hit. Gun reload is fast. Elevation angles range from -10 to +20 degrees, which allows you to fire from behind hills and obstacles hiding the hull behind them. The turret rotates at an average speed, so sometimes you will have to turn your body towards an enemy that suddenly appears.

Five types of shells are available for the tank:

• PzGr 39- an armor-piercing projectile with an armor-piercing tip and a ballistic cap. It has excellent armor penetration and good armor action. Recommended as the main projectile for this tank.

• Hl.Gr 38B- cumulative projectile. It has less armor penetration than the PzGr 39, but retains it at all distances. Recommended for shooting at enemies at very long distances.

• PzGr 40- armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile. It has the highest armor penetration, but much less armor penetration than the PzGr 39, and also significantly loses its armor penetration at long distances. In addition, the projectile is not very effective against opponents with sloped armor. Recommended for use at close range against heavily armored opponents.

• Spgr. 34- high-explosive fragmentation projectile. It has the lowest armor penetration of all the presented shells. Can be effective against non-armored vehicles, such as anti-aircraft self-propelled units(ZSU) based on trucks.

• K.Gr.Rot Nb.- smoke projectile. It does not have armor penetration, it can cause damage only by hitting directly on the enemy crew. Temporarily releases a large cloud of smoke through which it will be impossible for the enemy to see the actions and movement of the player.

Machine gun armament

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. The F2 is armed with a 7.92mm MG34 machine gun with 3,000 rounds of ammunition coaxial with a 75mm gun. Can incapacitate the crew on vehicles that do not have armor, for example, ZSU based on trucks.

Use in combat

To protect the vulnerable hull of the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2, it is better to choose such positions that would completely cover the body from enemy shells

Playing on Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2, you should always be aware of its weak armor and high vulnerability. Thanks to its high speed, the Pz.Kpfw. IV can be one of the first to arrive at the capture point, but if there are no shelters on the point, then you can be an easy prey for enemy tanks. The same applies to the attack, you need to avoid open areas of the terrain where the vehicle will be easily destroyed and move only from cover to cover, destroying enemy tanks because of them. Well suited to the car and the role of a sniper. A good car for flank detours, fast speed will make it easy to go into the flank or rear of the enemy, and the effect of surprise and good tool will cause significant damage to the enemy team.

Advantages and disadvantages

The armor does not have rational angles, so turn the hull a little, but not too much, so as not to expose even weaker sides, good dynamics and mobility will allow you to take important positions quickly, and the UVN will shoot in most situations.

Advantages:

• Excellent armor penetration
• High flatness
• Good armor action of shells
• Remarkable speed and maneuverability
• Good cross
• Fast reload

Flaws:

• Weak booking
• Tight layout

History reference

In January 1934, the German War Department's Ordnance Department held a design competition for a new medium tank. Krupp, MAN, Daimler-Benz and Rheinmetall took part in the competition. The competition was won by the Krupp project, under the designation VK 2001(K). The new tank was conceived by the German command as a support tank for attacking forces, its main task was to suppress enemy firing points, mainly such as machine gun nests and anti-tank gun crews, as well as to fight enemy light armored vehicles. In terms of its design and layout, the tank was made in the classic German style - with the location of the control and transmission compartment in the front, the fighting compartment in the middle and the engine compartment in the rear of the hull. The tank was armed with a short-barreled 75-mm gun. Initially, observing the secrecy from the prohibitions of the Treaty of Versailles, new car was designated as Bataillonsführerwagen or B.W., which in translation meant "battalion commander's vehicle", later the tank received its final designation - Pz.Kpfw. IV (Panzerkampfwagen IV) or Sd.Kfz. 161, in Soviet and domestic sources T-4 or T-IV.

The first modification of the tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. A

The first pre-production samples of the Pz.Kpfw. IV, designated Ausf.A, they were produced in late 1936/early 1937. At the time of the outbreak of hostilities by Germany, on September 1, 1939, there were only 211 Pz.Kpfw tanks in the Wehrmacht tank fleet. IV of all modifications. Although these vehicles did not meet worthy opponents in the Polish campaign, the small-caliber anti-tank artillery of the Polish troops inflicted serious losses on German tanks. For this reason, urgently, measures were taken to strengthen the armor protection of tanks. The French campaign, where German tank forces clashed with French and British armored vehicles, only confirmed that the Pz.Kpfw. IV still did not have sufficient armor, in addition, it also showed that short-barreled 75-mm guns were powerless against the heavy British Matilda tanks. But the final cross on the production of Pz.Kpfw. IV with short-barreled guns was delivered by the campaign against the USSR, which began on June 22, 1941. Already in July of the same year, faced with heavy tanks KV-1 and medium T-34, the Germans realized that short guns could not do anything to new Soviet tanks, even with a point-blank shot.

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F1 with a short gun

For this reason, in the late autumn of 1941, a hasty development of a new, long-barreled 75-mm tank gun began, which could successfully withstand the Soviet T-34 and KV-1. The idea of ​​installing a 50 mm gun with a barrel length of 42 calibers was previously put forward, but the experience of the war on the Eastern Front showed that the Soviet 76 mm guns were superior to the German 50 mm in all respects. To install a new gun, a modification of the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F, which was produced from April 1941 and was the result of an analysis of the course of hostilities in Poland and France. Unlike all previous modifications, the Ausf. F armor thickness of the forehead of the turret and hull increased to 50 mm, the sides to 30 mm, the frontal hull plate became straight, single-leaf hatches on the sides of the turret were replaced with double-leaf ones. Due to the increased mass of the tank and the specific pressure on the ground, the vehicle received new tracks 400 mm wide, instead of 360 mm, as on all previous modifications.

With the installation of a 75-mm long-barreled gun KwK 40 with a barrel length of 43 calibers on the tank, the designation of the tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F, at the end, the numbers 1 and 2 were added, where the number 1 - meant that the car was with a short-barreled gun, and 2 - with a long-barreled one. The combat weight of the tank reached 23.6 tons. Production Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 began in March 1942 and ended in July of that year, giving way to other, more advanced modifications. During this period, 175 Ausf vehicles were produced. F2 and 25 more were converted from F1. With the advent of long-barreled guns, Pz.Kpfw. IV got the opportunity to compete on equal terms with Soviet heavy and medium tanks, but this only concerned weapons, in terms of armor protection the vehicle was inferior to the Soviet T-34 and, even more so, the KV-1. In addition, the increased weight of the vehicle reduced its speed and maneuverability, and the installation of a long-barreled gun increased the weight on the front of the hull, which led to rapid wear of the front rollers and led to a strong buildup of the tank during a sharp stop and after a shot.

Media

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2



Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 before sending to the front



Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 at the Open Air Museum of Armored Vehicles

Review PzKpfw IV ausf F2 from Cross

Review PzKpfw IV ausf F2 from WarTube

PzKpfw IV ausf F2 review by Omero

PzKpfw IV ausf F2 review by CrewGTW

Modern battle tanks Russia and the world photo, video, pictures watch online. This article gives an idea of ​​the modern tank fleet. It is based on the classification principle 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, then others have already become a museum exhibit. And all for 10 years! Follow in the footsteps of Jane's guide and not consider this combat vehicle(quite by the way, curious in design and fiercely discussed at the time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, the authors considered it unfair.

Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of weapon ground forces. The tank was and probably will remain a modern weapon for a long time due to the 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 technologies accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers of combat properties and military-technical achievements. In the age-old confrontation "projectile - armor", as practice shows, protection from a projectile is being improved more and more, 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 perform quick maneuvers on impassable roads, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through the territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, induce panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and caterpillars . The war of 1939-1945 became the most difficult test for all mankind, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was the battle of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all the warring parties. At this time, a "check for lice" and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank troops took place. And it is the Soviet tank troops that are most affected by all this.

Tanks in battle that became a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, be able to launch powerful tank formations on the battlefield already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks "in the days of testing ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from the archives of Russia and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that was deposited in my memory with some depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and stopped only at the beginning of forty-three, - said the former general designer Self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, - some kind of pre-stormy 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 leader of all peoples"), who was able to create the tank that, a few years later, would shock German tank generals. And what’s more, he didn’t just create it, the designer managed to prove to these stupid military men that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked “highway”. The author is in slightly different positions that he formed after meeting with the pre-war documents of the RGVA and RGAE. 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 as a whole, during a frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.

Tanks Wikipedia the author wants to express his special gratitude for the help in the selection and processing of materials to M. Kolomiyets, and also to thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication "Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941" because this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, unclear before. I would also like to recall 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 of the Soviet Union. Today, for some reason, it is customary to talk about 1937-1938 in our country. only from the point of view of repressions, 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. Gorlinkogo.

Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time sounded 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 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 turn from a "mechanized cavalry" (in which one of its combat qualities protruded by reducing others) into a balanced combat vehicle, which simultaneously had powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good cross-country ability and mobility with armor protection, capable of maintaining its combat effectiveness when shelling a potential enemy with the most massive anti-tank weapons.

It was recommended that large tanks be introduced into the composition in addition only special tanks - floating, chemical. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was reinforced by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form in 1938 to the four existing mechanized corps three more additionally, believing that these formations are immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they require a different organization of the rear. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, have been 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 chief demanded to strengthen the armor of new tanks so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).

The latest 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 step ... "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 easy to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use in a special way hardened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its resistance by 1.2-1.5 times. It was this path (the use of specially 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 massively used, the properties of which were identical in all directions. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of the armor business, the craftsmen strove to create just such armor, because uniformity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of the 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. So heterogeneous (heterogeneous) armor came into use.

In 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 result) to an increase in brittleness. Thus, the most durable armor, other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often pricked even from bursts of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production in the manufacture of homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the highest possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened by saturation with carbon and silicon armor was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, processing a hot plate with a jet of lighting gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required high costs and an increase in production culture.

Tank of the war years, 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 terms of protection to the same, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in mass.
Also, by the mid-1930s, in tank building, they learned how 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 hardness front side sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.

How tanks shoot videos up to half the thickness of the plate, which, of course, was worse than carburizing, since despite the fact that the hardness of the surface layer was higher than during carburizing, 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 somewhat more than carburizing. But the hardening technology that was used for sea armor of large thicknesses was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost never used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.

Combat use of tanks The most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun mod 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain, it was believed that its power was enough to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that the 45-mm gun could only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even the shelling of manpower in the 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 . Shooting at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high-explosive action of a projectile weighing only about two kg.

Types of tanks photo so that even one hit of a projectile reliably disables 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, as in the example French tanks(already having an armor thickness of the order of 40-42 mm) it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly strengthened. There was a right way to do this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun of a larger caliber fires heavier projectiles at a higher muzzle velocity over a greater distance without correcting the pickup.

The best tanks in the world had a large caliber gun, also had a large breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil reaction. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, the placement of large shots in the closed volume of the tank led to a decrease in the ammunition load.
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 an 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 at liberty, who from the beginning of 1935 tried to bring his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the team of plant No. 8 slowly brought the "forty-five".

Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but in mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one was accepted ... "In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, which were worked on in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to the series. Moreover, despite the decisions on the highest levels about the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines This process was hampered by a number of factors. Of course, diesel had significant efficiency. It used less fuel per unit of power per hour. Diesel fuel is less prone to ignition, since the flash point of its vapors was very high.

Even the most finished of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (there were no machine tools of the required accuracy yet), financial investments and strengthening personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel engine with a capacity of 180 hp. will go to mass-produced tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to find out the causes of tank engine accidents, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not fulfilled. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.

Brands of tanks with specific indicators that suited the tank builders quite well. Tank tests were carried out according to a new methodology, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the 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 traffic) 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, "bathing" in the water with an additional load, simulating an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for examination.

Super tanks online after the improvement work seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And general course 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 the tests, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. The chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new improved protection turret. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank a larger ammunition load for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (before there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).

US tanks as part of modernization work, on one serial 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 its way in the course of further work. Obstacles to be overcome: rises not less than 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, overlapping ditch 2-2.5 m.

Youtube about tanks work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks is not being carried out, jeopardizing the production of prototypes. 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank version (factory designation 102 or 10-2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully meet the requirements of the ABTU.Variant 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull according to the type of hull, but with vertical side sheets of case-hardened armor 10-13 mm thick, because: "Sloped sides, causing serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300 mm) broadening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.

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

Medium tank T-IV Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV, also Pz. IV), Sd.Kfz.161

The production of this tank, created by Krupp, began in 1937 and continued throughout the Second World War. Tells
Like the T-III- (Pz.III) tank, the power plant is located at the rear, and the power transmission and drive wheels are at the front. The control compartment housed the driver and gunner-radio operator, firing from a machine gun mounted in a ball bearing. The fighting compartment was in the middle of the hull. A multifaceted welded tower was mounted here, in which three crew members were accommodated and weapons were installed.

T-IV tanks were produced with the following weapons:

• modifications A-F, assault tank with a 75-mm howitzer;
• modification G, a tank with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 43 caliber;
• N-K modifications, a tank with a 75-mm cannon with a barrel length of 48 calibers.

Due to the constant increase in the thickness of the armor, the weight of the vehicle during production increased from 17.1 tons (modification A) to 24.6 tons (modification H-K). Since 1943, to enhance armor protection, armored screens were installed on the sides of the hull and turret. The long-barreled gun introduced on modifications G, H-K allowed the T-IV to withstand enemy tanks of equal weight (a 75-mm sub-caliber projectile pierced 110-mm armor at a distance of 1000 meters), but its maneuverability, especially overweighted latest modifications, was unsatisfactory. In total, about 9,500 T-IV tanks of all modifications were produced during the war years.

Tank PzKpfw IV. History of creation.

In the 1920s and early 1930s, the theory of the use of mechanized troops, in particular tanks, was developed by trial and error, the views of theorists changed very often. A number of tank supporters believed that the appearance of armored vehicles would make positional warfare in the style of fighting 1914-1917 impossible from a tactical point of view. In turn, the French relied on the construction of well-fortified long-term defensive positions, such as the Maginot Line. A number of experts believed that the main armament of the tank should be a machine gun, and the main task of armored vehicles is to fight the infantry and artillery of the enemy, the most radically thinking representatives of this school considered the battle between tanks to be pointless, since, allegedly, neither side could inflict damage on the other. There was an opinion that the side that could destroy the largest number of enemy tanks would win the battle. As the main means of fighting tanks, special weapons with special shells were considered - anti-tank guns with armor-piercing shells. In fact, no one knew what the nature of hostilities would be in a future war. The experience of the Spanish Civil War also did not clarify the situation.

The Treaty of Versailles forbade Germany to have combat tracked vehicles, but could not prevent German specialists from working on studying various theories of the use of armored vehicles, and the creation of tanks was carried out by the Germans in secrecy. When in March 1935 Hitler abandoned the restrictions of Versailles, the young "Panzerwaffe" already had all the theoretical studies in the field of application and organizational structure of tank regiments.

In mass production under the banner of "agricultural tractors" were two types of light armed tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II.
The PzKpfw I tank was considered a training vehicle, while the PzKpfw II was intended for reconnaissance, but it turned out that the "two" remained the most mass tank panzer divisions, until it was replaced by medium tanks PzKpfw III, armed with a 37-mm cannon and three machine guns.

Start of development tank PzKpfw IV dates back to January 1934, when the army gave industry a specification for new tank fire support weighing no more than 24 tons, the future vehicle received the official designation Gesch.Kpfw. (75 mm)(Vskfz.618). Over the next 18 months, specialists from Rheinmetall-Borzing, Krupp and MAN worked on three competing projects for the battalion commander’s vehicle (“battalionführerswagnen” abbreviated as BW). The VK 2001 / K project, presented by Krupp, was recognized as the best, the shape of the turret and hull is close to the PzKpfw III tank.

However, the VK 2001 / K machine did not go into series, because the military was not satisfied with the six-support chassis with wheels of medium diameter on a spring suspension, it needed to be replaced with a torsion bar. The torsion bar suspension, compared to the spring suspension, provided a smoother movement of the tank and had a greater vertical travel of the road wheels. Krupp engineers, together with representatives of the Office for the Procurement of Arms, agreed on the possibility of using an improved spring suspension design with eight small-diameter road wheels on board on the tank. However, Krupp had to largely revise the proposed original design. In the final version, the PzKpfw IV was a combination of the hull and turret of the VK 2001 / K vehicle with a chassis newly developed by Krupp.

The PzKpfw IV tank was designed according to the classic layout with a rear engine. The commander's seat was located along the axis of the tower directly under the commander's cupola, the gunner was located to the left of the cannon breech, the loader was to the right. In the control compartment, located in front of the tank hull, there were jobs for the driver (to the left of the vehicle axis) and the radio operator's gunner (to the right). Between the driver's seat and the arrow was the transmission. An interesting design feature of the tank was the displacement of the turret by about 8 cm to the left of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the engine - by 15 cm to the right to pass the shaft connecting the engine and transmission. Such a constructive solution made it possible to increase the internal reserved volume on the right side of the hull for the placement of the first shots, which the loader could most easily get. The tower turn drive is electric.

The suspension and undercarriage consisted of eight small-diameter road wheels grouped into two-wheeled carts suspended on leaf springs, drive wheels installed in the stern of the sloth tank and four rollers supporting the caterpillar. Throughout the history of the operation of PzKpfw IV tanks, their undercarriage remained unchanged, only minor improvements were introduced. The prototype of the tank was manufactured at the Krupp plant in Essen and tested in 1935-36.

Description of the tank PzKpfw IV

armor protection.
In 1942, consulting engineers Mertz and McLillan conducted a detailed survey of the captured PzKpfw IV Ausf.E tank, in particular, they carefully studied its armor.

- Several armor plates were tested for hardness, all of them were machined. The hardness of the machined armor plates outside and inside was 300-460 Brinell.
- Overhead armor plates with a thickness of 20 mm, with which the armor of the hull sides is reinforced, are made of homogeneous steel and have a hardness of about 370 Brinell. The reinforced side armor is unable to "hold" 2-pound projectiles fired from a distance of 1000 yards.

On the other hand, a tank attack conducted in the Middle East in June 1941 showed that a distance of 500 yards (457 m) can be considered as the limit for effective frontal engagement of a PzKpfw IV with a 2-pounder gun. A report prepared at Woolwich on the study of armor protection of a German tank notes that "armor is 10% better than similar machined English, and in some respects even better than homogeneous."

At the same time, the method of connecting the armor plates was criticized, a Leyland Motors specialist commented on his research: “The quality of the welding is poor, the welds of two of the three armor plates in the area where the projectile hit the projectile diverged.”

Power point.

The Maybach engine is designed to operate in moderate climatic conditions, where its performance is satisfactory. At the same time, in the tropics or high dustiness, it breaks down and is prone to overheating. British intelligence after studying the captured PzKpfw IV tank in 1942, she concluded that engine failures were caused by sand getting into the oil system, distributor, dynamo and starter; air filters are inadequate. There were frequent cases of sand getting into the carburetor.

The Maybach engine manual requires the use of gasoline only with an octane rating of 74 with a complete lubricant change after 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 km of run. The recommended engine speed under normal operating conditions is 2600 rpm, but in hot climates ( southern regions USSR and North Africa) such a number of revolutions does not provide normal cooling. The use of the engine as a brake is permissible at 2200-2400 rpm, at a speed of 2600-3000 this mode should be avoided.

The main components of the cooling system were two radiators installed at an angle of 25 degrees to the horizon. The radiators were cooled by an airflow forced by two fans; fan drive - belt driven from the main motor shaft. The circulation of water in the cooling system was provided by a centrifuge pump. Air entered the engine compartment through a hole covered with an armored shutter from the right side of the hull and was thrown out through a similar hole on the left side.

The synchro-mechanical transmission proved to be effective, although pulling power in high gears was low, so 6th gear was only used on the highway. The output shafts are combined with the braking and turning mechanism into a single device. To cool this device, a fan was installed to the left of the clutch box. The simultaneous disengagement of the steering control levers could be used as an effective parking brake.

On tanks of later versions, the spring suspension of the road wheels was heavily overloaded, but replacing the damaged two-wheeled bogie seemed to be a fairly simple operation. The tension of the caterpillar was regulated by the position of the sloth mounted on the eccentric. On the Eastern Front, special track expanders, known as "Ostketten", were used, which improved the maneuverability of tanks in the winter months of the year.

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf. B on the training ground during an exercise.

An extremely simple but effective device for dressing a jumped-off caterpillar was tested on an experimental PzKpfw IV tank. It was a factory-made tape that had the same width as the tracks and a perforation for engagement with the gear rim of the drive wheel. One end of the tape was attached to the track that had come off, the other, after it was passed over the rollers, to the drive wheel. The motor was turned on, the drive wheel began to rotate, pulling the tape and the tracks fastened to it until the rims of the drive wheel entered the slots on the tracks. The whole operation took several minutes.

The engine was started by a 24-volt electric starter. Since the auxiliary power generator saved battery power, it was possible to try to start the engine more times on the "four" than on the PzKpfw III tank. In the event of a starter failure, or when the grease thickened in severe frost, an inertial starter was used, the handle of which was connected to the engine shaft through a hole in the aft armor plate. The handle was turned by two people at the same time, the minimum number of turns of the handle required to start the engine was 60 rpm. Starting the engine from an inertial starter has become commonplace in the Russian winter. The minimum temperature of the engine, at which it started to work normally, was t = 50 ° C when the shaft rotated 2000 rpm.

To facilitate starting the engine in the cold climate of the Eastern Front, a special system was developed, known as the "Kuhlwasserubertragung" - a cold water heat exchanger. After starting up and warming up to normal temperature the engine of one tank, warm water from it was pumped into the cooling system of the next tank, and cold water was supplied to the already working engine - there was an exchange of refrigerants between the working and non-working engines. After the warm water warmed up the motor a little, it was possible to try to start the engine with an electric starter. The Kuhlwasserubertragung system required minor modifications to the tank's cooling system.

Weapons and optics.

Installed on early models tank PzKpfw IV 75-mm howitzer L / 24 had a barrel with 28 grooves 0.85 mm deep and a semi-automatic vertical sliding shutter. The gun was equipped with a clinometric sight, which, if necessary, allowed the tank to conduct aimed fire from closed positions. The barrel recoil cylinder protruded beyond the gun mantlet and covered most of the gun barrel. The gun cradle was heavier than required, resulting in a slight imbalance in the turret.

The composition of the tank gun ammunition included high-explosive, anti-tank, smoke and grapeshot shells. The gunner aimed the gun and the machine gun coaxial with it in elevation, turning a special steering wheel with his left hand. The turret could be deployed either electrically by switching the toggle switch, or manually, for which a steering wheel mounted to the right of the vertical guidance mechanism was used. Both the gunner and the loader could manually deploy the turret; the maximum speed of the manual turn of the tower by the efforts of the gunner was 1.9 g / s, the gunner - 2.6 g / s.

The turret turn electric drive is mounted on the left side of the turret, the turn speed is controlled manually, the maximum turning speed using the electric drive reaches 14 g/s (about two times lower than on British tanks), the minimum is 0.14 g/s. Since the motor responds to control signals with a delay, it is difficult to track a moving target by rotating the turret with an electric drive. The gun is fired with the help of an electric trigger, the button of which is mounted on the handwheel of the manual drive for turning the turret. The recoil mechanism of the barrel after the shot has a hydropneumatic shock absorber. The tower is equipped with various instruments and devices that ensure safe working conditions for crew members.

German tank PzKpfw IV Ausf. G on the march in Normandy.

The installation of long-barreled guns L / 43 and L / 48 instead of the short-barreled L / 24 led to an imbalance in the turret gun mount (the barrel outweighed the breech), a special spring had to be mounted to compensate for the increased mass of the barrel; the spring was installed in a metal cylinder in the right front segment of the tower. More powerful guns also had stronger recoil when fired, which required a redesign of the recoil mechanism, which became wider and longer, but despite the improvements made, the barrel recoil after firing still increased by 50 mm compared to the barrel recoil of the 24-caliber gun. When making marches on their own or during transportation by rail in order to slightly increase the free internal volume, the 43- and 48-caliber guns were raised at an angle of 16 degrees and fixed in this position with a special external folding support

The telescopic sight of the long-barreled 75-mm gun had two rotating scales and for its time had a fairly high level of complexing. The first scale, the distance scale, rotated around its axis, aiming marks for firing from a cannon and a machine gun were applied to the scale in different quadrants; the scale for firing high-explosive shells (Gr34) and for firing from a machine gun was graduated within 0-3200 m, while the scales for firing armor-piercing shells (PzGr39 and PzGr40) were graduated, respectively, at a distance of 0-2400 m and 0-1400 m The second scale, the sighting scale was shifted in the vertical plane. Both scales could move at the same time, the sighting scale was raised or lowered, and the distance scale was rotated. To hit the selected target, the distance scale rotated until the required mark was set opposite the mark in the upper part of the sight, and the mark of the sighting scale was superimposed on the target by turning the turret and pointing the gun in a vertical plane.

German medium tanks PzKpfw IV Ausf H during an exercise to work out the interaction of crews. Germany, June 1944

In many respects, the PzKpfw IV tank was the perfect combat vehicle for its time. Inside commander's tower the tank was applied a scale graduated in the range from 1 to 12, in each sector it was divided into divisions for another 24 intervals. When turning the tower, due to a special gear, the commander's cupola rotated in reverse side at the same speed so that the number 12 constantly remained on the center line of the machine body. This design made it easier for the commander to search for the next target and indicate to the gunner the direction to it. To the left of the gunner's seat, an indicator was installed that repeated the layout of the commander's cupola scale and rotated similarly to it. After receiving a command from the commander, the gunner turned the turret in the indicated direction (for example, 10 hours), referring to the repeater scale, and after visually detecting the target, he aimed the gun at it.

The driver had a turret turn indicator in the form of two blue lights indicating in which direction the gun was deployed. It was important for the driver to know in which direction the gun barrel was exposed, so as not to catch it when driving for some kind of obstacle. On the PzKpfw IV tanks of the latest modifications, the driver's signal lights were not installed.

The ammunition load of a tank armed with a cannon with a barrel length of 24 caliber consisted of 80 shells for the cannon and 2700 cartridges for machine guns. On tanks with long-barreled guns, the ammunition load was 87 shells and 3150 rounds of ammunition. It was not easy for the loader to get to most of the ammunition load. Ammunition for machine guns was in drum-type stores with a capacity of 150 rounds. In general, in terms of the convenience of placing ammunition, the German tank was inferior to the English. The installation of the course machine gun on the "four" was not balanced, the barrel outweighed, in order to correct this drawback, it was necessary to install a balancing spring. For emergency escape from the control compartment in the floor under the seat of the gunner-radio operator there was a round hatch with a diameter of 43 cm.

In the early versions of the PzKpfw IV, the smoke grenade guides were mounted on the aft armor plate, each guide placed up to five grenades held by springs. The tank commander could launch grenades, both singly and in series. The start was carried out by means of a wire rod, each jerk of the rod caused the rod to turn 1/5 of a full turn and released the next spring. After the appearance of smoke grenade launchers of a new design, which were mounted on the sides of the tower, the old system was abandoned. The commander's turret was equipped with armored shutters that closed the observation glass blocks, the armored shutters could be installed in three positions: fully closed, fully open and intermediate. The viewing glass block of the driver was also closed with an armored shutter. German optics of that time had a slight greenish tint.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.A (Sonderkraftfahrzeug - Sd.Kfz.161)

The first in 1936, the Ausfurung A model was launched into mass production at the Krupp plant in Magdeburg-Bukkau. Structurally, technologically, the vehicle was similar to the PzKpfw III tank: chassis, hull, hull superstructure, turret. Ausf.A tanks were equipped with 12-cylinder Maybach HL108TR internal combustion engines with an HP 250 power. The ZF "Allklauen SFG 75" transmission had five forward gears and one reverse gear.

The armament of the tank consisted of a 75-mm gun and a 7.92-mm machine gun coaxial with it, another 7.92-mm machine gun was installed in the tank hull; ammunition - 122 shells for the cannon and 3000 rounds for two machine guns. Observation devices closed by armored shutters were located in the frontal sheet of the tower, to the left and right of the gun mantlet and in the side tower hatches, in addition, there was one embrasure on the sides of the tower (also closed by an armored shutter) for firing from personal weapons.

In the rear part of the roof of the tower, a commander's cupola of a simple cylindrical shape was mounted, which had eight viewing slots. The turret had a single hinged hatch. The gunner controlled the turn of the turret, the electric drive of the turn was powered by a two-stroke auxiliary electric generator "DKW" installed in the left side of the engine compartment. The electric generator made it possible not to waste the energy of the batteries on the turn of the tower and saved the resource of the main engine. The engine compartment was separated from the combat fire partition, which had a hatch for access to the engine from inside the tank. Three fuel tanks with a total capacity of 453 liters were placed under the floor of the fighting compartment.

The places of the gunner-radio operator and the driver were in the front of the tank, in the roof of the hull above the seats of both crew members there were double-leaf hatches with holes in the covers for launching signal rockets; the holes were closed with armored shutters. The armor thickness of the Ausf.A tank hull was 14.5 mm, the turret was 20 mm, the tank weight was 17.3 tons, and the maximum speed was 30 km/h. A total of 35 Ausf.A modification machines were manufactured; Chassis No. 80101 - 80135.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.B

The production of cars of the Ausfurung B model began in 1937, a large number of changes were made to the design of the new modification, but the main innovation was the installation of a 320-horsepower Maybach HL120TR engine and a transmission with six forward and one reverse speeds. The thickness of the armor in the frontal part was also increased to 30 mm, on some tanks they began to install commander's cupolas of a more advanced form with observation devices covered with armored shutters.

The installation of a course machine gun at the gunner-radio operator was eliminated, instead of a machine gun, a viewing slot and an embrasure for firing a pistol appeared, loopholes for firing from personal weapons were also made in the side tower hatches under observation devices; the hatches of the driver and gunner-radio operator became single-leaf. The mass of the Ausf.B tank increased to 17.7 tons, but due to the use of a more powerful engine, the maximum speed also increased to 40 km / h. A total of 45 PzKpfw IV Ausf.B tanks were built; Chassis No. 80201-80300.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.С

In 1938, the modification "Ausfurung C" appeared, already 134 copies of this model were built (chassis no. 80301-80500). Externally, the Ausf.A, B and C tanks practically did not differ from each other, perhaps the only external difference between the Ausf.C tank and the Ausf. B became an armored mask of a machine gun coaxial with a cannon, which was absent on tanks of previous models.

On the PzKpfw IV Ausf. Since later releases, a special frame was mounted under the gun barrel, which served to deflect the antenna when the turret was turned to the right, similar deflectors were also mounted on the Ausf.A and Ausf.B vehicles. The armor protection of the frontal part of the turret of the Ausf.C tank was increased to 30 mm, and the weight of the vehicle increased to 18.5 tons, although the maximum speed on the highway remained the same - 35 km / h.

The upgraded Maybach HL120TRM engine of the same power was installed on the tank; this engine became standard for all subsequent variants of the PzKpfw IV.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.D

The turret armament of the Ausf.A, B and C tanks was mounted in an internal mask, which could easily be jammed by shell fragments; since 1939, the production of Ausfurung D tanks began, which had an external mask, a course machine gun reappeared on the tanks of this modification, the loophole for firing a pistol through the frontal armor plate of the hull was shifted closer to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

The thickness of the armor of the sides and stern of the hull was increased to 20 mm; on the tanks of later releases, add-on armor was installed, which was bolted to the hull and superstructure or welded on.

As a result of various improvements, the mass of the tank increased to 20 tons. Before the start of World War II, only 45 Ausfurung D tanks were made, in total, 229 copies of this modification were built (chassis no. - 80501-80748) - more than the Ausf.A, B and C tanks combined. Some PzKpfw IV Ausf.D tanks were subsequently equipped with 75-mm cannons with a barrel length of 48 calibers, these vehicles were used mainly in training units.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.E

The next step in the development of tanks of the PzKpfw IV family was the Ausfurung E model, with increased armor in the frontal part of the hull due to the attachment of 30 mm screens (total thickness - 50 mm), the sides of the hull were built up with 20 mm thick screens. The mass of the Ausf.E tank was already 21 tons. In the course of the factory repair, applied armor was also installed on the “fours” of earlier modifications.

On the PzKpfw IV Ausf.E tanks, the commander's cupola was slightly shifted forward, and its armor was increased from 50 mm to 95 mm; road wheels of a new design and drive wheels of a simplified form were installed. Other innovations include a driver's observation device with a larger glass area, a smoke grenade launcher mounted in the rear of the hull (similar installations were also installed on previous models), brake inspection hatches are made flush with the upper armor plate of the hull (on Ausf.A-D hatches protruded above the armor plate and there were cases when they were torn off by bullets from anti-tank rifles). Serial production of Ausf.E tanks began in December 1939. 224 vehicles of this modification were manufactured (chassis no. 80801-81500), before production in April 1941 switched to the release of the next version - "Ausfurung F".

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.F1

The PzKpfw IV Ausf.F tanks had a thickness of the integral frontal armor of the hull and turret of 50 mm, sides - 30 mm; overhead armored screens were absent. The turret armor was 50 mm thick in the frontal part, 30 mm in the sides and rear, and the thickness of the gun mantlet was also 50 mm. The strengthening of armor protection did not go unnoticed for the mass of the tank, which again increased to 22.3 tons. improvements to the drive wheels and sloths.

On machines of early releases, new tracks were installed after inserting into the drive wheels and idlers of expansion inserts. Instead of a single-leaf hatch, the commander's turrets of the Ausf.F tanks received double-leaf hatches, and a large box for equipment was mounted on the rear walls of the towers at the factory; the course machine gun was mounted in a ball mount "Kugelblende-50" of a new design. A total of 462 PzKpfw IV Ausf.F tanks were manufactured.

In addition to the Krupp company, the Ausf.F model vehicles were produced by the Vomag factories (64 tanks were assembled, chassis No. 82501-82395) and the Nibelungwerke (13 cars 82601-82613). No. tank chassis produced by the Krupp factory in Magdeburg -82001-82395. Later, the Austrian firm Steyr-Daimler-Puch joined the production of PzKpfw IV tanks, and Vomag (Vogtiandischie Maschinenfabrik AG) in 1940-41. specifically for the production of "fours" built a new plant in Plauen.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.F2 (Sd.Kfz.161/1)

In the months preceding the start of Operation Barbarossa, the possibility of arming PzKpfw IV tanks with a 50-mm gun with a barrel length of 42 caliber, similar to that installed on PzKpfw III tanks, was considered. Hitler was extremely interested in this project, since it was possible to transfer the "four" from the category of fire support vehicles to the category of main battle tanks. However, the experience of the war in Russia made it clear not only the fact that the German 50-mm gun is inferior to the 76-mm Soviet one, but also the complete inability of the 50-mm gun with a barrel length of 42 caliber to penetrate the armor of Soviet tanks. It seemed more promising to arm the PzKpfw IV tanks with 50-mm guns with a barrel length of 60 calibers, one such experimental vehicle was built.

The history of tank armament fully showed Germany's unpreparedness for a long war, and the lack of ready-made designs for second-generation tanks also speaks of this. The morale of the soldiers and officers of the Panzerwaffe was greatly affected by the unpleasant discovery of the overwhelming superiority in the characteristics of the tanks in service with the Red Army.

The problem of restoring parity has acquired exceptional importance. PzKpfw III tanks began to arm themselves with guns with a barrel length of 60 calibers, since the turret shoulder strap of the “four” had a larger diameter than the shoulder strap of the “troika”, then if a 50-mm gun with a barrel length of 60 calibers was installed on the PzKpfw IV, the chassis would be too large with too small gun. The quartet's turret could withstand a greater recoil momentum than that of the short-barreled 75-mm gun, it was possible to install a 75-mm gun on the tank with high pressure in the trunk channel.

The choice was made in favor of the 75 mm KwK40 cannon with a 43-caliber barrel and a muzzle brake, the projectile of which could penetrate harrows up to 89 mm thick at an encounter angle of 30 degrees. After such guns were installed on the PzKpfw IV, the designation of the vehicle changed to "Ausfuhrung F2", while vehicles of the same modification, but armed with short-barreled guns, received the designation "Ausfuhrung F1".

Ammunition for the gun consisted of 87 shells, 32 of them were located in the hull superstructure, 33 - in the tank hull. Among the smaller external differences of the Ausfuhrung F2 tanks is the absence of observation devices in the side turret hatches and an enlarged armored casing of the recoil mechanism.

Tanks "Ausfuhrung F2" entered service in early 1942 and proved in practice their ability to deal with the Soviet T-34 and KB, although the armor of the "fours" by the standards of the Eastern Front was still insufficient. The mass of the tank, which increased to 23.6 tons, somewhat worsened its characteristics.

25 PzKpfw IV Ausf tanks were converted into the Ausfuhrung F2 variant. F, about 180 more vehicles were built from scratch, production was discontinued in the summer of 1942. Tank chassis no. built by Krupp - 82396-82500, tank chassis no. built by Vomag - 82565-82600, tank chassis no. firm "Nibelungwerke" - 82614-82700.

Tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.G (Sd.Kfz.161/1 and 161/2)

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

Another measure to increase the security of the tank was the installation of removable anti-cumulative screens (“schurzen”) 5 mm thick on the sides of the hull and turret, the hinge of the screens increased the weight of the vehicle by about 500 kg. In addition, the gun's single-chamber muzzle brake was replaced with a more efficient two-chamber one. The appearance of the vehicle also underwent a number of other changes: instead of a stern smoke launcher, built-in blocks of smoke grenade launchers began to be mounted at the corners of the turret, holes for launching flares in the hatches of the driver and gunner were eliminated.

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

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

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

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

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

On tanks of this model, the integral armor of the frontal part of the hull, superstructure and turret was reinforced up to 80 mm. The PzKpfw IV Ausf.H tank weighed 26 tons, and even despite the use of the new SSG-77 transmission, its characteristics turned out to be lower than those of the “fours” of previous models, so the speed of movement over rough terrain decreased by at least 15 km, and the specific pressure on the ground, the acceleration characteristics of the machine fell. A hydrostatic transmission was tested on the PzKpfw IV Ausf.H experimental tank, but tanks with such a transmission did not go into serial production.

During the production process, many minor improvements were introduced to the Ausf.H tanks, in particular, they began to install completely steel rollers without rubber, the shape of the drive wheels and sloths changed, a turret for the MG-34 anti-aircraft machine gun appeared on the commander's cupola ("Fligerbeschussgerat 42" - installation of an anti-aircraft machine gun), the tower embrasures for firing pistols and a hole in the roof of the tower for launching signal rockets were eliminated.

The Ausf.H tanks were the first "fours" to use zimmerite anti-magnetic coating; only the vertical surfaces of the tank were to be covered with zimmerite, however, in practice, the coating was applied to all surfaces that an infantryman standing on the ground could reach, on the other hand, there were also tanks on which only the forehead of the hull and superstructure was covered with zimmerite. Zimmerite was applied both in factories and in the field

Tanks of the Ausf.H modification became the most popular among all PzKpfw IV models, 3774 of them were built, production ceased in the summer of 1944. Chassis serial numbers are 84401-89600, some of these chassis served as the basis for the construction of assault guns.

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

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

Instead of an electric drive for turning the tower, a manual one was installed, but it became possible to place an additional fuel tank with a capacity of 200 liters. An increase in the cruising range on the highway from 220 km to 300 km due to the placement of additional fuel (off-road - from 130 km to 180 km) seemed to be an extremely important decision, since panzer divisions increasingly played the role of "fire brigades", which were transferred from one section of the Eastern Front another.

An attempt to somewhat reduce the mass of the tank was the installation of welded wire anti-cumulative screens; such screens were called "Tom screens", after the name of General Tom). Such screens were placed only on the sides of the hull, and the former screens made of sheet steel remained on the towers. On tanks of late production, instead of four rollers, three were installed, and vehicles with steel track rollers without rubber were also produced.

Almost all improvements were aimed at reducing the labor intensity of manufacturing tanks, including: the elimination of all embrasures on the tank for firing pistols and extra viewing slots (only the driver, in the commander's turret and in the frontal armor plate of the turret remained), installation of simplified towing loops , replacing the muffler exhaust system with two simple pipes. Another attempt to improve the security of the car was to increase the armor of the turret roof by 18 mm and the stern by 26 mm.

The production of PzKpfw IV Ausf.J tanks ceased in March 1945, with a total of 1,758 vehicles built.

By 1944, it became clear that the design of the tank had exhausted all reserves for modernization, a revolutionary attempt to increase the combat effectiveness of the PzKpfw IV by installing a turret from the Panther tank, armed with a 75-mm gun with a barrel length of 70 calibers, was unsuccessful - the undercarriage was too overloaded. Before proceeding with the installation of the Panther's turret, the designers tried to squeeze the gun from the Panther into the turret of the PzKpfw IV tank. Installation wooden layout guns showed the complete impossibility of the work of the crew members in the tower due to the tightness created by the breech of the gun. As a result of this failure, the idea was born to mount the entire turret from the Panther on the Pz.IV hull.

Due to the constant modernization of tanks in the course of factory repairs, it is not possible to determine with accuracy how many tanks of one or another modification were built in total. Very often there were various hybrid variants, for example, turrets from Ausf.G were placed on the hulls of the Ausf.D model.

Tactical and technical characteristics of tanks Pz IV

The German army entered the Second World War with a rather strange situation in the system of tank weapons. The medium tank Pz.Kpfw.III, which was created as the main one, in fact at that time turned out to be the smallest in the Wehrmacht. As for the other medium tank, the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was designed as a support vehicle, but at the same time, there were almost four times more such vehicles in the troops than the Pz.Kpfw.III. The German industry was able to equalize the number of tanks of these two types in the army only at the very end of 1939. By this time, the series had already gone a new version support tank - Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, moreover, in a sense, it became a return to the original concept.

Return of the course machine gun

The spring of 1938 was decisive for further fate Pz.Kpfw.IV. The fact is that the 6th department of the Arms Directorate seriously thought about removing the brainchild of the Krupp concern from production program. Instead of the Pz.Kpfw.IV, it was supposed to create a support tank based on the Pz.Kpfw.III, thus unifying both medium tanks in terms of the main components and assemblies.

On the one hand, the idea was sound. However, it should be noted that the Pz.Kpfw.III at that time was going through far from the best of times. And the production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV was not without problems, but it still went on, and the Krupp designers got into the weight category determined by the customers from the first time.

Thus, when on May 2, 1938, Erich Wolfert, Krupp's chief engineer, sharply criticized the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcombining two tanks on one platform, victory was on his side. The 6th department of the Armaments Directorate was forced to give in, because behind Wolfert was not only an industrial giant, but also common sense.

The lesson, however, did not benefit, and the 6th Department of the Armaments Directorate continued to compete with the idea of ​​​​a single chassis for two types of tanks throughout the war. This impulse, one of the initiators of which was Heinrich Ernst Kniepkamp, ​​with enviable constancy turned into a rake race, and each time the proper conclusions were not drawn from what had happened before.

Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D in original configuration. In metal, the car looked a little different.

The requirements for a support tank, meanwhile, continued to grow. Back in early January 1938, discussions began on the characteristics of the fourth modification of the tank, which received the designation 4.Serie / B.W.

One of the first items on the agenda was the return to the place of the course machine gun. Someone upstairs finally realized that you can’t even shoot much from the pistol port, let alone hit somewhere. It was decided to use the Kugelblende 30 mount, developed for the Z.W.38 (future Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E). It had much more successful protection than the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.A ball mount. In connection with the return of the course machine gun, the front plate of the turret box again received a characteristic step.

On March 10, 1938, a meeting was held in Berlin, where employees of the Krupp concern and the 6th department of the Arms Administration discussed the possibility of strengthening the tank's armor. The thickness of the side armor of the hull, turret box and turret, which was 14.5 mm, was considered insufficient. It was necessary to increase it to 20 mm, so that at long distances the tank would not be hit by the fire of 20 mm automatic guns. In addition, the military asked to increase the thickness of the bottom from 8 to 10 mm.

The answer to the new requirements came on April 12. According to the calculations of engineers, the increase in the thickness of the armor increased the combat weight of the tank by 1256 kg, to almost 20 tons. This was followed by changes in individual elements of the hull. The hatches in the area of ​​the support rollers received a different shape, the air intakes of the engine compartment have changed. At the end of April, tracks with increased teeth were developed, and the number of suspension travel stops was increased to five per side (one each for the three front bogies and two for the rear).

Certain changes were made to the design of the tower. First of all, the armor of the gun system was reworked. The fact is that the previously used design turned out to be very vulnerable to enemy fire. A bullet or a fragment of a projectile, falling into the gap between the elements of the armor, could well jam the gun in a vertical plane. At the end of May 1938, development began new protection for the gun. The new armor of the system was located on the outside of the tower and coped with its task much better. The thickness of the armor has been increased to 35 mm.

In addition, viewing devices on the side hatches and sides of the tower were replaced.

When, on July 4, 1938, a contract was finally signed with the Krupp concern for the manufacture of tanks of the 4.Serie / B.W. modification, the car changed quite a lot. According to the contract, the factories of Grusonwerk, one of the divisions of Krupp, were to produce 200 tanks of this series. In October, the contract was extended. The SS troops ordered 48 tanks, which received the designation 5.Serie/B.W. In fact, they were no different from the 4.Serie/B.W. By the way, in the end, these cars did not get into the SS unit, because instead of them it was decided to order assault self-propelled guns Stug III.

Tanks of the 4th and 5th series received the designation Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. The machines were assigned serial numbers in the range 80501–80748.

Based on the experience of the first two campaigns

Serial production of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D began in October of 1939. Unlike the Pz.Kpfw.III, whose production was accelerated by manufacturers, there were no special breakthroughs in the production of support tanks. Until the end of 1939, 45 tanks were assembled, later the volumes averaged 20-25 vehicles per month. In total, by May 1, 1940, 129 machines of this modification were manufactured.

Meanwhile, back in March of 1939, it was decided that in the future the Wehrmacht would continue to order these tanks, and the vehicles of the 6th series (6.Serie / B.W.) would henceforth be designated as Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. A new contract for the manufacture of 223 tanks of this type was signed in July 1939. In general, this tank was supposed to repeat its predecessor, but already in May some changes began to appear.

To begin with, it was decided to change the driver’s viewing device, which did not change from the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.B, to the Fahrersehklappe 30. This device was distinguished by the fact that instead of massive parts going up and down, it used an “eyelash” thick 30 mm. It covered the viewing slot covered with glass block much more reliably, and its design turned out to be much simpler.

A rather large ventilation hatch from the roof of the tower also disappeared, and a fan appeared instead. A hatch for signal flags has moved to the place of the periscope device. The shape of the commander's cupola has also changed.

It became clear after the Polish campaign in September 1939 that the Ausf.E would not go into production as planned, and that the Ausf.D would also undergo certain changes. The fact is that Polish troops massively used 37-mm anti-tank guns Armata przeciwpancerna 37 mm wz against German tanks. 36 Bofors. Even though the Polish shells were not of the best quality, they confidently pierced German vehicles in all projections. The strengthening of the frontal part up to 30 mm did not help much here either.

In the autumn of 1939, studies began to be carried out to identify the possibility of additionally loading the Pz.Kpfw.IV with another 1.5 tons of armor and bringing its combat weight to 21.4 tons. Tests have shown that the tank quite easily tolerates such an increase in mass.

On December 18, 1939, the 6th Department of the Ordnance Directorate adjusted the task for 4.Serie / B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. The last 68 tanks were to receive hulls with front plates reinforced to 50 mm. But by the start of the campaign in France, which began on May 10, 1940, the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D still continued to be produced with a 30 mm thick front plate.

The very first battles showed that such slowness is extremely reckless. Of course, the 37-mm short-barreled guns that were installed on a number of French tanks, including the FCM 36 and Renault R 35, could not penetrate 30 mm thick frontal armor. But they were not at all the main opponents of German tanks. The French were doing well with anti-tank artillery, and for her armor 30 mm thick was by no means something outrageous. Even worse for the Germans was that a number of French tanks had 47 mm guns as their main armament.

The losses of the Pz.Kpfw.IV in France were even higher than in September 1939 in Poland. Of the 279 Pz.Kpfw.IVs available in units on May 10, 1939, 97, that is, more than a third, were irretrievably lost. The battles of May-June 1940 also showed that the 75-mm short-barreled gun was almost powerless against tanks with anti-cannon armor.

It became clear that the problem must be solved, and solved quickly. On May 15, the Krupp concern reported that shielding for the hull and turret box had been manufactured and tested. The forehead of the turret box received additional sheets 30 mm thick, due to which their total thickness increased to 60 mm. The sides were reinforced with 20 mm thick screens. Later, in addition to these screens, a reinforcement was made for the frontal hull sheet, while corners appeared at the top and bottom for additional reinforcement.

Nevertheless, until the end of the French campaign, the troops did not receive a single shielding kit. Deliveries began only on June 25, when they were already, in general, not really needed. From July 1940, tanks began to be equipped with screens as standard. At the same time, the thickness of the front hull plate, turret and armor of the gun mantlet increased to 50 mm.

Another serious metamorphosis with the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D happened in August 1940. According to the decision made on June 3 of the same year, the last 68 4.Serie / B.W. and 5.Serie/B.W. were made with turrets and turret boxes 6.Serie/B.W. The last such vehicles were delivered to the troops in October 1940, after which tanks of the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E modification went into production.

The machines of this series received serial numbers 80801-81006. They can be distinguished from the latest 68 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds only if the vehicle's serial number is known. Additional confusion in what is happening is the fact that not all Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E, not to mention Ausf.D, received screens on the frontal part of the turret box.

At the beginning of 1941, some tank units tried to do shielding on their own, but an order came from above to stop this activity. However, another modification was born, also known as the Vorpanzer. It differed in that quite massive screens were attached to the front of the tower. They were installed on tanks of the Ausf.D, E and F modifications. Apparently, the Vorpanzer were used exclusively by the Grossdeutschland (Großdeutschland) Panzer Division. It is believed that the division used them only in exercises, but there are also front-line photographs that refute such claims.

For crossings and other purposes

Orders for Pz.Kpfw.IV tanks of the 4th, 5th and 6th series were not fulfilled in full. Some of the total number of ordered Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D went to other purposes. 16 chassis produced in March-April 1940 went to the manufacture of bridge tanks Brückenleger IV b. These vehicles were included in the engineering battalions assigned to tank divisions. They were used as part of the units that fought during the May-June 1940 campaign in France.

Meanwhile, in the summer of 1940, Krupp produced 16 sets of turret boxes and turrets. Later, three bridge tanks with numbers 80685, 80686 and 80687 were converted into regular Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D. According to a report for May 1941, out of 29 Pz.Kpfw.IVs produced, 13 belonged to 4.Serie/B.W. Thus, 247 vehicles of the Ausf.D modification nevertheless went to the troops as ordinary tanks. The last, 248th car with serial number 80625 was used as a test chassis.

A slightly different situation developed with the Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E. Instead of the 223 tanks that were originally planned to be built, 206 vehicles were produced in one form or another, of which 200 were ordinary tanks. In January 1941, 4 chassis 6.Serie/B.W. was sent to Magirus, where they were built bridge layers Brückenleger IV c. Like the vehicles of the previous series, they went to the 39th tank engineering battalion, attached to the 3rd tank division. In this form, they participated in the battles on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1941.

The fate of the last two tanks of the 6th series, numbers 81005 and 81006, turned out to be even more interesting. On December 14, 1940, the 6th Department of the Armaments Directorate gave the go-ahead to the Krupp concern to develop a new undercarriage. Its main difference was that the diameter of the road wheels grew to 700 mm, and in order for all of them to fit, they had to be placed in a checkerboard pattern. The width of the tracks at the same time increased to 422 mm. During 1941-42, these vehicles were actively tested, and then tank 81005 ended up in training center Wunsdorf. Also, at least one tank was converted into an ammunition carrier for the Gerät 040 ("Karl") heavy self-propelled mortar.

Finally, some of the serial tanks were converted into very specific special vehicles. In August-July 1940, 48 Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Ds were converted into Tauchpanzer IV, a tank for crossing rivers along the bottom. Attachments for special sealed covers were installed on the tank, and covers were also placed on the air intakes. In addition, a special hose with a float was used, through which air was supplied to the machine. Similarly, a number of Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.Es produced in January-March 1940 were redone. Similar vehicles were used in June 1941 as part of the 18th Panzer Division.

Blitzkrieg support vehicle

In April 1941, production of 7.Serie/B.W., aka Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.F., began. This tank was created taking into account the experience of the campaigns of the first two years of the war. But it only became the main support tank for the German army in the fall of 1941. Of the 441 Pz.Kpfw.IV, which by June 22, 1941 concentrated on the border with the USSR, they were a minority. The basis was Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D and Ausf.E.

By that time, the tanks of these modifications had changed somewhat. On February 14, 1941, the first German tanks arrived in Tripoli, and on the 16th, the Afrika Korps was formed. In this regard, back in early February, a “tropical” set for the ventilation system was developed.

Since March, they began to put a turret box for personal belongings on tanks. Since it was originally designed for the Afrika Korps, it was nicknamed the "Rommel box". It was not placed on all tanks. On many tanks, boxes on the turrets were not installed at all, and instead of them, an analogue was placed on the side of the hull. And in some units they developed their own "Rommel Box", which differs in shape from the regular one.

And this was only the beginning of all sorts of alterations that were introduced at the level of tank divisions, and sometimes even at the level of battalions. The body kit itself, which the Pz.Kpfw.IV received only in 1941, is a topic for a separate large material.

The Pz.Kpfw.IVs that ended up in Africa found themselves, figuratively speaking, in greenhouse conditions. In February 1941, 20 tanks were sent there, 3 of which were lost on the way, 20 more units arrived in April. The only truly dangerous enemy for them was the Matildas, which was primarily due to the thick armor of these English tanks. The 2-pounder (40-mm) guns on the British vehicles could only penetrate the shielded forehead of the Pz.Kpfw.IV at point-blank range, and such cases were rare.

Quite different conditions turned out to be on the Eastern Front. During the fighting at the end of June 1941, only 15 Pz.Kpfw.IVs were irretrievably lost. This is largely due to the fact that their opponents were T-26 and BT, who performed in a completely different weight category. The atmosphere of complete confusion in the first weeks of the Great Patriotic War also contributed. However, already in July, 109 tanks, that is, a quarter of the original number, were scrapped. In August, 68 more cars were added to them. In total, in 1941, the Germans lost 348 Pz.Kpfw.IVs on the Eastern Front, that is, more than 3/4 of their original number.

The German tank crews could quite rightly blame the 6th department of the Arms Directorate for such significant losses, which approached the issue of strengthening the armor very lightly. In fact, the shielding installed on the tanks corresponded to the experience of the September 1939 campaign. At the same time, the fact that the French already had 47-mm tank and anti-tank guns was ignored. And this was done completely in vain: even a 47-mm SA 35 tank gun with a barrel length of 32 calibers, as tests in the USSR showed, pierced 50 mm armor of German tanks at a distance of 400 meters without any problems.

Even more depressing for the Germans were the characteristics of the 47 mm Canon de 47 Mle.1937 anti-tank gun, in which the barrel length was 50 calibers. At a distance of a kilometer, she pierced armor with a thickness of 57 mm. The Germans could reasonably assume that the French were not the only ones with more powerful anti-tank artillery and tank guns than the Poles.

Ultimately, the Wehrmacht had to pay for the miscalculations of the military leadership in assessing the weapons of the enemy with tanks and their crews. While the main opponents of the Pz.Kpfw.IV were the T-26 and BT, everything was going relatively well for the German tankers. In the future, more and more often they had to deal with the T-34 and KV-1, armed with 76-mm guns. In addition, some of the tanks ended up with only partially thickened armor, which significantly reduced the chances of surviving even under fire from 45-mm tank and anti-tank guns.

The KV-2 heavy tanks also made a certain contribution. The hit of his 152-mm projectile on a German tank turned it into a pile of scrap metal. However, penetration by other shells did not bring anything good. Cases of ammunition detonation were quite common for the Pz.Kpfw.IV. It is worth noting that German tanks were almost powerless against the T-34 and KV-1. Regular armor-piercing shells had almost no effect against new Soviet tanks, and the 7.5 cm Gr.Patr.38 Kw.K. Hitler allowed the use only in February 1942.

Already in August 1941, the captured Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.E from the 20th Panzer Division was delivered to the training ground of the Research Testing Institute of Armored Vehicles (NIIBT Polygon) in Kubinka. The car was quite badly damaged: there were several hits in the frontal part of the hull, and the shielding in the area of ​​​​the driver's viewing device was also partially shot down. The staff of the Polygon compiled a brief description, according to which the combat weight of the tank, designated as the “Medium tank T-IV of the 1939–40 release”, was estimated at 24 tons, and top speed- at 50 km/h. After preliminary calculations, the following conclusions were made:

.“Armor protection tank T-IV hit by artillery of all calibers.

The tank turret, inspection hatches, ball mount of the radio operator's machine gun are affected by large-caliber small arms.

Captured Pz.Kpfw.IV from the end of 1941 became a fairly frequent occurrence. Nevertheless, the NIIBT Polygon did not engage in bringing the tank captured back in the summer of 1941 into working condition or trying to get a running trophy.

This is largely due to the fact that the Soviet military did not show much interest in the tank. It seems that they considered it as an addition to the Pz.Kpfw.III, despite the fact that the combat weight and engine of the two medium tanks were similar. For approximately the same reasons, the StuG III Ausf.B was not restored to running condition. More important task it was considered to study the driving characteristics of captured Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.38 (t), and was considered a pointless exercise to waste time on secondary vehicles.

In September 1942, tests took place, during which fire was fired at the captured tank from various weapons. First of all, he was fired from a DShK machine gun. It turned out that the side of the DShK turret did not penetrate even from a distance of 50 meters, but at a distance of 100 meters it was possible to break through the side and rear of the hull.

Much more interesting were tests by shelling from a 45-mm cannon installed in the T-70 tank. At a distance of 50 meters, a frontal hull sheet 50 mm thick was pierced. It is worth noting that the same gun did not penetrate the captured StuG III self-propelled guns. Boards with a thickness of 40 mm (20 + 20 mm) were pierced at a distance of 400 meters.

The final verdict on the German tank was the shelling of the 76-mm F-34 cannon mounted in the T-34 medium tank. The front plate was pierced at a distance of 500 meters (inlet diameter of the through hole - 90 mm, output - 100 mm). The next shot, made from a distance of 800 meters, split the sheet into two parts. When firing from a distance of 800 meters into the side of the hull, the projectile pierced the 40-mm armor on the right side, exploded inside and exited from the left side. When firing a high-explosive projectile on the side, the side turret hatch was torn off by the first hit, the commander's turret was torn off by the second projectile, and hitting the side of the engine compartment (20 mm thick) led to a breach measuring 130 × 350 mm. It was decided not to fire from long distances - and so everything was clear.

In addition to shelling, NII-48 specialists studied the design of the hull and turret.

In July 1942, the few Ausf.D and Ausf.E tanks remaining in service were upgraded. Instead of a regular gun, they installed a long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 gun. In addition, from May 1943, side screens began to be installed on the hull and turret. By that time, these machines had been withdrawn from the first line and transferred to training units, including the institutions of the NSKK (National Socialist Mechanized Corps).

Such tanks were also part of the tank units stationed in France. One of them (Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D, serial number 80732, released in July 1940) was captured by the British in the summer of 1944. It is now on display at the Bovington Tank Museum.