Mikhail Baryatinsky - Medium tank Panzer IV. Medium German tank Tiger Panzerkampfwagen IV

6-04-2015, 15:06

Good day! The ACES.GG team is with you, and today we will talk about the German medium tank of the fifth level Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H. Consider its strengths and weaknesses, analyze the performance characteristics, as well as the methods and tactics of using this machine in combat.

Tier 5 German medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H can be opened with the tier 4 medium tank Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D for 12,800 experience, as well as with the help of a light tank of the fourth level Pz.38 nA, but already for 15,000 experience. It will cost 373,000 credits at the time of purchase.

Let's analyze the performance characteristics of the Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H

Pz. IV H has an average HP of 480 at its level. Of course, this is not very much, but if you do not waste them, then it is quite enough. The dynamics of the tank is acceptable, it does not cause much discomfort. The tank is gaining its 40 km / h quite well. If we talk about armor, then the tank is not the best, especially in the stern and on the sides. But the tank may well take a hit, with proper use, from vehicles of its level and below. Also, the car has an acceptable visibility at its level, which is 350 meters.

Pz.Kpfw guns. IV ausf. H

Now let's talk about the guns, the tank has three of them to choose from.

The first is the 7.5 cm Kw.K. 40L/43. It is given to us in the stock configuration of the tank at the time of purchase. This weapon has no special advantages, not counting its rate of fire. But we will have to play with him until we open one of the following weapons.

Second gun 7.5 cm Kw.K. 40L/48. It can be considered the top one for this tank, of course, if you are not a fan of high explosives. This gun has acceptable armor penetration for its tier. Not the best, but still good accuracy, as well as a good rate of fire. The average damage per shot is 110 units, which is not too much, but again, for its level, this is quite an acceptable indicator.

And the third gun 10.5 cm Kw.K. L/28. The main advantage of this weapon is its cumulative shells. Penetration is 104 mm, which is enough to annihilate most of the enemies that the Pz.Kpfw will meet. IV Ausf. H. Also, do not forget about land mines, with the help of them we will be able to destroy weakly armored targets with one shot. Do not forget that this weapon has very poor accuracy, so it is advisable to always bring it to the end.

Equipment for Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H

The standard for me and the standard for many medium tanks

medium-caliber gun rammer, improved ventilation and reinforced aiming drives.

Skills and abilities of the Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H

A standard and good choice would be:

Commander - Sixth Sense, Repair, Combat Brotherhood.
Gunner - Repair, Smooth turn of the tower Combat Brotherhood.
Driver - Repair, Smooth running, Combat brotherhood.
Radio operator - Repair, Radio interception, Combat brotherhood.
Loader - Repair, Non-contact ammo rack, Combat Brotherhood.

My choice:

The choice of equipment Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H

Here is another standard, namely: a small repair kit, a small first aid kit and a hand-held fire extinguisher. I advise you to use premium equipment, which is quite expensive, but can significantly increase the survivability of your vehicle in battle. So feel free to put a large repair kit, a large first aid kit and an automatic fire extinguisher on your tank. You can also put a chocolate bar instead of an automatic fire extinguisher.

Tactics and style of play Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H

Tactics of the game on Pz. IV H depends on what levels of tanks you have to fight.

Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H in the top

On Pz. IV H in the top is best at the beginning of the battle to take a good position at medium or long range, and shoot the enemies caught in the light. You can also take part in the rush, if one is planned. The main thing to keep in mind is that there should be allies next to you who can cover you, as well as shelters for which you can leave after the shot in order to reload. Thanks to the rate of fire of the 7.5 cm gun, you can do quite good damage to the enemy, and with the 10.5 cm gun it will be possible to destroy lightly armored tanks with one shot. The main thing with all this is to try not to be substituted for the enemy’s shots.

Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H vs. sixth levels

In battles against the sixth levels, you can also act aggressively or passively. With an aggressive play style, it will be possible to support the allied rush by shooting at the enemies from behind the backs of the allies, or simply illuminate enemy tanks for allied vehicles. And with a passive style, you will need to take a place in the bushes and shoot damage at enemies caught in the light. Most importantly, we will need to avoid vehicles with high average damage per shot, such as the KV-2, KV-85 with a 122mm gun, and the like. After all, if they don’t kill us with one shot, they will make us crippled until the end of the battle.

Pz.Kpfw. IV ausf. H vs seventh levels

We will have nothing to do against the seventh levels on the front line, so it will be best to act from behind the backs of the allies on the second or third line. So we will be able to deal damage to enemies, while not receiving it ourselves, because many tanks of the seventh level will kill us with one or two shots. Well, if you don’t like this kind of gameplay, then you can try to gently drive forward towards fate, which will decide whether you bend over or just merge. But seriously, on the first line we will need to act very carefully, because in which case we will simply simply turn into an easy frag. Therefore, this tactic is extremely risky, but if everything is done correctly, then it can bear fruit.

Well, most importantly in any battle, you will need to be able to correctly analyze the map, team lineups, and the departure of your allies. Based on the analysis, it is already worth choosing the tactics and direction in which you will act. Also, do not forget to look at the minimap, so that if something happens, timely move to one or another direction where our help will be needed.

Outcome

Pz. IV H is a typical representative of medium tanks at their level, which are quite well balanced, and deliver a lot of pleasant impressions from the game. The tank has quite a good potential, thanks to which it will be possible to influence the outcome of the battle. Also Pz. IV H, like many vehicles of the fifth level, is able to farm credits quite well and bring its owner a lot of pleasure from playing on it.

The Germans themselves did not have a high opinion about the combat qualities of the Pz.lV. Here is what Major General von Mellenthin writes about this in his memoirs (in 1941, with the rank of major, he served in Rommel's headquarters): "The T-IV tank gained the reputation of a formidable enemy among the British mainly because it was armed with a 75-mm cannon However, this gun had a low muzzle velocity and poor penetration, and although we used the T-IV in tank battles, they were much more useful as a means of infantry fire support. "Pz.lV began to play a more significant role in all theaters of operations only after the acquisition" long arm"- 75-mm guns KwK 40 (F2 series). Pz.lV Ausf.F2 also appeared on the Eastern Front in the summer of 1942 and took part in the attack on Stalingrad and North Caucasus. After the production of the Pz.lll was discontinued in 1943, the "four" gradually became the main German tank in all theaters of operations. However, in connection with the start of production of the Panther, it was planned to stop production of the Pz.lV, however, due to the tough position of the General Inspector of the Panzerwaffe, General G. Guderian, this did not happen. Subsequent events showed that he was right.

The combat characteristics of the Pz.IV increased sharply after the installation of a long-barreled gun. Not inferior to enemy tanks in all other respects, the "four" proved to be capable of hitting Soviet and American tanks beyond the reach of their guns. We are not talking about English cars - for four years of the war the British were marking time. Until the end of 1943, the combat characteristics of the T-34 remained virtually unchanged, Pz.IV took first place among medium tanks. Since 1942, tactical specifications Pz.IV did not change (except for the thickness of the armor) and during the two years of the war remained unsurpassed by anyone! Only in 1944, having installed a 76-mm long-barreled gun on the Sherman, did the Americans catch up with the Pz.IV, and we, having launched the T-34-85 into the series, surpassed it. The Germans had no time or opportunity for a decent response. Comparing the characteristics of WWII tanks, we can conclude that the Germans, before others, began to consider the tank as the main and most effective anti-tank weapon, and this is the main trend of post-war tank building.

In general, it can be argued that of all the German tanks during the Second World War, the Pz.IV was the most balanced and versatile. In this car, various characteristics harmoniously combined and complemented each other. The "Tiger" and "Panther", for example, had a clear bias towards security, which led to their overweight and deterioration of dynamic characteristics. Pz.III, with many other equal characteristics with Pz.IV, did not reach it in armament and, having no reserves for modernization, left the stage. Pz.IV with a similar Pz.III, but a little more thoughtful layout, had such reserves in full measure. This is the only tank of the war years with a 75 mm cannon, whose main armament was significantly strengthened without changing the turret. The T-34-85 and Sherman had to change the turret, and, by and large, they were almost new machines. The British went their own way and, like a fashionista outfits, they changed not towers, but tanks! But the Cromwell, which appeared in 1944, did not reach the Quartet, as, indeed, did the Comet, released in 1945. Bypass the German tank, created in 1937, could only post-war "Centurion".

From what has been said, of course, it does not follow that the Pz.IV was an ideal tank. For example, it had insufficient engine power and a rather rigid and outdated suspension, which adversely affected its maneuverability. To some extent, the latter was compensated for by the smallest L / B ratio of 1.43 among all medium tanks. The equipment of the Pz.lV (as well as other tanks) with anti-cumulative screens cannot be attributed to the successful move of the German designers. HEAT munitions were rarely used en masse, but the screens increased the dimensions of the vehicle, making it difficult to move in narrow aisles, blocked most of the observation devices, and made it difficult for the crew to board and disembark.
However, even more senseless and rather expensive was the coating of tanks with zimmerite (anti-magnetic painting, from magnetic mines). But perhaps the biggest mistake of the Germans was to try to switch to a new type of medium tank - the Panther. As the latter, it did not take place, making the company "Tiger" in the class of heavy vehicles, but played a fatal role in the fate of the Pz.lV. Having concentrated all efforts in 1942 on the creation of new tanks, the Germans ceased to seriously modernize the old ones. Let's try to imagine what would have happened if not for the "Panther"? The project of installing the "Panther" turret on the Pz.lV, both standard and "close" (Schmall-turm), is well known. The project is quite realistic in terms of dimensions - the inside diameter of the turret ring for the Panther is 1650 mm, for the Pz.lV-1600 mm. The tower rose without expanding the turret box. The situation with the weight characteristics was somewhat worse - due to the large overhang of the gun barrel, the center of gravity shifted forward and the load on the front road wheels increased by 1.5 tons. However, it could be compensated by strengthening their suspension. In addition, it must be taken into account that the KwK 42 cannon was created for the Panther, and not for the Pz.IV. For the "four" it was possible to confine oneself to a gun with smaller weight and size data, with a barrel length, say, not 70, but 55 or 60 calibers. Such a gun, even if it would require the replacement of the turret, would still make it possible to get by with a lighter design than the "Panther" one. The inevitable increase (by the way, even without such a hypothetical re-equipment) of the tank's weight required the replacement of the Engine. For comparison: the dimensions of the HL 120TKRM engine, installed on the Pz.IV, were 1220x680x830 mm, and the "Panther" HL 230R30 - 1280x960x1090 mm. The clear dimensions of the engine compartments were almost the same for these two tanks. At the "Panther" it was 480 mm longer, mainly due to the slope of the rear hull plate. Therefore, equipping the Pz.lV with a higher power engine was not an unsolvable design problem. The results of such a, of course, far from complete, list of possible modernization measures would be very sad, since they would nullify the work on creating the T-34-85 for us and the Sherman with a 76-mm gun for the Americans. In 1943-1945, the industry of the Third Reich produced about 6 thousand "panthers" and almost 7 thousand Pz.IV. If we take into account that the labor intensity of manufacturing the Panther was almost twice that of the Pz.lV, then we can assume that during the same time German factories could produce an additional 10-12 thousand modernized "fours", which would be delivered to the soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition much more trouble than the Panthers.

No one at the Krupp factory in 1936 could have imagined that this massive vehicle, equipped with a short-barreled infantry support cannon and considered auxiliary, would be so widely used in Germany. With a final total of 9000 units, it became the most massive tank ever produced in Germany , whose production volumes, despite the shortage of materials, grew to the most last days World War II in Europe.

Wehrmacht work horse

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

Krupp prototype design

Initially it was assumed that the German T-4 tank, the technical characteristics of which were determined in 1934 by the Waffenamt, would serve as an "escort vehicle" to hide its true role, which was prohibited by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.

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

Initially, the weight limit of the combat vehicle was 24 tons. MAN, Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borsig produced three prototypes and Krupp received the main contract. The suspension was brand new at first, with six alternating wheels. Later, the army demanded the installation of rod springs, which provided better vertical deflection. Compared to the previous system, this made for a smoother ride, but the need for a new tank stopped further development. Krupp reverted to a more traditional system with four twin wheeled bogies and leaf springs for ease of maintenance. A crew of five was planned - three were in the tower (commander, loader and gunner), and the driver with a radio operator was in the hull. The fighting compartment was relatively spacious, with improved soundproofing in the rear engine compartment. The German T-4 tank inside (photos in the material illustrate this) was equipped with an on-board communication system and a radio.

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

The prototype, designed and built in 1936 at the Krupp AG factory in Magdeburg, was designated by the Ordnance Department ground forces as Versuchskraftfahrzeug 622. Nevertheless, in the new pre-war nomenclature, it quickly became known as Pz.Kpfw.IV (Sd.Kfz. 161).

The tank had a Maybach HL108TR gasoline engine with an HP 250 power. with., and the SGR 75 box with five forward and one reverse gears. The maximum speed on tests on a flat surface was 31 km / h.

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

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

Early "short" pre-series

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

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

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

Standardization

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

Latest "short" model

Another modification significantly changed the German T-4 tank. Characteristics early model F, renamed F1 when the next one appeared, have changed due to the replacement of the front patch plate with a 50 mm plate and the increase in the thickness of the sides of the hull and turret to 30 mm. The total weight of the tank grew to over 22 tons, which prompted other changes such as an increase in track width from 380 mm to 400 mm to reduce ground pressure from appropriate replacement two tension and driving wheels. The F1 was produced at 464 before being replaced in March 1942.

The first "long"

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

transitional model

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

The German T-4 tank has undergone significant changes inside. Turret viewing slots were eliminated, engine ventilation and ignition at low temperatures were improved, additional holders for spare wheels and cleats for track links on the glacis were installed. They also served as temporary protection. The headlights were updated, the armored dome was strengthened and modified.

In later versions in the spring of 1943, side armor appeared on the hull and turret, as well as smoke grenade launchers. But most importantly, a new, more powerful KwK 40L / 48 gun appeared. After 1275 standard and 412 improved tanks, production shifted towards the Ausf.H.

Main version

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

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

Latest simplified model

The last tank, the German T-4J, was assembled at the Nibelungwerke in St. Valentin, Austria, as Vomag and Krupp were now on different missions, and were subjected to simplifications geared towards more mass production and rarely supported by crews. For example, the turret electric drive was removed, aiming was carried out manually, which made it possible to increase the volume of the fuel tank by 200 liters, increasing the operating range to 300 km. Other modifications included the removal of the turret observation window, slits and anti-aircraft machine in favor of mounting a smoke grenade launcher. "Zimmerit" was no longer used, as well as anti-cumulative "skirts" Schürzen, replaced by cheaper mesh panels. The engine radiator housing has also been simplified. The drive has lost one return roller. There were two silencers with flame arresters, as well as a mount for a 2-ton crane. In addition, the SSG 77 transmission from the Panzer III was used, although it was clearly overloaded. Despite these casualties, deliveries were in jeopardy due to constant Allied bombing, and a total of only 2,970 out of 5,000 planned tanks were completed by the end of March 1945.

Modifications

German tank T-4: performance characteristics

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

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 turned out to be decisive for the further fate of the 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 far from experiencing better 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 from outside towers 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. 36 Bofors. Even though the Polish shells were not the most 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 placed in a row French tanks, including the FCM 36 and Renault R 35, 30 mm thick frontal armor could not be penetrated. 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 total number ordered Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf.D went to other targets. 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, part production tanks was 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 rightly 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.

Made a certain contribution and heavy tanks KV-2. 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. Polygon staff compiled a brief description of, according to which the combat weight of the tank, designated as "Medium tank T-IV of the release of 1939-40", 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. Studying the driving characteristics of the captured PzIII and Pz38(t) was considered a more important task, and spending time on secondary vehicles was considered a pointless exercise.

In September 1942, tests took place, during which fire was fired at the captured tank from various weapons. First of all, he was fired upon 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.

(Pz.III), power point 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;
• modifications N-K, 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 of the latest overweight 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 future war. An experience civil war in Spain 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 tank regiments.

There were two types of light armed tanks PzKpfw I and PzKpfw II under the guise of "agricultural tractors" in mass production.
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.

The beginning of the development of the PzKpfw IV tank dates back to January 1934, when the army gave the 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 project, 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 undercarriage with medium-diameter wheels on 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 Arms Procurement Administration, 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 place was located along the axis of the tower directly under commander's cupola, the gunner was located to the left of the breech of the gun, 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 feature The design of the tank was to shift 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 motor 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. Turret turn drive - electric.

Click on the picture of the tank to enlarge

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 factory 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 captured tank PzKpfw IV Ausf.E, 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 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 in Woolwich on the study of armor protection of a German tank notes that "armor is 10% better than similarly processed mechanically English, and in some respects better homogeneous."

At the same time, the method of connecting the armor plates was criticized, a specialist from Leyland Motors 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."

Changing the design of the frontal part of the tank hull

Power point.
The Maybach engine is designed to operate in moderate climatic conditions where its characteristics are 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. Recommended engine speed at normal conditions operation - 2600 rpm, but in a hot climate (southern regions of the USSR and North Africa), this speed 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 winter months of the year.

An extremely simple but effective device for dressing a jumped caterpillar was tested on an experimental tank PzKpfw IV. It was a factory-made tape, which had the same width as the tracks, and 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 electric 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.

For easier engine starting in cold climates Eastern Front a special system was developed, known as "Kuhlwasserubertragung" - cold water heat exchanger. After starting up and warming up to normal temperature one tank engine warm water from it 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.