Medium Tank Panzer Iv Operational Service

Medium Tank Panzer IV

  
Operational service

The first three Panzer IV tanks arrived in the Wehrmacht in January 1938. The total order for the war machines of this type include 709 units. The plan is for 1938 for the supply of 116 tanks, and the firm Krupp-Gruson almost completed it, put the forces of 113 cars. The first “live” operations involving Pz.lV steel Anschluss of Austria and the seizure of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia in 1938. In March 1939 they marched through the streets of Prague.

On the eve of the invasion of Poland on Sept. 1, 1939 the Wehrmacht had 211 tanks Pz.lV modifications A, B and C. According to the then state of the tank divisions were held on 24 tank Pz.lV, on 12 cars in every regiment. However, until the state were staffed by only 1 st and 2-Panzer Regiment 1 Panzer Division (1. Panzer Division). Full Training and staff had a tank battalion (Panzer Lehr Abteilung), imparted the 3rd Armored Division. In other compounds, there were only a few Pz.lV, which to arm and armor protection superior to all types of opposing them Polish tanks. However, the 37-mm tank and antitank guns for the Germans, the Poles were a serious threat. For example, during the battle at Głowaczów Polish 7TR knocked out two Pz.lV. In total, during the Polish campaign the Germans lost 76 tanks of this type, 19 of them forever.

By the beginning of the French campaign – May 10, 1940 – Panzerwaffe had already 290 Pz.lV and 20 of the bridge layer on their base. They were mostly concentrated in the division, acting on directions of the main attacks. In the 7 th Armored Division of General Rommel, for example, there were 36 Pz.lV. They were equally opposed to the average French tanks Somua S35 and the British “Matilda II”. Not without a chance of winning could enter into battle with Pz.lV and French in the Ibis and 02. During the fighting the French and the British managed nailed 97 tanks Pz.lV. Irreversible losses as the Germans were just 30 combat vehicles of this type.

In 1940, the proportion of tanks in the tank formations Pz.lV Wehrmacht increased slightly. On the one hand, due to increased production, but on the other – because of reducing the number of tanks in the division to 258 units. However, most of them continued to be light and Pz.l Pz.ll.

During transient operation in the Balkans in the spring of 1941 Pz.lV, fought with the Yugoslav, Greek and British forces suffered no losses. Planned to use Pz.lV and in the occupation of Crete, but they were treated by the paratroopers.

By the beginning of Operation Barbarossa “of 3582 armed Germanic tanks 439 were Pz.lV. It should be emphasized that, while the Wehrmacht adopted the classification of tanks on the caliber machine guns, these belonged to the class of heavy. On our part to modern heavy tank was the KB – the troops there were 504 units. In addition to the numerical, Soviet heavy tank had absolute superiority and fighting qualities. The advantage to the German machine had, and the average T-34. Pierce armor Pz.lV and 45-mm gun light tanks T-26 and BT. Same short-German tank gun could only be tackled effectively with the latter. All this is also noted for combat losses: during 1941 at the Eastern Front had been destroyed 348 Pz.lV.

For a similar situation faced the Germans in North Africa, where a short gun Pz.lV was powerless against the powerful armored “Matilda”. First Quartet unloaded in Tripoli on 11 March 1941, and they were not a lot that is well illustrated by the 2 nd Battalion, 5 th Panzer Regiment 5 th Light Division. As of April 30, 1941, the battalion consists of 9 Pz.l, 26 Pz.ll, 36 Pz.lll and only 8 Pz.lV (mainly machinery modifications of D and E). Together with a 5-second light in Africa fought 15-Panzer Wehrmacht, has 24 Pz.lV. The most successful of these tanks reached in the fight against the British tanks cruising A.9 and A. 10 – moving, but lightly armored. The main means of combating the same “Matilda” were 88-mm anti-aircraft guns, and the main German tanks at this theater in 1941 was Pz.lll. As Pz.lV, then in November of them in Africa there are only 35 pieces: 20 – 15 Panzer Division and 15 in the 21 th (changed from 5-second light).

Low opinion of the fighting qualities Pz.lV followed then by the Germans themselves. That’s what puts it in his memoirs, Major-General von Mellenthin (in 1941 with the rank of Major, he served in the headquarters of Rommel): “The tank T-IV won the British reputation for fearsome opponent, mainly because he was armed with a 75-mm cannon . However, this gun had a low initial velocity of the projectile and the weak penetrating ability, and, although we used the T-IV in a tank battle, they brought a lot more good as a means of fire support for infantry. ” More significant role in all theaters of war Pz.lV started to play only after the acquisition of “long arm” – 75-mm cannon KwK 40.

The first car modification F2 brought to North Africa in the summer of 1942. In late July, Rommel’s Afrika Korps had only 13 tanks Pz.lV, 9 of which were F2. In English documents of that period they were called the Panzer IV Special. On the eve of the offensive, which Rommel was scheduled for the end of August, in his custody, German and Italian units were about 450 tanks: among them 27 Pz.lV Ausf.F2 and 74 Pz.lll with long-barreled 50-mm cannon. Only this technique is a danger to American tanks, “Grant and Sherman, whose number is in the Army 8 th British Army General Montgomery on the eve of battle at El Alamein reached 40%. In this watershed in all respects for the African campaign, the battle the Germans lost almost all tanks. Partially fill the losses they have for the winter of 1943, after the departure to Tunisia.

While it is apparent defeat, the Germans began to reorganize its forces in Africa. December 9, 1942 in Tunis, was formed 5-Panzer Army, which included the filled up the 15 th and 21 Panzer Divisions, as well as transferred from France 10 Panzer Division, which had armed with tanks Pz.lV Ausf.G. These same profit and the Tigers’ 501 th Heavy Tank Battalion, which together with the Quartet’s 10-Panzer participated in the defeat of American troops from Kasserine February 14, 1943. However, this was the last successful operation of the Germans on the African continent – is the 23 February they were forced onto the defensive, their forces quickly melted away. On May 1, 1943 in Rommel’s troops had only 58 tanks – 17 of them Pz.lV. May 12 the German army in North Africa surrendered.

On the Eastern Front Pz.lV Ausf.F2 also appeared in the summer of 1942 and took part in the attack on Stalingrad and the North Caucasus. After the cessation of production in 1943 Pz.lll “Quartet” is gradually becoming the main German tanks in all theaters of combat operations. However, in connection with the launching of Panther planned to stop production and Pz.lV, however, due to the tough stance of the Inspector General Panzerwaffe General H. Guderian, this has not happened. Subsequent events showed that he was right …
The presence of tanks in the German armored and motorized divisions on the eve of Operation Citadel
Division Pz.II Pz.lll Pz.lV Pz.VI
2.Pz-Division 12 40 60
Z.Rz-Division 7 59 23 —
4.Pz-Division – 15 80 —
5.Pz-Division – 17 76 —
6.Pz-Division 13 52 32 —
7.Pz-Division 12 55 38 —
8.Pz-Division 14 59 22 —
9.Pz-Division 1 38 38 —
11.Pz-Division 8 62 26 —
12.Pz-Division 6 36 37 —
13.Pz-Division 5 14 50 —
17.Pz-Division 4 29 32 —
18.Pz-Division 5 30 34 —
19.Pz-Division 2 38 38 —
20.Pz-Division – 17 49 —
23.Pz-Division 1 27 30 —
16.Pz.Gren-Division 4 37 11 —
Pz.Gren-Division “Gropdeutschland” 4 23 68 15
SS Pz.Gren-Division “Leibstandarte SSAdolf Hitler” 4 13 67 13
SS Pz.Gren-Division “Das Reich” 1 62 33 14
SS Pz.Gren-Division “Totenkopf” 63 52 15
SS Pz.Gren-Division “Wiking” 4 23 17 —
Total 107 809 913 57

By the summer of 1943 in the state of the German Panzer Division was part of a tank regiment dvuhbatalonnogo composition. In the first battalion of two companies armed with Pz.lV, and one – Pz.lll. In the second, only one company was in service Pz.lV. In general, the division had 51 Pz.lV and 66 Pz.lll in combat battalions. However, judging from the available data, the number of combat vehicles in those or other armored divisions sometimes differed greatly from state to state.

As listed in the connection table, which accounted for 70% of armored and mechanized divisions, 30% of the Wehrmacht and SS troops, moreover, was supplied to 119 commanders and 41 flamethrower tank types. Motorized Division “Das Reich” had 25 T-34 tanks, three heavy tank battalions – 90 “tigers”