Gun Facts. Part Four.
By fullmj|McSChwoartZ
My fourth part of the Weapon Facts Articles will go away from displaying small arms infantry weapons. Today I will present you another weapon you can see, use or fight against in Tripwire Interactives Red Orchestra 2:Heroes of Stalingrad.
The Panzer IV F2
Despite of the legendary german tanks, like the Tiger, the King Tiger or the Panther, the Panzer IV had always been the backbone of the german Panzerdivisions.
In 1934 the Heereswaffenamt (Office For Army Affairs) requested a medium armored fighting vehicle which every fourth Panzercompany should be equipped with.
Three different designs, by three different german companies were developed and showcased.
Rheinmetall-Borsig built the VK2001(Rh), MAN built the VK2002(MAN) and Krupp built the
VK2001(K). It was very difficult to find pictures of those models, so I can only show you the VK2001(Rh).
In the End Krupp was selected to built the new Vehicle. Under the Name of Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A or SdKfz 161 the new german medium tank was being produced in the Krupp-Gruson Works in Magdeburg.
The Panzer IV Ausf.A was armed with a short 7,5 cm cannon, a coaxial 7,92 mm machine gun and a hull mounted machie gun of the same type. The armor thickness was 20mm on the turret and 14,5 mm on the hull front.
Over the next years, the Panzer IV was adjusted to the new combat situations, since it’s early design proved to be not well enough armed and armored.
A typical Panzer IV of the improved type was the Panzer IV F2, with it’s fully welded steel construction. 60 mm frontal armor and 50 mm on the turret. It was armed with a long barreled 7,5 cm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK – Combat Vehicle Cannon), a very strong and reliable anti-tank weapon which could fire various types of ammunition like Splintershells, High Explosives, Smokeshells, Antitank- and Hollowchargeshells.
The crew consisted of five men. The drivers seat was on the left side in the front part of the vehicle. Next to him on the right was the radio-operater who also manned the hull MG. In the turrets left side was the Richtschütze (Gun Operater) on the right the loader and in the central position the Tank Commander.
The tank weighed about 25 tonnes and had a maximum travel speed on road of 38 km/h. It was a versatile fighting vehicle, capable of destroying other tanks at long range, supporting infantry with high explosives and machine gun fire or lay aimend smoke screens and due to it’s armor it was a hard nut to crack. The fact that all german tanks were equipped with a radio and had a seperate commander and gun operater gave a huge advantage in tactical awareness and in combat operation.
Some experts say that if the germans had focused on the mass production and improvements of the Panzer IV instead of producing expensive and hard to produce types like the Tiger or the Panther they would have been off way better. I think they might be right.
Facts in Numbers.:
Crew: 5
Weight: 25 t
Lenght: 5,89 m
Width: 3.29 m
Height: 2.68 m
Engine: 12 Zylinder Petrol Engine Maybach HL 120 TRM with 300 HP
Main Gun: 7,5 cm Kampfwagenkanone
Others: 2x 7,92 MG34 Machine Guns
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McSChwoartZ
kba
And you can take these tanks out, how easily?
i suggest the PTRD anti tank rifle for the next episode of gun facts.
Good post. That thing must have guzzled fuel.