WW2 Panzer IV Ausf. B - D - E footage - Panzerkampfwagen IV. pt2.

WW2 Panzer IV Ausf. B - D - E footage - Panzerkampfwagen IV. pt2.

The Panzerkampfwagen IV was designed as the Versuchs-Kraftfahrzeug 622 in 1934 and went into production in 1937, and would fit the the short barrel 75 mm gun, and this would stay the same for the Ausf. A to F.

It would be a a support tank to be used to handle anti-tank guns and fortifications, it would work alongside the more numerable Panzer III in Panzer Divisions, but would changes it's roll in the later part of the war.

The Panzer IV Ausf.A production started in 1937 and ended in June 1938, it was similar to the B.W.I Prototype and production would stop after 35 vehicles had been completed, the Ausf.B went into production 1938 which had several changes to the A, with more frontal armour without a ball mount for the MG-34 machine gun, a new 300hp Maybach HL-120TR engine, transmission, single-piece hatches and commander’s cupola.

The A and B almost didn't have any external differences and it only had a improved modified engine, engine mounts, new turret ring and armored sleeve mount around the machine gun barrel.

The Ausf.D had numerous changes made to the front hull armour, and looked more like the Ausf.A, the ball mounted MG-34 machine gun was reintroduced and the driver’s front was fitted forwards again.
The gun mantlet armour plate was reinforced with 35 mm thickness, hull was reinforced with 30 mm and so was the side and rear armour with 14.5 mm to 20 mm.
Some late D versions had 30 mm thick armour plates bolted or welded to the front superstructure, hull and to the sides bringing the armour protection up to 40 mm and 60 mm.
From October 1938 and October 1939, 231 Ausf .D tanks were completed, some 19 chassis were used for special version, like Bruckenleger IV (Bridge layer) Dicker Max self-propelled gun and a ammunition carrier and loader for the Karl-Gerät.

The Ausf.E was almost identical to the Ausf.D for only a few changes to the running gear, like a new drive sprocket, improved roadwheels, a smoke grenade launcher was fitted to the left side of the engine deck, two embedded hatches in the front armour plating, the Fahrersehklappe-30 drivers visor was changed, together with the split-hatch commander’s cupola already fitted to the new Panzer III Ausf.G, the front armour was again increased to 50 mm, and some had additional 30 mm applique armor added to the front and 20 mm applique armour to the sides.

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■ Information obtained from several sites.
■ Wikipedia
■ tanks-encyclopedia
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers
■ preservedtanks
■ pantser.net
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Tanks_in_France

■ Some music is from the YouTube Audio Library.

■ Music used:
EpidemicSound.com

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