Panzer IV H

German medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf H.
History, development, service, specifications, statistics, pictures and 3D model of the Panzer IV variant.

PzKpfw IV Ausf H in Normandy
PzKpfw IV Ausf H on maneuvers in Normandy, 1944.

Panzer IV Ausf H (SdKfz 161/2)
Type:
German medium tank

History

Of the 3,935 Panzer IV Ausf H chassis produced, 3,774 were completed as PzKpfw IV, with 30 used for the first StuG IV assault guns and 130 for Assault tank Brummbär.

In November 1943, an attempt was made to alter the suspension to gain ground clearance. The experiment failed and the Panzer IV retained the same basic suspension from 1937 until the end of the war.

The basic change from the Panzer IV Ausf G was the SSG77 transmission fitted to the Ausf H. The frontal armour on the Ausf H evolved from 50 mm basic with 30 mm additional, to 80 mm basic, to 80 mm basic interlocked with the hull sides. Minor modifications, introduced during the production run of the Ausf H, included external air-filters, all-steel return rollers, a cupola mount for an anti­aircraft machine gun, a new style idler, and the deletion of the side vision ports for the driver and radio operator.

From 1943, Panzer regiments in the Panzer divisions were to have one detachment equipped with Panzer IV and one detachment with Panthers. As a result of problems with the Panther tank, some Panzer divisions had a second detachment equipped with PzKpfw IV, while many had but a single detachment of four companies, each equipped with twenty-two PzKpfw IV, plus eight with the HO Company.

On 6 June 1944, most of the 748 Panzer IV with the nine Panzer divisions in France were Ausf H.

For comparison, average number of hits to knock out each type of tank:
Western Europe 1944-45:

Tank TypeAverage number of hitsAverage number of penetrations
Tiger I4.22.6
Panzer V Panther2.551.9
M4 Sherman1.631.55
Panzer IV1.21.2

Users: Germany, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Italy, Spain, Romania, Turkey, Hungary (for all variants).


Animated 3d model of Panzer IV H


Specifications for Panzer IV Ausf H

Specifications:

Panzer IV Ausf HSpecification
Typemedium tank
Engine Maybach HL120TRM with 300 hp at 3,000 rpm
Gearbox 6 forward, 1 reverse
Crew total5
Turret crew 3 (with 360° Commanders cupola)
Length 7.02 m
Width 2.88 m
Height 2.68 m
Weight 25 tons
Maximum speed 23.6 mph
Cross-country speed 12 mph
Fuel consumption per 100 miles 400 litres on road, 600 litres cross-country
Fuel 470 litres
Road radius 110 miles
Cross-country radius 75 miles
Vertical obstacle 0.60 m
Trench crossing 2.30 m
Fording depth 0.80 m
Turning circle 6 m
Gradient 30 °


Armor:

Panzer IV Ausf Hmmangle
Turret front5010 °
Turret side3010 °
Turret rear3015 °
Turret top1584-90 °
Superstructure front8010 °
Superstructure side300 °
Superstructure rear2011 °
Superstructure top1285-90 °
Hull front8014 °
Hull side300 °
Hull rear208 °
Hull bottom1090 °
Gun mantlet500-30 °

Armament and Equipment:

Panzer IV Ausf HSpecification
Main armament 7.5cm KwK40 L/48
Rounds87
Traverse 360° (electric)
Elevation -8° to +20°
Muzzle velocity Pzgr 790 m/s
Muzzle velocity Pzgr40 (available only in limited numbers) 990 m/s
Shell weight Pzgr 6.8 kg
Shell weight Pzgr40 4.1 kg
Secondary armament one 7.92mm MG34 coaxial to gun, one 7.92mm MG34 in front hull, one 7.92mm MG34 on commander's cupola, together 3,150 rounds
Radio FuG5 (2.5 miles range)
Telescopic sight TZF5f/1 (2.5 miles aiming)

Penetration mm at 30° armor plates of 7.5cm KwK40 L/48:

RangePzgrPzgr40 (just limited numbers)
Penetration 100 metres106 mm143 mm
Penetration 500 metres96 mm120 mm
Penetration 1000 metres85 mm97 mm
Penetration 1500 metres74 mm77 mm
Penetration 2000 metres64 mm-

Production:

Panzer IV Ausf Hdata
Productionfrom April 1943 to July 1944
Combat deliveryimmediately after production delivery
Price per tank 115,962 RM (Ausf G) = $ 52,183 = £ 11,056
Total production figure 3,774

Service statistics of all Panzer IV variants:

YearAvailableProductionLosses
before 1939-115-
1939 211 (1.9.)141?
1940 280 (10.5.)278?
1941 517 (1.6.)467369
1942 513 (1.1.)994502
1943 1,077 (1.1.) 3,013 "2352"
1944 1,668 (1.1.) 3,126 2,643
1945 1,684 (1.1) 385 (Jan-March) 287 (Jan.)
Total- 7,419 6,153


Panzer IV H in War Thunder
Panzer IV H in War Thunder

Video of Panzer IV H in action with computer games

Battle Rating (BR for short) 4.0 is one of the most popular ranges for German tanks in the F2P game War Thunder and usually records a stable victory rate of over 50% with relatively few ‘uptiers’ to higher ranges, as there are few German vehicles available on BR 4.7 and 5.0 for ‘Realistic Land Battles’. In addition, there is a wide range of vehicles, with some superior premium tanks as well.


The Panzer IV H has been on BR 4.0 in the German research tree for a short time now. This tank is characterized by the fast rate of fire of its accurate 7.5-cm KwK gun, which also has a very good penetrating power and where often one hit is enough to destroy the enemy.
This can be seen very well in the following video:


If you don’t know this F2P tank and plane game yet, you can download War Thunder here for free and will receive extra 50 Golden Eagles premium currency as well as a Rank I premium plane or tank:

download en


References and literature

Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer der Reichswehr, Wehrmacht und Bundeswehr (Werner Oswald)
Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two (P.Chamberlain, H.L.Doyle)
Panzer und andere Kampffahrzeuge von 1916 bis heute (Christopher F. Foss, John F. Milsom, Colonel John Stafford Weeks, Captain Georffrey Tillotson, Richard M. Ogorkiewicz)
Panzerkampfwagen des 1. und 2. Weltkrieges (Andrew Kershaw)
Krieg der Panzer (Piekalkiewicz)
Operation Barbarossa: the Complete Organisational and Statistical Analysis, and Military Simulation, Volume I – IIIB (Nigel Askey)


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