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 H

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

The Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausführung H (PzKpfw IV Ausf.H), also known as the Panzer IV H, was a German medium tank used extensively during World War II. It was one of the later variants of the Panzer IV series, which was the most widely manufactured German tank of the war.

Overview of the Panzer IV Ausf.H

Armor: Increased frontal armor (80mm) compared to earlier models, providing better protection against enemy fire.

Main armament: A long-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 main gun, which was effective against most Allied tanks at medium and long ranges.

Secondary armament: Two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns for anti-infantry defense.

Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM 300 HP engine, allowing a maximum speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) on roads.

Crew: Five members (commander, gunner, loader, driver, and radio operator/bow machine gunner).

The Panzer IV Ausf.H saw service on all fronts from mid-1943 until the end of the war in 1945. It was used in various roles, including direct combat, infantry support, and anti-tank operations. Despite being outclassed by later Allied tanks like the Soviet T-34-85 and IS-2, or the American M4 Sherman Easy Eight, the Panzer IV Ausf.H remained a capable and reliable vehicle when properly supported and employed.

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.

3d model of Panzer IV H

Panzer IV Ausf H with the long 7.5 cm gun and armour skirts.

The backside of a PzKpfw IV H with additional Zimmerit coating against magnetic anti-tank mines.

Disabled Panzer IV Ausf H, near Voronezh in Russia, 1943. The additional armour skirts at the hull were often lost in heat of battle, but the skirts at the turret were permanently mounted.

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:

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:

Armor:

Armament and Equipment:

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

Production:

Service statistics of all Panzer IV variants:

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:

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)