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Germany's BW/7; Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F2; PzKpfw IV Ausf F2; SdKfz 161/1 medium tank
PzKpfw IV Ausf F2 medium tank: |
PzKpfw IV Ausf F2 medium tank: |
Design
As the PzKpfw IV Ausf F1 was rolling off production lines, the T-34 was encountered on the Russian front. Hitler ordered the PaK 40 antitank gun fitted into all new PzKpfw IVs.
On November 18, 1941 the Ordnance Department issued Order #917/41 gKdos Wa. Pruef. 4 to Friedrich Krupp AG of Essen and Rheinmetall-Borsig AG to design a replacement for the short barrelled 75 mm gun being used.3
Turret
The welded turret had seats for the commander, gunner, and loader.3
The commander had a cupola that was towards the rear of the roof.3 There were five equally spaced observation ports in the cupola.3 The front port was lined up with the direction that the main armament would fire.3
In front of the side hatches was an observation port.3 On each side of the mantlet were observation ports.3 Some of the turrets were produced without the right side port.3
The turret roof had a signal port.3 At the rear of the turret were two pistol ports.3
To extract the fumes after firing, there was a fan in the roof of the turret.3
There was a DKW two cylinder two cycle 10 HP 500 cc gasoline engine that provided power for the turret traverse.3
Hull
The joints were austenitic steel welds and the plates were made of chromium-molybdenum steel.3 The hull was separated by 2 bulkheads into the driving, fighting, and engine compartment.3
The transmission and the final drive assemblies were housed in the driving compartment.3 The driver and hull gunner / radio operator had their seats located in the front.3
Under the fighting compartment was 105 gallons of fuel in tanks.3
There were two hinged and one bolted maintenance hatches in the front glacis plate.3
Superstructure
The welded superstructure was bolted to the top of the hull.3 The superstructure extended out over the sides of the hull to make room for a large turret.3
Hatches for the driver and hull gunner were in the roof.3
Main Armament
The 75 mm Kampfwagenkanone 44 (later KwK 40) was to be of L/43 caliber.3 The gun was mounted on a trunnion axis.3 Extending through the mantlet was the recoil mechanism that added more protection.3
75 mm later KwK 40 had muzzle velocity of 2,428 ft/sec8 and could penetrate 89 mm @ 30°8. It's AP round weighed 15 lbs and had a muzzle velocity of 2,428'/sec.2 Early models had single baffle, but later models had double baffle muzzle brake.3
Ammunition storage was altered to allow for the larger rounds. The gunner's and commander's seat was altered to allow more room. There was an auxiliary hand crank for traverse for the loader.
Engine
The Maybach HL 120 TRM was built under license by Norddeutsche Motorenbau GmbH of Berlin-Niederschoeneweide.3
The engine could output 300 HP at 3,000 rpm but was restricted to 265 HP at 2,600 rpm.3
Air entered the engine compartment on the left.3 The air then went through two radiators and then over the engine by two 10 bladed fans.3 There was a large air filter for the engine.3 A propeller shaft transmitted the power to the Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen AG gearbox.3
Production
In March 1942, factories started to put the 7.5 cm gun KwK 40 L/43.8,13
The PzKpfw IV series production figures.
Usage
Eastern Front
Small number of the PzKpfw IV Ausf F2 appeared on the Eastern Front in the spring of 1942.3
North Africa
Were called the "Mark IV Special" by the British.3,9 First encountered at Alam Halfa and El Alamein in September and October 1942.9
On June 11, 1942 there were six PzKpfw IV Ausf F2s in North Africa.3
At the start of the Battle of Alam el Halfa there were 27 PzKpfw IV Ausf F2s.3
| Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F2 | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator3 51,2,3,4,5,7 |
| Radio | FuG54 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 50,706 lb, 52,000 lb 22 tons1, 23 tons4, 23.2 tons3, 23.6 tons3,5,7,8, 25.8 tons2 22,350 kg1 |
| Empty weight | 22 tons3 |
| Length w/gun | 18' 5.5", 19.4'2, 20' 10", 21' 9"1,3,7, 22.08'5 5.62 m4, 6.63 m1,7 |
| Length w/o gun | 17' 9"3 5.93 m |
| Height | 8.53'2, 8' 6", 8' 9.5"1,3,7, 8.9'5 2.68 m1,4,7 |
| Width | 9' 3.75", 9' 5.5"1,3,7, 9.5'2, 9.6'5, 9' 7" 2.84 m4, 2.88 m1,7 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 15.75"2 40 cm |
| Ground contact length | 138.5"2 3.52 m |
| Ground pressure | 2.86 psi3, 11.8 psi2 0.84 kg/cm2 |
| Turret ring diameter | 1.65 m |
| Armament | |
| Main | 75 mm KwK 40 L/432,3,4 75 mm KwK L/4310 75 mm1,5 75 mm L/439 75 mm L/43 or L/487 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 7.92 mm MG7 2: 7.92 mm MG344 2: MG5 |
| MG - hull | 1: 7.92 mm 34 MG3 1: 7.92 mm MG1,6 1: 7.92 mm MG342 |
| MG - coaxial | 1: 7.92 mm 34 MG3 1: 7.92 mm MG1,6 1: 7.92 mm MG342 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 87 HEAT, smoke, APCR, APCBC, HE 874,6,11,13,14 PzGr 39 (APCBC), PzGr 40 (APCR), Sprgr 38A & B (HEAT), Sprgr 34 (HE), Nebel (Smoke)3 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2,2503, 3,0004, 3,1502,7, 3,1926, 3,200 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | Front: 2"2 Side: 1.2"2 10 - 505 Hull: 6010 Turret: 5010 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 30+307, 606 50@10°4,13 |
| Hull Front, Lower | 25@73°3 50@12°4 |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 30+207, 20+20@0°3, 30@0°4 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 30@0°4 |
| Hull Rear | 20@12°3, 20@0°4 & 20°4 |
| Hull Top | 117, 12@85°-90°4, 15@90°3 |
| Hull Bottom | 10@90°3,4 |
| Turret Front | 2"2 506,7 50@11°3,4 Mantlet: 50°3, 50@0°-30°4 |
| Turret Sides | 0.8"2 30@26°3,4 |
| Turret Rear | 30@16°3,4 |
| Turret Top | 10@83°-90°4, 10@90°3 |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Maybach HL 120 TRM1,2,3,4 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | Water2 |
| Capacity | 11,867 cc3 |
| Cylinders | V-121,3 |
| Net HP | 3007, 300@3,000 rpm2,3 |
| Power to weight ratio | 13.6 bhp/ton3 |
| Compression ratio | 6.5:12 |
| Transmission (Type) | Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen ZF SSG 76 Aphon3 ZF SSG 76 ZF SSG 77 Synchromesh2,3 6 forward, 1 reverse.2,3,4 |
| Steering | Clutch brake2 Krupp-Wilson clutch steering brake3 |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | Electric and inertia2 |
| Electrical system | Starting: 24-volt2 Running: 12-volt2, GQL 12 volt3 |
| Ignition | Magneto2 |
| Fuel (Type) | Gasoline2,3 |
| Octane | 743 |
| Quantity | 105 gallons3, 125 gallon2 470 liters |
| Road consumption | 1 mpg2 100 km/235 liters |
| Cross country consumption | 0.6 mpg2 |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°4,13 Electric2,3,4, hand2,3 |
| Max speed | 24.8 mph1,3,7, 25 mph2,5,8 40 kph1,4,8,14 |
| Cross country speed | 10 mph2, 11 mph 16 kph |
| Road radius | 124 miles2,7, 130 miles1,3 200 km4,7, 209 km1 |
| Cross country radius | 71 miles3, 78 miles2, 80.7 miles7 130 km7 |
| Turning radius | 5.92 m |
| Elevation limits | -11° to +21° -10° to +20°3 -8° to +20°4 |
| Fording depth | 3' 3"10, 39.4"2 1 m |
| Trench crossing | 7'3, 7.2'2 2.2 m |
| Vertical obstacle | 23.6"2, 2'3 60 cm |
| Climbing ability | 30° (57%) slope2, 30°3 |
| Suspension (Type) | Leaf springs Quarter elliptic springs2,3 |
| Wheels each side | 82,3, 8x2 |
| Return rollers each side | 42,3, 4x2 |
| Tracks (Type) | Dry pin2 Manganese steel3 |
| Length | |
| Width | 1' 3.75"2,3,7 40 cm3,7 |
| Diameter | 18.5"3 |
| Number of links | 983, 992 |
| Pitch | 4.25"3, 4.9"2 120 mm3 |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 8' 0.5"3, 8.1'2, 8' 7"7 2.45 m, 2.62 m7 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
- Armour in Profile #8: PanzerKampfwagen IV (F2), Walter Spielberger, 1967
- Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle, 1999
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Airfix Magazine Guide #8 German Tanks of World War 2, Terry Gande and Peter Chamberlain, 1975
- German Tanks of World War II, Dr. S. Hart & Dr. R. Hart, 1998
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- Tanks - Over 250 of the World's Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles, Chris Chant, 2004
