It was in France and North Africa where the Germans ran up against French Char B heavy tanks and British Matilda Infantry tanks that they found that the gun power of the Panzer IV was inadequate to penetrate the heavy armor of these opponents. Limited numbers were used in the annexation of Austria and it first saw combat in Poland followed by the Blitzkrieg across France, North Africa, the Balkans and the Soviet Union. Neither the Panzer IV D or E variants were produced in great numbers with fewer than 500 units produced. This deficiency was corrected to some degree in the next model, the Ausf E which was produced from 1940-1941.
One drawback of this model was that it had weak armor protection.
The Panzer IV D which was first produced in 1939-1940 was the first of the series designed for combat and issued to the Panzer Divisions. As the Wehrmacht had a need for more tanks many of these were provided additional armor and placed in front line units until phased out of service. These limited production models with a total production of just over 200 vehicles were primarily used for training the fledgling Panzerwaffe. The first three variants of the Panzer IV the Ausf A, B and C were developmental models. The Panzer IV had a maximum speed of 35 km/hour. The new tank mounted a low velocity L24/ 75mm gun had a crew of 5. The Wehrmacht submitted its requirements and Krupp, Rheinmetall and MAN produced prototypes for evaluation and testing following which the Krupp version was selected for production.
It was meant to compliment the lighter Panzer II and Panzer III and the design requirements did not require the new tank engage enemy tanks on equal terms. The Panzer IV was developed in 1934 out of a requirement for a medium tank to operate in a support and anti-infantry role. No other tank in service in 1939 was still in front line service in 1945, a fact that shows the dependability, versatility and quality of the Panzer IV. The Panzer IV tank was unique among the Armored Fighting Vehicles of the Second World War in that it served in a front line role throughout the entire conflict. The series will appear periodically over the next month. I’m starting with the Panzer IV which was the mainstay of Wehrmacht and Waffen SS Panzer Formations throughout the war. This is the first in a series of articles on German tanks of World War II.
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