Difference between revisions of "Pz.IV G (Italy)"
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| + | {{About | ||
| + | | about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}''' | ||
| + | | usage = other versions | ||
| + | | link = Pz.IV (Family) | ||
| + | }} | ||
{{Specs-Card | {{Specs-Card | ||
|code=it_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G | |code=it_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G | ||
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== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | ||
| − | The | + | During the advance of the Allies on Italian territory in 1943, Germany began to send different types of vehicles to Italy (RSI) to increase their effectiveness and in turn improve the defence of the territory, including aircraft, light vehicles, transport vehicles, cannons, and eventually tanks. In particular, Pz.IV G, Pz.III N and eventually StuG III G were sent, these were used in the 1st Armoured Division Black Shirts "M" formed in the same year, and divided into three companies, the first of which was equipped with 12 Pz.IV G. These Pz.IV G were the last examples to be produced, being immediately followed by production of the H and later J versions. The Italian Pz.IV G would not see combat because the division was still in training, and would eventually be recovered by the Germans, only to be captured by the Allies during the advance towards Germany. |
| + | |||
| + | Introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]], the Italian Pz.IV G has two particular differences compared to its German counterpart: added protection on the turret, and a longer cannon. The armament is capable of destroying any target at its level without any problems. Thanks to the smoke grenades you can run away from the enemy, confuse them or do a tactical attack. Its acceleration and speed also allow you to position yourself in places where you are sure to destroy enemies or capture points and defend them. | ||
== General info == | == General info == | ||
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} | ||
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' --> | <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' --> | ||
| − | {{main|KwK40 (75 mm)}} | + | {{main|KwK40 L48 (75 mm)}} |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | ! colspan="5" | [[KwK40 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK40]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds) | + | ! colspan="5" | [[KwK40 L48 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK40 L48]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds) |
|- | |- | ||
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer | ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer | ||
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==== Ammunition ==== | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
| + | |||
* '''PzGr 39''' - Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap shell - Use this shell as your main ammunition type, as it has a good penetration power and deals the most damage upon penetration thanks to its explosive filler. | * '''PzGr 39''' - Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap shell - Use this shell as your main ammunition type, as it has a good penetration power and deals the most damage upon penetration thanks to its explosive filler. | ||
* '''Hl.Gr. 38B''' - High Explosive Anti-Tank shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank. | * '''Hl.Gr. 38B''' - High Explosive Anti-Tank shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank. | ||
| − | * '''PzGr 40''' - Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used when facing a heavily armoured enemy such as the Churchill VII and flanking is not an option. However, its post-penetration damage is much lower because it has no explosive filler to detonate after penetrating. Do not use | + | * '''PzGr 40''' - Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used when facing a heavily armoured enemy such as the Churchill VII and flanking is not an option. However, its post-penetration damage is much lower because it has no explosive filler to detonate after penetrating. Do not use the PzGr 40 against sloped armour as APCR shells have extremely poor performance against angled armour. |
* '''SprGr. 34''' - High Explosive shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal. | * '''SprGr. 34''' - High Explosive shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal. | ||
* '''K.Gr.Rot Nb.''' - Smoke shell - Pack a few of these. They are useful to blind enemy vehicles that block your advance while being being too remote for you to disable. | * '''K.Gr.Rot Nb.''' - Smoke shell - Pack a few of these. They are useful to blind enemy vehicles that block your advance while being being too remote for you to disable. | ||
| − | { | + | {{:KwK40 L48 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39, Hl.Gr 38B, PzGr 40, Sprgr. 34, K.Gr.Rot Nb.}} |
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| − | | PzGr 39 | ||
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
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In terms of armaments, the Pz.IV G is armed with the KwK40 L/43, a great weapon which is able to deal with the majority of enemies it will face. The 75 mm KwK40 L/43 gun is still also good when up-tiered, and a monster when down-tiered. A solid hit on a target's front armour that's not sloped is very likely to penetrate. | In terms of armaments, the Pz.IV G is armed with the KwK40 L/43, a great weapon which is able to deal with the majority of enemies it will face. The 75 mm KwK40 L/43 gun is still also good when up-tiered, and a monster when down-tiered. A solid hit on a target's front armour that's not sloped is very likely to penetrate. | ||
| − | When playing as a sniper, the gameplay is fairly simple, find a good spot on a map, angle your tank, and wait for incoming enemies to get in your line of sight. Depending on what rounds you choose to bring, you have usually a high chance to either destroy an enemy tank or seriously injure their crew, which will hopefully give you enough time to finish them off. Although you | + | When playing as a sniper, the gameplay is fairly simple, find a good spot on a map, angle your tank, and wait for incoming enemies to get in your line of sight. Depending on what rounds you choose to bring, you have usually a high chance to either destroy an enemy tank or seriously injure their crew, which will hopefully give you enough time to finish them off. Although you won't need to research the engine upgrade module for the Pz.IV G, keep in mind that the mobility of the vehicle is not the best, however adequate enough to get you to where you need to be at a good pace. One of the downsides of this vehicle is mainly that it will struggle at times to penetrate heavier foes, generally speaking most of them have weak spots you can take advantage of, in which case, situational awareness is vital. |
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
| Line 190: | Line 144: | ||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
| − | + | * Hard-hitting APCBC can easily knock out common foes | |
| − | * Hard-hitting | ||
* High muzzle velocity and gun accuracy allow long range engagements | * High muzzle velocity and gun accuracy allow long range engagements | ||
| − | * Extra | + | * Smoke charges deploy in 3 salvos, can conceal the tank 3 times |
| + | * Thick 80 mm frontal hull armour can neglect some shots when angling | ||
| + | * Satisfactory forward speed allows it to keep up with most teammates' advance | ||
| + | * Extra armoured skirt on the turret protects it from some HEAT and HE projectiles | ||
| + | * -10° gun depression is helpful when fighting in mountainous terrain | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
| − | * | + | * Cramped crew compartment means a penetration will incapacitate if not knock out your crew in one shot |
| − | * | + | * Poor frontal turret armour often gets penetrated in frontal engagements |
| + | * Side and rear armour is thin, making flanking shots more dangerous | ||
| + | * Large transmission on the lower front hull immobilises the tank once damaged | ||
| + | * Low mobility especially reverse speed and hull traverse | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
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The story of the Pz.IV G begins in Germany during the Second World War, the Pz.Kpfw.IV's creation, which, like its predecessor the [[Panzer III (Family)|Pz.Kpfw. III]], was devised by German engineer Heinz Guderian. He was one of the many German engineers who wanted to create an adequate support tank that had the dual role of being used to handle anti-tank guns and take out enemy fortifications. As a support tank, the Panzer IV was to have the short 75 mm howitzer as its main armament and also a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but Krupp's model was selected for further testing. After a lot of testing, and refinement of the design, such as the addition of a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, instead of the planned torsion bar suspension system (mainly for the sake of faster production), the design went into production. Shortly after, German armoured regiments would start getting equipped with the tank, and once an adequate amount of the vehicle had been put in service, surplus vehicles would either be sold/given to other countries, or they'd be used as a base for later variants of the tank. | The story of the Pz.IV G begins in Germany during the Second World War, the Pz.Kpfw.IV's creation, which, like its predecessor the [[Panzer III (Family)|Pz.Kpfw. III]], was devised by German engineer Heinz Guderian. He was one of the many German engineers who wanted to create an adequate support tank that had the dual role of being used to handle anti-tank guns and take out enemy fortifications. As a support tank, the Panzer IV was to have the short 75 mm howitzer as its main armament and also a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but Krupp's model was selected for further testing. After a lot of testing, and refinement of the design, such as the addition of a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, instead of the planned torsion bar suspension system (mainly for the sake of faster production), the design went into production. Shortly after, German armoured regiments would start getting equipped with the tank, and once an adequate amount of the vehicle had been put in service, surplus vehicles would either be sold/given to other countries, or they'd be used as a base for later variants of the tank. | ||
| − | + | [[File:Pz.IV G (Div.M.) (2) .png|thumb|Pz.IV G (Div.M.) During Training]] | |
Eventually, once the vehicle had been used in active combat, some of its defects started to be revealed, mainly when facing Soviet armour, such as the T-34 and KV-1. It wasn't on par, and soon enough would see itself struggle. To amend this, the German engineers devised to upgrade the tank, mainly in its armament sector. The new tank would instead feature a much more powerful KwK40 L/43 gun, which was more than enough to deal with enemy armour at the time. The G variant also featured a stronger 80 mm thick front glacis armour with 30 mm side armour, which would really improve its overall survivability. Interestingly enough, German engineers would employ some weight-saving techniques, though even with these, the tank still weighed about 23.6 tons and put strain onto the driving system, a common issue surrounding many German vehicles at the time. Some simplification went into the tank such as the removal of the vision ports on the sides of the turret. Another armour upgrade would be the introduction of the ''Schürzen'' side armour side-skirts on the turret and hull sides. | Eventually, once the vehicle had been used in active combat, some of its defects started to be revealed, mainly when facing Soviet armour, such as the T-34 and KV-1. It wasn't on par, and soon enough would see itself struggle. To amend this, the German engineers devised to upgrade the tank, mainly in its armament sector. The new tank would instead feature a much more powerful KwK40 L/43 gun, which was more than enough to deal with enemy armour at the time. The G variant also featured a stronger 80 mm thick front glacis armour with 30 mm side armour, which would really improve its overall survivability. Interestingly enough, German engineers would employ some weight-saving techniques, though even with these, the tank still weighed about 23.6 tons and put strain onto the driving system, a common issue surrounding many German vehicles at the time. Some simplification went into the tank such as the removal of the vision ports on the sides of the turret. Another armour upgrade would be the introduction of the ''Schürzen'' side armour side-skirts on the turret and hull sides. | ||
| − | + | [[File:Pz.IV G (Div.M.) (1) .png|thumb|Pz.IV G (Div.M.) During training]] | |
The Italian versions would remove this, as was the case for many Italian vehicles. In terms of the Italian story of this tank, Germany had supplied 12 units of the Panzer IV G to Italy during the late stages of the Second World War. They later joined the 1st Armored Division Black Shirts "M" (for "Mussolini"), which was established from May 1943, mainly starting from the very few survivors of the previous MVSN Battalions M who had been repatriated from the Russian front. The division was organised in 3 companies, which one of them comprising the Pz.IV G, they were slightly modified however, such as with the removal of the side-skirts and the introduction of additional armour placed around the turret. The Italian Pz.IV Gs would be painted in a light tan colour with the Divisione "M" logo usually painted on the turret. On 25 July 1943, they were transferred to the 136th Armored Division "Centauro II". They didn't see any action during the war, most of them were still undergoing training at the time and most, if not all of the tanks would end up in Allied hands shortly after the war. | The Italian versions would remove this, as was the case for many Italian vehicles. In terms of the Italian story of this tank, Germany had supplied 12 units of the Panzer IV G to Italy during the late stages of the Second World War. They later joined the 1st Armored Division Black Shirts "M" (for "Mussolini"), which was established from May 1943, mainly starting from the very few survivors of the previous MVSN Battalions M who had been repatriated from the Russian front. The division was organised in 3 companies, which one of them comprising the Pz.IV G, they were slightly modified however, such as with the removal of the side-skirts and the introduction of additional armour placed around the turret. The Italian Pz.IV Gs would be painted in a light tan colour with the Divisione "M" logo usually painted on the turret. On 25 July 1943, they were transferred to the 136th Armored Division "Centauro II". They didn't see any action during the war, most of them were still undergoing training at the time and most, if not all of the tanks would end up in Allied hands shortly after the war. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> | ||
| − | + | ||
| + | ;Skins | ||
| + | |||
| + | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=it_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
| Line 217: | Line 180: | ||
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | ||
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
| − | |||
| − | + | ;Other Divison M vehicles | |
| − | * | + | |
| + | * [[Pz.III N (Italy)]] | ||
| + | * [[StuG III G (Italy)]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
Latest revision as of 21:34, 23 April 2023
| This page is about the medium tank Pz.IV G (Italy). For other versions, see Pz.IV (Family). |
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Contents
Description
During the advance of the Allies on Italian territory in 1943, Germany began to send different types of vehicles to Italy (RSI) to increase their effectiveness and in turn improve the defence of the territory, including aircraft, light vehicles, transport vehicles, cannons, and eventually tanks. In particular, Pz.IV G, Pz.III N and eventually StuG III G were sent, these were used in the 1st Armoured Division Black Shirts "M" formed in the same year, and divided into three companies, the first of which was equipped with 12 Pz.IV G. These Pz.IV G were the last examples to be produced, being immediately followed by production of the H and later J versions. The Italian Pz.IV G would not see combat because the division was still in training, and would eventually be recovered by the Germans, only to be captured by the Allies during the advance towards Germany.
Introduced in Update "Ixwa Strike", the Italian Pz.IV G has two particular differences compared to its German counterpart: added protection on the turret, and a longer cannon. The armament is capable of destroying any target at its level without any problems. Thanks to the smoke grenades you can run away from the enemy, confuse them or do a tactical attack. Its acceleration and speed also allow you to position yourself in places where you are sure to destroy enemies or capture points and defend them.
General info
Survivability and armour
The Pz.IV G has really great armour; due to it being well armoured, it can easily survive it being up tiered to rank III gameplay. This allows the Pz.IV G to perform a variety of playstyles, such as front-line assault, support, and as a flanker. Unlike the German version, this Italian variant removes the side-skirts but adds extra armour on the sides of the turret. The extra armour on the turret doesn't really help the vehicle too much in terms of protection, but it doesn't harm the vehicle by having it. Overall, the vehicle is good enough to survive encounters with formidable opponents, such as Shermans and T-34s.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 88 mm | 30 mm Top |
20 mm | 10 mm |
| Turret | 50 mm Turret front 50 mm Gun mantlet |
30 mm | 30 mm | 16 mm |
| Cupola | 95 mm | 95 mm | 95 mm | 8 mm |
Notes:
Mobility
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 45 | 9 | 23.7 | 465 | 572 | 19.62 | 24.14 |
| Realistic | 40 | 8 | 265 | 300 | 11.18 | 12.66 | |
Modifications and economy
2 × 80 / 130 / 150 % 2 × 154 / 154 / 154 % | Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
|
Armaments
Main armament
| 75 mm KwK40 L48 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 87 | -10°/+20° | ±180° | N/A | 13.3 | 18.4 | 22.4 | 24.8 | 26.4 | 7.67 | 6.79 | 6.25 | 5.90 |
| Realistic | 8.3 | 9.8 | 11.9 | 13.2 | 14.0 | ||||||||
Ammunition
- PzGr 39 - Armour-Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap shell - Use this shell as your main ammunition type, as it has a good penetration power and deals the most damage upon penetration thanks to its explosive filler.
- Hl.Gr. 38B - High Explosive Anti-Tank shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
- PzGr 40 - Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used when facing a heavily armoured enemy such as the Churchill VII and flanking is not an option. However, its post-penetration damage is much lower because it has no explosive filler to detonate after penetrating. Do not use the PzGr 40 against sloped armour as APCR shells have extremely poor performance against angled armour.
- SprGr. 34 - High Explosive shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.
- K.Gr.Rot Nb. - Smoke shell - Pack a few of these. They are useful to blind enemy vehicles that block your advance while being being too remote for you to disable.
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| PzGr 39 | APCBC | 145 | 143 | 130 | 116 | 104 | 93 |
| Hl.Gr 38B | HEAT | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| PzGr 40 | APCR | 182 | 177 | 159 | 140 | 122 | 107 |
| Sprgr. 34 | HE | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| PzGr 39 | APCBC | 770 | 6.8 | 1.2 | 14 | 28.9 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
| Hl.Gr 38B | HEAT | 450 | 4.4 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 872.1 | 62° | 69° | 73° | |||
| PzGr 40 | APCR | 990 | 4.1 | - | - | - | 66° | 70° | 72° | |||
| Sprgr. 34 | HE | 550 | 5.74 | 0 | 0.1 | 686 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Screen radius (m) |
Screen deploy time (s) |
Screen hold time (s) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. | 540 | 6.2 | 13 | 5 | 20 | 50 |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | 84 (+3) | 82 (+5) | 80 (+7) | 72 (+15) | 63 (+24) | 54 (+33) |
| 7th rack empty |
8th rack empty |
9th rack empty |
10th rack empty |
11th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|
| 46 (+41) | 38 (+49) | 30 (+57) | 24 (+63) | 1 (+86) | No |
Notes:
- Racks are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear after both shells in the set having been shot or loaded.
- Sides empty: 30 (+57) shells
Machine guns
| 7.92 mm MG34 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Coaxial | 3,000 (150) | 900 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
The Italian Pz.IV G has a very similar playstyle as its German counterpart, the vehicle can work both as a sniper and brawler, thanks to its improved armour and great gun. One of the many upsides that you'll come to enjoy is the armour, which goes hand in hand with the brawler playstyle. As a brawler you'll usually be leading the charge for your team at the start of the match, this can be a very effective way to get easy eliminations if done right. Whilst leading the charge, it is essential that you maintain situational awareness at all times, as the un-sloped armour, while it can prove to be better than other counterparts of the vehicle, might not be sufficient to provide reliable defense in surprise encounters.
In terms of armaments, the Pz.IV G is armed with the KwK40 L/43, a great weapon which is able to deal with the majority of enemies it will face. The 75 mm KwK40 L/43 gun is still also good when up-tiered, and a monster when down-tiered. A solid hit on a target's front armour that's not sloped is very likely to penetrate.
When playing as a sniper, the gameplay is fairly simple, find a good spot on a map, angle your tank, and wait for incoming enemies to get in your line of sight. Depending on what rounds you choose to bring, you have usually a high chance to either destroy an enemy tank or seriously injure their crew, which will hopefully give you enough time to finish them off. Although you won't need to research the engine upgrade module for the Pz.IV G, keep in mind that the mobility of the vehicle is not the best, however adequate enough to get you to where you need to be at a good pace. One of the downsides of this vehicle is mainly that it will struggle at times to penetrate heavier foes, generally speaking most of them have weak spots you can take advantage of, in which case, situational awareness is vital.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Hard-hitting APCBC can easily knock out common foes
- High muzzle velocity and gun accuracy allow long range engagements
- Smoke charges deploy in 3 salvos, can conceal the tank 3 times
- Thick 80 mm frontal hull armour can neglect some shots when angling
- Satisfactory forward speed allows it to keep up with most teammates' advance
- Extra armoured skirt on the turret protects it from some HEAT and HE projectiles
- -10° gun depression is helpful when fighting in mountainous terrain
Cons:
- Cramped crew compartment means a penetration will incapacitate if not knock out your crew in one shot
- Poor frontal turret armour often gets penetrated in frontal engagements
- Side and rear armour is thin, making flanking shots more dangerous
- Large transmission on the lower front hull immobilises the tank once damaged
- Low mobility especially reverse speed and hull traverse
History
The story of the Pz.IV G begins in Germany during the Second World War, the Pz.Kpfw.IV's creation, which, like its predecessor the Pz.Kpfw. III, was devised by German engineer Heinz Guderian. He was one of the many German engineers who wanted to create an adequate support tank that had the dual role of being used to handle anti-tank guns and take out enemy fortifications. As a support tank, the Panzer IV was to have the short 75 mm howitzer as its main armament and also a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but Krupp's model was selected for further testing. After a lot of testing, and refinement of the design, such as the addition of a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, instead of the planned torsion bar suspension system (mainly for the sake of faster production), the design went into production. Shortly after, German armoured regiments would start getting equipped with the tank, and once an adequate amount of the vehicle had been put in service, surplus vehicles would either be sold/given to other countries, or they'd be used as a base for later variants of the tank.
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Eventually, once the vehicle had been used in active combat, some of its defects started to be revealed, mainly when facing Soviet armour, such as the T-34 and KV-1. It wasn't on par, and soon enough would see itself struggle. To amend this, the German engineers devised to upgrade the tank, mainly in its armament sector. The new tank would instead feature a much more powerful KwK40 L/43 gun, which was more than enough to deal with enemy armour at the time. The G variant also featured a stronger 80 mm thick front glacis armour with 30 mm side armour, which would really improve its overall survivability. Interestingly enough, German engineers would employ some weight-saving techniques, though even with these, the tank still weighed about 23.6 tons and put strain onto the driving system, a common issue surrounding many German vehicles at the time. Some simplification went into the tank such as the removal of the vision ports on the sides of the turret. Another armour upgrade would be the introduction of the Schürzen side armour side-skirts on the turret and hull sides.
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The Italian versions would remove this, as was the case for many Italian vehicles. In terms of the Italian story of this tank, Germany had supplied 12 units of the Panzer IV G to Italy during the late stages of the Second World War. They later joined the 1st Armored Division Black Shirts "M" (for "Mussolini"), which was established from May 1943, mainly starting from the very few survivors of the previous MVSN Battalions M who had been repatriated from the Russian front. The division was organised in 3 companies, which one of them comprising the Pz.IV G, they were slightly modified however, such as with the removal of the side-skirts and the introduction of additional armour placed around the turret. The Italian Pz.IV Gs would be painted in a light tan colour with the Divisione "M" logo usually painted on the turret. On 25 July 1943, they were transferred to the 136th Armored Division "Centauro II". They didn't see any action during the war, most of them were still undergoing training at the time and most, if not all of the tanks would end up in Allied hands shortly after the war.
Media
- Skins
See also
- Other Divison M vehicles
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.
| Italy medium tanks | |
|---|---|
| Italy | |
| M13/40 | M13/40 (I) · M13/40 (II) · M13/40 (III) |
| M14/41 | M14/41 · M14/41 (47/40) |
| M15/42 | M15/42 |
| M16/43 | Celere Sahariano |
| P26/40 | P40 · P40 "G.C. Leoncello" |
| OF-40 | OF-40 · OF-40 Mk.2A · OF-40 (MTCA) |
| Ariete | Ariete (P) · Ariete · Ariete PSO · Ariete AMV |
| Germany | ▄Pz.III N · ▄Pz.IV G · ▄Leopard 1A5 |
| Allied powers | ▄Sherman I Composito · Sherman Ic · ▄Sherman Vc · ▄Sherman V · M26 "D.C.Ariete" · M26A1 · M47 (105/55) · M60A1 "D.C.Ariete" |
| Hungary | |
| Turán | Turan I · Turan II · Turan III |
| Germany | ◔Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2A7HU |
| USSR | ◔T-72M1 |
| Italy premium ground vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Light tanks | L6/40 (31 Rgt.) · Toldi IIA · AUBL/74 HVG · VRCC · Centauro RGO |
| Medium tanks | M13/40 (II) · Turan II · M14/41 (47/40) · Celere Sahariano · P40 "G.C. Leoncello" · ▄Sherman I Composito · ▄Pz.IV G |
| M26 "D.C.Ariete" · M60A1 "D.C.Ariete" · OF-40 (MTCA) | |
| Heavy tanks | Tigris |
| Tank destroyers | Breda 90/53 · M43 "G.C.Leoncello" · Zrinyi I |
