Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J

Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J

Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	3.7	3.7

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:1 750

Show in game

Description

The Pz.Bef.Wg.IV Ausf. J is a premium rank III} German medium tank with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB) and 3.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.43. The Panzerbefehlswagen IV was a command vehicle based on the Panzer IV J medium tank, equipped with three radios – the FuG 8 and FuG 5 for communication with headquarters and with tanks and the FuG 7 for communication with aircraft. Each of these radios needed its own antenna – the FuG 8 had a star aerial at the right-rear of the tank, the FuG 5 a 2-meter rod aerial on the turret roof and the FuG 7 a 1.4 meter aerial at the rear left.

The Pz.Bfw. IV is a premium equivalent of the Panzer IV Ausf. J, most notably with the slow turret traverse. However, it is still a Panzer IV and can be played as such if compensating for the slower turret movement. With a gun that can knock out most enemies it meets, decent mobility, and adequate armour, the Pz.Bfw. IV is a great tank to supplement a line up in the 4.0-4.3 area.

The Pz.Bfw. IV looks more like a Panzer IV Ausf. H than the Ausf. J due to its default tri-colour camouflage and presence of Schürzen side skirts on the turret and the hull. While the turret skirts are nothing new in the late Panzer IV series, the hull skirts are the wire mesh designs also known as Thoma-Schürzen which were easier to produce in the German industry, not to mention were lighter and could fulfil the same role as the regular plates.

Aside from the wire Schürzen, another big difference is the presence of more radio antenna throughout the tank. As the Pz.Bfw. IV is intended as a command tank, more radios were installed inside for the commander to talk with headquarters. The three noticeable radio antennas are on the rear left for the FuG 7, the rear right for the FuG 8, and the turret roof for the FuG 5.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	80 mm (11°) Front plate 20 mm (72°) Front glacis 80 mm (12-64°) Lower glacis	30 mm	30 mm (4-15°)	26 mm Front 10 mm Rear and hatches
Turret	50 mm (11°) Turret front 50 mm (7-29°) Gun mantlet	30 (23-26°) + 5 (0-1°) mm	30 (15-17°) + 5 mm	16 mm Front 10 mm Rear
Armour	Sides	Roof
Cupola	95 mm	10 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
• The hull and turret sides are protected by an extra 5 mm thick plate to provide protection against HEAT and HE rounds.
• Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
• Barrel shroud around gun barrel is 20 mm thick.
• Add-on Armour gives an additional 15 mm of armour can be added to the front facing surfaces.

The Pz.Bfw IV is vulnerable to most front shot engagement, especially so if no serious attempt is made in compound angling. The front plate in its unsloped format is an enticing target, but beware to not hit the front sloping glacis right in front of it as that area has a tendency to bounce everything. Also, avoid hitting straight into the ball machine gun and driver's port in the front as these also have a tendency to nullify an armour-piercing shot. When using APHE rounds, simply hit centre mass of the front plate and let the post-penetration effect do the rest.

In the case of a vehicle with a gun simply unable to penetrate this front plate, aim towards the turret that still retains a 50 mm front plate. Even the weaker non-autocannon armaments can penetrate through this front plate and incapacitate the turret crew. Aim for the turret left side (right side when shooting it) to knock out the gunner and deny their firepower, then chip away at weak spots until the threat is destroyed.

Alternatively, aim at the Panzer IV from its long vulnerable sides in cases where its slow turret traverse cannot keep up with a flanking manoeuvre or catching it in an ambush. The interior is fully stocked with ammo racks even when the user is taking a minimum load. Moreover, the fuel tank resides at the very bottom of the centre of the tank, so a penetrating shot with APHE will either detonate the ammunition, set the tank on fire, or knock out a good portion of the crew, if not fully destroy the tank with all three effects.

In every case scenario, it is to the benefit of the surviving player to fire the first shot against the Pz.Bfw IV above all else, as it would deny the Pz.Bfw IV even a chance to use its high-penetrating 75 mm gun.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armor weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
25.3	0.4	43 (AB)
		39 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	465	572
Realistic/Simulator	265	300
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	18.38	22.61
Realistic/Simulator	10.47	11.86

Armaments

Main armament

75 mm KwK 40 L/48
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
87			-10°/+20°	±180°	N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	3.6	4.9	__.__	__.__	__.__
Realistic	3.6	4.2	__.__	__.__	__.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
7.6	__.__	__.__	__.__

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
PzGr 39	APCBC	136	135	123	109	97	86
PzGr 40	APCR	177	176	154	130	109	92
Hl.Gr 38B	HEAT	80	80	80	80	80	80
Sprgr. 34	HE	10	10	10	10	10	10

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
PzGr 39	APCBC	750	6.8	1.3	15.0	28.9	+4°	48°	63°	71°
PzGr 40	APCR	930	4.2	N/A	N/A	N/A	+1.5°	66°	70°	72°
Hl.Gr 38B	HEAT	450	4.4	0.0	0.1	872.1	+0°	62°	69°	73°
Sprgr. 34	HE	570	5.7	0.1	0.1	686	+0°	79°	80°	81°

Smoke characteristic
Ammunition	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Screen radius in m	Screen time in s	Screen hold time in s:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):
K.Gr.Rot Nb.	570	6.8	13	5	20	50

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	8th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
87	78 (+9)	68 (+19)	58 (+29)	48 (+39)	38 (+49)	28 (+59)	19 (+68)	10 (+77)	1 (+86)	yes

Turret empty: 58 (+29)

Machine guns

7.92 mm MG 34
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
3,150 (150)				900	N/A	N/A

Usage in the battles

Like the Panzer IV J, the Pz.Bfw. IV suffers compared to its other variants due to its slow, manual turret traverse rate. This causes the Pz.Bfw IV to lose flexibility in reacting to close encounters without turning the entire hull around. As such, it is recommended not to use the Pz.Bfw IV as a front-line assaulter in combat.

Tactics-wise, the Pz.Bfw IV is perfect for sniping and ambushes, where the slower turret traverse rate affects its combat performance less. Attack from a distance, especially while that enemy is focused on other allies in the team. Ambushes can also work in close-range events when watching corners, street intersections, and checkpoints, but be wary of any enemies trying to outmanoeuvre the Pz.Bfw IV as it would require drastic action with the slow turret rate. Try not to engage the enemy in a straight-up front confrontation as most enemies would be able to easily cleave through the front armour and end the vehicle.

Although most tanks in Rank III can destroy the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J pretty quickly, the tanks the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J need to avoid in open combat (if possible) are KV-2s, SU-152s, T-34-85(D-5T)s, M4A3E2 Jumbos.

• For KV-2s, if it's looking at the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J (And hopefully reloading), shoot at the flat of the turret below the mantlet. It's flat, relatively thin armour, and the 75 mm shell should go right through and take out everyone and everything in the turret. From the side, shoot it in the side of the hull (At a 90-degree angle for best effects) to ignite the fuel tanks and maybe even detonate the ammo. Shooting the turret isn't recommended unless for knocking out the gunner or the breach, as there are a lot of crew members in there, and the shells in the turret rarely ignite. Trying to destroy it that way will take time.

• For SU-152s, shoot to the right of the gun, above the driver's viewport, and it will wreck everything inside. If that's an option, try to get around it. It is a casemate after all. Once the tank is on its side, shoot it in the crew compartment to obliterate it.

• For T-34-85(D-5T)s, it is imperative that the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J gets the first shot off, as their 85 mm will go through the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J 85 ways from Sunday, and nuke the entire tank interior. Don't shoot the turret unless there is no other option, as it's incredibly prone to ricochet shells. Instead, shoot the hull centre. Pay close attention not to hit the driver's hatch as it's actually more armoured than the glacis itself.

• M4A3E2 Jumbo's will give the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J the hardest time, as their frontal armour is nigh impenetrable, aside from the machine gun port. It's a small, unreliable target, but it's the only chance of penetrating the Jumbo from the front. If lucky, and catch a Jumbo on its side, shoot it in its hull. As its Turret side (and rear!) armour is still thick enough to block the 75 mm shots. Also, keep in mind, that if the Jumbo is showing its side while angling toward the Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J, that the side armour behind its tracks is very thinly armoured. Try shooting there if possible.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• The KwK 40 L/48 cannon provides enough muzzle velocity to penetrate most contemporary enemies at far range
• PzGr 40 (APCR) offers great penetration in case PzGr 39 (APCBC) fails
• Heavily sloped area in front of the front flat plate has a tendency to bounce most shots aimed towards it
• Turrets and side have Schürzen (Spaced Armour), which can offer some protection from HEAT or HE rounds
• Good acceleration from a stop
• Satisfactory performance over cross-country and road terrains
• 5 crew members are present in the tank. (Commander, gunner, driver, loader, machinegunner)
• Rather a favorable matchmaking

Cons:

• Poor turret traverse rate can be fatal in certain situations
• Box armour structure has no benefits from sloping except for a section in the front
• Generally, most AP rounds will effortlessly penetrate the Panzer IV, weaker rounds can also easily hit at weak points
• Lacks a large gun mantlet for turret protection
• Armour protection is poor, able to be penetrated by all the tanks it encounters even frontally
• Generally outperformed by vehicles it faces and fights with

History

The Panzerbefehlswagen IV is a command tank variant of the Panzer IV. While nearly the same exterior wise, the inside has been refitted with new equipment to enhance communication, thus fighting is not its purpose role. About 105 Panzerbefehlswagen IV were made during the war, with 17 from the Panzer IV Ausf. J variant and the rest from refurbished chassis adapted to the role.

The conversion allowed the tank to mount additional radio sets for communicating with the tank, infantry, and even aircraft units, or back to headquarters. The loader of the tank doubled as a radio operator as well to maintain all the radios in the tank. As well as the radios, mounting racks, transformers, junction boxes, antennas, and an auxiliary electrical engineer are also installed into the tank. This new equipment takes up space in the tank and so the ammunition stowage is reduced from the usual 87 rounds to 72 rounds, but this is mitigated by the fact that it should not be the front-line weapon against the enemy.

Other than that, the tank is nearly the same as the original Panzer IV tank. The tank featured a 75 mm KwK 40 main gun with a coaxial MG34 machine gun. The tank had about 80 mm of armour on the front hull, plus additional armour in the form of Schürzen side skirts. Unlike the Ausf. H variant, this variant had the skirts made from wire-meshes rather than metal plates to decrease weight, yet keep the same protection against HEAT rounds.

In-game description

Commander vehicles for the commanders of medium tank battalions were built based on the standard Pz.IV Ausf.J tank equipped with additional radio stations. There were two varieties, the Sd.Kfz.267 and Sd.Kfz.268, which had different numbers of radio stations. The commander tanks were equipped with Fu 5, Fu 7, and Fu 8 radio stations. The tanks were used in battles on the Eastern and Western Fronts in 1944-1945. 97 tanks were produced between March and September of 1944.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Pz.Bfw.IV from live.warthunder.com.

Sights

• RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI

Read also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

ETC.

Sources

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• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.