Difference between revisions of "Pz.IV G (Italy)"

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{{About
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| about = medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other versions
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| link = Pz.IV (Family)
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}}
 
{{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 '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Italian medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Ixwa Strike"]]. It differs from the German Pz.IV G by its longer gun, protection in the turret and its curved radio antenna.
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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.
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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-Armour}}
 
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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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:''' <!-- The types of armour present on the vehicle and their general locations -->
 
'''Armour type:''' <!-- The types of armour present on the vehicle and their general locations -->
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! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 
|-
 
|-
| Hull || ___ mm || ___ mm ''Top'' <br> ___ mm ''Bottom'' || ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
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| Hull || 88 mm || 30 mm ''Top'' <br> || 20 mm || 10 mm
 
|-
 
|-
| Turret || ___ - ___ mm ''Turret front'' <br> ___ mm ''Gun mantlet'' || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm || ___ - ___ mm
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| Turret || 50 mm ''Turret front'' <br> 50 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm || 30 mm || 16 mm
 
|-
 
|-
| Cupola || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm || ___ mm
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| Cupola || 95 mm || 95 mm || 95 mm || 8 mm
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=|weight=23.6|abForwardSpeed=44|abReverseSpeed=8.3|rbForwardSpeed=40|rbReverseSpeed=7.5|abMaxHp=572|rbMaxHp=300}}
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265}}
  
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
 
=== Modifications and economy ===
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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)}}
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{{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)
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! 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 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.
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* '''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.
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* '''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 the PzGr 40 against sloped armour as APCR shells have extremely poor performance against angled armour.
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* '''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.
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* '''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.
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* '''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.
  
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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{{:KwK40 L48 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39, Hl.Gr 38B, PzGr 40, Sprgr. 34, K.Gr.Rot Nb.}}
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
 
|-
 
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 
|-
 
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 140 || 137 || 125 || 112 || 100 || 89
 
|-
 
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
 
|-
 
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 166 || 162 || 145 || 128 || 112 || 98
 
|-
 
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 
|-
 
|}
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 
|-
 
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
|-
 
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 750 || 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 || 930 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
 
|-
 
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
 
|-
 
|}
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
 
|-
 
! Ammunition
 
! Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
! Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
! Screen radius<br>(m)
 
! Screen deploy time<br>(s)
 
! Screen hold time<br>(s)
 
! Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
|-
 
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
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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.
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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.
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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 ===
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
* Smoke charges deploy all at once in a wide arc
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* Hard-hitting APCBC can easily knock out common foes
* Hard-hitting stock shell with explosive filler
 
 
* High muzzle velocity and gun accuracy allow long range engagements
 
* High muzzle velocity and gun accuracy allow long range engagements
 +
* Smoke charges deploy in 3 salvos, can conceal the tank 3 times
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* Thick 80 mm frontal hull armour can neglect some shots when angling
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* Satisfactory forward speed allows it to keep up with most teammates' advance
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* Extra armoured skirt on the turret protects it from some HEAT and HE projectiles
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* -10° gun depression is helpful when fighting in mountainous terrain
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
* Crew compartment layout means a successful penetration will incapacitate if not knock out your crew in one shot
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* Cramped crew compartment means a penetration will incapacitate if not knock out your crew in one shot
* Armour is thin all around
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* Poor frontal turret armour often gets penetrated in frontal engagements
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* Side and rear armour is thin, making flanking shots more dangerous
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* Large transmission on the lower front hull immobilises the tank once damaged
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* Low mobility especially reverse speed and hull traverse
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''
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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.
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[[File:Pz.IV G (Div.M.) (2) .png|thumb|Pz.IV G (Div.M.) During Training]]
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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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[[File:Pz.IV G (Div.M.) (1) .png|thumb|Pz.IV G (Div.M.) During training]]
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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 ==
 
== 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.'' -->
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''
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;Skins
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* [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 ==
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* ''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.'' -->
''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;''
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;Other Divison M vehicles
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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 +
* [[Pz.III N (Italy)]]
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* [[StuG III G (Italy)]]
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==

Latest revision as of 21:34, 23 April 2023

Rank 6 USA
F-5C Pack
This page is about the medium tank Pz.IV G (Italy). For other versions, see Pz.IV (Family).
▄Pz.IV G
it_pzkpfw_iv_ausf_g.png
GarageImage Pz.IV G (Italy).jpg
▄Pz.IV G
AB RB SB
4.0 3.7 3.7
Purchase:1 750 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

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

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull80 / 30 / 20
Turret50 / 30 / 30
Crew5 people
Visibility99 %

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

Speedforward / back
AB45 / 9 km/h
RB and SB40 / 8 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
1 back
Weight23.7 t
Engine power
AB572 hp
RB and SB300 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB24.1 hp/t
RB and SB12.7 hp/t
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

Repair cost
AB1 074 Sl icon.png
RB1 280 Sl icon.png
SB1 489 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts210 000 Sl icon.png
Aces550 Ge icon.png
Research Aces790 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 80 / 130 / 150 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 154 / 154 / 154 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement it.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank ammo.png
75mm_kwk_37_40_HEAT_ammo_pack
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods tank ammo.png
75mm_kwk_40_APCR_ammo_pack
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Mods tank ammo.png
75mm_ger_Smoke_ammo_pack

Armaments

Main armament

75 mm KwK40 L48 cannon
Ammunition87 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.6 → 5.9 s
Vertical guidance-10° / 20°
Main article: KwK40 L48 (75 mm)
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

Ammo racks of the Pz.IV H (identical).
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) (+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

Ammunition3 000 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate900 shots/min
Main article: MG34 (7.92 mm)
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.

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.

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.

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
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