Jagdpanzer IV
| Jagdpanzer IV | |
|---|---|
Jagdpanzer IV / 48 with 7.5 cm PaK 39 |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4th |
| length | 6.85 m |
| width | 3.17 m |
| height | 1.85 m |
| Dimensions | 24 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 20-80 mm |
| Main armament | 7.5 cm Pak 39 L / 48 |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.92mm MG 34 |
| agility | |
| drive |
Maybach HL 120 TRM 300 PS |
| suspension | Leaf suspension |
| Top speed | 40 km / h / 16 km / h (road / terrain) |
| Power / weight | 12.5 hp / t |
| Range | 190 km / 130 km (road / terrain) |
The Jagdpanzer IV was a turretless casemate tank that was used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War . The main task of the Jagdpanzer IV was to fight enemy tanks and assault guns .
history
development
In view of the heavy fighting at the Battle of Stalingrad , the Army Weapons Office created a new catalog of requirements for assault guns and tank destroyers. Armor protection was to be increased, with front armor of 100 mm and side armor of up to 50 mm being proposed. Taking into account the lowest possible fire height, the ground clearance should also be increased and wider chains should be used for better off-road mobility. The extra-long combat vehicle cannon 7.5 cm KwK L / 70 should be installed as armament . Originally a completely new chassis was planned for this purpose, but due to the war there was no capacity for its development, so the tried and tested chassis of the Panzerkampfwagen IV , which was available in large numbers , was used.
In May 1943, the Vogtland machine factory (VOMAG) in Plauen presented a wooden model of the new tank destroyer, which Hitler approved . The delivery of the first prototypes in October was followed by the start of production at VOMAG. In December the vehicle was presented to Hitler for the first time together with the Sturmgeschütz IV , where it was particularly noticeable due to its low silhouette. The vehicles designated “Jagdpanzer IV Ausf. F” came into service in early 1944.
variants
Jagdpanzer IV / 48
The main weapon of the first series of the Jagdpanzer IV was the 7.5 cm Pak 39 L / 48. With 48 caliber lengths and a barrel length of 3.60 m, the cannon was just as long as the cannon of the Sturmgeschütz IV , but the latter had the StuK 40 L / 48. In contrast to the conventional Panzer IV chassis, the armor was bevelled, which greatly increased the armor protection, especially in the acute-angled bow. The Panzer IV had a built-in power generator driven by a DKW engine , which provided the electrical energy for the turret rotating mechanism . In the turretless Jagdpanzer IV, an additional fuel tank could be installed as this generator was not used. Furthermore, the arrangement of the brake ventilation, the interior heating and the installation of the radio devices have been changed. In the lead vehicles, the original crew of four was increased by one crew member who, as a radio operator, operated the bow MG located in a spherical screen, the opening of which was otherwise covered with a conical armor plate. A total of 769 pieces of this series were produced in 1944. The armor was supplied by the Witkowitz Mining and Metalworking Union; the manufacturers of the main weapon were Rheinmetall-Borsig and the Seitz-Werke in Kreuznach.
Jagdpanzer IV / 70 with 7.5 cm piece 42 L / 70
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In January 1944 it was ordered, taking into account the technical possibilities, to install the extra-long 7.5 cm L / 70 cannon in the Jagdpanzer IV. In April, Hitler was shown the first photographs of the tank destroyer with this cannon. As part of a demonstration for his birthday on April 20, he put the focus of tank destroyer production on the vehicle called "Jagdpanzer IV / 70 (V)", of which up to 1,000 were to be built per month. For this purpose, the entire Panzer IV production was to be converted to the manufacture of the Sturmgeschütz IV and the new Jagdpanzers IV. Since this could not be achieved in terms of production technology and the production figures for the Jagdpanzer IV / 48 at Vomag did not drop due to the conversion, an interim solution was found to install the long cannon in the Panzerjäger IV as quickly as possible. The Nibelungenwerk was instructed to accommodate the cannon in a high structure designed by Alkett . From August 1944 to March 1945, 278 pieces were produced in this way. Due to the high structure, the originally advantageous armor protection was partially lost, which is why the vehicles called "Jagdpanzer IV / 70 (A)" were only viewed as a temporary solution.
From August 1944 production of the actual Jagdpanzer IV (70) started at Vomag. The vehicle was armed with the 7.5 cm StuK 42 L / 70, a modified version of the cannon also installed in the Panther . The weapon was supplied by the Gustloff works in Weimar and by Škoda in Pilsen and had no muzzle brake from the start. The weapon, which was protected by a pig head cover and pivoted 10 ° to both sides, was shifted slightly to the right in order to make better use of the vehicle interior. As in the Jagdpanzer IV / 48, the crew of command vehicles increased from originally four to five men. Due to the long overhang of the cannon, it was stored in a tubular support during the march. With almost 26 tons of combat weight, the Panzer IV chassis was at the end of its capabilities. Due to the long weapon and the strong front armor of 80 mm, the vehicle was very top-heavy, which made it difficult to steer off-road and was nicknamed "Guderian duck". Due to the high load on the rubber bandages, steel wheels were used for the front pair of rollers. Vomag produced a total of 930 pieces of this type.
commitment
The Jagdpanzer IV was used in small numbers in the tank destroyer departments of the tank divisions. The Jagdpanzer IV / 70 in particular was one of the most powerful tank destroyers of the war and could handle any enemy tank due to its low silhouette, strong armor and high firepower . With a total height of 1.85 m, the height of the fire was only 1.40 m, so that the Jagdpanzer IV was able to position itself well covered in small depressions in the ground without making a big target. In some cases, the muzzle brakes were removed, as they betrayed the position of the tank through the blown dust and prevented the gunner from seeing. As a stopgap, the Jagdpanzer IV was partially used as a replacement for missing battle tanks or as an assault gun , although these tasks did not correspond to its conception and the combat value was accordingly limited. It is worth mentioning that Colonel General Guderian was not convinced of the value of the Jagdpanzer IV / 70 and considered the Sturmgeschütz IV to be sufficient for all tasks. The concept of the Jagdpanzer IV was later continued in the Bundeswehr with the Kanonenjagdpanzer .
Technique tables
Technical specifications
| Technical data of the versions of the Jagdpanzer IV | ||
| Ausf. IV / 48 (Sd. Kfz. 162) | Ausf. IV / 70 (Sd. Kfz. 162/1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 General characteristics | ||
| Weight | 24 t | 25.8 t |
| length | 6.85 m | 8.50 m |
| width | 3.17 m | = |
| height | 1.85 m | = |
| Ground clearance | 40 cm | = |
| 0 armament | ||
| Main armament | 7.5 cm PaK 39 L / 48 | 7.5 cm piece 42 L / 70 |
| Secondary armament | 1 × MG 34 | 1 × MG 42 |
| Ammunition supply | PaK: 79 MG: 1200 |
StuK: 55 MG: 1200 |
| Caliber length (KwK) | 48 | 70 |
| Armor | ||
| Tub front | 60 mm / 45 ° | 80 mm / 45 ° |
| Tub side | 30 mm / 90 ° | = |
| Tub rear | 20 mm / 9 ° -11 ° | = |
| Tub ceiling | 20 mm / 0 ° | = |
| Tub bottom | 20 mm / 0 ° | = |
| Construction front | 60 mm / 50 ° | 80 mm / 50 ° |
| Construction page | 30 mm / 30 ° | 40 mm / 30 ° |
| Structure of the rear | 20 mm / 35 ° | = |
| agility | ||
| Engine (Maybach) | HL 120 TRM 12-cylinder gasoline engine, water-cooled |
= |
| power | 300 hp | = |
| Power to weight ratio | 12.5 hp / t | 11.6 hp / t |
| Speed limit road | 40 km / h | 35 km / h |
| Top speed terrain | 16 km / h | = |
| Fuel supply | 470 l | = |
| Driving range | 190 km (road) 130 (terrain) |
= |
| Wading ability | 95 cm | = |
| crew | 4th | = |
| number of pieces | 769 | 1208 |
Ammunition penetration performance
| Penetration performance of the PaK 39 L / 48 at a 60 ° angle of impact | Penetration performance of the StuK 42 L / 70 at a 60 ° angle of impact | |||||
| Tank shell 39 | Tank shell 40 | Grenade 38 HL / C | 39/42 tank shell | 40/42 tank shell | ||
| 100 meters | 99 mm | 126 mm | 100 mm | 138 mm | 194 mm | |
| 500 meters | 91 mm | 108 mm | 100 mm | 124 mm | 174 mm | |
| 1000 meters | 81 mm | 87 mm | 100 mm | 111 mm | 150 mm | |
| 2000 meters | 63 mm | 88 mm | 106 mm | |||
| The tank grenade 40 was a hard core projectile made of tungsten carbide , which, due to the lack of tungsten, was only available in small quantities or often not at all. Grenade 38 HL / C was a hollow charge projectile . | ||||||
References
See also
literature
- Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its varieties , Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-87943-402-6 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ According to the newsletter of the tank troops of the General Inspector of the tank troops from November 17, 1944 renamed from "le. Pz. Jg. IV " in " Jagdpanzer IV " .
- ↑ FM von Senger and Etterlin : Die Deutschen Panzer 1926-1945 , Bernard & Graefe Verlag, ISBN 3-7637-5988-3 , p. 65
- ↑ a b Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen IV and its variants. Pp. 88-100
- ^ FM von Senger and Etterlin: Die Deutschen Panzer 1926-1945 , Bernard & Graefe Verlag, ISBN 3-7637-5988-3 , pp. 65-66
- ↑ Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: Die deutsche Panzerjägertruppe 1935–1945 , Podzun-Pallas Verlag 1998, ISBN 3-7909-0613-1 ; P. 84
- ↑ Wolfgang Fleischer, Richard Eiermann: Die deutsche Panzerjägertruppe 1935–1945 , Podzun-Pallas Verlag 1998, ISBN 3-7909-0613-1 ; P. 142