S.A.L Model

History

Panzer IV is the common name of a medium tank that was developed in the late 1930s by Germany and used extensively in World War II. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen IV (abbreviated PzKpfw IV) and the tank also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 161.

It was initially designed as an infantry-support medium tank (Begleitwagen, mittlerer Panzer), to work in conjunction with the Panzer IIItank destroyers and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. The Panzer IV has the distinction of being the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout all of World War II, with over 8,500 produced from 1937 to 1945. which was intended to engage enemy armor. Later in the war it was up-gunned and up-armored and took over the tank-fighting role while Panzer IIIs were either put into infantry support duties or converted into other vehicles. The Panzer IV was the most common German tank of World War II, and was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, such as

Three firms assembled Panzer IVs, Krupp (Magdeburg), Vomag (Plauen), and Nibelungenwerk (St. Valentin). Turrets and armoured hulls were supplied to the assembly firms by Krupp (Essen), Eisenwerke Oberdonau (Linz) and Boehler (Kapfenberg). The engines came from Maybach in Friedrichshafen, but were also assembled by MAN, MBA, and Nordbau. Transmissions were built by three ZF factories. The gun was largely constructed by Krupp, but ten other firms were involved in various parts of the complete gun unit.

In 1941 production averaged 39 units per month, this increased to 83 in 1942 but it was not until 1943 that production was properly managed. During that year production averaged 252 per month. This peaked at 300 per month in mid-1944; Krupp ceased Panzer IV manufacture in December 1943 and Vomag in early 1944, leaving just Nibelungenwerk. It was not until late 1944 that production began to be disrupted, Nibelungenwerk was heavily damaged by bombing in October 1944 and steel supplies had begun to fall. Production fell to 170 in January 1945 and in March-April 1945 total production was around 100 units.

Ausf. J (1944-1945, 1758 produced): Turret traverse engine replaced with an extra fuel tank. later ausf Js had simplified vertical exhaust mufflers and the use of 3 instead of 4 track return rollers. Very late ausf J's used wire mesh side-skirts (Drahtgeflecht Schürzen) in place of solid metal plates to conserve strategic materials and reduce overall weight

Description

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