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The hull of Panzer IV presented a rather simple design. Two partitions
divided the hull into three compartments: piloting, combat and engine.
In front, the compartment of the pilot accomodated the sets of transmission
and the final command, as well as the seats of the pilot and the R.O.
(Radio Operator) which also took care of the machine-gun of hull assembled
on ball (absent from models B/C).
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| Side cross-section
of Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf.D, with left on the right: the front compartment,
the compartment of combat (hull/turret) and the engine compartment.
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| src:
"Connaissance de l'Histoire, HS n°17" / Ed. C. Colomb |
One of large the characteristic of Panzer IV is its cantilever superstructure.
Indeed this superstructure or upper hull, bolted on the upper embossing
of the hull (lower hull), overflowed largely on the overhangs of the
tracks in order to be able to accomodate the broad circular of the turret.
However in front of the superstructure, the side walls converge, the
superstructure thus does not have the same width everywhere. On the
glacis in front one found three access hatches whose the middle hatch
was bolted and embedded (transmission) and the side hatches mounted
on hinge (brakes). Access hatches (mounted on hinges) of the pilot and
the R.O. was located on the roof of the superstructure (these plates
were with two or only one pieces according to models) and those were
protected by rails anti-glares. On the sides of the superstructure one
found each side a port of vision with armoured intern glass and external
armoured valve (these ports will disappear on the last model Ausf.J).
The frontal plate of the superstructure was two type: the first presented
a bulge (pilot station) on the left (Ausf.A/D/E) whereas the second
had a surface perfectly punt (Ausf.B/C/F/F2/G/H/J). On this plate one
found on the left the visor of the pilot (several models will be ridden:
with double or single valve) and on the right the MG 34 mounted on ball.
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| Interior of
the hull of Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf.D. This arrangement will be common throughout
the series to some details... |
| src:
"Connaissance de l'Histoire, HS n°17" / Ed. C. Colomb |
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| The front
compartment of Panzer IV (seen by behind). |
| src:
"Connaissance de l'Histoire, HS n°17" / Ed. C. Colomb |
The engine output was transmitted, by means of a driveshaft and a dry
clutch with three plates, to a gear box with six synchronized speeds.
Small multidisk clutches of synchronization were used for 2nd, 3rd,
4th, 5th and the 6th speeds. Panzer IV was equipped with Krupp-Wilson
final command and mechanism a steering of the type "clutch-brake".
In this last the gears of entry involved the crown of the epicyclic
gear. The wheel-sun was coupled with the brake drum of direction, which
was maintained motionless when the tank was moving by an external hoop
and a spring with compression. The movement coming from the epicycloidal
crown was transmitted via the satellite carrier to the cylindrical gear
of reduction which actuated the sprocket-wheels of the tracks. The gear
box of 6 speeds and the sets of final command had in common only one
system of oil circulation.
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| Frontal
plate of Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf.A. |
| src:
Vincent Bourguignon |
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| Frontal
plate ofPz.Kpfw IV Ausf.B/C. |
Frontal
plate ofPz.Kpfw IV Ausf.D. |
Frontal
plate ofPz.Kpfw IV Ausf.F/F2/G/H/J. |
| src:
Vincent Bourguignon |
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| Frontal
plate of Pz.Kpfw IV Ausf.E. |
| src:
Vincent Bourguignon |
The transmission divided the compartment in two in the length. On left
one found the seat of the pilot and on the right that of the R.O. located
behind. The transmission was slightly shifted towards the right and
the R.O. station was very narrow, which explains the position very behind
of the seat, there or the transmission is the least broad. The radio
station and the dashboard were assembled on the transmission and separated
a little more the two men. Behind the seat of the pilot one found a
large box with ammunition of 75. On the frontal plate of the lower hull
(nose) a double system of stowing for cable of towing was assembled.
Still let us note that according to models one or two headlights will
be assembled in front of overhangs of the tracks.
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