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In August of 1944, two new versions of Jagdpanzer IV armed with the
75 mm long gun (L/70) were created, Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) (Sd.Kfz.162/1)
and Jagdpanzer IV/70(A) (Sd.Kfz.162/1). The so known first as Panzer
IV/70(V) (V=pour Vomag) was produced from August 1944 to March-April
1945, to 930-940 specimens. Vomag of Plauen produced Panzer IV/70(V)
at a monthly rate of 103 vehicles per month. In December of 1944, the
new versions had completely eliminated their predecessor armed with
the 75 mm short L/48. In August of 1944, Hitler had issued that Panzer
IV/70 was to replace PzKpfw IV and that the first was to be produced
at a monthly rate of 800 vehicles. However the production of PzKpfw
IV continued until March 1945. Heinz Guderian (Inspector-General of
Panzertruppen) was since always against Jagdpanzer IV, preferring Stug
III to it which it considered more adequate and was attached too much
to PzKpfw IV consequently, known Jagdpanzer IV a rate of production
much slower than that initially envisaged.
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| Jagdpanzer
IV/70 (V). |
| src:
"Les Blindés de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale" / Ed.
Atlas |
Jagdpanzer IV/70 (V) used of course the hull and superstructure of
Jagdpanzer IV but in May 1944, the higher shielding of the nose and
the frontal plate of the superstructure was increased to 80 mm and the
side shielding to 40 mm On the level of the suspension, it had now only
3 return rollers by sides. For this model the chassis of Panzer IV Ausf.H
or Ausf.J will be used. Panzer IV/70 (V) was armed with the gun of 75
mm Pak 42 L/70 without muzzle brake. The gun was always assembled with
a shift of 20 cm on the right. L/70 could operate on a horizontal field
of fire limited to 12° on each side and a vertical field of fire
varying between -7° and +15°. Jagdpanzer IV/70 (V) transported
only one MG 34 used on the right side of the gun. Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)
transported 55 to 60 rounds of 75 mm and 1200 rounds of 7.92 mm (MG
34).
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| Jagdpanzer
IV/70 (V) with its long anti-tank 75 mm Pak 42 L/70 gun. |
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src:
"Connaissance de l'Histoire, HS" /
Ed. Hachette
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From September 1944, Jagdpanzer IV (L/48) and Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) were
equipped with the exhausts and the anti-flames silencers (Flammentoter).
The long gun and the increased frontal shielding made the nose extremely
heavy and vehicles less mobile (particularly on rough ground). It's
because of this characteristic that it is received the nickname of "duck
of Guderian" ("Guderian-Ente"). To regulate partially
this problem two front pairs of any steel road wheels were assembled.
The long gun of 75 mm had another problem, during the operations on
difficult ground, it vibrated enormously and was blocked even sometimes
in the ground! This is why a gun lock was installed to maintain the
gun in a rigorously fixed position during the transits. Panzer IV/70(V)
weighed 25.8 tons what allowed him a speed on road of 38 km/h. The engine
as on Jagdpanzer IV was Maybach HL 120 TRM.
| @
75 mm Pak 42 L/70 @
Penetration of a shielding plate (mm) under a plunging angle of
30° |
| Ammo |
Weight |
Velocity |
100m |
500m |
1000m |
1500m |
2000m |
| PzGr 39 |
6.8 kg |
925 m/s |
138 |
124 |
111 |
99 |
89 |
| PzGr 40 |
4.75 kg |
1120 m/s |
194 |
174 |
149 |
127 |
106 |
Panzer IV/70(V) was also transformed into command vehicle (Befehlswagen)
equipped with additional radio equipment actuated by a fifth crewman.
One also proposed to arm Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) with fixed L/70, but it
was never realized.
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| Jagdpanzer
IV/70 (V) out of combat at the time of the battle of Germany in
Spring 45. |
src:
"La Seconde Guerre Mondiale" /
Ed. C. Colomb |
In August 1944, first Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)s equipped the 105th and
106th Panzerbrigades on the Western front. The later vehicles were versed
in Panzerjäger Abteilungen of Panzerdivisions and Panzer Grenadier
Divisions and also in Panzerbrigades. Panzer IV/70(V) took part massively
in the offensive of the Ardennes (137). In 1945, of Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)s
were also used like tank to stop the holes in strength, even if this
practice were an error. Jagdpanzer IV/70(V) with its low profiles was
an adversary difficult to reach and its anti-tank gun of 75 mm L/70
(particularly in ambush) made of it a frightening adversary for any
Allied tank even at good distance (with share Stalin). This tank was
mainly a defensive weapon.
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| Jagdpanzer
IV L/70(V) |
| src:
site "Lexikon der Wehrmacht" |
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