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The primary function of PzKpfw IV was to provide close fire support
to the other tanks of Panzerregiments by destroying the cut off positions
and the enemy anti-tank weapons likely to delay or stop the advance.
To this end in Pz.Abteilungen, the 4th company (heavy) was made up of
Panzers IV. However in practice each company had some Panzer IV for
an immediate availability. At the time of the attacks, Pz.Kpfw 38(t)s
and Pz.Kpfw III formed the spearhead whereas the light tanks Pz.Kpfw
I and Pz.Kpfw II occupied the sides. Pz.Kpfw IV formed as for them the
rear-guard, choosing their targets at long range and drew their rounds
(gun of 75 mm L/24 with low initial speed) over the first lines. The
secondary tasks of combat were generally entrusted to the regiments
of infantry motorized more known after 1942 as Panzergrenadiers. The
action of Panzerdivisions, not requiring always the full employment
of their strength of tanks, a complete heavy company, was attached temporarily
to these regiments of motorized infantry. That offered a support of
fire particularly appreciated. However, Panzerwaffe was in general against
this use considering that as a dispersion of invaluable resources in
a role for which Sturmartillerie had been specifically conceived.
 |
 |
| Panzer
IV (75 mm L/24) was at the beginning a tank of support providing
a fire support to Panzers III. |
Panzer
IV making fire on a Russian position and supporting the infantry.
|
src:
"La Seconde guerre mondiale" /
Ed. C. Colomb |
src:
"Connaissance de l'Histoire, HS"
/ Ed. Hachette |
During the campaigns of 1939 and 1940 Panzerdivisons included two armoured
regiments of two battalions (Panzer Abteilung), each battalion was composed
of four companies. That it is for the theory, in practice, September
1939 standard Panzerdivision did not have more than 24 Pz.Kpfw IV, or
two to three tanks per section. Result, generally, the personnel of
a company per battalion remained in layoff to the back in the deposits.
In May 1940 the average climbed to 36 PzKpfw IV by division (only in
certain privileged divisions), or three groups of three tanks per battalion.
Others were always satisfied with 24 Panzers IV.
|
Tanks strenghts of Panzerdivisions
|
|
1939/1940
|
324
|
|
1941/1942
|
150-200
|
|
1943
|
170
|
|
1944
|
120-140
|
After the victory in France, Hitler decided to double the number of
Panzerdivisions. This was carried out by not providing more Panzerdivisons
of only one regiment with 4 battalions or two regiments with two battalions.
However six regiments will be equipped with three battalions. At the
time of "Barbarossa" in June 1941, 17 Panzerdivisions equipped
with a total of 3.200 tanks which 517 Pz.Kpfw IV were available. Each
Panzerdivision was on average equipped with 30 Panzers IV, or 3-5 sections
by battalion of tanks. Panzer IV at that time represented only one sixth
of strength of tanks. The appearance of T-34 of Kv-1 with their thick
shielding threw amazement and the distress within Panzerdivisions. An
internal reorganization of the battalions of Panzer was urgent. Obsolete
Pz.Kpfw I and II completion disappeared, and the battalions from now
on were composed of only Pz.Kpfw III with guns of 50 mm L/42 or L/60
and of Pz.Kpfw IV with gun of 75 mm L/24. Cependant, the 75 mm L/24
was not with the departure conceived for the combat tank vs tank and
it started to be replaced by the 75 mm L/43 and L/48. Pz.Kpfw IV having
become a tank of battle to whole share, the concept of heavy company
had thus become obsolete, and the battalions from now on were equipped
with only three companies identically equipped.
 |
 |
| Panzer
IV Ausf.G out of combat in sands of North Africa. |
Panzer
IV Ausf.F2 and its winner British Crusader. |
src:
"La Seconde guerre mondiale" /
Ed. C. Colomb |
src:
"La Seconde guerre mondiale" /
Ed. C. Colomb |
Throughout the war the production of tank remained slow (because of
the complexity and the high cost of the German designs), and result
it never had enough Pz.Kpfw IV there so that all the battalions are
equipped only with this tank. Moreover in 1942, Hitler ordered an increase
in the number of Panzerdivisions in spite of the heavy looses of material
during the previous year. On the Eastern front, in the sectors north
and centre, the relatively calm situation, allowed to reduce the regiments
to a simple battalion. On the other hand in the southern zone where
the engagements were more violent one, a regiment included three battalions,
which represented only only 170 tanks (320 by regiments in Poland in
1939). The companies of the battalions were pushed to four, but in the
majority of the cases the material was not available! Indeed, after
Stalingrad and the retirement of the Caucasus, a division (southern
sector) on average included only 27 tanks! March 1, 1943 Guderian brought
back to the active service was named general inspector and Albert Speer
was named Minister for the production. The result was that the number
of Pz.Kpfw IV produced started to go up abruptly. The new tank of battle,
Pz.KpFw V Panther, also made its appearance in 1943, but it will never
replace Pz.KpFw IV, although it was planned for that.
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Tanks available in Panzertruppe
|
| Date: |
Quantity: |
Date: |
Quantity: |
| 06/1941 |
5639 |
06/1944 |
9148 |
| 03/1942 |
5087 |
09/1944 |
10563 |
| 05/1942 |
5847 |
10/1944 |
11005 |
| 11/1942 |
7798 |
11/1944 |
12236 |
| 03/1943 |
5625 |
12/1944 |
13175 |
| 08/1943 |
7703 |
01/1945 |
13362 |
From mid the 1943, Germany was on the defensive, Panzerwaffe had lost
the initiative and from now on was generally confined in a role of strategic
counter-attack. The regiments of theelite or luckiest will have a battalion
equipped with Panthers and the other of Pz.Kpfw IV, but it was not the
standard. Indeed, because of heavy losses not compensated by the production,
the material missed and more and more often the holes were filled by
assault guns or tank destroyers, so that in 1944 the majority of the
regiments counted one or two companies or a complete battalion of tanks.
The assault guns and the tank destroyers with their limited horizontal
field of fire, were not very effective like battle tank, but could ensure
a fire support very appreciable (what note it, were the initial role
of Pz.Kpfw IV). The situation was degraded more and more with the wire
of month, and the regiments of panzer used all that fell to them under
the hand and which was in a position to function. The strict organization
of the units left room little by little to groups of combat or "Kampfgruppen"
made up of all and anything being able to combat and move.
 |
 |
| Panzer IV
Ausf.H at the time of the battle of Koursk during the summer 1943,
one of the turnings of the war. |
Panzer IV
Ausf.H of 12th SS-Hitlerjugen-Panzerdivision. Only the units of
elites were correctly equipped in Panzers IV. |
src:
"La Seconde guerre mondiale" /
Ed. C. Colomb |
src:
site "Panzer Page von Reitsch" |
In short, conceived at the origin like tank of support, Panzer IV gradually
becomes the mainly battle tank of Panzerdivisions and will never be
replaced in this role until the end of the war. The industrial German
resources (increasingly limited) did not allow it. Robust, mobile and
well armed, it was an excellent medium tank only exceeded by T-34, Kv-I,
Sherman(76) and other later Allied medium tanks. If at the beginning,
the German army had not privileged the production of Panzer III with
its depends, Panzerdivisions could have been much better equipped and
ready to carry out their objectives, but the war is not remade...
Pz.Kpfw IV will be in service in the armoured units of Wehrmacht and
Waffen-SS and known the combat on all fronts: Western Europe, North
Africa, Eastern Europe, Italy, Germany.
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