Turret Traverse
The Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. A through Ausf. H had a seperate turret traverse engine, the Auto Union, DKW-Motor, Typ ZW 500, in addition to the manual hand crank.
The hand crank turned the turret 1.89° per turn, requiring 188 turns for a full traverse. When using the traverse engine, the turret could be turned at up to 16° per second, or 22.5 seconds for a full traverse.1
Technical details of the Auto Union, DKW-Motor, Typ ZW 500 engine.2
| Auto Union, DKW-Motor, Typ ZW 500 |
| Weight |
60 kg |
| Length |
560 mm |
| Width |
340 mm |
| Height |
510 mm |
| Type |
Water cooled |
| Cylinders |
2 |
| Bore and stroke |
68.0 × 68.5 mm |
| Displacement |
498 cc |
| Compression |
5.8:1 |
| Max. governed speed |
2800 rpm |
| Kilowatt |
9 |
| Metric horsepower |
12 |
Production
Production numbers for the Panzerkampfwagen IV.3
| Year |
Total |
| 1937-1938 |
215 |
| 1939 |
147 |
| 1940 |
290 |
| 1941 |
467 |
| 1942 |
994 |
| 1943 |
2982 |
| 1944 |
3125 |
| 1945 |
435 |
| Total |
8440 |
Technical details of the Panzerkampfwagen IV.4567
|
Ausf. D |
Ausf. F |
Ausf. G |
Ausf. J |
| Crew |
| Commander |
1 |
| Gunner |
1 |
| Radio operator |
1 |
| Loader |
1 |
| Driver |
1 |
| Physical characteristics |
| Weight |
20 000 kg |
22 300 kg |
23 600 kg |
25 000 kg |
| Length |
5.92 m |
6.63 m |
7.02 m |
| Width |
2.84 m |
2.88 m |
| Height |
2.68 m |
| Ground pressure |
0.83 kg/cm² |
0.88 kg/cm² |
0.93 kg/cm² |
0.89 kg/cm² |
| Armament and ammunition |
| Gun |
Model |
7,5 cm Kw K L/24 |
7,5 cm Kw K 40 L/43 |
7,5 cm Kw K 40 L/48 |
| Ammunition |
80 |
87 |
| Machine guns |
Model |
7,92 mm M G 34 (2) |
| Ammunition |
2700 |
3150 |
| Handguns |
Type |
9 mm sub-machinegun |
| Armor |
| Hull |
Front |
30-60 mm |
50 mm |
80 mm |
| Sides and rear |
20-40 mm |
20-30 mm |
| Top |
10-20 mm |
| Bottom |
10 mm |
| Turret |
Front |
30-35 mm |
50 mm |
| Sides and rear |
20 mm |
30 mm |
| Top |
10 mm |
| Performance |
| Maximum speed |
42 km/h |
38 km/h |
| Road |
Sustained speed |
25 km/h |
| Range |
210 km |
320 km |
| Mileage |
2.24 l/km |
2.13 l/km |
| Cross-country |
Sustained speed |
20 km/h |
| Range |
130 km |
320 km |
| Mileage |
3.62 l/km |
3.24 l/km |
| Terrain |
Trench crossing |
2.30 m |
| Vertical climb |
60 cm |
| Gradient climb |
30° |
| Fording depth |
80 cm |
| Engine and fuel |
| Engine |
Make |
Maybach |
| Model |
HL 120 TRM |
| Rated speed |
2600 rpm |
| Fuel |
Type |
Gasoline |
| Capacity |
680 l |
| Power |
Kilowatt |
195 |
| Metric horsepower |
265 |
| Power-to-weight ratio |
Kilowatt/ton |
9.75 |
8.74 |
8.26 |
7.80 |
| Metric horsepower/ton |
13.25 |
11.88 |
11.23 |
10.60 |
Additional Reading
- Panzerkampfwagen IV photographs (external link)
- Photographs of the Panzerkampfwagen IV at Panzerphotos.
- Early combat role of the Panzerkampfwagen IV
- Description of the pre- and early-war role of the short-barreled Panzerkampfwagen IV.
- Jagdpanzer IV
- Information about the Jagdpanzer IV.
- Panzer IV/70
- Information about the Panzer IV/70 (V) and Panzer IV/70 (A).
- Nashorn
- Information about the Nashorn.
- Sturmgeschütz IV
- Information about the Sturmgeschütz IV.
- Sturmpanzer
- Information about the Sturmpanzer.
- Flakpanzer IV
- Information about the anti-aircraft tanks based on the Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis.
- Hummel
- Information about the Hummel.
References
- Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.A-H : Elektrisches Turmschwenkwerk. Heereswaffenamt, 1943. Page 7. Back
- Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.A-H : Elektrisches Turmschwenkwerk. Heereswaffenamt, 1943. Page 6. Back
- JENTZ, Thomas L. & DOYLE, Hilary Louis. Panzer Tracts No. 23 - Panzer Production from 1933 to 1945. Panzer Tracts, 2011. Back
- PAWLAS, Karl R. Waffen-Revue W 127 - Datenblätter für Heeres-Waffen, -Fahrzeuge und Gerät. Publizistisches Archiv für Militär- und Waffenwessen, 1976. Back
- JENTZ, Thomas L. & DOYLE, Hilary Louis. Panzer Tracts No. 4 - Panzerkampfwagen IV : Grosstraktor to Panzerbefehlswagen IV. Darlington Productions, 1997. Back
- Koch. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. B bis E : Gerätbeschreibung und Bedienungsanweisung zum Turm : Bescreibung. Heereswaffenamt, 1941. Back
- Koch. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. F1 und F2 : Gerätbeschreibung und Bedienungsanweisung zum Ausbau - Bescreibung. Heereswaffenamt, 1942. Back
Sources
- Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf.A-H : Elektrisches Turmschwenkwerk. Berlin : Heereswaffenamt, 1943. 47 p. D 653/8.
- JENTZ, Thomas L. & DOYLE, Hilary Louis. Panzer Tracts No. 4 - Panzerkampfwagen IV : Grosstraktor to Panzerbefehlswagen IV. Darlington, MD : Darlington Productions, 1997. 60 p. ISBN 0-9648793-4-4.
- JENTZ, Thomas L. & DOYLE, Hilary Louis. Panzer Tracts No. 23 - Panzer Production from 1933 to 1945. Boyds, MD : Panzer Tracts, 2011. 80 p.
- Koch. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. B bis E : Gerätbeschreibung und Bedienungsanweisung zum Turm : Bescreibung. Berlin : Heereswaffenamt, 1941. 52 p. D 653/6.
- Koch. Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. F1 und F2 : Gerätbeschreibung und Bedienungsanweisung zum Ausbau - Bescreibung. Berlin : Heereswaffenamt, 1942. 25 p. D 653/5.
- PAWLAS, Karl R. Waffen-Revue W 127 - Datenblätter für Heeres-Waffen, -Fahrzeuge und Gerät. Nurnberg : Publizistisches Archiv für Militär- und Waffenwessen, 1976. 248 p. ISBN 3-88088-213-4.