Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F

The Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F was the final version of the Panzer IV medium support tank to be produced with the short 7.5cm gun. Originally 625 short gunned Ausf Fs were ordered from Krupp-Gruson (500), Vomag (100) and Nibelungenwerke (25), but most of the 462 eventually built came from the Krupp order, while the Vomag and Nibelungenwerke machines were built as the Ausf F2.

The Ausf F saw an increase in the standard armour of the Panzer IV, to 50mm on the front and 30mm on the side, and the removal of the extra armour plates added to earlier models. This added another ton to the weight, and so in order to reduce the tank’s ground pressure the tracks were widened from 38cm to 40cm.

Panzer IV Ausf F

Minor changes included the addition of air intake cowls on the glacis hatches to help cool the brakes and a new muffler for the engines, while all of the ports and hatches had to be redesigned to cope with the thicker armour.

Most of the Ausf Fs were issued to existing frontline units to make up for combat losses, but they were also used to equip some new units and to re-equip the 2nd and 5th Panzer Divisions. Despite the increased pace of production that came with the Ausf F the number of Panzer IVs with the short gun on the Eastern Front halved in the first year of fighting – in June 1941 there had been 438 in service, but in June 1942 only 208 remained, and by July 1943, at the start of the battle of Kursk, only 60 survived.

Names
Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf F
Sd Kfz 161
6 Serie BW

Stats
Number produced:  462
Produced:  April 1941-March 1942
Hull Length: 5.92m
Hull Width: 2.84m
Height: 2.68m
Crew: 5
Weight: 22.3 tons  
Engine: Maybach HL120TRM
Max Speed: 42km/hr
Max Range:  200km
Armament: One 7.5cm KwK37 L/24 and one 7.92mm MG13s

Armour

Help - F.A.Q. - Contact Us - Search - Recent - About Us - Privacy