Panzer IV, Ausf. J. - Walkaround - Musee Des Blindes.

The Panzerkampfwagen IV was designed as the
Versuchs-Kraftfahrzeug 622 in 1934 and
went into production in 1937, and would fit the the short barrel 75 mm gun,
and this would stay the same for the Ausf. A to F.

It would be a a support tank to be used to handle anti-tank guns and
fortifications,
it would work alongside the more numerable Panzer III in Panzer Divisions,
but would changes it's roll in the later part of the war.

The Ausf.F2 or the early Ausf.G started it's production in February 1942,
after development started in 1941 to mount the Pak 38 L/60
into the turret of the Panzer IV, and a prototype was ready in November,
but with new Russian tanks like KV-1s and T-34s,
the 38 was dropped in favor of the new Pak 40 L/46 and a new gun was produced,
the KwK 40 L/43 was fitted with a muzzle-brake and the first prototype
was ready in 1942. But in June 1942, the F2 was renamed Ausf.G,
and this would pretty much make every long barreled Panzer IV, the Ausf.G.

The Ausf.H had the biggest production of the all,
with a total of 3774 produced by June of 1944.
big changes made to the H were the new KwK 40 L/48,
which the Late G already had,
and the removal of the hull side vision ports, with Schurzen and Zimmerit paste.

The Ausf.J was a retrograde from the H, it addressed
the mobility problems the Panzer IV had with the G and H and
was simplify to make production of the tank easier,
and make it more suitable for mass-production.

The electric generator that powered the tank’s turret traverse was
removed so the turret had to be rotated manually.

The electric turret traverse was sacrificed for an
additional 200 liters of fuel capacity, remaining pistol and
vision ports on the turret side hatches were removed and
the engine’s radiator housing was simplified and Zimmerit and
the Schurzen would not be applied anymore,
and the side armour would be replaced by Thoma type wire-mesh panels.

Armour quality was also decreased, because of Allied bombings and
plates which should have been face-hardened for the Panzer IV were
instead made with rolled homogeneous armour plating.

A total of 1,700 to 2900 Panzer IV Ausf J were
produced before the war ended.

This Panzer IV with Fahrgestell number 89660 was built
by Nibelungenwerke, Germany,in March 1944.

It was send to the Etalblissement Technique de
Bourges fire ranges and placed on a firerange.

It was a wreck when it was
recoverd and large chunks of armour were missing in the turret and hull roof.

It was restored by the Cadman Brothers and
later send to the Saumur Tank Museum.

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■ Information obtained from several sites.
■ Wikipedia
■ tanks-encyclopedia
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers
■ preservedtanks
■ pantser.net
■ the.shadock.free.fr/Tanks_in_France

■ Some music is from the YouTube Audio Library.

■ Music used:
EpidemicSound.com

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