Panzer IV

Panzer IV
(panzer IV tanken from wikipedia)

The Panzerkampfwagen IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germanyin the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.

Designed as an infantry-support tank, the Panzer IV was not originally intended to engage enemy armor—that function was performed by the lighter Panzer III. However, with the flaws of pre-war doctrine becoming apparent and in the face of Soviet T-34 tanks, the Panzer IV soon assumed the tank-fighting role of its increasingly obsolete cousin. The most widely manufactured and deployed German tank of the Second World War, the Panzer IV was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, including the Sturmgeschütz IV tank destroyer, the Wirbelwind self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon, and the Brummbär self-propelled gun, amongst others.

Robust and reliable, it saw service in all combat theaters involving Germany, and has the distinction of being the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout the war, with over 8,800 produced between 1936 and 1945. Upgrades and design modifications, often made in response to the appearance of new Allied tanks, extended its service life. Generally these involved increasing the Panzer IV's armor protection or upgrading its weapons, although during the last months of the war with Germany's pressing need for rapid replacement of losses, design changes also included retrograde measures to simplify and speed manufacture.

In-Game In-game the Panzer IV is well-priced in Multiplayer (15 points for the ausf G.) and has an effective main gun, the KwK 40, which is powerful enough to penetrate most medium tanks from combat ranges. The ausf G. has acceptable frontal armour (50mm) but is not sloped like the armour of the T-34 or M4 Sherman, which means shots are less likely to ricochet(bounce off) the armour. However, the Panzer IV has a lower profile which means it is harder to target and hit, but also can go 'hull-down' more easily; i.e. placing the tank behind some higher ground, only exposing the turret to the enemy. It is advisable to purchase 1 or 2 Pz. IV Gs at the start of the game, then save up for a Tiger or Panther.

Variants
In Single Player, and MultiPlayer, there are several varients of the Panzer IV (not including the wirbelwind and such)

Panzer IV ausf E.
Equipped with a short-barrel, low-velocity 75mm gun the ausf E. is effective against infantry, fortifications and light vehicles but struggles against even early-war medium tanks like the T-34/76 and M4 Sherman. It also has 3 MG-36 machine guns mounted in the Hull, coaxially and on the cupola.

Panzer IV ausf G.
The ausf G. is a good all-round tank. Online, compared to other entry-level armoured vehicles such as the T-34/76 and M4 Sherman it can hold its own with its powerful KwK 40 L/43 main cannon. It only has 50mm frontal armour, relatively thin but enough to withstand the enemy weapons in the opening stages of games from longer ranges.

Panzer IV ausf H.
The Panzer IV H. is an improved version of the ausf G., the main differences are armoured skirts (Or 'kurzen') on the hull sides and around the turret, thicker (80mm) frontal armour and a longer-barrelled main gun. While thin, these can significantly reduce the effectiveness of lower-calibre rounds that strike these pieces of armour plate by reducing their velocity by a great deal. The main gun is the same as the ausf. G, the KwK 40, but has a longer barrel, L/48, equating to higher muzzle velocity, meaning greater penetration at all ranges. It is also slightly slower than the ausf G. due to the extra weight of the larger gun and armour skirts.