- Yes
- No
I would like to suggest the Pz IV Ausf.F1 with additional 20mm Vorpanzer for Hull and Turret, not shure wether it would be better to make it a modification or a new stand alone (possibly event) Pz IV Ausf.F1, as it could be difficult to ballance otherwise.
These Add on Armor Vorpanzer, were a early war development allready in France, for both older and newer models of Pz IV, where they either simply increased the armor to the new standart or further increased them at the cost of weight. Intended was this Vorpanzer as the name suggest (spaced armor) to give some stand off, which helped with destorying the protective cap of APC and APCBC shells as well as give additional protection against Heat shells.
These early models include but are not limited to the Pz IV Ausf.C, D and E. With these models the main base armor was still 30mm, this was designed and implemented to be immune against 2 cm Pzgr. L`Spur at 30° from 200m (iirc), while this offered adequat protection against everything up to including enemy 2 cm AT Guns, as used in poland, it however offered only effective protection against 37/40mm guns over greater range and basically none against bigger Field guns of 47mm and up. For this reason early on the demand for 50mm base armor was made, this was first represented in the StuG III Ausf.A, which from the beginning was developed with 50mm frontal armor, however at the current time the factories for the 50mm armor plates still needed to be retooled as well as the factories to assamble the hulls and turrets. As such first 20 and 30mm add on plates, including Vorpanzer and Zusatzpanzer (Spaced and non spaced add on armor) were put into production for Pz III Ausf.E - H and Pz IV Ausf.C - F1 (technically also F2-G, but anyway). This with different time lines for the different models was as a baseline improvement for the models in france where they on one hand faced the weak 3,7 cm SA 18 L/21, which couldnt even penetrate the base armor, but also stronger 47mm AT guns, which could be stopped by the add on armor.
The Vorpanzer was also used in the Desert of Africa, against the british, as it was intended to work against a multitude of ammo:
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Against APC / APCBC rounds, by shearing off the protective cap resulting in the shell shattering on the (IRL) face hardened base armor
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Against Cored ammunition (HVAP, APCR and Squeezebore), by breaking up the core as well as destabilising it on the first layer.
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Against hollow charge rounds, by detonating them befor the main armor, giving stand off.
Of cource the space inbetween required for the scope as well as other vision slits couldnt be protected and were intended to be uparmored themself, however that was never followed through and they stayed as weakpoints.
While rather effective (and cool looking) they were discontinued first for the turret (which came later duo to production delays) and then completly, in favour of increasing later on the hull armor to a 2 part or single piece 80mm hull armor, as especially with the Turmvorpanzer the weight and ballancing was too high.
Thanks to @TT33a for providing some info and lots of pictures.
Pictures:(Click to show)
While i also added here (for history) the F2 and G, i dont think its worth adding, as the F2 and G are identical with exception to the muzzle brake and the allready in game 30mm Add on armor of the G.
With exception to the Armor (which this suggestion is about) the Vehicle would be identical to the in-game Pz IV Ausf.F1
as such the same 7,5 cm KwK 37 L/24
15°/sec Traverse speed, -10° to + 20° Elevation 80 rounds, 1x Coax Mg 34
The ammo (could be more than currently in game, see folder):
Ammo Types: Apcbc, He, Smoke, Heat, Canister Shot (Click to show)
Ap:
K.Gr. Rot Pz (Apcbc) 6,8 kg 80g Fp.02 und Np.10 (102,4 g TnTa) 385 m/s 52mm/10m
Gr.38 Hl/B (Heat (No Tracer)) 4,57 kg 513g H.5 (872,1g TnTa) 450 m/s 87mm/10m
Gr.38 Hl/C (Heat) 4,8 kg 515 g H.10 (875,5g TnTa) 450 m/s 115mm/10m
(Early production still without tracer, but during production implemented.)
He:
Sprgr.34 (He (No Tracer)) 5,74 kg 725g Fp.02 und Np.10 (928g TnTa) 420 m/s
Utility:
K.Gr. Rot Nb (Smoke (No Tracer)) 6,2 kg 95g Pent 430m/s
Early with copper Driving bands and 423m/s, replaced by FES Driving bands.
Kt. (Canister Shot (No tracer) 6,65 kg 430 m/s
Adapted 7,7 cm Kt. 7,5 cm Kt. KwK may be slightly different.
280 Lead or Steel Balls.
The Vehicle Standart Pz IV Ausf.F1 with add on armor:
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
- Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)
- High Hardenes armor (Vorpanzer)
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 50 + 20 mm (12°) Front plate | |||
| 20 mm (73°) Front glacis | ||||
| 50 mm (13-58°) Lower glacis | 30 mm | 30 mm (4-14°) | 10 mm | |
| Turret | 50 + 20 mm (12°) Turret front | |||
| 50 + 20 mm (12-29°) Gun mantlet | 30 mm (23-26°) | 30 mm (14-17°) | 10 mm | |
| Armour | Sides | Roof | ||
| Cupola | 50 + 30 mm | 10 mm |
Crew: 5
Weight: 23 ton (including armor)
Speed: 43 km/h
Engine: 300 Ps / 3000 Rpm HL 120 TRM
Source:
Panzer Tracts No.4 Panzerkampfwagen IV, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle, Darlington Publication, 1997, ISBN 0–9648793–4–4
PzKpfw IV and its Variants 1935–1945. Book 2, Walter J. Spielberger, Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle, Schiffer Publishing, 2011, ISBN 978–0–7643–3756–7
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Panzer IV Vorpanzer 2 | World War Photos
