War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

IS-6

2022-02-25T23:40:24Z

U120317504: /* Pros and cons */

{{Specs-Card
|code = ussr_is_6
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|store = 5560
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]]. This is one of the most dreaded tanks of its BR spread since it features a good cannon and awesome mobility packed inside a heavily sloped thick armour that most APHE shells cannot penetrate. Use this tank in any role and situation, it will surely find its place on the battlefield. Having very good mobility and a respectable reverse speed allows the IS-6 to plow through sticky situations that many other tanks would struggle with.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

100 mm sloped at more or less 60° on all sides provide this vehicle with a reputation to be a ''ricochet master''. Firing on the hull from almost any angle will only result in a glancing shot. The only weak spot being the lower sides of the hull and turret sides and rear, the only way to reliably penetrate it is to get a shot from the side. An attentive player that never shows the sides is an invincible opponent. However, be aware of the frontal armour, as the extremely angled turret armour encasing the cannon breech can create a shot trap and ricochet the shell into the driver's area. This will likely result in your ammo exploding. Be wary when facing any opponent.

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, turret roof, cupola roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (turret, cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 100 mm (62-65°) ''Front glacis'' 120 mm (53°) ''Lower glacis'' 100 mm (65°) ''Driver's port'' || 120 mm (45°) ''Top'' 100 + 10 mm ''Bottom'' || 60-75 mm (60°) ''Top'' 60 mm (30°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 150 mm (6-45°) ''Turret front'' 100-200 + 50 mm (1-76°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 150 mm (7-51°) || 100 mm (5-50°) || 30 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 100 mm (cylindrical) || 100 mm ''Outer ring'' 30 mm ''Centre''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

*Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick. Torsion bar connectors by the wheels are 60 mm thick.
*Spaced armour plates are placed on the sides, giving an additional 10 mm of side armour.

From the front, only high-end rounds (HEAT-FS, HESH, APFSDS) can penetrate the IS-6. Otherwise, flank it since its lower side armour is flat behind the tracks. In a close to medium range fight, if the IS-6 is static and facing you, try to shoot its right side turret cupola, a penetrating APHE shell may knock out the commander and gunner, disabling the tank (some large calibre rounds can even knock out the loader and/or driver, resulting in an instant elimination). This strategy is not applicable with rounds that don't have HE filler.

Another weak spot is the left side of the mantlet which has the optics in it. This part of the armour is thin enough that most shells at the BR can penetrate it, and in doing do, incapacitate the commander and gunner and destroy the cannon breech. If you are lucky and the IS-6 has ammo in the back of its turret, there is a chance to detonate it as well for an instant elimination.

If you happen to flank an IS-6, take the time to aim since half of its side is covered by its dreaded armour. A missed shot will alert the IS-6 player, withdrawing with its fast speed from sight before another shot could be landed. Turret sides and back can ricochet rounds as well, so keep the hull as a priority target.

If encountering this foe from its back, keep in mind to aim for the middle of the engine deck since plates on both sides are as though as their frontal counterparts. If confident, go for it and aim at the turret back.

Any round penetrating the crew compartment leads to an ammo rack detonation most of the time since this tank's interior is filled with ammo all over the place.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=904|rbMinHp=619}}

If used well, the {{PAGENAME}} can get into position as fast as a T-54. It is certainly one of the fastest late IS-series tanks. It reaches 44.3 km/h (27.5 mph), the top speed in RB, with ease and has a reverse speed of -16.1 km/h (10 mph).

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|D-30T (122 mm)}}

The IS-6 features an upgraded version of the [[D-25T (122 mm)|D-25T]] gun found on other IS series variants, the D-30T. Though identical ballistically, it provides a much faster reload, with the IS-6 having a default reload rate only 0.5 seconds longer than the [[T-10M]]. The IS-6 uses the same ammo load as the [[IS-2]] with the best shell being the BR-471B, which means the tank will have trouble against some heavies it may encounter from lacking penetration. In addition, the IS-6 does not have access to the BR-471D, which is usable on the IS-3.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-30T (122 mm)|122 mm D-30T]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 11.33 || 15.68 || 19.04 || 21.06 || 22.40 || rowspan="2" | 20.54 || rowspan="2" | 18.17 || rowspan="2" | 16.75 || rowspan="2" | 15.80
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 205 || 201 || 183 || 162 || 144 || 128
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 205 || 203 || 191 || 178 || 166 || 155
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 800 || 25 || 0 || 0.1 || 3,600 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
|-
| '''30''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 17 ''(+13)'' 25 ''(+5)'' || 13 ''(+17)'' 19 ''(+11)'' || 9 ''(+21)'' 13 ''(+17)''
|-
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| 7 ''(+23)'' 7 ''(+23)'' || 5 ''(+25)'' 1 ''(+27)'' || 3 ''(+27)'' N/A || 1 ''(+29)'' N/A || No
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of propellant bags (orange) and projectiles (yellow). Both have separate racks.
* Turret empty: 13 (+17) shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (50) || 600 || -4°/+85° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The IS-6 brings about improved mobility characteristics compared to the [[IS-3]] in the tech tree, yet retains similar armour characteristics and firepower (though it lacks the higher-penetrating BR-471D shell). This mobility improvement should not be taken lightly as it allows the IS-6 to react faster to new threats, whether it be an offensive push, a repositioning, or a short withdrawal.

The role the IS-6 excels at is as a breakthrough vehicle. The IS-6 should take front stage when it comes to assaulting an objective. Its speed and armour can allow the heavy tank to take on enemy fire while on the move as most AP rounds will struggle to penetrate the IS-6 when its armour remains sloped towards the enemy. Make the enemies focus on the IS-6 so teammates can move up and engage the enemies from different angles. Once the enemy focuses on the teammates, move up and assist in taking out the enemy with the IS-6's 122 mm gun.

Firepower is rather lacklustre with the maximum 205 mm penetration at point-blank range, meaning most shots with the IS-6 needs to be carefully aimed towards the enemy's weak points. Combined with the lengthy reload, the first shot the IS-6 takes on an enemy is essential as it may determine the outcome of the engagement. These limiting factors mean that the ideal fighting range for the IS-6 is around 500 metres, as this allows the IS-6 to make the most of the 122 mm gun's penetration and velocity while staying far enough away that the enemy could not quickly rush the IS-6 while it is reloading. Although the reloading weakness can be mitigated by having an escape plan ready so to use the IS-6's mobility to make a tactical retreat.

These features make the IS-6 a somewhat good defender as well, taking the role after assaulting an objective. Making use of cover in a capture area, the IS-6 can lock down chokepoints and focus its 122 mm gun down the range, using its mobility to quickly withdraw after a shot. As the IS-6 would be watching in a more stationary role, the gun handling would be more stable so to be able to make longer-ranged shots against enemies attempting to (re)capture the point. Do keep in mind the bad gun depression of only -3°, so the IS-6 is likely to have a good part of its armour exposed when attempting to face the enemy from a defensive position. As stated above, ensure a good escape strategy is formulated so that a bad 122 mm shot doesn't result in the enemy swarming the IS-6.

Facing enemies with HEAT-FS rounds is a dire situation for the IS-6 as the armour is not thick enough to withstand the round in any angle. Extreme caution should be taken when fighting those tanks. It would be more ideal to withdraw into a different firing position and either wait to ambush the enemy tank as it comes to pursue the IS-6 or provide teammates the opportunity to take out the enemy.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Reload rate considerably faster than usual 122 mm, default is only half a second slower than the T-10M.
* The best 122 mm shell available is still manageable due to good overmatching mechanics and tremendous post-penetration damage potential.
** Frontal armour is a 100 mm plate sloped at a very steep angle, making it mostly immune to anything that isn't APDS or HEATFS.
* Like the IS-3, the lower plate isn't a weak spot.
* Very good as side-scraping due to the high levels of side armour.
* The turret is both small, well-armoured, and rounded.
* The weak spot on the turret front is smaller than the Tiger II's, hitting it at ranges exceeding 500 meters is very difficult.
* Very low profile for a heavy, meaning it can hide in places that the Tiger II simply can't.
* Is very fast and manoeuvrable for a heavy tank.
* Due to the armour, fire rate, and reverse speed, the IS-6 is very good at shoot-and-scoot tactics as well as brawling.
* Has a 12.7 mm pintle-mounted heavy machine gun on the roof.
* Premium vehicle bonuses.
* Due to the top speed, high levels of armour, and firepower, the IS-6 is a more versatile tank than the IS-3.

'''Cons:'''

* Can't take the top 122mm shell that the IS-3 can, leaving the IS-6 unable to compete against tanks like the Jagdtiger, M103, and Maus from the front.
* Enemies firing HEAT and APDS are common and can penetrate the IS-6's armour with ease.
* The IS-6 is still very capable of getting the turret front penetrated by tanks like the Tiger II, T29, and Centurion Mk 3.
* Like most Russian heavies, has an abysmal 3 degrees of gun depression, so finding the proper hull down locations is hard.
* The 4-man crew is crammed in a small crew compartment that's full of ammo, and penetrating APHE shell will likely incapacitate the entire turret crew or set off an ammo explosion.
* While more versatile than the IS-3 due to the higher top speed and fire rate, the IS-3 is superior when it comes to being an actual heavy tank with its better frontal armour, a stronger turret with a much small weak spot, and can fire a much better 122 mm shell than the IS-6.

== History ==


The Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant Work (ChKZ) began drafting the designs of a new heavy tank on 02 May 1944<ref name="TankArchivesElectric" /> with an electrotransmission, a drive system that was used on the German [[Ferdinand|Ferdinand/Elefant]]. The plant was officially ordered to begin work on June 08<ref name="KinnearT10" /> for two versions of the heavy tank, with emphasis of having significant advantages over the current [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2 heavy tank]]. The heavy tank was designated as the '''IS-6''' and the two versions were the ''Object 252'' with a mechanical transmission and the ''Object 253'' with a electric transmission.<ref name="TankArchivesLaunch" /> Both prototypes were produced in the Fall of 1944 and were sent to be tested at the NIIBT testing grounds at Kubinka.

The two prototypes differed in more ways than just the transmission. Object 252 used the mechanical transmission from the [[IS-3]], with large road wheels and no track rollers for its torsion bar suspension.<ref name="BoldyrevTank" /> Object 253 used an electric transmission with a suspension that looked similarly to previous IS iterations with smaller road wheels and track rollers. The IS-6 prototypes failed to stay under the weight of the IS-2, being around 51.5 tons.<ref name="TankArchives257" /> The 122 mm gun arming the IS-6 was the D-30, compared to the D-25T on the predecessors. The D-30 implemented features such as the D-25's monobloc design, the 100 mm D-10's breech and gas block, a two-spring balancing mechanism, a lengthened D-25 mount, and a fume extractor. This gun was installed onto the IS-6 prototypes in December 1944.<ref name="TankArchivesD-30" />

The IS-6 prototypes were tested alongside the ''Object 701'' (the prototype of the [[IS-4M|IS-4]]).<ref name="TankArchives257" /> The two IS-6 prototypes proved disappointing, with the Object 253's electric transmission being too complex, expensive, and unreliable.<ref name="KinnearT10" /> The Object 252's mechanical transmission also suffered from reliability issues. Suspension problems also impacted the IS-6, with its speed dropping below the heavier Object 701. It was hoped that the electric transmission would help make the tank more maneuverable, but the heavy weight prohibited any vast improvements.<ref name="BoldyrevTank" /> Overall, the IS-6 armour was deemed to not provide any improvements over existing designs, having only comparable armour, firepower, and mobility to the IS-2 and IS-3. In 1945, all work on the IS-6 ceased as work continued on the Object 701.<ref name="TankArchives257" />

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=heavy_tank&vehicle=ussr_is_6 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|JGxJqegdhac|'''War Thunder''' - How to destroy the IS-6.|N6PVSequHlM|'''The Shooting Range #37''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:29 discusses the IS-6.}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/4564-development-is-6-the-soviet-hammer-en/|[Devblog<nowiki>]</nowiki> IS-6: the Soviet Hammer]]

=== References ===
<references>
<ref name="BoldyrevTank">Boldyrev, Eugeni. "Last Heavy Tanks of the USSR." The Russian Battlefield. N.p., 18 Sept. 2011. Web. 08 Jan. 2018. [https://web.archive.org/web/20200214024555/http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/21-last-heavy-tanks.html Web Archive]</ref>
<ref name="KinnearT10">Kinnear, James, and Stephen L. Sewell. ''Soviet T-10 Heavy Tank and Variants''. N.p.: Osprey Pub, 2017. Print</ref>
<ref name="TankArchivesD-30">TankArchives. "D-30 Gun for the IS-6." Tank Archives. N.p., 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 08 Jan. 2018. [http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2013/09/d-30-gun-for-is-6.html Website]</ref>
<ref name="TankArchivesElectric">TankArchives. "Electrical Transmission." Tank Archives. N.p., 02 June 2014. Web. 08 Jan. 2018. [http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2014/06/electrical-transmission.html Website]</ref>
<ref name="TankArchives257">TankArchives. "Object 257: The First IS-7." Tank Archives. N.p., 12 June 2016. Web. 08 Jan. 2018. [http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2016/06/object-257-first-is-7.html Website]</ref>
<ref name="TankArchivesLaunch">TankArchives. "Launch of the IS-6." Tank Archives. N.p., 20 Dec. 2016. Web. 08 Jan. 2018. [http://tankarchives.blogspot.com/2016/12/launch-of-is-6.html Website]</ref>
</references>

{{USSR heavy tanks}}
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}}

Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J

2022-02-19T07:27:51Z

U120317504: /* Description */

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Pz.IV (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_panzerbefelhswagen_IV_ausf_J
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.43]]. The Panzerbefehlswagen IV was a command vehicle based on the Panzer IV J medium tank, equipped with three radios – the FuG 8 and FuG 5 for communication with headquarters and with tanks and the FuG 7 for communication with aircraft. Each of these radios needed its own antenna – the FuG 8 had a star aerial at the right-rear of the tank, the FuG 5 a 2-meter rod aerial on the turret roof and the FuG 7 a 1.4 meter aerial at the rear left.

The Pz.Bfw. IV is a premium equivalent of the [[Pz.IV J|Panzer IV Ausf. J]], most notably with the slow turret traverse. However, it is still a Panzer IV and can be played as such if compensating for the slower turret movement. With a gun that can knock out most enemies it meets, decent mobility, and adequate armour, the Pz.Bfw. IV is a great tank to supplement a line up in the 3.7-4.3 area.

The Pz.Bfw. IV looks more like a Panzer IV Ausf. H than the Ausf. J due to its default tri-colour camouflage and presence of Schürzen side skirts on the turret and the hull. While the turret skirts are nothing new in the late Panzer IV series, the hull skirts are the wire mesh designs also known as Thoma-Schürzen which were easier to produce in the German industry, not to mention were lighter and could fulfil the same role as the regular plates.

Aside from the wire Schürzen, another big difference is the presence of more radio antenna throughout the tank. As the Pz.Bfw. IV is intended as a command tank, more radios were installed inside for the commander to talk with headquarters. The three noticeable radio antennas are on the rear left for the FuG 7, the rear right for the FuG 8, and the turret roof for the FuG 5.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (11°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (12-64°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 30 mm (4-15°) || 26 mm ''Front'' 10 mm ''Rear and hatches''
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (7-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 (23-26°) + 5 (0-1°) mm || 30 (15-17°) + 5 mm || 16 mm ''Front'' 10 mm ''Rear''
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 95 mm || 10 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* The hull and turret sides are protected by an extra 5 mm thick plate to provide protection against HEAT and HE rounds.
* Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
* Barrel shroud around gun barrel is 20 mm thick.
* [[Add-on Armor|Add-on Armour]] gives an additional 15 mm of armour can be added to the front facing surfaces.

The Pz.Bfw IV is vulnerable to most front shot engagement, especially so if no serious attempt is made in compound angling. The front plate in its unsloped format is an enticing target, but beware to not hit the front sloping glacis right in front of it as that area has a tendency to bounce everything. Also, avoid hitting straight into the ball machine gun and driver's port in the front as these also have a tendency to nullify an armour-piercing shot. When using APHE rounds, simply hit centre mass of the front plate and let the post-penetration effect do the rest.

In the case of a vehicle with a gun simply unable to penetrate this front plate, aim towards the turret that still retains a 50 mm front plate. Even the weaker non-autocannon armaments can penetrate through this front plate and incapacitate the turret crew. Aim for the turret left side (right side when shooting it) to knock out the gunner and deny their firepower, then chip away at weak spots until the threat is destroyed.

Alternatively, aim at the Panzer IV from its long vulnerable sides in cases where its slow turret traverse cannot keep up with a flanking manoeuvre or catching it in an ambush. The interior is fully stocked with ammo racks even when the user is taking a minimum load. Moreover, the fuel tank resides at the very bottom of the centre of the tank, so a penetrating shot with APHE will either detonate the ammunition, set the tank on fire, or knock out a good portion of the crew, if not fully destroy the tank with all three effects.

In every case scenario, it is to the benefit of the surviving player to fire the first shot against the Pz.Bfw IV above all else, as it would deny the Pz.Bfw IV even a chance to use its high-penetrating 75 mm gun.

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=0.4}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|KwK40 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK40 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK40]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 87 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 5.7 || 7.9 || 9.6 || 10.6 || 11.3 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 3.6 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 5.6 || 6.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

*'''PzGr 39''' - {{Annotation|APCBC|Armour Piercing Ballistic Cap}} shell - This is the main ammo type, always use this if confident it can penetrate enemy armour. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
*'''Hl.Gr 38B''' - {{Annotation|HEAT|High Explosive Anti-Tank}} shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
*'''PzGr 40''' - {{Annotation|APCR|Armour Piercing Composite Rigid}} shell - This type of ammo should be used only if there is trouble penetrating the opponent, or trying to hit a fast moving tank at some distance. However, its damaging potential is much lower because it has no explosive filler to further enhance damage after the penetration.
*'''Sprgr. 34''' - {{Annotation|HE|High Explosive}} shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 140 || 137 || 125 || 112 || 100 || 89
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 166 || 162 || 146 || 128 || 112 || 98
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 750 || 6.8 || 1.2 || 14 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 930 || 4.1 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.74 || 0 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 540 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''87''' || 84 ''(+3)'' || 82 ''(+5)'' || 80 ''(+7)'' || 72 ''(+15)'' || 63 ''(+24)'' || 54 ''(+33)'' || 46 ''(+41)'' || 38 ''(+49)'' || 30 ''(+57)'' || 24 ''(+63)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IV_H.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Pz.IV H (identical)]]
'''Notes''':

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
* Sides empty: 30 ''(+57)'' shells.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,150 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (150) || 900 || -10°/+25° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Like the Panzer IV J, the Pz.Bfw. IV suffers compared to its other variants due to its slow, manual turret traverse rate. This causes the Pz.Bfw IV to lose flexibility in reacting to close encounters without turning the entire hull around. As such, it is recommended not to use the Pz.Bfw IV as a front-line assaulter in combat.

Tactics-wise, the Pz.Bfw IV is perfect for sniping and ambushes, where the slower turret traverse rate affects its combat performance less. Attack from a distance, especially while that enemy is focused on other allies in the team. Ambushes can also work in close-range events when watching corners, street intersections, and checkpoints, but be wary of any enemies trying to outmanoeuvre the Pz.Bfw IV as it would require drastic action with the slow turret rate. Try not to engage the enemy in a straight-up front confrontation as most enemies would be able to easily cleave through the front armour and end the vehicle.

Although most tanks in Rank III can destroy the {{PAGENAME}} pretty quickly, the tanks the {{PAGENAME}} need to avoid in open combat (if possible) are [[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2s]], [[SU-152|SU-152s]], [[T-34-85 (D-5T)|T-34-85(D-5T)s]], [[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 Jumbos]].

* For KV-2s, if it's looking at the {{PAGENAME}} (And hopefully reloading), shoot at the flat of the turret below the mantlet. It's flat, relatively thin armour, and the 75 mm shell should go right through and take out everyone and everything in the turret. From the side, shoot it in the side of the hull (At a 90-degree angle for best effects) to ignite the fuel tanks and maybe even detonate the ammo. Shooting the turret isn't recommended unless for knocking out the gunner or the breech, as there are a lot of crew members in there, and the shells in the turret rarely ignite. Trying to destroy it that way will take time.

* For SU-152s, shoot to the right of the gun, above the driver's viewport, and it will wreck everything inside. If that's an option, try to get around it. It is a casemate after all. Once the tank is on its side, shoot it in the crew compartment to obliterate it.

* For T-34-85(D-5T)s, it is imperative that the {{PAGENAME}} gets the first shot off, as their 85 mm will go through the {{PAGENAME}} 85 ways from Sunday, and nuke the entire tank interior. Don't shoot the turret unless there is no other option, as it's incredibly prone to ricochet shells. Instead, shoot the hull centre. Pay close attention not to hit the driver's hatch as it's actually more armoured than the glacis itself.

* M4A3E2 Jumbo's will give the {{PAGENAME}} the hardest time, as their frontal armour is nigh impenetrable, aside from the machine gun port. It's a small, unreliable target, but it's the only chance of penetrating the Jumbo from the front. If lucky, and catch a Jumbo on its side, shoot it in its hull. As its Turret side (and rear!) armour is still thick enough to block the 75 mm shots. Also, keep in mind, that if the Jumbo is showing its side while angling toward the {{PAGENAME}}, that the side armour behind its tracks is very thinly armoured. Try shooting there if possible.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The KwK 40 L/48 cannon provides enough muzzle velocity to penetrate most contemporary enemies at far range
* PzGr 40 (APCR) offers great penetration in case PzGr 39 (APCBC) fails
* Heavily sloped area in front of the front flat plate has a tendency to bounce most shots aimed towards it
* Turrets and side have Schürzen (Spaced Armour), which can offer some protection from HEAT or HE rounds
* Good acceleration from a stop
* Satisfactory performance over cross-country and road terrains
* 5 crew members are present in the tank. (Commander, gunner, driver, loader, machinegunner)

'''Cons:'''

* Poor turret traverse rate can be fatal in certain situations
* Box armour structure has no benefits from sloping except for a section in the front
* Generally, most AP rounds will effortlessly penetrate the Panzer IV, weaker rounds can also easily hit at weak points
* Lacks a large gun mantlet for turret protection
* Armour protection is poor, able to be penetrated by all the tanks it encounters even frontally
* Generally outperformed by vehicles it faces and fights with

== History ==

The '''Panzerbefehlswagen IV''' is a command tank variant of the Panzer IV. While nearly the same exterior wise, the inside has been refitted with new equipment to enhance communication, thus fighting is not its purpose role. About 105 Panzerbefehlswagen IV were made during the war, with 17 from the [[Pz.IV J|Panzer IV Ausf. J]] variant and the rest from refurbished chassis adapted to the role.

The conversion allowed the tank to mount additional radio sets for communicating with the tank, infantry, and even aircraft units, or back to headquarters. The loader of the tank doubled as a radio operator as well to maintain all the radios in the tank. As well as the radios, mounting racks, transformers, junction boxes, antennas, and an auxiliary electrical engineer are also installed into the tank. This new equipment takes up space in the tank and so the ammunition stowage is reduced from the usual 87 rounds to 72 rounds, but this is mitigated by the fact that it should not be the front-line weapon against the enemy.

Other than that, the tank is nearly the same as the original Panzer IV tank. The tank featured a 75 mm KwK 40 main gun with a coaxial MG34 machine gun. The tank had about 80 mm of armour on the front hull, plus additional armour in the form of Schürzen side skirts. Unlike the [[Pz.IV H|Ausf. H]] variant, this variant had the skirts made from wire-meshes rather than metal plates to decrease weight, yet keep the same protection against HEAT rounds.

=== In-game description ===
Commander vehicles for the commanders of medium tank battalions were built based on the standard Pz.IV Ausf.J tank equipped with additional radio stations. There were two varieties, the Sd.Kfz.267 and Sd.Kfz.268, which had different numbers of radio stations. The commander tanks were equipped with Fu 5, Fu 7, and Fu 8 radio stations. The tanks were used in battles on the Eastern and Western Fronts in 1944-1945. 97 tanks were produced between March and September of 1944.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=germ_panzerbefelhswagen_IV_ausf_J Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Sights

* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|aiYBpRJtIA0|'''{{PAGENAME}} - Unenjoyable Premium Tank''' - ''Napalmratte''|uPv3dsiIf7M|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}

== See also ==


;Other command vehicles

* [[Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P]]
* [[Bfw. Jagdpanther]]

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Germany medium tanks}}
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}
[[ru:Pz.Bef.Wg.IV_J]]