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Jagdpanzer 38(t)

2022-06-28T11:12:56Z

U120326748: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = German tank destroyer '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other vehicles mounted on the same chassis
| link = LT-38 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_jgdpz_38t
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''' (also known by misnomer '''"Hetzer"''' ''([[#Media|Endurance Hunter]])'') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was one of the first vehicles introduced in the opening of "Ground Forces" in [[Update 1.41]] after the Closed Beta Test. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) presents itself as a low profile tank destroyer with a powerful main gun that could keep itself hidden and annihilate the enemy as they come, yet with impressive front armour that could withstand an average amount of incoming enemy fire.

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

Don't bother trying to crack through the front armour of the Jagdpanzer 38(t) unless in possession of a very good gun and ammo. Specifications list the front armour as 60 mm thick, but sloped at a 60 degree angle causes it to become 120 mm in effectiveness, quite thick for the battle rating it is in. Try to flank it to the sides or the rear and even in a heavily sloped format, there will be a likely chance the 75 mm shells will penetrate due to how thin the side and rear armour are (20 mm and 10 mm respectively). If unable to reach the side of the Jagdpanzer 38(t), an artillery or aerial strike could harass the Jagdpanzer 38(t) out of its comfort zone and even potentially disable it.

If there are no other choice but to go against it up front, there are some weak spots in the front area. Starting from the smallest, there are some sweet spots around the gun mount area where a lucky shell might penetrate, but these are very unlikely so only aim for these in the worst case scenario. The driver vision port is a tempting target on the front, not only is it a weak spot, but behind that are the driver, gunner, and commander! If one shot gets through here cleanly, there is a very high chance of making a shot cause a crew knockout. The last weak point, and also the largest, is the lower glacis area on the vehicle. The lower glacis only has an effective armour thickness of 80 mm compared to the front glacis sloping armour of 120 mm, making it easier to penetrate for even weaker guns.

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Lower side hull)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 60 mm (40-60°), 60 mm (60°) ''Front glacis'' 60 mm (40°) ''Transmission housing'' 70 mm ''Gun mantlet''|| 20 mm (40°) ''Top'' 20 mm (15°) ''Bottom'' || 8 mm (68°) ''Top'' 20 mm (14°) ''Bottom'' || 8 mm (90°)
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, bogies are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Front armour slope not even, lower part is weaker than top.
* Belly armour is 12.7 mm thick.
* A small patch on the turret front right side is thinner (50.8 mm) than the rest (76.2 mm).
* Bolt edges on the transmission housing are 101.6 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=227|rbMinHp=142}}

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

As with any vehicle, research ''Parts'' and ''FPE'' modifications first to prevent any early knock-outs from fire or disabled systems. After these two, try to upgrade the vehicle's mobility and firepower, and aim towards the ''PzGr 40'' shell, this will give a real edge in combat. Don't use the ''Hl.Gr 38B'' HEAT round as it doesn't give enough penetration, but it can help against hull-breakable vehicles.

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

{{main|PaK39 L48 (75 mm)}}

The main gun is a decent 75 mm gun with a stock APCBC shell penetrating 140 mm of armour at most. This penetration allows the vehicle to pierce through almost all tanks around its BR, and upon penetration the 28.9 g of explosives will do a great job finishing off the crew thus destroying the tank. The fast reloading time allows it to deal with multiple enemies effectively. However, sometimes it will face well-armoured opponents like the Jumbos and the Churchill VIIs, in which case the player will struggle to penetrate them with the stock round. This is when the researchable APCR becomes useful. Remember to shoot at the flat armour plates, not the angled parts.

The horizontal and vertical guidance are average. The player might want to aim higher due to the fact that the cannon is quite short-barreled which makes the shell drop more. Also note that because of its gun placement (at one side), when firing to the left side the recoil will actually push the tank to the right, so the player will have to adjust the hull position after a few shots. In addition, because it is a pretty small vehicle, the gun feels less stable and more wobbly when the player stops and aims.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[PaK39 L48 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK39 L48]] || 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" | 41 || rowspan="2" | -6°/+10° || rowspan="2" | -5°/+11° || rowspan="2" | N/A ||7.04||9.75||11.84||13.09||13.93|| rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" |6.78|| rowspan="2" |6.25|| rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
|4.76|| 5.60 ||6.80||7.52|| 8.00
|-
|}

==== 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
|-
| 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 || 14.0 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || N/A || 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 || 0.1 || 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''41''' || 28 ''(+13)'' || 14 ''(+27)'' || 1 ''(+40)'' || Yes
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
* The visual discrepancy concerns the number of shells per rack as well as the total number of sells (38 shells modeled for 41 available).
** Rack 1 is modeled as 12 shells but it will disappear after you've fired 14 shells from it.
** Rack 2 is modeled as 13 shells but it will disappear after you've fired 14 shells from it.

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

{{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
|-
| Pintle || 2,000 (150) || 900 || ±10° || -90°/+120°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyer is armed with a [[PaK39 L48 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK39 L48]] cannon, making it quite capable of taking out enemy armour at its battle rating. Use its speed -- up to 42 km/h (26 mph) -- to take up sniping positions making full use of the frontal armor and height to achieve while the enemy deploy. Keep the distance while engaging, as this allows the Jagdpanzer 38(t) to get more mileage out of its thin but heavily sloped armour on the small size. Watch out for aircraft and artillery. To avoid being constantly targeted with artillery and bombardment try to move positions every few kills or minutes (depending on your kill rate) so as to disorientate the enemy, be careful though in arcade battles you will be revealed so this will be much more challenging than in realistic battles.

The Jagdpanzer 38(t)'s front armour is thick, but be wary of its weak armour (which is pretty much everywhere else). The top and bottom of the Jagdpanzer 38(t) are exceptionally thin, making it very vulnerable to aircraft, artillery fire, and explosive rounds on the bottom. The side and rear armour are also very thin, so any exposure of those towards the enemy is sure to end with the Jagdpanzer 38(t) as a flaming hulk. While the front armour is thick, weaknesses on upper frontal glacis is the driver's vision port, some small spots around the gun mount, and the lower glacis. The driver's vision port and gun mount spots are tiny and so only a lucky round would be able to reliably hit these areas, but make sure to try and conceal as much of the lower glacis plate as possible as it is easier to penetrate.

'''Long Range Map Strategy:'''

The Jagdpanzer 38(t) prefers longer range maps. As it is turretless or a 'casemate' (slang for turretless vehicles) longer range maps allow for maximum use of the frontal armor and reduces the disadvantanges of being turretless with weak side armor.

'''Short Range Map Strategy:'''

Short range maps are harder to play the Jagdpanzer 38(t) on. The speed is not as much of an asset and being turretless will not allow you to react to the enemy as quickly which is a tragic flaw on a short range map. This makes finding sufficient concealment even more important and you'll have to think quickly before the enemy can position themselves.

'''City Map Strategy:'''

I strongly advise against using the Jagdpanzer 38(t) in city maps. Without a turret you will waste time, speed anf expose your side and rear armor. If you do not have another vehicle to play I suggest finding the most open area in the map and concealing yourself in a street, poking your head out to kill the enemy.

'''Against the Jagdpanzer 38(t):'''

'''Light tank/SPAA''': although most light tanks or SPAA cannot really do much to a Jagdpanzer 38(t) from the front, they are usually equipped with fast-firing cannons/machine guns which is very useful to disable the Hetzer's tracks and/or cannon barrel. Destroy its track one after another so the Hetzer is immobile, then simply flank around it and take out its crew by shooting at its paper-thin side armour. If there are more enemies that you cannot flank, drop an artillery strike on it, there is a good chance that the shrapnel will destroy its track(s), engine or even the entire tank if you are close enough. Or, constantly scout it so it shows on the minimap, and ping the map to inform heavier teammates about the immobilised Hetzer.

'''Medium tank''': The Jagdpanzer 38(t)'s upper frontal armour is usually immune to most shells around its BR due to the good slopes. The lower plate is thinner, but the transmission directly behind it tend to absorb almost any penetrating shells. Although this will immobilise the Hetzer, most of the times the player may find impossible to flank due to other enemies. Try and target the very bottom edge of the lower front plate, one penetrating shell through there will shoot right below the transmission and explode in the middle of the crew compartment. Vehicles with good penetration against sloped armour and destructive explosive filler (eg. [[T-34-85]]) will find this task easier. Be careful to not get shot though, as the Jagdpanzer 38(t)'s firepower is more than enough to one-shot most medium tanks.

'''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': heavy tanks and tank destroyers, being able to easily destroy a Hetzer from any angle & distance, can do a great favour for their team by wiping out a well-armoured target that most of the team cannot kill frontally. The Jagdpanzer 38(t)'s frontal armour becomes virtually useless against a heavy tank or a glass-cannon tank destroyer. Tanks like the [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]], [[Sav m/43 (1946)]] or [[ARL-44]] will simply ignore the sloped armour thanks to the sheer penetration of their shells. Now only target the upper plate to ensure successful kills, as the lower plate will absorb the shot with the transmission. Of course, shoot at its thin side armour whenever it is possible.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Even for its rank, the Hetzer is small and can use corners and cover that other tanks can't
* At its rank, its main gun is very capable of dealing with any threat
* Sloped armour on all sides, however, the sides and rear are thin
* Equal armour all over the front with extreme sloping, so it has essentially no frontal weak spots
* Hard to hit at range due to its size, and difficult to pen due to its armour angles
* At long range, the sloped armour can even make high calibre shells ricochet

'''Cons:'''

* As with all tank destroyers, side and rear armour is thin and any shots can often be fatal
* Not great in close-quarters, this vehicle is more suited for long-range engagements
* With the gun being placed to the right of the vehicle it has a limited traverse range to the left
* The roof armour is fairly thin, which makes the Hetzer vulnerable to artillery barrages and aircraft
* Lower front glacis plate is thin in comparison to the entire front, cover this if possible
* As with turretless vehicles, the Hetzer is more vulnerable to being flanked
* Floor armour is very thin and can be penetrated by 105 mm shrapnel.
* While the gun can penetrate most targets at its rank, it suffers at long range against some more heavily armoured targets
* Driver, Gunner, and Loader are in-line with each other, making it easy to knock out the vehicle with a penetrating shot from the driver's visor
* Poor mobility for a vehicle on the 38(t) platform

== History ==

===Development===
When Germany's situation in World War II turned to a defensive war, the need for tank destroyers increased and anything that could increased Germany's armoured fighting vehicle production was needed as the Allied AFV production tables dwarf Germany's AFV production. A new tank destroyer was in demand as the current [[Marder III H|Marder]] series was under-protected, and the choice to utilize the [[Pz.38(t) F|Panzer 38(t)]] was done to not only build a more well-protected tank destroyer, but to keep in production the obsolete Panzer 38(t) chassis for the basis of stronger armoured fighting vehicles in the form of a tank destroyer.

The development of what will be called the '''Jagdpanzer 38(t)''' started in 1944, made to be a more cost-effective tank destroyer compared to the newer [[Jagdpanther]] and [[Jagdtiger]] tank destroyers. The tank used the battle-tested Panzer 38(t) chassis (though with a modified suspension and better engine), giving it a reliable record compared to the heavier tanks of Germany. The tank destroyer featured a 60 mm thick front armour angled at 60 degrees, giving it a protection of about 120 mm thick, but the side armour of 20 mm at 40 degree was very vulnerable to any anti-tank fire, even from Soviet anti-tank rifles. It carried a crew of four and a powerful 75mm PaK 39 L/48 cannon. The Hetzer had enough punch to destroy most armoured vehicles it may have encountered during the war. It was also mounted with a 7.92x57mm MG34 remotely operated machine gun on the roof that was operated by the loader. Factories from Czech and Germany produced the Hetzer from April 1944 to May 1945. Approximately 2,287 were produced from 1944-45.

Despite its common nickname as the '''Hetzer''', no official documents actually referred to the Jagdpanzer 38(t) as so, but it was a nickname given to an experimental tank destroyer ''E-10''. The ''E-10'' looked similar to the Jagdpanzer 38(t), and a mix-up in the paperwork probably christened the Jagdpanzer 38(t) as the Hetzer that stuck, continuing to this day.

===Combat usage===
The Jagdpanzer 38(t) was efficient as a tank destroyer, well-protected due to the sloped armour, easily concealable with a low profile, and armed with a potent cannon. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) was the more common late-war tank destroyer Germany had in 1944, and proved itself as a reliable machine due using a proven tank design of the Panzer 38(t). The small profile of the Jagdpanzer 38(t) made it very easy to conceal, and this provided much of its lethality in ambushes. The drawbacks of the Jagdpanzer 38(t) was on the vehicle's fighting compartment, as it was extremely cramped. The gun had a small amount of traverse to the left side, due to the cannon's placement to the right. The side armour was very thin and vulnerable to any anti-tank weapon. Due to the cramped compartment, the commander sat separated from the rest of the crew, and also making escape from the vehicle difficult, as there were only 3 hatches.

The Jagdpanzer 38(t) proved itself a versatile tank destroyer platform in German service during World War II, as the Jagdpanzer 38(t) also was made into many variants of itself. In November 1944, Hitler ordered about 100 of these Jagdpanzer 38(t) to mount a flamethrower and named the ''Flammpanzer 38''. An armour recovery vehicle variant of which 170 was made was called the ''Bergepanzer 38''. There were many more mounting different weaponry, such as the 75 mm KwK 40 of the [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV]], 75 mm KwK 42 of the [[Panther D|Panthers]], one with the 105 mm howitzer, 150 mm sIG 33 infantry gun, twin 2 cm Flak, 75 mm K51 L/24 gun and such.

After the war, the Jagdpanzer 38(t) continued to be produced in Czechoslovakia and saw service in Czechoslovakia and Switzerland. The post-war Jagdpanzer 38(t) in Czechoslovakia service was called the ''ST-I'' and the Swiss version was the ''G13'', which equipped the 75 mm StuK 40 cannon from the [[StuG III G|StuG III]]. Due to the massive amount produced and the post-war production of the Jagdpanzer 38(t), many survivors could be found in the world. Though, most survivors may be the post-war designs in from Czechoslovakia or Switzerland mocked up to look like World War II era Jagdpanzer 38(t)s by removing the cannon's muzzle brake.

=== In-game description ===
This SPG was developed by the Czechoslovakian company BMM on the chassis of the Pz.Kpfw.38(t) light tank between November, 1943 and January, 1944 as a less expensive and more easily mass-produced replacement for the StuG III assault gun. However, it was eventually reclassified as an antitank vehicle intended first and foremost for assignment to antitank infantry and cavalry divisions.

Serial production of the Jagdpanzer 38 began in April, 1944. The tank destroyers were actively used by German troops during the final stages of the war, primarily on the Soviet-German front. 75 Hetzers were also sent to Hungary between December, 1944 and January, 1945.

After the war, production of the Hetzer was resumed in Czechoslovakia, where the tank destroyer was produced to meet the needs of the Czechoslovakian army under the designation ST-I/ST-III, as well as to fill orders by Switzerland under the designation G-13. Although the Hetzers were removed from the Czechoslovakian arsenal a few years after they were produced, in Switzerland they remained part of the arsenal until 1972.

A total of 2,827 Jagdpanzer 38 SPGs were produced, as well as 318 tank destroyers.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_jgdpz_38t Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|MPdcryL47sk|'''The Shooting Range #205''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:58 discusses the Jagdpanzer 38(t).|7d-Kop_sGt8|'''The Shooting Range #162''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 00:35 discusses the Jagdpanzer 38(t).|SJGkovFT2VM|'''Hetzer's gonna hetz - but what EXACTLY is hetz?''' - ''{{Annotation|DasPanzermuseum|German Tank Museum}}''}}
{{Youtube-gallery|kBc5J4AkIGc|'''Tank Chats #143 <nowiki>| Hetzer |</nowiki> The Tank Museum''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== 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/2858/current/|[Vehicle Profile] Jagdpanzer 38(t) 'Hetzer']]
* [[Wikipedia:Hetzer|[Wikipedia] Hetzer]]

{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Tiger H1

2022-06-28T10:57:54Z

U120326748: /* Survivability and armour */

{{About
| about = German heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Tiger I (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_VI_ausf_h1_tiger
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''', also known as the '''{{PAGENAME}}''', is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. The {{PAGENAME}} carries its reputation from real-life to its in-game performances, armed with the infamous 88 mm KwK36 gun that can easily destroy most tanks it meets. The armour of the {{PAGENAME}} is strong at 102 mm and can be easily increased by angling the tank approximately 30° to the side, with the side armour thick enough for glancing side fire as well. Mobility is also decent for a heavy tank due to its 650 hp engine and suspension, making the {{PAGENAME}} a near jack-of-all-trades at its level.

The Tiger H1 is an early production variant of the Tiger I tanks. However, it is the basis of the Tiger I tanks with the three features: the long 88 mm KwK36 gun, the Schachtellaufwerk interleaving torsion suspension system, and a box armour shape of the hull with a circular turret housing the 88 mm gun. The tank is painted in a flat Dunkelgelb yellow coat, though there are large swatches bare metal from scratched off paint.

The Tiger H1 tank is most distinctive from its later production models is its drum-shaped, cylindrical cupola protruding from the top left of the turret. Turret-mounted smoke dischargers known as the Wurfbecher are mounted to the turret sides slightly behind the gun mantlet. On the hull-roof, there are also five S-Mine dischargers, with three on the left side and two on the right side. On the hull rear, there are two Feifel air cleaner units that were intended for dusty environments.

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

[[File:TigerIHTank Armour Angling.png|right|thumbnail|The ideal angling of hull armour on {{PAGENAME}} for maximum effective armour all-around|300px]]
One may feel the need to charge head-on into battle, blaring that 88 mm gun as shells bounce off the front armour while the Schachtellaufwerk suspension system runs over the ground; this is a short-lived strategy.

The Tiger H1 should be played more like a bulky medium tank rather than a heavy tank despite its status, supporting allies from the sideline or from a distance rather than leading directly from the front. This is due to the poor armour arrangement, most of the thickness of the tank is concentrated on the front face of the tank and leaves the sides exposed, espeically since this model of tiger has a 'boxier' design. This is even more important to remember as ammunition is stowed along the sides the tank, protected by the inferior side armor. One must remain a distance, exploit the 88 mm long-distance power, and maintain a diamond-shape compound angling to maximize armour thickness against the trailing enemy shells that will inevitably come towards the Tiger's way.

The Tiger H1 is equipped with 12 smoke grenades that can help cover the vehicle while it escapes or repairs. Smoke grenades discharge in 2 salvos of 6 (3 to each side of the turret) covering a 120° sector 10 m in front of the vehicle. The grenades deploy smoke in 4 seconds and last 25 seconds. Both salvos are separated by a 1-minute reload time.

The commander cupola is tall and weak: this can lead APHE shells to detonate inside, knocking out at best the loader or even the commander, loader, and gunner.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear (Slope angle) !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 102 mm (9°) ''Front plate'' 62 mm (80°) ''Front glacis'' 102 mm (25°) ''Lower glacis''|| 82 mm ''Top'' 62 mm ''Bottom''|| 82 mm (9°)|| 26 mm
|-
| Turret || 100 mm ''Turret front'' 90 - 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 82 mm || 82 mm || 26 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 80 mm (cylindrical) || 26 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Turret front covered by gun mantlet has variable thickness depending on exact place, ranging from 90 to 200 mm of armour.
* Turret side (about 1/3) is covered by attached tracks, adding additional 30 mm of armour.
* While the hull side of the tank is 82 mm, the side where the suspension is located is only 62 mm thick so be aware of this weak point.
* On paper, the best angle is roughly 38.8° with armour all-round being from the front 130 mm.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 839|rbMinHp= 575}}

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

For Tier I modifications obtained the vital "Parts" and "Horizontal Drive" modifications as the former will give the Tiger the ability to repair and the latter will provide a much-needed boost to the Tiger's slow turret traverse rate.

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

{{main|KwK36 (88 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK36 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK36]] || 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" | 92 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+16° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 9.71 || 13.44 || 16.32 || 18.05 || 19.20 || rowspan="2" | 9.62 || rowspan="2" | 8.51 || rowspan="2" | 7.84 || rowspan="2" | 7.40
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.10 || 8.40 || 10.20 || 11.30 || 12.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

* '''PzGr 39''': The go-to shell for all Tiger H1 drivers as this is arguably the best. It will do incredible damage to any tank shot by it, except SPAA, or any extremely thin armoured vehicles. Heavier tanks like the IS-1, IS-2, or American heavy tanks are able to resist the round at longer ranges, but well-placed shots from close range or sides will do the job. All other medium and light tanks will be history as soon as this shell make contact with them. This shell, however, will almost always over-penetrate all but the most armoured SPAA vehicles, so it is best to use HE or machine gun fire on thin-skinned vehicles.
* '''PzGr ''': This shell is also very useful. It has very similar characteristics as PzGr 39, but sacrifices some penetration for about 50% more Explosive Filler, meaning even more damage than already powerful PzGr 39. It is recommended to carry some of these shells and use them regularly, as the penetration is still enough to deal with most targets (at least when being down-tiered), and switch to PzGr 39 when shooting targets far away, or those that are heavily armoured.
* '''Sprgr. 39''': The HE shell is completely ineffective against all but SPAA or the AI artillery on the Kursk and Ash River maps, and the machine gun mounted on the Tiger has proven quite capable of dealing with these. Keep a small supply of this shell on hand if planning to flank the enemy and take out their SPAA or artillery, but avoid them for everything else.
* '''Hl.Gr. 39''': On paper the HEAT rounds don't bring anything new to the table, however they can be used as a substitute for the HE shells due to the greater explosive mass and still gives a fighting chance if caught with pants down.

{| 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 || 165 || 162 || 151 || 139 || 127 || 117
|-
| Pzgr. || APCBC || 153 || 151 || 140 || 128 || 116 || 106
|-
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110
|-
| Sprgr. L/4.5 || HE || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11
|-
|}
{| 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 || 773 || 10.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 108.8 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Pzgr. || APCBC || 810 || 9.5 || 1.2 || 14 || 285.6 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 600 || 7.64 || 0 || 0.3 || 1,100 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| Sprgr. L/4.5 || HE || 820 || 9 || 0 || 0.1 || 698 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[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
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''92''' || 77 ''(+15)'' || 61 ''(+31)'' || 45 ''(+47)'' || 29 ''(+63)'' || 25 ''(+67)'' || 21 ''(+71)'' || 17 ''(+75)'' || 13 ''(+79)'' || 7 ''(+85)'' || 1 ''(+91)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
'''Notes''':

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set
* Large sides empty: 29 ''(+63)'' shells.

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

{{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 || 4,350 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The main role of the Tiger tank was to eliminate enemy tanks at a far range, similar to behaving like a sniping tank, or a Tank Destroyer. Nonetheless, the Tiger can excel at brawling with other tanks at medium, even possibly against two [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks to close range and escape undamaged. It's recommended to not stay in one place for too long or risk getting outflanked, spotted, or bombed.

While guns like the Soviet [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm]] cannon can easily penetrate the Tiger at close range, the Tiger can stay nearly invulnerable at long range. The 88 can take out any tank on Rank 3 at any combat range but may have problems with the [[IS-1]]'s 120 mm front armour at some ranges. When having to close in a bit, it is generally advisable to angle the hull to the sides by about 30°, improving the armour rating enough that it can keep away 85 mm shells very well, even at closer ranges. The {{PAGENAME}} is still vulnerable to the [[SU-152|SU-152s]] howitzer and its HE shell at any range. So whenever encountering these heavy-calibre vehicles, it should be prioritized and eliminated first.

The Tiger's hull has many flat areas that can be easily penetrated. To maximize the angles and thus the protection, the tank should be angled about 40º to either side. The side armour is strong enough for such angling, and is flat as well. The turret is more complicated. It features many pieces of armour that overlap and such, and as such will either be exceptionally strong or be penetrated easily. As such, avoid relying on the turret to absorb shells. On the other hand, opponents will also try to avoid hitting the turret, as there is a chance to not penetrate.

Mobility-wise the {{PAGENAME}} is pretty good for a heavy tank. It is much faster than a [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]] and about as equally fast as the [[IS-1]], although medium tanks like the [[T-34-85]] can easily outmanoeuvre all three at close range. Try to use the Tiger's mobility to keep a distance rather than for closing in on a target. Don't be afraid to use the speed to fall back if necessary as the Tiger cannot survive close range engagements on open terrain vs. mediums, due to the slow turret and the vulnerability to the 85 mm guns on Soviet medium tanks.

The Tiger has a very bad turret traverse, it is recommended to get the "Turret Drive" traverse modification as fast as possible. Even then, the Tiger will have to turn the tank in the direction of the traverse to make the most of the time to quickly engage a target. This, together with very exposed ammo racks on both sides (though one side can be emptied by reducing the ammo stowage) means that facing multiple enemies at once is almost a certain end to the Tiger tank. The best option is to take cover from one tank and fire on the other.

As far as ammo is concerned, the default PzGr 39 will be the standard AP rounds many players will use. The second AP round available, the Pzgr., is also a good round to use against the enemy as the shell contains more explosive filler than the default, but suffers from a lower penetration value compared to the PzGr 39. The HEAT rounds offer consistent penetration at all ranges including more than 2000 m. However, they provide less damage upon penetration. HEAT rounds usually are usually not used as the primary ammunition type for this sole reason. Upgrading the tank should mainly be dedicated to turret traverse, hull traverse (as this is needed even with the turret traverse upgrade) and engine upgrades. The Tiger's 88 has massive destructive power. Unlike the other German tank of its rank, all armed with 75 mm guns, the Tiger can easily knock out all the mediums like the T-34s, M4 Shermans with a single shot, and still be a threat against heavy tanks like the IS-1s. If it doesn't destroy a tank in one hit, most of the enemy crew will be wounded or incapacitated. The best place to aim with the 88 is either at the gunner's side of the enemy turret to incapacitate an enemy's firepower, or between the driver and the gunner which would usually wound or knock out most of the enemy crew at once. Attacking from the side also presents a good shot opportunity, as the best shot placement is right below the turret on the hull where most of the tank ammunition are stored, giving a big chance for an ammo-rack explosion.

When driving the Tiger, plan ahead on where it will drive. Even with engine and track modifications, the {{PAGENAME}} is still a heavy tank and a 90 degree or more turn will almost always mean an immediate standstill as the tank try to make the change in movement. Even small adjustments can knock the speed down a bit. Thus, knowing the terrain and destination is of the utmost importance to preserve its mobility to its fullest extent.

The {{PAGENAME}} is also best used on the flanks of the current maps, as these are usually more open and allow good use of its armour and excellent gun. The centre of the map would seem more logical as there are a lot of enemies, but as has already been established a Tiger taking fire from multiple directions won't last long. Going in a flank and taking down light and medium tanks is an easy task for this beast, and thus a flank can be easily secured if the {{PAGENAME}} is driven carefully. Then, work the {{PAGENAME}} into the enemy sides and rear of the main force in the centre, doing much more damage than if the Tiger faced the force head-on because a shot to the side and rear will set most enemies alight if not outright exploding the ammunition. Able to destroy vehicles in one hit, the Tiger can quickly jump from target to target and eliminate a good number of enemies in its lifespan.

The Tiger H1 is very effective at long range, and should be used accordingly. Players should try to avoid point blank fights with other tanks, since this will often result in the vulnerable sides being exposed. As a sniper or flanker, the tank is wonderful and as long as its sides are not exposed, it will last a long time.

There will be many hard eggs to crack such as the IS- Series, T-34 Series, American Jumbos, and several other tanks that will give the {{PAGENAME}} trouble.

* The Russians have many tanks at the BR able to handle the Tiger H1 easily. The main tank at this BR is the T-34-85's. While it may have very thin armour and is easy to penetrate it is easy to angle and the T-34 is a franking machine, it will drive circles around the Tiger so it needs to be destroyed quick. The IS- Heavy tanks are the second worst nightmare situation. Thick armour and a huge gun. If the IS tank is not destroyed first, it will definitely destroy the Tiger.
* The American Jumbos are similar to the T-34. The 75 mm variant would have trouble to penetrate the Tiger's armour at long ranges, but caution needs to be exercised when they are armed with a 76 mm gun.
* The Japanese tanks all have very thin armour that the 88 mm gun can easily penetrate through with no problem, but their guns at this BR all have enough penetration to deal with the {{PAGENAME}} if it gets a hit on.

'''Against the Tiger H1:'''

'''Light tank''': when dealing with a Tiger I, you must utilise your superior speed and agility to your advantage, to compensate for your weak firepower. If your penetration is less than 100 mm, then manoeuvre to the Tiger's side as that is where you can destroy it. The upper part of the hull side is 80 mm thick, without any angling, meaning that light tanks such as [[M24 (Family)|M24]] can reliably penetrate there. Even the reserve [[BT-5]] can punch through that armour section, though guns with less post-penetration damage will have to shoot several times to ensure that all crew are knocked out. The lower section of the hull side is only 60 mm, meaning that even if the player does not have a high tier light tank and can only use low tier tanks like the M3A3 Stuart, that area can still be penetrated. The Tiger's turret turns slowly, but still be careful to move out of its gun's way. Facing a Tiger I is a hard job because it can penetrate most places on your light tank so a frontal strike against it has a high chance of failing.

'''Medium tank''': with a medium tank, you can more confidently target the Tiger's frontal weak spots. Medium tanks such as [[M4A3 (76) W]], [[T-34-85]], and [[Sherman Firefly]] can all pierce through the Tiger's frontal hull armour when it is not angling. The turret armour is way harder to penetrate as it has some complex bulges, leading to the shells being absorbed. However, an experienced Tiger commander will angle its hull, stacking up the effective thickness to more than ~130 mm thus making it immune to all the above medium tanks. Now, if you cannot flank, aim for the commander's cupola. An explosive-packed shell through there will knock out ~1-3 crew in the turret. If the gunner is knocked out, wait for around 12 seconds for it to replenish a new gunner, then shoot at the cupola again. You can also try breaking the gun barrel, since the muzzle brake is quite large and therefore easier to catch onto shells, damaging the barrel. Note, it is better to avoid shooting at the lower front plate as the transmission behind it will absorb all incoming shells for the crew. Throughout this whole process, the player should be very careful not to get hit as the 88 mm cannon is very potent against most tanks.

'''Heavy tank/tank destroyer''': with a more powerful cannon and perhaps better armour, the player can finally duel the Tiger I with relative ease. For a heavy tank or tank destroyer who sacrifices mobility and/or armour just for superior firepower (e.g. [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]], [[ISU-122]]), a Tiger H1 can be penetrated in the hull even if it is angling. Still, do not shoot at the turret and lower front plate where the shells tend to do no damage. Also, try aiming for armour plates that are free of any obstruction, because vehicles who can easily penetrate the Tiger usually have a large calibre gun, their large shells will be bounced or lose penetration should the shell edge impact anything. For example, if you shoot at a Tiger who is facing you, target the dead center of the upper front plate where there is nothing but armour, instead of aiming right next to the driver's port where the armour blocks sticking out will absorb the shell.

'''SPAA''': anti-aircraft guns at this BR cannot really penetrate the Tiger I's armour effectively, but thanks to their fast-firing autocannons SPAAs are great for breaking the Tiger's gun barrel and tracks, assisting your teammates in destroying it. If no supporting fire is near, drop an artillery strike after immobilising the Tiger. Some SPAAs (e.g. [[Phòng không T-34]], [[M42 Duster (Family)|M42]]) have access to AP shells, any shell with more than 60 mm penetration is adequate to penetrate the lower side of the hull. Other than this area, the minimum thickness is 80 mm which is hard for any SPAA. This is an advantage of the Tiger I, although its flat armour performs poorly against heavier cannons, its all-round armour protection is fairly effective against low-penetrating vehicles like SPAAs.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* The gun mantlet, MG port and driver's port are particularly hard to penetrate due to their complex, varying shape and thickness.
* Decent cannon with adequate accuracy and a range of shells to choose. Stock shell has great penetration and damage, and can knock out common opponents easily with a single shot (e.g. [[T-34-85]], [[M4A2 (76) W]], [[IS-1]], [[M6A1]]). Has another AP that sacrifices a bit penetration for more TNT.
* One of the fastest heavy tanks with its top speed of 45 km/h, meaning it can get to some positions quickly alongside friendly medium tanks.
* The box-like hull shape gives the ability to angle. When angling the hull at around 40° and placing yourself far from the enemies (at least 500 m away) the Tiger H1 can resist common tanks like the 76 mm Shermans, T-34-85s and [[M36 Jackson (Family)|M36]].
* Good reverse speed and hull traverse allows it to quickly angle for deflecting shells.
* -8° gun depression works well in most hilly terrain.
* The rear is surprisingly hard to penetrate, partially due to the slightly-angled armour and partly due to the large exhaust pipes which seem to deflect shells.
* The strong gun makes it easy to destroy most opponents at the its battle rating with a single shot, even M4A3E2 Jumbo, as long as you carefully aim for the machine gun port.
* The tank is equipped with smoke grenades, which can help escape an undesirable situation alive.

'''Cons:'''

* Weak and vertical armour protection. If not angling the Tiger H1 can get destroyed easily by the T-34-85 or 76 mm Sherman. Even if the {{PAGENAME}} is angling, the [[IS-2 (Family)|IS-2]] can still knock it out with a single shot easily.
* The upper front plate is extremely vulnerable if it is not angled. It will be penetrated by any vehicle at its BR.
* Struggles to penetrate heavy targets frontally like the [[M4A3E2]], [[M26 (Family)|M26]] and [[IS-2 (1944)]].
* Rather slow acceleration limits its short range manoeuvrability.
* Slow turret traverse makes it hard to respond to flankers quickly. The [[M18 GMC]] is very common at this BR
* Ammo storage at the hull sides are very easy to explode when hit.
* Commander's cupola is tall and easy to penetrate
* Is a big and tall target, easy to get spotted and shot at.
* S-Mine dischargers on the hull limits gun depression in certain areas
* Tracks are rather loud so enemies will most times hear you and will be alert, so surprise attacks will be difficult.

== History ==

===Development===
The Tiger I heavy tank was arguably the most infamous tank of World War II. The design for this tank began as early as January 1937 when Henschel & Sohn worked on a large "breakthrough" called the "Durchbruchwagen" that weighed about 30 tons on request by the German military.<ref name="ImagesOfWarTiger">Anthony Tucker-Jones. Images Of War Special: Tiger I & Tiger II Great Britain: Pen & Sword Military, 2013</ref> The request was modified over time for more armour and better gun that increased the weight to 36 tons, but this project was dropped in 1938 in favour of the better prototypes VK 30.01(H) and VK 36.01(H). These new prototypes were the start of the usage of the Schachtellaufwerk wheel arrangements, but these also never passed prototype stages and were both cancelled in 1942.

During the development of the prototypes above, the German invasion of France showed that the Allied tanks such as the Somua, Char B1, and [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda II]] were impervious to their current anti-tank weaponry and a need for better armoured and armed tanks was emphasized. So on May 26, 1941, Henschel and Porsche were asked to submit designs for a 45-ton heavy tank that was to be ready for demonstration by June 1942. During their development in June 1941, Germany initiated Operation Barbarossa against the Soviet Union and was shocked by appearance of the [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]] tanks that were invulnerable to all but the most potent anti-tank weapon in German inventory, one of which was the [[KwK36 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK36 cannon]]. The potency of the 88 mm cannon against the heavily armoured tanks that the Germans faced had Hitler ordered that the heavy tank design undertaken by Henschel and Porsche to utilize the 88 mm as its main armament instead of a 75 mm cannon.

The designs of the tank were finalized and ready for demonstration on April 20, 1942, Hitler's birthday, and showed the VK 45.01(H) and the [[VK 45.01 (P)]]. The demonstration and subsequent evaluations on the two designs determined that the Henschel variant was superior to the Porsche variant, proving more reliable, more mobile, and more easily produced than the Porsche. This caused the Henschel variant to be adopted as the Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger and production started in August 1942. The Porsche variant had many chassis produced as Ferdinand Porsche thought the design would win, so the chassis was instead used in the [[Ferdinand]] tank destroyer.

===Design===
What perhaps made the Tiger I so unique in tank development and German doctrine is a change of focus between the three characteristics of the tank; with more emphasis to firepower and armour than to mobility. The Tiger I contained the large 88 mm KwK 36 cannon which was very accurate and powerful, being able to penetrate every Allied armour present at its introduction. The armour on the Tiger I was also one of the greatest at the time, with an astounding 102 mm of armour on the front hull armour, 82 mm on the side superstructure and rear, and 120 mm on the gun mantlet. The armour was vertical faced so no sloping benefits were present like on the [[Panther D|Panther]]. All these armour thicknesses proved invulnerable to most Allied anti-tank weaponry at the time, requiring more creative methods in a shot placement to disable the tank. The mobility, while taken with less emphasis in the development, was still respectable at the time as the tank weighed about 57 metric tons, about 20 tons more than other country's main tanks, yet is able to keep up a speed of 38 km/h (Maximum speed was 45 km/h, but an engine governor was installed to preserve the engine life).

The tank utilized a torsion-bar suspension system in a Schachtellaufwerk overlapping pattern, making the Tiger one of the first German tank design to use the pattern. While the design gave the Tiger I great flotation due to the use of a wider track for lower ground pressure, it had disadvantages in environment and maintenance. In the Eastern Front, mud and other foreign objects could be jammed in between the overlapping wheels, which would freeze in the winter and jam the wheels; the overlapping wheels also were a hassle to change out, in order to replace one wheel in the inside of the suspension, it requires the removal of at least nine other wheels in order to access it. The first 250 Tiger tanks used a Maybach V-12 HL210 engine with 650 hp before switching over to the more powerful Maybach V-12 HL230 engine with 700 hp. The engine proved adequate in propelling the tank but was still considered underpowered for the tank weight.

The Tiger I, as innovative as it is to tank warfare, was a strain on German war production. The tank was over-engineered, taking much more man-hour and materials for its worth as a war machine. Cost-wise, two [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IVs]] or four [[StuG III G|StuG IIIs]] can be built for the cost of one Tiger I. The tank was also expensive to maintain and took lots of fuel to run. These attributed to the low number of only 1,354 Tiger Is produced from 1942 to August 1944.<ref name="ImagesOfWarTiger">Anthony Tucker-Jones. Images Of War Special: Tiger I & Tiger II Great Britain: Pen & Sword Military, 2013</ref>

===Variants===
There are three main production Tiger I variants known today, the "early-production", "mid-production", and "late-production" models. The Early-production model, designated as the Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. H, were the first few batches and are distinguished by their drum-style cupola with an over-swinging hatch. The model also had two vehicle lights on the front side of the tank and dished steel wheels with rubber tyres. The Mid-production featured Zimmerit paste and a side-swinging cupola with accommodation for a machine gun mounted on the cupola. The vehicle light was also changed to just one placed right in the front of the hull armour. The mid-production was also redesignated in May 1943 as the [[Tiger E|Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E]]. Late-production models featured the removal of the Zimmerit paste as there was an assumed flaw with it, and the overlapping wheels were instead made into interleaving with full-steel road wheels as well, in a manner similar to the [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]].

Other specialized variants of the Tiger I was produced as well. A small number of demolition carrier models were field-made in Italy, where it had its main gun replaced by a crane to carry demolition to clear minefields or destroy obstacles. The demolition carrier version was interpreted by Allied intelligence as a BergeTiger, an armoured recovery vehicle, though it is not known if it ever saw service in this role. Another specialized variant produced in 1944 in some numbers was the Sturmtiger, an heavy assault gun with a 38 cm rocket launcher made from a depth charge. 19 of these were made and saw use in all fronts, though its most noteworthy combat action was in the Warsaw Uprising.

===Combat usage===
In its introduction, Hitler ordered the new Tigers to be used in the Leningrad siege in September 1942. However, as the faults of the tank were still not yet fully ironed out at this stage, the mechanical unreliability and the unsuitable terrain caused one of the Tiger Is to be stuck in the swamps and abandoned by its users. This example was then captured by the Red Army and tipped off the Allies of the development of the new Tiger tanks and so developments in countermeasures began. In North Africa, the Tigers saw the first action against the Western Allies in Tunisia in December 1942. Its impact there left an impression on the Allied armour forces, but its myth as an invulnerable tank was shattered when two Tigers were taken out by the British [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder anti-tank guns]]. The total loss in that campaign was seven Tigers by February 1943.

Once mass-numbers of Tiger Is were available, they were employed in heavy tank battalions that were to be deployed in breakthrough operations or counter-attacks. Field experience with the Tiger showed that the Tiger's heavyweight proved a nuisance in operational mobility, an example being that small bridges were unable to support the Tiger tank's weight. An attempt to remedy this was to use a snorkel device so the tank could ford rivers as deep as four meters, however, this system was phased out of later production models for cost-savings. The Tiger suffered reliability problems in all of its service life that impeded its effectiveness and its high fuel usage limited its combat operations. Armour recovery of the vehicle was also terrible as three heavy recovery half-tracks were required to tow the tank away, causing a strain on the German support line to keep the Tiger tanks in running order. Despite that, the Tiger I proved superior in terms of armour and armament against the Allies and created massive losses among their armoured forces, causing many soldiers to keep an eye out for the infamous "Tigers".

The impact the Tiger had on the battlefield as the superior tank at its introduction created fame to the commanders and crew operating this tank, further fueling the Tiger's reputation in the war as a killing machine. Some Tiger units were able to achieve kill ratios up to 10:1, and some even higher. Some notable Tiger aces known were Kurt Knispel (168 tank kills), Otto Carius (150+), Johannes Bölter (139+), and Michael Wittmann (138).

However, as the war progressed and the impact of the Tiger's surprise in Kursk and Italy has dissolved, Allied developments gave forth more capable tanks able to defeat the Tiger I tanks. The Soviets solution was to up-gun their [[T-34 (1942)|T-34s]] with an [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm gun]] to make the [[T-34-85]], and the Western Allies with the [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm]] and [[Ordnance QF 17-pounder (76 mm)|17-pounders]] on the [[M4A1 (76) W|M4 Sherman]] and [[Sherman Firefly|Firefly]] respectively. The Tiger went as an highly-invulnerable tank design into a simple heavy tank as the war went on, and it was replaced by the more powerful and more heavily armoured [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]] in 1944. Despite its replacement, many Tiger I models still saw use up until the end of World War II.

===Survivors===
Due to the low number of Tiger Is created during the war (1,354, compared to [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IV]]'s 8,550 and the [[M4|M4 Sherman]]'s ~50,000), very few intact Tiger I pieces are left in the world. Today, only seven tanks in various conditions are existent in the world. The most famous of these is the Tiger 131, captured by the British in Tunisia in April 1943, when the crew abandoned the tank due to a [[Ordnance QF 6-pounder Mk.III (57 mm)|6-pounder]] shot from a [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill tank]] jamming the gun mantlet and turret ring, causing it to be unable to aim. The intact sample is also famous for being the only fully operational Tiger I in the world due to a reconstruction effort by the Bovington Tank Museum in the 1990s. However, the Tiger 131 does not run on its original Maybach HL210 engine, as it was taken out to be used as a separate display; rather, it uses the HL230, which was mostly used for the Tiger II. It is still there as a display and remains the museum's most popular exhibit.

=== In-game description ===
Work on the creation of a heavy tank began in 1937. Only after the attack on the USSR were the tactical and technical requirements needed for this new war machine met. The tank was designed by the Henschel company, led by Erwin Aders.
Production was handled by Henschel and Weggman factories, which made about 450 tanks from July 1942 to August 1943.

The first 495 vehicles included equipment that enabled the crossing of water obstacles up to 4 meters deep. Beginning with the 251st tank, the Maybach HL 230 P30 engine (600 hp) was replaced with a Maybach HL 230 P45 (700 hp). The Tiger was armed with an 88 mm 8,8 cm KwK-36 L/56 gun, which was a tank version of the famous Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft gun. In the spring and summer of 1943, the tank received smoke grenade launchers and mortars for launching anti-personnel mines.

The Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger entered service with heavy tank battalions. The tanks were first used in the fall of 1942, on the Leningrad front, in the 502nd heavy tank battalion. In December 1942, in North Africa, Tigers entered service with the 501st battalion.

The first tanks which arrived often broke, owing to the haste with which they were put into mass production. The vehicle was very heavy, with low manoeuvrability. It consumed 10 liters of fuel every 1 km. A full fuel tank, 567 liters, was enough for only two and a half hours of combat work, which was one of the tank's major drawbacks. But this was all compensated for by the battle machine's simplicity and ease of operation. Tank operators who served in Tigers were constantly praising its transmission and steering. The tank's armour also gave the crew a high chance of surviving battle, even if the tank was disabled.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_VI_ausf_h1_tiger 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|ryx7Uxo_3X0|'''The Shooting Range #250''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:40 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|tcIeR_s6fp8|'''The Shooting Range #204''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:50 discusses the Tiger I and the VK 45.01 (P).|9_txEPailKc|'''The Shooting Range #92''' - ''Tactics & Strategy'' section at 10:50 discusses the Tiger I.|QEz1MgTjUAw|'''War Thunder: Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. H1''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|kFQd8TYt6Ew|'''Tank Chats #17 Tiger I''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}

== 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/4528-profile-pz-kpfw-vi-tiger-ausf-h1-en|[Vehicle Profile] Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. H1]]
* [[wt:en/news/2641/current|[Vehicle Profile] Pzkpfw VI "Tiger" Ausf. H1]]
* [[wikipedia:Tiger_I|[Wikipedia] Tiger I]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/Panzer-VI_Tiger.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf.E (Sd.Kfz.181) Tiger I]
* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=72 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> SdKfz 181 Panzer VI / Tiger I]

=== References ===
<references />

{{Germany heavy tanks}}

Pz.IV G

2022-06-28T10:50:09Z

U120326748: /* Usage in battles */

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Pz.IV (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_AddArmour.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Pz.IV G''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. Compared to its [[Pz.IV F2|predecessor]], the Ausf. G grants a 80 mm front armour plate for increased front survivability, yet retains the same firepower with the [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm L/43 gun]]. The increased armour leads to an increase in weight, which also led to a reduced maximum forward speed.

The '''Ausf. G''' variant of the Panzer IV line-up takes the play style of both its predecessor ([[Pz.IV F2|F2]]) and successor ([[Pz.IV H|H]]), with the long 75 mm L/43 KwK 40 gun and now a decent 80 mm of frontal armour, good enough to survive encounters with the formidable Shermans and T-34s. It is still light enough to retain a good speed, but well armoured to survive the introduction into Rank III game-play. Due to this, it can perform a variety of play style such as front-line assault, support, and as a flanker.

The most notable external signs of the Panzer IV G compared to its other brothers is the distinctive ''Dunkelgelb'' yellow coat on the body, though this will be invalid if it uses an alternate camouflage. In comparison to its successors, the Ausf. H and [[Pz.IV J|J]], the Panzer IV G has no ''Schürzen'' skirts on the turret and hull. Smaller differences are the usage of a double-baffle muzzle brake, a feature that may confuse player for the longer L/48 75 mm gun. There is also the presence of a wheel rack on the left side of the tank holding two wheels (not pictured). Unlike its predecessors and successors, the Ausf. G also comes with smoke launchers on either side of the turret, enabling the tank to defensively saturate an area with smoke; however, unlike launching smoke grenades from inside the tank, all smoke grenades are launched in succession and cannot be launched individually.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 80 mm (11-12°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 80 mm (13-14°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 20 mm (4-15°) || 10 mm
|-
| Turret || 50 mm (11°) ''Turret front'' 50 mm (7-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (23-26°) || 30 mm (15-17°) || 16 mm ''Front'' 25 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Cupola || 95 mm || 95 mm || 95 mm || 8 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
* Lower glacis is protected by attached spare tracks, adding 20 mm of armour

The Panzer IV Ausf. G, despite the improved 80 mm front plate, is still 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 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 Panzer IV Ausf. G above all else, as it would deny the Panzer IV G even a chance to use its high-penetrating 75 mm gun.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=0.15}}

=== 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 || 13.33 || 18.45 || 22.40 || 24.77 || 26.35 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.33 || 9.80 || 11.90 || 13.16 || 14.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====

*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour-Piercing Ballistic Cap shell - Use this shell as your main ammunition type, as it has a good penetration power and deals the most damage upon penetration thanks to its explosive filler.
*'''Hl.Gr. 38B''' - 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''' - Armour-Piercing Composite Rigid shell - This type of ammo should be used when facing a heavily armored enemy such as the Churchill VII and flanking is not an option. However, its post-penetration damage is much lower because it has no explosive filler to detonate after penetrating. Do not use the the PzGr 40 against sloped armor as APCR shells have extremely poor performance against angled armor.
*'''SprGr. 34''' - High Explosive shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.
*'''K.Gr.Rot Nb.''' - Smoke shell - Pack a few of these. They are useful to blind enemy vehicles that block your advance while being being too remote for you to disable.

{| 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 || 137 || 135 || 123 || 110 || 98 || 88
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 163 || 159 || 143 || 126 || 110 || 96
|-
| 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 || 740 || 6.80 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 28.9 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.40 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 919 || 4.10 || 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]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.IV_H.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the Pz.IV H (identical).]]

{| 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
|-
| '''87''' || 84 ''(+3)'' || 82 ''(+5)'' || 80 ''(+7)'' || 72 ''(+15)'' || 63 ''(+24)'' || 54 ''(+33)''
|-
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! 11th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
!
|-
| 46 ''(+41)'' || 38 ''(+49)'' || 30 ''(+57)'' || 24 ''(+63)'' || 1 ''(+86)'' || No
!
|-
|}
'''Notes''':

* Racks are modeled by sets of 2 and disappear after both shells in the set having been shot or loaded.
* Sides empty: 30 ''(+57)'' shells.

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

{{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 || 3,000 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The Pz.IV G can be utilized as both a sniper and brawler, thanks to its improved armour and great gun - however, situational awareness must be maintained at all costs as the un-sloped armour, while an improvement over the Ausf. F2 is still not sufficient to provide reliable defence. It is best to shoot first, as the KwK40 L/43 can deal with the majority of enemies it will face. Heavy tanks like the KV and M6A1 will need careful aim but are still not a major threat. Like most German tanks, the default round is the best round available; however, the maximum load should be avoided (around 30 is sufficient) as it increases the chance of ammo rack explosions if the armour is penetrated.

In close quarters and urban settings, it can also perform adequately due to the average turret traverse rate, mobility, and high-punching gun. A good tactic is to launch the smoke grenades and flank enemies that are aware of the Panzer's presence.

In long range maps, the Pz. IV G is able to send powerful penetrating HE shells that will penetrate almost all armor at this BR. In arcade mode it's quick speed and turret traverse are perfect for poking your head out and shooting enemies then retreating back to cover. On long range maps this tank performs better in reaslistic battles, it's slower but you don't sacrifice any gun power so it's better suited to more sniper style gameplay. However, a general rule for any gamemode whilst sniping is that it's important to only reveal the turret if possible, the turret armor is much thicker and so is capula. This means you are less like to have an ammunition burn down and you protect two crew (the minimum number required to operate the vehicle).

The L/43 75 mm KwK 40 gun still packs a powerful punch at this rank. A solid hit on a target's front armour that's not sloped is very likely to penetrate. At its realistic battle rating, the most heavily armoured vehicle the Pz.IV G will fight will be the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] series ,which has prominent weak spots that can be exploited. Shoot first, hit hard and don't miss. Unless uptiered in arcade, the [[M6A1]] is not a concern in realistic, but nonetheless aim for weak spots and be the first to shoot.

The Churchill VII is also a common sight in higher rank games. It has thick armour and a gun that is effective against the Panzer's weak turret armour. Under 500 m, it is advisable to use APCR, which is effective against the Churchills flat armour. If the Churchill is angling, the best method is to try flanking or aiming for its weak machine gun ports.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Better armour than predecessors, 80 mm thick at the hull front
* Cupola armour greatly improved to 95 mm thick
* Great gun depression, no need to expose hull when shooting from a ridge
* High APCR shell velocity makes targeting moving tanks easy
* Large ammo capacity
* Decent mobility on hard ground

'''Cons:'''

* Poor ammo storage protection, prone to detonation if penetrated
* Turret front armour is still weak (only 50 mm thick)
* Narrow tracks and weight give it poor cross-country performance, until the Ostketten are researched and equipped

== History ==

=== Development ===
The '''Pz.Kpfw. IV's''' creation, like its predecessor the [[Pz.III E|Pz.Kpfw. III]], was devised by Heinz Guderian. He envisioned a support tank that could be used to handle anti-tank guns and fortifications. In Panzer Divisions, the Panzer IV was to work alongside the more numerable Panzer III (three company of IIIs and one of IVs). The role of anti-armour was reserved for the Panzer III in these situations. As a support tank, the Panzer IV was to have the short 75 mm howitzer as its main armament and also a weight limit of 24 tons. MAN, Krupp, and Rheinmetall-Borsig worked on the development of the tanks, but the Krupp's model was selected for further testing.

The chosen model from Krupp, once finished, used a leaf-spring double-bogie system for its suspension, doing away the proposed interleaved or torsion bar suspension system earlier devised for the sake of faster production. The vehicle held five crew members - the commander, gunner, loader, radio operator (hull machine gunner), and driver. Though it looked symmetrical, the Panzer IV's turret was actually offset to the left of the chassis centre line while the engine was also offset to the right. This was to allow the torque shaft to turn the turret. The offset also meant that most of the ammo was held on the right side of the tank in storage areas. The Panzer IV was then accepted into service and production began in 1936.

=== Panzer IV Ausf. G ===
With the appearance of the Soviet [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks, the [[Pz.IV F2|Panzer IV Ausf. F2]] was made as a stopgap solution with a new and more powerful KwK 40 L/43 gun. After three months into production, the Panzer IV was upgraded again to the '''Panzer IV Ausf. G'''. The Ausf. G featured a stronger 80 mm thick front glacis armour with 30 mm side armour. Some weight-saving techniques were put into play, but the tank still weighed about 23.6 tons and put strain onto the driving system. Some simplification went into the tank such as the removal of the vision ports on the sides of the turret.

The Panzer IV Ausf. G was also the first variant on the Panzer IV line to feature some new innovative features. In March 1943, the Ausf. G was presented with the first of the ''Schürzen'' side armour skirts on the turret and hull sides. On the later models, the KwK 40 L/43 was also upgraded to the L/48 variant, simply a longer version with a better muzzle brake to improve recoil efficiency.

The Panzer IV Ausf. G was well-liked by the armoured crews due to increased armour and lethality against the progressively stronger Allied armour such as the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34s]] and the [[M4|M4 Shermans]]. While the 50 mm armour before was deemed very vulnerable to the Allied guns, the 80 mm caused some headaches among Allied tankers, though could still come on-par in performances. At this point, the newer [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks in production should have replaced the venerable Panzer IV by now, but production problems and low quantity meant the Panzer IV was staying at the main tank for the German Army for a while.

The Panzer IV Ausf. G was then upgraded again to the [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IV Ausf. H]], which would become the most numerous variant of all the Panzer IVs.

=== In-game description ===
The first changes of this variant, which were carried out in the summer of 1942, included a new two-chamber pear-shaped muzzle brake. The viewports in the front plates of the turret and the view hatch in its forward plate were removed. Smoke grenade launchers were moved from the rear of the hull to the sides of the turret. The tank was given an ignition assistance system for winter conditions.

Since the 50-mm-thick front armor of the Pz.Kpfw. IV was still inadequate, it was strengthened with additional 30 mm armor plates that were welded or bolted on. The thickness of the front plates on the turret and the weapon mantlet was 50 mm, and this thickness was not increased in future upgrades.

Improving the machines' protective armor during production was a slow process, and by November only about half of the tanks included the reinforced armor. This armor was only installed on all new tanks from January 1943 onward. In the spring of 1943, the 75 mm 7,5 cm KwK 40 L/43 gun on this variant was replaced with a 7,5 cm Kw.K.40 L/48 with a long 48 caliber barrel, which had slightly higher armor penetration power. By the Battle of Kursk, almost all of the tanks had received Schurzen skirts for their sides and turrets.

Production of Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G tanks lasted until June 1943, with a total of 1687 units being produced. Of this number, about 700 tanks received the reinforced armor, and 412 had the KwK 40 L/48 gun installed.

This variant made up the majority of Pz.Kpfw. IV tanks which participated in Operation Citadel.

Ausf. G tanks were supplied to Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Turkey, and Spain. The Bulgarian and Romanian machines fought against the Red Army, and after they joined the Allies, against the German military. Captured Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F tanks which were still serviceable were eagerly used by the Red Army.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_G 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]

== See also ==


;Similar Vehicles

* [[T-34-57]]
* [[M4A2]]
* [[Sherman II]]

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}