War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

M4A2 (76) W

2023-10-08T07:19:11Z

U151776540: I added another section to help players

{{About
| about = American medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| other
| usage-1 = other M4 Shermans
| link-1 = M4 Sherman (Family)
| usage-2 = other uses
| link-2 = M4 (Disambiguation)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=us_m4a2_76w_sherman
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''M4A2 (76) W Sherman''' was the second variant of the late-generation [[M4 Sherman (Family)|Medium Tank M4 (Sherman) family]]. It was outfitted with a modified T23 turret which accommodated the M1 tank gun, giving it a total length of 7.57 m (25 feet). The range was 161 km (100 miles) with the GM 6046 diesel engine which held approximately 673 litres (178 gallons) of fuel. The total weight increased to 33.3 tons. The upper glacis was 108 mm (4.25 inches) thick and sloped at 47°, with huge hatches. Many M4A2 (76) Ws were supplied to the USSR for the Soviet Army as part of the World War II lend-lease program (mainly because it had a diesel engine like most Soviet Army tanks). The engine, which was powered by the same General Motors 6046 twin diesel as the [[M4A2]], was reliable as well as easy to maintain. Until May 1945, around 3,230 M4A2 (76) Ws units were delivered.

Introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]], the M4A2 (76) W replaces the cast hull of the [[M4A1 (76) W]] with an uninterrupted, fully welded hull's upper front armour plate that slopes at 47°. As the M4A2 (76) W has an exceptionally high profile, it is difficult to drive around undetected, making it an easy target for enemies. However, by making use of its strong mobility early in the battle, it is possible to get into strategic locations and adopt a hull-down position to obtain the first shot at the adversaries. Another improvement is the relocation of the ammunition storage to the centre of the tank, making it harder to target than in early-generation M4 Sherman variants. However, this is negligible given that the hull's upper front armour plate is unable to resist any shells from enemy tanks such as [[Tiger I (Family)|Tiger Is]], [[Panther tank (Family)|Panthers]], and [[T-34 (Family)|T-34s]]. As a result, the best chance of survival is to use terrain elevation and gun depression in a hull-down position to optimize the effectiveness of the hull's upper front armour plate.

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

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Transmission area)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 63.5 mm (47°) || 38.1 mm || 38.1 mm || 19.5 mm
|-
| Turret || 88.9 mm || 63.5 mm || 63.5 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
| Cupola || 63.5 mm || 63.5 mm || 63.5 mm || 25.4 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, the bogies are 10 mm thick, and the tracks are 20 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=635|rbMinHp=363}}

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

The most important modules to research are Parts and FPE. The stock M79 shot is inferior to the M62 APCBC shell in most situations, so researching the M62 shot module is a top priority. After that, the player may prioritize either mobility or firepower upgrades, depending on playstyle.

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

{{main|M1 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1 (76 mm)|76 mm M1]] || 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" | 71 || rowspan="2" | -10°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | {{Annotation|Vertical|up to 24 km/h}} || 22.85 || 31.62 || 38.40 || 42.47 || 45.18 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.78 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 14.28 || 16.80 || 20.40 || 22.56 || 24.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:M1 (76 mm)/Ammunition|M79 shot, M42A1 shell, M62 shell, M88}}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks M4A1 (75) W (China).png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the M4A1 (75) W (China) (identical)]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''71''' || 66 ''(+5)'' || 31 ''(+40)'' || 1 ''(+70)'' || No
|-
|}
'''Note''':

* Shells are modeled individually and disappear from the rack after having been shot or loaded.

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

{{main|M2HB (12.7 mm)|M1919A4 (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm M2HB]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 600 (200) || 577 || -10°/+30° || ±60°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[M1919A4 (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm M1919A4]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 3,000 (250) || 500 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The M4A2 (76) W is a classic Sherman tank. It requires careful positioning and avoidance of enemy fire, possesses an above-average gun, and works best when played around teammates.

As such, it is well-suited to city brawls in which it can use rubble as cover and protect its flanks effectively. The city environment also suits the tank's below-average mobility. In close quarters, this shortcoming will not be too much of a hindrance. That being said, the M4A2 is also a classic medium tank, and highly adaptable. If needed, it can engage at most, if not all, ranges. It can be used to rush a point, or to defend from an assault. Certainly, the powerful cannon is capable against all but the most heavily armoured enemies.

This vehicle has mediocre armour and a highly visible profile, so it must be played carefully if the player wishes to stay alive for more than a few minutes. It is not uncommon for the M4A2 to be destroyed in a single hit, especially when facing the German cannons. Other enemies to watch out for include enemy aircraft: although the roof armour will protect crew members from strafing runs, the vehicle's above-average size makes it rather visible from the air, and makes it a target for bombing and rocket attacks.

'''Enemies to look out'''

'''T-34-57''' and '''T-34-85:''' Much like the Sherman, the Soviet T-34 proved to have weak armour ath this battle rating, but its cannon is mostly one-shot, and with the Shermans are no exception. You will have to learn to avoid these tanks or destroy them before they do, as they are likely to be faster than you, but once you found them, and they are not aware of your appearance, you can easily destroy them with your M1 76mm cannon. The same can be said with the T-34s.

'''Panthers:'''

These heavily armed German beasts han 80mof qm sloped armour, capable of bouncing the heavy gun of the same turret that they use, the KwK-42 with more than 150mm penetration at +1000m away. Meaning that Panthers are most likelgoing to y be your demise, as your gun cannot do anything against the while theirs can penetrate your armour from the front,m, the only way that you can reliable kill them is to disable their important modules(e.g cannon and tracks) and then flank th, make sure that you are not spotted while doing soem. This is not easy as the enemy will likely have teammates nearby to assist them. But that's the onlreliable y way to kill the Panthe.rs

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Good top speed
* Great rate of fire for the main gun
* Angled frontal slope which may sometimes bounce larger calibres if angled correctly
* 5 crew members, which increases the survivability
* A pintle-mounted heavy machine gun (12.7 mm), which can be used for anti-aircraft and against light armoured vehicles
* Wet ammo storage reduces greatly ammo rack detonations, is indicated by the "W" in its name
* Fast turret traverse

'''Cons:'''

* Tall profile
* Prone to tipping over when travelling across steep inclines
* Armour might not stand up against common guns like the Soviet 85 mm or the German KwK36.
* Sides and rear are thinly armoured
* Engine compartment is poorly armoured
* Narrow tracks mean poor ground flotation and cross country performance
* Only reaches its top speed on paved surfaces
* Lacks the add-on armour module found on the 76 mm M4A1 and M4A3
* Unlike the earlier M4A1 (76) W, Cruise Control 1 setting is slightly above the maximum speed that the stabilizer operates at

== History ==

=== M4 Sherman ===
The start of World War II and the Battle of France had America find that their current armoured forces were completely inadequate to fight back a German armour assault. With only the [[M2A4|M2 light tanks]] and the [[M2]] available with their 37 mm cannons, the Americans greatly increased their efforts in tank development to bolster their defences but to satisfy demands from Great Britain for adequate tanks to rebuild their decimated armoured forces. The requirements set by the US Army called for a tank armed with a 75 mm gun. While a 75 mm gun was available for use, a turret mounting the gun on a tank was not. Thus, while the turret and tank design underwent development, the 75 mm would be mounted on the stopgap design - the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tank - in a "sponson" mount. During the M3's development, the designs of the 75 mm armed vehicle were submitted by the Ordnance Department. In April 1941, the Armored Force Board chose the simplest of the designs, which was a redesigned M3 hull and chassis with a turret mounting the 75 mm gun designated the ''T6'', completed in September 1941. This tank would then designated the '''[[M4|M4 Sherman]]'''. The production for the Sherman began in October 1941 and would continue to be produced until the end of the war in 1945 with around than 50,000 units produced, making it the second most-produced tank in World War II before the [[T-34 (1942)|T-34 tank]]. The Sherman first saw service in North Africa in the hands of the British, and the Shermans continued to see service throughout the North African campaign, Tunisian campaign, and the Italian campaign in the British and American armies. However, the 75 mm gun on the Sherman soon found itself saw as inadequate when the Germans began fielding their new generation of heavy tanks, the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] and the [[Panther D|Panther]], which could defend itself against the 75 mm gun and take out the Sherman at a long range. A desire to up-gun the Sherman grew among Ordnance officers to fight incoming armour threats and started as far back as 1942.

===Development===
The desire for a hole puncher on the Sherman started in the Ordnance department, seen as an improvement to the Sherman tank's overall combat ability to fight future tank threats. It started with the adaption of the 3-inch anti-tank gun, the most powerful American anti-tank weapon at the time, into the M4 Sherman. The gun proved too heavy and too bulky for a straight adaption so a simpler and smaller gun model was created called the 76 mm M1, which could be practically fitted into the M4 Sherman turret. The 76 mm differed from the 3-inch in ammunition as well, using a different propellant case but the same shells. The first guns were trialled in a [[M4A1]] Sherman, but while Ordnance approved the vehicle, Armored Board rejected it as it caused the turret interior to be too cramped for the crew and also the lack of need of such vehicle. This solution was fixed by taking the cancelled T23 project and adapting the turret into the Sherman, which was easy as the Sherman and the T23 used the same turret ring diameter. The larger turret allowed for a more practical mounting of the 76 mm gun and more room for the crew to move around in. This variant was approved and production was to start in early 1944 for the upcoming invasion of Europe in Operation Overlord to counter the German Tiger I and the Panther tanks.

===Design===
Aside from the enlarged T23 turret, the Sherman interior layout was largely unchanged from the original design. The driver and bow gunner still sat in the front, the three-man turret crew in the centre, and the engine compartment in the back. The exterior design of the hull was also largely unchanged with the vertical volute suspension system (VVSS) and sloping front armour.

The '''M4A2 (76) W Sherman''' model ran on a GM 6046 diesel engine. Being built off the original [[M4A2]], the hull construction was welded, which proved simpler to produce than casting. Early M4A2 variants had the front armour plate placed on a 56-degree sloping angle, but this design had protrusions on the driver and assistant driver hatches that created "shot traps" as these protrusions gave less protection than the frontal armour plate. This was fixed on later models with 47-degree angling instead, which eliminated the shot traps and made the frontal armour more effective than before. The M4A2 (76) W variant, as indicated by the name, mounted the 76 mm gun instead of the usual 75 mm. The "W" designation on the Sherman indicated that the vehicle had the wet stowage feature in response to complaints that the Sherman can easily catch fire due to exploding ammunition. The wet stowage encased the ammo containers in a liquid mixture that would douse the flames when penetrated or block flaming shrapnel from penetrating shots from hitting the ammunition. The containers also placed all the ammunition in the bottom centre of the tank, reducing the likeliness of it being hit by a shell as the penetrating shell must go through every armour and obstacle to hit the tank centre. This feature was only present after February 1944 and severely decreased the rate of Sherman fires. Of the 49,234 Sherman produced in World War II, 2,915 M4A2(76)s were produced from April 1944 to May 1945.

===Combat usage===
Despite the stock of 76 mm Shermans now available for them, the commanders opted to not bring any during the invasion of France in June 1944. The issues were logistical, as having a 76 mm armament would mean supplying a different set of ammo to the task forces. Another issue was that the 76 mm gun had a less lethal high-explosive round at hand, meaning combat against infantry or fixed emplacements would be slightly harder. This forced 75 mm armed Shermans to have to compete against the better armed and armoured Panthers and Tigers in the initial period of the invasion. The combat debut of the 76 mm Shermans as the [[M4A1 (76) W|M4A1 (76)]] was during Operation Cobra in July 1944, as a response to the growing German armour threat in Europe. The 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions received 52 of these Shermans and the rest were distributed among the tank battalions in the infantry divisions. Deliveries of the M4(76) began coming into Europe from August 1944. The M4 (76) and M4 (75) Shermans served alongside each other, though the 75 mm Shermans were around in larger numbers and the opinions of the 76 mm cannon vary from a necessary addition to a burden. Nevertheless, the M4(76) began to be supplied among the tank battalions and armoured divisions to face the intense combat at the Siegfried Line. The 75 mm guns stayed as the primary armament of the armoured forces until the Battle of the Bulge, which had much American armour destroyed by the German onslaught of heavy German tanks such as their [[Panther G|Panther]] and [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger IIs]]. The negative response from both troops and press had Allied commanders, even Eisenhower himself, request only 76 mm Sherman to be delivered instead of 75 mm in response. The new units arriving in Europe after the Battle of the Bulge were all equipped with 76 mm Shermans. Despite their appearance, 75 mm Shermans were still in stock in the armoured divisions and were still held in high regards for their better capacity to destroy soft targets with high-explosive shells.

After the war, the Shermans continued serving America and its allies as the [[M4A3 (76) W|M4A3E8]] with a new suspension and 76 mm gun. The [[M26|M26 Pershing]] that was introduced late in World War II was phased out for the Shermans due to its unreliability, and the Sherman stayed until the [[M46|M46 Patton]] was introduced. After being phased out of American service, many other countries still used the Sherman as their main tank, mainly Israel where they up-gunned the tank with the much powerful post-war French 75 mm and 105 mm gun as the M-50 and M-51 respectively (nicknamed "Super Shermans"). These proved successful as they were able to fight against the Soviet-supplied [[T-54 (1947)|T-54 tanks]] and [[T-34-85]]s in Middle East service, proving the Sherman as a successful and adaptable design for many years to come.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The new tank modification, based on the M4A1 (76)W, was an upgraded T23 turret and a long-barrelled 76 mm M1A1 cannon, later an M1A2. The turret included a cupola, the turret ventilator moved from the roof to the back wall, and the frontal armour was thickened to 100 mm. Beginning in August 1944 the reloader was given a separate round folding hatch. In March 1945 the M4A2 (76) W's suspension went through a significant change: two road wheels in each bogie turned into four (two paired), the volute springs went from vertical to horizontal, and the balance system was modified accordingly. A hydraulic shock absorber was also installed on every bogie.

Between May 1944 and the end of the war, 2,915 of them were made in total.

A significant number of units, around 2,070, were shipped to the USSR via Lend-Lease.

The Shermans helped liberate Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Austria, also seeing combat in the battle for Berlin.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=us_m4a2_76w_sherman Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

== See also ==


;Other M4A2 tanks in the game

* [[M4A2]]
* [[M4 748 (a) (Germany)]]
* [[M4A2 (USSR)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/699|[Devblog] Steel Generals: M4A2(76)W]]

{{USA medium tanks}}

Pz.IV F2

2023-10-07T08:58:33Z

U151776540: I added some tips and cons for the pz.iv f2.

{{About
| about = German medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = Pz.IV (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_F2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausführung F2 (Panzer IV F2)''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 161/1''') is the late version of the sixth variant of the [[Pz.IV (Family)|Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank family]]. In order to combat the Soviet [[T-34 (Family)|T-34 medium tanks]] and [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] heavy tanks, the Germans began upgrading their [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV F1]] with the long-barrelled 75 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 40 L/43 tank gun in early 1942. The new long-barrelled 75 mm KwK40 L/43 tank gun provided significantly increased projectile velocity and armour penetration. The Panzer IV F1 served as the foundation for this upgrade. These were initially designated as Panzer IV F2 to distinguish them from the short barrel Panzer IV F1 variant. These were all renamed [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV G]] after July 1942. According to certain accounts, around 25 manufactured Panzer IV F1 tanks were rearmed with the larger gun, which replaced the short-barrelled 75 mm KwK37 L/24 tank gun previously used for infantry support.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Panzer IV F2 was identical to the Panzer IV F1 except for the long-barrelled 75 mm KwK40 L/43 tank gun. Players will be surprised by this new revised Panzer IV F2, as the long-barrelled 75 mm tank gun provides much-increased projectile velocity and armour penetration. Due to the increase in calibre from 50 mm on Panzer IIIs to 75 mm on Panzer IV F2, destruction of enemy vehicles is generally immediate upon successful penetration.

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


The armour of the Panzer IV Ausf. F2 is virtually identical to that of the Ausf. F1. With a maximum thickness of only 50 mm, it is quite thin compared to that of its arch-rivals, the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[Sherman|M4]] medium tanks, and can be easily penetrated by most medium calibre guns and is also mostly unangled. The side and rear armour is even thinner and is highly vulnerable to even autocannons commonly used by anti-aircraft vehicles at medium and close ranges.

The hull armour can be supplemented by add-on armour in the form of track links, but the turret remains highly vulnerable since it receives no extra protection even with the upgrade. The turret also sports a relatively large cupola that is just thick enough to cause some rounds with explosive filler to detonate after penetration, potentially killing the entire turret crew. It is also important to note that the roof armour is only 10 mm thick, and is quite vulnerable to aircraft heavy machine guns and cannons.

The crew compartment is relatively compact and has a lot of ammunition scattered all over. Penetrating hits are likely to be quite devastating, especially if the shell has an explosive filler.

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Cupola)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 50 mm (12°) ''Front plate'' 20 mm (73°) ''Front glacis'' 50 mm (13-59°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 30 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°) || 10 mm
|-
| Cupola || 30 mm || 30 mm || 30 mm || 10 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, while the tracks are 20 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=465|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=0.35}}

The mobility of the Ausf. F2 is comparable to that of the earlier Pz.IV F1, though slightly worse due to the heavier gun. It is decent enough for a medium tank, especially since the Ausf. F2 is less reliant on flanking due to its powerful gun, and it can keep up with most advances without problem. The reverse speed of 10 km/h is also relatively good, allowing it to back off fairly quickly for a medium tank.

Its adequate speed and cross-country capability (with Ostketten equipped) grant the F2 a good ambushing capability to go quickly around enemy positions and surprise them.

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

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

{{main|KwK40 L43 (75 mm)}}

The biggest difference between the Ausf. F2 and the Ausf. F1 is the new long-barreled 7,5 cm KwK40 L/43 gun. As easily the best gun available to any medium tank at the Ausf. F2's BR, the KwK40 has absolutely no problems dealing with all but the heaviest tanks at this BR, even from the front. It is even quite capable against higher tiered tanks, with only a few exceptions. The turret also provides the gun with an excellent amount of gun depression, allowing the effective use of hull-down tactics.

The stock PzGr 39 APCBC shell is also the best all-round ammunition to use. It is much more effective against sloped armour than the PzGr 40 APCR shot and even at 2,000 m has more penetration than the HlGr 38B HEAT shell. The only reason to carry any APCR at all is in case of a full uptier, where very heavily armoured tanks such as the [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill VII]] may be faced and only shots to the front are possible.

Smoke and HE shells are also available, although their use is rather situational.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK40 L43 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK40 L43]] || 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 || 13.3 || 18.4 || 22.4 || 24.8 || 26.4 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 8.3 || 9.8 || 11.9 || 13.2 || 14.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{{:KwK40 L43 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39, Hl.Gr 38B, PzGr 40, Sprgr. 34, K.Gr.Rot Nb.}}

==== [[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
* The tank can carry up to 87 rounds, which is more than sufficient for most battles. It is recommended to carry fewer rounds, as this will reduce the likelihood of ammunition detonation if the turret is penetrated.

=== 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 ==


A veritable glass cannon, the Ausf. F2 has one of the best guns of its battle-rating, balanced by its poor armour. This makes it rather more oriented towards long and medium-range combat, where the thin armour is less of an issue and its powerful gun gives it a big advantage in firepower over its peers. Like the American [[Sherman|M4s]], the Ausf. F2 has a good amount of gun depression, which allows the player to hide the tank's entire hull behind terrain and only expose its turret while shooting. Unlike the M4, however, the F2's turret is unable to deflect almost anything that hits it, and it will wither quickly under concentrated fire. Unlike the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]], the Ausf. F2 cannot hope to bounce anything but the weakest guns from the front, and should thus be played a lot more cautiously. This means hiding behind structures, and generally keeping a long distance away from the enemy as its armour is too weak to withstand any tank gun at it's battle rating. Which also means setting up a playstyle of sniping players from long distances.

The 75 mm gun will frontally penetrate all but the most heavily armoured tanks even with the stock APCBC. Combined with the explosive filler in the APCBC shell, the Ausf. F2 is a very dangerous threat that even higher BR tanks can ill-afford to ignore. Only the [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill VII]] is reasonably immune, but even its frontal armour can be penetrated by the APCR shell at close ranges. However, it may be more efficient to simply flank around and use the APCBC shell against the sides, since the APCR round lacks post-penetration effectiveness. This combination of an excellent gun, relatively good mobility, and good gun depression allow the Ausf. F2 to remain quite competitive even in up-tiers, where other medium tanks begin to struggle against the heavier tanks that can be faced.

'''Enemies worth noting:'''

* [[ZSD63]]: This SPAA has access to a full AP belt with 60+ mm of penetration ,which makes it able to penetrate the Pz.IV F2 from any angle up close, and its quick fire rate can knock out the entire crew with a short burst. If the add-on track armour is installed, it might actually save the {{PAGENAME}} in a frontal encounter, as it would make the frontal hull thick enough (at 50+20=70mm thick) to resist the autocannon. Do not shoot at the hull below the turret as there is absolutely nothing inside, shoot the turret or the front hull instead. Multiple shots might be needed as its armour is so thin the 75 mm shells will not detonate. When reloading, slightly angle the {{PAGENAME}} turret to avoid the return fire from penetrating the thin turret cheeks. When hunting down a ZSD63, it has a rather body and tall hull with a geometric turret sitting at the back, slightly similar to a Wirbelwind's. The firing signature is also rather distinctive: the sound and green tracers are very rapid, much like a buzzsaw, but then it will remain silent for half a minute reloading. Note that an experienced ZSD player will hold its fire or shoot in single salvos with long halts between, making it look like that it's reloading so be careful when exposing the {{PAGENAME}} for an attack.
* GAZ-72K and ZIS-12: These two SPAAs have a deadly 25mm autocannon(with the ZIS-12 having two) with a 70+mm of penetration in their AP belts, they can melt the IV.F2 from mid-close range at any angle. It is also worth noting that the speed of the 2 SPAAs is very fast, meaning that an F2 player is likely to get flanked if they decided to push the frontline for their teammates. The best way to counter these SPAAs is to fire a HEAT/HE round(if the player has one loaded) or fire the stock APCBC round onto the driver port and then use the machine gun to quickly take out their other crews. Make sure to do this quickly before they had a chance to shoot you.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Outstanding penetration and lethality with the stock APCBC shell; easily knocks out common targets with a single shot
* High-penetration APCR shot can effectively deal with up-tier heavy tanks, e.g. [[Churchill Mk VII]]
* Excellent gun depression of -10° provides great mountain warfare capacity.
* Great mobility and top speed compared to later Panzer IV variants. Hull traverse in is better than the [[M4 Sherman (Family)|M4 Sherman]]s
* Space between the driving and fighting compartment can absorb some solid shells, might be helpful when facing British tanks like the [[Cromwell (Family)|Cromwell]]
* Reasonably small profile, can hide behind some large objects
* Add-on armour increases survivability against certain vehicles, for example the ZSD63.

'''Cons:'''

* Thin armour overall, can be knocked out with a single shot by common targets like the [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]] and [[M4]], or even low tier tanks like the [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]]. The add-on armour generally doesn't help much against tank cannons.
* The APCBC shell is highly likely to over-penetrate enemies with 10-20mm armour meaning that the post penetration damage fuse is too slow to react to the thin armour of said vehicle.
* Rather cramped crew compartment with ammunition scattered all over meaning ammo racks are generally more likely to happen.
*
* Large and weak commander's cupola. When penetrated by an explosive shell, all crew inside the turret, including the gunner, are likely to get knocked out.
* Vulnerable against many SPAAs.

== 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 to be used to handle anti-tank guns and fortifications. The Panzer IV was to work alongside the more numerable Panzer III in Panzer Divisions (three company of IIIs and one of IVs) to engage the enemy, giving the role of fighting enemy armoured forces to the Panzer IIIs. As a support tank, the tank was to have the short 75 mm howitzer as its main armament and have 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 (and hull machine gunner), and driver. Though it looked symmetrical, the Panzer IV turret was actually offset to the left of the chassis centerline a bit 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 is 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. F2===
With the appearance of the Soviet [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks. The [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV Ausf. F1]] with its short 75 mm howitzer was upgraded with the KwK40 L/43, then designating it the '''Panzer IV Ausf. F2'''. The new cannon was able to penetrate 77 mm of armour at 1,800 m with standard armour-piercing rounds compared to the 43 mm of the howitzer. The new gun helped put the Panzer IV back into balance and could theoretically hold against the T-34s and KV-1s that the Soviets were sending. The Panzer IV Ausf. F2 still retained the 50 mm front armour thickness with 30 mm on the sides.

Despite the new gun, it had some deficiency on the tank. First is a new weight, the tank now weighed 23.6 tons, and the heavy gun in front made the vehicle nose-heavy, enough that the forward suspension springs were always under compression, causing the tank to sway even without any steering.

Most of the F2 variants saw service in either Russia or against the Allies in Africa (though in very small quantities). In Russia, the Ausf. F could penetrate the T-34 at up to 1,600 m now and took part in Case Blue Offensive. In Africa, the Panzer IV Ausf. F2 could deal with all of the Allied armour available. The venerable [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda]] was no match to its long range gun, and the [[M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] was also helpless.

The Panzer IV Ausf. F2 still had some faults, and three months after its production started, it was renamed the [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV Ausf. G]] with a few upgrades.

{{break}}
{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
The next variant of this tank was designed to increase its combat power. A new 75 mm 7,5 cm KwK40 gun with a long 43-calibre barrel and a muzzle velocity of 770 mps for armour-piercing rounds was developed by designers worked at the companies Krupp and Rheinmetall. The gun's barrel had a characteristic single-chamber muzzle brake and was mounted in a new mantlet with a new TZF 5f sight. A new ammunition stacking system was used, and the amount of ammunition carried was upgraded to 87 rounds, 32 of which were located in the turret. The armour on the gun's recoil devices was modified. This variant's operational weight was 23,000 kg.

Production began releasing the new tanks in April 1942. The new tanks entered combat in the summer of 1942 and were able to fight the Soviet T-34 and KV, matching their firepower. The new tanks were completely superior to British and American tanks of the day. By July 1942, 175 Pz. IV Ausf. F2 had been manufactured, and another 25 had been converted from the F1. In May 1942, 8 tanks with increased armour thickness were released.

These tanks took part in combat in Africa and on the Eastern Front in 1942 and 1943.

In September 1942, 10 Ausf. F2 tanks were delivered to Nazi Germany's most loyal ally, Hungary.

A number of captured tanks were used by the Red Army.

Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2 tanks in use in 1942 and 1943 sported a huge variety of color schemes, since new types of camouflage were being adopted in February 1943.
{{Navigation-End}}

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_IV_ausf_F2 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]

;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
File:PZ-4 F2 alongside 15 cm Pz.W.42.jpg|Panzer IV with winter camo alongside a [[15 cm Pz.W.42]] halftrack.
</gallery>

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|U4Z88CL-bdE|'''Pz.IV F2 - Tank Review''' - ''Napalmratte''}}

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

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

{{Germany medium tanks}}