Difference between revisions of "Jagdpanzer IV"

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{{Specs-Card|code=germ_jgdpz_IV_L48}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=germ_jgdpz_IV_L48
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}_AddArmour.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png|ArtImage2_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
 +
}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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<!--''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.''-->
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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The '''Jagdpanzer IV''' ([[Abbreviations#.28DE.29 Sd.Kfz. Index|Sd.Kfz. Index:]] '''Sd.Kfz. 162''') is the first variant of the Panzer IV medium tank-based tank destroyer family. It was created as a successor to the [[StuG III (Family)|Sturmgeschütz III assault gun family]] against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, and was the first casemate-style turretless tank destroyer built on a Panzer IV medium tank chassis. It is armed with a 75 mm Panzerjägerkanone 39 L/43 tank gun. The armour plates on the front are sloped. Internally, the ammunition racks and fuel tanks were moved to make room for the new superstructure. The auxiliary engine that drove the turret traverse mechanism was removed from the vehicle since it did not have a turret. The 80 mm thick sloping armour on the new superstructure provided effective protection equivalent to more than 100 mm of vertical armour. The superstructure was constructed from huge, interconnecting plates that were welded together to simplify the production process.
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{{break}}
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The '''{{Specs|name}},''' German armory designation '''Sd.Kfz. 162,''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyed {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41.
+
Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Jagdpanzer IV is a heavily armoured tank destroyer that can be played in both offensive and defensive roles. Its strong frontal armour plates make it difficult for most adversaries to penetrate. However, since it lacks a turret, players should not use it on city maps with narrow streets. Nevertheless, it is a formidable vehicle with excellent defence and main armament. It should be easy for players to take the initiative and lead the attack or hold down choke points.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
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<!--Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 +
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.-->
 
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
  
−
* Rolled homogeneous armour
+
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Superstructure)
 
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
 
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
+
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Hull || 20 mm (84°), 60 + 15 mm (47°) ''Front glacis'' <br /> 50 mm (55°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm || 22 mm (5-16°) || 20 mm
+
| Hull || 60 mm (47°) ''Upper glacis'' <br> 50 mm (55°) ''Lower glacis'' || 30 mm (12-48°) + 5 mm (29°) ''Top'' <br> 30 mm ''Bottom'' || 22 mm (15°) || 20 mm (6°) ''Front'' <br> 20 mm (2°) ''Rear''
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Superstructure || 60 mm (50°) ''Front'' <br> 75 + 80 mm (17-63°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 30 mm (29°) || 30 mm (31°) || 20 mm
+
| Superstructure || 60 mm (50°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 75 mm (conical) ''Gun mantlet'' <br> 80 mm (spherical) ''Gun mount'' <br> 120 mm (50°) ''Gun mount frame'' || 30 mm (29°) || 30 mm (31°) || 20 mm <br> 60 mm ''Gun mount''
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
 
'''Notes:'''
 
'''Notes:'''
  
−
* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
+
* Suspension wheels and bogies are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
−
* Entire front armor is sloped, not flat like on previous StuG tank destroyers, and has no prominent weak spot
+
* The [[Add-on Armor|add-on armour]] module adds tracks on the front and sides of the superstructure and the front hull.
−
* Front hull armor has attached spare tracks on it, adding 20 mm of armor
+
* Mudguards are 4 mm thick.
−
* Able to use [[Add-on Armor|Add-on Armour]] module, which would add tracks on the superstructure front and parts of the side hull.
+
 
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} has a very vulnerable front hull, which can be penetrated easily by most guns at the battle rating. The fact that the transmission is mounted directly behind the front glacis means that any shot will disable it. It can be a double-edged sword: the transmission will soak up most shots which can be good at long range, but at close range it is a death sentence, as it allows your enemy to casually flank to your vulnerable sides and take out your whole crew.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 426|rbMinHp= 265|AoAweight= 0.46}}
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=426|rbMinHp=265|AoAweight=0.46}}
 +
 
 +
Based on the chassis of the Pz.IV, the {{PAGENAME}} is slightly heavier but still benefits from the same all-round mobility: it accelerates steadily and is able to reach a maximum speed of 43 km/h in a dozen of seconds. The brakes are powerful and make the {{PAGENAME}} stop within metres (the violent braking however causes the hull to wobble, making your targeting less accurate). The reverse speed is good: it will get you out of a dangerous situation quickly but not enough to play overextending tactics. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot slow (2 km/h): make sure to build a little speed before turning and you'll turn faster (6 km/h). If you need to quickly turn your hull on the spot towards flanking enemies, privilege the reverse gear (-3 km/h). Turning at high speed makes you significantly lose speed but your acceleration compensates for that aspect.
 +
The stock tracks are narrow and grant you a decent mobility on hard terrain (solid ground, roads) but poor mobility on soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). Once researched, the "Winterketten" wide tracks for snowy terrain will grant you a very good mobility on soft terrain.
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} reaches 17 km/h when fording, 17 km/h when driving uphill with some speed built-up but a mere 7 km/h uphill from a stop start.
 +
Light and medium obstacles (fences, posts, bushes and small trees) are not a problem but large obstacles (trees, concrete blocks and parked vehicles) will hinder your mobility: avoid them.
 +
 
 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 +
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 +
{{main|PaK39 L48 (75 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| 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" | 79 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+15° || rowspan="2" | ±12° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 7.04 || 9.75 || 11.84 || 13.09 || 13.93 || rowspan="2" | 7.67 || rowspan="2" | 6.79 || rowspan="2" | 6.25 || rowspan="2" | 5.90
 +
|-
 +
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 4.76 || 5.60 || 6.80 || 7.52 || 8.00
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
The 75 mm PaK39 L48 cannon stays reliably accurate until 1,200 m distance. Beyond 1,500 m the loss of accuracy becomes a real handicap, together with the poor magnification of your optics. Using the "sight distance control" feature can help mitigate that aspect.
 +
 
 +
The average muzzle velocity of your APCBC and APCR shells still grants you flat predictible trajectories and thus helps firing at moving targets from a distance. HEAT and HE shells on the other hand are slow and will fly with a curved trajectory. Lacking a stabilizer, the tank can't accurately fire on the move.
 +
 
 +
The gun has a limited traverse on the horizontal axis. This can make the tracking of a target difficult as the gun quickly reaches a stop. Take that constraint into account when positioning your hull at a firing spot. The traverse speed of the gun however is slow in comparison to other tank destroyers at the battle rating, which makes your targeting process slow. The elevation angle is average and the depression angle is good. Make good use of it to shoot from behind ridges.
 +
 
 +
Your reload time is similar to vehicles at the same BR, if not a little longer than average. The gun recoil is average for a German vehicle and not important enough to throw your gun off target after firing.
 +
 
 +
Although exemplary at lower battle ratings, the PaK39 will find itself coming up short at the {{PAGENAME}}'s BR. Compared to analogue 75 & 76 mm cannons, the PaK39 comes last in both ballistic performance and muzzle velocity.
 +
 
 +
To compensate for these shortcomings, tanks mounting the PaK39 are able to use the PzGr 40 APCR shell which offers an increased penetration power at point blank range. Although lacking in significant post-penetration damage, using the APCR could mean the difference between disabling a vehicle and bouncing a shell.
 +
 
 +
==== Ammunition ====
 +
The ammunition available to the {{PAGENAME}} allows for engaging all types of targets:
 +
 
 +
* '''PzGr 39''': APCBC; a shell with explosive filler but an average penetration power. It will destroy any tank it penetrates and should be the main ammunition used in battle. Few vehicles will be able to withstand this shell but follow-up shots may be needed occasionally.
 +
* '''PzGr 40''': APCR; a composite round with the best penetration but no explosive filler and that will only penetrate flat vertical surfaces. Pack a few of these shells to use against heavily armoured foes that the '''PzGr 39''' can't penetrate, or when sniping as the higher muzzle velocity makes aiming at moving targets easier.
 +
* '''Hl.Gr 38B''': HEAT; a shaped charge with mediocre penetration but without penetration loss over distance. It penetrates only flat vertical surfaces but the post-penetration damage is very effective on open and lightly armoured vehicles. It has however a very slow muzzle velocity (around twice slower than your fast projectiles).
 +
* '''Sprgr. 34''': HE; a high-explosive round perfect to obliterate open and lightly armoured vehicles but it has a slow muzzle velocity.
 +
* '''K.Gr.Rot Nb.''': Smoke shell; useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
{{:PaK39 L48 (75 mm)/Ammunition|PzGr 39, Hl.Gr 38B, PzGr 40, K.Gr.Rot Nb., Sprgr. 34}}
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''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
 
 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
 +
<!-- '''Last updated: 1.101.0.44''' -->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! Full<br>ammo
 +
! 1st<br>rack empty
 +
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! 4th<br>rack empty
 +
! 5th<br>rack empty
 +
! 6th<br>rack empty
 +
! 7th<br>rack empty
 +
! 8th<br>rack empty
 +
! 9th<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''79''' || 69&nbsp;''(+10)'' || 59&nbsp;''(+20)'' || 49&nbsp;''(+30)'' || 43&nbsp;''(+36)'' || 35&nbsp;''(+44)'' || 29&nbsp;''(+50)'' || 21&nbsp;''(+58)'' || 11&nbsp;''(+68)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+78)'' || No
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
Notes:
 +
 
 +
* Pack 29&nbsp;''(+50)'' shells to go into battle with the right flank and hull empty.
 +
* Shells in racks are depleted by increments of two.
 +
* Sponson racks contain 10 shells each.
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
 +
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 +
{{main|MG42 (7.92 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="5" | [[MG42 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG42]]
 +
|-
 +
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 1,200 (150) || 1,200 || -3°/+4° || ±5°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
The {{PAGENAME}} has a MG42 machine gun. Since it is mounted on the hull, it cannot effectively shoot at planes. However, it does have a higher fire rate, making it useful for gunning down lightly armoured vehicles.
  
 
== Usage in battles ==
 
== Usage in battles ==
−
<!--Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).-->
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<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
−
As with every German tank destroyer getting flanked, will usually result in death. The only true way to use this tank to its ultimate advantage is to stay as far away from the battle as possible and stay perched high up. If you do find yourself at close range, protect your flanks, hide while reloading and ''don't miss''.
 
  
−
A very effective tactic is to move to the corner of a building, preferably facing down a road or area that the enemy will likely frequent. You can then peek around the corner, your frontal armour will be angled, but your rear and side armour will not be exposed to the enemy. This makes you very difficult to kill. Most enemy rounds will bounce or cause minimal damage.
+
;Combat tactics
  
−
Notable Enemies:
+
* In an offensive role, the {{PAGENAME}} should be played as a long range sniper, taking advantage of the APCBC shell's good penetration values, high gun accuracy and frontal sloped armour. Use your good mobility to get to a shooting spot. Engage targets from at least 1,000 m away to prevent enemy progress towards the objectives. You will also suppress enemy fire to prevent your team from being pinned down by enemy tank destroyers. Because of your weak side armour, always stay away from the frontline to avoid being flanked or swarmed and thus maximise your chances of survival. When engaging enemy tanks, privilege firing hull-down from behind cover. With your firepower, any enemy wandering in your sight alone is practically dead.
  
−
[[M4A3E2|M4A3E2 "Jumbo"]]: It is impossible to penetrate the Jumbo's front armour or it's turret without APCR ammunition. If you do happen to face it from the front, aim for the hull machine gun port, which is the biggest weakspot. If not, then proceed to flank it and shoot its weaker side armour. Always face your front armour to the Jumbo, and you won't be penetrated.
+
* In a defensive role, your role is to contain the enemy advance in case of a breakthrough. The enemy will be pushing forward and thus moving the front line, making engagements take place at a closer range than you're comfortable with. You should identify and target in priority choke points, narrow passages and corridors of the map that the enemy will be forced to take. Your limited gun traverse still allows you to monitor an area spanning 212 m at 500 m distance without having to reposition your hull. A flanking enemy, artillery strikes or CAS will be the greatest threats to the {{PAGENAME}} in that combat role.
  
−
[[Tiger (Germany)|Tiger]]: If the Tiger is not angled against you, shoot anywhere on the front plate, and it will penetrate. However, an angled Tiger is harder to kill. There are some weak spots around the gun mantlet, and a lucky shot may penetrate and incapacitate the turret crew, disabling the Tiger's 88mm gun.
+
* If you try to play the {{PAGENAME}} as a front-line tank or a support tank, you will be confronting with the following issues. As a turretless tank destroyer, your turning speed is too poor to manoeuvre quickly enough in close combat to face flanking enemies. You will be quickly disabled by any fire targeting your sides. As soon as you are immobilized (driver or transmission disabled), you are most likely dead. From up close, most tanks will have no problem penetrating your hull or your superstructure. And if are even slightly angled, most enemies will be able to penetrate your superstructure's side armour with little effort.
  
−
[[Panther (Disambiguation)|Panther]]: The Panther's high-penetrating gun with go through the Jagdpanzer. Aim for the turret or the side armour.
+
;Notable enemies:
  
−
[[IS-1]]: Shoot the lower glacis plate, turret ring, or the mantlet cheeks.
+
Any tank sporting a long gun of calibre 75 mm or bigger will disable you with little effort in a close range encounter at this battle rating because of your weak armour. For long range engagements, M4A3E2 Jumbos are the enemies most likely to bounce your shell from a distance. Luckily, it won't be able to return lethal fire from afar.
  
−
Tanks destroyers at this BR ([[SU-152]], [[Sturer Emil]], [[Dicker Max]]) will easily penetrate your front armour. It is best to fire off the first shot, as most of them do not have good armour.
+
;Defeating a {{PAGENAME}}
 +
 
 +
* Flanking the tank destroyer undetected and immobilizing it with your first shot remains your best chance to destroy it. But it is difficult because it will position very far from the frontline.
 +
* The most suitable shells to deal with a {{PAGENAME}} are APCBC or APHE shells with a high penetration power.
 +
* Force the {{PAGENAME}} out of position with indirect fire (artillery strikes) if you're at relative close range and it is locking down a passage.
 +
* As a turretless tank destroyer with weak side armour, initiate a pincer movement on the {{PAGENAME}} together with a teammate. This will force it to retreat and relocate or face the risk of being destroyed.
 +
* In case of a frontal attack (choke point/corridor), try blinding the {{PAGENAME}} with smoke and then swarm it with several tanks to saturate its defensive capacities.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
<!--Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 +
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
*Very comfortable to drive thanks to the fair acceleration & top speed
+
* Very comfortable to drive thanks to the fair acceleration and top speed
−
*Excellent gun traverse arc to each side gives the ability to shot while having your tank angled
+
* Excellent gun traverse arc to each side gives the ability to shot while having the tank angled
−
*Low profile, not an easy target at long ranges
+
* Low profile, not an easy target at long ranges
−
*Frontal armour is well sloped
+
* Can load APCR to help with heavier tanks
 +
* Frontal armour is well sloped and can mount tracks to improve protection
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
*Vulnerable sides
+
* Vulnerable sides
−
*Prone to ammo rack detonation
+
* Will often face vehicles that can punch through its armour frontally
−
*Small vehicle, if you get penetrated, all the crew can be knocked out in one hit.
+
* PaK39 is lacking compared to enemy armaments
 +
* Prone to ammo rack detonation
 +
* As with most casemates, a dead transmission or driver means a dead vehicle
 +
* Small vehicle, if it gets penetrated all the crew can be knocked out in one hit
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
<!--Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== Encyclopedia Info ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).-->
+
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
===Development===
 
===Development===
 
In September 1942, the Wehrmacht arms bureau called for a new type of assault vehicles. The specifications listed was 100 mm front armour, 40-50 mm on the sides, wide tracks, a top speed of 26 km/h, ground clearance of 50 cm, and a very low firing position. The design was to be armed with the 75 mm Pak 42 mounted on the [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks. Though this project was originally conceived over a completely new chassis, the [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV]] was chosen to be used instead. The design was to have a low silhouette and an enclosed casemate fighting compartment after experiences with the [[Marder III H|Marder IIIs]] showed that such features were necessary for a successful fighting vehicle.
 
In September 1942, the Wehrmacht arms bureau called for a new type of assault vehicles. The specifications listed was 100 mm front armour, 40-50 mm on the sides, wide tracks, a top speed of 26 km/h, ground clearance of 50 cm, and a very low firing position. The design was to be armed with the 75 mm Pak 42 mounted on the [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks. Though this project was originally conceived over a completely new chassis, the [[Pz.IV G|Panzer IV]] was chosen to be used instead. The design was to have a low silhouette and an enclosed casemate fighting compartment after experiences with the [[Marder III H|Marder IIIs]] showed that such features were necessary for a successful fighting vehicle.
Line 91: Line 194:
  
 
===Combat usage===
 
===Combat usage===
−
The Jagdpanzer IV (the name was interchangeable between all of its variants) was first issued on March 1944 and was employed in an anti-tank role in the Western and Eastern Front. The Jagdpanzer IV participated in the Normandy Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, and the Soviet Offensives on the Eastern Front. Their overall performance was very successful as tank destroyers and only sub-par in other roles that are usually taken by tanks or assault guns, as the high-velocity 75 mm cannon it mounts were unsuitable for anti-infantry and fortification purposes. However, they were soon put in positions of tanks due to shortages of capable fighting vehicles in German inventory. One of the popular Jagdpanzer IV aces was SS-Oberscharführer Rudolf Roy who was attached to the 12th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was killed while looking out of his Jagdpanzer IV hatch during the Battle of the Bulge.  
+
The Jagdpanzer IV (the name was interchangeable between all of its variants) was first issued on March 1944 and was employed in an anti-tank role in the Western and Eastern Front. The Jagdpanzer IV participated in the Normandy Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, and the Soviet Offensives on the Eastern Front. Their overall performance was very successful as tank destroyers and only sub-par in other roles that are usually taken by tanks or assault guns, as the high-velocity 75 mm cannon it mounts were unsuitable for anti-infantry and fortification purposes. However, they were soon put in positions of tanks due to shortages of capable fighting vehicles in German inventory. One of the popular Jagdpanzer IV aces was SS-Oberscharführer Rudolf Roy who was attached to the 12th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was killed while looking out of his Jagdpanzer IV hatch during the Battle of the Bulge.
  
 
After World War II ended, the Jagdpanzer IV's design still saw service with the German Bundeswehr as the ''[[JPz 4-5|Hanomag-Henschel JPz 4-5|Kanonenjagdpanzer]]'', which has the nearly same design as the Jagdpanzer IV, but most notably with a 90 mm gun. Some captured Jagdpanzer IVs were given out by the Soviet Union to Romania and Syria, but Romania scrapped all the German armour by 1954 and Syria used them in conflicts against Israel until 1967.
 
After World War II ended, the Jagdpanzer IV's design still saw service with the German Bundeswehr as the ''[[JPz 4-5|Hanomag-Henschel JPz 4-5|Kanonenjagdpanzer]]'', which has the nearly same design as the Jagdpanzer IV, but most notably with a 90 mm gun. Some captured Jagdpanzer IVs were given out by the Soviet Union to Romania and Syria, but Romania scrapped all the German armour by 1954 and Syria used them in conflicts against Israel until 1967.
  
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=== In-game description ===
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{{break}}
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"This self-propelled gun was developed in 1943 to strengthen German anti-tank defensive capabilities. A very low, welded hull was placed on the Pz.Kpfw. IV's chassis, with reasonably-sloped front and side armor plates. This way, the front armor was almost 50% thicker than the tank's base model. The combat and control crew compartments were located in the front, and the engine was in the rear. The tank destroyer was armed with a 75 mm 7,5cm Pak39 L/48 anti-tank gun with a long 48 caliber barrel, mounted in the combat crew compartment. On the exterior, the gun was covered by a massive, cast mantlet. To enhance the armor protection on the sides of the self-propelled vehicle, additional Schurzen side skirts were added. Self-propelled anti-tank guns released before September 1944 had anti-magnetic Zimmerit paste applied to their vertical surfaces.
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{{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'}}}}
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{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
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This self-propelled gun was developed in 1943 to strengthen German anti-tank defensive capabilities. A very low, welded hull was placed on the Pz.Kpfw. IV's chassis, with reasonably-sloped front and side armour plates. This way, the front armour was almost 50% thicker than the tank's base model. The combat and control crew compartments were located in the front, and the engine was in the rear. The tank destroyer was armed with a 75 mm 7,5cm Pak39 L/48 anti-tank gun with a long 48 calibre barrel, mounted in the combat crew compartment. On the exterior, the gun was covered by a massive, cast mantlet. To enhance the armour protection on the sides of the self-propelled vehicle, additional Schurzen side skirts were added. Self-propelled anti-tank guns released before September 1944 had anti-magnetic Zimmerit paste applied to their vertical surfaces.
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Vomag AG factories released 769 of these vehicles from January to October 1944.
 
Vomag AG factories released 769 of these vehicles from January to October 1944.
  
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In August 1944, vehicles began to be produced with the 75 mm 7.5 cm KwK. 42 L/70 gun, similar to the gun installed on the Panther tank. This transition passed smoothly, and production of Jagdpanzer IV tanks with the shorter guns gradually tapered off.
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In August 1944, vehicles began to be produced with the 75 mm 7.5 cm KwK42 L/70 gun, similar to the gun installed on the Panther tank. This transition passed smoothly, and production of Jagdpanzer IV tanks with the shorter guns gradually tapered off.
  
 
This tank destroyer enjoyed great popularity with tank troops, since its gun could knock out virtually any Allied tank of its day.
 
This tank destroyer enjoyed great popularity with tank troops, since its gun could knock out virtually any Allied tank of its day.
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This anti-tank gun fought with anti-tank divisions on all fronts.
 
This anti-tank gun fought with anti-tank divisions on all fronts.
  
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The generally successful vehicle had a number of shortcomings. Its front armor was 60 mm thick, resulting in the loss of a number of vehicles. However, increasing the thickness to 80 mm shifted the vehicle's center of gravity, overloading the front pair of road wheels, which were prone to fail."
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The generally successful vehicle had a number of shortcomings. Its front armour was 60 mm thick, resulting in the loss of a number of vehicles. However, increasing the thickness to 80 mm shifted the vehicle's center of gravity, overloading the front pair of road wheels, which were prone to fail.
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{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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<!--''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''-->
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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Skin and Camouflages for the [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=germany&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=tank_destroyer&vehicle=germ_jgdpz_IV_L48 Jagdpanzer IV] in Warthunder Live.
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_jgdpz_IV_L48 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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;Videos
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{{Youtube-gallery|M_EnuM2MoQ8|'''The Shooting Range #296''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 04:04 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
  
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
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;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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* [[Pz.IV (Family)]]
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;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
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* [[StuG III G]]
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* [[SU-85]]
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* [[75/46 M43]]
  
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
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* ''other literature.''-->
 
  
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* [[Wikipedia:Jagdpanzer_IV|[Wikipedia<nowiki>]</nowiki> Jagdpanzer IV]]
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* [[wikipedia:Jagdpanzer_IV|[Wikipedia] Jagdpanzer IV]]
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* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/jagdpanzer-iv.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> Jagdpanzer IV]
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* [https://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=241 <nowiki>[Military Factory]</nowiki> SdKfz 162 Jagdpanzer IV (Panzerjager 39)]
  
 
{{Germany tank destroyers}}
 
{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Latest revision as of 15:14, 27 July 2024

Jagdpanzer IV
germ_jgdpz_iv_l48.png
GarageImage Jagdpanzer IV.jpg
GarageImage Jagdpanzer IV AddArmour.jpg
ArtImage Jagdpanzer IV.png
ArtImage2 Jagdpanzer IV.png
Jagdpanzer IV
Germany flag.png Germany
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
4.7 4.3 4.3
Class:
Research:18 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:47 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Jagdpanzer IV (Sd.Kfz. Index: Sd.Kfz. 162) is the first variant of the Panzer IV medium tank-based tank destroyer family. It was created as a successor to the Sturmgeschütz III assault gun family against the wishes of Heinz Guderian, the inspector general of the Panzertruppen, and was the first casemate-style turretless tank destroyer built on a Panzer IV medium tank chassis. It is armed with a 75 mm Panzerjägerkanone 39 L/43 tank gun. The armour plates on the front are sloped. Internally, the ammunition racks and fuel tanks were moved to make room for the new superstructure. The auxiliary engine that drove the turret traverse mechanism was removed from the vehicle since it did not have a turret. The 80 mm thick sloping armour on the new superstructure provided effective protection equivalent to more than 100 mm of vertical armour. The superstructure was constructed from huge, interconnecting plates that were welded together to simplify the production process.

Introduced in the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41, the Jagdpanzer IV is a heavily armoured tank destroyer that can be played in both offensive and defensive roles. Its strong frontal armour plates make it difficult for most adversaries to penetrate. However, since it lacks a turret, players should not use it on city maps with narrow streets. Nevertheless, it is a formidable vehicle with excellent defence and main armament. It should be easy for players to take the initiative and lead the attack or hold down choke points.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull60 / 30 / 22
Turret60 / 30 / 22
Crew4 people
Visibility64 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Superstructure)
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 60 mm (47°) Upper glacis
50 mm (55°) Lower glacis 		30 mm (12-48°) + 5 mm (29°) Top
30 mm Bottom 		22 mm (15°) 20 mm (6°) Front
20 mm (2°) Rear
Superstructure 60 mm (50°) Front glacis
75 mm (conical) Gun mantlet
80 mm (spherical) Gun mount
120 mm (50°) Gun mount frame 		30 mm (29°) 30 mm (31°) 20 mm
60 mm Gun mount

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels and bogies are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • The add-on armour module adds tracks on the front and sides of the superstructure and the front hull.
  • Mudguards are 4 mm thick.

The Jagdpanzer IV has a very vulnerable front hull, which can be penetrated easily by most guns at the battle rating. The fact that the transmission is mounted directly behind the front glacis means that any shot will disable it. It can be a double-edged sword: the transmission will soak up most shots which can be good at long range, but at close range it is a death sentence, as it allows your enemy to casually flank to your vulnerable sides and take out your whole crew.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB44 / 9 km/h
RB and SB40 / 8 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
1 back
Weight24.5 t
Engine power
AB572 hp
RB and SB300 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB23.3 hp/t
RB and SB12.2 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock AoA Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 44 9 24 0.46 426 572 17.72 23.35
Realistic 40 8 265 300 11.02 12.24

Based on the chassis of the Pz.IV, the Jagdpanzer IV is slightly heavier but still benefits from the same all-round mobility: it accelerates steadily and is able to reach a maximum speed of 43 km/h in a dozen of seconds. The brakes are powerful and make the Jagdpanzer IV stop within metres (the violent braking however causes the hull to wobble, making your targeting less accurate). The reverse speed is good: it will get you out of a dangerous situation quickly but not enough to play overextending tactics. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot slow (2 km/h): make sure to build a little speed before turning and you'll turn faster (6 km/h). If you need to quickly turn your hull on the spot towards flanking enemies, privilege the reverse gear (-3 km/h). Turning at high speed makes you significantly lose speed but your acceleration compensates for that aspect. The stock tracks are narrow and grant you a decent mobility on hard terrain (solid ground, roads) but poor mobility on soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). Once researched, the "Winterketten" wide tracks for snowy terrain will grant you a very good mobility on soft terrain. The Jagdpanzer IV reaches 17 km/h when fording, 17 km/h when driving uphill with some speed built-up but a mere 7 km/h uphill from a stop start. Light and medium obstacles (fences, posts, bushes and small trees) are not a problem but large obstacles (trees, concrete blocks and parked vehicles) will hinder your mobility: avoid them.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB958 → 1 368 Sl icon.png
RB1 102 → 1 574 Sl icon.png
SB1 436 → 2 052 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications19 710 Rp icon.png
32 400 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost980 Ge icon.png
Crew training13 000 Sl icon.png
Experts47 000 Sl icon.png
Aces330 Ge icon.png
Research Aces280 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
70 / 100 / 140 % Sl icon.png
136 / 136 / 136 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank traks.png
Ostketten
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
145 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
145 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods tank additional armor.png
Add-on Armor
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
145 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
990 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 600 Sl icon.png
110 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
75mm_kwk_37_40_HEAT_ammo_pack
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
890 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
100 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
75mm_kwk_40_APCR_ammo_pack
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
1 200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 000 Sl icon.png
135 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
75mm_ger_Smoke_ammo_pack
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
145 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
1 300 Rp icon.png
Cost:
2 100 Sl icon.png
145 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

75 mm PaK39 L48 cannon
Ammunition79 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.6 → 5.9 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 15°
Horizontal guidance-12° / 12°
Main article: PaK39 L48 (75 mm)
75 mm PaK39 L48 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 79 -8°/+15° ±12° N/A 7.04 9.75 11.84 13.09 13.93 7.67 6.79 6.25 5.90
Realistic 4.76 5.60 6.80 7.52 8.00

The 75 mm PaK39 L48 cannon stays reliably accurate until 1,200 m distance. Beyond 1,500 m the loss of accuracy becomes a real handicap, together with the poor magnification of your optics. Using the "sight distance control" feature can help mitigate that aspect.

The average muzzle velocity of your APCBC and APCR shells still grants you flat predictible trajectories and thus helps firing at moving targets from a distance. HEAT and HE shells on the other hand are slow and will fly with a curved trajectory. Lacking a stabilizer, the tank can't accurately fire on the move.

The gun has a limited traverse on the horizontal axis. This can make the tracking of a target difficult as the gun quickly reaches a stop. Take that constraint into account when positioning your hull at a firing spot. The traverse speed of the gun however is slow in comparison to other tank destroyers at the battle rating, which makes your targeting process slow. The elevation angle is average and the depression angle is good. Make good use of it to shoot from behind ridges.

Your reload time is similar to vehicles at the same BR, if not a little longer than average. The gun recoil is average for a German vehicle and not important enough to throw your gun off target after firing.

Although exemplary at lower battle ratings, the PaK39 will find itself coming up short at the Jagdpanzer IV's BR. Compared to analogue 75 & 76 mm cannons, the PaK39 comes last in both ballistic performance and muzzle velocity.

To compensate for these shortcomings, tanks mounting the PaK39 are able to use the PzGr 40 APCR shell which offers an increased penetration power at point blank range. Although lacking in significant post-penetration damage, using the APCR could mean the difference between disabling a vehicle and bouncing a shell.

Ammunition

The ammunition available to the Jagdpanzer IV allows for engaging all types of targets:

  • PzGr 39: APCBC; a shell with explosive filler but an average penetration power. It will destroy any tank it penetrates and should be the main ammunition used in battle. Few vehicles will be able to withstand this shell but follow-up shots may be needed occasionally.
  • PzGr 40: APCR; a composite round with the best penetration but no explosive filler and that will only penetrate flat vertical surfaces. Pack a few of these shells to use against heavily armoured foes that the PzGr 39 can't penetrate, or when sniping as the higher muzzle velocity makes aiming at moving targets easier.
  • Hl.Gr 38B: HEAT; a shaped charge with mediocre penetration but without penetration loss over distance. It penetrates only flat vertical surfaces but the post-penetration damage is very effective on open and lightly armoured vehicles. It has however a very slow muzzle velocity (around twice slower than your fast projectiles).
  • Sprgr. 34: HE; a high-explosive round perfect to obliterate open and lightly armoured vehicles but it has a slow muzzle velocity.
  • K.Gr.Rot Nb.: Smoke shell; useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
PzGr 39 APCBC 145 143 130 116 104 93
Hl.Gr 38B HEAT 80 80 80 80 80 80
PzGr 40 APCR 182 177 159 140 122 107
Sprgr. 34 HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
PzGr 39 APCBC 770 6.8 1.2 14 28.9 48° 63° 71°
Hl.Gr 38B HEAT 450 4.4 0.05 0.1 872.1 62° 69° 73°
PzGr 40 APCR 990 4.1 - - - 66° 70° 72°
Sprgr. 34 HE 550 5.74 0 0.1 686 79° 80° 81°
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

Ammo racks of the Jagdpanzer IV
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 		Visual
discrepancy
79 69 (+10) 59 (+20) 49 (+30) 43 (+36) 35 (+44) 29 (+50) 21 (+58) 11 (+68) 1 (+78) No

Notes:

  • Pack 29 (+50) shells to go into battle with the right flank and hull empty.
  • Shells in racks are depleted by increments of two.
  • Sponson racks contain 10 shells each.

Machine guns

7.92 mm MG42 machine gun
Ammunition1 200 rounds
Belt capacity150 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: MG42 (7.92 mm)
7.92 mm MG42
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Hull 1,200 (150) 1,200 -3°/+4° ±5°

The Jagdpanzer IV has a MG42 machine gun. Since it is mounted on the hull, it cannot effectively shoot at planes. However, it does have a higher fire rate, making it useful for gunning down lightly armoured vehicles.

Usage in battles

Combat tactics
  • In an offensive role, the Jagdpanzer IV should be played as a long range sniper, taking advantage of the APCBC shell's good penetration values, high gun accuracy and frontal sloped armour. Use your good mobility to get to a shooting spot. Engage targets from at least 1,000 m away to prevent enemy progress towards the objectives. You will also suppress enemy fire to prevent your team from being pinned down by enemy tank destroyers. Because of your weak side armour, always stay away from the frontline to avoid being flanked or swarmed and thus maximise your chances of survival. When engaging enemy tanks, privilege firing hull-down from behind cover. With your firepower, any enemy wandering in your sight alone is practically dead.
  • In a defensive role, your role is to contain the enemy advance in case of a breakthrough. The enemy will be pushing forward and thus moving the front line, making engagements take place at a closer range than you're comfortable with. You should identify and target in priority choke points, narrow passages and corridors of the map that the enemy will be forced to take. Your limited gun traverse still allows you to monitor an area spanning 212 m at 500 m distance without having to reposition your hull. A flanking enemy, artillery strikes or CAS will be the greatest threats to the Jagdpanzer IV in that combat role.
  • If you try to play the Jagdpanzer IV as a front-line tank or a support tank, you will be confronting with the following issues. As a turretless tank destroyer, your turning speed is too poor to manoeuvre quickly enough in close combat to face flanking enemies. You will be quickly disabled by any fire targeting your sides. As soon as you are immobilized (driver or transmission disabled), you are most likely dead. From up close, most tanks will have no problem penetrating your hull or your superstructure. And if are even slightly angled, most enemies will be able to penetrate your superstructure's side armour with little effort.
Notable enemies

Any tank sporting a long gun of calibre 75 mm or bigger will disable you with little effort in a close range encounter at this battle rating because of your weak armour. For long range engagements, M4A3E2 Jumbos are the enemies most likely to bounce your shell from a distance. Luckily, it won't be able to return lethal fire from afar.

Defeating a Jagdpanzer IV
  • Flanking the tank destroyer undetected and immobilizing it with your first shot remains your best chance to destroy it. But it is difficult because it will position very far from the frontline.
  • The most suitable shells to deal with a Jagdpanzer IV are APCBC or APHE shells with a high penetration power.
  • Force the Jagdpanzer IV out of position with indirect fire (artillery strikes) if you're at relative close range and it is locking down a passage.
  • As a turretless tank destroyer with weak side armour, initiate a pincer movement on the Jagdpanzer IV together with a teammate. This will force it to retreat and relocate or face the risk of being destroyed.
  • In case of a frontal attack (choke point/corridor), try blinding the Jagdpanzer IV with smoke and then swarm it with several tanks to saturate its defensive capacities.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Very comfortable to drive thanks to the fair acceleration and top speed
  • Excellent gun traverse arc to each side gives the ability to shot while having the tank angled
  • Low profile, not an easy target at long ranges
  • Can load APCR to help with heavier tanks
  • Frontal armour is well sloped and can mount tracks to improve protection

Cons:

  • Vulnerable sides
  • Will often face vehicles that can punch through its armour frontally
  • PaK39 is lacking compared to enemy armaments
  • Prone to ammo rack detonation
  • As with most casemates, a dead transmission or driver means a dead vehicle
  • Small vehicle, if it gets penetrated all the crew can be knocked out in one hit

History

Development

In September 1942, the Wehrmacht arms bureau called for a new type of assault vehicles. The specifications listed was 100 mm front armour, 40-50 mm on the sides, wide tracks, a top speed of 26 km/h, ground clearance of 50 cm, and a very low firing position. The design was to be armed with the 75 mm Pak 42 mounted on the Panther tanks. Though this project was originally conceived over a completely new chassis, the Panzer IV was chosen to be used instead. The design was to have a low silhouette and an enclosed casemate fighting compartment after experiences with the Marder IIIs showed that such features were necessary for a successful fighting vehicle.

The Panzer IV chassis was converted into the Jagdpanzer IV, which featured new designs to the original. The utilization of the Panzer IV chassis was met with much criticism by General Heinz Guderian, who saw the diverting of Panzer IV tank resources as unnecessary since the current assault gun StuG III was more than adequate in the role and Germany still needed reliable tanks that it could use. The vertical front hull armour was replaced with large sloped armour plates, ammunition and fuel were moved to accommodate the new superstructure design, and the auxiliary engine that once powered the Panzer IV turret was removed. The superstructure had 80 mm thick sloping armour that gives it an effective 100 mm thick. To simplify the production of this vehicle, the superstructure was essentially made of large interlocking plates that are welded together. The vehicle had a crew of four, the commander, gunner, loader, and driver. The vehicle was armed with a 75 mm gun, though originally suppose to be the one from the Panther, shortages forced the mounting of older guns such as the 75 mm Pak 39 L/48 cannon, which were less powerful than the Panther's PaK 42, but were still lethal. Due to the different gun mounts, three main variants were produced from the Jagdpanzer IV, the original Jagdpanzer IV (with the 75 mm Pak 39 L/48 cannon), the Panzer IV/70 (V), and the Panzer IV/70 (A) (Both of which have the 75 mm Pak 42 L/70 cannon).

The Jagdpanzer IV, mounting the 75 mm Pak 39, was designed and produced by Vomag. It was produced from January to November 1944 with about 769 units produced. The early version had a muzzle brake and zimmerit anti-magnetic paste added to the vehicle. However, the muzzle brake was removed as it kicks up a large amount of dust from the ground that obscures the gunner's sights so that was removed, and the zimmerit was also removed after September 1944 due to rumours that they were causing vehicle fires. Other modifications were made to the design over time, but the biggest change in its production was the addition of Schürzen side armour plates.

Combat usage

The Jagdpanzer IV (the name was interchangeable between all of its variants) was first issued on March 1944 and was employed in an anti-tank role in the Western and Eastern Front. The Jagdpanzer IV participated in the Normandy Campaign, Battle of the Bulge, and the Soviet Offensives on the Eastern Front. Their overall performance was very successful as tank destroyers and only sub-par in other roles that are usually taken by tanks or assault guns, as the high-velocity 75 mm cannon it mounts were unsuitable for anti-infantry and fortification purposes. However, they were soon put in positions of tanks due to shortages of capable fighting vehicles in German inventory. One of the popular Jagdpanzer IV aces was SS-Oberscharführer Rudolf Roy who was attached to the 12th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion. He was killed while looking out of his Jagdpanzer IV hatch during the Battle of the Bulge.

After World War II ended, the Jagdpanzer IV's design still saw service with the German Bundeswehr as the Hanomag-Henschel JPz 4-5|Kanonenjagdpanzer, which has the nearly same design as the Jagdpanzer IV, but most notably with a 90 mm gun. Some captured Jagdpanzer IVs were given out by the Soviet Union to Romania and Syria, but Romania scrapped all the German armour by 1954 and Syria used them in conflicts against Israel until 1967.


Archive of the in-game description

This self-propelled gun was developed in 1943 to strengthen German anti-tank defensive capabilities. A very low, welded hull was placed on the Pz.Kpfw. IV's chassis, with reasonably-sloped front and side armour plates. This way, the front armour was almost 50% thicker than the tank's base model. The combat and control crew compartments were located in the front, and the engine was in the rear. The tank destroyer was armed with a 75 mm 7,5cm Pak39 L/48 anti-tank gun with a long 48 calibre barrel, mounted in the combat crew compartment. On the exterior, the gun was covered by a massive, cast mantlet. To enhance the armour protection on the sides of the self-propelled vehicle, additional Schurzen side skirts were added. Self-propelled anti-tank guns released before September 1944 had anti-magnetic Zimmerit paste applied to their vertical surfaces.

Vomag AG factories released 769 of these vehicles from January to October 1944.

In August 1944, vehicles began to be produced with the 75 mm 7.5 cm KwK42 L/70 gun, similar to the gun installed on the Panther tank. This transition passed smoothly, and production of Jagdpanzer IV tanks with the shorter guns gradually tapered off.

This tank destroyer enjoyed great popularity with tank troops, since its gun could knock out virtually any Allied tank of its day.

This anti-tank gun fought with anti-tank divisions on all fronts.

The generally successful vehicle had a number of shortcomings. Its front armour was 60 mm thick, resulting in the loss of a number of vehicles. However, increasing the thickness to 80 mm shifted the vehicle's center of gravity, overloading the front pair of road wheels, which were prone to fail.


Media

Skins
Videos
The Shooting Range #296 - Pages of History section at 04:04 discusses the Jagdpanzer IV.

See also

Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

External links


Germany tank destroyers
Pz. I Derivatives  Panzerjäger I
Pz. II Derivatives  15cm sIG 33 B Sfl
Pz. 38(t) Derivatives  Marder III · Marder III H · Jagdpanzer 38(t)
Pz. III Derivatives  StuG III A · StuG III F · StuG III G · StuH 42 G
Pz. IV Derivatives  Jagdpanzer IV · Panzer IV/70(A) · Panzer IV/70(V) · Dicker Max · Nashorn · Brummbär · VFW
Pz. V Derivatives  Jagdpanther G1 · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1
Pz. VI Derivatives  Sturer Emil · Elefant · Ferdinand · 38 cm Sturmmörser · Jagdtiger
Wheeled/Half-track  8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. · Sd.Kfz.251/9 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
ATGM Carrier  RakJPz 2 · RakJPz 2 (HOT) · Wiesel 1A2
Other  Waffenträger · M109G · JPz 4-5 · Raketenautomat · VT1-2

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