Difference between revisions of "Pz.IV F2"

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[[File:GarageImage Pz.IVF2.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
[[File:GarageImage Pz.IVF2.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''Panzer IV F2''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. Introducing the [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|long 75 mm cannon]] onto the Panzer IV tank, the Panzer IV F2 presents the new age of firepower for the medium tank.
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}'''is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. It is essentially the earlier [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV Ausf. F1]] rearmed with a long-barreled 75 mm gun for much greater anti-tank capabilities.
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The Panzer IV F2 is a very capable tank on the battlefield. It can engage enemies at medium range with startling effectiveness, but at long ranges, its effectiveness starts to drop.
 
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The Pz. IV F2, along with the IV G, is one of the mainstays of the German armour line in Rank II/III. Unlike the previous C/E models, it has a much more powerful KwK 40 L/43 75mm long-barrelled gun that can reliably penetrate nearly every single tank within the F2's BR range (2.3-4.3). The new gun is a very welcome upgrade for any German tanker, having a very good PzGr 39 shell with good HE filler and high velocity. It is not recommended to use APCR due to poor spalling/fragmentation effects and low ranged penetration except against the thickest armour.
 
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Besides the gun, the F2 also possesses decent manoeuvrability. While not on par with certain Russian and British tanks such as the T-34 and Cromwell, the IV can still comfortably outflank and outspeed Shermans, KV-1s, and in some cases, unspaded T-34 models. Use this manoeuvrability to avoid shots and get into crucial firing positions, as the IV F2 has very poor armour compared to its contemporaries.
 
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The armour on the IV F2 is unfortunately very bad for its 3.3 BR. Without the added tracks/armour, the 50mm front plate and mantlet are far from sufficient at stopping any shell besides HMG fire at 3.3. Use the F2's mobility to reach comfortable firing positions, and do not overexpose the thin side armour. It is also recommended to not take more than ~40 shells, the IV F2 is very vulnerable to ammo-racking with a full ammo loadout.
 
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'''Remember: while the F2 can penetrate (and basically OHK) every tank within its BR range, it can be penetrated by any tank in return. '''
 
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The most distinctive feature of this variant is a '''new [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|KwK 40 L/43 gun]]''', found with only minor adjustments on all later Pz.IV variants, as well as on some StuG tank destroyers. It is one of the most powerful guns around its [[BR]], having both very good penetration and damage potential. Overall, this weapon is very similar to 76 mm guns equipped on many T-34s, albeit with more penetration at the expense of some post penetration damage. Unlike the main guns featured on previous Pz.IV models, the KwK 40 L/43 is quite accurate and fires at a higher velocity. With this gun, the Pz.IV F2 is more than capable of tackling any armour it faces. There are almost no tanks at this BR that are well armoured enough to withstand its gun. Factor this with good gun depression and a stable chassis and it results in an excellent vehicle. Other than the gun itself, the F2 features no other notable differences than previous models; it uses the exact same hull as its predecessor, the [[Pz.IV F1|Pz.IV F1]]. It also retains the generally good manoeuvrability from earlier Panzer IVs.
 
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The tank is not perfect though. It is by no means the fastest tank at the BR, with the T-34 being almost 10 km/h faster and the Cromwell 15 km/h faster. Then there is the armour. It is flat and quite thin at 50 mm and can be penetrated by most Rank 1 gun at 500 m or less. Angling can increase its effectiveness, but too much can expose the even thinner side armour. The roof armour is even worse, at only 10 mm, meaning that 12.7 mm AP rounds can penetrate the Panzer IV from above. This makes the F2 a good target for pretty much any vehicle on the game (except some low-rank SPAA). Another big weakness that the F2 shares with its predecessors are its large commander's cupola, which only has 30 mm of protection. A well-aimed HE round or APHE round can at the very least knock out the commander, if not the entire turret crew.
 
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
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''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.''-->
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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:'''  
 
'''Armour type:'''  
  
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'''Notes:'''
 
'''Notes:'''
  
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* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.
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* Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick, while the tracks are 20 mm thick.
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* Armour will, unfortunately, let down the F2 in any frontal engagement to the point where even the T-50 or BT-5 can penetrate the front at close range, and penetrate the side and rear at virtually any range. The turret armour all round is practically the same.
 
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* Most rounds shot at the cupola would only knock out the commander, but some penetrating APHE shells (after exploding inside the cupola) create a wave of shrapnel that bounces from the inside of the cupola into the turret, often knocking out the entire turret crew.
 
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Due to its weak armour, enemies with 37 mm guns or larger can pose a threat. So take every enemy tank seriously, especially if they are on the flanks. In particular, watch out for tanks that fire powerful HE shells, like the SU-122 and Type 4 Ho-Ro. They will easily destroy the Panzer by aiming at the cupola, or turret armour. If the Pz.IV F2 has been up-tiered then watch out for KV-1's. The Pz.IV F2 can penetrate it from the front however these spots are small and it will easily penetrate the Panzer IV while it is reloading if the Panzer does not knock out the KV-1 with one shot.
 
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== 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= 465|rbMinHp= 265|AoAweight= 0.35}}
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 465|rbMinHp= 265|AoAweight= 0.35}}The mobility of the Ausf. F2 is comparable to that of the earlier Ausf. 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 problems. The reverse speed of 10 km/h is also relatively good, allowing it to back off fairly quickly for a medium tank.
  
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== Armaments ==
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== Armament ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
 
<!--''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 flexibilty 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.''-->
 
<!--''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 flexibilty 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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{{main|KwK 40 (75 mm)}}
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{{main|KwK 40 (75 mm)}}The biggest difference between the Ausf. F2 and the Ausf. F1 is the new long-barreled '''7,5 cm KwK 40 L/43''' gun. As easily the best gun available to any medium tank at the Ausf. F2's BR, the KwK 40 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.
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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.
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Smoke and HE shells are also available, although their use is rather situational.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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=====Shell types=====
 
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*'''PzGr 39''' - Armour Piercing Ballistic Cap shell - This is the main ammo type, always use this if there's a chance of penetrating the enemy armour. It deals the most damage because of its explosive filler.
 
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*'''PzGr 40''' - Armour Piercing Composite Rigid shell - The extra penetration can help at longer ranges, but does less overall damage. Use only against targets that the stock ammo wouldn't likely penetrate (like the side of the turret on a [[M4A3E2|Jumbo]]).
 
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*'''Hl.Gr. 38B''' - Cumulative Anti-armour shell - it is recommended to completely avoid this kind of shell as its performance is vastly inferior in all aspects compared to APCBC or APCR ammo used by this tank.
 
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*'''SprGr. 34''' - High Explosive shell - Carry only very few of these. They are useless against anything other than unarmoured AA vehicles, to which it is lethal.
 
  
 
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
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|}
 
|}
  
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Turret empty: 58&nbsp;''(+29)''
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The tank can carry up to 87 rounds, which is more than sufficient for most battles. It is recommended to carry only 58&nbsp;rounds at most, as this will reduce the likelihood of ammunition detonation if the turret is penetrated.
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
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|}
 
|}
  
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== Usage in the battles ==
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== Usage in battle ==
 
<!--''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 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).''-->
 
<!--''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 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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Always try to use the terrain to the tank's advantage. This vehicle retains the superb gun depression of the previous Panzer IVs, which allows the player to hide the tank's entire hull behind terrain and to only expose its turret while shooting. Too much enemy attention (even from a distance) poses a serious problem as the F2's turret is unable to deflect almost anything that hits it. After firing few shots, always retreat back to cover and let the opponents find another target before re-engaging.
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A veritable glass cannon, the Ausf. F2 has one of the best guns of its BR, 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.
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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 cose 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 uptiers, where other medium tanks begin to struggle against the heavier tanks that can be faced.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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* The 75mm KwK 40 cannon is fantastic, expect a lot of destruction with just one shot
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* Outstanding penetration and lethality with the stock APCBC shell
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* The stock PzGr 39 shell has sufficient penetration and damage capable of destroying most tanks
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* High-penetration APCR shot
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* PzGr 40 APCR shell has high muzzle velocity and high penetration for the heavily armoured foes
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* Excellent gun depression
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* Gun depression of 10 degrees, rarely will have to expose the hull when shooting over hills
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* Great mobility and top speed compared to later Panzer IV variants
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* Great mobility and top speed, fastest of all Panzer IV with the KwK 40
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* Competitive even when facing higher BR opposition.
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* Very large ammo capacity at 87 rounds
 
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* Is a good tank even in high-rank games thanks to its speed and firepower
 
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
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* Armour is only 50 mm at its thickest, every tank the F2 faces can punch right through the armour with ease
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* Thin armour
−
* Due to its sub-optimal armour, the F2 can be easily dealt with in close quarters combat. Must rely on the F2's speed and manoeuvrability when attempting to brawl
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* Poor post-penetration damage with APCR
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* Cramped tank with ammo stocked all over the fighting compartment. Most penetrating APHE shells will either knock out the entire crew or detonate an ammo rack. Going into battle fully loaded is not advised
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* Cramped crew compartment with ammunition scattered all over the fighting compartment
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* Despite the great gun depression, like all the other Panzer IV's, the F2 has a huge commander's cupola atop a weakly armoured turret Continuous turret exposure will yield disastrous results
+
* Large commander's cupola
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* F2's matchmaking is quite a leap from previous Panzer IV's. Brand new F2 players will begin to encounter "big" anti-tank guns
 
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* PzGr 40 APCR tends to bounce due to the bad normalization. Not to mention that it does little in post-penetration damage
 
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* High penetration rounds may over-penetrate thinly armoured vehicle and cause minimal damage
 
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* The Hl.Gr 38B HEAT shell has worse muzzle velocity, penetration, and post-penetration damage than the stock PzGr 39 shell. HEAT is only worth carrying to hull break various "milk trucks" and "potato trucks" (SPAAG) that the tank may encounter.
 
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* Can struggle against heavily sloped armour due to penetration drop-off with increasing angle-of-attack
 
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==

Revision as of 05:09, 14 April 2020

Introducing Wiki 3.0
Pz.IV F2
germ_pzkpfw_iv_ausf_f2.png
Pz.IV F2
Germany flag.png Germany
II Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
3.3 3.3 3.3
Class:
Research:9 200 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:16 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png

Description

GarageImage Pz.IV F2.jpg


The Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. F2is a rank II German medium tank with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. It is essentially the earlier Panzer IV Ausf. F1 rearmed with a long-barreled 75 mm gun for much greater anti-tank capabilities.

General info

Survivability and 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 and 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)
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
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 30 mm 10 mm

Notes:

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

Mobility

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 48 9 22.3 0.35 465 572 20.81 25.2
Realistic 43 8 265 300 11.86 13.22
The mobility of the Ausf. F2 is comparable to that of the earlier Ausf. 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 problems. The reverse speed of 10 km/h is also relatively good, allowing it to back off fairly quickly for a medium tank.

Armament

Main armament

Main article: KwK 40 (75 mm)
The biggest difference between the Ausf. F2 and the Ausf. F1 is the new long-barreled 7,5 cm KwK 40 L/43 gun. As easily the best gun available to any medium tank at the Ausf. F2's BR, the KwK 40 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 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.

75 mm KwK 40
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
87 -10°/+20° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 13.33 18.45 22.40 24.77 26.35
Realistic 8.33 9.80 11.90 13.16 14.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
7.67 6.78 6.25 5.90
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr 39 APCBC 137 135 123 110 98 88
PzGr 40 APCR 175 173 151 127 108 91
Hl.Gr 38B HEAT 80 80 80 80 80 80
Sprgr. 34 HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
PzGr 39 APCBC 740 6.8 1.3 15.0 28.9 +4° 48° 63° 71°
PzGr 40 APCR 919 4.2 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Hl.Gr 38B HEAT 450 4.4 0.0 0.1 872.1 +0° 62° 69° 71°
Sprgr. 34 HE 550 5.7 0.1 0.1 686 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Smoke characteristic
Ammunition Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Screen radius
in m 		Screen time
in s 		Screen hold time
in s: 		Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
K.Gr.Rot Nb. 423 6.8 13 5 20 50
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the Panzer IV F2
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		7th
rack empty 		8th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
87 78 (+9) 68 (+19) 58 (+29) 48 (+39) 38 (+49) 28 (+59) 19 (+68) 10 (+77) 1 (+86) Yes

The tank can carry up to 87 rounds, which is more than sufficient for most battles. It is recommended to carry only 58 rounds at most, as this will reduce the likelihood of ammunition detonation if the turret is penetrated.

Machine guns

Main article: MG 34 (7.92 mm)
7.92 mm MG 34
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
3,000 (150) 900 N/A N/A

Usage in battle

A veritable glass cannon, the Ausf. F2 has one of the best guns of its BR, 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 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, the Ausf. F2 cannot hope to bounce anything but the weakest guns from the front, and should thus be played a lot more cautiously.

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 VII is reasonably immune, but even its frontal armour can be penetrated by the APCR shell at cose 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 uptiers, where other medium tanks begin to struggle against the heavier tanks that can be faced.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Outstanding penetration and lethality with the stock APCBC shell
  • High-penetration APCR shot
  • Excellent gun depression
  • Great mobility and top speed compared to later Panzer IV variants
  • Competitive even when facing higher BR opposition.

Cons:

  • Thin armour
  • Poor post-penetration damage with APCR
  • Cramped crew compartment with ammunition scattered all over the fighting compartment
  • Large commander's cupola

History

Development

The Pz.Kpfw. IV's creation, like its predecessor the 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 and KV-1 tanks. The Panzer IV Ausf. F1 with its short 75 mm howitzer was upgraded with the KwK 40 L/43, then designating it the Panzer IV Ausf. F2. The new cannon was able to penetrate 77 mm of armour at 1,800 meters 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 meters 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 was no match to its long range gun, and the 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 Panzer IV Ausf. G with a few upgrades.

In-game description

"The next variant of this tank was designed to increase its combat power. A new 75 mm 7,5 cm KwK 40 gun with a long 43-caliber barrel and a muzzle velocity of 770 mps for armor-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 armor on the gun's recoil devices was modified. This variant's operational weight was 23,000 kilograms.

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 armor 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."

Media

Skins and camouflages for the "Panzer IV F2" from live.warthunder.com.

Sights

Read also

A 3D camera perspective inside a Panzer IV gunner seat. Panzer IV seems to be F2 or lower due to presence of turret side vision ports.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Germany medium tanks
Pz.III  Pz.III B · Pz.III E · Pz.III F · Pz.III J · Pz.III J1 · Pz.III J1 TD · Pz.III L · Pz.III M · Pz.III N
Pz.IV  Pz.IV C · Pz.IV E · Pz.IV F1 · Pz.IV F2 · Pz.IV G · Pz.IV H · Pz.IV J · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J
Pz.V  VK 3002 (M) · Panther A · Panther D · Panther F · Panther G · Ersatz M10 · Panther II
M48 upgrades  M48A2 G A2 · M48 Super
Leopard 1  Leopard I · Leopard A1A1 · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 1A5 · C2A1 · Turm III
Leopard 2  PT-16/T14 mod. · Leopard 2K · Leopard 2AV
  Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M · Leopard 2 PL · Leopard 2A5 · Leopard 2 PSO · Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7V
Trophies  ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r)
Other  Nb.Fz. · KPz-70
USA  mKPz M47 G · M48A2 C
USSR  ◊T-72M1

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