Panzer IV/70(V)

Panzer IV/70(V)

Jagdpanzer 38(t)

Jagdpanther G1

Panzer IV/70(V)

Jagdpanzer 38(t)

Jagdpanther G1

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
5.3	5.7	5.7

Class:

Tank destroyer

Research:33 000

Purchase:105 000

Description

The Panzer IV/70(V) is a rank III German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB) and 5.7 (RB/SB). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour	Front (slope angle)	Sides (slope angle)	Rear (slope angle)	Roof
Hull	80 mm (47°) Front glacis 50 mm (55°) Lower glacis	40 mm (29°) Top 30 mm (0°) Bottom 5 mm (0°) Skirts	22 mm (5°) Bottom 30 mm (31°) Top	20 mm (0°)
Superstructure	80 mm (50°) Turret Front 75 mm (18-63°) Shrapnel shield 75 mm (50-70°) Mantlet

Befitting of the German casemate destroyer line, the frontal armour on the Panzer IV/70 is one to be feared. It features a mighty frontal plate of 80 mm sloped at 50°, resulting in an awesome 120 mm of protection. The gun mantlet also is very well protected, and has over 150 mm in some areas. The amazing armour is made better when the player unlocks the "add-on armour" modification, applying tracks to the front and sides of the tank, and results in over 185 mm of protection in some areas. Even with this amazing armour, it is best to use the IV/70 at longer ranges, as this allows you to make use of your amazing gun and turns you from a difficult target to a nigh impenetrable one.

However, the side armour is very weak and is able to be penetrated by most things at your BR, so the player should take care to look out for flankers.

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	38	9	25.8	0.4	426	572	16.51	21.83
Realistic	35	8			265	300	10.27	11.45

Being based on the chassis of the Panzer IV, the all-round mobility is very solid. The tank is able to reach 43 km/h (27 mph) and hold itself there over most terrains and has very good hull traverse, allowing for quick turns. However the reverse speed is only 7.5 km/h. Not being able to reverse fast enough will sometimes put the player in a very dangerous situation.

Armaments

Main armament

The Panzer IV/70(V) bears the 75 mm PaK42 cannon with a medium rate of fire (9 sec reload). With the maximum penetration of 192 mm for the stock AP, this gun can frontally penetrate most opponents it will face. With its 28.9 g TNT filler, it can one shot almost all tanks upon penetration. The 935 m/s muzzle velocity allows easy targeting when aiming at moving targets. The gun traverse is average, but the depression of 7 degrees is very good given its small profile, allowing it to go into hull-down position at some place. The gun also comes with an unlockable APCR round which has a maximum penetration of a whopping 228 mm, and great velocity of over 1,100 m/s. Note that just like every other APCR shot, it is not good at piercing sloped / angled armour, and its damage is inadequate to one-shot the opponent.

75 mm PaK42					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	55	-7°/+15°	±12°	N/A	7.04	9.75	11.84	13.09	13.93	9.62	8.51	7.84	7.40
Realistic					4.76	5.60	6.80	7.52	8.00

Ammunition

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 39/42	APCBC	192	188	173	156	140	126
Sprgr. 42	HE	11	11	11	11	11	11
PzGr 40/42	APCR	228	224	204	182	162	145

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 39/42	APCBC	935	6.8	1.2	14.0	28.9	48°	63°	71°
Sprgr. 42	HE	700	5.74	0.1	0.5	725	79°	80°	81°
PzGr 40/42	APCR	1,120	4.75	N/A	N/A	N/A	66°	70°	72°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Panzer IV/70(V)

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
55	46 (+9)	36 (+19)	26 (+29)	16 (+39)	12 (+43)	4 (+51)	1 (+54)	No

Large sides empty: 16 (+39)

Machine guns

The tank has a MG42 commander machine gun with a high fire rate. It is able to quickly finish off the exposed crews of some vehicles. However, its traverse angles are very limited meaning a lot of the time the whole tank has to be moved to get the MG on target. Also the maximum penetration of 13 mm makes it useless against those not-so-lightly-armoured vehicles, like the BTR-152A, M18, etc.

7.92 mm MG42
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Hull	600 (150)	1,200	-6°/+15°	±5°

Usage in battles

This vehicle is very much a defensive weapon that should only be on the offensive if the situation is desperate. The gun it is armed with is one of the best at this rank. In terms of penetration and muzzle velocity, it will make short work of all but the toughest tanks. When taking fire, however, thePz IV/70(V)'s protection is inconsistent at best. Shots that strike the sloped upper superstructure are likely to bounce, but anywhere else and the shell will almost certainly penetrate at closer ranges. It is best to avoid confrontation if possible and let the other members of the team take the damage to allow the player to pick and choose the engagement. Ideally, the enemy won't have a chance to return fire. Allow room between the Panzer IV/70(V) and the enemy, and avoid traversing high-traffic areas; instead, keep an eye on them from a distance and let the enemy come towards the Panzer IV/70(V).

Urban areas should be avoided if possible. Entering such an area is an invitation for the enemy to flank, and the closeness of the engagements negates the main advantage of this tank: the gun. Engaging the enemy at close range doesn't utilise the L/70's excellent penetration at range.

Arcade battles

In Arcade battles, with the shot indicator showing the player where shots will land, the high-velocity L/70 can accurately hit targets at long ranges, and targets on the move as the shells arrive quickly at the target. The penetration indicator, which changes colour based on the chance of successful penetration, is a problem for the IV/70 (V). It highlights the weak areas of the tank to enemy players, making the weak spots obvious.

Arcade tends to be faster-paced than Realistic and Simulator, so the lack of a turret may be a large detriment as being flanked is quite common in this mode.

Realistic/Simulator battles

With a lack of markers above tanks and larger combat zones, Realistic and Simulator suit this vehicle well. Taking up a concealed firing position and engaging enemies from a distance is what this tank excels at. Be mindful of flanking attacks though, if consideration of exposed flanks and careful checking of these areas is not performed, it will likely be too late to respond to an enemy on a flank or behind. Keeping with the 'anti-tank gun with treads' analogy, zooming across the map and looking for enemies is not how this tank should be played. Let the enemy do the work because this tank is very poorly suited to assaulting. Usage of the binoculars is highly advised as they allow a zoomed-in 360-degree view without having to move the vehicle.

At the start of the match, the Panzer IV/70(V) is best used as a sniper for most of the times. The player can adapt their tactics from the StuG IIIs and the Jgdpz. 38t. A good way to get kills is to find a spot that:

• provides hard cover
• overlooks a key street / passage way
• has bushes to hide in
• is not too close to the frontline

This way the player can use the bushes to hide the Pz IV/70. If any opponent appears in the sight, the player can kill it easily with the great penetration, velocity and damage of the main cannon. If the enemy notices the player, either go back in cover until they are distracted, or utilise the sturdy frontal armour and be a "heavy tank". It can bounce quite some shells, given that the enemy's guns aren't strong enough.

As the match progresses, the player can use the Pz IV/70 as a medium tank since it has good top speed and traverse. Go cap some points and help the teammates to push. With its low profile, the Pz IV/70 can find a comfortable corner around a point and ambush any point-cappers. Now the situational awareness comes into place, as this vehicle is turretless, meaning it cannot respond quickly to close-quarter sudden encounters. Also note that the side armour is extremely thin, so even if the player thinks they're just angling a little bit, shells like the Russian 85 mm / 122 mm will still penetrate with ease.

Enemies worth noting:

• IS-2, ISU-122, SU/ISU-152: The Pz IV/70 relies on its frontal armour a lot to survive, so the biggest threats are generally the vehicles with high penetration. These machines with high calibre guns pose the biggest threat, as their APHEBC shells will slice through the Pz IV/70's frontal armour like butter, and their damage is more than enough to kill all the crew inside. Try and finish them off first before they see you. If they do, quickly go to a nearby cover and either call for help, or wait until they fire / are distracted.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks	Ostketten	Parts	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine	Add-on Armor	PzGr 40/42	Smoke grenade

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent firepower: decent rate of fire and good accuracy for the main gun. Stock shell has great penetration and damage, and can easily penetrate and one-shot most opponents like T-34-85, M4A2 / A3, IS-1, etc
• Low profile provides excellent concealment.
• Sloped 80 mm frontal armour provides good protection against most of the opponents, and is especially boosted with add-on armour. It is frontally immune to 76mm Shermans, T-34-85 and M18.
• Decent acceleration and excellent cross country performance
• Adequate gun depression of 7 degrees for a compact hull.

Cons:

• Lacks a turret which limits its combat potential and makes it vulnerable to flankers.
• Closely packed crew meaning a penetration from any angle will likely to destroy the tank.
• Poor side armour, extremely weak against APBCs like the Russian 85mm.
• The downward side of the gun mantlet is prone to trapshots (shell ricocheting down into the hull roof) which is lethal.
• Although frontal armor is thick, it can still get one-shot by the IS-2 regardless the angle and distance

History

In-game description

This variant of the anti-tank gun was developed in two different versions by the companies Vomag AG and Alkett. Though similar in combat power and armor protection, these machines were significantly different in appearance.

In August 1944, Vomag began producing its own Panzer IV/70 (V) variant with a 75 mm gun. The gun itself was positioned slightly to the right of the tank's longitudinal axis to allow better use of the vehicle's internal space. Due to the great length of the guns, they were held with a special bracket during non-combat movement. The destroyer's weight was increased to 26 tons. The great length of the barrel and the forward-weighted armor (80 mm) made the vehicle unbalanced, giving it low cross-country ability. Because of this, it was nicknamed "Guderian's duck" by the troops. The front pair of road wheels were made entirely of metal. This tank destroyer had Schurzen side skirts which protected the lower sides of the tank from anti-tank and hollow-charge projectiles. Vomag made a total of 930 of these tank destroyers.

The Panzer IV, Panzer IV/70 (A), and Panzer IV/70 (V) also had a commander's version produced, with a crew of five men, reduced ammunition, and an additional radio station.

The powerful armament of these vehicles made them quite popular with the Wehrmacht's anti-tank divisions. These self-propelled guns were widely used in combat operations during the final part of the war.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Panzer IV/70(V) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Best after-party picks discusses the Panzer IV/70(V) at 4:09 - War Thunder Official Channel

Best tank destroyers discusses the Panzer IV/70(V) at 7:10 - War Thunder Official Channel

See also

• Panzer IV/70(A) - Substituted version of the IV/70(V) produced by Alkett (hence the "A") with the gun placed atop the standard Panzer IV chassis and hull.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the tank;
• other literature.