http://www.axis-and-allies.com/ Wed, 23 May 2012 08:37:04 -0500 FeedCreator 1.8.0-nukeFEED (http://nukeSEO.com) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2034#2034 Officially, only the L/48-armed vehicle was named Jagdpanzer IV. The L/70-armed vehicle was named Panzer IV/70. In this article, both versions are referred to in general as Jagdpanzer IV, except in the variants and surviving vehicles section.]]> no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2034#2034 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2033#2033 The Sturmgeschütz IV resulted from Krupp's effort to supply an assault gun. As Krupp did not build Panzerkampfwagen IIIs, they used the Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis in combination with a slightly modified Sturmgeschütz III superstructure.
Initial Project The first known proposal for a Sturmgeschütz on the Panzer IV chassis is in Krupp drawing number W1468 dated February 1943. This initial drawing unitized the outdated Sturmgeschütz Ausf. F superstructure on a Panzer IV chassis 9. This proposal had a sloped front superstructure with a combat weight of 28.26 tons. Krupp abandoned it in February 1943 because it was too heavy. Plans for the StuG IV were halted.
Another Project During the Führer Conference of August 19–22, 1943, after the battle of Kursk, Hitler had seen reports of the StuG III performing superior to the Panzer IV within certain restraints of how they were deployed. Convinced that a tank-hunter version would be superior to the tank version, Hitler planned to switch Panzer IV production to "Panzerjäger IV" production as soon as possible. It was to mount the same 7.5 cm L/70 used for the Panther. Another manufacturer, Vomag built a prototype Panzerjäger IV with 7.5 cm L/48 gun and demonstrated it on October 20, 1943. It was later re-designated as Jagdpanzer IV Ausf. F. As the Jagdpanzer IV was already being produced by Vomag, the StuG IV may not have materialized, had it not been for the major disruption of StuG III production, and the scarce supply of the 7.5 cm L/70 gun designated for the Jagdpanzer IV.
Restart of the StuG IV In November 1943, Alkett, a major StuG III manufacturer, was bombed. Alkett produced 255 StuG III in October 1943, but in December fell to just 24 vehicles. On December 6–7, 1943, at a conference with Hitler, he welcomed the suggestion of taking the StuG III superstructure and mounting it on a Panzer IV chassis. The StuG IV could be more quickly manufactured than the Jagdpanzer IV at the time. This re-started the Sturmgeschütz IV project. This time, the superstructure of the StuG III Ausf. G was mounted on a Panzer IV chassis 7, with a box compartment for the driver added. Combat weight was 23000 kg, lighter than the 23900 kg for the StuG III Ausf. G. On Dec. 16-17, 1943, Hitler was shown the StuG IV, and approved it. To make up for the large deficit in StuG III production, StuG IV production received full support.
From December 1943 to May 1945, Krupp built 1,108 StuG IVs and converted an additional 31 from battle-damaged Panzer IV hulls. While the number is smaller than the 9000+ StuG III, the StuG IV supplemented and fought along with StuG III during 1944-45, when they were most needed.
The StuG IV became known as an effective tank killer, especially on the Eastern Front.]]> no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2033#2033 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2032#2032 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2032#2032 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2031#2031 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2031#2031 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2030#2030 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2030#2030 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2029#2029 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2029#2029 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2028#2028 Initially known as Little Turret and Big turret, the 76-mm-armed tank was designated as the KV-1 Heavy Tank and the 152 mm howitzer one as KV-2 Heavy Artillery Tank.
The KV's strengths included armor that was impenetrable by any tank-mounted weapon then in service[4] except at point-blank range, that it had good firepower, and that it had good traction on soft ground. It also had serious flaws: it was difficult to steer, the transmission (which was a twenty year old Caterpillar design)[5] was unreliable (and was known to have to be shifted with a hammer),[6] and the ergonomics were poor, with limited visibility and no turret basket.[7] Furthermore, at 45 tons, it was simply too heavy. This severely impacted the maneuverability, not so much in terms of maximum speed, as through inability to cross many bridges medium tanks could cross.[8] The KV outweighed most other tanks of the era, being about twice as heavy as the heaviest contemporary German tank. KVs were never equipped with a snorkeling system to ford shallow rivers, so they had to be left to travel to an adequate bridge. As applique armor and other improvements were added without increasing engine power, later models were less capable of keeping up to speed with medium tanks and had more trouble with difficult terrain. In addition, its firepower was no better than the T-34.[9] It took field reports from senior commanders "and certified heroes", who could be honest without risk of punishment, to reveal "what a dog the KV-1 really was."[10]]]> no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2028#2028 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2027#2027 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2027#2027 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2026#2026 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2026#2026 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2025#2025 Almost completely immune to the 3.7 cm KwK 36 and howitzer-like, short barreled 7.5 cm KwK 37 guns mounted respectively on the early Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks fielded by the invading Nazi forces; until better guns were developed by the Germans it was often the case that the only way to defeat a KV was with a point-blank shot to the rear.
Prior to the invasion, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks then in Soviet service were of the KV-1 type. When the KV-1 appeared, it outclassed the French Char B1,[2] the only other heavy tank in operational service in the world at that time. Yet in the end it turned out that there was little sense in producing the expensive KV tanks, as the T-34 medium tank performed better (or at least equally) in all practical respects. Later in the war, the KV series became a base of development for the Joseph Stalin (Iosif Stalin, or IS) series of tanks.]]> no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2025#2025 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2022#2022 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2022#2022 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2021#2021 no_email@example.com (PanzerKreig) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2021#2021 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2020#2020 no_email@example.com (Planetshakers) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=2020#2020 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=1992#1992 no_email@example.com (Planetshakers) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=1992#1992 http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=1986#1986 no_email@example.com (Gizmotron) http://www.axis-and-allies.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=1986#1986