History of the Panzerkampfwagen IV

The PzkPfw IV, commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during WWII.

Designed as an infantry-support tank, the Panzer IV was not originally intended to engage enemy armour. However, with the flaws of the pre-war doctrine of separate infantry and cavalry tanks becoming apparent in combat, the Panzer IV soon assumed the tank-fighting role of its increasingly obsolescent cousin. The most widely manufactured and deployed German tank of the Second World War, the Panzer IV was used as the base for many other fighting vehicles, including tank destroyers and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Robust and reliable, it saw service in all combat theaters, and has the distinction of being the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout the war with over 8,500 produced between 1936 and 1945. Upgrades and design modifications, often made in response to the appearance of new Allied tanks, extended its service life. Generally these involved increasing the Panzer IV's armour protection or upgrading its weapons, although during the last months of the war and with Germany's pressing need for rapid replacement of losses, design changes also included retrograde measures to simplify and speed manufacture.

The Panzer IV was the most widely exported tank in German service, with around 300 sold to partners such as Finland, Spain and Bulgaria. After the war, the French and Spanish sold dozens of Panzer IVs to Syria, where during the 1960s they saw combat against Israel.