AAF American Armoured Foundation Tank Museum - German WWII Panzer Mk IV Ausf H Medium Tank
Bill Maloney
11/19/2007

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01PanzerMkIV 02PanzerMkIV 03PanzerMkIVSideView 04PanzerMkIVSideView
01 Panzer Mk IV Ausf H Medium Tank 02 German Panzer Mk IV 03 Panzer Mk IV Side View 04 Panzer Mk IV Side View
05PanzerMkIV 05PanzerMkIVTurret 06PanzerkamphwagenMkIVFrontView 07PanzerMkIVSideView
05 German Panzer Mk IV Front View 05 Panzer Mk IV Ausf H Turret 06 Panzerkamphwagen Mk IV Ausf H Front View 07 German Panzer Mk IV Side View
08PanzerMkIVTracks 09PanzerMkIVFrontView 10PanzerMkIVFrontView 11PanzerMkIVCopula
08 Panzer Mk IV Tracks 09 Panzer Mk IV Front View 10 Panzer Mk IV Front View 11 Panzer Mk IV Copula

Panzer PzKpfw Mk IV Ausf H Specifications:

Length: 19 feet, 4 inches
Width:
9 feet, 7 inches
Height:
8 feet, 6 inches
Crew:
5
Weight:
26 Tons
Max Speed: 25 mph
Range: 130 miles
Armor: 2 " Frontal
Powerplant: Maybach 120 TRM V12 Water Cooled Gasoline engine 320hp
Fuel Capacity:
Armament:
  7.5cm Kw. K. 40 L/48
  Two 7.62mm Machine Guns
Entered Service: 1943
Unit Cost: $

This vehicle served the German army in either North Africa or the Middle East during WWII. At war's end the Syrians snatched up the salvageable Panzer Mk IVs and whatever parts they could scrounge and continued using them into the 60s. This example was captured by the Israelis during the 6 day war. Not only were they used as mobile tanks, but when hulls or drivetrains were damaged beyond repair the turrets with their excellent guns and optics were removed and placed in static anti tank positions. These were very difficult to see and the Israelis made sure to round up as many as they could at the end of the conflict. The AAF Tank Museum traded one of their vehicles to the Israelis for this Panzer Mk IV. Unfortunately the info card did not list what vehicle it was and the staff members I spoke with did not either. It's in remarkable shape and doesn't appear to have been restored since it's capture.


George wrote me with some more details on the history of the Panzer Mk IV:

As far as the Mark IV goes, here's how I remember its story.

It was captured at the end of W.W.II. Supposedly it was at a factory and was never used in battle. I believe that even though Germany was building the biggies like the Panther, Tiger and King Tiger, they never stopped production if the Mark IV...anyway, my history on Axis production is rust but the story goes that the tank was captured by the Russians, brand new, sitting in the factory yard. It is not a combat veteran.

The Russians put these tanks in I believe Hungary where it was part of that army for some time. Apparently at some point the Russians either gave or sold a bunch of these Mark IVs to Syria . Syria used these tanks as Pillboxes and would fire them into Israel . During the 6 Day War, Israel captured a handful of these tanks and brought them back into their borders. A handful of these tanks then sat in a bone yard for a couple of decades.

The museum owner heard these stories and discovered that Israel  really did have a few of these Mark IVs. At the time he contacted a dealer over there, the Israeli Government was in the process of building a museum that celebrated the history of Israeli armor. They were looking for examples of tanks that had been used during the course of their history. The owner asked if they were interested in swapping a Stuart for a Panzer IV. They agreed. The Stuart they took had an exterior restoration. I believe it was complete but was not running. Unfortunately, I never took a look inside and one day it was just gone. They were in the mists of swapping for 2nd Panzer IV when the Israeli's realized that they could get much more for these tanks than they agreed to with the first trade so the deal for the 2nd Mark IV fell apart.

While it never saw any action during the 2nd World War, I think it did manage a pretty colorful history for itself.

I've been inside it. It's not pristine but at the same token, it's in much better shape than many of the more modern examples at the museum. It had leaked a little fluid here and there so it's quite possible that it could be restored to running someday.


Panzer Mk IV Ausf H at the US Army Ordnance MuseumAnother German Panzer Mk IV Ausf H Medium Tank can be found at the US Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds

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