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| This portside view of the PivJ shows the sheet metal schurtzen found on the later models of the panzer IV to good effect. The sheets themselves were designed to neutralise the penetrating power of hollow charge anti tank rounds used to annoying effect by Russian tank hunting teams, the idea being for the shell to detonate on the schurtzen and thus expend the majority of its penetrating power in the space between it and the main hull. Towards the end of the war, these solid sheet schurtzen were replaced on some J models with wire mesh. The armored skirt around the turret also served the same purpose, you can see the gates engineered into it leading to the access hatches on the turret main ( these are duplicated on the starboard side of the vehicle). Also visible in this shot is the cuppola mounted anti aircraft machine gun, a vital addtion for armor operating on the western front ( see the Porche King Tiger for a similar installation )where the menace from the dreaded "Jabos" (fighter bombers) was ever present. Eastern machines, although suffering attack from the Soviet Airforces, were not harrased on the massive scale thier western counterparts had to endure and thus you may not see this mount on vehicles in that theatre of operations. |
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