![]() The Ausf J version, made by Germany late in the USA’s bombing offensive, lacked some features including the 92mm launcher and the turret drive motor relying solely on the emergency handwheel. Most military historians consider this the best of the Pz.Kpfw IV models.) (Syrian Panzer IV Ausf H captured by Israel. A snubnose 92mm barrel in the roof allowed the firing of smoke grenades or signal flares. The electrically-traversed turret was offset about 2½” to the left to counteract a slight rightwards orientation of the engine. The armor varied, being 3″ on the glacis and turret face, 1¼” on the sides, and ¾” over the engine compartment’s rear. IV weighed 27 ½ tons and was 19’5″ long (23′ including the gun barrel). A few links were carried on the right side, and more on the front glacis.) The spare tread links were both a breakdown recovery item, and added a bit of extra armor for the crew. There were two secondary machine guns, either MG-34s or MG-42s, one coaxial and one in a ball mount in the tank’s nose. ![]() The WWII-era TZF.5f gunsight was retained by the Syrians. The Panzer IVs Syria operated were of the late four versions.Īll of the Panzer IVs Syria used had the “long-barrel version” of the Rheinmetall KwK 40 gun which could penetrate a M4 Sherman’s armor at ranges up to 1,000 yards under ideal circumstances. It underwent great evolution during it’s production run, being made in ten main versions. It served the entire conflict from start to finish. This was the most common German tank during WWII. Quite improbably, Syria had assembled it’s collection of ex-Wehrmacht vehicles from a half-dozen sources over a decade and a half timeframe. It has not said whether it would be willing to give some to Ukraine.The last appearance by WWII German tanks on the world’s battlefields came in 1967, when Syria’s panzer force faced off against modern Israeli armor. The Leopard 2 runs on a more economical engine that burns diesel, which is also easier to obtain than kerosene.īritain is considering supplying some of its Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, according to media reports.įrance operates Leclerc tanks. He added that, while the Abrams could also be driven with diesel, this would not bring down consumption to an acceptable level. "The kerosene consumption of the Abrams is so high that Ukraine does not stand a chance of operating it in the current war-time supply situation," Schulze says. The United States operates thousands of M1 Abrams tanks built by General Dynamics but they are seen as unsuitable for Ukraine as they are driven by gas turbine engines. WHAT OTHER WESTERN BATTLE TANKS ARE THERE? Countries ordering new tanks need to be prepared to wait two to three years for delivery.Įven if production were ramped up, experts say it could take at least two years for the first new tanks to leave the factory. Germany's defence industry is banned by law from producing them for stock-keeping. Germany has about 350 Leopard 2 tanks today, compared to some 4,000 battle main tanks at the height of the Cold War, German military expert Carl Schulze says.Īt the same time, it is all but impossible to buy a large amount of Leopard 2 tanks quickly. Many countries drastically reduced their armies after the fall of communism. But in general, three decades after the end of the Cold War, tanks and other heavy weapons are in scarce supply in most of the West. The Leopard 2 is one of the most widely used Western tanks. Nations operating the Leopard include Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Turkey. This would also make it easier for Ukraine to manage maintenance and crew training. This means several nations could each chip in some of their tanks to support Ukraine. The tank weighs more than 60 tons, has a 120mm smoothbore gun and can hit targets at a distance of up to five km. German defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has built more than 3,500 Leopard 2 tanks since beginning production in 1978. The tank is regarded as one of the West's best.
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