What is this? Challenge II (Answered)

[Palantir]

Ok,
What (in detail) is this and why?
I know it's a MkIVtank!
I want details, details, details!
Hey and let some people take a guess ok!

Palantir :cheeky:

[[nzn]]

Rear ass shoot mKIII TANKETTE?

UMM.. JSUT A GUESS, ER? :p

[Bogdan]

IIRC, it is an end-war german prototype for an electrical motorisation of the Pz IV H (or J...). How many were built ? Surrely THIS only one :D

Regards,

Bogdan

[KG_Jag]

So that's where Cadillac got the idea for the rear end of its late 70's or early 80's Seville!

[Mantis]

It's what my wife thinks she's driving, based on her actions when she's behind the wheel... :D

[Palantir]

Hmmm, no, no and no.

I'll let the mystery run through the weekend and post on Monday if no one has answered correctly.

And yes, this is the only one of it's kind.

[KG_Jag]

It's the Pz IV Fressen, the little known roach coach version of the Mark IV. It served in all theaters, delivering stale, overpriced and unhealthy snacks to the men of the Wehrmacht (the SS had Panther and King Tiger versions) from late 1942 until the end of the war.

[Major Mojo]

Looks more like Sport -version :D

[[nzn]]

Yah, sport..

Mountain bike sport version, to drive downhill, ya know, when someone is chasing, heehhee :cheeky:

[Nidan1]

I believe it is a prototype designated VK2001(D) manufactured by Daimler. Not many were produced, and none saw active service.

[Palantir]

Our Mystery Tank is: :hmmm:

Official designation: Sonderausfuhrung des Panzerkamphwagen IV
Other designation: Panzerkamphwagen IV mit hydrostatischen Antrieb
Type: Medium battle tank with experimental drive

A common theme through the IV, as in all tanks, is to a bigger gun, thicker armor resulting in greater weight, slower speed, decreasing range. In July 1944 the SS ordered a prototype to address some of these issues. A single Pzkpfw IV Ausf G was converted thusly:

Hydrostatic drive, i.e. automatic, gearless transmission.
Transmission in the rear, outside of the original blunt end.
Freeing up a great amount of fighting compartment space for fuel, ammo?

Driving the rear, very small, sprocket, not the front.
Transmission cooling louvers (3) at the rear of both sides of the superstructure.

Rear armor, perhaps the same 20mm, now greatly curved, sloped, effective.
An Oct 44 drawing indicates sloping front armor was planned not completed.

A one of a kind and at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds Museum. :flag:
Go check it out! :thumup:

Palantir