Why the Panzer IV was NOT the Workhorse of the Wehrmacht

Link to the mentioned book: » Panzer! Medium Panzer Company 1941 - www.hdv470-7.com/ More books from the Military History Group: » militaryhistorygroup.com/

the real workhorse were definitely horses

Panzer III chassis didn't choose StuG life, StuG life chose them.

It really is amazing how Germany clearly didn't fully commit to war production until after they had already effectively lost.

I think the main reason the Panzer IV (particularly the long-barreled versions) is thought of as a workhorse is because it was one of the most likely tanks a Sherman or T-34 tanker would encounter of similar capability to their own workhorse of a tank. Thus, documentaries/docudramas tend to show them as common counterparts and video games like Company of Heroes balances all 3 tanks effectively the same in terms of role, cost, and performance, even if statistically plenty of Panthers and Panzer IIIs were running around the actual battlefields. It's easier for people to apply a common logic for all 3 tanks than to constantly be accounting for differences with the mega-variety pack of combat vehicles the Germans deployed in the war which definitely can complicate historical narratives or video game design especially to lay audiences.

You are right in sheer numbers but the term “workhorse” can refer to the fact the Panzer IV was the only German tank produced through out the war, along with the Stug. They were both continuously upgraded, so both were sound platforms. Ironically it was the Panzer II and III that won the early war victories but usually don’t get enough credit - except on your channel. The Russian and US production numbers were really interesting and showed German tank production was completely inadequate - and you didn’t even include total British production, which was quite significant.

The reason Panzer 38 T chassis was built so much was the Skoda works did not have cranes that where heavy enough to lift the Panther or Tiger tank chassis. Or they would have been working on panthers.

The workhorse of the Wehrmacht was the workhorse.

I think one factor that contributes to this idea of the „workhorse“ was that the Panzer IV was present in some form for the entirety of the war. It was deployed from the very beginning of the war until the very end, and during that time it never went out of production. On the surface that makes it seem very dominant, even if the actual numbers don‘t totally back this up.

That's a great perspective and analysis. There seems to be a recurring theme and pattern when we look at German wartime R&D / production. That is an inability to settle on a set of requirement specifications for a piece of equipment to satisfy a given battlefield requirement. It appears that even when a design was finalized, production was frequently halted to add features and capabilities that had only a minor impact on the overall performance of the end product. One possible exception being the Bf-109 perhaps. Curiously it seems that one of the frequent criticisms of the Sherman and T-34 is that these designs were not upgraded frequently enough. That designs which were "good enough" were left in production even when larger guns and better armor could have been incorporated at the cost of slowing production. Ooops... got to run. Another space/time portal is opening nearby. 😊.

So, perhaps the better title would have been: "Due to the vagueries of the German wartime logistics and production decisions, no one tank was the workhorse of the Wehrmacht."?

Funny. Not a single point was new to me - yet the conclusion evaded me. After hearing and reading it for fifty times I would've said without any doubt that it was the PzKpfw IV that was the workhorse. Without ever connecting it with the other data. Thank you for the enlightening video.

People forget that the Pz III exists sometimes. Both Pz III & IV were from pre-war designs and doctrine, where the IV was Infantry Support, and III was the main medium tank. When both roles combined mid-war, you end up with the Panther trying to replace both in an early Medium tank. The German workhorse statement is best borne by the Pz III/IV line-up, especially when you consider that the pre-IVF2 models of Pz IV had anemic howitzer-guns meant to shoot HE for infantry support. The Germans also built a "medium" tank and replaced both around mid-war though, with the Panther. That was very huge and heavy, especially compared to T-34/Sherman. So instead, most people turn to the Pz III/IV for a comparison, due to paper stats.

I think people are confused because the Panther tank came later, and appears to be better in every aspect, but the Panther barely cost more to produce and almost the same manhours. The only reason the Panzer IV stayed in production is because the shutdown would have disrupted Tank deliveries to the front enough that it would be unacceptable. Not all the Panzer IV plants could be switched over to Panther production faster enough. It was more important to get an acceptable tank built and sent to the front, even if it were not as cost effective based on combat potential. The tank you have is better than the potential tank you don't have.

Well, you could argue that the III/IV was the workhorse for most of the war, as V’s numbers only pick up in ‘44.

One small point about production numbers: number of produced doesn't translate equally to number of battle ready machines and readiness varied to significant degree.

There is one thing not mentioned here. German Production wasn't 'cranked up' to full war production until Albert Speer did it! That was in '42 and it took time to implement. That's why production jumps so much in 1943! The PzIV is called the 'workhorse'' because it was the fair equal of T-34 and was produced in greater numbers in 1942, while PzIII's were knocked out quickly!

One thing that summary shows is that the Pz III is not that lackluster compared to later tank designs then we think. The major german victories on the eastern front were achieved during the invasion 1941 and the summer 1942, so time periods the Pz III was the most important armored fighting vehicle and many of them not even equipped with the longer barrel gun. It seems the design just did its Job at the time the german army was able to launch offensive operations in the east

Dang, bud, making me think first thing in the morning! I never knew enough about tanks to have thought of this before. Your figures clearly show Germany didn't concentrate on one single tank like the Soviets and Americans. But then I started thinking about what "workhorse" means to me, as an American old fart, and my brain got really confused. To me, there's a flavor of "used throughout" and "depended on". Clearly the T-34 and Sherman qualify. The Panzer IV does sort of qualify, but so do the Panzer III and the Panther, and I'm not sure the meaning of "workhorse" allows for multiple workhorses. Did the Luftwaffe have two workhorse fighters (Me-109 and FW-190)? Did the US have 3 workhorse fighters in Europe (P-38, P-47, P-51)? The US Navy had one workhorse for the first year in the Pacific (F4F) and a different one after (F6F), but is that allowed in the definition of "workhorse"? The F4U was the Marine Corps workhorse, but only for the second half; does that count? The A6M was the clear Japanese Navy workhorse for the entire war, but I'm not sure the Japanese Army had a workhorse. So, I think you are right, but primarily because Germany had too many workhorses, and the word maybe only allows a single workhorse, maybe, sort of. Man, it's hard work, thinking about such things before breakfast!

To me the term "workhorse" isn't clearly defined. It can be associated with production numbers, longevity and adaptability. For that matter, Panzer IV ticks all the boxes, even more so than T-34.