Panzer iv Question

[heref_98]

Hey Experts:

On the driver's side of the panzer iv there is a half cylinder.
This is located on the outside of the tank, behind the
drivers head, about head level. It is present
on many of the different models.
Enclosed please find a picture pointing it out.

What is its function?

[peeved]

Hi,

It's an armoured cover for the steering brake ventilation opening. Guess that excess heat partly dissipated from the transmission also through there.

In most models there also was a covered opening for steering brake ventilation near the back of each maintenance cover in the upper forward hull. In several behind-the-front photos Pz. IVs are seen driving with the forward maintenance covers open which would tend to indicate an overheating problem.

Markus

[Metzler]

Hello

My last answer seems to have disappeared... hmmm... Peeved is right, the ventilator is the steering brake cooling air outlet. The inlets are placed in the steering brakes maintenance hatches placed in the glacis plate and the whole ventilation system is driven to a fan connected to the clutch.

Metzler

[peeved]

Hi Metzler,

Did driving with the maintenance hatches open mean the inlet slots were too small in some conditions?

Markus

[Metzler]

Hello Markus,

I'm not sure about that. Are you sure they are actually driving with them open? Seems to me they would collect a lot of dust that way. Maybe they are open just for maintenance? But probably you would get a nice "cross-draft" through the whole tank that way...

Metzler

[peeved]

Hi Metzler,

Unfortunately I don't seem to have saved any of the eBay.de photos I think depict Pz.IVs driving with forward maintenance hatches open. Guess they don't involve rare variants; For some reason bridgelayer Pz.IV photos seem overrepresented on my HDD.

To my recollection a typical setting is a summery town or village out of the battlezone; crew hatches open and commander well out. Since the photos are stills I guess the tanks could only appear to be moving and in fact be cooling off on the halt.

Markus

[peeved]

Recently met with the photo below depicting a Pz. IV on the move with forward maintenance hatches open (Source eBay.de). Corresponds well with the typical setting I described in my previous post.

Markus

[peeved]

There appears to be more eBay pics with open maintenance hatches from models without hatch air scoops. From exp. eBay.de N:o 270613194832 & http://www.ebay.de/itm/Nachlass-3-x-FOT ... 7675.l2557

Markus

[peeved]

More from exp. eBay.de N:o 310834922777 & http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Panzer-IV-m ... 7675.l2557

Markus