Pz.Kpfw. V/IV Alpha
It was granted as a gift to those that were of service to WG early in WoT's development and is rather rare in battle. It is identical in all ways to the Pz.Kpfw. V/IV but with the Greek Alpha symbol. It's based on a Pz.Kpfw. V Panther hull with stock turret from the Pz.Kpfw. IV. Many players think it's similar to a buffed Pz.Kpfw. III/IV. It has great mobility, decent acceleration and is well armored for its tier. Its weakness, however, is that it has very little gun depression, so in hilly terrain it's at a large disadvantage because even a small bump can make a big difference in its ability to hit the target or not. As a result, it's best to fight on flat ground. Additionally, the gun is sub-par for its tier, so it's more effective to flank and target the enemy's rear and side, or to aim for weakspots.
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Good mix of armor and mobility
- Favorable matchmaking
- Good rate of fire
- Fast turret traverse
Cons:
- Poor view range
- Very little gun depression
- Prone to frontal engine damage and fires
- Slow hull traverse
Performance
The Pz.Kpfw. V/IV Alpha's speed and decent turret traverse make this tank an effective flanker. The 7.5cm KWK L/48 has the weakest penetration of all German tier VI medium tanks (shared with the VK 30.01D) so getting around to the enemy's side's and rear is vital. It shares it's hull with the Panther, so protecting the vulnerable lower glacis is a key to success. It's upper hull can bounce some shots if angled well and its high health pool (highest of all German tier VI mediums) means it can brawl quite successfully if need be. This tank suffers in hilly terrain due to the poor gun depression, often restricting the areas of the map this tank should be played. The combination of speed, engine power and weight make the Pz. V/IV Alpha a formidable ramming weapon.
Historical Info
For further information on the development of the Panther, please read about the Panther.
An early model Bergepanther fitted with a bolted on PzKpfw IV Ausf H’s turret (that could not be traversed), served as a command tank of Schwere Heeres Panzerjager Abteilung 653 on the Eastern Front in early-/mid-1944.
Historical Gallery
Sources and External Links
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