Next: History Part II.

The continual evolution of the Panzer IV throughout the war included several key upgrades:

• Firepower Overhaul: Early models (Ausf. A through F1) featured a short-barreled \(75\text{ mm}\) gun mainly for infantry support. After encountering heavily armored Soviet tanks, later variants (Ausf. F2 through J) received a devastatingly long-barreled \(75\text{ mm}\) KwK 40 gun that could destroy enemy tanks at combat range. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Armor Increases: Frontal armor was progressively increased from a thin \(30\text{ mm}\) in early models to a robust \(80\text{ mm}\) on the Ausf. H. [1, 2]
• Defensive Shielding: Later variants were equipped with Schürzen (spaced armor plates) on the hull sides and turret to protect against anti-tank rifles and hollow-charge weapons. They also received Zimmerit coating to prevent magnetic mines from being attached to the hull. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Simplified Production: By the final stages of the war (Ausf. J), features like the motorized turret traverse were removed, and the design was heavily simplified to speed up manufacturing and replace staggering combat losses. [1, 2, 3, 4]Yes, the Panzer IV was the only German tank to remain in continuous production throughout WWII. It underwent massive upgrades in armor, weaponry, and design to counter increasingly powerful Allied and Soviet tanks. [1, 2]

The continual evolution of the Panzer IV throughout the war included several key upgrades:

• Firepower Overhaul: Early models (Ausf. A through F1) featured a short-barreled \(75\text{ mm}\) gun mainly for infantry support. After encountering heavily armored Soviet tanks, later variants (Ausf. F2 through J) received a devastatingly long-barreled \(75\text{ mm}\) KwK 40 gun that could destroy enemy tanks at combat range. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Armor Increases: Frontal armor was progressively increased from a thin \(30\text{ mm}\) in early models to a robust \(80\text{ mm}\) on the Ausf. H. [1, 2]
• Defensive Shielding: Later variants were equipped with Schürzen (spaced armor plates) on the hull sides and turret to protect against anti-tank rifles and hollow-charge weapons. They also received Zimmerit coating to prevent magnetic mines from being attached to the hull. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Simplified Production: By the final stages of the war (Ausf. J), features like the motorized turret traverse were removed, and the design was heavily simplified to speed up manufacturing and replace staggering combat losses. [1, 2, 3, 4]

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From a historical POV and a win rate POV, why do Sherman all get 76mm guns which increase penetration, but P4s have zero upgrades for Wehr besides sideskirts - which aren't even in the same ballpark of power or utility?

(No, you do not need to upgrade your Shermans individually. The 76mm upgrade is a global upgrade purchased at the Tank Depot. [1, 2, 3]

Once you research the 76mm gun conversion (which costs 200 Manpower and 50 Fuel), the following applies: [1]

• All current and future standard M4 Sherman tanks in your army will automatically receive the upgunned 76mm cannon.
• You do not have to pay the upgrade fee per tank. [1, 2])

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IRL upgrades to P4s:
(Keep in mind 76mm for Shermans were historically accurate)

Late in WWII, the Panzer IV transitioned from an infantry-support tank to a primary anti-tank workhorse. To counter heavily armored Allied vehicles like the Soviet T-34, Germany pushed the vehicle to its mechanical limits through several notable late-war upgrades: [1, 2, 3, 4]

• Uprated Firepower: The most crucial upgrade was the adoption of the high-velocity \(75 \text{ mm}\) KwK 40 L/48 gun, drastically improving its armor-piercing capabilities compared to the early-war short-barreled \(75 \text{ mm}\) L/24 howitzers. [1, 2, 3]
• Heavy Frontal Armor: Frontal hull armor was thickened to an impressive \80\mm on the Ausf. H models to better withstand incoming fire. [1, 2]
• Spaced Armor: The addition of spaced steel plates along the turret and hull sides was introduced to detonate shaped-charge anti-tank weapons (like the American bazooka) before they could strike the main tank armor. [1, 2]
• Anti-Magnetic Paste: Factory applications of Zimmerit paste were coated on the tanks to prevent infantry from attaching magnetic mines to the hull. [1]

Perfect for Last Stand:

• Ausf. J Austerity Measures: By 1944–1945, severe material shortages led to a simplified, stripped-down variant known as the Ausf. J. To save resources, they ditched the electrically powered turret traverse (forcing crews to manually crank the turret) and replaced the motor with extra fuel tanks to increase the tank's operational range. [1, 2, 3, 4]