Dear friends，how to describe the rollers in the blue circle? I’ve been confused for a long time. And did the small piece of welded armor in the front of turret exist during ww2? Or just used by the museum to strengthen the integrity?
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“Track return rollers” or only “return rollers” would be the most common name in English.
That little plate is original design.
Extract from this photo dated 1943.
This tank also had spaced armour on the turret roof
Edit: Were you asking for the specific type/parts name for that specific design of return rollers?
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@Uncle-Heavy Thanks so much:beer:
. Actually I not only don’t know “return roller” but also the specific design. The special roller base seems to be welded too, varies from usual casted ones
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Regarding the 2 plates on the turret front, the upper one is a hinged “Observation Port” (per Spielberger), earlier PzIV’s had one on both sides of the gun,note the vehicle in the background has one also. I have no idea what the lower rectangular plate is, have never seen one on a PzIV, and vehicle in background doesn’t have one. Anyone have more info?
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The box at the bottom of your orange mark is not usual. I believe it’s to cover a hole.
As for the return rollers, they are the later rubber-saving one introduced after October 1943 (Gummilose Stützrolle).
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According to the caption I found this picture is from the Museum of Battle Glory in Yambol, Bulgaria. It’s a former Bulgarian Army Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausfürung J. Also designated Sonderkraftfahrzeug 161/2. This was an early production variant from the Nibelungenwerk (Ni-Werk) in northern Austria.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nilsmosberg/51626174095
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The return roller supports on the right side are different…
H.P.
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Panzerwerk has a few different rollers
Link to ModellBau König
Check their product images to get some names
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Not exactly sure which object is in question, but the larger rectangle is a workshop-applied patch covering a penetration hole.
The same as seen here on Tiger 712;
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Of note also is that this Panzer IVJ has all steel road wheels. This is unique.
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This thing is a cobbled together mess. All steel road wheels, blocked off turret vision port with welded cover plate on one side, late-style turret doors on the other, early-style front tow shackles, late addition rain guard, two different return roller styles, aftermarket exhaust…it has got to be a post-war Frankenpanzer, or at least a workshop rebuild at the end of the war, using whatever parts were available. Note also that it still has all the bolts on the boogie assembly housing, a Ausf H feature at the latest, Ausf J deleted the two top center bolts, final J’s deleted the bolt holes. It also has the earlier style idler wheel housing, found up to Ausf H. No remains of schürzen to be seen on the hull or mudguards, but the mounts for the braces can be seen on the turret.
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Maybe @ayovtshev Angel can provide a brief history of this tank.
Since @Frenchy H. P. managed to geo-locate it to the Yambol museum
in Bulgaria I would assume that it was used by Bulgaria after WW II.
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It is one of the vehicles, recovered from the Southern Bulgarian border in 2008.
I cannot tell the exact Fgst.No of that tank, but it was hastily “restored” with parts available from the other recovered Pz.IV.s, thus it is not representative of wartime production.
The armor patch on the turret glacis must be a penetration cover.
Bulgarian Kingdom purchased only Ausf G. and Ausf.H, whenever there is an Ausf.J, it is a Soviet trophy(mainly from battles in Hungary), transfered to First Bulgarian Army in 1945.
The Pz.IV’s were used till early 1950’s, then written off and until burried at the Krali Marko defensive line some were used as range targets.
No idea when the patched over penetration occured, on the other hand- I haven’t seen contemporary pictures of such patched over Bulgarian Pz.IV Ausf.J.
Bottomline: use this picture at your discretion!
HTH,
Angel
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@Uncle-Heavy @ayovtshev @Paska @Gary_Kato @Frenchy @SFCJJC @SSGToms
Appreciate 
for both such knowledge you told me and having let the topic hot:grinning:
.
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