What's this PIV F2 part?

[lifeofbrian]

To the left of the tow cable in this F2, I notice the G doesn't have it.

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[c.rainford73]

To the left of the tow cable in this F2, I notice the G doesn't have it.

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I was looking in my Panzer iv variants book and could not determine what that is. ( If you are talking about the box to the left of the cable attachment.) I've also seen that area void of any kind of attachment or detail.

On other versions I see spare tracks mounted there and nothing more. I'm curious to find out myself.

Carl

[PainlessWolf]

Good afternoon,
Smoke candles, I believe. Actuated by a cable into the crew compartment. On the pic of the early StuG III B, the box is mounted on the right and would normally have unit info on it.
regards,
Painless

[jarndice]

A long time ago someone said it was a track tool box rather like the one on the rear plate of the Tiger 1,
That is ok except that the track tools on a PZ4 are usually to be found clamped on the treadway of the body,
So I am none the wiser, certainly it is not fitted to all PZ4 Sub types.
It has one good point, it is flat which makes sliding a Balkan Kreutz decal onto it easy.
Shaun.

[Aussie]

Good afternoon,
Smoke candles, I believe. Actuated by a cable into the crew compartment. On the pic of the early StuG III B, the box is mounted on the right and would normally have unit info on it.
regards,
Painless

Not smoke candles , they were on the right and were long gone by the time the F2 came out.
I'm fairly sure it is indeed a tool box for the track tools.

[Aussie]

I found out what it was.
An electric turret traverse motor.
The little muffler below it is for the small generator that powers the traverse motor.
It was deleted in the J model.

[HengRong]

The box on the left of the tow cables is for the smoke candles. The F2 was the last PzIV to feature this. Under it is the turret traverse motor which Aussie is speaking of, it was deleted when the Ausf. J was released and the turrets had to be hand cranked. Cheers.

[Aussie]

The box on the left of the tow cables is for the smoke candles. The F2 was the last PzIV to feature this. Under it is the turret traverse motor which Aussie is speaking of, it was deleted when the Ausf. J was released and the turrets had to be hand cranked. Cheers.

There are no smoke candles , the lower box is the exhaust , the upper box is the motor.

[HengRong]

So you believe the turret traverse motor was actually deleted at Ausf. G and that they just kept the muffler as you say for the hell of it until Ausf J?

[Aussie]

So you believe the turret traverse motor was actually deleted at Ausf. G and that they just kept the muffler as you say for the hell of it until Ausf J?

Absolutely , the on board generator probably also powered other ancillerys.