PzKpfw IV D of 5th Panzer Division, 1940.
Panzer IV D of 5th Panzer Division, Belgium or France, 1940. The "inverted Y/." mark used by this unit in 1940 is visible on the side. The 5th was, basically, a workhorse Panzer Division, serving in a number of theatres through the war. Their experience in the Western Campaign of 1940 was a bit fraught, particularly in the earlier part of the campaign. They found themselves a bit stuck at the river crossing bit, a plight not improved by the fact that the dynamic and unscrupulous commander of 7th Panzer, Erwin Rommel, appropriated some of their river crossing gear for use by his Division. Eventually, they did get across to clear ground, and performed very effectively against French forces thereafter. As they did in later campaigns. The PzKpfw IV, though "under the radar" as far as many Tiger and Panther fans, turned out to be the backbone of the Panzer and Panzerjager forces to the end of the war. Apart from Ausf D (which provided essential cover for the lighter panzers in the 1940/'41 period) this contribution came in the form of later more heavily armed and armoured models, and as the base for assault and tank destroyer self-propelled guns. Best regards, JR.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/german-armored-forces-vehicles/54014/pzkpfw-iv-d-of-5th-panzer-division-1940.