Lot 275

Rare World War II German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H Medium Tank

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Rare World War II German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H Medium Tank

Estimate: $1,500,000 - $2,400,000

Starting Bid: $1,100,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Rare and Immensely Desirable World War II German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H Medium Tank, Captured on the Eastern Front - One of Only Two Known in the United States This is hands down the rarest of surviving tanks one will encounter stateside today and we at Rock Island Auction Company are greatly honored to offer it. This World War II German Panzerkampfwagen (Armored Fighting Vehicle) IV Ausf. H (Variant H) medium tank, chassis number 85575, was assembled between July to August 1943 at the Nibelungenwerk tank factory. This is a missing piece in virtually all major tank collections, and the only example of its kind offered to the public in recent time, and likely the only one that will be offered in the United States for the foreseeable future. The only other example of a Panzer IV medium tank known to be surviving in the United States is an Ausf. H chassis number 89457 formerly of the Jacques Littlefield collection and currently residing in the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington, making this the sole example stateside known to be available to the public. The National Armor and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning, Georgia, houses a Jagdpanzer (Tank Destroyer) IV. There are otherwise only a handful of surviving Panzer IV tank variants known to reside in museums overseas. Make no mistake, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a Panzer IV tank. Approximately 8,500 Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks of all the variants A through J were produced for the German military from the late 1930s to 1945. The H variant is considered the ninth in the Panzerkampfwagen IV series, featuring a reinforced final drive and reinforced turret roof plates as the successor to the G variant. The three assembly plants Nibelungenwerk, Krupp, and Vomag completed a combined number of just over 2,300 H variants between June 1943 to February 1944 in the 84401-89540 chassis number range, with approximately 1,300 of those assembled at Nibelungenwerk, per information on pages 23-50 and 23-55 of "Panzer Tracts No. 23 Panzer Production From 1933 to 1945" by Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary L. Doyle. The Panzer IV was originally designed for infantry support, but was quickly found to have potential for mounting of the larger gun enabling it to take on larger enemy armoured fighting vehicles, in which it swapped roles with the Panzer III and would see extensive use on all fronts by the German military as their workhorse during the war. Tanks advanced rapidly during the war due to lessons learned early on, notably after the earlier German tanks met the Soviet T-34 on the eastern front. The earlier variants of the Panzer IV were equipped with the short barrel 7.5 cm (75mm) KwK 37 L/24 main gun, with the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/43 introduced into production in April 1942 allowing capability to penetrate the T-34 tanks, and the even more powerful 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 followed shortly thereafter in June 1942; as this H variant is equipped with. The Panzer IV tanks first saw combat against the American Sherman tanks in North Africa in late 1942 during the Battle of El Alamein and Operation Torch. After the wars end, some of the surviving examples entered into service with other countries including Bulgaria, France, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Spain, and Syria, and the majority ultimately ended up being scrapped or used as target practice dummies. This rare surviving Panzer IV escaped the latter, and has a neat history continuing well after the war. The history of this specific tank is told in an included notarized letter of provenance from the consignor. It was captured from the Germans on the eastern front by the Soviet Army during World War II, subsequently reconstructed at the CKD Praha factory after the war, transferred to the 1st Czechoslovak Tank Regiment in 1949, purchased by the Syrians in the 1950s for their expanding tank forces, and then captured by the Israelis off the Golan Heights during the Six Day War fought between June 5-10, 1967, which is the last known combat incident involving the Panzerkampfwagen IV tanks. It was then used as a training vehicle by the Israeli Army, and eventually made its way to the Israeli Armor Museum in Latrun. In 1993, the tank was purchased by William Gasser and brought in to the United States, placed on loan at his American Armoured Foundation (AAF) tank museum in Danville, Virginia, where it was on display and has been stored inside since. It is now being offered to the public. The tank accommodates a five man crew inside with the driver positioned at the front left, radio operator/bow machine gunner at the front right, and the turret with positions inside for the gunner, commander, and loader. The interior retains many components, with a gauge cluster in the drivers area (one gauge absent), optics, and some of the radio equipment. The turret houses the 7.5cm (75mm) KwK 40 L/48 main gun (deactivated) with a round muzzle brake, with shield plates surrounding the turret (one access door is detached), and has been period modified by the Czechs for an anti-aircraft DshK gun (not included) with a ring mounted to the cupola and the commander's hatch in a two-piece configuration. A period storage bin is mounted on top of the turret. It is powered by an 11.867 liter (724 cubic inch) Maybach HL 120 TRM watercooled V-12 gasoline engine with an output of approximately 300 horsepower. The tank is absent a muffler, ventilator motor, both driver and bow gunner's seats and seat back rails (lower seat frame rail included), drivers vision block, and rear towing hook. A variety of extra accessories are included separately with the tank: metal track links, a generator for the motor, tail light, boogie wheel, a Bosch light, Solex carburetor, two radios, gauges, a flare gun, axe, tools, jerry can, and Verbandkasten medical kit. Weight: 55,000 pounds Length: 23 feet including the main gun Width: 9 feet 5 inches Height: 8 feet 9 inches Crew: 5 Main Armament: 7.5 cm (75mm) KwK 40 L/48 Engine: Maybach HL 120 TRM watercooled V-12 gasoline Speed: 26 mph Range: 120 miles

Manufacturer: None

Model: None

Class: Other

  • Provenance: The Israeli Armor Museum in Latrun; William Gasser's American Armoured Foundation (AAF) Tank Museum Collection in Danville, Virginia
  • Condition: Fine overall as a surviving Panzerkampfwagen IV with a very fresh appearance, retains most of the period gray and white painted finishes on the exterior and interior, showing areas of general oxidation expected from an issued tank. The turret is able to be rotated utilizing the hand controls. The engine and all other devices are mechanically untested. The metal tracks are fine and solid. The interior optics are cloudy but mostly viewable. The main gun is deactivated and is not limited under ATF restrictions. A monumental item for the most advanced military collection: a World War II German Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf. H medium tank!

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000