The Pzkpf-IV medium tank passed the test, which is also another new type of tank ordered by the German Army from Krupp, unlike the previous No. 3, the track of the No. 4 tank has been greatly widened in order to have better obstacle crossing performance, adapt to mountainous hills and complex muddy road sections, and fully consider the bomb area of the overall model.

The development of the No. 4 tank was not all smooth sailing, because General Rundstedt transferred most of the army's military spending to Research Institute No. 13 to support Eric's rocket research, so it was always ill-fated from design to production.

Fortunately, the hard indicators of this type of tank originated from Major General Manstein, who began to inquire about the project from the beginning, and in some places he made technical improvements.

Manstein was one of Eric's most trusted generals, and his other identity was the head of the Second Quartermaster Division of the United Front Work Department, which was an important department specializing in the design and development of heavy weapons such as armor and tanks throughout the country.

Originally intended to support infantry attacks and mobile fortifications on the front lines, the tank was designed primarily for the frontier fortresses being built by France, but Manstein gained a new place in the army because of its excellent performance and stats.

After the No. 4 tank was exposed, the wide body platform was very satisfied with Guderian, Rommel and other armored generals, and they used it as an upgrade platform for their own troops.

Tank No. 4, which had not yet been fully finalized, but had simplified its operating procedures, began construction of three styles of test models at the same time. fz.144/1，fz.144/2，fz.144/3。 However, the simultaneous emergence of these three schemes has also caused great repercussions for the Ministry of Defense, after all, the design and development of each weapon requires funds.

If it is only on paper, the design and development costs of the same platform can still be shared, but once you want to start building a test model, it is not as simple as sharing the platform at all.

The plan for the 144/1 was a 75mm KK37L/24 short gun, the main role of which was to fire a large-caliber howitzer to pave the way for the infantry to launch a charge, and to use thicker armor on the battlefield than the three, which was deployed on the way forward of the infantry charge, which could provide security to the infantry.

The 12-cylinder engine of the Maybach HL120TR with excellent stability and a front-mounted gearbox became the ideal power and handling configuration for this tank, in fact, the theoretical top speed of this tank can reach 35 kilometers per hour, which is fully suitable for light infantry group sorties and occupy enemy positions.

The 144/2 was an improved version of General Rommel, named the F2 IV by himself, and compared to the 144/1 plan, the F2 changed the scheme in only two places, changing the short and powerful gun to the 75 mm KK40L/43 long-barreled gun. It is equipped with a 12-cylinder engine with a Maybach HL220TR, also paired with a front-mounted gearbox, and has a theoretical top speed of 45 km/h. There are no changes in armor, a tank designed purely for mobility, fast, countering enemy armored vehicles.

144/3 is General Guderian's expectation of Platform 4, unlike Rommel's demand for rapid maneuvering, he is more concerned about the tank's firepower output, with a 75mm KK40L/48 tank gun perfectly illustrates the aesthetics of violence, but at the cost of the long barrel and engine limitations, such a tank, travel speed and stability in complex areas are partially weakened.

In the face of the performance of these three tanks, each with its own strengths, the Ministry of Defense is more looking forward to a comprehensive plan that can be replaced, after all, the simultaneous production of three different tanks is much more troublesome than the production of one tank with comprehensive performance, and it does not meet the country's requirements for national defense to be less but more refined.

Just when the No. 4 tank began to produce prototypes, a Pzkpf-V scheme with a wider body, thicker barrel, more powerful firepower, and more unrestrained maneuverability quietly entered the drawings of major military enterprises.

At a time when Design 5 was coming to Manstein's desk, one company was not following the script of Version 4 and felt that this upgrade by feeling the stones was too conservative.

Therefore, ingenuity was carried out separately to carry out the design of the Pzkpf-VI type scheme with more gimmicks. In such a design concept, the design idea of bigger, stronger and faster is refreshing to everyone, and other manufacturers are forced to surpass the Pzkpf-V scheme, otherwise it will be regarded as a kind of bid failure.

While the forces of the five nations were landing in the Peloponnese, the Guderian tank battalion training base outside Frankfurt welcomed a distinguished guest, the Federal President Eric Adrian.

"The 1st Armored Division should have 14,322 people, but it has reached 14,322 people, all of them are here, please review it Mr. President!" As Manstein finished reporting to the president, Eric had Guderian on the left and Rommel on the right, and a group of generals walked to the review stand. Today, the generals wear standard combat uniforms instead of the ornate officer's uniforms, and there are no bells and whistles for the Medal of Commendation, only the Combat Medal of Honor for combat bravery and superb command, and then the Iron Cross, which is uniformly issued. They are worn on their chests to show their loyalty and love to the federal government and the president.

"Let's get started." Facing the solemn troops, Eric gave orders to Manstein.

Sitting beside Eric were hundreds of senior generals of the navy, army, and air force, including Hindenburg, Max, Brauchitsch, Rundstedt, Hoffmann, Watt, Caron, Busch, Mackensen, Ruauf, Kleist, Paulus, Witzleben, Loeb, Heinrich, Hans Kluger, Hans von Kruger, and many foreign embassies and consulates in Germany, who also gathered at the review stand to watch the performance of the army's tank unit.

At the other end of the review stand, about forty or fifty high-ranking government officials, led by Hans Luther and dressed in dark suits, sat neatly in the stands, patiently waiting for the drill to begin. Most of these people are members of Congress, and they want to see what it is like to build an armored division that has spent a lot of money to build.

Although the review is different from the exercise, it also requires a lot of manpower and material resources, so under normal circumstances, Eric will not let the troops easily organize such a large-scale review event. In fact, the reason why Eric agreed with Manstein and Guderian to arrange such a review was not simply to examine the overall combat effectiveness of the troops, but after hearing the CIA's report recently, he felt that it was time to show force, otherwise, there would be more and more people who were ready to move.

As a show of force, Eric emphasized that the political significance is greater than the practical significance, and demanded that the mental outlook of the troops and the quality of individual soldiers must be put first.

Eric's hard-line administration has long been a source of resentment for many, especially the Air Force and Congress. Eric, who stepped into politics as a field marshal and general, did not have much control over the Air Force. Compared with the control of the navy, the air force is basically controlled by conservatives, including personnel appointments and dismissals, equipment updates, training and operations, etc., to a large extent, subject to Toth and others, and Eric can only let it go.