Following the decision not to commence production, the concepts and ideas were used for the design of the E-50 Standardpanzer project. [62], Panther crews were aware of the weak side armour and made augmentations by hanging track links or spare roadwheels onto the turret and/or the hull sides. To reduce the length of the engine further, by one-half a cylinder diameter, the two banks of 6 cylinders of the V-12 were not offset - the "big ends" of the connecting rods of each cylinder pair in the "V" where they mated with the crankpin were thus at the same spot with respect to the engine block's length rather than offset; this required a "fork and blade" matched pair of conrods for each transversely-oriented pair of cylinders. G). Though light in weight, its motor was to be the same as the Tiger's, which meant it could develop superior speed. [13][14] In terms of Reichmarks per ton, therefore, the Panther tank was one of the most cost-effective of the German armored fighting vehicles of World War II. For this reason the military commanders and the troops have quickly come to the hasty conclusion: the Panther is useless! [138], The IS-2 proved to have surprisingly good anti-tank capabilities due to the D-25T's extremely heavy HE projectiles. This compares with 82,500 RM for the StuG III, 96,163 RM for the Panzer III, 103,462 RM for the Panzer IV, and 250,800 RM for the Tiger I. The direction that the design was headed would not have been consistent with Germany's need for a mass-produced tank, which was the goal of the Reich Ministry of Armament and War Production. The lack of training exacerbated the Panther's technical weaknesses (poor power train durability and a lack of fuel and spare parts), resulting in many Panthers breaking down which were unable to be salvaged. Inside the Panther’s crew consisted of five people. This did not correct all of the problems, so a second program was started at Grafenwoehr and Erlangen in June 1943. [82], Through September and October, a series of new Panzerbrigades equipped with Panther tanks were sent into France to try to stop the Allied advance with counterattacks. The Panther tank arrived in 1943 at a crucial phase in World War II for Germany. The general purpose 75 mm M4 gun could not penetrate the Panther from the front at all, although it could penetrate various parts of the Panther from the side at ranges from 400 to 2,600 m (440 to 2,840 yd). This was bombed the night of 27/28 April 1944 and production halted for five months. The weight of the production model was increased to 45 tonnes from the original plans for a 35 tonne tank. [61], From September 1944, a slightly redesigned mantlet with a flattened and much thicker lower "chin" design started to be fitted to Panther Ausf G models, the chin being intended to prevent such deflections. The SU-152 was produced in large numbers throughout 1943, with the first SU-152s being issued to new heavy mechanized gun regiments raised in May 1943. Neither the Panzer IV and Tiger have escaped this fate. The engine was dangerously prone to overheating and suffered from connecting rod or bearing failures. The Panther is inclined to catch fire quickly. The main one for the M4 gun tanks was FM17-67 Crew Drill and Service of the Piece, Medium Tank M4. The Panther tank was a compromise of various requirements. The fuel connectors in early Panthers were not insulated, leading to the leakage of fuel fumes into the engine compartment, which caused engine fires. A, Ausf. It is very front-heavy and therefore quickly wears out the front final drives, made of low-grade steel. Panther Crew, 1st SS Panzer Division, Normandy Warriors 1:35 35455 + Actions Stash. Sd.Kfz.171 Panther Crew Warriors 1:35 35464 + Actions Stash. [131], The Battle of Kursk convinced the Soviets of the need for even greater firepower. Hitler ordered that the T-34 be copied and the result was the Panther, … 40/42), the last of which was usually in short supply. 127–129 & Jentz 1997. The driver could also engage the brakes on one side to force a sharper turn. The original MAN proposal had called for the Panther to have an epicyclic gearing (planetary) system in the final drive, similar to that used in the Tiger I. At this point, it was too late to prepare to face the Panther. G 44.8 t (46.58 t with steel road wheels), Road speed: 55 km/h at 3,000 rpm (46 km/h at 2,500 rpm), Shock absorbers: on 2nd and 7th swing arms on either side, Track type: Kgs 64/660/150 dual center guide, Maybach HL 230 P30 V-12, four-stroke internal combustion, Power: 700 PS at 3,000 rpm, 600 PS at 2,500 rpm, Transmission: ZF AK 7-200 synchromesh manual, Primary gun sight: Leitz TZF 12; Ausf. Panther is the common name of a medium tank deployed by Nazi Germany in World War II from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. The Panther proved to be deadly in open country and long range engagements, but vulnerable in close-quarters combat. [Notes 3], The tank typically had two MG 34 armoured fighting vehicle variant machine guns featuring an armoured barrel sleeve. November 1943. In the Ausf G, which had deeper sponsons, 24 rounds were stored on each side of the turret, for a total of 48 rounds. Development of a heavier tank, the M26 Pershing, was delayed mainly by McNair's insistence on "battle need" and emphasis on producing only reliable, well-tested weapons, a reflection of America's 3,000 mile supply line to Europe.[105]. 40/42), the last of which was usually in short supply. The fuel connectors in the early models were non-insulated, leading to leakage of fuel fumes into the engine compartment. The extra wheels did provide better flotation and stability, and also provided more armor protection for the thin hull sides than smaller wheels or non-interleaved wheel systems, but the complexity meant that no other country ever adopted this design for their tanks. The Germans also fielded a number of powerful tank destroyers with direct-fire guns. On 15 May 1942, Oberst Fichtner informed MAN that Hitler had decided in favour of the MAN Panther and ordered series production. G). This was one day before the start of the Battle of the Bulge; 400 of the tanks assigned to the Western Front were in units sent into the offensive. [5] At the insistence of General Heinz Guderian, a special Panzerkommision was dispatched to the Eastern Front to assess the T-34. Ausf. The Inspector General of Armored Troops reported in May 1944: After a mileage of between 1500 km and 1800km the tracks have great wear. The problems were from a combination of factors. Wa Pruef 6's opinion was that the leaf spring suspension was a disadvantage and that using torsion bars would allow greater internal hull width. [31], The Panther tank was seen as a necessary component of Operation Citadel, and the attack was delayed several times because of their mechanical problems and to receive more Panthers, with the eventual start date of the battle only six days after the last Panthers had been delivered to the front. There can be no basis for the T26 tank other than the conception of a tank-vs.-tank duel-which is believed to be unsound and unnecessary. It also opposed the rear drive because of the potential for track fouling. Frieser, P. 159. All of the tanks were scrapped by 1954. The tank is currently on display in the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster.[124]. An artilleryman by trade, he believed that tanks should concentrate on infantry support and exploitation roles and avoid enemy tanks, leaving them to be dealt with by the tank destroyer force, which was a mix of towed anti-tank guns and lightly armoured fighting vehicles with open top turrets with 3-inch (76.2 mm) (M10 tank destroyer), 76 mm (M18 Hellcat) or later, 90 mm (M36 tank destroyer) guns. The Ausf F's Schmalturm was to have a built-in stereoscopic rangefinder — using twin matching armored blisters, one on each turret side, much like the Americans' post-war M47 Patton tank — and lower weight than the original turrets. This resulted in major problems in Panther units during the Battle of Kursk, as tactical training at the unit level, coordination by radio, and driver training were all seriously deficient.[87]. -Leitender Kraftfahrzeugoffizer- Ausf. [122], Japan reportedly bought a single Panther Ausf. Does anyone do sets of tank crew with thin legs - tightly closed together with feet set fore-aft? It had a 690 hp, gasoline powered Maybach HL230 engine capable of propelling the Panther at speeds of 55 km/h. Testing by U.S. Army officers in August 1944 in Isigny, France showed catastrophic cracking of the armour plate on two out of three Panthers examined. The result was that the engine compartment was poorly ventilated and prone to overheating. British and Commonwealth tank units in Normandy were initially equipped at the rate of one Firefly in a troop with three Shermans or Cromwells. A (n° 201) – Royal Jordanian Tank Museum (Jordan), Private collector, Heikendorf, Germany - in July 2015 a virtually "intact" Panther Ausf. Until 1950, the T-5 was the heaviest tank available to the Romanian Army. Once the problems with the fuel pumps as well as the engine have been corrected, the casualties due to technical problems will return to the normal level. In this scheme, the Panther tank would have evolved into the E-50. The result was that, for the rest of the war during 1945, the greatest threats to the tanks of the Western Allies were no longer German tanks, but infantry anti-tank weapons, such as the Panzerschreck and Panzerfaust, infantry anti-tank guns, such as the ubiquitous 7.5 cm Pak 40, and tank destroyers, such as the Marder, StuG III, StuG IV, and Jagdpanzer. Showing the Panther turret's rear access hatch. A German Army status report dated March 15, 1945 showed 117 Panthers left in the entire Western Front, of which only 49 were operational.[113]. An improved version, the Panther Ausf. The combination of well-sloped and thick armor meant that few Allied or Soviet weapons could penetrate this part of the tank. This received improvements from the Panther Ausf. The early impetus for upgrading the Panther came from the concern of Hitler and others that it lacked sufficient armour. This compared with 82,500 RM for the StuG III, 96,163 RM for the Panzer III, 103,462 RM for the Panzer IV, and 250,800 RM for the Tiger I. These figures did not include the cost of the armament and radio. [103] The commander of the Panzer Lehr Division, Gen. Fritz Bayerlein, reported on the difficulties experienced by the Panther tank in the fighting in Normandy: While the PzKpfw IV could still be used to advantage, the PzKpfw V [Panther] proved ill adapted to the terrain. 154338, Engine No. D. This tank was donated by the, Musée des Blindés, Saumur, France. It had been used as a post-war range target until its historical significance was recognised. [27], The suspension consisted of front drive sprockets, rear idlers and eight double-interleaved rubber-rimmed steel road wheels on each side — in the so-called Schachtellaufwerk design, very similar to the Tiger I's own road wheel arrangement, pioneered for large-scale production German full-track AFVs in 1942 — suspended on a dual torsion bar suspension. They proved to be costly to attack, and difficult to destroy. Although a technologically sophisticated vehicle for its time, the Panther's design had a very limited influence on postwar tank development. The last 'production' Panthers were produced at the factory by German staff just after the end of World War II under the supervision of REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) using available components. [32][Notes 2] Starting in May 1943, Panthers were built using the 700 metric horsepower (690 hp, 515 kW) at 3,000 rpm, 23.1 litre Maybach HL 230 P30 V-12 petrol engine. This problem was compounded by alloy shortages which made gears more brittle and prone to failure. It featured a steel hoop to which a third MG 34 or either the coaxial or the bow machine gun could be mounted for use in the anti-aircraft role, though it was rare for this to be used in actual combat situations. Two Ausf. An example of Panther reliability appeared in the June 1944 edition of Nachrichtenblatt der Panzertruppen (Armoured Troops Bulletin), from a Panther-recovery tank driver's report: Unteroffizier Krause of a Panther workshop platoon has driven his Panther recovery tank – Chassis No. This slow speed was improved in the Ausf A model with a hydraulic traverse that varied with engine speed; one full turn taking 46 seconds at an engine speed of 1,000 rpm but only 15 seconds if the engine was running at 3,000 rpm. Albert Speer examines a T-34 in June 1943. The British had begun converting regular M4 Shermans to carry the 17 pounder gun (nicknamed Firefly) prior to the D-day landings, and while limited numbers meant that during Normandy not more than one Sherman in four were of the Firefly variant, the lethality of its gun against German armor made them priority targets for German gunners. Nevertheless, the Panther tank commanded respect from the Allies, and its combat capabilities led directly to the introduction of heavier Allied tanks such as the Soviet IS-2 and the American M26 Pershing into the war. It was put into immediate production. Zimmerit coating against magnetic mines started to be applied at the factory on late Ausf D models beginning in September 1943;[48] an order for field units to apply Zimmerit to older versions of the Panther was issued in November 1943. Even at near-2,200 yards, the main gun could … The Panzer crew returned to their unit minus the tank and took on roles in other vehicles. Daimler-Benz (DB) and Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg AG (MAN) were given the task of designing a new 30- to 35-ton tank, designated VK30.02, by April 1942 (apparently in time to be shown to Hitler for his birthday). Panther Commander with Partial Turret Section Warriors 1:35 35309 Multi-topic (1!!) Reichminister Todt, and later, his replacement Albert Speer, both recommended the DB design to Hitler because of its advantages over the initial MAN design. [148] In August 1944, the HVAP (high velocity armour-piercing) 76 mm round was introduced to improve the performance of the 76 mm M4 Shermans. We don't know about any in-box reviews for this German Tank Crew … Until 1944, it was designated as the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther and had the ordnance inventory designation of Sd.Kfz. [144] There were also 200 interim Challenger tanks with the 17-pounder and other improved tank designs were under development. Testing by U.S. Army officers in August 1944 in Isigny, France showed catastrophic cracking of the armor plate on two out of three Panthers examined. The Comet with a gun similar to the 17-pounder had also replaced the 75 mm gun Sherman in some British units. Tank Design study May 24, 1944, Jentz 1995, pp. American tank crews, who first went into action in North Africa in late 1942 during Operating Torch, fought most of World War II in the Sherman. Total writeoffs were listed as 198.[108]. Work on a more powerful anti-tank gun had started in 1941, and the tanks to use it in 1942. In March 1944 Guderian reported: "Almost all the bugs have been worked out", although many units continued to report significant mechanical problems, especially with the final drive. 10 Panthers lost by enemy action. The construction programme of the new tank destroyer based on the Panther tank chassis began in August 1942. G: upper Hull side changed to 50 mm (2.0 in) at 60°), This page was last edited on 25 February 2021, at 09:54. The British lobbied for American production lines to be modified to produce Fireflies, just as they had been modified to manufacture the American P-51 fighter with the British Merlin engine, but these suggestions were ignored by the U.S. Army, in part due to the poor performance of British tank designs in North Africa. [152], The production of Panther tanks and other German tanks dropped off sharply after January 1945, and eight of the Panther regiments still on the Western Front were transferred to the Eastern Front in February 1945. The main advantages of the leaf springs over a torsion bar suspension were lower hull silhouette and a simpler shock damping design. Armour protection appeared to be inadequate, while "the motor mounted on the rear appeared to him correct". This equipped the first iteration of the AMX 13 light tank as well as the Panhard EBR armored car, and was also used by the Israeli M50 Super Sherman. [90], From September 1943, one Panzer battalion with 96 Panthers comprised the Panzer regiment of a Panzer-Division 43.[91]. [160], The E series of experimental tanks — E-10, E-25, E-50, E-75, E-100 (the numbers designated their weight class) – was proposed to further streamline production with an even greater sharing of common parts and simplification of design. [8][9] The Panther was rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk in the summer of 1943 despite numerous unresolved technical problems, leading to high losses due to mechanical failure. 1:35 German Panther Tank Crew Normandy 1944, 3 Figures Resin Model Kit Unpainted. Two were immediately lost due to motor fires on disembarking from the trains. [92] It constituted less than seven percent of the estimated 2,400–2,700 total armoured fighting vehicles deployed by the Germans in this battle,[93] and its effectiveness was limited by its mechanical problems and the in-depth layered defence system of the Soviets at Kursk. Development of a heavier tank, the M26 Pershing, was delayed mainly by McNair's insistence on "battle need" and emphasis on producing only reliable, well-tested weapons, a reflection of America's 3,000 mi (4,800 km) supply line to Europe.[146]. [58] In later Ausf A and all Ausf G models (starting in late November-early December 1943), a ball mount in the glacis plate with a K.Z.F.2 machine gun sight was installed for the hull machine gun. On 22 April 1944, the same battalion reported how a good driver and commander can improve reliability: This kept in mind, the battalion reported PzKpfw V Chassis No. The British lobbied for American production lines to be modified to produce Fireflies, but these suggestions were declined by the U.S. Army, in part due to the poor performance of British tank designs in North Africa. The Panther tank was seen as a necessary component of the upcoming Operation Zitadelle, and the attack was delayed several times because of their mechanical problems, with the eventual start date of the battle only six days after the last Panthers had been delivered to the front. In-box reviews . The only known complete surviving Ausf. This upgrade increased the thickness of the glacis plate to 100 mm (3.9 in), the side armour to 60 mm (2.4 in), and the top armour to 30 mm (1.2 in). [11][12] At the insistence of General Heinz Guderian, a special tank commission was created to assess the T-34. The D model can best be recognized by the drum-shaped cupola and/or the "Letterbox" hull machine gun slot. November 1943. The final gear mountings deformed easily under the high torque and stress loads, pushing the gears out of alignment and resulting in failure. [19] Starting in May 1943, the Panthers were built using the 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)/3000 rpm, 23.1 litre Maybach HL 230 P30 V-12 gasoline engine. Note: Prices and availability are indications only. Reasons : [101] This indicated the Panther would be encountered in much larger numbers than had previously been thought. [83] This culminated in the Battle of Arracourt (September 18–29, 1944), in which the mostly Panther-equipped German forces suffered heavy losses fighting against the 4th Armored Division of Patton's 3rd Army, which were still primarily equipped with 75 mm M4 Sherman tanks and yet came away from the battle with only a few losses. A slow increase in combat strength can be seen. The report confirms the opinion that thanks to the continuous improvement of its components, the life of the Panther tank has increased. The Panther units were newly formed, poorly trained and tactically disorganized; most units ended up stumbling into ambushes against seasoned U.S. tank crews. The turret on display was not originally fitted to this hull and was installed later. [86] By mid-1944, the Panther was at its peak performance and widely regarded as the most formidable tank on the battlefield. Panther II on display at Patton Cavalry and Armor Museum, Fort Knox, KY. Cites Zetterling & Frankson: Annex 1 of the brief of Gen. Ins.d.Pz.Tr. Four of their seven Panthers was still combat ready without any transmission or engine failure.[118]. Typical attire of Panther tank crew in the SS. Shop with confidence. [150], The high U.S. tank losses in the Battle of the Bulge against a force largely of Panther tanks brought about a clamour for better armour and firepower. This resulted in major problems in Panther units during the Battle of Kursk, as tactical training at the unit level, coordination by radio, and driver training were all seriously deficient.[70]. A Panther tank cost 117,100 Reichmarks (RM) to produce. Will be cosmetically restored and displayed in the new museum in a diorama representing a field repair unit of the Wehrmacht, along with a Strabo Fries gantry. The Panther Ausf F would have had the Schmalturm, with its better ballistic protection, and an extended front hull roof which was slightly thicker. This only compounded the problems with reliability and numbers of operational Panthers, as tanks in the field had to be cannibalized for parts.[11]. Despite determined efforts, this figure was never reached due to disruption by Allied bombing, manufacturing bottlenecks, and other difficulties. [144], The 90 mm M36 tank destroyer was introduced in September 1944; the 90 mm round also proved to have difficulty penetrating the Panther's glacis plate, and it was not until an HVAP version of the round was developed that it could effectively penetrate it from combat range. [93][94], After much development work, the first T-34-85 tanks entered combat in March 1944. 3177/44. Usually, "V"-form engines have their transversely paired cylinders' connecting rods' "big ends" simply placed side by side on the crankpin, with their transverse pairs of cylinders offset slightly to allow the connecting rod big ends to attach side by side while still being in the cylinder bore centerline. They discovered that by rotating the 17-pounder anti-tank gun and slightly modifying the turret of the Sherman, the two could be combined. Peter . A mild steel prototype was produced by September 1942 and, after testing at Kummersdorf, was officially accepted. The Schmalturm would have been used, likely with a variant of the 8.8 cm L/71 gun. The last 'production' Panthers were produced at the factory by German staff just after the end of World War II under the supervision of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) using available components. Free shipping . Small numbers of the M26 Pershing were also rushed into combat in late February 1945. Approximately 40 Panthers had already been repaired and were on the way to the front. Thus while a Panther was superior to a Sherman in the hands of an experienced crew, inadequate training, coupled with Sherman numerical superiority, resulted in a poor combat performance for the vehicle during the offensive. Sherman tanks used a high flash powder, making it easier for German tankers to spot them. The earliest known redesign of the turret was dated 7 November 1943 and featured a narrow gun mantlet behind a 120 mm (4.7 in) thick turret front plate. A. While limited numbers meant that during Normandy usually not more than one Sherman in each troop of four tanks was a Firefly variant, the lethality of the gun against German armour made them priority targets for German gunners. [86] A status report on January 15, 1945 showed only 97 operational Panthers left in the units involved in the operation, out of 282 still in their possession. [126] The Soviets had already embarked on the 85 mm gun upgrade path before encountering the Panther tank at the Battle of Kursk. This ratio increased until, by the end of the war, half of the British Shermans were Fireflies. G: lower Hull front reduced to 50 mm (2.0 in)), Hull side, lower: 40 mm (1.6 in) at 90°; upper: 40 mm (1.6 in) at 50°; (Ausf. They were initially used by the 1st Armored Brigade, but in 1947 the equipment was ceded to the Soviet-organized "Tudor Vladimirescu Division" which was transformed from a volunteer infantry division into an armored one. [53] Although much simpler to produce, the double spur gears had inherently higher internal impact and stress loads, making them prone to failure under the high torque requirements of the heavy Panther tank. 1/35 Scale German Panther Tank Crew WW2 Resin Model Kit WWII (2 Figures) *Tank NOT Included. By 1944, the fate of the Großdeutsches Reich (English: ´Greater German Reich´), more colloquially known as Nazi Germany, started becoming clearer and it was certainly not in the favor of the Germans. Plans to address the space limitations by reducing the turret crew to two men were considered, but were eventually discarded as experience had shown this to be a less effective arrangement. After taking two years to catch up with German tank design in Africa, the British were wary of falling behind yet again. Close up view of Panther crew being transported with their tank to France in June 1944. The Germans knew that their Panther, with its balanced design of firepower, mobility, and crew protection, was their best armored vehicle. Long road marches would result in a significant number of losses due to breakdowns, and so the German Army had to ship the tanks by rail as close to the battlefield as possible. The loader was stationed in the right side of the turret. [16], The process of streamlining the production of German armored fighting vehicles first began after Speer became Reichminister in early 1942, and steadily accelerated through 1944; production of the Panther tank thus coincided with this period of increased manufacturing efficiency. [87] On 17 July 1943, after Hitler had ordered a stop to the German offensive, Gen. Heinz Guderian sent in the following preliminary assessment of the Panthers: Due to enemy action and mechanical breakdowns, the combat strength sank rapidly during the first few days. X. British and Commonwealth tank units in Normandy were initially equipped at the rate of one Firefly in a troop with three Shermans or Cromwells. Development of the Tiger I was started in 1937 by the Henschel company. Hull side, lower: 40 mm at 90°; upper: 40 mm at 50°. Most design flaws were rectified by late 1943 and early 1944, though the bombing of production plants, increasing shortages of high quality alloys for critical components, shortage of fuel and training space, and the declining quality of crews all impacted the tank's effectiveness.
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