History, technical details and pictures

Panther tank history

In 1941, the Germans face the formidable T-34 Soviet tank and they did not have enough powerful armored equipment to counter it. The German Army soon decided to create a tank able to strengthen its armored fleet.

After studies on captured T-34 on the eastern front, the first prototype was built in September 1942 by the MAN company. Production was immediately launched, and the need for armored units was so strong that other firms, such as DB, Henschel and Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen, also received orders.

Quick and handy, despite the imposing bulk of his armor (although rather weak on the sides), the PzKpfw V Panther was sent in a combat situation for the first time on the eastern front in July 1943. Extremely powerful, Soviet tanks suffered from heavy losses and struggled to resist the PzKpfw V Panther attacks. They had to sacrifice about 9 T-34 to destroy a Panther.

The manufacture of the tank stopped in March 1945, while the Allied bombings of German armament factories had already significantly slowed down the monthly production of the Panther tank, considered as being one of the best German tanks of the Second World War, right after the Tiger tank.

Panther tank sheet

Country creator/user: Germany
Name: PzKpfw V Panther G

Rate of fire: 8,66 m
Width: 3,27 m
Height: 2,85 m
Weigth: 45 500 kg
Maximum speed: 55 km/h
Range: 257 km

Main gun: Kwk 42 L/70 75 mm gun
Secondary armament: one MG 42 7,92 mm machinegune, one MP 44 7,92 mm machinegun

Engine: Maybach HL 230 P 30, 12 cyl, 700 hp
Consumption: 280 L for 100 km

Crew: 5 (1 tank commander, 1 pilote, 1 co-pilote and gunner, 1 radio operator and loader)

Front shield: 110 mm
Back shield: 16 mm