The Panzer V, Panther, was a medium tank used by the Wehrmacht during World War II. It was one of the best tank in this armed conflict, surpassed only by the Tiger I in armament and armor protection. The Panther could knock out a British Crusader III or an M4 Sherman tank from a distance of 2,500 m as it was armed with the lethal 7.5-cm KwK 42 L/70 anti-tank gun, which had an extremely high muzzle velocity of 950 m/s. However, this German tank was hampered by a complex and unreliable mechanics, especially the overlapping road wheels and suspension system.
Designed and developed by MAN AG, the Panzer V tank entered service with the German Army in late November 1942, under the official denomination Panzerkampfwagen (PzKpfw) V, Ausf A, inventory: SdKfz 171. By early 1945, 4,800 Panther tanks had been built, with the Ausf D version being the most massively produced. Ausf G was a late variant that was fielded in France and took part in the Battle of Normandy. Meanwhile, the Jagdpanther tank-destroyer was based on the hull of the Panzer V and it was also equipped with the same 75-mm gun. The German firms Henschel and Niedersachen also manufactured this feared armored vehicle.
The Panzer V, Panther, first saw combat action on July 6, 1943, during the Battle of Kursk, on the Eastern Front. Although it destroyed many Soviet tanks, the German advance was delayed due to the mechanical problems it had. Once these mechanical issues had been overcome, however, reliability and trust on the tank were restored again. From then on, as the German armored divisions were supplied with this tank, it would be used on all fronts of the European Theater of the War. About 70% of the Panther force would be fielded on the Eastern Front.
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| Panzerkampfwagen V, Ausf D. |
Technical Characteristics
The Panther tank, Ausf D, was a medium tank powered by a Maybach HL230 P30 gasoline engine, which delivered 700 horsepower. The frontal glacis plate was 80-mm thick and sloped at 55 degrees, while the turret front was 100-mm thick. The hull side plate was 40-mm in thickness. The turret turned 360 degrees and was electrically operated. It had the usual layout of the German tanks, with the driving and transmission compartment forward, turret set up in the center and the engine in the rear compartment. The driver sat on the left hand side forward, with a vision port in front of him in the glacis plate. This was fitted with a laminated glass screen. All in all, it was a sophisticated design demanding high precision engineering.
Specifications (Ausf A)
Type: medium tank
Weight: 45.5 tons (45,500 kg)
Hull Length: 6.88 m (22 feet, 7 inches)
Full Length: 8.86 m (29 feet, 1 inch)
Width: 3.43 m (11 feet, 3 inches)
Height: 3.10 m (10 feet, 2 inches)
Power Plant: one 700-HP, Maybach HL230 P30 gasoline engine.
Maximum Speed: 46 km/h (29 mph) on road.
Range: 177 km (110 miles)
Fording: 1.70 m
Gradient: 60 degrees
Armament: one 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 anti-tank gun; two 7.92-mm machine guns.
WW2 Panther tank (video)
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| Panzer V, Ausf A, on the Eastern Front, December 1943. |
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| Above, a Panther, Ausf. D, with early type of road wheels. |
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| The Panther in the Summer of 1944, near Caen, France. |
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| The Panzer V, Ausf. D, in Ukraine, in 1944. |
