Panther vol3 - Walk Around

Panther SdKfz.171
Country	Germany
Role	Medium tank
In service	1943–1945
Built	6000+

The Panther is a German medium tank deployed during World War II on the Eastern and Western Fronts in Europe from mid-1943 to the war’s end in 1945. It had the ordnance inventory designation of Sd.Kfz. 171. It was designated as the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther until 27 February 1944, when Hitler ordered that the Roman numeral “V” be deleted. Contemporary English language reports sometimes refer to it as the “Mark V”.

Source: Panther sur Wikipedia

Panther
Photographer	Unknow
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	40

Panther 01

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Panther 09

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Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V Walk Around
Photographer	Bill Maloney
Localisation	Unknow
Photos	22

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 01

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 02

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 03

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 04

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 05

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 06

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 07

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 08

Panther Panzerkampfwagen Mk V 09

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A Revolutionary Response

The Panzer V Panther was born out of shock. When German forces encountered the Soviet T-34 in 1941, they realized their Panzer III and IV tanks were obsolete. The Panther was the “crash program” answer, incorporating the T-34’s most effective feature: sloped armor. Often cited as the best overall tank of World War II, it struck a legendary balance between speed, protection, and firepower. While the Tiger was a heavy breakthrough brute, the Panther was the refined duelist—faster, sleeker, and equipped with a gun that could punch through almost anything it saw.

Attribute	Technical Specification (Ausf. G)
Role	Medium Tank (though heavy by Allied standards)
Crew	5 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver, Radio Op)
Main Armament	7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 (High Velocity)
Frontal Armor	80 mm (Lower) / 100 mm (Mantlet) at steep slopes
Engine	Maybach HL 230 P30 V12 (700 hp)
Weight	Approx. 44.8 tonnes (Combat Loaded)
Maximum Speed	46 km/h (29 mph) on road
Production Total	Approx. 6,000 units

Design Engineering: High Tech, High Cost

The Long 75: The Panther’s 75mm gun had a longer barrel ($L/70$) than the Tiger I’s 88mm. This gave the shell a higher muzzle velocity, meaning it had a flatter trajectory and superior armor penetration at long ranges.
Torsion Bar Suspension: The Panther featured a complex “interleaved” wheel system (Schachtellaufwerk). While it provided a smooth ride and a stable firing platform, it was a nightmare for mechanics; if an inner wheel broke, several outer wheels had to be removed to reach it.
The Sloped Glacis: Unlike the boxy Tiger, the Panther’s front plate was angled at 55 degrees. This effectively doubled the protection, causing Allied shells to ricochet harmlessly away rather than bite into the steel.
Infrared Night Vision: Late-war Panthers (Ausf. G) were some of the first tanks in history to be equipped with active infrared “Vampir” scopes, allowing them to hunt in total darkness.

Operational History: Greatness vs. Gremlins

The Kursk Disaster: The Panther’s debut at the Battle of Kursk (1943) was a mechanical catastrophe. More Panthers were lost to engine fires and transmission failures than to Soviet fire. The design had been rushed into production before the “bugs” were worked out.
The Normandy Shock: By 1944, the “bugs” were largely fixed. Allied tankers in Normandy were horrified to find that their standard M4 Shermans could not penetrate the Panther’s front even at point-blank range, while the Panther could snip Shermans from over 2,000 meters away.
The “Glass Jaw” Sides: To keep weight down, the Panther had relatively thin side armor (40–50mm). Experienced Allied and Soviet crews learned that they couldn’t fight a Panther head-on—they had to outmaneuver it and hit it from the side.
Post-War French Service: The Panther was so highly regarded that the French Army actually operated a full regiment of captured Panthers (the 503e Régiment de Chars de Combat) for several years after the war ended.