MNH was not attacked until 14 and 28 March 1945. The Panther had its first taste of combat at the Battle of Kursk, the biggest tank battle in history that involved over 6,000 tanks. German tanks conversely used a low flash powder making it hard for Allied crews to spot them. The KV-1 was virtually impenetrable to any anti tank gun short of the 88 mm at that time in the war. Inside the Panther’s crew consisted of five people. Ausf. The early results of the IS-2's combat employment which were confirmed by firing tests in Kurbinka 1944 compelled the designers to seek innovate solutions. 100 Panthers were in need of repair (56 were damaged by hits and mines and 44 by mechanical breakdown). From 1943, Panther turrets were mounted in fixed fortifications; some were normal production models, but most were made specifically for the task, with additional roof armor to withstand artillery. The turret front was 100 mm thick, and the sides and rear were 45 mm thick angled between 25 and 30 degrees. The earliest known redesign of the turret was dated November 7, 1943 and featured a narrow gun mantlet behind a 120 mm (4.7 in) thick turret front plate. This increased armor protection also had a slight weight saving due to the overall smaller size of the turret.[117]. In February 1945, eight Panzer divisions with a total of 271 Panthers were transferred from the West to the Eastern Front. 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. See more ideas about panther tank, panther, tank. It is inaccruate on the move, its main gun is slowest because of the wind down time. At the beginning of the war, German armored fighting vehicle manufacturers had employed labor-intensive and costly manufacturing methods unsuitable for the needs of mass production; even with streamlined production methods, Germany never approached the efficiency of Allied manufacturing during World War II. The crew was made up of five members: driver, radio operator (who also fired the bow machine gun), gunner, loader, and commander. Actual strengths tended to differ, and became far lower after losses. [25] Other measures taken to reduce this problem included improving the coolant circulation inside the motor and adding a reinforced membrane spring to the fuel pump. Its main distinguishing factors from the Panther D or the Panther Gare; A new cupola (compared to the Ausf. Production of the Panther 2 was slated to begin in September 1943. D for reverse engineering purposes in 1943. The Panther was also far cheaper to produce than the Tiger tanks, and only slightly more expensive than the Panzer IV, as its design came to fruition when the Reich Ministry of Armament and War Production was making great efforts to increase war production. Fuel lines of porous material that allow gasoline fumes to escape into the tank interior causing a grave fire hazard. This process was aggressively pushed forward, sometimes against the wishes of designers and army officers, by the Chief Director of Armament and War Production, Karl-Otto Saur (who worked under, and later succeeded, Reichminister Speer). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. ), Battalion Command (composed of Communication and Reconnaissance platoons), 2nd Company - 22 × Panther (composed as 1st Company), 3rd Company - 22 × Panther (composed as 1st Company), 4th Company - 22 × Panther (composed as 1st Company), Friedrich Christian Flick Private Collection, Germany. However, this medium tank was only able to deal with great difficulty vs the new Soviet T-34 tank, which appeared in increasing numbers on the Eastern front after the start of Operation Barbarossa. In all models, 4 rounds were also stored in the left sponson between the driver and the turret. A (Sd.Kfz. Several experimental Schmaltürme (literally: "narrow turrets") were built in 1944 with modified versions of the 75 mm KwK 42 L/70, which were given the designation of KwK 44/1. The standard Panther Ausf.D could hold 79 rounds for the 75 mm, while the Ausf.G could take up to 82. 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. 1: "Comparison of US equipment with Similar German Equipment" Report for Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force. The 17-pounder with APCBC shot was more or less equivalent in performance to the Panther's 75 mm gun, but superior with APDS shot. MHI, Brig. 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 engine compartment space was designed to be watertight so that the Panther could be submerged and cross waterways. After several days they were immobilized due to the lack of fuel and batteries and were set ablaze to prevent them from being re-captured by the German forces.[79]. [23] Blown head gaskets were another problem, which was corrected with improved seals in September 1943. The problems were from a combination of factors. The tank was developed in response to the Germans encountering the Soviet T-34 tank, which in 1941 and 1942 outclassed the then available German tanks, the Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs. The Panther and the Soviet T-34are considered to be the best tanks of World War II. To achieve the goal of higher production rates, numerous simplifications were made to the design and its manufacture. The Panther tank’s design was a compromise of various requirements. Rushed into combat at the Battle of Kursk with un-corrected teething problems, which resulted in breakdowns and other equipment failures, the Panther tank would thereafter only be fighting outnumbered in Germany's steady retreat against the Allies for the remainder of World War II. [72], The Panther demonstrated its capacity to destroy any Soviet AFV from long distance during the Battle of Kursk, and had a very high overall kill ratio. Throughout the rest of the war, Germany continued to keep the great majority of Panther forces on the Eastern Front, where the situation progressively worsened for the Germans. They housed ammunition storage and fighting compartment along with crew quarters. The side turret armor of 45 mm (1.8 in) was vulnerable to penetration at long range by almost all Allied tank guns, including the M4's 75 mm gun which could penetrate it at 1,500 m (0.93 mi). 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