Tank Talk - The Panther, A Tale of 2

Previously, we discussed the "T-34 Shock".

The moment Germany realized their tanks were obsolete. Their answer was the Panzer V: The Panther. It was designed to be the perfect middle ground: faster than a Tiger, but tougher than a Panzer IV.

However, it arrived a bit of a dog and grew into a beast.

Rushed to the Front

In July 1943, Hitler delayed the massive Battle of Kursk specifically to wait for the Panther. It was a mistake. The delay allowed improved soviet defences and the tank was forced into combat before it was ready.

The results were embarrassing.

On the first day, two Panthers caught fire just driving off the transport trains. The engines overheated, the transmissions stripped, and more Panthers were lost to mechanical failure than to Soviet shells.

The Predator Awakens

Once the "teething problems" were addressed in the later A and G models, the Panther became one of the most dangerous tanks on the battlefield. It dominated for three reasons:

• The Gun: Its long-barrelled 75mm gun had higher velocity than the Tiger’s 88mm. It could "snipe" Allied tanks from over a mile away.

• The Sloped Armor: Copied from the T-34, its frontal plates caused Allied shells to simply bounce off.

• Mobility: The Panther had wide tracks and a high power-to-weight ratio, allowing it to prowl through mud and snow that would bog other tanks down.

The Flaws: Over-Engineered

The Panther wasn't perfect. Its wheels where a nightmare, they overlapped to distribute weight and look good on a blueprint, but were a pain to fix and near enough impossible in combat(this matters).

Furthermore, while its front was nearly invincible, its side armour was surprisingly thin, making it vulnerable to flanking manoeuvres.

The Legacy

Despite its rocky start, the Panther evolved into a deadly tank, a good balance between armour, mobility and firepower.

It was an improvement on the tiger and was more like the Main Battle Tank concept we see today.

It began as a burning wreck at Kursk, but ended the war as a truly capable and feared Panzer.

Where do you stand on this tank?