DESIGN AND MODIFICATIONS

Pz.VD - the first production version. Weight 44.8 tons. Dimensions 8850x3430x2910 mm. Armament: 75-mm KwK 42 cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers, coaxial MG34 machine gun, MG34 machine gun in a yoke mount. Engine Maybach HL 230Р30 with a power of 700 hp. With. Armor thickness 17 - 100 mm. On late-production vehicles, a commander's armor appeared- a new type of puppy. 851 units produced- face.

Pz.VA - a ball mount for a frontal machine gun was introduced, lyu were eliminated- choke for ejecting spent cartridges and carnage- tsy for shooting from personal weapons in the forest- tah towers. The binocular sight has been replaced by a monocular one. Reduced elevation angle- guns. 1768 units were produced.

"Panthers" were supposed to replace the Pz.lll and Pz.IV tanks in combat units, but the rate of mass production did not correspond- met the needs of the troops. At the end of the day- tsov, it was decided that only one tank should be re-equipped with new tanks- talion in a tank regiment.

The battalion consisted of four- you have 17 tanks each. At SOS headquarters- There were eight more tanks, an engineer platoon and an air defense platoon armed with self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. Was in the battalion- not a technical company, equipped with evacuation tractors and various vehicles. In practice, the organization- The ration of units never corresponded to the staff. In Panzerwaffe units we number- elk average 51-54 tank "Panther", and in the OS troops 61 - 64. The first military units that were equipped with "Panthers" were the 51st and 52nd tank battalions, formed- established in the winter of 1943 on the basis of the 33rd and 15th tank regiments, respectively. For obu- During crew training, Pz.IV tanks were used, and only in May the battalions received 96 Panthers. The formation ended by June 15, 1943, when they were brought together into the 39th tank- forged regiment (Panther-Regiment 39). The regiment's baptism of fire was participation in the opera- tion "Citadel". The regiment became part of the 49th Tank Corps and was assigned to motor vehicles.- organized division "Great Germany" (Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Gross-Deutschland"). Moreover, to facilitate interaction- actions of the attached regiment of "Panthers" with staff- They were united into the 10th Tank Brigade by the new tank regiment of the Grossdeutschland division. During the battles on Kursk

arc, the 39th Tank Regiment, which at the beginning of the operation consisted of 20G Panther tanks, suffered severe losses. By August 11, 1943, 156 tanks were destroyed.

Rearmament with "Panthers" continued until- quite intense. In many cases, this coincided with the redeployment of tank units and formations or their withdrawal to the rear for repairs and replenishment of materiel. For example, the 16th Tank Division- Zia received new tanks in October 1943

g., during the transfer from Italy to Ukraine. Until the end of 1943, one battalion was re-equipped into the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 19th tanks- military divisions; The 51st battalion was included in the 9th Tank Division.

Panthers were actively used on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1943 and spring of 1944. during the fighting in Ukraine, in the summer of 1944 in Poland, as well as in many other sectors of the front. From December 1, 1943 to November 30, 1944, in the West at the time of the landing of the Allies- kov in Normandy June 6, 1944 in a tank- In the formations of the Wehrmacht and the SS troops, there were 663 “panthers”, which turned out to be a “tough nut to crack” for the union- nic troops. Making sure you're lying down-

forge a victory in a tank battle with a Panther- "You don't have to count on it, buddy- ki threw aviation against them, which accounts for the majority of the- German tanks beaten on the Western Front- cov. From September 1 to November 30, 1944, 613 Panthers were irretrievably lost here.

At the beginning of November, combat-ready "Pante"- ry" were distributed among the theaters of military operations as follows: East - 684, West - 371, Italy - 39.

The last major battle in which- When the Panthers had a chance to attack, there was a counterattack by German troops in Hungary, in the area of ​​Lake Balaton in March 1945. In these battles, the crews of the 130th Tank Regiment of the Wehrmacht Training Tank Division (Panzer Lehr Division) especially distinguished themselves.

In terms of mass production, it was the second German tank, which became the main and most serious opponent of tanks from all anti-Hitler countries.- Rovskaya coalition at the final stage- ne war. On March 1, 1945, the Panzerwaffe combat units had 1,763 linear Panther tanks, 169 command- Russian vehicles and 256 BREM.

In total, from July 5, 1943 to April 10, 1945, 5,629 Panther tanks were lost in combat. There are no more recent statistics, but the final number of destroyed vehicles of this type is somewhat higher, since battles with their participation took place in the Czech Republic until May 11, 1945.

In the post-war period, the "Panthers" consisted- were in service in Czechoslovakia (about 70 units), Hungary and France. Vo Franc- tions until 1947. 50 "Panthers" were armed- wives of the 503rd Tank Regiment, stationed- located in Murmelone.

Self-propelled artillery mounts, repair and recovery vehicles, command- Russian tanks and advanced artillery vehicles- Lerian observers

TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE Pz.VG TANK Panther

COMBAT WEIGHT, t: 44.8. CREW, people: 5.

OVERALL DIMENSIONS, mm: length - 8660, width - 3270, height - 2995 ground clearance - 560.

ARMAMENT: 1 KwK 42 gun, 75 mm caliber; two MG 34 machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber.

AMMUNITION: 82 artillery rounds, 4200 rounds,

AIMING DEVICES: monocular telescopic sight

TZF 12a.

RESERVATION, mm: hull front - 85, side - 50, stern - 40; roofs- bottom -17- tower -17 110.

ENGINE: Maybach HL230 RZO 12-cylinder, carburetor, V-shaped, liquid cooling; power 700 hp (515 kW) at 3000 rpm, displacement 23,095 cm3 3 .

TRANSMISSION: three-disc main dry friction clutch, seven-speed gearbox AK 7-200 (7 forward 1 reverse), plan- container turning mechanism, final drives and disc brakes. CHASSIS* 16 rubber-coated track rollers in two rows per side, one support roller, front drive wheel- positions with removable gear rims (engagement of lanterns- noe); suspension - individual, torsion bar; each caterpillar has 86 tracks with a width of 660 mm, track pitch 153 mm MAXIMUM SPEED, km/h: 55. POWER RESERVE, km: 250.

OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME: ascent angle, degrees - 30; width- on the moat. m - 2.45; wall height m - 0.9; armor depth, m -1.9, COMMUNICATIONS: radio station Fu 5.

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Nazi Germany entered the war with the Soviet Union without tanks weighing more than 25 tons, with more powerful weapons than the short-barreled 75-mm KwK 37 L/24 guns. In the blitzkrieg concept there was no place for heavy vehicles: it was believed that the 37-50-mm cannons of the PzKpfw III medium tanks were suitable for combating any armored vehicles in service with the enemy armies (although already during the French campaign the Panzerwaffe forces encountered vehicles that had anti-shell armor), and PzKpfw IV (heavy, according to the early classification) and assault guns with 75-mm cannons will be successfully used as means of fire support and destruction of fortifications. At the same time, design work was carried out on the first heavy tanks - Durchbruchwagen, VK 3001 (H) and VK 3001 (P).

Indeed, PzKpfw III and IV proved to be quite effective against outdated Polish, and to a lesser extent against British and French armored vehicles, as well as Soviet T-26, BT-5 and BT-7. But soon after the start of aggression against the USSR, German tank units encountered an unexpected enemy - medium T-34s, heavy KV-1s and assault KV-2s. The first of them, which was to become the most popular tank of the Second World War, surpassed its rivals in the power of weapons, manufacturability and protection; As for the KVs, despite their significant shortcomings in terms of reliability, the advantage of these vehicles in relation to the Pz III and IV was so overwhelming that in a number of cases single Soviet tanks held back the advance of entire German divisions.

In addition, in the first year of the war in the USSR, large-scale production of new generation equipment continued, the share of which in the troops at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was relatively small. In such unfavorable conditions, urgent rearmament of the German army was required. It became obvious that it was necessary to modernize the models already in service (primarily the Pz IV, whose anti-tank capabilities were at a low level, while its design made it possible to install more powerful weapons) and move to a new model of the main medium tank.

One of the first proposed solutions was the release of a technological copy of the T-34, but the German military leadership abandoned this option. The reason for this was not the unpreparedness of the German military-industrial complex to master the simple and cheap Soviet machine, but a number of other reasons. Firstly, industrial standards varied (for example, gun caliber), and modifying the T-34 to the standards adopted in Germany required time and the creation of some new components. Secondly, the Germans were not entirely satisfied with the design of the early production T-34, which was characterized by major defects: imperfect observation and aiming devices, uncomfortable working conditions for the crew, and shortcomings in individual elements of the power plant. Finally, the Soviet V-2 engine ran on diesel fuel, while it was constantly in short supply.

Therefore, the Armament Directorate chose to announce the start of the design of a fundamentally new medium tank. Work on the prototypes VK 2401 (Krupp) and VK 2001 (MAN) was curtailed due to futility, and on November 25, 1941, the MAN and Daimler-Benz concerns were given an order for the preparation of technical projects and the construction of prototypes of the main medium tank, formulating the following mandatory requirements: fulfillment of the requirements: weight - about 30 tons, armament - long-barreled 75 mm gun, armor - 40 mm, engine power - up to 700 hp. s., speed on the highway - 55 km/h. It also meant the introduction of successful solutions tested on the T-34, such as rational angles of inclination of armor plates and a wide track chain. The tank developed by Daimler-Benz was designated VK 3002 (DB), and produced by MAN - VK 3002 (MAN) (the number 30 meant the design weight, 02 - a series of experimental vehicles).

Already in February 1942, Daimler-Benz presented its working model of the tank to A. Hitler. The VK 3002 (DB) was very similar in appearance and layout to the T-34. The shape of the hull turned out to be almost identical (with the exception of the placement of the engine, the exhaust valves of which were located on board), the rear location of the transmission and drive wheel, and the placement and appearance of the turret, shifted forward. The 75-mm cannon with a single-chamber muzzle brake was mounted in a complex-shaped gun mantlet, again reminiscent of the T-34 mod. 1940. The chassis on one side consisted of four double large-diameter rubber-coated rollers on a spring suspension and three support rollers. The combat vehicle made a favorable impression on the head of the Third Reich, and he soon ordered the production of the first batch of 200 VK 3002 (DB).

However, the Armament Directorate expressed disagreement with Hitler, considering the MAN option, which had not yet even been completed in prototype, to be more suitable. VK 3002 (MAN) in terms of weight exceeded the technical specifications (total weight was 35 tons), it was distinguished by the complexity of its design, but, on the other hand, its advantages (expressed primarily in a larger reserve for modernization and power reserve) balanced the disadvantages. To harmonize opinions on the choice of one of the two VK 3002, a commission was established, which on May 13, 1942 made its decision, according to which preference was given to the MAN prototype. One of the conditions that influenced the choice is considered to be the similarity of the VK 3002 (DB) with its Soviet counterpart, although it is somewhat far-fetched - in military reality, fire could mistakenly be fired at friendly vehicles, regardless of their similarity with the enemy’s armored vehicles.

Daimler-Benz engineers tried to bring their prototype tank to the level of a competitor. The diesel engine was replaced by a gasoline engine, and fundamental changes were made to the chassis: a torsion bar suspension with a staggered arrangement of road wheels corresponded to the MAN version. However, it took time to correct all the shortcomings, and the armor characteristics would still be inferior to the VK 3002 (MAN). As a result, the only copy of the Daimler was sent for disposal, and the VK 3002 (MAN) tank went into production.

Before the start of production, the basic model underwent improvements: security was increased by an order of magnitude, and at the request of A. Hitler, it was even planned to install the KwK 42 L/100 gun, which at that time was still in development. As a result, instead of the originally planned 30-ton medium tank, the Panzerwaffe adopted a vehicle weighing 43 tons, adequate not to the T-34, but rather to the KV-1. According to the German classification, tanks were divided into light, medium and heavy, not depending on the combat weight, but on the caliber of the main weapon, and the Panther was classified as a medium vehicle. In the domestic tradition, it was nevertheless assessed with sufficient grounds as a heavy tank, and the author sees no reason to abandon this opinion.

In the summer of 1942, the Ministry of Armaments approved a production plan - according to it, by May of the following year, 250 Panthers were to arrive in linear units. But only in January 1943 did the first finished vehicles leave the factory floors. 20 tanks of the installation series, designated Sd. Kfz. 171 Ausf. A, differed from full-fledged combat "Panthers" by thinner hull armor - up to 60 mm (according to some reports, made of non-armored steel) and a KwK 42 gun with a single-chamber muzzle brake from the KwK 40 L/43. It is assumed that the PzKpfw V Ausf A did not take part in combat operations and was used only for crew training. According to other sources, one tank of this type was captured by the Soviet army at the Kursk Bulge, which suggests isolated cases of their presence at the front.

In total, during the war, regular units and SS troops received a little less than 6000 PzKpfw V of all modifications produced by MAN, Daimler-Benz, Henschel and MNH.

The layout of the Panther is typical of German tanks: unlike the T-34, the transmission is located in the front part of the hull. Behind the inclined frontal plate there were workstations for the gunner-radio operator (on the right) and the driver-mechanic (on the left), who served, respectively, the radio station and the course machine gun, and the control mechanisms. In the roof of the hull above them there were oval hatches that opened when they were turned on pins. Behind the driver's and radio operator's seats, part of the ammunition for the gun was placed on racks in a vertical position.

The fighting compartment in the middle part of the vehicle included seats for the remaining crew members: on the left side - the commander, on the right side - the gunner, in the rear of the turret - the loader. The engine compartment - in the hull behind the combat compartment - containing the engine and fuel tanks, was separated from the combat compartment by an insulating partition.

The main armament of the Pz V was the 75-mm KwK 42 L/70 gun (barrel length - 70 calibers) with a traditional two-chamber, four-window muzzle brake. The elevation angle varied from -8 to +18/+20 (at Ausf D) degrees. In terms of its armor destruction performance, the KwK 42 was significantly ahead of both the medium Pz IV Ausf G-J - KwK 40 L/43-48 guns and the Soviet F-34 76.2 mm caliber, which were armed with the Soviet T-34. The advantage is explained by the higher initial velocity of the projectile and the high quality of the ammunition. At a distance of 1 km, an armor-piercing tracer projectile penetrated more than 110 mm of rolled steel, and a sub-caliber one - 140 mm. The high-explosive fragmentation projectile, however, did not differ much from its similarities. The full ammunition included 79 rounds (on Ausf G - 82). Auxiliary weapons for combating infantry and lightly armored targets are two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns. The first was coaxial with a gun barrel in a gun mantlet, the second, in the front plate, was initially mounted in a yoke (embrasure) installation without the possibility of vertical guidance, and later, when combat experience showed low efficiency and inconvenience of aiming - in a ball mount. The ammunition for the machine guns totaled 5,100 rounds (on the Ausf G, reducing it to 4,800 rounds freed up space for additional 75 mm rounds).

The Panther's hull was formed by inclined rolled armor plates made of alloy steel, connected hermetically by welding. The upper frontal sheet, inclined at an angle of 55 degrees, had a thickness of 80 mm (given thickness - 143 mm), and on the Ausf G model it was increased to 85 mm (155 mm of normal thickness), which provided a very decent level of protection at that time, although it was somewhat reduced due to weakened zones - cutouts for installing a machine gun and the driver's rectangular observation hatch. The lower frontal sheet was somewhat thinner - about 60 mm. The side plates of 40 mm thickness (later - 50 mm) and the rear wall of the hull with a reverse angle of inclination were, on the contrary, characterized by a relatively high vulnerability. Early versions of the Pz V also had the disadvantage of a large gap between the chassis and the upper side plate. Since mid-1943, tanks received additional protection from cumulative ammunition - removable metal screens of 5 sections. The thin 16-mm roof armor was often deformed as a result of hits from massive shells, which could lead to breakdowns of a number of mechanisms (including the turret rotation drive) or jamming of the landing hatches.

The Panther's welded hexagonal turret had small dimensions, sloping walls and an almost vertical frontal plate. The gun was mounted in a cylindrical mantlet with 100 mm armor, which formed a trap at the junction with the turret box, which led to a change in its shape to the Ausf G modification. The frontal armor plate itself, depending on the series, had a thickness of 100 or 110 mm. The sides and rear of the turret were protected by 45 mm armor, and on the Ausf D model they had round holes for firing from personal weapons (one per side) and a hatch for ejecting cartridges on the left side. During the battles, a dangerous weakening of the armor appeared due to a violation of its integrity, and on all other versions the sides of the towers were made monolithic. However, the loading hatch in the rear wall was left. The roof of the tower, made up of two planes, had 16 mm armor. The commander's cupola, shifted to the left side, on the Pz V Ausf D copied that of the Tiger; later it was replaced by a new dome-shaped turret with 7 prismatic observation devices instead of 6 slotted ones.

The survivability of the tank in battle was increased due to 6 grenade launchers for setting up a smoke screen, but the imperfection of smoke shells of that time affected - the duration of action of these optical interferences was short. Many tanks were almost completely coated (with the exception of the upper parts of the hull and turret) with Zimmerit antimagnetic paste to protect against mines.

On the Panther, the Kniepkamp chassis scheme continued its evolution: for one side it consisted of 16 cross-arranged road wheels on a torsion bar suspension. Cast rollers were made with external rubber lining and had a simple concave shape. A small batch of cars with all-metal road wheels with steel tires and internal shock absorption was produced on a trial basis. The suspension ensured high maneuverability and speed when driving over rough terrain, but the complexity of its manufacture and maintenance put these positive features into question: for example, when a mine exploded, one or two wheels needed to be replaced, and if the main impact force of the explosion fell on the inner row suspension, it was necessary to dismantle from a third to half of the rollers. An 86-link caterpillar chain was driven by front-mounted drive wheels with lantern engagement. Wide tracks with powerful lugs contributed to better off-road performance than that of the old Pz III and IV models.

As a power plant for the Pz V, a Maybach HL 230P30 gasoline 12-cylinder V-engine with a power of 700 hp was used. With. at 3000 rpm. The specific power of the machine was thus equal to 15.5 liters. s./t. The cooling system included 4 radiators and 2 fans located on the roof of the MTO. During the improvement of the Panther, the two exhaust pipes on the rear plate underwent some changes, including the installation of flame arresters. The AK 7-200 gearbox in the control compartment made it possible to adjust the speed in 7 steps. The main complaints were caused by the transmission, which was not very reliable, and attempts were made to find a replacement for the cardan drive, but work did not progress beyond experiments with hydrostatic and hydropneumatic transmissions for financial and technical reasons.

One of the most interesting technical innovations, first introduced on a German heavy tank, is rightfully considered a night vision device. Work on this device began in the second half of the 1930s. and led to the creation of an active NVG with acceptable characteristics. At the end of 1944, after successfully passing the tests, the installation of devices on tanks began, and the Ausf G Panther was chosen as the carrier. About 50 vehicles were equipped with night vision devices. The system itself consisted of an infrared illuminator for outdoor illumination and an image converter that displays the view viewed in infrared rays on the screen. In its main version, designated FG 1250, only the tank commander used the device; in another configuration, the gunner and driver received similar devices. "Panthers" with NVGs took part in battle for the first time in the Ardennes counter-offensive and, according to some sources, in the Battle of Lake. Balaton and proved to be very effective.

As for the tank’s combat path as a whole, it began in 1943, when a large-scale German offensive unfolded in the Kursk-Oryol direction. Here, in preparation for the last attempt to seize the initiative in the war, units equipped with the latest tanks and self-propelled guns were concentrated: in addition to the Panther, Ferdinands, Nashorns, Hummels and Brummbers received their baptism of fire at the Kursk Bulge. PzKpfw V, among 200 vehicles, of which 4 were command vehicles, became the basis of the equipment of the 39th Tank Regiment of the 48th Tank Corps and were deployed in the southern sector of the battle.

It was assumed that the Pz V would go on the offensive following more powerful equipment in the most dangerous directions. However, in fact, due to the losses suffered by the advanced units, they were thrown into battle soon after the start of Operation Citadel - on July 5, and by the beginning of August only about 10% of the staff remained in working order, with 127 (according to other sources - 156) vehicles were lost irretrievably: they included those that were burned out and could not be restored, as well as those abandoned or blown up during the retreat of Pz V.

The frontal armor of the hull was not penetrated by Soviet artillery fire, represented mainly by the 76.2 mm ZIS-3 divisional gun. Even 122-mm M-30 howitzer and 85-mm anti-aircraft gun shells only caused armor deformation. The lower frontal sheet, however, could not withstand their fire, but it accounted for only a small part of the hits. The sides were hit by the above-mentioned field guns from a distance of about 1000 m, and at a distance of 300 m or less - by a 45-mm cannon mod. 1942. Insufficient protection of the turret was revealed: even in its frontal part there were weakened zones, and shells ricocheting from the cylindrical mantlet could hit the hull roof in the area of ​​the control compartment. There was even a recorded case of a gun mantlet being penetrated through by a 45-mm sub-caliber projectile. Soviet anti-tank rifles were practically useless against the Panther, except for a few cases of particularly accurate hits at distances less than 100 m.

In terms of tank battles, the dominance of the Pz V over the Soviet T-34-76 mod is obvious. 1942, KV-1 and KV-1s. Medium T-34s could be shot down by a Panther at a distance of 1-1.5 km, so only a small part of the destroyed Pz Vs were duels in tanks. At the same time, field artillery was used quite successfully - despite good observation devices, detecting camouflaged gun positions was difficult, which allowed Soviet artillerymen to bring enemy tanks to the proper distance and fire into vulnerable areas. For the most part, hitting a Panther on the side in the logistics area led to a fire, unlike the Tiger with 80 mm side protection. A significant part of the losses is due to explosions on anti-tank mines; in this case, as a rule, only the chassis was damaged, while the bottom remained intact. Finally, failure for technical reasons related to defects in the power plant was a frequent occurrence: under kinetic influence, the integrity of fuel pumps and oil lines was damaged with the appearance of leaks, the engine jammed, etc. At the end of the Battle of Kursk, the Main Armored Directorate organized a study of captured Panthers "and their trials. At the same time, the recruitment of the first Soviet units, equipped with captured Pz Vs, began. They were trusted only by experienced crews and were used mainly for anti-tank purposes.

The not-so-effective debut of the new weapon forced the Germans to take measures to improve the design, and to make up for combat losses, it was planned to produce 250 Panthers per month. There was a proposal to discontinue the medium Pz IV in favor of the Pz V, but in the end, due to the obvious irrationality of the idea and the high cost of the Panthers, it was abandoned. In the fall of 1943, the modernized Panther Ausf A went into production.

Subsequent battles involving the Pz V on the Eastern Front were fought with varying degrees of success. The Panther's dominance in defensive battles against armor was followed by serious losses in the offensive. Accurate data on their use are extremely biased and require source criticism. It is only obvious that until the beginning of 1944, the Soviet army did not have adequate equipment to combat this heavy tank. The situation improved somewhat with the introduction of the T-34-85: although its 85-mm ZIS-S-53 gun was inferior to the KwK 42 in terms of armor-piercing effect, and the armor was thinner, the mass production of the Soviet vehicle equalized the opponents. The same applies to the small IS-1 heavy tanks. But the IS-2, on the contrary, could destroy the Panther with a 1.5-2 km hit in the forehead of the turret, while the German tank hit the enemy without due probability (due to the uneven protection of the IS) at a distance of about 1 km ( at the same time, in principle, not being able to penetrate more than half of the turret projection and the entire VLD of a Soviet heavy tank). It should be noted that the larger ammunition load of the Pz V and its better sights made their own adjustments, but, on the other hand, when attacking at large heading angles, the advantage of the Joseph Stalin increased by an order of magnitude.

By mid-1944, Soviet troops also received a number of new self-propelled guns, designed, among other things, to counter heavy tanks: SU-100, ISU-122 and ISU-152, of which the second was considered the most effective tank destroyer. The use of attack aircraft against the Pz V generally did not bring much success.

The Allied troops found themselves in a different situation. Here, the first experience of using "Panthers" refers to the offensive in Italy. The short-barreled guns of the Shermans and Cromwells gave a chance to destroy the Pz V only at close range when attacked from the flank or rear, and a victory over one Panther could cost five M4s. The situation repeated itself during the Normandy landings, when the only tanks relatively suitable for fighting it were the Sherman Fireflys with 17-pounder British guns, and later the A34 Komet and the M36 Slugger self-propelled guns. The Allies (in particular the British) were saved only by the high level of training of the crews, as well as aviation. A full-fledged battle tank of the West, equal in capabilities to the Panther, the M26, practically did not participate in combat operations; cases of its collisions with its German counterpart are unknown.

Until the end of the fighting on May 11, 1945 in Czechoslovakia, the Panthers actively fought on all fronts: it was on them that the German military leadership made its last bet, and in the spring of 1945, at the cost of incredible efforts, the army received more than 500 new tanks. None of Nazi Germany's satellites received the Pz V. After the war, quite a few tanks of this type went to the victorious states, and for some time they were in service with France, Czechoslovakia and Hungary.

The last episode featuring Sd. Kfz. 171 almost took place in the 50s. During the Indochina War, the PRC provided the Vietnamese partisans with several IS-2 tanks, which the French had to face. The possibility of removing the remaining Panthers from conservation and sending them to protect colonial interests was considered, but the measure was considered not entirely adequate. The war soon came to an end with the independence of the former French possessions, and the two old enemies were never to meet again on the battlefield.

Numerous improvements during the development of the model could not fully satisfy all the requirements and eliminate all design flaws. A fundamentally new modification was to be the PzKpfw V Ausf F, especially for which the new “narrow” turret “Schmalturm 605” of the Daimler-Benz concern was developed. It was distinguished by smaller dimensions, a flat roof, a different design of the commander's cupola, a frontal part 120 mm thick and a new gun mount - a “pot” cuff. The weapon used was a new 75-mm KwK 44 cannon from Skoda - 70 calibers long, without a muzzle brake. The gunner's sight was moved to the center of the turret, and the coaxial machine gun was moved to the front plate. The hull protection was also strengthened (120 mm - forehead, 60 mm - side, 30 mm - roof). It was also planned to replace the power plant and the type of road wheels. But until the end of the war, the hull was never prepared, and the turrets were tested on the Ausf G version. The improved “Panther” could no longer go into production due to lack of time and the state of the industry, and information about its participation in the last battles, apparently, is not true.

German designers first thought about replacing their tank already in 1943, although there was no talk of a complete renovation. The new tank, called "Panther II", was unified in a number of critical components (chassis, main armament, internal equipment) with the "Tiger-II" being developed at that time. The turret, similar to the Schmalturm, but with 150 mm frontal armor and curved side plates, housed a long-barreled 88 mm KwK 43 cannon. The hull differed from its predecessor only in size and protection; The chassis included 14 stamped rollers with steel rims. Serial tanks (their release was initially scheduled for the spring of 1944, later at the end of the year) were supposed to have a 900-horsepower engine. But in 1944, only one building was completed, and the project was soon suspended. The only prototype was tested with the PzKpfw V Ausf G turret, and a lot of shortcomings in terms of reliability and mobility, also inherent in the Tiger-II, were revealed. It was captured by American troops at the training ground and is now on display at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox.

To replace the "Panther-II" in the distant future (autumn 1945), one of the objects of the standardized Entwicklung ("E") series was created - the E-50 heavy tank with an estimated weight of 50-60 tons, in its design very reminiscent of the "Panther" -II". The suspension was changed, which was supposed to consist of 6 double rollers. New 75-mm or 88-mm guns were considered as weapons. The E-50 did not even reach the full-size mockup stage.

The Panther chassis was a very suitable basis for the construction of numerous combat and special vehicles. Of these, only four were produced in large or limited series, and a little more were embodied in prototypes. The number of projects that remain only in drawings or preliminary sketches, as well as their diversity and originality, on the contrary, is very impressive.

The command tank Panzerbefehlswagen V (Sd.Kfz 267) differed from the base model in additional communications equipment and a reduced ammunition capacity of 64 or 70 (depending on modification). The crew included three radio operators who also served the weapons. BREM Panzerbergerwagen V (often called Bergepanther) was born in 1943. At that time, the Wehrmacht did not have vehicles suitable for evacuating damaged Panthers and Tigers, with the exception of Sd.Kfz.9 tractors with a traction force of 18 tons (for towing one heavy tank required at least three of these half-track vehicles). "Bergepanthers" developed a 40-ton tractive effort, and late-production vehicles were also equipped with a crane for dismantling the engine or turret. Defensive armament consisted of an MG 34 machine gun behind a small armored shield.

The Beobachtungspanther observation vehicle was intended to survey the battlefield from closed positions and adjust artillery fire. The KwK 42 was replaced by a wooden dummy, leaving only auxiliary weapons. This model received very advanced periscopic observation devices. The release amounted to 41 units.

The heavy tank destroyer Panzerjager V Jagdpanther was designed in 1942-1943. by Daimler-Benz and was produced until the beginning of 1945 (384 units). Instead of a turret, a fully armored wheelhouse with a beveled frontal plate of 80 mm thickness was installed; its side plates were made integral with the hull. The Jagdpanther was armed with an 88-mm PaK 43/3 L/71 cannon and as such became one of the best anti-tank self-propelled guns of World War II (only comparable to the SU-100, which was inferior in terms of armor, but with a more powerful gun, which, however, , to self-propelled guns of the middle class). We also note that in 1944 the Jagdpanther-II project was proposed with a front-mounted MTO and a narrow superstructure shifted to the stern, armed with a 128-mm PaK 44 cannon.

This concludes the list of serial developments. Among the prototypes and projects, the most numerous are self-propelled guns: howitzers, mortars, assault self-propelled guns, tank destroyers.

One of the most interesting variants of self-propelled guns based on the Panther is the Krupp artillery duplex, which consisted of a 128-mm K43/44 L/61 anti-tank gun with a cylindrical perforated muzzle brake and a 150-mm sFH 18M howitzer, which had to be replaced and was placed in lightly armored cabin without roof and stern protection. The project was not approved due to weak reservations.

Later, the Rheinmetall company provided performance characteristics and drawings of its Scorpion tank destroyer, also with a 128-mm cannon, which differed favorably from the Krupp product by the presence of all-round armor. The latter company, in turn, designed the heavy self-propelled gun "Sturmpanter" with a short-barreled 150-mm assault howitzer StuH 43/1 (like the Brummbear assault tank) in a slightly redesigned standard turret. None of these developments were implemented.

Unlike the listed models, the Grille 10 anti-aircraft self-propelled gun existed in the form of several prototypes (none of which, unfortunately, have survived to this day). Its 88mm anti-aircraft gun in a fixed wheelhouse was well suited for protecting stationary targets from heavy bombers, but not for troops on the march exposed to attack aircraft. At the end of 1943, the Armament Directorate attracted Krupp and Rheinmetall to develop an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun with small-caliber machine guns. Already in the spring of 1944, their work resulted in the Koelian self-propelled gun project with two 37-mm FlaK 44 cannons; at the same time, its reinforced version with 55-mm machine guns was also being developed. The end of the war found both options never leaving the drawing boards.

The Czech company Skoda also took part in the creation of combat vehicles on the Panther chassis, designing an armored MLRS. In place of the turret was a fully rotating installation with 105- or 150-mm rockets in guide frames.

Today, in historical and technical museums around the world there are many “Panthers” of all modifications, several “Bergepanthers” and “Jagdpanthers”. In Russia, the only PzKpfw V Ausf G is on display at the Armored Vehicles Museum in Kubinka near Moscow.

Equipment and weapons 1995 03-04 Magazine “Equipment and weapons”

TANK T-V “PANTHER”

TANK T-V “PANTHER”

On November 25, 1941, the Reich Ministry of Arms and Ammunition instructs Daimler-Benz and MAN to produce a vehicle superior to the Soviet T-34 medium tank in terms of armament and armor.

The German "thirty-four" (the future T-V "Panther" tank) was supposed to have a mass of 35 tons, a 37-mm cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers, a maximum speed of 55 kilometers per hour, armor: front - 60 and side - 40 mm. Engine power – 650-700 horsepower.

In May 1942, the firms presented their projects to a specially created commission. Daimler-Benz offered a tank that even resembled the T-34 in appearance, with the same arrangement of units. But the commission’s demand to install a long-barreled 75-mm cannon on the new tank essentially sidelined the German “thirty-four” project. The MAN project was completed. The first sample was manufactured in September 1942 and underwent thorough testing, and serial production began in November. If today, from the height of the past years, we evaluate the created tank, then we can note that it turned out to be the most durable in Hitler’s “Panzerwaffe”. And yet, the glory of the best tank of World War II remained with the T-34. First of all, the weight of the Panther exceeded the design by 8 tons, it weighed almost 45 tons (T-34 - 28.5), and the specific power was not maintained. The “Panther” did not reach the “thirty-four” in terms of speed, range on highways and off-road, and most importantly, in simplicity of design. The fascist leadership planned to produce up to 600 cars per month, but the plans were not realized. The record production - 400 pieces - was released only in the summer of '44, when the outcome of the war was a foregone conclusion. For comparison, we note that already in 1942, more than 1,000 “thirty-fours” were produced per month.

Basic performance characteristics. Combat weight - 44.8 tons. Crew - 5 people. Armament: one 75 mm cannon, two machine guns. Ammunition - 79 shells, 4,200 rounds. Armor: hull front – 80 mm, side – 50 mm, turret – 110 mm. Engine power – 700 l/s. Maximum speed – 50 km/h. Cruising range on the highway is 200 km.