The Panther was too complicated. They would have been better off copying the T-34 and arming it with the Panther’s long 75mm.
Not as complicated as the tiger.
They would have been better off copying the T-34 and arming it with the Panther’s long 75mm.
Visually, the Panther hull shows considerable T-34 influence.
Initially, the Panther was unreliable due to being rushed into service too quickly.
Some of the Panther's long term reliability problems may have been eliminated with 10 - 15 fewer tons of armor plating thereby increasing mobility as well as extending engine and transmission life... especially since later in the war, the quality of the Panther's armor plate and quenching processes declined to the point where thick plate meant more spall than thin plate regardless of whether the plate was penetrated.
Eliminating the interleaved wheels in conjunction with lightening the tank would also have improved reliability and simplified maintenance.