The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - PanzerKampfwagen V - Panther - Feb. 17th, 2004

www.wargamer.com ^

[Professional Engineer]

Ah, makes sense. I've wondered for a long time if the two front wheels caused any problems, as far as negotiating terrain, etc. Put in light of the APC and AFV, some being wheeled. My guess is not really.

[snippy_about_it]

We're looking for the height and he gives us the length!"

LOL.

[Professional Engineer]

I was taking my second course in Differential Equations. Several buildings on campus had remodel work going on, so some no-engineering classed were held in the EE building.

During the first week of class, a pretty young blonde gal comes in to the class, finds a seat, gets her notebook arranged, etc. After seeing all the chicken scratch from one end of the board to the other, she realized her error, and left.

The professor, an Oriental guy, dryly commented, "You could kind of tell, couldn't you" and kept lecturing. The students were all on the floor, laughing.

[Darksheare]

Well, she WAS welcome there, as long as she gave SOME guy's heart a flutter or two.
*chuckle*
Heard a professor say to someone who fell through the doorway to his room, "Since you went through all that trouble, you may as well stay."

[Iris7]

The Israelis have used a great many ex-US Army half tracks over the years. Likely at least some of these old timers are still in service, since the only source of WW2 US half track track assemblies is Israeli. (Collectors buy these machines, which are relatively cheap to maintain because of relatively low weight.) The Czechs had one of the German WW2 half tracks in production until the late '80s.

Half tracks have simpler transmissions than full tracks, since a heavy truck differential and transmission is adequate, while having mobility as good as most tanks because of their lighter weight. The American ones are more like trucks, something like farm tractors of the day, than they were like tanks. (I have never seen the German ones.)

I think the Israelis found them suitable because they got them cheap and have used them on dry ground. Transmissions, engines, and rear ends (and wiring, seats, radiators, a bunch more stuff) are all modern truck components in the Israeli machines.

[Professional Engineer]

Heh heh heh

[Professional Engineer]

Cool stuff. Thanks for the info.

[snippy_about_it]

heh heh heh.

[Darksheare]

LOL!
"Democrat candidate run down by fleeing French while campaigning in arabic nations."
"Kerry finally housetrained. Learns to fetch, roll over,and play dead."

[Iris7]

James Gavin, commanding the 82nd Airborne in Normandy to the surrender, talks about anti-tank weapons available to his troops during the war in his memoir, "On to Berlin." He talks about how the bazooka would make a small hole in the front glacis plate of a Panther, not penetrating, not harming the Panther in any way, and that this hole was just the size that the little finger would fit into it just past the first joint.

There is a Panther at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox with just exactly such a mark on the glacis. I hopped over the chain and stuck my left little finger in the mark, and it went in just past the first joint. Some young GI paid for that insignificant mark with his life, most likely.

Anyway, Gavin talks about holding the line during the Bulge, and how hard it was to stop German tanks with Gammon grenades.

Gammon Grenades were explosive charges too heavy to throw far, being a couple of pounds of one of the C compositions thrown up onto the back of the tank behind the turret, where the armor was thin. The Gammon Grenade had a shock triggered fuze, going off on impact. Got to be careful with one of those puppies.

Anyway, the Airborne troopers captured a German truck carrying a load of Panzerfaust hand launched anti-tank weapons, which worked fine and did not waste so many of our people. Gavin was very interested after the war in improving US anti-armor weapons for the infantry, probably too much so, at least for his career. Maxwell Taylor of the 101st was of another sort of man, but that is another story!

[snippy_about_it]

Good post Iris7. Good to see you. Hey, we know all about Maxwell Taylor. :-)

The FReeper Foxhole Profiles General Maxwell Taylor - July 26th, 2003

[Johnny Gage]

         
ROFL!

[SAMWolf]

I haven't hear of any problems with the wheels. The US models had power to the wheels, the Germans didn't if I recall correctly. Probably just a normal evolution to either an all tracked or all wheeled vehicle over the years.

[SAMWolf]

2.36 INCH ROCKET LAUNCHER M9A1 "BAZOOKA"

The 2.36 inch rocket launcher was developed at the beginning of World War II and distributed to units in 1942. The launcher was essentially a tube, about 60 inches long, with a rocket propelled shaped charge in the back. A magneto sends an electrical current that ignites the rocket motor and the projectile is propelled out the tube. Shown below are the two types of ammunition used. The upper projectile is the early war version of the shaped charge munition while the lower example is the later version.

The launcher was nicknamed the "bazooka" after a musical instrument used by the entertainer Bob Burns. The bazooka was advantageous in that it was light in weight, yet had plenty of punch for armor and other hard targets such as bunkers. Lightly armed infantry significantly increased their fire power using the bazooka. Disadvantages included a dangerous back blast and limited range, making the bazooka team vulnerable to counter attack. The first version of the bazooka was the M1A1, which was a continuous tube design. The M9A1 design was a tube that came apart in two sections making it easier to transport.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Gotta love a lady who has her own tank!

[SAMWolf]

A Panther of the Panzer Lehr Division knocked out by a side hull shot from a 76mm gun. Notice that this Panther "brewed up" from this hit.

[snippy_about_it]

Wow!

[SAMWolf]

Panzerkamphwagon V, Ausf 'G'
Panther

Germany's answer to the Soviet T-34, the "Panther" was equal to any, and superior to most Allied tanks in WW II. Equiping the frontline panzer units of the Wermacht and the Waffen SS, it was a formaidable opponent to any Allied tank crew.

[SAMWolf]

Sd. Kfz. 171 Panther D, 52nd Battalion, 39th Panzer Regiment (Kursk Offensive, July 1943)

[snippy_about_it]

oooo. I like that painting. Nice one!