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

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[SAMWolf]

Lord,

Keep our Troops forever in Your care

Give them victory over the enemy...

Grant them a safe and swift return...

Bless those who mourn the lost.
.

FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer
for all those serving their country at this time.

...................................................................................... ...........................................

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PanzerKampfwagen V
Panther

After meeting the Soviet T-34 tank in late 1941 the German army was considerably shaken to find that there was a tank better than its PzKpfw IV. Although work on a successor to the PzKpfw IV had started as early as 1937, which eventually became the Tiger heavy tank, it largely incorporated features from the earlier development prototypes and owed nothing to the T-34 design. After examining captured T-34s during an "on the spot" investigation, the key features of the T-34 design were assessed. The three main characteristics were:

• the sloped armor which gave optimum shot deflection
• the large road wheels which gave a stable and steady ride
• the overhanging gun, a feature previously avoided by the Germans as impracticable

Wooden model of the Daimler-Benz proposal

Having received the commision's report on November 25 1941, the Heereswaffenamt contracted with two armament firms, Daimler-Benz and MAN, to produce designs for a new medium tank in the 30-35 ton class. To be ready for the following spring, the specifications called for a vehicle with 60mm frontal armor and 40mm side armor, a high velocity 75mm gun and the front and sides to be sloped like the T-34.


MAN Panther Ausf. D

In April 1942, the two designs were submitted, with an interesting contrast. Daimler-Benz proposal was an almost unashamed copy of the T-34 in layout, with the addition of a few refinements. It had a hull shape similar to the T-34 with turret mounted well forward; the driver sat within the turret cage. A diesel engine was fitted with transmission to the rear sprockets. Paired steel bogies without rubber tyres were suspended by leaf springs. Other features included jettisonable fuel tanks on the hull rear in T-34 fashion.


Panther Ausf. A

Hitler was impressed with the Daimler-Benz "T-34 type" proposal, although he suggested that the gun be changed from the 75mm L/48 model to the longer L/70 weapon, and prototypes went into production. Leaf springs were cheaper and easier to produce than torsion bars, and the diesel engine would have been an advantage in later years when petrol supply became restricted. However, the Heereswaffenamt preferred the MAN design, since simply copying the T-34 was unpatriotic and there were mechanical features of the T-34 which made copying an impractical proposition for German manufacturers.


Panther Ausf. G

The MAN design displayed original German thinking, sophisticated rather than simple. It had a higher, wider hull than either the Daimler-Benz design or the T-34, with a large turret placed well back to offset as much as possible the overhang of the long 75mm gun. Torsion bar suspension was used with interleaved road wheels, while a Maybach petrol engine was proposed, with drive to the front sprockets. The internal layout followed conventional German practice with stations for the driver and hull gunner/radio-operator in the front compartment.


The crew of a Panther, Eastern Front, April 1944

Militarily, there were two important prerequisites in the comparison of the two models: mass production should start in December 1942, and the weapon should be of superior quality to counter the numerical material superiority of the enemy. Daimler-Benz was not able to produce the turret for the deadline, and needed modifications on the turret as well. The recommendation of the MAN's proposal was presented to Hitler on 13 May 1942, and accepted. At the same time the specifications were restated, increasing the frontal armor thickness to 80mm, a change increasing the weight to 44 tons. By that time much of the design, like wheels and suspension, had been completed and subcontractors at work; throwing additional strain on components designed for the original weight, which lead to problems of unreliability in action.

[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!