panther tank

When the Germans invaded Russia in 1941, Soviet T-34 tanks achieved significant superiority over German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks. The most important feature of the T-34 tanks was their sloped armor. Sloped armor deflected incoming shells and increased protection without thickening the armor. Hitler wanted tanks that were superior to the T-34 in terms of armor and firepower. The Germans formed a special group to study the T-34 tank. After analyzing the T-34 tank and at Heinz Guderian’s request, they decided to design a new tank inspired by the sloped armor of the T-34. MAN and Daimler-Benz companies were awarded the contract. Two prototypes of the Panther tank, VK 20.02 and VK 30.02, were produced. MAN's prototype was accepted, and the production of Panther tanks was assigned to the MAN company.

The production of Panther tanks began in 1942. The armor of the Panther tank was 80 mm thick sloped armor, which increased the effective thickness to 140-150 mm due to the angle. The Panther’s main weapon was the 75 mm KwK 42 L70 cannon, capable of penetrating 168 mm thick armor at a distance of 500 meters. The engine was a 700-horsepower V12 Maybach motor, enabling the tank to reach speeds of up to 55 km/h.

The Panther tank was first used in the Battle of Kursk in 1943. 200 Panther tanks were sent to the Kursk battle, but due to engine failures, some tanks were sidelined, leaving only 184 Panthers ready for combat when the battle began. However, most of the 184 Panthers were quickly disabled due to engine failures, leaving only 40 tanks operational. Despite the low numbers, the Panther tank achieved significant success against Soviet T-34 tanks. The engine failures were caused by the Germans rushing the production of the tank and overlooking issues with the engine.

After the Eastern Front, the Panther tank was also used in Normandy and showed great success against American M4 Sherman tanks. In terms of armor, firepower, and speed, the Panther tank was even superior to the Tiger I tanks. Even the Soviet heavy tank IS-2 struggled to penetrate the Panther’s frontal armor. A total of 6,000 Panther tanks were produced. If the Germans had focused more on this tank, it could have truly changed the course of World War II.