PANTHER VARIANTS 1942-1945
HILARY DOYLE & TOM JENTZ
MIKE'BADROCKE
EDITOR: LEE JOHNSON
li . \ j Q ; J : i ' _ " , J ...
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PANTHER VARIANTS 1942-1945
HILARY DOYLE & TOM JENTZ
MIKE'BADROCKE
EDITOR: LEE JOHNSON
li . \ j Q ; J : i ' _ " , J I ,~
MILITARY,
PANTHER
VARIANTS 1942-1945 Text by HILARY DOYLE & TOM JENTZ
Color plates by MIKE BADROCKE
First published In Great Britain In 1997 by Osprey,
a DMskln CIt
Reed Consumer Bool<s Ltd.. MlcheIln House. 81 Fulham Road. London SW3 6AB. and Auckland, MeIboume, 5inoaPofe and Toronto
o Copyright 1997 Reed International Bool<s ltd. All righls reserved. Apart lrom any lair dealing lor the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted undet the Copyright, Desi9"s and Patents Act, 1988, no part 01 this publication may be reproduced, stored In a retrieval system, or transmitted In any form or by any means, electronic. electrical, chenicaI. mechanical. optical, photocopying, recording Of otherwise, withou1 the prior petmisslon of the copyright owner, EnquIries $hOuld be addressed to the Publishers.
ISBN 1 85S32 476 8 Military Editor. lain MacGregor
Design: The Black Spot Almset In Great Britain Printed through Wortd Print Ltd.. Hong Kong
Artist's Note Readers may care to note the original paintings from which the colour plates In this book were prepared are available for private sale. All reproduction copyright whatsoever Is retained by the publisher. All enquiries should be addressed to: Mike Badrocke, 37 Prospect Road, Southborough. Tunbridge Wells, Kent. TN4 OEN The publishers regret lhat they can enter lnlo no correspondence upon this matter.
PANTHER VARIANTS
1942·1945
INTRODUCTION he theme of this book is the history of the numerous atlempLS LO utilise Panther chassis and Panther components for other weapons systems. Ab'idged descriptions of the developmelll of various models of the Panther as a tank, and also the Jagdpalllher have been included to provide a complete reference work of all Panther varianLS. After o\'cr 25 years of research, the authors have uneanhcd thousands of original records from design and production firms, the Heeres \OVaffenamt (anny ordnance depanment), and the office of the CeneralinspekLeur del' Panzertruppen, General Guderian. Allied wartime reporlS based on original German records. interviews, and sllIdies of capwrcd equipment have been lIsed to fill in gaps in the history where official German records did nOl survive the war. The archival research is backed by observalions made by the authors climbing over, under, around and lhrough the Panthers, Jagdpaolhers and Bergepanlhers thal still exisl in the ,"Vest. Due to the many n1isinterpretations in published materials, thesc havc not bcen lIscd as a source of data in asscmbling lhis history of the Panther and its variants. Following reports from the Eastern Front in 1941 that the German Panzers had been outgunned, the now famolls Panther lank was quickly
T
A Panther Ausf.O from the Initial series produced by M.A.N.
3
designed, developed and thrown into production as the new standard medium Panzer. Once the decision was made to proceed '\~lh the Panther, the Heeres WafTenamt (army ordnance dcparunem). in an auempt
'f:;':' ~;"
to control vaRiations in auto-
motive designs, decided to create a slimdardised chassis for a rdllge of armoured vehicles based on the new Panther. 1110se rnal reached production included Pa n zerbefeh Iswage n (command vchicles), Bergepanzer (tank recover)' ,·ehicles), Jagdpanzer (tank destro)'ers) and Panulcr Ost\V'alllurm (llIrrclS incorporated illlo fixed emplacements). Proposal ror the creation or Panzerbeobachtung,;wagen (artiller)' observation vchicles) did not adv;mce beyond a single trials vchicle. 'one of the man)' proposals ror the Artille,ie Selbstfahrlareue (seJr-propelied artillery chassis) and Flakpanzer (anti-aircraft Lanks) utilising automotive COIllponerlls designed for the Panther, entered production.
DEVELOPMENT HISTORY
4
A special Panzerkommission was summoned to the Eastcrn Front in November 194 I to visit GudeRian's Panzer Armce. A new lank was urgently required to combat the Russian T-34 and KW-I tanks. The Panzerkommission's repon was the basis for I-Ieeres Wa Pnif6 (the tank design office of the army ordnance department) to contract DaimlerBenz and MAN. in December 1941, to design a 30 ton tank mounting a turret with a 7.5 cm Kw.K. L/70. The speed or design was onl), possible because the Heeres WafTenamt had been working ,\~th indusuial finns for some time on a seRies of experimental proposals and developments for various medium tanks. In March 1942 Speer reported that Hitler had awarded ti,e development contract to Daimler-Benz, but after a technical re,~ew the contraCI weill to MA.l . in Ma)' 1942. The decisive ractor was ti,e need to gel ti,e new mnks into production as quickl)' as possible, and ti,e Daimler-Benz design required the design or a completel)' new turret, whereas the M.A. 1. Panther could be equipped with an existing RhcinmcLaIt design. The two prototype V 30.01 (D) with diesel engines which were alread)' being assembled b)' Daimler-Benz were to be completed ror experimenta.l purposes. MAN. completed two Versuchs-I'antller (experimcmal Panther chassis) close to the dates ordered, namel}' August and September. Meanwhile orders had been placed ror production or 1,000 Panthers, the nrst or which was alread)' available in January 1943. This was an amazingly short development period.
A Panther Aus'.D produced by Henschel In 1943.
Panther Ausf.D
The rear view of a Panther Ausf.D outfitted as a Panz.erbefehlsw8gen. The Zimmertt anti-magnetic coating was applied at the assembly plants starting in september 1943. The mounting for the Stemantenne 0 for the Fu 8 radio let Is on the rear deck and the 2 m rod antenna on the turret Is tor the Fu 5 radio set mounted In the turret.
Rheinmctall had designed the turret mounting the 7.5 cm Kw.K.42 L/70. and lhis was modified for the Panlher Ausf.D by eliminaling lhe bulge under the commander's cupola. A 100 mm thick. cylindrical gun manuet closed off the LUrret frolll, which was a 100 mm casting sct at an angle of 12 degrees. The turret sides and rear were 45 mm thick at 25 degrees. and the roof 15 mm lhick al angles of 84.5 and 90 degrees. Access to the rurret was provided through hatches in the cupola and the llIrret rear. An exhaust fan was n10unted on the turret roof. Adequate vision devices provided the crew in the turret with allround viewing. The gunner had a binocular TZF12 sighting telescope with 2.5 multi- magnification. and a pistol port to his left. The loader had a pistol pon to his right The commander had all-round vision blocks in the cupola, a pistol purt to his rear, and a communication pon to his left The driver had direct vision through a pan cut into the glacis plate, which could be covered wiLh an armoured visor. When the visur was closed the driver used the two fixed periscopes mounted in tJ1e superstruClllre roof. The radio operator could use a port clll in the glacis plate to fire the MC34, and also had two fixed periscopes mounted in the superstructure roof. The maintenance opening in the superstructure roof, initially designed for the removal of the transmission and steering gears, also incorporaterl hatches for the driver and radio operator. The driver's front plate was 80 nun thick at 55 degrees, the front no!oiC plate 60 mm al 55 degrees. the supersu·ucture side plates 45 rnm at 25 degrees. the hull side plates 40 mm at 0 degrees vertical, the tail plate 40 mm at 30 degrees. the deck piales 15 mm al 90 deb....ees horizontal. and the belly phlle 15 mm horizontal. The superstructure sides were extended out over the tracks to create panniers, limited in their width due LO restrictions for rail transport. The width of these side extensions was based on the area needed LO house Lhe radiators. The radial.Ors were relocaled to positions on both sides so that the centre engine comparullenl could be sealed leak-lighl for deep fording. There was a large. hinRed rectangular hatch over the engine compartment. Unlike previous designs where the superstructure was bolted to the hull along a nange. lhe superstructure was welded 1.0 the hull. Access for maintenance of the engine, cooling system, and fuel system was accomplished by unbolting the sections of the rear deck. The Maybach HL 230 engine was not yet available when production started, so its predecessor the HL 210 was installed. The drive train consisted of the high performance Maybach III.
5
The Panther Ausf.A can be distinguished from the Ausf.O by the redesigned turret with the new commande.... cupola. Note the pistol ports on the turret sides and the 'letter box' MQ port In the hull were retained until late 1943.
210 P30 12-cylinder motor delivering 650 metric HP at 3,000 rpm through a sc\'cn-speed Zahnradfabrik AK 7-200 Lrallsmission onto the clutch-brake steering gear and final drives, designed to provide a maximum speed of 55 kilometres per hour. Maintaining the uvin lorsion bar slispension, the combat weight of 45 metric tOilS was disuibulCd over
eight selS of geschachtelte (interleaved) 860 nllll diameter rubber-tyred roadwheels per side. The unlubricated 660 mm-wide tracks provided an acceptable ground pressure (when the tracks sank to 20 em) of 0.735 kilogram per square centimetre.
Modifications introduced during the production
fUll
of the Panther
AusLo included changing to single-radius steering gear, adding Schurzen protective skirLS, reinforcing the roaclwheels with 16 rivets between the 16 rim bolLS, changing to the 700 mcu·ic horsepower
Maybach HL 230 engine, dropping the smoke candle dischargers, the communi alions pOrl, t..he right headlight, and adding a ring mount on the commander's cupola for an anti-aircraft machine gun.
About 850 Panther Ausf.o were produced by M.A.N., Daimler-Benz, Maschinenfabrik-Niedersachsen-Hanl1ovcr (M H) and Henschel in
Fgsl. r. series 210001 to 210254 and211001 to 214000. Panzerbefehlswagen Panther (Sd.Kfz.267 und 268)
The command versions of the Panther were produced by modifYing the
basic design slightly to accommodate additional radio selS. Due to ti,e large space needed to mount lhe additional radio selS and associated generator, ammunition stowage was reduced to 64 main gun rounds. The coaxial-mounted machine gw1 was omiucd and the hole in the gun manuel sealed with an armour plug. TI,e Sd.Kfl.267 ,V''''' outfitted with an Fu 8 (a 30 watt transmitter with medium wavelength receiver, operating in the rrequenC)1 band 0.83 LO 3 Mhz) and all Fu 5 (a 10 wall transmitter with ulLrn short wave length
receiver, operating in ti,e frequency band 27.2 to 33.4 Mhz). The Sd.Krz.267 can be identified by an Antennenfuss r.l (antenna base, 104 mm-diameter base) mounted on an insulaLOf protcClcd b)1 a large armoured cylinder filled on the rear deck. A Sternantenne D (star antenna) for the Fu 8 was
fitted to tilis base. A 2 m Stabantenne (rod antenna) for the Fu 5 was 6
ll'lOllllled on the right fcar corner of the lUiTeL roof.
The Sd.Kfz.2h8 was equipped Wilh an Fu 7 (a 20 wall tl'ansmincr and ultra short wavelenglh receiver. operating in Ihe frequenc)' band 42.1 to 47.8 Mhz) and an Fli 5. The Sd.Kfz.268 can he idcntilied by the 1.4 111 SLabal\tCIll\c for the F'1I 7 mounted 011 the rear deck and a ~ III Stabantenne ror the F'u S mounted on the turrel roor. Panther Ausf.A
The second production series of the Panther was designaled the Ausf.r\. r\ new IUITeL was desigllt'd for the PallllH:r AIISf.A, btlt il rCLained the same chassis as the Panther Ausf.D. The hllll, chassis. drive lraill and suspension of a Panther Ausf.A produced in Scptellll)(~r 1943 were exacll}' the same as the components ill a Pill1t!ler Ausf.D produced during lhe same month. The main changes introduced with the new turret design were the cast COlllmander's cupola wiLh sevcn periscopes. a fixed periscope added on the LUlTet roof for the loader. redesign cd seals bellind the gUll man tiel, re(\t;:signed seals for thc tUITct race. simplified elevating gear lor the gun, and a variable spced turrel traverse drive based Oil Ihe engine speed. Until Nuvember/Decemher 194:\, lhe Palllher Ausf.A rctaillt·(\ the 'Ieuerbox' flap covcring the apcrture in Lhe g"itl.cis plate through which the radio operator fired Ihe hull machine gUll, Ihe TZFI2 ll1onocular gun sighl, and piSlO1 ports on Ihe llIrrCL sides. The main rt'cogllilioll feature for lhe Panther AlIsf.A is the caSI (0I11111allcler's cllpola, which wasn't presenl on allY of the Panlher Ausf.D. Howcver, the key imprO\'cmclll over the PanLher Ausf.D was lhe variable speed lurret traverse drive, which Iheon::tically (~nabled faster LargeL acquisition by Ihe gunner. Modificatiolls illLrudll(,t'd during Lhe production run of tilt.' Panllll~r Ausr.A included applying Zilllilleril allLi-magnelic coating, changing lO UlC monocular TZF'12a gunsighl, adding a ball mounl for the hull m~lchine gun, dropping Ihe pistOl ports on Ihc tUITcl sides and rear. adding cooling pipes for lhe left engine exhaust. welding a tow coupling 10 the cnginc access haLch on the hull rcaI', installing a Nalweneidigullgswalfe (close defencc weapon) on Ihe rij..{IH rear of the turrel roof, and welding' Pilze sockels un Ihe III1Tel roof 10 he lIscd for mounLing the ~-LOn jib booll1. AboUl2,200 PanLher Allsf.A wcre produced by M.A.N., Daimler-Bcllz, Demag, and Henschel in Fgsl.Nr. scries 21 025,j (0211000 and l,j I000 to 160000.
Close-up of a Panther turret outfitted as a Panzerbefehlswagen. The opening for the co-axial machine gun has been plugged and a mount for the 2 m rod antenna on the turret Is for the Fu 5 radio set mounted in the turret.
Panther II
Concerned IhaL Ihe armour protection on the Panlher was nOI sufficient for future conditions on the Eastern F'ront, Ifitler agreed in January 1943 to increase the frontal armour from 80 LO 100 111m, and lhe sidc armour ('mm 40-4:) to 60 111111. This was the official origin of the Panlher II. As originall}' envisioned, Ihe only differcnce bCLween the desig-ns fol' the Palllher I (Ausr.D) and Ihe Panlher II was the armour thickncss. All automotivc and armament componenLs remained Lhe samc. Deliver)' or the firsL produclion scrit:s PanLher II was ol'ig-inall)' scheduled l()r
7
eptember 1943. However, if this had actually gone ahead, the Panther Ausf.G and F would never have existed. Plans had already been made in February 1943 to completely redesign the Palllher II and to standardise it with the Tiger II design. As many componenlS as possible were to be shared between the Tiger II and the Panther II. Even the turret design was to be modified. In March 1943, plans for starting production of the Palllher II were set back to early 1944. By late April/early May 1943, there was no longer any support for production of the Panther II. M.A. . was given permission to complete the two Panther II Versuchs-Fahrgeslell (experimental chassis) that had been ordered, bllt no turret design was ever completed or manufactured for the Panther II. Directly after the war, when questioned by the Allies whether any Palllher II had ever been employed in combat, M.A. . representatives replied: Two experimental Pantl,er II were ordered, although only one experimental chassis was completed. It is poSSible that this single experimental vehicle could have been employed in combat. The only Panther II Versuchs-Fahrgestell (with a Panther Ausf.G turrel that had been completed in MarchiApril 1945 moullled on it) was shipped to Aberdeen Proving Grounds aftcr the war. Large ring wingnuLS were present on the Panther II chassis when it \\IaS sent to Detroit for testing; the Ausf.C turret was mounted in the
SA after 1945. The Panther II Verslichs-
Fahrgcslcll was transferred lO the Palton Museum in Fort Knox, where underwcm restoration and is currenuy on display.
it
Panther Ausf.G
8
A new simplified hull design with the superstructure side made from a single picHe was introduced on the Panther Ausf.C. The rear deck was also redesigned with a new cooling air inlake and armoured exhausl louvres. Also, the driver's and radio operaLOr's halches were hinged on the OUler side, and the driver's visor was replaced by a pivoling traversable periscope. The main drive train and suspension components were kept unchanged from tl,e Panther Ausf.A. The same turrel designed for the Panther Ausf.A was relained on the Panther Ausr.G. A Panther Ausf.G produced in April 1944 had the same lurrel as a Panther Ausf.A produced the same month. Modificalions introduced during the production run of the Panther Ausf.G included changing lO welded armour guards lO proteCl the exhaust pipes,
As many chassis components as possible were standardised between the Panther II and Tiger II. The Panther II wa. designed as a more heavily armoured version. Plans for series production were cancelled after SChur.r.en side skirts had solved the problem of Russian anti-tank rifles penetrating the 40 mm hull side of the Panther l. Two trial chassis of the Panther II were to be completed for test purposes. After the war one we. taken to the USA and Is currently on display at the Patton Museum at Fort Knox. The Panther Ausf,G turret was fltted onto this Panther II chassis by the Americans after fts capture.
adding sheet metal shields around the exhaust pipes, welding Pilze sockeLS to the lllrret roof, fastening a raih guard over the driver's periscope, welding a debris guard over the gap behind the gun manlJe, ceasing application of Zimmerit anti~magnetic coating, mounting me FC 1250 infra-red searchlight and scope, changing to Flammvernichter (flame arre ting) mufflers, deleting the rear shock absorbers, introducing the 'chin' gun n'lantlel, mounting a tower over the left engine cooling fan for the Kampfraumheizung (crew compartment heater), and welding five loops for holding camouflage on each turret side. About 2,950 Panther Ausf.C were produced by M.A.N., DaimlerBenz, and MNH in Fgsl.Nr. series 120301 to 130000 from March 1944 and continuing until Lhe assembly planLS were captured by the Allies in April 1945. Panther Ausf.F
Wa Pruf 6 issued a specificaLion for development of a new turret that would overcome a number of problems identified in the existing Panther tUlTel. The most important requesLS were to eliminate shot deflection underneath the gun mantlet, increase armour protection wiLhout increasing overall weight, reduce the frontal area, and internally mount a range finder. In February 1944 Rheinmetall completed a conceptual drawing of a new turret design which reduced the width of the tlllTCt front and gun mantlet, and included an internally-mounted range finder as well as a periscopic gunsighl. The range finder was accommodated by creating a massive hump in the turret roof. The RJleinmetall design was not exactly what Wa Prllf 6 had in mind. however, and Daimlcr-Benz was awarded conu·acLS to complete a new llirret design, designated Schmalturm (narrow turret). The width of the turret w·as reduced by redesigning the gun mount, and relocating the recoil cylinder and recuperatOl' below the gun instead of on either side. Armour protection for the Schmalturm consisted of a 120 mill-thick front plate at an angle of 20 degrees, 60 mm-thick side and
Starting late In 1944, some Panther Ausf.G were outfitted with the 'FQ 1250' Infra-red searchlight and scope. The FG 1250 was mounted on a rotating ring Inside the upper lip In the commander's cupola. A steel band, threaded through a hole In the turret roof, connected the Infra·red sensing scope to a device for sensing changes In the gun's elevation.
9
rear plates at an angle of 25 degrees, and a 40 mm thick nat roof plate. Armament consisted of the 7.5 cm Kw.KA4/ I L/70 gun with a coaxiaT mounted MG42. A new stabilised, periscopic SZFI gunsight was designed with the head protruding through the turret roof. The commander's cupola still had seven periscope. In comparison to the cast commander's cupola on the Panther Ausf.A and G, the commander's cupola on the hmalturm was lower, had a hinged hatch, and was drilled so that a TSFI spotting periscope could be raised without opening the commander's hatch. The fume extraction fan was relocated to the turret base plate to the light of the gun instead of on the llIrret roof. The new Panther created by mounting the new Schmalturm on a modified Panther Ausf.G chassis was officially designated the Panther Ausf.F. In addition to the Schmalturm, the following changes were introduced with the Panther Ausf.F: a 25 mm-thick hull roof plate, sliding hatches for the drivers and radio operators, a ball-mounted MP44 in the hull front, easy conversion to a Panzerbefehlswagen by mounting the long range sets in the turret, and all accessOlies needed to mount the
FGI250 infra-red night-sighting equipment. As planned in October 1944, delivery of the completed Pamher Ausf.F was to start at Daimler-Benz in March 1945. However, production was delayed by bombing raids. Panther Ausf.F chassis and turrets were on the assembly line at Daimlet'Benz in April 1945. If Daimler-Benz did manage to complete a few Pamher Ausf.F between 20 and 23 April 1945, their operation would have been impaired because key components were not
available for the Schmalturm, including the range finders and gunsights. The Panther Ausf.G llIrret would not fit on the Panther Ausf.F chassis without altering the turret race and turret drive, and this at a time when there were constant power failures. If this had been done at Daimler-Benz, as representatives from M.A.l . Slated when interrogated direcLly after the war, the end result would have been just like any other Panther Ausf.G,
bUl with sliding hatches and an MP44 ball mount. When they were interrogated after L11e war, Daimler-Benz representatives were not asked about, nor did they comment on, their success in producing a few Panther Ausf.F
at the Daimle,'Benz assembly plalll in Berlin-Marienfelde. PLANNED MODIFICATIONS
A report on the development emergency programme dated 20 February 1945 consisted of three lists of inventions that were under production. The first list contained those inventions that could have a decisive impact in the near future and were LO be given top priority. This list included me
momh in which the de ign'vas to be completed and acceptable for production; L11e actual date in which it could have entered series production would have been much later. Innovations for the Panther series thal were included in the firsLlisl were: 1. A MehitadeeiI d,ttXlg (automatic loader) 7.5cm Kw.K..4212 (lfl0) (to bec::omp6e(ed nAprill945)
2. SUdsed go.n;;ghlS no be compIeled i'l Apri 1945)
3. Btwa nfra·red scope and SEBChiglt and a bt.iIt·n range finder (to be ~ted il April 1945) 4. GumlispMlnde lJllJfroIen (n.t>ber SllWlg. st.... tyred
- I fa
.. Panzers no be com-
pleled i'l May 1945)
5. D ••'h1ege\la .... (rni'le- guard on 7.5cm KwK 42 36 RecQIl
37 Turfet nng ball boonng lace 38 CorTrnat'lQEw·s CUJ)OIa
WIth 7 perlseopes 39 Alrrv:» pi8l'ClI"lQ artYf"UYl1Qr'l Pzgr.39142 lI'l pamer rackS 40 cenlrailubnCatoo tnt 41 SChurzen, 5tM\ artnoI.I1ld apron 10 ptote