I finished up the German Panther from the “Tanks!” starter set while I built my Suicide Squad. You can build either a Panther or a Jagdpanther from the kit. I could not decide on which one, so I went with both. With a few strategically placed magnates I was able to magnetize the hull top and turret.
One of the reasons the Germans needed the Panther tank was in response to the success of the Soviets T34. The Panthers had increased armour and a more powerful gun then the Panzer IV. The Panthers were also cheaper to produce then the larger Tiger heavy tanks. However the early Panthers where not very reliable any many broke down or caught fire during longer marches.
The Panther was active from mid-1943 until then end of the war. It was also the third most produced German tank in WW2 (Behind the Panzer and StuG); around 6132 tanks of various models where produced.
The main armament was a 7.5cm KwK 42 cannon. The long barrel and large propellant charge created a very high muzzle velocity, which was excellent for penetrating armour.
The Canadian forces faced many Panther tanks during the Battle for Caen in France. The relatively open ground around Caen was great terrain for the Panthers to knock out allied tanks from a distance. However by Normandy, 1 in 4 of Canadian M4 Shermans had been upgraded to the 17pdr Sherman Firefly. There was also an increase in 17pdr M10s. These allied tank hunters also proved to be dangerous to the Panthers over the open ground.
One of the biggest concentrations of Panther tanks was during the Battle of Bulge during the Ardennes Offensive.
The Jagdpanther used the same base as the Panther, but removed the turret and embedded the cannon into the hull. The name translates to “Hunting Panther”, which is fitting as it was primarily used as a tank destroyer.
The Jagdpanther came into service in 1944 and combined the armour and mobility of the Panther with the 8.8cm Cannon of the Tiger 2. Only around 415 where made, raw material shortages and destroyed factories limited the production.
The British saw only a few of these tanks in Normandy; however a larger number of them were
utilized during the Ardennes Offensive.
Kevin
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