Quite the active topic we have here . . . . .
I can't argue about IR Panthers as I have absolutely no knowledge about that area. (BTW It was I that brought that up, not Kenny).
As for the "IR Panthers", there is no evidence that any were used in their intended role (nightime assault); the few that were captured were being used during the day as "regular" assault tanks. The following is from George Forty's book
German Tanks of World War Two "In Action": "On 31 July 1945, 21 Army Group, Tech Int, produced a report on German infrared equipment as fitted to the Panther. It was based on the examination of four Ausf G's which had been equiped with IR, plus one captured crew member. The report explains how the four tanks had been at Fallingbostel with the
Panzer Jager Lehr und Versuchs Kompanie (author's emphasis). However, they had not been withdrawn northwards with the soft-skinned vehicles on the formation of
Kampfgruppe Uhu, but were comitted in a daylight role to the battle east of Minden. Three were subsequently burnt out and the fourth badly damaged. Their IR equipment comprised a screened car-type headlamp with a 12 v 200 w transmitter lamp; an IR receiver gunsight for use with the main armanent; a gun elevation control device; a power source (12 v batteries), vibrator unit (?) and a transformer. The codename for the equipment was
'Puma', according to a crew member interrogated; however, another PW called it
'Sperba' (sparrow-hawk). The equipment had to be lined up and checked against a source of light at 600 m before going into action. The tank commander alone could traverse, elevate, or depress both the screened headlight and the receiver, by means of special hand grips. The tank commander only could see where he was going or spot a target, for the rest of the crew worked 'blind' on orders over the intercom."
But I have read and I will try to find where its stated - by IIRC Sherman tank crews - that it usually took about 3 or 4 Shermans to effectively knock out a Tiger or Panther. Memory is a faulty source so am not going to argue the point.
Actually, it was closer to 5; official US Army documents state that they estimated that it took approximately five (5) Shermans to destroy a Panther (not a Tiger, though it's probably about the same).