Pzkpfw V Panther its variants.

[CharlesBronson]

A single hit in it and the whole thing will left a black hole in the landscape as only remain.
But you need to remember that is was only for training, note the "Fahrschule" ( driver school) sign in the glacis.

There are nearly 1,000,000 cars running with that system in here.

Panther armor.

Panther knocked out in France, 1944, the resilience of the frontal armor was truly impressive, this vehicle had at list seven 75 or 76 mm hits at the front, 4 in the glacis and 3 in the gun mantlet, the only damage visible is a rupture in the mantlet near the gun and a small penetration ( better said craking) in the lower left corner of sloped armor.

The side plates were other thing however. Panther ausf A in a dug in emplacement in Berlin, March 1945, this vehicle has been shot until extintion.

 

[Matt308]

Wow. And those look like heavy caliber rounds. They don't look like oblique hits.

 

[Soren]

They could be 75 or 76mm hits, but highly likely they are 85mm or 100mm hits.

 

[CharlesBronson]

More likely 85mm, from a T-34-85 or maybe a su-85 self propelled gun.

Ernst Barkmann, Panther ace:

Ernst Barkmann was born in Kisdorf in Holstein on August 25th of 1919.He was a son of a local farmer.

On April 1st of 1936, Ernst Barkmann joined SS-Standarte Germania as a volunteer and after three months of training joined the III Battalion of the Standarte at Radolfszell. Barkmann took part in Polish Campaign of 1939 serving with 9th Kompanie of SS-Standarte Germania as a machine gunner and was wounded there.
In Autumn of 1941, Barkmann was seriously wounded during fighting near Dnieprpetrowsk (Operation Barbarossa) and received the Iron Cross (Second Class).

In late 1941, Barkmann was transferred to Holland as an instructor of European SS-Volunteers but in early 1942, he volunteered for service with division's Panzer Regiment. Ernst Barkmann returnedto the Eastern Front in winter of 1942 and was transferred to 2nd Kompanie of 2nd Panzer Regiment of 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.Barkmann's unit was equipped with tanks panzerkampfwagen III with 50 mm guns which were outclassed by Soviet t-34 and others. In early 1943, 2nd Panzer Regiment took part in the Battle for Kharkov, where Barkmann won the Iron Cross (First Class). In mid 1943, Barkmann was transferred to 4th Kompanie which was equipped with new Panther tanks.

In late 1943, Ernst Barkmann was promoted to the rank of SS-Unterscharfuhrer. In early 1944, the entire division was transferred to Bordeaux area in southern France for rest and refitting as a panzer division. Following the D-Day (June 6 of 1944), 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich was ordered to move northwards and was committed to battle.

In early July of 1944, Das Reich was moved to Saint Lo to halt the advance of the US Army's 9th and 30th Infantry Divisions and the 3rd Armored Division. On July 8th, Barkmann's Kompanie was a spearhead of Regiment's attack on the advancing American units. On this day, Ernst Barkmann knocked out his first Allied Sherman tank near St.Lo. On July 12th, he destroyed two more Shermans while disabling the third one. During that engagement Barkmann moved his camouflaged Panther to ambush position and awaited for more Allied armor, knocking out three Shermans. After that Ernst Barkmann's tank was hit by an anti-tank gun which caused fire. He decided to abandon his burning Panther and along with his crew he quickly put out the fire. After that engagement his Panther ended up in the workshop for repairs. After a day of rest, in morning of July 14th, Barkmann was ordered to recover four Panthers that had been cut off behind enemy lines. He succeeded in his task and added three more Shermans to his score.

On the same day at noon, Ernst Barkmann was ordered by the Regimental Commander SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Tychsen to recover wounded German soldiers from their American captors.

Once again he succeeded and in the evening his own Panther was returned to him from the workshop. On July 26th, Barkmann's Panther suffered from engine problem and was sent to field workshop.When mechanics were working on it, field workshop was attacked by Allied fighter-bombers and Barkmann's Panther was hit in the engine compartment. By the dawn of July 27th, his Panther was repaired but he was cut off from the rest of the Kompanie and was on his way to rejoin it. On his way back, near the village of Le Lorey, Barkmann was stopped by the retreating German infantrymen who reported that Americans were closing in.

Ernst Barkmann decided to send two of his men to verify that report. They soon returned with news of American column made up of some 15 Shermans and other vehicles approaching.


Then Barkmann moved his tank up the road to the crossroad where he positioned his Panther in the surrounding oak trees, awaiting the enemy. When the American column approached, Ernst Barkmann opened fire, knocking out two leading tanks and then tanker truck.Two Shermans tried to go around burning wreckage that blocked the road and one of them was knocked out followed by the other one.

Ernst Barkmanns (Das Reich, 2nd SS Panzer Division) famous day long solo engagement against an American Armoured breakthrough towards St. Lo, Normandy, 26th July 1944. (art by David Pentland)

In the response, Americans retreated and called up the tactical fighter support and Barkmann's Panther was damaged and some of the crew members were wounded. Using the element of suprise two Shermans attacked "wounded" Panther but were also knocked out.Barkmann and his crew repaired their Panther and knocked out single Sherman while leaving.His driver managed to moved their damaged Panther to the safety of nearby village of Neufbourg. During that brave engagement often called "Barkmann's Corner", Ernst Barkmann destroyed approximately nine Sherman tanks and many other various vehicles.

On July 28th, Barkmann reached Coutances and joined the rest of his Kompanie. During two day period, he destroyed fifteen Shermans and other vehicles. On July 30th, Americans surrounded Granville but Barkmann towing one more damaged Panther was able to break out. In order to destroy their disabled Panther their crew decided to set it on fire and soon by mistake both Panthers caught fire. Both crews were forced to make their way to the German lines 7 kilometers away on foot. Barkmann reached Avranches on August 5th, and was warmly welcome by his comrades who heard about his exploits. For his bravery and skills Ernst Barkmann was recommended for Knight's Cross and was accepted on August 27th and was awarded on September 5th.

SS-Oberscharfuhrer Barkmann continued his successful career and took part in the Ardennes Offensive in December of 1944, where on December 25th he was seriously wounded. During the Ardennes Offensive, Barkmann's Panther drove into the group of American tanks from the 2nd Armored Division. Quickly combat begun and outnumbered Barkmann managed to knock out few Sherman tanks. One Sherman rammed Barkmann's Panther but didn't cause much damage although both tanks got stuck and Panther's engine stall. After few minutes, Barkmann's mechanic managed to restart the engine and Panther retreated with blocked turret. Even with the damage, Barkmann knocked out Sherman that waspursuing him and retreated to safety although his Panther was beyond the point of repair.

In March of 1945, Barkmann was once again fighting with Soviets in the area of town of Stuhlweissenburg, where he knocked out four T-34s and brought the total score of the Das Reich Division for the war so far to 3000 enemy tanks destroyed. At the time Das Reich was exhausted by non-stop fighting and lack of replacement tanks. Barkmann's unit alone had only nine fully operational vehiclesfrom which three were soon lost to Soviet Josef Stalin tanks.


The remaining six Panthers were ordered to link up with the remnants of the Panzer Regiment of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler commanded by SS-Standartenfuhrer Jochen Peiper.By April of 1945, Barkmann saw action south of Vienna during the fighting in Austria. There his Panther was hit by a mistake by friendly soldiers and Barkmann along with his crew members was wounded. Later on his Panther was disabled in a huge bomb crater and was destroyed by its crew. Ernst Barkmann was able to reach British zone of operation where he was taken into captivity.

During his very successful career, Ernst Barkmann earned Knight's Cross for his bravery and skills along with the Panzer Assault Badge for 25 and 50 engagements with the enemy. He survived the war and lives in Kisdorf, Germany, where he was the long-time fire-chief and also major (Burgmeister).

DAS REICH HOME PAGE - 2nd SS Panzer Division

World War 2 Pictures in Color - WW2inColor.com

Achtung Panzer !

As much you might hate the SS you need to give credit to this guy.

 

[Matt308]

I have a great book on his exploits. If they made it into a film the viewer would never believe the exploits of this brave tank commander and claim it was fictitious. His accomplishments are truly mythical.

 

[m kenny]

I have a great book on his exploits. If they made it into a film the viewer would never believe the exploits of this brave tank commander and claim it was fictitious. His accomplishments are truly mythical.

Barkman's 26th July feat is much talked about however there is not a single reference to any such action or delay in any US accounts. It seems no one noticed it and it was not important enough for anyone involved (on the US side)to mention. All references to the action share a single source-the German account.
For the period 23/29July US tank losses were 91 and so if Barkman got 15 he accounted for 16% of all US losses by himself.
If the 8th-14th tally he claimed was 10 then as US losses that week were 75 he again accounted for 14% of all US losses.

 

[CharlesBronson]

I have a great book on his exploits. If they made it into a film the viewer would never believe the exploits of this brave tank commander and claim it was fictitious. His accomplishments are truly mythical.

Nice, I hope you can bring some scans.


Pz V Panther Ausf F.

The Model F was the final combat version of the Panther that the Germans intended to introduce during the war, although in reality German factories did not manage to finish a complete Model F tank before the war ended.

Mixed vehicle comprised of ausf G chassis, kwk 42 normal gun and schmalturm.

This variant married the newly developed Narrow Turret (Schmalturm) with its modified 7.5cm L/70 gun to an altered Model G chassis. The latter featured thicker frontal hull roof armour (25-40mm instead of 16-40mm),
improved armour casting on the glacis plate surrounding the Kugelblende 50 machine gun ball mount, and modified guides for the sliding driver's and radio operator's hatches.

The Germans decided to develop a new turret to replace that of the Model A and G tanks because combat experience had shown that this design sometimes deflected incoming rounds down onto the thin hull roof armour. In addition, the designers had concluded that the front of the current Panther turret presented too large a target to the enemy.

During winter 1943-44, two prototype were developed with narrow-fronted and better-armoured Panther turrets - the Narrow Gun Mantlet Turret (which Jentz asserts was to be mounted on the Panther II), and the Rheinmetall Narrow Mantlet Turret. As an outgrowth of these designs, during 1944 Daimler-Benz designed a new Narrow Turret (Schmalturm) that the Germans intended to install on a modified Model G Panther chassis to create the Model F variant.

Close-up to the schmalturm, note the circular protection for the right lense of the rangefinder.

The Schmalturm mounted a slightly modified gun, the 7.5cm KwK 42/1 L/70, ( sometimes named as Kwk 42/KM, for keine mundungbremse, no muzzle brake) together with a co-axial MG 42 (instead of the MG 34 included on previous Panther designs). The turret had a narrow conical gun mantlet and a narrow turret front, as well as 40-120mm-thick armour instead of the 16-100mm plates on the Model G turret.

A very improved characteristics were the aiming devices for the gun, in adition of the normal telescopic Zielfenrorh ZF 12, it used a 1,8 m wide optical coincidence rangefinder wich provide a much more precise target range lecture than the stadimetric scale in the ZF 12.

KWK 42/1

Experimental Narrow Panther Turrets (Versuchs-Schmalturm) during mid-1944,and then in August mounted one of them on a standard Model G chassis for test purposes.

Next, in late October, the High Command issued a production schedule for the Panther F: Daimler-Benz was to produce the first 50 tanks during February 1945, and by May - when Model G construction was to have ended - Krupp, MAN, MNH and Ni-Werk were to join Model F production. But the combination of Allied air strikes and ground advances, plus the administrative chaos engulfing the tottering Nazi Reich, delayed manufacture of the Model F. Consequently, when the Soviets overran the Daimler-Benz factory at Berlin-Marienfelde in late April 1945, they discovered four well-advanced Model F chassis, plus several completed Narrow Turrets.

Indeed, during late April, Daimler-Benz did fit several Model G Panther turrets to completed Model F chassis and delivered these tanks to the troops then desperately defending Berlin.

Clearly, while the Germans did not manage to finish a single Model F Panther prior to the end of hostilities on 8 May 1945, they remained literally only a few days away from achieving this goal when the Soviets overran the Marienfelde factory.

Another close up, for some uknown reason the barrel was sawed off in this schmalturm captured by the british.

 

[CharlesBronson]

THREE-QUARTER VIEW OF ARTIST'S IMPRESSION OF MODEL F PANTHER, GERMANY, MID-MAY 1945

This plate is an artist's impression of what a completed Model F Panther would have looked like had one been delivered to the Army. However, the Soviets captured the Daimler-Benz factory at Berlin-Marienfelde in late April 1945 before this could be achieved.

The Soviets discovered in this factory four well-advanced Model F chassis plus several unmounted completed Narrow Turrets (Schmalturm); the Model F Panther would have been created by simply marrying these Narrow Turrets to the completed chassis. The Narrow Turret of the Model F mounted a slightly modified gun, the 7.5cm KwK 42/1 L/70, with a co-axial MG 42 (rather than MG 34), and featured a narrow conical gun mantlet and turret front, plus thicker armour, so as to increase its battlefield survivability.


The chassis remained virtually identical to that of the Model G, except that it had enhanced armour casting on the glacis plate surrounding the machine gun ball mount, modified guides for the sliding driver's and radio operator's hatches, and thickened frontal hull roof plates. In this artist's impression, the tank has been painted in Dark Olive Green (RAL 6003) throughout as its base paint, a procedure authorised by the German High Command in late November 1944.

The kwk 42/1 is in place with his lack of muzzle brake, now I guess that the strain in the recoil hidro-pneumatics cilinders of the turret must be a lot harder without this element.

The hull MG 34 "panzerlauf" machinegun was replaced in the ausf F variant by a MP-44 assault rifle in a special mount. The Stg 44 had no sights and was aimed using tracer ammunition.

 

[Matt308]

"The hull MG 34 "panzerlauf" machinegun was replacd in the ausf F variant by a MP-44 assault rifle in a special mount. The STg 44 have no sight and was aimed using tracer ammunition."

That seems like a stupid decision. You might get more ammo due to smaller sized rounds, but that weapon would never hold up to sustained fire. Wonder what possessed them to do that? War expediency to free up MG 34s for other uses?

 

[CharlesBronson]

Cheapness, pure and exclusively. The MG 34 was always a very good wepon but a bit expensive...and considering the german war situation in 1945 cheapness was the word in mouth of every weapons designer and manufacturer.

The "panzerlauf" ( armored barrel) variant was the one designed for AFVs that compensated for the lesser change of barrel and the armored housing also protected the barrel against artillery splinters and small arms fire.

MG 34 panzerlauf.

The MP 44 had also another advantage, it could be dismounted more easily in case the crew need to bail out the tank or to patrol on foot outside the Panther.

The disadvantages of an the german assault rifle compared with the MG 34 were:

-Lower rate of fire 450-500 compared with 700-800 rpm.

-Lower sustained burst: you said so, 30 rounds magazine compared with 150 rounds belt.

By the way I wrote "the MP 44 had no sights and was aimed using tracer..."; Actually the MP 44 had its sights but those sights could not be used when it was installed in the ball mount so the tracer rounds were used correcting the fire viewing trough the periscope.

According H.L Doyle the ausf F used also a STg 44 with Krummlauf inside the turret, that device combined with the nahverteidigungswafe grenade launcher should improve the tank survivality against infantry attacks and/or streeth fighting.

 

[Soren]

The close proximity grenade launcher was one of the most brilliant devices put on a tank during WW2 IMO. Shoot it off while the enemy is close or while they are crawling on top of your tank and it would be devastingly effective. A grenade in the air is more than twice as effective than one lying on the ground!

 

[CharlesBronson]

Yes, I think disadvantages was the complicated ammunition used, because airburst with time fuze is not always a easy task. There was also a round wich bounces in the ground and exploded in air, actually to write about about the NVW and its ammo is a long task, almost for a tiny book.

Location of the Nahverteidigungswaffe in Panther ausf G turret.

 

[Soren]

AFAIK it worked very well and there were no problems with the fuzing. It's really not that difficult, you just gotta make sure it explodes roughly 2m above the tank, and the Germans were experts at fuzing so it wasn't a problem.

The velocity of the grenade was very low, and the timing of the fuze was accurate, so that was never a problem AFAIK. A tiny grenade launcher. A simple but brilliant device. Would certainly keep me from thinking of jumping onboard to take it out!

A great site for info on the device:
Nahverteidigungswaffe

 

[Soren]

More effective than the close proximity grenade launcher however was the close defense mines mounted on German tanks from mid 44 and onwards. Five were mounted on fixed points around the tank, each one could be fired selectively by the commander on his control panel. Firing off one on the side could cover a 180 degree area with a massive amount of lethal schrapnel. Unlike the Nahverteidigungswaffe however it was a one time fire weapon in combat as it had to be reloaded from outside the tank.

 

[Soren]

Btw Charles, the rate of fire of the StG.44 is 550 rpm, while the MG-34's rate of fire is 900 rpm.

 

[CharlesBronson]

Good link thanks, actually the weapon is far more simple than its name.

Btw Charles, the rate of fire of the StG.44 is 550 rpm, while the MG-34's rate of fire is 900 rpm

I ve seen the Stg 44 firing and the rate seems really low, in regards of the MG 34 I think 900 rpm was the maximum possible rate but the guns were set at the factory to shoot at 800 rpm.

Sturmpanther with 150mm howitzer.

Late in the war, numerous proposals were made for mounting medium to large caliber weapons on the Panther chassis. One of these was to mount the 15cm StuH43/1 in the Panther turret creating a Panther equivalent to the Brummbär, but with a fully traversing turret. The initial proposal was made by Krupp, while Alkett was working on a similar proposal using the Sturmgeschütz III chassis. Krupp proposed using the commander's cupola from a Tiger and the gunsight of the Maus on the Sturmmörser Panther.

Given the size and expense of the Panther chassis, one must question the validity of the Krupp proposal. Long barreled versions of 15cm weapons could be mounted on the Panther chassis, therefore mounting the short 15cm StuH43/1 in the Panther seems to be a waste of material. The vehicle never made it off of the drawing board before the end of hostilities.

 

[Soren]

Good link thanks, actually the weapon is far more simple than its name.
[/qoute]

Agreed, it's a real bitch to memorize and then spell

I ve seen the Stg 44 firing and teh rate really low,

With downgraded homemade ammunition, yes, with fullpower surplus ammunition, no. The StG.44's rate of fire with proper ammunition is 550 to 600 rpm, which isn't slow.

Here's one fired with wartime ammo:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRYm11j3wwA

As you can see it's the same as the AK-47 which has a RoF of 600 rpm.

The reason you will see some shoot at RoF's all the way down to 450 rpm is because people are using downloaded handloads, to put less stress on the gun and let it last longer. The less powerful handloads deliver less pressure down the push rod to the recycling mechanism, leading to a much lower RoF than with full power ammunition.

in regards of teh MG 34 I think 900 rpm was the maximum possible rate but the guns were set at the factory to shoot at 800 rpm.

With s.S. ammmo it is ~900 rpm, but it varies with ammunition types, the RoF was slightly lower with SmE ammunition.

And MG-34 being fired:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JenyMm8A44

And a MG-42 being fired with surplus ammo (Orig. 1,500 rpm):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtqRkkeiLYs

 

[CharlesBronson]

Nice videos Soren , that one is shooting far more faster than I ve seen.

Panzerbeobachtungswagen Panther, 1943 variant:

And heavier and improved armored obserbation tank was proposed in march 1943.

Rheinmetall-Borsig and Anschütz collaborated on the design for the Panzerbeobachtungswagen Panther. Several optical devices, including a 1.32m-based rangefinder, two TSR, 1 observation devices, and the ubiquitous scissors periscope, provided the additional sighting capabilities required by an artillery observation vehicle.

A single MG 34 pzlf was placed in the front of the turret, it could be amied by a 2x scope with a elevation of +15º to -10º and could be rotated 5º to either side. Aditional armament were aN normal MG 34, an MP 40 and a grenade launcher pistol carried inside the by the crewof 4 ( tank commander/chief observer, adjutant observer, driver, radio operator (machinner gunner.

The rangefinder lens were could be sealed up by armored covers. The K.wK 42 was deleted and a shorter fake gun place instead, the front of the turret was closed by 100mm rolled homogeneous plate.

Direction indicators were provided for both the commander and observer. Anschü contributed the mechanichal computer "Blockstelle 0" (an automated plotting board with used ranges nad deviation to draw maps and plans) for the vehicle, mounting it in a shockproof mount in the turret.
This plotting board allowed firing instructions to be issued in the absence of a map.

According to The Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II a total of 41 Panzerbeobachtungswagen Panther were converted from battle tanks returning for repairs in late 1944/early 1945. Given the volume of production, it seems probable that some would have seen action. Spielberger in Panther and Its Variants indicates that none of them were used in service, but were used only for testing purposes.

One thing is sure, the Pz.Beo.Wg Panther 1943 was the best artillery obserbation tank of the war.

 

[Soren]

Nice videos Soren , that one is shooting far more faster than I ve seen.

Yeah, the real RoF is 550 to 600 rpm. But since surplus 7.92x33mm ammunition is rare and really hard to acquire most people use their own handloaded ammunition, and with less powerful loads to preserve the weapon better, which results in a lower rate of fire. Sometimes lower weight projectiles are used as-well, also lowering RoF.

 

[CharlesBronson]

A rare video, Panthers, Flak en even MKb 42 H in action 8)


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDDHvwpoQXo