069

GERMANYS PANTHER TANK

The weapons functioned tree ot problems The Panther otten succeeded m killmg T 34 tanks at ranges over 3000 meters

A large number ot Panther losses occurred as a result ot

Hits The frontal armor is sutficient. Out not the 40 mm thick side armor which was cleanly penetrated This caused very many total writeoffs. sińce Panthers Ournt out when the am-munition or fuel igmted

Also. the roof armor is too weak Armor piercmg rounds that hit the Iow er haft ot the gun mantlet were detlected and penetrated the root piąte This resulted m driver and radio operator casualties. Strengthenmg the armor is not possiOle. sińce the suspension is not adequate tor a larger load

The new hatch design caused proOlems. especially for the dnver and radio operator When hit, the hatch cover jams and can t be opened If the Panther was to catch on tire, in many cases the driver and radio operator couldn t evacuate In action crews dont close the hatches and accept the loss ot protection so that they can still quickly evacuate if a fire occurs.

Mechanical Deficiencies The cause lor motor failures is still not known. It is possibly traceable to the short run in time and unskilled drivers. Motors were overrewed. This caused overheatmg and broken connecting rods. In many cases fuel pumps failed. The pump seals leaked and pump membranes were defective. Leaks m oil Ime and fuel linę connections in-creased the danger of fire.

Minę Damage Detonating mmes caused damage to the suspension

Report from the maintenance engineer on 19 Juty 1943

Situation report at 1600 hours on 18 Juty 1943

PzAbt.51. 33 Operational. 32 In need of repair. 31 Total writeoffs

Pz Abt. 52 28 Operational. 40 In need of repair, 4 Re-turned to Germany for major overhaul. 24 Total writeoffs

The repair sen/ices for both Panther-Abteilungen work very well About 25 Panthers are repaired daily. Their is a shortage of repair parts caused by the high number of losses. Air transport from Germany was of great help. especially motors and fuel pumps The situation has now improved due to the arrival of repair parts by express train. Parts are now available for most of the Panthers m need of repair.

As a result of the order to immediately retreat, broken down Panthers that haven't been towed cant be recovered It is estimated that the foUowmg Panthers will have to be de-stroyed with explosive charges: 3 Panthers from regimental headquarters, 29 Panthers from Panzer-Abteilung 51 of which about mne are still repairable. and 24 Panthers from Panzer-Abteilung 52. for a total of 56 (including 40 already reported as total writeoffs).

This report is somewhat misleading sińce it infers that many Panthers that could have been repaired were left be* hmd or destroyed when the umts pulled back As reported by the 4 Panzer Armee Oberquartiermeister Abtellung V on

20 July 1943 all but 7 ot the 56 burnt out Panthers that were left behmd, were loaded with explosives and blown up Fol* lowmg orders to retire from the salient, repairable Panthers were towed back behmd the Imes Startmg on 18 July. all fourteen Zugkraftwagen 18t from Panzer-Berge-Kompame 3 were madę available along with the 19 Zugkraftwagen 18t that belonged to Panzer-Regiment 39 There was no shortage of recovery vehicles for retneving the Panthers Due to heavy ramfall on 18 July turnmg the trails to bottomless mud. three Zugkraftwagen I8t were required to tow each Panther The status of the 200 Panthers on 20 July 1943 was reported as

•    41 Panthers operational

•    85 Panthers were repairable by the regiments’ maintenance umts

•    16 Panthers had been damaged to the extent that they needed to be returned to Germany to the ordnance de-pot for major overhaul

•    56 Panthers had burnt out (Of these 49 were filled with explosives and blown up. Seven Panthers. that had burnt out but due to enemy action could not be blown up. fell mto enemy hands on 19 July 1943)

•    2 Panthers with motor fires were already total writeoffs before the campaign began.

The number of operational Panthers in the O Qu Abt V reports was frequently different from those reported by the operations officer Each evenmg the operations officer reported the number of operational Panthers with forward com-bat echelons that should be available for action the next day. Every ten days the O Qu Abt V reported the status of all Panthers in the inventory irrespective of location. Between 21 and 31 July 1943. Panzer-Regiment 39 received 12 replace-ment Panthers shipped from Germany. The following O Qu Abt V reports on the status of the Panthers belonging to Panzer-Regiment 39 reveals that most of their permanent losses didn't occur until after the generał retreat of Heeres Gruppe Sued was forced by the Russian summer offensive

10.2 pąnthęr-abjeiuungen qn the_easte_rn

FRONT

Following their baptism to fire. the survivmg Panthers were Consolidated mto Panzer-Abteilung 52 which was renamed I Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 15 on 24 August 1943 Panzer-Abteilung 51 received a complete new allotment of 96 Panthers as replacements in early August and remained in action with Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Grossdeutschland ' By the end of August. Panzer-Abteilung 52 had already lost 36

In Need Total

Datę	Operational	of Repair	Writeoffs	Total
10 July	38	131	31	200
20 July	41	101	58	200
31 July	20	108	84	212
11 August	9	47	156	212

CHAPTER 10: OPERATIONAL HISTORY

Panther Aus< D (Tactical No 435) with the I Abteilung/SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 (BA)

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