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CHAPTER 3

PANTHERII

Already in 1942 there was concern that the Panther did not have sufficient armor for protection against the anti-tank weapons that woutd be encountered on the East-ern Front in 1943. Attempts to fasten additional armor plates onto the current Panther design presented extraordinary tech-nical difficulties. Therefore. a new Panther design was pro-posed with thicker armor. This design was initially referred to as the Panther 2 and after April 1943 as the Panther II. Dur-ing a conference with Speer on 3 January 1943, Hitler agreed to the proposal that the Panther was to be converted to a new model with single piece 100 mm frontal and 60 mm side armor. In the interim, until the Panther with thicker armor was produced. the current model was to be sent into action.

3.1 DEVELOPMENT

A report dated 22 January 1943, revealed that at this early conceptual design stage, the Panther 2 only differed from the Panther 1 in armor thickness and the associated weighi increase. In all of other specifications, the two Panther mod-els were still identical.

	Panther 1	Panther 2
Armament:	7.5 cm Kw.K.42 L/70	7.5 cm Kw.K.42 1770
	2 M.G.34 and 1 MP	2 M.G.34 and 1 MP
Ammunition: Armor:	80 rounds	80 rounds
Hull front	80 mm @ 55°	100 mm @ 55°
Hull sides	40 mm @ 0 to 35^c	60 mm @ 0 to 35^8
Belly	30fore, 16 aft	30 fore, 16 aft
Turret front	80 mm @ 12°	100 mm @ 12^s
Turret sides Automotive:	45 mm @ 25°	60 mm @ 25°
Motor	HL 210 or 230	HL 210 or 230
Transmission	ZF-AK 7/200	ZF-AK 7/200
Steering	MAN single radius	MAN single radius
Speed	55 km/hr maximum	55 km/hr maximum
	30-40 km/hr road	30-40 km/hr road
Fuel	700 liters	700 liters
Rangę	146-240 km	146-240 km
Combat weight:	Approx. 40 metric tons	Approx. 47 metric tons

CHAPTER 3: PANTHER M

At a meeting in Nuernberg on 10 February 1943, Dr. Wiebecke (chief design engineer for M.A.N.) stated that the current Panther design did not meet specifications derived from Eastern Front experience. The Panther was to be thor-oughly redesigned and incorporate components from the Ti-ger mcluding. among others, the steering gears, the finał dnves. etc. The entire suspension and turret would also be modified. The new vehicle would be designated as the Panther 2 The weight of the completed vehicle would increase from 35 metric tons for the Panther 1, to morę than 50 metric tons for the Panther 2 The drawings from M.A.N were to be provided to the assembly firms in April-May 1943. When pos-sible. further modifications to the Panther 1 were to be avoided so that efforts could be concentrated on completion of the Panther 2 design.

On 17 February 1943, during a meeting at Speer’s Reichsmimsterium. it was agreed that the Tlger 3 (later re-designated as the Tiger II) should be standardized with the Panther 2 Porsche believed that the Elnradlenlenkgetrlebe single-radius steering gear would be satisfactory. The Zweiradien-Lenkgetriebe double-radius steering gear was to be installed. if reports from Direktor Blaicher confirmed that it was ready for mass production. Both the Tiger and Panther were to receive the Zahnradfabrlk Frledrlchshafen AK 7/ 200 transmission, the Maybach HL 230 Motor with cooling system and steel-tyred, rubber cushioned roadwheels. The Panther 2 was to have seven roadwheels and the Tiger 3 mne roadwheels, but each with different suspension arm6. The 660 mm wide combat tracks for the Panther 2 were to be utilized as transport tracks for the Tiger 3.

At a meeting on 18 February 1943, between Wa Pruef 6 and Rhemmetall. further design details for the Panther 2 turret were discussed. It was determined that the largest turning radius for the turret was not to exceed 1570 mm. By trimming off the corners. the largest radius could be reduced to 1565 mm. so that a gap of 15 to 20 mm would still be mamtained between the traversing turret and the driver's or radio operator’s hatches. To aJlow clearance to open the motor hatch on the rear deck, the distance from the middle of the turret to the turret rear wali could not exceed 1240 mm. This restric* tion was to be satisfied by changing the angle of the rear turret wali to 20° instead of the previous specification for 25°.

Drawing numbers in the rangę of 021 Gr 50201 through 021 Gr 50248 were used for the Panther II chassis designed by M A N. Gummfsparende Laufrollen, Drawing No. 021 D 50204 (steel-tyred, rubber-cushioned roadwheels) designed for the Panther II were mounted not only on the Panther II and a limited experimental series of Panther Ausf.G, but also on the Tiger II and starting with Fgst.Nr.250822 on the Tiger I.

A Wa Pruef 6 report dated 1 November 1943 reveals the armor thickness and angle of the Panther II in comparison to the Panther I Ausf.D:

Panther II
Turret Roof (fore)	30 mm *
Turret Roof (aft)	30 mm *
Gun Mantlet	150 mm*
Turret Front	120 mm *
Hull Roof	30 mm @ 90°
Glacis Platę	100 mm @55’
Front Lower Hull	60 mm @ 55°
Belly (fore)	30 mm @ 90°
Belly (aft)	16 mm @ 90°
Turret Side	60 mm @ 25°
Pannier Side	60 mm @ 40°
Hull Side	60 mm @ 0°
Turret Rear	60 mm *
Hull Rear	40 mm @ 30°

Panther I Ausf.D

16 mm @ 84.5 16 mm @ 90° 100 mm curved 100 mm @ 12° 16 mm @ 90° 80 mm @ 55° 60 mm @ 55° 30 mm @ 90°

16 mm @ 90°

45 mm @ 25° 40 mm @ 40° 40 mm @ 0°

45 mm @ 25° 40 mm @ 30°

The report stated that the Panther II turret was still being developed and therefore the report did not specify these angles.

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