039

GERMANV'S PANTHER TANK

7.5 cm Kw.K.42 L 70 Extornal Travel Lock

Commandor’8 Cudoi* 021St 50256

Comprossor

T.Z.F. 12a Monocular Gun Słght_t Watortlght Soal

Ausf.A Turret

Orlginal Drawing 021 Gr 50250 Datod 25Nov43

I_

The interior of the Panther Ausf A turret as shown on origmal drawmgs dated 25 November 1943 The top view still shows the binocula T.Z.F. 12 gun sight The gun mantlet is offset 40 mm to the nght of the turret centerlme The gun itself was centered m the turret and the turret was centered on the hull. The Nahverteidigungswaffe (close defense weapon) was mounted m the nght rear corner of the turret roof

Elovatlon Mochanlsm 021 St 50265

LoadorsSoat 021 St 50285

Gun Mantlot 021 St 50255

7.5 cm Kw.K.42 L/70

Extornal Travol Lock^ 021 St 48972

T.Z.F. 12 Blnocular Gun Sight (Monocular T.Z.F. 12a after Nov43)

Comprossor

021 St 50268

021 St 50284

Turrot Travorso Lock 021 St 50270

Auxlllary Hand Travorso 021 St 50264

021 St 48987 Commandor'* Seat

Ausf.A Turret 021 Gr 50250 Orlginal Drawlng Datod 25Nov43

CHAPTER 4: PANTHER AUSF.A

Befehls-Panlher Ausf A (Fgst Nr 2^0767 comnletArt k _of aDout 19 February 1944) had the antenna iwSS&Jf, ^{A N on} set mounted m the nght rear corner of the turret Th/* ^{S rad,}° turret roof for mount.ng the Nahverteldlgunoa_wJiI?/, ^{9 ,n lhe} defense weapon) was blanked off with a standard?,^{(c ose} secured with four bolts (WJS)    ^a d c,rcular piąte

4 3 10 PISTOL, POBTS REPLACED BY CUOSE DEFENSE

weapon

The MP Stopfen (pistol ports with plugs) on both sides and the rear of the turret were deleted starting m December 1943 They were madę obsolescent by the Nahverteidigungswaf1e (close defence weapon) that was to be mounted on the turret roof A variety of ammunition could be fired from the Nahverteidtgungswaf1e including Schnellnebelkerzen 39 (smoke candles), Wurlgranaten (grenades), Rauchslcht-zeichen orange 350 (orange smoke signal) and Leucht-geschossen R (signal flarę) The Nahverteidigungswaf1e was traversable through 360° but fixed in elevation at 50° However, due to shortages, the Nahverteidigungswaffe was first mounted on Panthers starting in March 1944 Many Ausf A assembled in February and March had a circular piąte held by four bolts to cover the hole in the turret roof for the missmg Nahverteidigungswat1e

riiegerbeschufłgerat

Above and next page

Extenor v ws of a turret for a Befehls-Panlher Ausf A (Fgst Nr 210854 rnmni

aperture • e gun mantlet for the coaxial mach.negun closed with an armored pług* (CHY) ⁰⁰ °^{r ab}°^{Ul 16 MarCh 1944) w,th the}

75