062

GERMANY S PANTHER TAIMK

Panther Ausf.A in the assembly Ime at M.A.N.. Nuernberg m January 1943 Mounted on wheeled trucks on a raił linę. the chassis moved along the assembly Ime from station to station. (CHY)

Panthers promised to Hitler by 12 May. Instead of 308 Pan-thers. or the earlier figurę of 250, Saur could at best report 100. From Saur's notes, the numbers from each assembly firm were 40 from M.A.N , 30 from Daimler-Benz. 20 from Henschel and 10 from MNH. Of the Panthers sent to Falkansee by Daimler-Benz and MNH, nonę would be com-pleted by 12 May Saur laid out an acceptable delivery Schedule for M A.N Up to midmght on 9 May, 18 Panthers had been accepted. An additional 88 Panthers were to be com-pleted by the end of May. In addition. 2 Panthers with Einradienlenkgetrieben and 16 with Kupplungslenk-getriebe that still hadnt been returned from the troops. were to be rebuilt by the end of May. for a total of 124 Panthers. At the completion of the May program, in the period from 1 through 6 June 1943, M.A.N. was to deliver 10 Berge-Pan-ther without wmches but with improvised deckmg.

Teethmg problems were again experienced resultmg m numerous automotive failures in the Panthers completed in May 1943. A massive rebuild program scheduled for comple-tion m June was quickly orgamzed and implemented at Grafenwoehr for the Panthers to be sent to the Eastern Front with Panzer-Abteilung 51 and 52 and at Erlangen for the Panther-Lehrgang (Panther school).

Production was seriously mterrupted when bombmg raids hit Daimler-Benz Werk 40 in Berlm-Marienfelde m August 1943 and M.A.N. in Nuernberg during the mght of 27/28 August 1943.

Numerous failures were being experienced with the Maybach HL 230 P30 motor resulting m another massive rebuild program ordered to be conducted at Koenigsborn. On 10 November 1943. a representative from M.A.N reported on the status: While conditions for the rebuild program in Grafenwoehr and Erlangen were very unsatisfactory, this was not the case in Koenigsborn. 150 Panthers had been scheduled to be rebuilt by 15 November and 170 Panthers were ready by 8 November 1943. Work on another 80 Panthers continues satisfactorily so that the entire action was projected to be satisfactorily completed by the end of November. Ade-cision to transport 60 Panther to the northern sector of the Eastern Front, where they are to be dug into the defensive system is deplorable. Several days ago. Guderian was in Koenigsborn and said that he was not in agreement with this employment of Panthers and wanted to speak with Hitler about it.

Additional problems with the Maybach HL 230 P30 motor were encountered resulting in prolonging the rebuild pro-

CHARTER 8: PRODUCTION HISTORY

pantner Ausf G and Jagdpanther mixed together in the assembly Imes at MNH. Hannover when the assembly plant was captured m Apnl 1945 (TTM)

gram through February 1944 This caused significant delays ,n outtitting new umts with Panthers and shipping them to the Front

The production program then ran fairly smoothly through the Summer of 1944 with assembly firms meetmg their monthly production goals Then bombmg raids began to take tneir toll Daimler-Benz was hit by an attack on the plant on 6 August and by a massive strike on the area during the mght of 23/24 August 1944 M A.N was hit with attacks on the plant on 10 September and 3 October followed by a strike on the area on 19 October 1944 Havmg mostly recovered. M.A.N. was hit agam on 3 January and 20/21 February 1945 MNH was not targeted until close to the end when attacks on the plant occurred on 14 and 28 March 1945 Panther production ceased when all three assembly plants were occu-pied in April 1945

—-*-QO—no l—CIO W-flTT"!—ci O >■*

<20 ■'•OD—(ED——<3E>i

L_

Tank Chatki* Airly# Hat * Allar Othrlna and Accaptanca Ta»U

i

i

I

V    f

rtMi    •'

0313 <EZ3 (SD

Finał Aitambly ol Tanka

The layout of the M N H assembly plant in Hannover. Panthers were not produced in a Henry Ford style assembly Ime where each worker was assigned a limited task Instead. the Panthers were moved along the assembly ime from station to station At each station in the assembly Ime a specific job was performed (such as instalNng the fuel tanks and Imes)

121