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GERMANY'S PANTHER TANK

Table 9.1.2: ACCURACY

Ammunition:	Pzgr.39/42		Pzgr.40/42		Sprgr.42
Rangę	Tests	Practlce	Tests	Practlce	Tests	Practlce
500 m	100	100	100	100	100	100
1000 m	100	97	94	56	100	97
1500 m	100	72	76	32	90	44
2000 m	92	49	56	20	66	24
2500 m	73	29			42	13
3000 m	55	18			28	8

a rangę of 2000 meters for the Pzgr.40/42. 3000 meters for the Pzgr.39/42 and 4000 meters for the Sprgr.42

With the replacement gun sight TUrmzielfernrohr 12a. introduced during the production run of the Panther Ausf. A in late November/early December 1943, the gunner could se-lect two magnifications, 2 5X and 5X. The lower magmfica-tion provided a wider field of view for target detection. The higher magnification assisted in precise aiming at long ranges. The adjustable rangę scales allowed the gunner to register the exact rangę to the target The rangę scalę was graduated at 100 meter intervals out to a rangę of 2000 meters for the Pzgr.40/42.3000 meters for the Pzgr.39/42 and 4000 meters for the Sprgr.42

To quickly traverse onto a target, the Panther was outfit-ted with a hydraulic motor for the turret drive. In the Ausf.D, the hydraulic drive traversed the turret at a maximum ratę of 360 degrees in 60 seconds independent of the engine speed.

An improved hydraulic traverse was introduced with the Ausf . A in which the speed at which the turret was traversed under power was dependent on the engine speed. At the maximum allowable engine speed of 3000 rpm, the turret could be tra-versed at a maximum ratę of 360 degrees in 15 seconds After November 1943, with the HL 230 P30 governed at 2500 rpm, the turret traverse speed decreased to a maximum of 360 degrees in 18 seconds

The hydraulic traverse enabled coarse laying for the gunner to quickly acquire the selected target within the viewing field of the sight. Fine adjustment (laying the target onto the peak of the proper triangle in the sight reticle) was accom-plished using the gunner’s hand traverse and hand elevation wheels. If the power traverse failed the gunner could traverse the turret by hand. The gunner could be assisted by the loader using the auxiliary hand traverse.

Reticle In the Rlght Tubę of the BInocular T.Z.F.12

Reticle for the T.Z.F.12a Adjustable at 2.5X & 5X

The reticles for the T.Z.F.12 and T.Z.F.12a gun sights with the rangę scales that could be mdexed for the vanous types of ammunition.

CHARTER 9: OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS

9 2M5BIUTY

_capability of the Panther to negotiate obstacles and cross countered by the Panther as shown by the performance char-terrain was better than all other German and Allied tanks en- acteristics listed in Table 9.2

Table 9.2: PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

Av«Se"susS?ed road speed A e-age cross country speed Sadius of action. road

Badiusofaction. cross country

smallest turning radius Snutnturningradius Trencti Crossing Fording Step climbmg

Gradient climbing Ground clearance Ground pressure Power to weight ratio

54 9 km/hr*

30-35 km/hr 20 km/hr 200 km 100 km 4.7 m 79 m 2.45 m 1.90 m 0.90 m 35 degrees 0 56 m 0.73 kg/cm²

15.5 metric HP/ton with the Maybach HL 230 P30

Maximum

speed decreased to 45.7 km/hr after November 1943 when the HL 230 P30 motor was regulated not to exceed 2500 rpm

The Panther imtially experienced numerous automotive hiems which required a continuous series of modifications correct. These problems can be traced to three mam ¹⁰ ses leakmg seals and gaskets. an overtaxed drive train ^Caamally designed for a 30 metric ton vehicle. and an un-°^fśted engine. But. followmg modification of key automotive moonents. with maturę driverstakmg required maintenance nalts^ the Panther could be maintained in a satisfactory op-erational condition.

9.3 SURVIVABIUTY ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Along with the extremely effective main gun. a major asset of the Panther was the thick frontal armor. However, the sides and rear were vulnerable to attack from most tank guns in-cluding the American 75 mm and the Russian 76 mm tank guns at long ranges The tables extracted from a Wa Pruef 1 report dated 5 October 1944 relate the relative ability of the major opponents to penetrate the Panther and vice versa as shown in the Penetration Rangę Tables 9.3 1.9 3 2 and 9.3.3. The penetration ranges were determined based on the as-sumption that the tanks stood at a side angle of 30 degrees to the incoming round.

	Panther 7.5 cm Kw.K. penetrates Sherman A2 upto	Sherman A2 75 mm M3 penetrates Panther up to	Panther 7.5 cm Kw.K. penetrates Sherman A4 upto	Sherman A4 76 mm M1A1 penetrates Panther up to
Front Turret	2500 m	0 m	2500 m	700 m
Mantlet	1000 m	0 m	1000 m	100 m
Glacis	100 m	0 m	100 m	0 m
Nose	2800 m	0 m	2800 m	0 m
Qirtp Turret	3500 m +	1500 m	3500 m +	3500 m +
Super	3500 m +	400 m	3500 m +	2800 m
Hull	3500 m +	2600 m	3500 m +	3500 m +
Bear Turret	3500 m +	1500 m	3500 m +	3500 m +
Hull	3500 m +	1500 m	3500 m +	3500 m +

Penetration Rangę Table 9.3.1: PANTHER vs. SHERMAN A2 and SHERMAN A4

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