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GERMANY S PANTHER TANK

CHAPTER 10: OPERATIONAL HISTORY

Panther-Abteilungen sent Into action In Normandy Abtellung

Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 4

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l/SS-Pz Rgt 12 I /Pz Rgt 6 I /Pz Rgt 3 I/SS-Pz Rgt 9 I/SS-Pz Rgt 1 I /SS-Pz Rgt 2

Assigned to	Strength	Month
12 SS-Pz Div	79	June
Pz -Lehr-Div.	89	June
2 Pz Div.	79	June
9 SS-Pz Div	79	June
1 SS-Pz Div	79	July
2 SS-Pz Div.	79	July
1944. Guderian reported on		experiences m

out with some mechamcal trouble and evidence of HE at-tack Remainmg 8 demolished and burnt out, no sign ofbattle damage nor mechamcal trouble were found. Rehable evidence captured document demolition ordered because of fuel short-age Our opmion. no evidence of undue mechanical difficul-ties with Panther.

On 14 June 1944, l./Pz.Rgt.4 reported that 17 Panlhers had survived of which 11 were operational. They expected to receive 38 Panthers to replace losses. These 38 Panthers had been shipped by raił from the ordnance depot between 29 May and 5 June 1944. An additional 20 replacements were sent between 18 and 21 September and a finał batch of 10 replacement Panthers was sent on 31 October 1944. The I./ Pz Rgt 4 (renamed as the I /Pz.Rgt 26 m February 1945) re-mamed in Italy until the end of the War

10.4 PANTHER-A^MEJUiMGĘNiNJUE W_^T

The first two umts with Panthers that engaged the Allied land-mg m Normandy reported 65 operational out of 66 Panthers with SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 and all 89 Panthers operational with the I Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 6 on D-Day. 6 June 1944 Afurther 13 Panthers were shipped from the ordnance depot to the I Abteilung/SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 on 7 June to brmg them up to the authorized strength of 79 Panthers. Four additional Panther-Abteilungen were committed to com-bat m Normandy during June and early July 1944

Opposite

Panther Ausf A (Tactical No 113) with the I Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 4 in Italy This Aust A still has the bmocular T Z F12 gun sight and the ‘ Letterbox" machmegun port m the glacis piąte (BA)

opposing the Allied landmg in Normandy The Pz Kpfv/ IV. V and VI have proven to be successful The Panther appears to catch fire quickly. The hfespan ofthe Panther s motors (1400 to 1500 kilometers) is sigmficantly higher than the Panther s finał drives A solution to the finał dnve problem is urgently needed The fasteners for the Schuerzen must be strength-ened to prevent them from bemg tom offby the hedgerows in the Normandy Soon the troops will demand that protective armor shields be mounted over the rear decks because of the success of hghter-bomber attacks The height of the guns in the Sturmgeschuetz is too Iow for the terram in Normandy On 8 July 1944. a total of 112 Panthers were reported as total writeoffs as a result of combat in Normandy By 27 July. the number of total writeoffs had increased by only 19 to a total of 131 Panthers The British analyzed Panthers captured in Normandy from 6 June to 7 August 1944 to deter-mine how they became casualties Of 82 Panthers exam-ined. 36 were by armor piercing shot. 7 by hollow charge projectiles, 7 by artillery high explosive shells, 6 by rocket projectiles from aircraft. 2 by cannon from aircraft. 6 destroyed by crew. 3 abandoned and 13 due to unknown causes The first replacements sent to the Western Front were eight Panthers that left the ordnance depot by raił on 28 June bound for the I Abteilung Panzer-Regiment 6 with the Panzer-Lehr-Division. Afurther 24 Panthers were shipped as replacements from the ordnance depot between 2 and 7 August, eight each for the l./Pz Rgt.6. I /SS-Pz Rgt.9 and I./SS-Pz Rgt 12 The 73 Panthers previously issued to other umts in traming at Mailly-le-Camp were madę available as replacements by an order dated 6 August 1944

In an attempt to stop the Allied advance. 79 Panthers with the I Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 24 under the 116.Panzer-Division were thrown in in late July and 79 Panthers with the II.Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 33 under the 9.Panzer-Division were thrown into the battle in early August British examination of 96 Panthers captured from 8 to 31 August 1944 revealed the cause of their loss as 11 by armor piercing shot. 1 by hollow charge projectiles. 1 by artillery high explosive shells. 2 by rocket projectiles from aircraft. 1 by cannon from aircraft. 44 destroyed by crew. 30 abandoned. and 6 due to unknown causes

By the begmmng of September. the l /Pz Rgt 24. 11/ Pz Rgt 33 and l./Pz Rgt 15 were the only umts left with Panthers on the Western Front The I Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment 15 with the 11 Panzer-Division was occupied in opposing the drive following the Allied landing in Southern France For all practical purposes. the rest of the Panther-Abteilungen had been wiped out during the retreat through the Falaise Gap and attempts to escape across the Seme River

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