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History:
The Panzer V Panther was one of the most famous tanks to ever see service during the Second World War appearing in abundance on the Eastern Front in 1943 and on nearly all Fronts past 1944. Born out of the experiences of the Wehrmacht during Operation Barbarossa and their encounters with the Soviet T-34, the Panther was built with the intention of directly countering heavy Soviet armor. Ironically, it also integrated some of the T34’s notable features into its design, such as its sloped frontal armor and high maneuverability.
Its main armament was the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun, a high-velocity anti-tank gun capable of knocking out nearly all allied armor from long distances. Its armor configuration consists of a frontal plate of 80 mm sloped at 55 degrees, giving it more frontal protection than a Tiger I. Its side armor however was only 40 mm on the sides and rear, an effort by the designers to reduce the weight of the tank. With a combat weight of 45 metric tons, the Panther could still achieve a maximum speed of 55 kph. The Panther on paper was an excellent tank. However, the Panther had the shortest development time of any German vehicle, which although an incredible feat, resulted in the Panther realistically being plagued with mechanical problems, most notably problems concerning the final drive and fuel pumps.
At its introduction during Operation Citadel, it was reported that although the Panther performed well when it arrived at the front, most Panthers were lost due to breakdowns and fires from the faulty pumps even before arriving in combat. Though over the course of the war, this would be addressed, the reliability problems never fully went away. Despite its shortcomings, the Panther struck fear into Allied and Soviet tank crews up until the end of the Second World War.
