#PantherG #PanzerV #ScaleModel
The Panzerkampfwagen V (suggestive name: Panther; Sd.Kfz. 171) was a medium German tank in World War II. It was developed by MAN in response to the Soviet T-34. The Panther was supposed to replace the other medium German tanks, but was then used together with the Panzer IV, which was still being produced. From 1943 to the end of the war, around 6000 vehicles in various designs were built by several manufacturers and used both on the Eastern Front and in the West.
The Panther was equipped with a powerful 7.5 cm cannon, which gave it an advantage over most opponents in terms of precision and penetration of the main weapon. The armor, up to 100 mm thick, was a novelty in German armor construction and was bevelled all around, with protection aimed at frontal threats, so that the armor on the sides and in the rear was significantly weaker. With a weight of around 45 t, the Panther was very heavy for a medium tank (some heavy tanks on the opposite side were lighter), but its chassis and powerful engine gave it very good mobility.
Since the development of the Panther was done under time pressure, the vehicles initially had considerable technical defects and design weaknesses, some of which could never be completely eliminated and made it relatively maintenance-intensive and prone to failure. In retrospect, it is still considered a balanced, trend-setting design and perhaps the best medium tank of the Second World War.
