The Mystery's of the Panther Ausf. F

[mikec]

.
.
.
Greetings all;

..... When one looks at the information, that is adaptable to
..... us, there are several questionable issue.

When the Allies entered the Diamler Benz complex in 1945
they found no completed Panther Ausf. F tanks.
.... They did find turrets and chaises.

From our Ref. we know that two, may-haps be, that three
prototypes where made...... Where did they disappear to...?
..... Where they used in combat.... ? We know in the end
faze of the war the Germans where using anything they could
get there hands on. Until someone comes up with a photo,
we may never know.
**** But, we still have two, or three missing tanks ***

Photographs taken at the Diamler Benz complex in 1945.




Prototype Panther ausf. F








IF the Panther Ausf. F was never used. Why is does this turret have camouflage
on it.......... ?




































The main gun on the test bad. I suspect this is the KWK-42/L70 adapted for the smaller
turret. The first 50 or-so Panther Ausf. F tank where to use the KWK-42. The when production
caught up, they would go to the KWK-44/L100.







Later,
Mike

 

[Iron Mike]

Interesting questions and great pix. The world may never know....

 

[reconron]

Hi Mike,

Great pictures!!!

So...,what is the difference between a Panther Ausf.G and a Panther Ausf.F except the turret?
Could it be that there are Ausf.G with a Ausf.F turret?

Greetings,Ron.

 

[Sharkmouth]

So...,what is the difference between a Panther Ausf.G and a Panther Ausf.F except the turret?
Could it be that there are Ausf.G with a Ausf.F turret?

Keep in mind that there are two Panther variants which did not enter production, the Ausf. F and the Panther II. Each had a different hull.

The Panther II that was at Fort Knox was fitted with an Ausf. G turret. It should have been fitted with a turret that had a Topfblende but it was not the Schmalturm. The Schmalturm was designated for the Panther Ausf. F whose hull had different features (deck plates, forward hatch with driver's/radio operator's lids, and ball mount for the St.G.44) from the Ausf. G.

The best reference to sort all this out is Panzer Tracts 5-4.

Good post Mike, you got us all thinking!

Regards,

 

[mikec]

.
.
.
Greetings Ron;

..... There was a order issued by the OKW, in late 1944, that in part
stated that..... Due to the usage of the steel wheels and steel track
the tracks are being wear out at at a alarming rate. The are only getting
half of there expected life out of them.
.... Their for... all Panther models will revert back to the original
Panther road wheels, until a solution to this problem can be found.

On the production version..... *** if any where made **** the armor
was uncreased on the bow, and on the sides. Other than that it appeared
to look like a Panther Ausf/G.

..... So.. for the most part the Panther Ausf. F would look like a Panther
Ausf/G with a different turret. From my resource it appears that the first
50 or-so tanks where to use the same main gun that was in the original
Panther. The KWK-42/L70. When production caught up they where to go to
the KWK-44/L100.

Be Cool,
Mike
.
.

 

[Sharkmouth]

.
On the production version..... *** if any where made **** the armor
was uncreased on the bow, and on the sides. Other than that it appeared
to look like a Panther Ausf/G.

..... So.. for the most part the Panther Ausf. F would look like a Panther
Ausf/G with a different turret. From my resource it appears that the first
50 or-so tanks where to use the same main gun that was in the original
Panther. The KWK-42/L70. When production caught up they where to go to
the KWK-44/L100.

Hi Mike,

According the to the aforementioned reference I cited, the only armor increase on the hull was the roof. all other drawing numbers remained the same. As for the Panther Ausf. F entering production, many hulls were in the process of manufacture and photographs appear in the book.

It seems no turrets were ever made for the Panther II so the book includes dashed lines in the shape of the Rheinmetall turret drawings found.

Regards,