Panther Tank

Featuring sloping armor and armed with a powerful 75 mm gun, Germany’s Panther tank was developed as a counter to the Soviet T-34.  Entering production in 1943, the Panther was intended to become Germany’s standard medium tank.  Although featuring potent armament and excellent armor, the Panther was hampered by disruptive production and drivetrain maintenance requirements. Produced in three variants, by three firms (MAN, Daimler-Benz, and MNH), the roughly 6,000 Panthers were used on the Eastern Front, in Italy, and from Normandy to Berlin. In this greatly expanded edition of the author’s earlier work, almost 250 photos are used to present the Panther from the factory to the battlefield in considerable detail.