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Overall, since December 1, 1943 to November 30, 1944, that is, for the year, the Germans lost on the Eastern Front in 2116 “Panther”.
In the West, at the time of the Allied landings in Normandy on June 6, 1944 in the tank units of Wehrmacht and SS troops were 663 “Panther”, which turned out to be “hard nut” for the allied troops.
The first fight came in two companies, “Panthers of the 12 th SS Panzer Division” Hitler Youth “(Hitlerjugend). In the 22 hours of June 8, 1944 tanks easily overcame the open area near Le Bourget and approached Brettevilyu. There they came under accurate fire camouflaged anti-tank guns. In light of the flames of burning houses, “Panther” become easy prey for the Canadian artillery, destroying three tanks. The next day, 12 “Panthers again caught in the ambush. As a result, on the battlefield there were 7 German tanks. In this case, one or two tanks were hit, came under fire heavy naval artillery (406 mm caliber shells fired from British battleship “Nelson”).
Quite a different disposition of losses occurred in tank battles, the more so because in 1944 the only allied tank that could somehow resist the “Panther” was a British Sherman Firefly. “
July 15, 1944, for example, the senior cadet Fritz Langanke SS (2-SS Panzer Division “Das Reich”) on the road, near Saint-Denis knocked out five “Shermans” from the 3rd U.S. Armored Division. July 27 non-SS Scharfuhrer Ernst Barkman destroyed 9 “Shermans”, while his own tank was damaged.
Making sure that an easy victory in a tank battle with the Panthers can not expect the Allies threw them against aviation, accounting, and accounts for most of the wrecked on the Western Front German tanks. From 1 September to 30 November 1944 there have been irretrievably lost 613 “Panther”.
In early November the same combat-ready “Panthers” were distributed at the theater of operations as follows: East – 684 West – 371, Italy – 39.
A curious episode occurred on January 17, 1945 in g.Herlishaym. His attack “Panther” 10 th SS Panzer Division “Frundsberg” (Frundsberg). American artillery had destroyed several tanks, so that the streets burst into only two “panthers.” Firing at point blank range, they are a matter of minutes out several “Shermans”. Over the other white flags flapped. And they threw the crews of tanks that are not yet in the battle! As a result, the Germans got 12 serviceable machines. Such behavior is explained by U.S. tankers categorical instruction command, forbidding the fight with the Panthers at close range.
A rather unusual role should be played during the offensive in the Ardennes four “Panther” 150 th Tank Brigade CC. This brigade, commanded by Chief shturmbannfyurera SS Otto Skorzeny, was intended for combat and sabotage in the rear of the allied forces. It recruited soldiers who know English, they were armed with captured weapons were equipped with captured vehicles and were dressed in American uniforms. Panthers re-equipped in such a way that outwardly they looked like the American M10 tank destroyers. However ingenious idea of Germans quickly fell through. They have not considered, as the English say, “stupid habit Yankees to shoot at random and something horrible.” February 21, 1945 fake M10 ran into outposts the 120 th U.S. Infantry Division. Private Francis Curry, not at all paying attention to the white stars on board military vehicles, shot from a bazooka set fire to the first tank, and the others opened fire with rifle grenades. Crews left the damaged tanks. Coming up soon, “Sherman finished off these” Trojan horses “. As a result, ordinary Curré Francis was awarded the medal of Hero.
The last major battle in which took part in “Panther” was the counterattack of the German troops in Hungary, near lake Balaton in March 1945. In these battles, particularly distinguished crew 130-Panzer Regiment training Wehrmacht Panzer Division (Panzer Lehr Division).
At the cost of great tension forces industry in 1945 was able to give the front 507 “Panther”. On March 1, 1945 before the German tank units were 1,763 linear tank “Panther”, 169 and 256 command vehicle BREM. However, the rapidly deteriorating situation on the fronts brought to naught all the efforts of the industry. April 28, the troops left the following number of combat vehicles: the Eastern Front – 446 (out of which only 288 combat-ready), Western Front-29 (24 combat-ready), Italy – 24 (23 combat-ready). But as was the case in a variety of tank connections. In a famous study Panzer Division, which was at that time on the Western Front, with only seven, “Panthers.” 26 Panzer Division in Italy, has 24 tanks of this type. In the 10 th SS Panzer Division “Frundsberg”, acting on the central section of the Eastern Front, there were 34 “Panther” and is considered one of the most combat-ready. Significantly worse than was the case in the southern section, where a three-SS Panzer Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”, “Das Reich” and “Totenkopf” have only 23 “Panther.”
In total, from 5 July 1943 to April 10, 1945 in the fighting have been lost 5,629 tanks, “Panther”. Later, no statistics, but the final number of destroyed vehicles of this type a few more fights because of their participation in the Czech Republic went up to the May 11, 1945.
In the armies of Germany’s allies, “Panther” was not involved, although such attempts have been made.
In February 1943, in Rome, were German-Italian talks on the deployment of licensed production of “Panther” in Italy. Their release and later release of Panther II “, intended to establish a factory the company FIAT with the pace of build 50 cars a month. In this case, the tanks were mainly act in the Italian army. Production problems (lack of in Italy steel and nonferrous metals), and then the Italian surrender in September 1943 buried those plans.
In July 1944, five tanks Ausf G ordered Hungary – the most staunch ally of Germany. However, the order, apparently, was never executed.
Seriously interested in “Panther” and the Japanese military. One tank, they even bought (as, indeed, the “Tiger”). However, neither the one nor the other in Japan and was not delivered.
In 1943, a “Panther” A modification was sold to Sweden.
In the postwar period, “Panther” consisted in service in Czechoslovakia (70 units), Hungary and France.
In France, until 1947 50 “Panther” was armed with the 503rd Tank Regiment, stationed in Mourmelon.
Has survived quite a few tanks of this type. In France, four of them. The display tank museum in Saumur (Saumur Musee des Blindes) there are two “panthers” A modification – one on the run, the other stationary. Two tanks are in Paris as a gift to the city from the 2 nd Armored Division of General Leclerc.
Two “Panther” models G, collected after the war, remain in the UK. One in a tank museum at Bovington (RAC Tank Museum), and there is also “a strong tower” Schmalturm. Another – a military college in Shrayvenheme (Shrivenham Military College), closed to visitors.
In the Dutch city of Breda can see the “Panther” Ausf D – a gift to the city from the 1 st Polish Armoured Division of General Maček. Another tank, but the model G, is exhibited at the National War Museum (National War and Resistance Museum).
In Germany, the museum at 2 Panzer Bundeswehr School in Munster, there is a “Panther” Ausf A.
The Swiss Tank Museum in g.Tune closed to visitors, kept the tank modifications D.
In the U.S., too, four “Panther.” Two – models A and G – at the Museum Aberdeen Proving Ground (Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum). Two others, at Fort Knox, the museum of cavalry and armored troops (The Patton Museum to Cavalry and Armor); both machines model G, and one of them is static, while the other, with the pilot Chassis – on the go.
The Canadian War Museum (Military Museum of Canada) exhibited the “Panther” Ausf A.
And finally, yet another “Panther” A model can be seen at the Museum of armored vehicles in a Moscow Kubinka.