UNDERCARRIAGE. tank with respect to one side consisted of eight double wheels with rubber tires with a diameter of 850 mm.
Suspension – torsion. In order to obtain a large angle of twist the torsion bars were carried out double, which provided a vertical movement of the support rollers at 510 mm. Front and rear rollers supplied with hydraulic shock absorbers.
Leading the front-wheel arrangement had two removable gear rims to 17 teeth each. Entanglement tsevochnoe. Between the drive wheels and the first rollers mounted pneumatic roller.
Idlers – cast with metal cable ties and crank mechanism for track tensioning.
Caterpillar steel, melkozvenchatye, from 86 odnogrebnevyh trucks each. Truckee cast, width 660 mm, 153 mm pitch TRACK.
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. was performed on a single-circuit. 12V. Sources: Generator Bosch GTLN700 12-1500BJ1 power 0,7 kW, two Bosch battery capacity 150 Ah Consumers: Electric Bosch BFD624ARS15 power 4,4 kW, control panels, illumination of sights, sound equipment and light signaling devices internal and external lighting, hills cannons and machine guns.
COMMUNICATION. All tanks “Panther” were equipped with radio Fu 5, who had a range of 6,4 km and 9,4 km of telephone telegraph.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. Fire extinguishing system – automatically. Alarm system was put on the dashboard of the driver.
“Panther” would be replaced by a combat soldier tanks Pz III and Pz IV, but the pace of production did not meet the needs of the troops. In the end, the Inspector General Wehrmacht Panzer Troops, Colonel-General H. Guderian, after consultation with the Minister of armaments A. Speer decided that re-new tanks to be only one battalion in a tank regiment.
In the battalion had four companies of 17 tanks each. At headquarters consisted of 8 tanks, combat engineer platoon and a platoon of Air Defense, an armed self-propelled guns Mobelwagen or Wirbelwind. There was a battalion and technical company, staffed retriever and various vehicles. In practice, the organization often has never corresponded to the state. In parts Panzerwaffe were on average 51 – 54 tank “Panther”, and in the Waffen SS (Waffen SS) 61-64.
The first military units who manned the “Panther”, became the 51 th and 52 tank battalions. Their formation has ended to June 15, 1943. They consisted of 10 Panzer Brigade (Panther-Brigade 10). As part of the Waffen-SS also formed a team, “Panthers.”
Overall, in the middle of 1943 were in operation about 240 tanks modification D.
The operation “Citadel” was attended by 196 tanks. Their combat debut was not successful – only for technical reasons, went down 162 “Panther”. Due to lack of trucks to the Germans managed to evacuate only a small number of tanks, 127 vehicles were on the territory occupied by the Red Army, and were lost forever.
Re Panthers went fairly intensively. In many cases, this coincided with the relocation of tank units and formations, or tap them in the rear for repair and replenishment of materiel. For example, the 16-Panzer Division received new tanks in October 1943, when the transfer from Italy to Ukraine. Until the end of 1943 was re-equipped a battalion in the 2, 3, 4, 7 and 19 Panzer Division, 51 Battalion included in the 9 th Panzer Division. In the first place, “Panthers came into the elite connections: SS Panzer Division GroB deutschland (” Great Germany “), Hermann Goring (” Hermann Goering “) and others. A small number of tanks to engage and for training purposes, for example, in the 1 st Armored School (1.Panzer Schule). In 1944 continued the process of rearming.
Information about the combat use of “Panther” on the Eastern Front caused the researchers have conflicting opinions. As cited in Western press examples combat episodes our tanks and burning hundreds of ACS, the loss is calculated as the German ones. Consider, say, an episode that is associated with the actions of a heavy tank regiment “Bake” (Schwere Panzerregiment “Bake”), described in the book of the Polish author Janusz Ledvoha (where he was, without doubt, has migrated from western sources).
Polk “Bake”, so named by the name of his commander Colonel Franz Becke, consisted of the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion, the Tigers and a battalion of “Panther” models D. In the course of many days of fighting with the two Soviet tank corps regiment destroyed 267 tanks, while losing a “Tiger” and four “Panther.”
Relation horrendous losses – 5:267!
In the Polish sources, unfortunately, does not specify portion of the Soviet-German front, where the fights were mentioned. However, we can with high confidence suggests that scene-Ukraine, where in January 1944, troops of the 1 st Ukrainian Front was performed Zhytomyr Ber-dichevskuyu offensive. During her fierce counter fights between 1 st and 3 rd Guards tank armies and several separate tank and mechanized corps from our side and 1, 7, 8, 19 nd, SS “Das Reich” and SS “Adolf Hitler” Panzer divisions – with the German. Battles were fought over a wide area with frequent maneuvering armored units and formations on both sides. In this regard, it is unlikely that the tank regiment “Bake” all the time alone with the two fought the same tank corps. The Germans had no trouble to write to battle by the regiment and the results of other parts. In any case, from the same German sources that reported wrecked Soviet tanks coming from the combat units Panzerwaffe, after rechecking halved. Since the conditions of constant counterattacks and maneuver to conduct such a re-check it was virtually impossible, it can be safely above the figures of casualties on our part to reduce by half.
Nevertheless, this result is impressive – after all one regiment against the entire two tank shells! Here, too, can not do without the commentary. As already mentioned, the tank battalion of “Panther” had more than 50 tanks, heavy tank battalions – not less. Thus, in the regiment “Bake” in view of staff vehicles numbered 110 – 130 “tigers” and “Panthers” and the number of tanks was approximately equal to the Soviet tank corps. Agree, the case against the two buildings – it is a little different picture.
Now a few words of German casualties – five tanks. There is an assumption that the Germans felt our collective loss, and their only non-repayable, which were usually no more than 30% of the overall battle. The result is a ratio of 1:5 is close, that the most reliable. Yes, indeed, the loss of Soviet tanks were significant – German cars have more powerful weapons and armor protection (according to these indicators of T-34-76 does not “pulled” against the “Tiger” and “Panther”), also suffered from a high level of combat training German soldiers.
Above all, keep in mind that “Panther” has appeared on the eastern front during the period when the Red Army was advancing. And coming, as we know, is always greater losses than the defenders. The fighting quickly found predominantly defensive qualities Panthers as a tank, shoot mostly with the site. In those cases, when we had to attack the Panthers, the situation of loss was different.
On March 27, 1944, for example, in the battle of Kovel was attended by 17 “Panthers” 8-th company of the 5 th Regiment, 5 th SS Panzer Division “Wiking” (Wiking). March 30 company launched an attack on the town, with five tanks were destroyed.
In the foreign press meets and openly biased approach. For example, the same Polish writer Janusz Ledvoh in his book “Panther”, referring to the heavy fighting east of Warsaw in the summer of 1944, wrote: “On 28 and 29 July the 2 nd Battalion 5 th SS Panzer Regiment destroyed 107 Soviet tanks (T-34, “Sherman” and “Valentine”), while losing six combat vehicles (Pz IV and five “Panther”). ” Immediately after this question on another episode, but in a different tone: “Under Studzyankami fought not only” four tanker and a dog, but the unit 27 Regiment 19 Panzer Division, who lost in this battle, 9 Panthers . It also destroyed a number of “Panthers” of SS Division “Herman Goering.” Such a success of the Polish T-34-76 from the 1 st Tank Brigade Heroes of Westerplatte can only be explained by the fact that the Polish tanks occupied a defensive position. When the counterattack same T -34 suffered heavy losses. ”
Interestingly it turns out: the collisions of “Panther” with Soviet tanks burn like the last match, Poland, by contrast, are successful, albeit with some reservations. Nothing but a smile like the “objectivity” call can not. Poles fought on the same tanks that are ours, and their level of combat training was the same. Everything else, we should not forget that over 50% of personnel 1-st Polish Armoured Brigade made up the Soviet tankers, seconded to the Polish Army, and this was the most qualified specialists – vehicle commander (they gunner) and a driver.
It is fair to acknowledge that objectivity does not suffer and our memoirs. In the memoirs of tankers, “Panther” (or tanks made up the Panthers’) burn tens of casualties on our side is usually modestly silent.
Here are some episode that occurred during the above-mentioned Zhytomyr-Berdychiv operations in December 1943, described in his memoirs, Marshal Igor Jakubowski:
“In these battles, many distinguished warriors. Thus, the tank commander Lieutenant IP Golub of the 13th Guards Tank Brigade, Colonel LI Baukova in the blast furnace has destroyed three” tiger “, two” Panther “, five guns and a company of infantry. rushed ahead, his tank cut the road retreating Germans. It was seized by up to forty to fifty cars and carts. In this battle, tank Golub received six holes. ”
However, as it follows from the text of memoirs of marshal, the episode is taken from the award list, which, in order to persuade the commanders could and slightly exaggerated, something to attribute.
All the more precious each documented fact.
“February 19, 1944 at 11.00 Tank Company 13th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, composed of five heavy tank IS-85 was launched to support the 109 th Tank Brigade, which attacked a stronghold of the enemy in d.Lisyanke (Ukraine, Zhitomir rn ). By the time of entering into the battle of heavy tanks involved in the attack, the T-34 109 th Brigade were hit by fire “Panthers” involved in the defense of the north-eastern outskirts Lisyanka. The latter has allowed the Germans to concentrate fire on the IS-85, having admitted them to 600 – 800 m. As a result two JS were burned, and three destroyed.
All day on February 19 with the enemy fights held its cutting edge in Lisyanka, and at night went away, leaving 21 combat vehicle (16 “Panthers”, 3 Pz IV and 2 StuG III), part undermined, and often quite serviceable, but without the fuel (in the battle the Luftwaffe threw for fuel tanks in barrels). ”
On this episode, taken from “Report on the combat use JS-85 (TsAMO, fund NIIBT-act), I would like to speculate. Fire fight the Germans won, but eventually abandoned their tanks. Consider whether they as combat losses? Of course yes!
Part of the Red Army captured a lot of serviceable “Panther”.
According to him it was even released guidance services in Russian. Captured Panthers were awarded, as a rule, the best crews and used primarily as tank destroyers. In particular, already referred to the 109 th Tank Brigade captured German tanks operated until July 1944!