Growl of the Panther Tank

[Pirate-Drakk]

Originally Posted by cyberia

Perhaps someone also can fill in the blanks on this one. No information whatsoever, but I loved the pic...

This photo really shows how excellent the suspension system on the Panther really was. The tanks is still level even though it's parked on a slope and there are inches difference in the vertical travel of the road wheels on the facing side.

[cyberia]

A Panther Ausf. G on the move somewhere in Poland, 1944

[McCoy]

Originally Posted by Hagen

Great photo! I've never seen this one before. I didn't catch the one standard road wheel at first. Shows one of the problems with only building 24 of something, not any spare parts!

Great photo Paul! It's rather difficult to say what's right n' not on this one.

But here's my take based on observations n' not hard facts.

It's indeed one of those 24 rare full steel wheel Panther Ausf. G's. But as observed the station six steel wheel have at some point been replaced with a rubber rimmed Ausf. G roadwheel. But that's not all folks 'cos this kitten have been back to the factory at some point n' been retrofitted with a crew compartment heater 'cos none of the 24 all steel'ers where produced without it. The difference on the station four steel wheel from a normal station two/four/six steel wheel is just that the center cap isn't in place. The station two wheel eludes me as it really looks wrong n' looks more like a Tiger I steel wheel than a Panther steel wheel. The idler looks to be the early bigger one.

I'm guessin' that the Panther did belong to LSSAH n' was put out of it's misery near La Glieze. Cammopattern looks to be dark brown n' a little dunkelgelb on a dunkelgrün base with most of the wheels in dunkelgelb.

[cyberia]

So we have a re-worked, mixed-matched example of one of the original 24 steels.

Nice wrap up on a group assessment Urban!!

[Hagen]

Originally Posted by cyberia

Nice wrap up on a group assessment Urban!!

That was a nice group effort, seems that everyone caught something 'unique' in this photo.

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Hagen

That was a nice group effort, seems that everyone caught something 'unique' in this photo.

That's what makes it so cool.

[cyberia]

Hell, lets do it again.

Zero info on this one, so who wants it?

[LAH 1 SS]

Originally Posted by McCoy

Great photo Paul! It's rather difficult to say what's right n' not on this one.

But here's my take based on observations n' not hard facts.

It's indeed one of those 24 rare full steel wheel Panther Ausf. G's. But as observed the station six steel wheel have at some point been replaced with a rubber rimmed Ausf. G roadwheel. But that's not all folks 'cos this kitten have been back to the factory at some point n' been retrofitted with a crew compartment heater 'cos none of the 24 all steel'ers where produced without it. The difference on the station four steel wheel from a normal station two/four/six steel wheel is just that the center cap isn't in place. The station two wheel eludes me as it really looks wrong n' looks more like a Tiger I steel wheel than a Panther steel wheel. The idler looks to be the early bigger one.

I'm guessin' that the Panther did belong to LSSAH n' was put out of it's misery near La Glieze. Cammopattern looks to be dark brown n' a little dunkelgelb on a dunkelgrün base with most of the wheels in dunkelgelb.

The road wheels almost look like they are from a tiger 2. Do you think this may have been a daimler produced panther mccoy?

[McCoy]

I'm not sure on the manufacturer but it does seem like it's a Daimler produced one.

But it looks like the commander of it was Oberscharfuhrer Ropeter belongin' to Kamfgruppe Peiper n' the location is between Stoumont n' Targnon where retreatin' US soldiers set up an ambush along the road that took #225 out with an 90mm AA gun, two of Ropeter's crewmembers perished in the flames.

Here's a larger version of the same photo:

[LAH 1 SS]

Mccoy thanks for blowing that photo up much appreciated, lets me have a closer look