In many respects, the Panther tank was viewed as the finest armored fighting vehicle of the Second World War. Based in large part upon the Soviet's highly successful T-34 medium tank, the PzKpfw V Ausfuhrung G (Type G) was built by several manufacturers including MAN, Daimler-Benz, and MNH. Mounting a fearsome 7.5cm KwK42 L/70 cannon and two 7.92mm MG34 machineguns, the Panther Ausf. G represented the third and certainly the most impressive installment in the Panther series.

The weight of the production model was increased to 43 tons from the original plans for a 35 ton tank. Hitler had personally reviewed the final designs and insisted on an increase in the thickness of the frontal armor - the front glacis plate was increased from 60mm to 80mm and the turret front plate was increased from 80mm to 100mm.

Once the problems caused by the vulnerability of the engine and the transmission were solved, it proved to be a very effective fighting vehicle. The crew was made up of five members: driver, radio operator (who also fired the bow machine gun), gunner, loader, and commander.

Pictured here is a 1:50 scale replica of a German Sd. Kfz. 171 PzKpfw V Panther Ausf. D medium tank that was used on the eastern front and painted in a startling winter camouflage scheme. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 5-inches
Width: 2-inches

Release Date: September 2003

Historical Account: "Winter War" - On January 15th, 1944, the Red Army's Leningrad Front launched two strong attacks, one south of the city and the other from the pocket around Oranienbaum to the east. Four days later, Soviet troops completed the liberation of Leningrad, thus breaking a siege that had lasted over 900 days. Thereafter, the entire left flank of Army Group North cracked and was forced into retreat. On February 13th, OKH ordered the entire army group back into the Panther Line, which comprised the Narva River-Lake Peipus-Lake Pskov section of the East Wall. The Panther Line was the only major part of the East Wall on which substantial work had been done, and when the army group reached it on March 1st, it held against repeated Soviet attacks.