The Jagdpanther was a German WWII tank destroyer. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created in 1943, and serial production continued in the period 1944-1945, ending with the production of 392 cars. The Jagdpanther was powered by a 700hp Maybach HL 230 P30 single engine. It was armed with 1 88mm PaK 43 L / 71 gun and 1 7.92mm MG34 machine gun.
The Jagdpanther was created in response to the demand announced in August 1942 by the German army for a new tank destroyer. In response to this demand, the cooperating plants Krupp and Daimler-Benz developed a preliminary technical specification based on the chassis of the PzKpfw V Panther tank and models that were approved by the German army. The new tank destroyer had powerful armament, capable of destroying any enemy vehicle in the period 1944-1945, as well as well-profiled armor - especially at the front of the vehicle. The disadvantages were the complicated production process and high unit costs of the vehicle, which effectively slowed down serial production. Jagdpanther made his debut on the battlefield in the summer of 1944 in Normandy, then fought against the Western Allies in France and in the Ardennes operation at the turn of 1944-1945. It appeared on the Eastern Front in the fall of 1944, successfully fighting both the T-34 and the heavy IS-2. After World War II, Jagdpanther served in the French army until the 1960s!
The Flakpanzer V Coelian was a German prototype self-propelled anti-aircraft gun from the Second World War. Only a mock-up of this vehicle was created, and the car never entered mass production. The vehicle was to be powered by an engine Maybach HL 230P30 with 700 hp. The vehicle was to be armed with two 37mm FlaK 43 cannons in the series versions.
As the number of Pz.Kpfw. V and Pz.Kpfw. VI, it was decided to develop an anti-aircraft gun on the chassis of this first vehicle. The task was entrusted to Rheinmetall. The new vehicle was to be used primarily to destroy Allied bombing fighters and to provide air cover to German mechanized unions. It was planned to install the main armament in a completely closed tower. Optimal armament was also experimented for a long time - finally, they decided on two Flak 43 cannons. However, due to the growing shortage of materials, only a model was created in February 1945. Flakpanzer V Coelian, and the car itself never entered mass production.
The Pz.Kpfw V (SD.Kfz 171) Panther is a German medium tank, considered to be one of the best tanks of the Second World War. This vehicle was a response to the Soviet T-34. The first production versions appeared as early as 1942, but the Panthers appeared for the first time on the front lines in the summer of 1943, in the Battle of Kursk. Due to the very high failure rate and numerous "childhood" problems of the vehicle, 150 out of 204 used vehicles were lost. Interestingly, however, only a few of these 150 cars were lost as a result of the Soviet shelling. After eliminating these shortcomings, the Panther became famous as an extremely effective tank. It owed it to the well-shaped frontal armor and the excellent anti-tank gun. KwK 42 / L70 cal 75mm. The basic version of the T34 / 76 did not stand a chance with the Panther. Only the advent of the T34 / 85 and IS-2 tanks changed this state of affairs. On the other hand, the Allied Sherman tanks could compete with the Panther only after being armed with a 17-pound gun (Sherman Firefly). Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the Achilles' heel of this successful design was the weak side armor and the high technical complexity of the entire structure, and thus the high production time. Throughout the war, around 6,000 Panther vehicles of all versions (Ausf. D, A, G) were produced. The first mass-produced version was the "D" version, with 80mm thick frontal armor and a Maybach 230 P30 engine with 700HP. From the second half of 1943, tanks of this version had armored aprons. The Panther Ausf entered production in September 1943. A. It had a spherical mount for the MG-34 rifle in the fuselage. It was produced until March 1944. The "G" version was the most produced version. Over 3,700 tanks of this model were built. It was produced from March 1944 to January 1945. It mainly increased the angle of the frontal armor and made it thicker. The gun mantlet has also been modified. The Jagdpanther tank destroyer (Sd.Kfz 179) was also built on the Panther's chassis. When assessing the Pz.Kpfw V, you should remember not only about the great frontal armor or the gun, but also pay attention to the disadvantages of the weapon - large overall dimensions, delicate suspension, armor of increasingly poor quality caused by a lack of molybdenum or weak side armor. Technical data: length (with a barrel): 8.66m, width: 3.42m, height: 2.99m, engine power: 700KM, range (on the road): 200km, maximum speed (on the road): 46km / h, weapons : 1 cannon. 75mm KwK 42 / L70, 2 7.92mm MG-34 machine guns.