Panther II

This page is about the German medium tank Panther II. For other versions, see Panther tank (Family). For other uses, see Panther (Disambiguation).

Panther II

Panther II

Germany

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.0	7.0	7.0

Class:

Medium tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

Description

The Pz.Kpfw. Panther II is a rank IV German medium tank with a battle rating of 7.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41 as a main tree vehicle, however, as of Update 1.91 "Night Vision" it was shifted to become a gift vehicle for players who previously owned it.

Panther II is considered in the War Thunder Community as the World War 2 MBT. It also holds a special place in the game, as it is the only German WW2 vehicle to come with the The “Fahrgerät” FG1250 IR Night Vision equipment, which had seen limited service. Due to the rarity of the night battles in the World War 2 tiers, it is pretty unusable, however the driver of the tank, also gets an IR vision, which can be tested in the testing range.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull100 / 60 / 40

Turret120 / 60 / 60

Crew5 people

Visibility116 %

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour
• Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	100 mm (55-56°) Front plate 60 mm (50°) Lower glacis	60 mm (30°) Top 60 mm Bottom	40 mm (29-33°)	30 mm
Turret	120 mm (20-21°)Turret front 300 mm Gun Mantlet	60 mm (25°)		30 mm
Cupola	100 mm (57°)			100 mm (33°) Outer ring 30 mm Centre

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
• Side skirts are 5 mm thick and act as additional protection against explosive warhead
• Part of the hull is covered by tracks, adding additional 20 mm of armour

The armour on this variant has better frontal and side armour than the Panther F, which will protect you against the weaker guns at this BR but it won't hold up when facing higher calibre guns such as the M3 (90 mm), D-25T (122 mm) and 20pdr OQF Mk.I (84 mm) that you will likely meet at this rank. The best tactic to survive is to not get hit by an enemy attacker, as the crew is quite cramped and will typically be disabled with one well-placed shot. Also, the Panther II can angle its hull slightly more, unlike the other Panthers, which can provide greater protection.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB60 / 16 km/h

RB and SB54 / 15 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

4 back

Weight53.0 t

Engine power

AB1 717 hp

RB and SB900 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB32.4 hp/t

RB and SB17.0 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	60	16	53	1,395	1,717	26.32	32.4
Realistic	54	15		796	900	15.02	16.98

As with all Panthers, this tank has excellent mobility both on and off road. One notable difference between the Panther II and the other Panthers is its reverse speed. Comparing to a max -4 km/h reverse speed on the rest of the Panthers, the Panther II provides a -12 km/h reverse speed, which can help a lot in battles.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB3 924 → 5 415

RB4 470 → 6 168

SB5 826 → 8 039

Total cost of modifications79 900

129 200

Talisman cost2 000

Crew training78 000

Experts270 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces670 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 200 / 220 %

190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 250 Suspension Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Brake System Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Filters Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230 Transmission Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240 Engine Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240	Improved Parts Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 250 Improved FPE Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Crew Replenishment Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230	Horizontal Drive Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 250 Adjustment of Fire Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 88mm_kwk_36_43_HEAT_ammo_pack Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Elevation Mechanism Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230 Smoke grenade Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230 Artillery Support Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240 88mm_kwk_36_43_APCR_ammo_pack Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240 Rangefinder Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240

Armaments

Rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Main armament

88 mm KwK43 cannon

Ammunition50 rounds

First-order10 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

9.7 → 7.5 s

Vertical guidance-8° / 15°

The Panther II boasts the excellent 88 mm KwK 43 with its notably punchy PzGr 39/43 shell, with a reload speed comparable to that of the Tiger II. Thus, it represents a threat for every tank on the battlefield, even at long ranges. Its rather poor gun handling, however (7.1°/s turret rotation on a stock tank with a level 1 crew) means close-quarters engagements and particularly urban combat should be avoided if possible. This can be somewhat remedied by its ability to neutral steer to acquire a firing solution faster. The optimal ammo loadout is 15 rounds, since it eliminates the ammo racks at the sides of the hull, while still providing a decent quantity of ammunition. It is not recommended to load anything other than PzGr 39/43 shells since it can readily hull break most opponents that have such a feature and it provides consistent ballistic characteristics, while still maintaining a fairly good penetration against sloped armour.

88 mm KwK43					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	50	-8°/+15°	±180°	N/A	11.4	15.8	19.2	21.2	22.6	11.05	9.78	9.01	8.50
Realistic					7.1	8.4	10.2	11.3	12.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
PzGr 39/43	APCBC	237	234	222	207	194	181
PzGr 40/43	APCR	279	273	252	227	205	185
Hl.Gr 39	HEAT	110	110	110	110	110	110
Sprgr.43	HE	14	14	14	14	14	14

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
PzGr 39/43	APCBC	1,000	10.16	1.2	14	108.8	48°	63°	71°
PzGr 40/43	APCR	1,130	7.3	N/A	N/A	N/A	66°	70°	72°
Hl.Gr 39	HEAT	600	7.64	0	0.3	1,100	62°	69°	73°
Sprgr.43	HE	820	9.4	0	0.1	1,000	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Panther II

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	7th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
50	42 (+8)	34 (+16)	26 (+24)	18 (+32)	11 (+39)	5 (+45)	1 (+49)	No

Note:

• Racks 6 & 7 are ready-racks.

Machine guns

7.92 mm MG34 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition3 000 rounds

Belt capacity150 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate900 shots/min

The Panther II's coaxial 7.92 mm MG 34 is rather anaemic, and thus, not very versatile. It won't pose much of a threat to any vehicle that doesn't have exposed crew members, and it won't do much damage to aircraft. It can, however, be used to highlight enemy vehicles to friendlies, but it comes with the risk of alerting enemies of an enemy vehicle.

7.92 mm MG34
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	3,000 (150)	900	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

The Panther II is a medium tank that performs in many roles. With its powerful gun, it can very effectively take out opponents at its battle rating at both close and long ranges. The turret traverse is slow, which makes close-quarters engagements and urban combat difficult. But, this can be made up for by careful positioning and the use of the tank's neutral steering. The gun has a fairly standard gun depression and a good reload. All in all, the Panther II's armament is decent.

The Panther II is also armed with a 7.92 mm machine gun. This won't do much damage to any enemies except those with exposed crew members. And, it won't do much damage to enemy aircraft. However, it is still useful for spotting enemies and notifying teammates of their presence.

The vehicle's mobility is also quite good. Reverse speed is much better than that of the earlier Panthers, which makes peeking out from behind cover to fire much more viable. On both roads and terrain, the tank is able to reach a respectable top speed, and in general, the mobility is quite nice, and is suited for both crossing the map to reach favourable positions and for close-quarters brawling.

As for armour, the Panther II's protection is the same as that of the Panther F. It can protect against most small-calibre guns, but won't hold up against larger guns such as those found on the enemy's medium and heavy tanks. The best survival tactic, as usual, is to avoid being hit entirely. The crew compartment (and the turret especially) is quite cramped, and the Panther II can take debilitating damage from even one shot. Many enemies will aim to hit the Panther's turret cheeks, since a hit to the turret can do extreme damage. To prevent this, it is helpful to wiggle the turret from side to side. Although this doesn't always work, it can sometimes throw off the enemy's aim enough so that the shot doesn't do much damage.

The Panther II is a classic medium tank. While it doesn't excel in any one role, it performs well in many. It can snipe, brawl, or do practically anything in between. When the tank's weaknesses are understood, it can be used to great effect to destroy the enemy.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Armed with the impressive KwK 43 gun that's great for the BR thanks to the very high accuracy, velocity and fire rate.
• The default APCBC shell has fantastic penetration, and damage potential at all ranges.
• The gunner has a really nice set of optics that provides 2.5x-6x of magnification. Great for quick target acquisition at close range, while still being great for long range sniping.
• The Panther II's speed and manoeuvrability is almost as good as the Leopard 1's.
• Much better frontal armour than the other Panthers. When properly angled, the upper plate is basically immune to anything that isn't packing 250 mm of pen.
• Unlike the other Panthers, this tank actually has a really nice reverse speed.
• The gun mantlet is not that large, but it is very tough.
• One of the few tanks at this BR that can use night vision.

Cons:

• The night vision gear on the commander's cupola makes it very easy to spot the tank.
• Same turret as the Panther F, but at a much higher BR. Taking a straight shot from any contemporary tank is almost guaranteed to end in disaster.
• Bad turret traverse. Reacting to flanking enemy's isn't that easy.
• The sides of the hull is lined with a lot of ammo. Enemy shells that enter the sides will likely destroy the tank.
• Transmission is mounted in the front, meaning that the tank can be immobilized from both front and the rear.
• There is some night vision gear on the drivers side of the upper hull. So the gun will have less gun depression than normal over this area of the tank.

History

Development

In late 1942, German designers started the development of a more powerful and slightly larger version of Panther mounted on a newly designed chassis. In January of 1943, Adolf Hitler agreed on the development of Panther with increased armour protection especially for the needs of the Eastern Front. This project was designated Panther II and its design was planned along with the development of Tiger II. In February of 1943, it was decided that Panther II, in its design would resemble Tiger II and would have many common components such as tracks, transmission, suspension and road wheels. Both designs had common components in an attempt to standardize the production. Overall dimensions were very similar to those of Panther G hull's design was very similar to that of the late model Panther G but with many modernizations such as the arrangement of observation equipment and new engine deck. Its armour protection was significantly increased if compared to any other Panther variant produced. Side armour protection was 60 mm thick while frontal armour protection was 100 mm thick. It was planned to arm Panther II with the latest 75 mm KwK 42 L/100 or even 88 mm KwK 43 L/71 (without a muzzle brake) gun mounted in a newly designed narrow turret – Turm Panther 2 (Schmale Blendenausführung) (Turret Panther 2 (narrow mantlet variant)) - an early version of the Schmalturm. The Schmalturm itself was not designed until after the Panther 2 had been cancelled - designed by Rheinmetall in 1944 and to be produced by Daimler-Benz.

The Panther II in the game with the Schmalturm and 8,8 cm KwK therefore represents a configuration that never made it out of the suggestion phase.

Panther II's Schmale Blendenausführung (narrow mantlet variant) turret was significantly different to the Schmalturm of Panther F. The Schmalturm turret used on the Panther II in game has armour protection significantly increased if compared to any other Panther turret. The front was 120-125 mm, gun mantlet was 150 mm, while sides and rear were 60 mm and the top was 30 mm thick. Schmalturm had special mountings for infra-red device and telescopic range finder. All of those modifications increased Panther II's weight to 47 tons. Panther II was to be powered by a new Maybach HL234 engine with a total power of 900 hp operated by 8-speed hydraulic transmission. Instead, Maybach HL 230 P 30 engine was mounted and Maybach HL234 was later on due to being completed in August of 1945, for future Panther series. It was believed that Panther II's performance would be similar to that of Panther G, while if ever produced Panther II would most likely suffer from the same problems as Tiger II. Simply because of its great weight and high fuel consumption which made it extremely slow. It is also unknown what other modifications would be made if Panther II would be combat tested.

In March of 1943, plans were laid that the production of the first series would start in late 1943 or early 1944 and that by spring of 1944, full-scale production of Panther II would start. On May 20th of 1943, Rheinmetall-Borsig proposed special air-defence turret designed for Panther II, mounted with four 20 mm MG151/20 guns but it never reached prototype stage.

Production and cancellation

In early 1944, MAN (Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nuremberg) was allowed to produce two prototypes but was only able to produce one in early 1945, without the newly designed Schmalturm turret. On May 4th of 1944, it was realized that German industry was unable to start Panther II's production and this project was abandoned in favour of further development of Panther based on lessons learned from Panther II. On June 3rd of 1944, all companies which were to produce Panther II were ordered to instead start the production on the regular Panther tank. The war ended with only one Panther II chassis produced.

The lessons from Panther II, specifically the Schmalturm turret, would be used on main Panther tank, resulting in the planned Panther F variant.

Survivor

The Americans captured the Panther II chassis and it was shipped to the states. Sometimes after 1946, a Panther G turret was added onto the chassis while it was at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. In the 1960s, the Panther II chassis was transferred to the Smithsonian Institute, who proceeded to give the tank to the Patton Museum at Fort Knox in the 1970s. Following the closure of the Patton Museum, the Panther II is currently at the in-construction National Armor and Cavalry Museum at Fort Benning.

In-game description

Having adopted the Tiger II tank in the autumn of 1943, the Ministry of Armaments ordered the development of a new Panther II tank, specifying that maximum compatibility between the assembly of the two tanks be maintained. Development of the new tank design was assigned to the company Henschel & Sohn. The new tank was to have thicker armour (100 mm in the front and 60 mm on the sides) and was to be equipped with a Schmalturm turret. The main armament consisted of an 88 mm 8,8 cm KwK 43 L/70 tank gun with a long 70-calibre barrel, the same gun which was installed on the Tiger II (P). The tank's weight had to be increased to 55 tons or more. The main design problem was the lack of a suitable engine for the heavier vehicle. Several options were developed for installing a MAN/Argus LD 220 750 hp engine or a Maybach HL 234 900 hp engine, using an eight-speed hydromechanical AK 7-200 gearbox, but this work was never completed. The chassis of the new Panther consisted of 7 all-metal rollers on a single torsion bar. The tank's treads were 660 mm wide.

By late 1944, the company had only managed to build one tank hull, which for testing purposes was fitted with a turret from a production Panther G. The testing was never completed, and the tank was captured by American troops. This tank's hull is kept in the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor in Fort Knox.

It is likely that two Panther II prototypes were built which may have participated in battles at the end of the war. Further work, however, virtually stopped. Project E50 was commissioned to replace both the Panther I and the Panther II.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Panther II from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Panther II - The "Forgotten" Panther - JustinPlaysYT

Best Combo #1 discusses the Panther II at 5:30 - War Thunder Official Channel

Panther II Tank Review - NUSensei

See also

Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

• AMX-50 (Family)

External links

• [Devblog] Changes and optimization in the German tech-tree
• [Wikipedia] Panther II tank
• [Tanks Encyclopedia] Panther II mit 8.8 cm Kw.K. 43 L/71
• [https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/08/30/schmale-blendenausfuhrungn-rheinmetall[Weapons and Warfare]Schmale Blendenausführung]
• [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/germany/panther-ausf-f.php[Tanks Encyclopedia]Panzerkampfwagen Panther Ausf.F (Sd.Kfz.171) ]