Difference between revisions of "Panther F"

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(Armaments: Completed data, updated format)
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]].
+
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' ('''{{Specs|pseudonym}}''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. As of [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]], it became the last Panther in the German tech tree due to the removal of the [[Panther II]].
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?''
+
<!-- Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour. -->
 +
From the hull up, the F variation of the Panther does not look like it changes much. However the biggest and most noticeable change is the turret design. Instead of the transverse-cylindrical mantlet of the [[Panther D|D]] and [[Panther A|A]] models or the chinned mantlet of the [[Panther G|G]] model, it features a brand new trapezoidal turret named the ''Schmaltürme'' (or "Narrow Turret"). This new turret features a bevy of positives over its previous iterations, including beefier armour and the removal of the prominent shot trap caused by the cylindrical nature of the previous model's mantlet.  Although this new turret is a welcome addition, it is not without its weaknesses. In the change from BR 5.7 to BR 6.0, the Panther will be facing enemies that can and will penetrate its turret from the front, namely the [[M26]], [[T26E1-1]], [[Tiger II (P)|Tiger II]], [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]], along with nearly all of the British 6.7's, which you will be coming up against quite frequently.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
  
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 930|rbMinHp= 531|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}}
+
{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 930|rbMinHp= 531|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}}As expected of the Panther series, it features excellent mobility as a result of its very high power to weight ratio. However its mobility has been toned down a few notches due to the limiting of the engine to improve engine lifespan, which is unfortunately useless as reliability has no function in War Thunder. It is also important to note that the reverse has not improved from its lethargic 3 km/h, but the Panther's ability to neutral turn helps tremendously when trying to escape.
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
 
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
{{main|KwK44 (75 mm)}}
+
{{main|KwK44 (75 mm)}}Even despite its increase in battle rating, the KwK 44 remains an incredibly effective gun when engaging enemy armour due to its penetration. Although not as effective as the later legendary [[KwK43 (88 mm)|KwK43]], it's enough to penetrate most enemies it will face, resulting in many two-shot kills with the help of the PzGr 39's explosive filler. The penetration combined with the excellent accuracy makes it an ideal sniping cannon.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
 +
 +
* New turret removes the shot trap which plagued earlier models
 +
* Nigh impenetrable turret cheeks when facing from the front
 +
* 75 mm KwK 44 remains an accurate and effective gun despite its BR increase
 +
* HE filler on PzGr 39 shell allows for easy two-shot kills
 +
* APCR shell can allow the tank to compete with the heavier armour found in 6.0~7.0
 +
* Features excellent, although toned down mobility
 +
* Can steer in place
 +
* Hull can become very difficult to penetrate when angled properly
  
 
*
 
*
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
 +
 +
* Although the turret has increased armour, it is almost useless due to basically no angling and more powerful enemy guns
 +
* Hull suffers similarly to turret; although good by itself, it becomes paper when facing higher tier guns
 +
* 75 mm KwK 44 can become difficult to use in an up-tier
 +
* ''Pitiful'' reverse speed of only 3 km/h
 +
* Often faces 7.0's, which can be filled with incredibly challenging opponents
  
 
*
 
*

Revision as of 05:29, 4 June 2020

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
Panther F
germ_pzkpfw_v_ausf_f_panther.png
Panther F
AB RB SB
6.0 6.0 6.0
Class:
Research:31 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:200 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game
This page is about the German medium tank Panther F. For other uses, see Panther (Disambiguation). For other vehicles of the family, see Panther tank (Family).

Description

GarageImage Panther F.jpg


The Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. F (Panther F) is a rank IV German medium tank with a battle rating of 6.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. As of Update 1.91 "Night Vision", it became the last Panther in the German tech tree due to the removal of the Panther II.

General info

Survivability and armour

From the hull up, the F variation of the Panther does not look like it changes much. However the biggest and most noticeable change is the turret design. Instead of the transverse-cylindrical mantlet of the D and A models or the chinned mantlet of the G model, it features a brand new trapezoidal turret named the Schmaltürme (or "Narrow Turret"). This new turret features a bevy of positives over its previous iterations, including beefier armour and the removal of the prominent shot trap caused by the cylindrical nature of the previous model's mantlet. Although this new turret is a welcome addition, it is not without its weaknesses. In the change from BR 5.7 to BR 6.0, the Panther will be facing enemies that can and will penetrate its turret from the front, namely the M26, T26E1-1, Tiger II, IS-2, along with nearly all of the British 6.7's, which you will be coming up against quite frequently.

Mobility

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 51 4 45.5 930 1,145 20.44 25.16
Realistic 46 4 531 600 11.67 13.19
As expected of the Panther series, it features excellent mobility as a result of its very high power to weight ratio. However its mobility has been toned down a few notches due to the limiting of the engine to improve engine lifespan, which is unfortunately useless as reliability has no function in War Thunder. It is also important to note that the reverse has not improved from its lethargic 3 km/h, but the Panther's ability to neutral turn helps tremendously when trying to escape.

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: KwK44 (75 mm)
Even despite its increase in battle rating, the KwK 44 remains an incredibly effective gun when engaging enemy armour due to its penetration. Although not as effective as the later legendary KwK43, it's enough to penetrate most enemies it will face, resulting in many two-shot kills with the help of the PzGr 39's explosive filler. The penetration combined with the excellent accuracy makes it an ideal sniping cannon.
75 mm KwK44 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 82 -8°/+20° ±180° N/A 14.28 19.76 24.00 26.55 28.24 8.71 7.70 7.10 6.70
Realistic 8.93 10.50 12.75 14.10 15.00

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 39/42 APCBC 192 188 173 156 140 126
PzGr 40/42 APCR 228 224 204 182 162 145
Sprgr. 42 HE 11 11 11 11 11 11
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 39/42 APCBC 935 6.8 1.2 14.0 28.9 48° 63° 71°
PzGr 40/42 APCR 1,120 4.75 N/A N/A N/A 66° 70° 72°
Sprgr. 42 HE 700 5.74 0.1 0.5 725 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Panther F
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
8th
rack empty
9th
rack empty
10th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
82 80 (+2) 74 (+8) 62 (+20) 50 (+32) 38 (+44) 26 (+56) 22 (+60) 12 (+70) (+78) (+81) Yes

Right side empty: 50 (+32) or both sides empty: 22 (+60)

Machine guns

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

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Modules

Tier Mobility Protection Firepower
I Tracks Parts Horizontal Drive
II Suspension Brake System FPE Adjustment of Fire
III Filters Crew Replenishment Elevation Mechanism Smoke grenade
IV Transmission Engine Artillery Support PzGr 40/42 Rangefinder

Pros and cons

Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they can be substituted with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".

Pros:

  • New turret removes the shot trap which plagued earlier models
  • Nigh impenetrable turret cheeks when facing from the front
  • 75 mm KwK 44 remains an accurate and effective gun despite its BR increase
  • HE filler on PzGr 39 shell allows for easy two-shot kills
  • APCR shell can allow the tank to compete with the heavier armour found in 6.0~7.0
  • Features excellent, although toned down mobility
  • Can steer in place
  • Hull can become very difficult to penetrate when angled properly

Cons:

  • Although the turret has increased armour, it is almost useless due to basically no angling and more powerful enemy guns
  • Hull suffers similarly to turret; although good by itself, it becomes paper when facing higher tier guns
  • 75 mm KwK 44 can become difficult to use in an up-tier
  • Pitiful reverse speed of only 3 km/h
  • Often faces 7.0's, which can be filled with incredibly challenging opponents

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's devblog entry (if applicable) and the ingame encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

In the autumn of 1944, production of a new variant of the Panther was planned, the Ausf. F variant. This version had stronger front armor on its hull (80 mm), its sides (50 mm), and the front part of its roof (25 mm). The Schmalturm 605 turret, developed by the company Daimler-Benz AG, was slightly smaller than the standard Panther turret. This allowed the forward armor to be reinforced up to 120 mm, at an inclination of 20°. The sides of the new turret had a thickness of 60 mm and an inclination of 25°, and the thickness of the gun mantlet reached 150 mm. Stereoscopic rangefinders produced by the company Zeiss were mounted on the sides of the turret. The vehicle was armed with a 75 mm KwK 42/1 L/70 or KwK 44/1 L/70 gun in a new mantlet.

A project was launched to equip the Panther with the longer 75 mm KwK L/100. Instead of a directional machine gun, the radio operator/gunner used an MP 44 assault rifle. Production plans stipulated that production Ausf. F tanks would only be released with road wheels with internal shock absorbers. During mass production, the tank was supposed to be fitted with a periscope sight with an optical stabilizer. Each tank could, if necessary, be equipped with an FG 1250 night vision device.

In October 1944, production of the Ausf. F was set to launch in the Daimler-Benz plant in Berlin in March 1945. But by January 1945, a single Panther Ausf. G prototype with a Schmallturm turret was ready. Due to the overall difficulty of Germany's situation at the time, only a few prototypes with a narrow turret and 8 tank hulls had been constructed by the end of the war. Some sources indicate that several Ausf. F variants were completed by Daimler-Benz between April 20 and 23, 1945, and they may have been used in combat operations.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the tank;
  • other literature.


Germany medium tanks
Pz.III  Pz.III B · Pz.III E · Pz.III F · Pz.III J · Pz.III J1 · Pz.III J1 TD · Pz.III L · Pz.III M · Pz.III N
Pz.IV  Pz.IV C · Pz.IV E · Pz.IV F1 · Pz.IV F2 · Pz.IV G · Pz.IV H · Pz.IV J · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J
Pz.V  VK 3002 (M) · Panther A · Panther D · Panther F · Panther G · Ersatz M10 · Panther II
M48 upgrades  M48A2 G A2 · M48 Super
Leopard 1  Leopard I · Leopard A1A1 · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 1A5 · C2A1 · Turm III
Leopard 2  PT-16/T14 mod. · Leopard 2K · Leopard 2AV
  Leopard 2A4 · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2 PL · Leopard 2A5 · Leopard 2 PSO · Leopard 2A6 · Leopard 2A7V
Trophies  ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r)
Other  Nb.Fz. · KPz-70
USA  mKPz M47 G · M48A2 C
USSR  ◊T-72M1