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Germany's Beobachtungspanzer Panther, SdKfz 268 (Pz Beob Wg):
Observation post vehicle. Dummy gun was installed8 and a ball mounted MG 34, which could be traversed 5° and elevated from -10° to +15°. 418 were converted in late 1944 and early 1945 from rebuilt Panthers.
Prototype was ready in the summer of 1943.8 Early vehicles retained its main armament.8 It mounted a stereoscopic range-finder in the turret, with the commander having 2 periscopes.8
Was assigned to the battalion that had Wespes or Hummels in the armored artillery regiment.8
Befehlspanzer Panther, SdKfz 267 (Pz Bef Wg)
SdKfz 1678 :
Panther Befehlspanzer (right) with the Wiking SS Panzer Division outside of Warsaw in August 1944. |
Command vehicle with an extra external antennae on the turret roof and engine decking.10 Extra radio reduced rounds to 64. Fu 58 and a Fu 88 (divisional) or Fu 5 and Fu 7 (ground-to-air) were installed. 329 were converted from May 1943 to February 1945. The loader was also the second radio operator and had a receiver and transmitter next to him on the right side turret wall.
The Ausf A and Ausf G models had the Fu 5 and Fu 8, whereas the earlier models had the Fu 5 and Fu 7.10 The antenna placed on the engine cover was for the Fu 7 or Fu 8.10
Approximately 1 in 10 Panthers coming of the production line were the Befehlspanzer.8 Starting in July 1944 all Panthers were installed with brackets so that, in the field, antennae and radios could be added.8
| Pz Beob Wg, Pz Bef Wg | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 412, 53 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 44.5 tons3 |
| Length w/gun | 22' 7"12 8.86 m3 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 2.98 m3 |
| Width | 11' 3"12 3.4 m3 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 1' 10"12 |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament | |
| Main | 75 mm KwK42 L/703 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 2: 7.92 mm MG343,12 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | 643 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 4,50012 D, A: 5,1003 G: 4,8003 |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | |
| Hull Front, Upper | 80@55°3,12 |
| Hull Front, Lower | 60@55°3, 80@55°12 |
| Hull Sides, Upper | 40@40°3,12 G: 50@30°3 |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 40@0°3,12 |
| Hull Rear | 40@30°3,12 |
| Hull Top | 16@90°3,
15@9012 G: 16-40@90°3 |
| Hull Bottom | 16-30@90°3, 20+13@90°12 |
| Turret Front | 100@10°3 Mantlet: 100 round3 |
| Turret Sides | 45@25°3 |
| Turret Rear | 45@25°3 |
| Turret Top | 16@83°-90°3 |
| Engine (Make / Model) | Maybach HL230P303 Maybach HL210P3012 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | |
| Cylinders | |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | 642@3,000 rpm12 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | AK 7-20012 7 forward, 1 reverse.3,12 |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | |
| Octane | |
| Quantity | |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | |
| Max speed | 34 mph12 46 kph3 |
| Cross country speed | 15 mph12 |
| Road radius | 105 miles12 200 km3 |
| Cross country radius | 53 miles12 |
| Turning radius | |
| Elevation limits | |
| Fording depth | 4' 7"12 |
| Trench crossing | 6' 3"12 |
| Vertical obstacle | 3'12 |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | |
| Wheels each side | |
| Return rollers each side | |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | 2' 1.75"12 |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 8' 7 1/8"12 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943-1945, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle, 1999
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Panther Variants 1942-1945, Hilary Doyle and Tom Jentz, 1997
- German Tanks of World War II, Dr. S. Hart & Dr. R. Hart, 1998
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- The Panther Family, Horst Scheibert, 1990
- Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
- AFV 10: Panzerkampfwagen V Panther, Chris Ellis and Peter Chamberlain
- Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
