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PzKpfw V Panther
The PzKpfw V Panther was probably the most efficient of all German tanks used during the Second World War. This tank
entered service some months later than the PzKpfw VI Tiger and had its debut during the Battle of Kursk. The Panther
featured sloped armour in resemblance to that of the Russian T-34 which it was intended to fight. The 75-millimeter L/70
cannon was one of excellent armor-piercing capabilities and the mobility of the tank had been considerably improved
thanks to the reduced weight (43 tonnes versus 56 tonnes of the Tiger). However, the earliest version of the Panther
featured a comparatively weak side armour. In subsequent versions of the Panther the thickness of the armour was
substantially increased: the front armour, which had 60 millimeters in the original version, reached up to 120 millimeters
in the last versions. The driver's front hatch was removed to avoid a weak point in the front armor. The original version
of the Panther was able to match the top speed of the T-34 (55 km/h) but the increased weight reduced maximum speed to
46 km/h, which was still quite above the 38 km/h that the Tiger could reach.
PzKpfw VI Tiger II
The design of the PzKpfw VI Tiger II owes much more to that of the Panther than to that of the Tiger, which indicates
that the German were aware of the flaws of the original design. The Tiger II had improved protection and firepower but
the mechanical reliability and the top speed were in par with those of its predecessor. The weight of the Tiger II was
around 70 tonnes and the power of its engine had not been increased. The new 88-millimeter L/71 cannon was an elongated
version of the cannon installed in the Tiger I which provided increased range and armor piercing capabilities. The armour
plates, regardless of being sloped, were made thicker than those of the Tiger I.
T-34/76 and T-34/85
The T-34 was the most successful Russian tank of the Second World War and a bitter surprise for the German armored forces
which invaded the Soviet Union in 1941. Built with sloped armor and rounded shapes, the design of the T-34 was truly innovative
on that time and it would serve as a reference point for the subsequent Russian tanks. The Diesel engine was less prone to
causing fires than a gasoline engine and it granted a greater operational range, being a higher noise signature its only
disadvantage. The early version of the T-34 (T-34-76) was armed with a 76-millimeter L/42.5 cannon. With the introduction of
the German heavy tanks this armament became rather ineffective and a new 85-millimeter L/55 cannon was fitted to the newer
T-34 tanks (T-34-85). The original turret was replaced by a new design which granted extra space for the new cannon and
the crew, but comfort continued being a weak aspect of this tank. Albeit the new cannon was not so ballistically capable as
those installed in the heavy German tanks it performed very well and the T-34-85 remained in use many years after the war.
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