Panzer V Panther

The Panther, officially the Panzerkampfwagen V, is a German medium tank introduced in 1943 in response to the Wehrmacht's encounter with the Soviet T-34 on the Eastern Front, which had outclassed existing German tanks with its combination of sloped armor, wide tracks and a powerful gun, and the Panther incorporated similarly sloped frontal armor along with a long, high-velocity 75mm gun capable of defeating most Allied tanks at long range. Widely regarded by both wartime and later analysts as one of the most effective tank designs of the Second World War in terms of firepower and protection, the Panther nonetheless suffered persistent mechanical reliability problems, particularly in its final drive and transmission, stemming from a rushed development and production schedule after Hitler ordered the type into service ahead of thorough testing. The Panther first saw major combat at the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, where mechanical breakdowns significantly reduced the number of tanks actually available for the battle despite the type's strong on-paper performance, and it remained Germany's primary medium tank for the remainder of the war.