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Pz.Kpfw. V "Panther II"

Creator: OZZA

V 2.0

(I made huge work to make it more playble then the original)

On 10 February 1943, Dr. Wiebecke (chief design engineer for M.A.N.) suggested thoroughly redesigning the Panther II and incorporating Tiger components such as the steering gears, final drive, entire suspension and turret based on Eastern Front experience. Total weight would increase to more than 50 metric tons. Another meeting on 17 February 1943
focused on sharing and standardizing parts between the Tiger II tank and the Panther
II, such as the transmission, all-steel eighty centimeter diameter roadwheels (only overlapping and not interleaved as the original Schachtellaufwerk roadwheel design used) and running gear. Additional meetings in February began to outline the various components, including a suggestion to adopt the King Tiger's
hard-hitting 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 gun, but it was ultimately decided to continue use of
the production Panther's 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun. In March 1943, MAN indicated that the
first prototype would be completed by August 1943. A number of
engines were under consideration, among them the new Maybach HL 234 fuel-injected engine (900 hp operated by an 8-speed hydraulic transmission) and
the BMW 003 aviation turbojet-derived, GT 101 turboshaft powerplant, planned to be of some 1,150 shaft horsepower output and weighing only some 450 kg (922 lb)
without its transmission, only some 38% of
the weight of the Panther's standard Maybach HL230 V-12 gasoline fueled piston engine.

Thus, plans to replace the original Panther design with the Panther II were already underway before the first Panther had even seen combat. But from May to June 1943, work on the Panther II ceased as the
focus was shifted to expanding production
f the original Panther tank. It is not clear if there was ever an official cancellation – this may have been because the Panther II upgrade pathway was originally started at
itler's insistence. The direction that the design was headed would not have been consistent with Germany's need for a mass-produced tank, which was the goal of the Reich Ministry of Armament and War Production.

One Panther II chassis was completed and eventually captured by the U.S.; it is now on display at the Patton Museum in Fort Knox. An Ausf G turret is mounted on this chassis.