When I was sixteen, my friend and I drove down to Ft Knox and the Panther II was on display inside the museum. The commander's hatch was open and there wasn't anyone else around, so we climbed up and into the turret. There was a small bare light bulb illuminating the inside of the tank. I closed the hatch and we spent twenty minutes exploring the inside and traversed the turret and raised and lowered the main gun. When the occasional patron came near, we followed them with the main gun. Eventually, security came and knocked on the hatch. We were asked not to return. Good memories!
Indeed, the agile Puma with a bigger gun (aka Pakwagen)! The crew may not like it as much during pouring rain... but everything is better with a bigger gun, right!? LOL! wiki.warthunder.com/Sd.Kfz.234/4
Panzer III must be my favourite tank of all, they had a very rought start when their front wasnt able to withstand even AT rifles but past that point they proven to be quite an interesting machines especially when upped to 50mm guns.
I first saw that PantherII was at Ft. Knox at the Patton museum. Glad it is still in good shape. Really like this gentleman, I could talk for days without being bored. Great show!
Same here but in 2000 while on a trip to the USA for the F1 race at Indianapolis. Also, managed to make it to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio on the same trip.
@@mbr5742 Google Panther II torsion bars. one of the first pics towards top shows Panther II torsion bars top of photo says Panther II. The Panther II torsion bars shown are single bars, not the linked dual torsion bars liked Panther normally used.
@@Anlushac11 The Panther II was a test bed, and its suspension design went on to be used in the Tiger II. The Tiger I (H) suspension was different and used interleaved road wheels. The Tiger II (And that JagdTiger in the background of this video) used the double wheel system that was developed on the Panther II. The engine and transmission would have been a better fit for the Tiger II had they been in a position to build them.
I remember when we had that Panther 2 at Ft Knox. When we worked on it, we had to take our boots off. This was in the early 80,s. We got it running just to back it into the museum. My how times have changed.
Considering the fact that this Panzer design is over sixty years old, it's general overall impression, for me, is that of a far later concept. What a terrifying steel beast it surely must have been to it's opponents. Great video. Thank you.
@@cruzinezy1968 Wow! That obviously makes the tanks concept and development even more remarkable. I am a mere 60 years old, and a 'baby' in relative terms to this Panzer. Obviously I am no 'expert' in the realms of armoured vehicles, yet they fascinate me: not as much as does the awesome SR71, ( more my generation ). Thanks for enlightening me though. ATB.
I stopped by there on the way to Columbus and took a picture of the bradleys parked near the perimiter fence, I never would have guessed they would have a gem like this there.
Wow, you’re such a trooper! You managed to brave yourself in the outside, yet the Corona Virus is still spreading. Hope you stay safe, can’t wait for more content like this.
Hey Sofilein, at 1.41 Mr Doyle speaks about the a different angle of the front plate because of the use of the tigers transmission. In Frank Köhlers Panther book their are pictures of early panther prototypes plans which show the drivers position with a stearing wheel, which indicates the the panther was also considered with the same maybach/henschel transmission as the tiger from the start. Even during the production run of panther the transmission discussions between serval institutions of army and industry never really ended. So I don't think that the angle of the front plate had something to do with the transmission choise. But there were complains about the ergonomics for driver. To Köhler its more likely that the changed angle should adress the ergonmical issues of the driver position.
Great to see a video with someone who actually knows the subject . Curious to hear that the hull is longer and has different angles ; does anyone know if the old Accurate Armour and Dragon kits are correct in this respect ?
I went to basic training there in 2017. My battalion HQ was across the street from this place. It was awesome seeing those tanks, but I didn’t realize how rare they all actually were. I could name them because I was an avid War Thunder player. When I got back home I did some research and didn’t know those were one of a kind. I’m kinda pissed at myself for not going back and tanking pictures after graduation.
Years ago drove all day to ft knox to see the tanks, we were heart broken to see the tanks all gone, but told a new museum is being built in ft Benning. Still waiting for the Ft Benninig tank museum to open, it's been way to long!
There were 2 turrets built but never mounted. Would like to know where they went. Some of the differences were they had a optical range finder with a ballistic computer and. primitive IR night vision site.. The arrange finder was very much like what we used in the M47/48 tanks.
I could listen to you two all day,the wealth of knowledge is fascinating,am sorry but I have my standards and you both show so much more than anyone else..maybe others out there,but am finicky on who I listen too.
Are many of the tanks at NACC the ones fron the Patton Museum at Ft Knox? The Ft Knox collection was great till they moved it and took it from the public.
Not all moved there, but yes the vast majority did. I know some artillery vehicles were moved to artillery school, want to say Fort Sill? They have started restoring some of the artillery vehicles.
Brian Mattingly I grew up Louisville and the Patton Museum was a frequent destination. I recently digitized family slides and it was cool to see childhood pictures at the museum from the 1970s. Great memories.
And they all are at Ft. Benning? Are you able to visit the area and see the tanks? We have the Panzermuseum here in Germany and maybe some stuff in some other museums but they have some great stuff at ft Benning
Yes, absolutely. Excellent design already. Considering a sufficient raw material supply and enough reliable personal to build it, not poor slave workers, who sabotaged production (understandable enough!). A vehicle good enough to successfully stand its ground.
I was sure that a new turret was made for this prototype,I saw a pic of it in one of my tank magazines,it had an electric range finder or spotlight on it,and was the same basic shape as the king tiger late turret but much smaller
Great overview of the Panther II. I saw this vehicle at APG many years ago, but it was mislabeled as a Panther Ausf A. I specifically remember it because it had the later turret and was missing the storage bins and mounts for tools.
Makes all the difference to see a tank in person. The sheer size and mass is lost in pictures and even in video footage! Honestly that's one reason why I love the tank museums, they're helping people connect and learn in ways they could never do with just books. Seeing a tank in motion for the first time changed the way I look at the tank experience personally
Panther II a Magnificent Machine Indeed , Stunning at Every Angle !!! With the Front sloping Armour being upgraded to 100 mm thick! Ps it would be great if they could restore the original "narrow turret" for the Panther II , located at Bovington Tank Museum UK and fit it to this Splendid vehicle in the U.S.A. Swap turrets and display the Panther Ausf G , with chin Armour at Bovington!
@@mr.waffentrager4400 I wouldnt bet my life on the russian 100mm gun bouncing off, or the 122mm for that matter. At long range or with the vehicle in a favorable position that increases angles maybe, but the LoS thickness just doesnt get quite as high as you think it does.
@@builder396 122mm is too powerful I think...in theory it has less pen ...but it penned panther 1 at 2500m and 100mm could only pen it at 1500mm in testing That 's why 122 was chosen for IS tanks 122mm could pen tiger 2 front upper plate 15cm at 700mm ...so it will go through 100mm panther 2 plate ... Don't think 100mm will go through at 500m
@@mr.waffentrager4400 The 122mm has better HE performance, and as heavy tanks are primarily offensive tools to take out heavily fortified position, HE performance was more important than a little bit of AP performance on the 100mm. Also, tests on German tanks directly dont give consistent or reliable results as the armor quality varied wildly, and generally are only done to assess armor quality and relative effectiveness of guns against that armor quality and thickness used by the opposition, rather than the objective capability of the gun compared to another gun. Thats where you test against your own armor plates from a production line of consistent quality.
@@builder396 yes...I agree on all of that but maybe the rounds were fired on similar panther plate ... Statistically 122 mm can pen 170mm armor close ranges .. But I think its too less for a projectile that moves at nearly 800m per second and weighs 3 times the tiger 's 88mm shell about 25kg round
If produced Panther II would have entered service with the stock Panther turret. It would have eventually moved to the Schmalturm if production and development had continued.
To listen to such a knowledgeable gentleman describe the relics of WWII is sheer pleasure... I only wish Mr. Doyle's voice was recorded using a microphone of a better quality - this alone would greatly improve the listener's experience! Also, I might suggest working on the camera angles, as in some shots I feel it could be a bit further from the tank to show Mr. Doyle and the tank in question fully. I am no way an expert, just my point of view, though. Anyways, thanks for another great video! :)
What a pity that it isn't mated with the Panther II Schmalturm turret with saubkopfblende instead. But I think that was used for target practice in Britain. Did Bovington Tank museum actually get that damaged turret from the gunnery range at some time?
A private owner from the US did own this turret. It was damaged badly and then poorly repaired. They decided to leave the turret as it is. For their Panther, they managed to make a new one from scratch. The whole work was made with the original construction documentation and their piece has all the features and specs of the original one. I think the turret from Bovington is the damaged one but I don't know if the Museum owns it. I think not.
@@walthanas There was a TV show (History Channel? - kill me but I can't remember) about two private vendors restoring old tanks on a serious scale. First owner was from GB I guess and the second one was American. The show was followed with the work of both skipping few times from shop to shop during single episode. They were working on M4 Sherman, Panther and M10 I guess. The American owner was some quite famous person. I dont know if he is still alive. At the time of the show he was at his late 60.
@@HanSolo__ This is all I could find about the Schmalturm: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmalturm#/media/File:Schmalturm_at_the_Tank_Museum,_Bovington.jpg It states there that it is still in Bovington at the Tank Museum. I haven't been to Bovington in years, so I don't know what the current state is, but I would be very surprised to find out that the Tank Museum has sold such a unique item to a private collector.
I never knew that the panther 2 was even remotely produced in any way shape or form! I always thought that it just existed in paper. I am blown away that there is a hull that exists
It's basicly a prototype for an up armored Panther that had thicker frontal and side armor. Only the hull was built and this one got a panther G turret put on it. The project was canceled in favour of simpily putting thin add on armor plates over the sides of the regular panthers. As it never entered production I'm not sure if "Panther 2" would have been the offical name for it.
I wonder if they considered the troops who had to drive this thing when building it. Still the same issues, I assume, with the engine access, final drive access and other features. Turret design was never completed, though there were lots of theories out there. Same gun as a Panther I. Wouldn't want to fight it, wouldn't want to fight in it.
@@wirelessone2986 I think so other than the hatches for the crew in front not aligned with their seats. Development of that was longer than the Panther.
The primary reason for the work on the Panther II (along with any number of other projects) was to keep the designers, engineers and skilled workforce off of the front lines.
another nice tank video! one thing though, since I cannot be there I enjoy the amazing panzers vicariously through you by witnessing your enthusiasm Sofilein so its nice you do not want to take the attention from the subject but I missed seeing you in this one
that things pretty much a blueprint tank though. the 88 was never planned for it. Its really dumb they removed it though, Germany needed a good mobile tank at 6.7 that isnt premium. Panther 2 is amazing in that role. Instead they just remove it and put in some american lend lease bullshit that nobody wants. Same with the Tiger 10.5, sure its also a blueprint tank, but why remove it? Just make it an event vehicle or something. I can somewhat understand the maus, since its pretty much impossible to balance with the BR compression that Gaijin themselves caused.
@@potatojuice5124 the panther 2 was a testbed, and it was decided to not really be used due to the weight increase it gave. But its a tank the Germans need in game, so i can see why it would be removed from a realism standpoint, but theres plenty of bullshit tanks around in game anyway, so why remove only the best medium tank for germany at 6.7? As for the Maus, Gaijin removed it because they cant be assed balancing their own game. Put the Maus at a lower BR and it'll stomp, at 7.7 its armour is garbo and it faces nothing but HEATFS. So instead of decompressing the BRs like playing had been asking FOR YEARS, they just decided, fuck you, we'll just remove it instead
that was just a proposal for the panther I not II, the GT 101 was fitted in a regular panther I hull (at best, some sources say it was just a mockup to test configuration).and the project was canceled by Feb 20th from what i read (hence why it was never fitted to a complete tank) due to fuel ecconomy.
@@matthiuskoenig3378 Development of the Panther 2 was superseded by the E-series, the GT 101 was field tested in a Panther chassis and its performance data was used to develop the GT 102 and 103. Jumo engineer Dr Anselm Franz also began work on a competing 1,500 hp design for the E-series based on the Jumo 004/012 called the GT 250. Franz continued work at Lycoming where the engine was called the PLT-25. The PLT-25 became a Government program in 1964. The Navy version known as the TF-15 And the Army's version was renamed AGT-1500... which remains in current service in the M1 Abrams.
Interesting that the Soviet Army was doing so much damage with anti-tank rifles when most other armies had dropped them in favour of hollow charge weapons.Until recently I thought schurzen armour was designed to protect against bazooka type weapons.
I think that rather than referring to the Anti Tank Rifles like the 14.5mm PTRD and PTRS, he meant Anti Tank Rifle GRENADES. the russians had began issuing HEAT warhead rifle grenades, and the idea would later culminate in the RPG series of anti-tank weapons.
@@thejesterofbathofficialno1630 nah, it was the 14.5mm that gave Germans troubles, the rifle was much more mobile than artillery and could be fired from a protected position unlike the AT grenades where you have to expose yourself to effectively use them, never heard of the Russians using rifle grenades in WWII
TheJesterOfBathOfficialNo1TheFirst incorrect, the problem was with 14.5 mm rifles when they shot into the 40/45mm of flat armor behind the tracks, which is why you only see the shurtzen covering the tracks and not the angles side armor higher up
@@quentintin1 ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%91%D1%82_%D0%94%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0 they were taken out of service in 1942, although they returned later in the war as the VKG-40 HEAT grenade launcher, but these were disliked due to low penetrating HEAT (~50mm). although improved versions were used after ww2 (VG-44 and VG-45)
i cannot believe, that these unique and priceless pieces of history are still standing in a puddle of water more or less in the open. Maybe Bovington can lease this Panther 2 and put a restored Schmallturm on it.
Jagtiger just chilling in the back
Jagd-Tiger
@@oddballsok ** Jagdtiger
Jagdtiger (Hunting Tiger)
@@oddballsok chad-tiger
Sad-Tiger :(
When I was sixteen, my friend and I drove down to Ft Knox and the Panther II was on display inside the museum. The commander's hatch was open and there wasn't anyone else around, so we climbed up and into the turret. There was a small bare light bulb illuminating the inside of the tank. I closed the hatch and we spent twenty minutes exploring the inside and traversed the turret and raised and lowered the main gun. When the occasional patron came near, we followed them with the main gun. Eventually, security came and knocked on the hatch. We were asked not to return. Good memories!
Everyone is ooing over the jadgtiger while I'm nearly falling out of my chair when I see the Pak Puma.
Indeed, the agile Puma with a bigger gun (aka Pakwagen)! The crew may not like it as much during pouring rain... but everything is better with a bigger gun, right!? LOL!
wiki.warthunder.com/Sd.Kfz.234/4
B r u h, When i saw that Pak Puma i had an orgasm
Same here, I absolutely love all 4 Puma version but the /2 and /4 are my favorite
If You warthunder players would really be fans of "puma" You would atleast know that only 50mm 234/2 version was called by that nickname :)
@@eldarguardian6485 yes I do, but some people call the 234/4 with the pak 40 the Pak Puma. And to be honest, I find it fitting
when you guys only talk about Jagdtiger chillin' in the background
*sad Panzer III noises
Panzer III must be my favourite tank of all, they had a very rought start when their front wasnt able to withstand even AT rifles but past that point they proven to be quite an interesting machines especially when upped to 50mm guns.
@@eldarguardian6485 - Not ALWAYS sad; some were re-incarnared as STUGs.
There’s also a Puma with the pak75
I first saw that PantherII was at Ft. Knox at the Patton museum. Glad it is still in good shape. Really like this gentleman, I could talk for days without being bored. Great show!
MICHAEL NAVEN me too back in 1974!
Same here but in 2000 while on a trip to the USA for the F1 race at Indianapolis. Also, managed to make it to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio on the same trip.
My brother and I went with our dad when we heard all the tanks were leaving. Sadly we got there after the T-28 was already gone.
I'm oogling that Jagdtiger in the background... Poor thing.
Yeah I noticed that too. What a beauty
@@ajafham2583 It's a beauty before it kills you😏
Yep😂
They are currently planning to build a bigger and newer museum for their tanks that are exposed to the elements. Said to be completed around 2024-5?
Mr. Doyle's knowledge is amazing and it's a pleasure listening to him.
It's nice examples of these were kept for future generations. We should've kept all of the intact ones, they are so rare now.
Never knew there was a Panther 2
I knew it was an idea, never knew anything was ever built!
Just the one hull. Due to higher weight used all Tiger I suspension and drivetrain. weighed 53 tons.
@@Anlushac11 Actually the Tiger final drive
@@mbr5742 Google Panther II torsion bars. one of the first pics towards top shows Panther II torsion bars top of photo says Panther II. The Panther II torsion bars shown are single bars, not the linked dual torsion bars liked Panther normally used.
@@Anlushac11 The Panther II was a test bed, and its suspension design went on to be used in the Tiger II. The Tiger I (H) suspension was different and used interleaved road wheels. The Tiger II (And that JagdTiger in the background of this video) used the double wheel system that was developed on the Panther II. The engine and transmission would have been a better fit for the Tiger II had they been in a position to build them.
Nice video, The panter and jagdtiger in The back needs some love🤗
They already made a video about the JagdTiger
@@BrandyEnCoke21 i said the needed some love, i meant that they should get them restored, not that they havent made a video
@@GeneralZkar oooooh yeah especially the jag needs to get restored
I remember when we had that Panther 2 at Ft Knox. When we worked on it, we had to take our boots off. This was in the early 80,s. We got it running just to back it into the museum. My how times have changed.
Did you use its original HL210 engine? I'm working on a 1/16 early ish Panther Ausf D so I'm curious if the HL210 sounded any different from the HL230
See you all in five years when the TH-cam algorithm kicks in
Another VERY interesting video. Short and 'sweet'.
Thank you very much.
Give him a microphone!!!!
What an exceptional and rare vehicle. One could not estimate its worth. Well done Sofi, what a treat 👍
Considering the fact that this Panzer design is over sixty years old, it's general overall impression, for me, is that of a far later concept. What a terrifying steel beast it surely must have been to it's opponents. Great video. Thank you.
Tim Rogers it's much closer to 80 yrs old in design
@@cruzinezy1968 Wow! That obviously makes the tanks concept and development even more remarkable. I am a mere 60 years old, and a 'baby' in relative terms to this Panzer. Obviously I am no 'expert' in the realms of armoured vehicles, yet they fascinate me: not as much as does the awesome SR71, ( more my generation ). Thanks for enlightening me though. ATB.
I stopped by there on the way to Columbus and took a picture of the bradleys parked near the perimiter fence, I never would have guessed they would have a gem like this there.
Ok I’m gunna ask Santa to get you a mic set rig this Chrimbo. 😂
Epic showing this vehicle. Thanks for all your hard work & dedication. 💥👍🏻💥
cringe
don't worry, the other guy only says that because you had emojis in your post.
They have an M103 in the background!!!
Another great video as always! Thanks for this one, never knew they actually produced any panther ll prototypes.
looks really strong and clean design.
Outstanding ... Hannover masterpiece.
Not gonna lie, that 80mm plate looks very thin
Another great breakfast with my favourite show full of surprises. Thank you again.
I just love these videos! So much interesting stuff and then you get glimpses of a PSW 234/4 at 1:58. Magic:)
Wow, you’re such a trooper! You managed to brave yourself in the outside, yet the Corona Virus is still spreading. Hope you stay safe, can’t wait for more content like this.
Scott Myers bro the corona ain’t the end of the world... a lot of people are still have too go work and run errands etc, myself included
JangaMaster Why am I so pessimistic...
Aslong as you keep your distance to other people the virus isn’t really as much of a threat
Love Hilarys knowledge
Yes it's a amazing vehicle I would love to see more on this panther in detail
Hey Sofilein, at 1.41 Mr Doyle speaks about the a different angle of the front plate because of the use of the tigers transmission. In Frank Köhlers Panther book their are pictures of early panther prototypes plans which show the drivers position with a stearing wheel, which indicates the the panther was also considered with the same maybach/henschel transmission as the tiger from the start. Even during the production run of panther the transmission discussions between serval institutions of army and industry never really ended.
So I don't think that the angle of the front plate had something to do with the transmission choise. But there were complains about the ergonomics for driver. To Köhler its more likely that the changed angle should adress the ergonmical issues of the driver position.
Great to see a video with someone who actually knows the subject . Curious to hear that the hull is longer and has different angles ; does anyone know if the old Accurate Armour and Dragon kits are correct in this respect ?
2:41 Where's my boi Jagdtiger's tracks??
Jai ShriRam stolen by hungry Russians
On the floor
A rare one indeed! Very cool, thanks for showing it!
Thank you for making this video!
I went to basic training there in 2017. My battalion HQ was across the street from this place. It was awesome seeing those tanks, but I didn’t realize how rare they all actually were. I could name them because I was an avid War Thunder player. When I got back home I did some research and didn’t know those were one of a kind. I’m kinda pissed at myself for not going back and tanking pictures after graduation.
I remember when most of these tanks were at fort Knox before they moved them. It's quite the impressive collection.
Years ago drove all day to ft knox to see the tanks, we were heart broken to see the tanks all gone, but told a new museum is being built in ft Benning. Still waiting for the Ft Benninig tank museum to open, it's been way to long!
@@robtankbuster5215 I agree. Problem is, now it is so far from where I live that it would be a burden to see. I hope it is impressive when it's done.
Always nice to hear from Mr Doyle.
Wait, isn't this the guy Bruce Crompton calls when he needed the chassis number for his panther tank?
I knew that a Panther 2 was built, but I had no idea that it actually survived without a turret.
There were 2 turrets built but never mounted. Would like to know where they went. Some of the differences were they had a optical range finder with a ballistic computer and. primitive IR night vision site.. The arrange finder was very much like what we used in the M47/48 tanks.
Very nice! I really like these short and quickly put together videos, even if they are outdoors with no microphone ;)
I could listen to you two all day,the wealth of knowledge is fascinating,am sorry but I have my standards and you both show so much more than anyone else..maybe others out there,but am finicky on who I listen too.
Great video as usual. Never been so early
You can see it in person IRL but war thunder still removed it. It was fit with a standard turret at first btw, it was days from getting the 88mm
Are many of the tanks at NACC the ones fron the Patton Museum at Ft Knox? The Ft Knox collection was great till they moved it and took it from the public.
Not all moved there, but yes the vast majority did. I know some artillery vehicles were moved to artillery school, want to say Fort Sill? They have started restoring some of the artillery vehicles.
Yeah it sucks that the public no longer has access to these vehicles, I always loved the Patton museum even before I joined the ARMY .
Brian Mattingly I grew up Louisville and the Patton Museum was a frequent destination. I recently digitized family slides and it was cool to see childhood pictures at the museum from the 1970s. Great memories.
And they all are at Ft. Benning? Are you able to visit the area and see the tanks?
We have the Panzermuseum here in Germany and maybe some stuff in some other museums but they have some great stuff at ft Benning
You know what is even rarer than a Panther II? A fire hot tank chick. Congratulations to you, you win the internet!
Germany: let improve the Panther and make it heavier.
Final drives: are you sure about that?
Yes, absolutely. Excellent design already. Considering a sufficient raw material supply and enough reliable personal to build it, not poor slave workers, who sabotaged production (understandable enough!).
A vehicle good enough to successfully stand its ground.
Hilary is the BEST! You just gotta love him!
Love to hear Doyle talk about the King Tiger tank
You can hear him!Well done,sir.
Gaijin be like: We removed this because it was a paper tank, and no parts were built out of it.
well, the turret and the gun model on War Thunder is different than what the actual turret and gun of the Panther II
Not sure who has better game: Soilein or Hillary Doyle.
Great video!
I was sure that a new turret was made for this prototype,I saw a pic of it in one of my tank magazines,it had an electric range finder or spotlight on it,and was the same basic shape as the king tiger late turret but much smaller
You might be thinking of the Schmalturm for the Panther F which was prototyped but never went into production.
@@Reactordrone ya it was a pencil drawing
Love this guy he knows his shit! Awesome video!
Awesome tank, I can't believe that the U.S. has the only Panther II in the world and they have it out side.
Great overview of the Panther II. I saw this vehicle at APG many years ago, but it was mislabeled as a Panther Ausf A. I specifically remember it because it had the later turret and was missing the storage bins and mounts for tools.
I can hear him just fine
AKA: King Tiger Jr.
Fantastic. Thanks.
Not the only one, we have one at a Museum in Ontario Canada at a military Base called Base Borden.
Sorry but that's not possible. There was ever only ONE Panther II ever built. What they have in that museum is a normal Panther.
You never really comprehend the sheer scale of these vehicles without seeing them in person, or next to a person
Makes all the difference to see a tank in person. The sheer size and mass is lost in pictures and even in video footage!
Honestly that's one reason why I love the tank museums, they're helping people connect and learn in ways they could never do with just books. Seeing a tank in motion for the first time changed the way I look at the tank experience personally
Panther II a Magnificent Machine Indeed , Stunning at Every Angle !!!
With the Front sloping Armour being upgraded to 100 mm thick!
Ps it would be great if they could restore the original "narrow turret" for the Panther II , located at Bovington Tank Museum UK and fit it to this Splendid vehicle in the U.S.A. Swap turrets and display the Panther Ausf G , with chin Armour at Bovington!
That would allow it to stop 17pounder ap and and even Russian 100mm ap front plate
@@mr.waffentrager4400 I wouldnt bet my life on the russian 100mm gun bouncing off, or the 122mm for that matter. At long range or with the vehicle in a favorable position that increases angles maybe, but the LoS thickness just doesnt get quite as high as you think it does.
@@builder396 122mm is too powerful I think...in theory it has less pen ...but it penned panther 1 at 2500m and 100mm could only pen it at 1500mm in testing
That 's why 122 was chosen for IS tanks
122mm could pen tiger 2 front upper plate 15cm at 700mm ...so it will go through 100mm panther 2 plate ...
Don't think 100mm will go through at 500m
@@mr.waffentrager4400 The 122mm has better HE performance, and as heavy tanks are primarily offensive tools to take out heavily fortified position, HE performance was more important than a little bit of AP performance on the 100mm.
Also, tests on German tanks directly dont give consistent or reliable results as the armor quality varied wildly, and generally are only done to assess armor quality and relative effectiveness of guns against that armor quality and thickness used by the opposition, rather than the objective capability of the gun compared to another gun. Thats where you test against your own armor plates from a production line of consistent quality.
@@builder396 yes...I agree on all of that but maybe the rounds were fired on similar panther plate ...
Statistically 122 mm can pen 170mm armor close ranges ..
But I think its too less for a projectile that moves at nearly 800m per second and weighs 3 times the tiger 's 88mm shell about 25kg round
Give that man a medal, and a microphone, love the videos XD
Couldn't help yourself from stealing a last longing glance on that thicc cat in the corner eh? ;)
( I would have done the same )
Awesome thanks!
Anyone know what the armor thicknesses were going to be on the Panther 2 turret.
If produced Panther II would have entered service with the stock Panther turret. It would have eventually moved to the Schmalturm if production and development had continued.
@@Anlushac11 Right, thank you.
To listen to such a knowledgeable gentleman describe the relics of WWII is sheer pleasure... I only wish Mr. Doyle's voice was recorded using a microphone of a better quality - this alone would greatly improve the listener's experience! Also, I might suggest working on the camera angles, as in some shots I feel it could be a bit further from the tank to show Mr. Doyle and the tank in question fully. I am no way an expert, just my point of view, though. Anyways, thanks for another great video! :)
Love your chanel Sofi! :D
What a pity that it isn't mated with the Panther II Schmalturm turret with saubkopfblende instead. But I think that was used for target practice in Britain. Did Bovington Tank museum actually get that damaged turret from the gunnery range at some time?
A private owner from the US did own this turret. It was damaged badly and then poorly repaired. They decided to leave the turret as it is. For their Panther, they managed to make a new one from scratch. The whole work was made with the original construction documentation and their piece has all the features and specs of the original one.
I think the turret from Bovington is the damaged one but I don't know if the Museum owns it. I think not.
@@HanSolo__ That sounds very interesting! Do you happen to have a link to pictures or a website of that tank?
@@walthanas There was a TV show (History Channel? - kill me but I can't remember) about two private vendors restoring old tanks on a serious scale. First owner was from GB I guess and the second one was American. The show was followed with the work of both skipping few times from shop to shop during single episode. They were working on M4 Sherman, Panther and M10 I guess. The American owner was some quite famous person. I dont know if he is still alive. At the time of the show he was at his late 60.
@@HanSolo__ This is all I could find about the Schmalturm:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmalturm#/media/File:Schmalturm_at_the_Tank_Museum,_Bovington.jpg
It states there that it is still in Bovington at the Tank Museum. I haven't been to Bovington in years, so I don't know what the current state is, but I would be very surprised to find out that the Tank Museum has sold such a unique item to a private collector.
@@walthanas bruh, the Panther II was cancelled way before Schmalturm was designed
Love this fella
Hillary Doyle is such a treasure. Thank you for this video!
Thanks for the video Sofi.
Please take me with you to this place please 🙏😊
Thanks from Germany with an Abo.
I never knew that the panther 2 was even remotely produced in any way shape or form! I always thought that it just existed in paper. I am blown away that there is a hull that exists
I am confused. Is this the Pzkw V? A Panther? Why is it called a 'Panther II'? Am I confusing it with the Pzkw II?
It's basicly a prototype for an up armored Panther that had thicker frontal and side armor. Only the hull was built and this one got a panther G turret put on it. The project was canceled in favour of simpily putting thin add on armor plates over the sides of the regular panthers. As it never entered production I'm not sure if "Panther 2" would have been the offical name for it.
I wonder if they considered the troops who had to drive this thing when building it. Still the same issues, I assume, with the engine access, final drive access and other features. Turret design was never completed, though there were lots of theories out there. Same gun as a Panther I. Wouldn't want to fight it, wouldn't want to fight in it.
I thumbed up your comment.Was the Tiger 1 better for the crew?
@@wirelessone2986 I think so other than the hatches for the crew in front not aligned with their seats. Development of that was longer than the Panther.
IS THERE A JAGDTIGER IN THE BACK?
At 2:17 is that a crack in side hull?
Just an octopus strap I think. there's a few on the tracks, probably for holding down a tarp when they cover it up.
what is kinda puzzling is that the Panther II also had holders for Schürzen, the exact same holders as used on the Ausf. G...
i have pictures with my buddy inside the hull of this lmao
I remember walking past that place all the time in basic always wondered what was in there
Outstanding video and presentation as always. Thank you!
is the Panther 2 in Running Condition ? i missing the Narrow Turret .....Schmal-Turm
Panther II pre-dates the Panther G so it wouldn't have the later Panther F turret.
The turret is a panther G
Right?
the original turret for the Panther II was never made, so they put the Panther G turret to it
how can i see these tanks at ft benning?! I went to basic there btw LOL
I always thought the side plates and spaced armour was to stop heat rounds or something? Or is this something different?
The side plate was there to stop the 14.5mm AT Rifle round from the Soviet
@@Kalashnikov413 we live and learn every day 😊thank you...
If anyone wondering about the big black turret at the mid left, it's an M103 i believe.
Yes, it is an M103. I can tell for 2 reasons. 1: It is very big. 2: I play war thunder so I know what it looks like.
@@TheT-90thatstaresintoyoursoul same here lol
Yes, M103A2
The primary reason for the work on the Panther II (along with any number of other projects) was to keep the designers, engineers and skilled workforce off of the front lines.
wow, cool!
What a cool video! Please fix the audio! And where's Sofilein? ;-)
I was so confused because I thought the title said "Panzer II" and not "Panther II".
another nice tank video! one thing though, since I cannot be there I enjoy the amazing panzers vicariously through you by witnessing your enthusiasm Sofilein so its nice you do not want to take the attention from the subject but I missed seeing you in this one
RIP war thunder panther 2 :( You will be missed.
that things pretty much a blueprint tank though. the 88 was never planned for it. Its really dumb they removed it though, Germany needed a good mobile tank at 6.7 that isnt premium. Panther 2 is amazing in that role. Instead they just remove it and put in some american lend lease bullshit that nobody wants. Same with the Tiger 10.5, sure its also a blueprint tank, but why remove it? Just make it an event vehicle or something. I can somewhat understand the maus, since its pretty much impossible to balance with the BR compression that Gaijin themselves caused.
@The Dutchinator first off: panther 2 had a hull built with a panther A turret for testing- second, the Maus had two tanks built. Why was it removed?
@@potatojuice5124 the panther 2 was a testbed, and it was decided to not really be used due to the weight increase it gave. But its a tank the Germans need in game, so i can see why it would be removed from a realism standpoint, but theres plenty of bullshit tanks around in game anyway, so why remove only the best medium tank for germany at 6.7?
As for the Maus, Gaijin removed it because they cant be assed balancing their own game. Put the Maus at a lower BR and it'll stomp, at 7.7 its armour is garbo and it faces nothing but HEATFS. So instead of decompressing the BRs like playing had been asking FOR YEARS, they just decided, fuck you, we'll just remove it instead
Is this one one the Panther II tanks fitted with the 1,500hp BMW GT 101 Gas Turbine engine?
that was just a proposal for the panther I not II, the GT 101 was fitted in a regular panther I hull (at best, some sources say it was just a mockup to test configuration).and the project was canceled by Feb 20th from what i read (hence why it was never fitted to a complete tank) due to fuel ecconomy.
@@matthiuskoenig3378 Development of the Panther 2 was superseded by the E-series, the GT 101 was field tested in a Panther chassis and its performance data was used to develop the GT 102 and 103.
Jumo engineer Dr Anselm Franz also began work on a competing 1,500 hp design for the E-series based on the Jumo 004/012 called the GT 250.
Franz continued work at Lycoming where the engine was called the PLT-25.
The PLT-25 became a Government program in 1964.
The Navy version known as the TF-15
And the Army's version was renamed AGT-1500... which remains in current service in the M1 Abrams.
I am fan boying so hard right now
Could you both do a longer talk on this tank at a later date?
So the Panther II was almost a half meter longer than the Panther I.
Was this made to accomodate a larger engine?
Maybe they planning on installing the new Diesel engine. Front has more slope angles as well
Interesting that the Soviet Army was doing so much damage with anti-tank rifles when most other armies had dropped them in favour of hollow charge weapons.Until recently I thought schurzen armour was designed
to protect against bazooka type weapons.
I think that rather than referring to the Anti Tank Rifles like the 14.5mm PTRD and PTRS, he meant Anti Tank Rifle GRENADES.
the russians had began issuing HEAT warhead rifle grenades, and the idea would later culminate in the RPG series of anti-tank weapons.
@@thejesterofbathofficialno1630
nah, it was the 14.5mm that gave Germans troubles, the rifle was much more mobile than artillery and could be fired from a protected position unlike the AT grenades where you have to expose yourself to effectively use them, never heard of the Russians using rifle grenades in WWII
TheJesterOfBathOfficialNo1TheFirst incorrect, the problem was with 14.5 mm rifles when they shot into the 40/45mm of flat armor behind the tracks, which is why you only see the shurtzen covering the tracks and not the angles side armor higher up
@@quentintin1 ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%93%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%BC%D1%91%D1%82_%D0%94%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0
they were taken out of service in 1942, although they returned later in the war as the VKG-40
HEAT grenade launcher, but these were disliked due to low penetrating HEAT (~50mm). although improved versions were used after ww2 (VG-44 and VG-45)
@@matthiuskoenig3378 thanks, so the Russians had a cup launcher, might dig into it at a later date
I like Mr. Doyle. He may be skinny for a Hobbit, but he knows his tonks.
HAHAHAHA
First sofilein good video keep et up
Somewhere in the US there is a turret of a Panther II, so bring them together!
sry, I mixed it up with the Schmalturm (smaller turret, lower silhouette, same weight, better protection, less production costs)in bovington
@@Jo-uh1mw bruh, the Panther II was never planned to put the Schmalturm
I love the phanter II in warthunder :)
The repair cost is so expensive!
I had to download this video and watch it in a media player with maxed app sound because youtube's sound level only goes so high.
The next will be better- for some reason it's perfectly fine on my PC and with my headphones.
Sofilein it seems to be fine for most people
i cannot believe, that these unique and priceless pieces of history are still standing in a puddle of water more or less in the open. Maybe Bovington can lease this Panther 2 and put a restored Schmallturm on it.
The Schmalturm has nothing to do with the Panther II