Panther G, What's this?

[MrChef]

What's the board or beam or piece going the width of the rear deck above/next to the exhaust pipes?


I've seen it on other Panthers but haven't found out what it is used for. I can guess it's a field mod and maybe just to hold stuff on the back deck like the fences on the Stug III for stowage?

Ideas? Was it metal? Wood?

[HERMAN BIX]

A cool picture. Wooden board across the rear, in the clevices used to hold the eyes of the tow ropes on later Panthers. Seems to be an early G or the chin is obscured on the mantlet.Im going with stowage support or, (a long shot) some means of reducing the heat/spark signature of the exhausts when visible from the front of the tank.
Note what looks like a broom shoved down the guide horns on the spare track links!!

Do you have any context for the pic at all ? location, unit, date ??

[MrChef]

A cool picture. Wooden board across the rear, in the clevices used to hold the eyes of the tow ropes on later Panthers. Seems to be an early G or the chin is obscured on the mantlet.Im going with stowage support or, (a long shot) some means of reducing the heat/spark signature of the exhausts when visible from the front of the tank.
Note what looks like a broom shoved down the guide horns on the spare track links!!

Do you have any context for the pic at all ? location, unit, date ??

Yeah I thought it was pretty cool too. I've been pouring through period pics of Panthers for the repaint for inspiration and this one caught my eye.

It's- "Panther Ausf.G "213", Pz.Rgt. 31, 5. Panzer-Division, patrolling on the outskirts of Goldap, East Prussia, four days after the counterattack conducted by the Wehrmacht, who retook the first city of German Reich to fall for the Red Army. 7 November 1944."

[HERMAN BIX]

A cool picture. Wooden board across the rear, in the clevices used to hold the eyes of the tow ropes on later Panthers. Seems to be an early G or the chin is obscured on the mantlet.Im going with stowage support or, (a long shot) some means of reducing the heat/spark signature of the exhausts when visible from the front of the tank.
Note what looks like a broom shoved down the guide horns on the spare track links!!

Do you have any context for the pic at all ? location, unit, date ??

Yeah I thought it was pretty cool too. I've been pouring through period pics of Panthers for the repaint for inspiration and this one caught my eye.

It's- "Panther Ausf.G "213", Pz.Rgt. 31, 5. Panzer-Division, patrolling on the outskirts of Goldap, East Prussia, four days after the counterattack conducted by the Wehrmacht, who retook the first city of German Reich to fall for the Red Army. 7 November 1944."

Great info. I will check with a guy I know with an absolute library of very expensive, and expansive, books on the Armoured wedge of the WW2 Germany.

[MrChef]

Yes sir, Panther 213 is an interesting tank with kind of a cult following. I've seen it used as a "skin" on a video game albeit not that accurately-


And it's numbers are in different order but it is used as a camo painting scheme example as well-


So I'd definitely be interested what else you could dig up on it, or others in it's unit. I only found that one period picture of that particular tank and I've been looking at A Lot of Panther pictures...

In the original photo above it looks like it has the MAN "disc" pattern, "Ambush" Camouflage.

[HERMAN BIX]

So far it is an early G(no heater or chin) I'm getting any other info on the unit for you asap

[MrChef]

So far it is an early G(no heater or chin) I'm getting any other info on the unit for you asap

Thank you for your support Sir.

No worries and no rush. At this point I am just going to borrow the Unit Number for mine and a guide for the camo scheme. I will not be copying it, mostly because I don't like the ambush dots/disc markings and also because I lack the skill to replicate it well. The unique touches on that unit are interesting though.

[Ratrace]

Is this the same sort of thing.....
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery ... ce-1944-8/

[MrChef]

Is this the same sort of thing.....
https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery ... ce-1944-8/

Good eyes.

Ironically I was just on that site looking at pics and saw this.

Your pic shows the relocated storage tube for the gun cleaning rods/back up radio antennae. If you look at the hull side below the TC's copula the tube is missing.

Some units did this mod specifically.

It was also done on Jagdpanthers.

Tools were often relocated toward the rear of tanks in the field. Which makes sense since the front is usually facing towards the enemy.

Mr. Bix may have a more accurate answer though.

[Ratrace]

Ah yes I see what you mean now, thanks for clearing this up as it's something I might think about doing to my Panther G.