Here Kitty Kitty

[Danjanou]

German invasion
War Museum acquires freshly restored Panther tank from Second World War
Ottawa Citizen

Published: Thursday, January 10, 2008

( reproduced with the usual caveats yada yada)

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=89799321-38df-4cba-86ab-6923e1621137&k=3238

Panzer V tank from the Second World War moved into the The Canadian War Museum early Thursday.

The tank was introduced by the German army in 1943 to counter the feared Russian T-34 tank and they were widely regarded as the two best tanks in the Second World War. The newly-restored tank, also known as the Panther, is the museum's latest artifact and was moved into the LeBreton Gallery at about 9. a.m.

"This is possibly the largest restoration project ever undertaken by the Museum," said Mark O'Neill, the museum's Director General. "After two years of hard labour by a dedicated team of volunteers, staff and others, the result can now be appreciated by visitors."
This vehicle was restored in the museum restoration workshop by museum staff, volunteers and contractors who spent approximately 4,000 hours working on its restoration.

The 45-tonne armoured vehicle was easily moved into its display space by two men, using an air supported platform.

The Panther was one of the largest tanks produced in quantity during the Second World War.

Although little is known of its history or its capture, the museum's tank was shipped to Canada, where it was used in V-E celebrations May 8, 1945, on Sparks Street in Ottawa.

After that it was sent to Canadian Forces Base Borden and displayed outside until the Department of National Defence's Directorate of History and Heritage, CFB Borden, and the Base Borden Military Museum donated it to the Museum in 2005.

At the museum, it joins its arch-foe the T-34 and some 300 artifacts in the museum's LeBreton Gallery.

The Panther has been meticulously restored and research continues to determine what German unit it served with.

The new artifact provides an opportunity for visitors to better understand the equipment used by the Germans during the Second World War, and better appreciate some of the obstacles the Allies faced in liberating Europe, the museum says.

The Panther was one of the largest tanks produced in quantity during the Second World War.

 

[Mike Baker]

Wow thats amazing. Panther tanks are beasts.

 

[jollyjacktar]

I crawled all over her when she was in Worthington Park.  She looks much much better now, good thing they have done the right thing and restored her for future generations.  Well done!

 

[DCRabbit]

I crawled all over her when she was in Worthington Park.  She looks much much better now, good thing they have done the right thing and restored her for future generations.  Well done!

You too, huh? Is this the one that you could crawl inside thru the engine bay? I remember you could on one of the german ones. Man, it's been a long time so my memory is hazy.

 

[geo]

Well - vehicle issue records for the german army survived the war.
It shouldn't be too hard to find out which unit got it - after it rolled off the production line.
Not sure about how accurate the ownership records go once the shooting started & vehicle parts got swopped around to keep em running.
Who knows, it may be one of the ones we faced in Normandy.... wouldn't that be something.

 

[jollyjacktar]

You too, huh? Is this the one that you could crawl inside thru the engine bay? I remember you could on one of the german ones. Man, it's been a long time so my memory is hazy.

Can't say if this was the one you are thinking of.  I honestly did not try to go into any of them like that.  But I do remember a T-34 that arrived later during my stay there that you could go inside of through the engine bay.  But there was absolutely nothing at all in the interior of the vehicle.  It was completely gutted inside, just a shell from front to back.

 

[jimb]

The story say that the Tiger was moved in psoition in the AFV hall by "two men using a air supported platform " ? Say what ???

Any one know what that item is called ?  Sure would be a  handy  item in the auto body and or heavy equipment business, yes ?

Jim B.

 

[PO2FinClk]

The story say that the Tiger was moved in psoition in the AFV hall by "two men using a air supported platform " ? Say what ???

You mean the Panther?

 

[geo]

The story say that the Tiger was moved in psoition in the AFV hall by "two men using a air supported platform " ? Say what ???
Any one know what that item is called ?  Sure would be a  handy  item in the auto body and or heavy equipment business, yes ?
Jim B.

If you look at the video clip provided you will see the Panther being moved by something akin to a pallet jack - but using an air cushion...neat trick

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Sorta like the airbag system from the TMHTS  ;D

 

[Proud_Newfoundlander]

Best German tank of ww2, easily. Combined, firepower, speed, mobility, and armour to a well balanced level. The only drawback is that it was made to well, which hampered mass production to larger levels

 

[geo]

Best German tank of ww2, easily. Combined, firepower, speed, mobility, and armour to a well balanced level. The only drawback is that it was made to well, which hampered mass production to larger levels

Talk to anyone about the interwoven road wheels.  to get at one in the back, you have to remove many, many ones from front and centre tier.... not good.  Not good at all.

 

[Proud_Newfoundlander]

Would that really hurt its standing ?

The shermans lit up like zippos when hit, T-34's and poor quality armour and no radios, every tank had their problems

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Would that really hurt its standing ?

The shermans lit up like zippos when hit, T-34's and poor quality armour and no radios, every tank had their problems

Kinda, try changing roadwheels bad enough when you got to remove the outer one to get at the inner one. With the set up on that tank you have to remove multiple roadwheels if the inner one went.

Very time and labour consuming.

 

[vonGarvin]

Kinda, try changing roadwheels bad enough when you got to remove the outer one to get at the inner one. With the set up on that tank you have to remove multiple roadwheels if the inner one went.

Very time and labour consuming.

True, but given that their crews were more likely to survive tank on tank combat than their adversaries, I'd say it's less important than survivability.  Even though time consuming, living Mark V crews change roadwheels much more efficiently and effectively than dead Ronson crews 100% of the time.

 

[vonGarvin]

Talk to anyone about the interwoven road wheels.  to get at one in the back, you have to remove many, many ones from front and centre tier.... not good.  Not good at all.

As I state above, at least the mechanics at the repair shop likely had living crews to help them out with those road wheels.

 

[muskrat89]

The story say that the Tiger was moved in psoition in the AFV hall by "two men using a air supported platform " ? Say what Huh

Any one know what that item is called ?  Sure would be a  handy  item in the auto body and or heavy equipment business, yes ?

Jim B.

Riggers use stuff like that all the time.

http://www.hovair.com/products/rigging-equipment/rigging-equipment.htm

http://www.solvinginc.com/rig_set_modular_air_bearing_syst.htm

http://www.aerogo.com/PDFs/Load-Module-Case-Study-Toyota.pdf

http://www.airfloat.com/custom_solutions.php

 

[wildman0101]

real dumb question
regards panzers (tiger tank)
arnt we currently using thier grand-duaghters
the leopard 1 and 2
the german tiger tank was a bad a**
ours (canadian) leopards
are bred nasty
therefore the rule
to the green fields beyond...
so sic em kitty kitty
just my thoughts....
                                best regards,,
                                    scoty b

 

[vonGarvin]

real dumb question...

Well, since the Tiger was a Henschel design, the Panther was a MAN AG design and the prototype Leopards were a Porsche design (built by Krauss Maffei), I would argue that the Leopard is not the grand-kitten of World War two tanks.

Think of tanks as having three main characteristics: Firepower, Mobility and Protection
The Tiger was outstanding in terms of Firepower and Protection, but lacked in Mobility.
The Panther was excellent in terms of Firepower, outstanding in Protection with reasonable mobility.
The Leopard was excellent in terms of Firepower and mobility, but lacking in Protection.
See a trend?  Protection is lacking.  Though later Leopard variants (eg: the Leo 2A6M CAN) are excellent in all three areas, the Leo 1 certainly wasn't.  Nope, not the grand kitty.

 

[George Wallace]

I agree with your assessment.  However, one factor about the Mobility/Speed.  Although the Leo 1 was relatively lightly armoured compared to the others, modern metalurgy had indeed made stronger lighter metals.  Also, in its day, Speed was a form of Protection.  When the Leo 1 first came out, there were no Anti-Armour wpns that could track it accurately.  It wasn't until the late '80s and TOW 2 that the Leo 1 started to fall easy prey to Ants.  By then Leo 2 was starting to fill most inventories.