Blurry photo of a Panther

[MJie]

Always looking for a decent sample of Panther panzer photo but the price was always too high. Here is a blurry photo of a Panther charging on the road. On the reverse there's a writing "Grafenwöhr 1943 'Panther'". Grafenwöhr was the location of training camps for Germany's ground forces as well as the proving ground for vehicles, and is still used by US Army nowadays. It is difficult to identify the version of this Panther, probably Ausf.D or Ausf.A.

Mjie

[rbminis]

With that cupola, I would say Ausf. D.
Ralph.

[Witt]

Very respectable Panther photo. Hard to acquire a solid example as they are heavily sought after photos, most often realized more so than an example of a Tiger I. I could not find if or what Heer Panzer elements were ever at Grafenwöhr during this period but I found some from the SS. I. Bataillon of the LSSAH was here in April 1943. Also as of 15 April 1943 the III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps under Gruppenführer Felix Steiner were at the site. I do not know if they had strength with tanks but the Generalkommando VI. SS-Freiwilligen-Armeekorps (lettisches) was formed at the Truppenübungsplatz in October 1943 to command the Latvian Legionnaire units.

[rbminis]

Here is my father's late Ausf. D, 16th Panzer Div.
Ralph.

[BlackCat1982]

The fitted long tool box on the right hand side of the hull behind the jack base is interesting. On many Panthers the tools such as the sledge hammer and bar are fastened to the hull rather than inside such a box. The paint scheme, such as it is would appear to be plain as it left the factory - with no camouflage having yet been applied. Nice photo.

[rbminis]

The fitted long tool box on the right hand side of the hull behind the jack base is interesting. On many Panthers the tools such as the sledge hammer and bar are fastened to the hull rather than inside such a box.

Not sure what you are seeing, I see a round tube containing the barrel cleaning rods, and then extra track links attached to the hull.
Ralph.

[BlackCat1982]

Not sure what you are seeing, I see a round tube containing the barrel cleaning rods, and then extra track links attached to the hull.
Ralph.

Ralph,
I'm referring to the Panther photo in #1, not yours, sorry.



In this picture there appears to be a long box fitted to the right side of the hull, forward of the spare track links.