Development and Production
The idea of a mountain Panthers was 1943 due to problems in the recovery of heavy and medium tanks. The development was carried out by MAN. The hitherto used to recover half-tracks (eg Sd.Kfz 9th ) were rarely in a position, a panther or tiger salvage successfully towing with another tiger or panther was strictly forbidden, as this both in loss could lead tank. The converted to armored cars mountains Tiger did not meet the desired requirements.In the first Bergepanther it was almost finished the Panther Ausf D, where the manufacturer MAN was the only tower omitted. Henschel, Daimler-Benz and DEMAG took later in sequence of production. The specially produced trough the mountains Panthers largely resembled that of the armored car Panther, with the end of 1944, the modifications were adopted for the Ausf. The crew consisted of at least three soldiers, the device of two soldiers in the vehicle has been serviced.
Where sat at the main battle tank of the tower, were now square wood and metal constructions, the hull of the tank was a winch having a longitudinal tensile force of 40 tons embedded. A large earth spade at the rear serving to support. Furthermore, the Bergepanther had a simple crane boom, the load capacity was 1.5 tons.
The Bergepanther was quite reliable in their area and because of its armor used under enemy fire. Even the heavy Tiger and its variants could be easily recovered by a Bergepanther with winch.
By the British in the Bergepanther was our experiments after the Second World War as a "usable" described.
In addition to board-MG, which was to support the right or left of the fighting compartment are attached, was the one Bergepanther Buglafette to accommodate a 20-mm automatic cannon. This, however, fell away in the course of 1944. With the conversion to the boat form of Panther G received the Bergepanther the usual MG-ball cover on the radio operator side. The MG-pillar on the driver's side so that also accounted for.
From 1943 to 1945, some 339 Bergepanther all versions of the company MAN , Henschel , Daimler-Benz (the Berlin-Marienfelde) and DEMAG produced.
Specifications
Berge Panzer "Panther" (Sd.Kfz. 179)
- Year: 1943-1945
- Dimensions (with aprons and spur)
- Length: 8.86 m
- Width: 3.42 m
- Height: 2.70 m
- Combat weight: 43 t
- Engine: 23.1 liter 12-cylinder Maybach HL 230 P30
- Power: 700 hp, throttled to 600 hp
- Maximum speed:
- 55 km / h, the maximum speed
- 46 km / h at throttle speed
- 25 km / h average speed road
- 15 km / h road
- Driving Range: road 320 km / terrain about 160 km
- Traction of the vehicle, measured in the experiment:
- in loose sand: 196 kN (20 t), with snow grippers: 264 kN (27 t)
- Winch:
