Guten Morgen, guten Nachmittag und guten Abend, meine Herren. How are you? I hope all is well.

Today I made a Tank called Pzkpfw Panther which of course you already know.

The Panther Ausf. G was one badass tank variant that Germany cranked out during WWII. This Panther line was considered one of the best tanks around thanks to its firepower, armor, and speed. Ausf. G was the final and probably the best version of the Panther series, with a bunch of upgrades over the earlier models like the Ausf. D and Ausf. A.

Background & Origins

Germany had to start cranking out Panthers because of the Soviet T-34 tank that gave them a serious wake-up call in 1941. That T-34 had sloped armor, a 76.2 mm gun, and solid mobility, catching Germany off guard in a big way on the Eastern Front. They realized they needed something that could match or even outclass the T-34, so the Panzerkampfwagen V Panther program was born. They first rolled out the Ausf. D in 1943, then the Ausf. A, and eventually hit the jackpot with the Ausf. G.

Design & Development of the Ausf. G

The Ausf. G was all about fixing flaws in the earlier models and beefing it up for real combat. Production started in early ’44 and kept going until the war ended in ’45. The Ausf. G came with a ton of structural improvements, better armor, and more crew-friendly design elements.

Here are some of the major changes they made to the Ausf. G:

1. Hull & Armor

The Ausf. G got 80mm of front armor at a steeper angle, making it harder for enemy shells to get through. They even beefed up the side armor to 50mm with a 30-degree angle, giving it more protection from side hits.

1. Turret & Gun

They kept the same 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun from earlier models. This thing was a beast with crazy high penetration power, letting it blast enemy tanks from a solid distance. The commander's cupola was also toughened up for better visibility.

1. Additional Armor

The Ausf. G had Zimmerit, a coating to prevent magnetic mines from sticking. Later models even had side skirts called Schürzen to fend off infantry anti-tank weapons.

1. Interior & Optics

Interior got some upgrades too, so the crew wasn’t totally miserable, and they added better optics for accurate shots even on the move.

Final Form of the Ausf. G

In the final production stage, they simplified a few things to speed up manufacturing since Germany needed combat-ready tanks ASAP. The final Ausf. G versions had:

1. Slimmer Schürzen on the sides for better mobility.

2. Some external parts were simplified.

3. A new exhaust system to reduce visibility and cut down on smoke.

4. Adjustments to the gunner’s hatch to make the turret more durable.

Caliber & Firepower

The 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun on the Ausf. G was a 75mm cannon with serious range and penetration power. Its APCR rounds could punch through up to 190mm of armor at 100 meters – more than enough to ruin a Sherman or Churchill’s day.

Engine Performance

The Ausf. G had a Maybach HL230 P30 V12 engine with 700 horsepower. It could hit 46 km/h on roads and about 25 km/h off-road, despite weighing around 45 tons. It was a solid balance between speed and range, though it guzzled fuel like crazy.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Insane firepower and penetration with the 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70.

Solid front armor.

Decent mobility for a medium tank.

Sloped armor that could deflect shots.

Cons

The mechanics were kinda fragile.

It was a gas hog.

Needed a trained crew to really make it shine.

Spare parts and maintenance got scarce by the end of the war.

Combat Use

The Ausf. G saw action in major battles like Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. When conditions were right, it could pick off Allied tanks from a distance, using its front armor to shrug off counterattacks. But its high maintenance needs and mechanical issues were big problems. A lot of Panthers ended up abandoned because of engine trouble or other breakdowns.

Summary

The Panther Ausf. G was the peak of Panther design and a symbol of German tank tech. Despite its mechanical quirks and fuel issues, it’s still one of the top tanks of its time.

Panzer Divisions that Used the Ausf. G

Ausf. G was mostly used by various Wehrmacht and SS Panzer divisions towards the war’s end. Here’s a breakdown:

Wehrmacht Panzer Divisions:

1. 1st Panzer Division - Around 40-50 Ausf. Gs in battles across the Eastern and Western Fronts.

2. 2nd Panzer Division - Deployed about 40 of these in France and Belgium.

3. 3rd Panzer Division - Operated in the East with 30-40 Ausf. Gs, including Kursk.

4. Panzer Lehr Division - Elite unit with about 50 Ausf. Gs in Normandy and the Bulge.

5. 12th Panzer Division - Mainly in the East, fielding about 30.

6. 9th Panzer Division - Around 35 used in Western battles, like in the Netherlands and Germany.

SS Panzer Divisions:

1. 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" - Deployed 50 Ausf. Gs in Normandy and the Bulge.

2. 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" - Fought in the East and West with about 45 units.

3. 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen" - Used 35-40 in Normandy and the Bulge.

4. 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg" - Around 35 units used to defend German territories in Eastern Europe.

5. 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" - About 50 Ausf. Gs operated by young troops in Normandy and the Bulge.

In total, each Wehrmacht and SS Panzer division fielded between 30 and 50 Panther Ausf. Gs depending on supply and priorities. Over 1,700 Ausf. Gs were produced by war’s end, and they were key for Germany in trying to hold off the Allies in 1944-1945.

It's not difficult to control :
AG1 Cupola
AG2 Opened the driver cabinet window
AG3 Opened the Front Cabine
AG4 Lamp
AG7 Engine
AG8 (Turn it off if it won't shoot)
Trim : Move/reverse
Yaw : Turn
Roll&Pitch : Turret and Gun

There may be some components that are not properly installed, just let me know.

Actually, this tank is very badass when facing the opposite body, but when it comes to the sides and back, it is nothing more than a cracker.