Confusion about the MG 42 on Panther G ?

[Stephan123]

Various sources write that Panther G's, though not in the initial production had a cupola-mounted MG-34 or MG-42 air defence machinegun added.
I've seen a lot of wartime pics of cupola-mounted MG-34 but never one of a MG-42 on a Panther or even any other German tank.
Another source tells me the only time a MG-42 was used on a Panther F, that this was as a coax. MG instead of the MG-34.
All the other Panther types had always two MG-34, one coax. and one on the cupola in the AA role.

Can somebody tell me what is right and what is wrong ?

[MikeWindheuser]

MG34s were generally put onto tanks untill the end of the war, self propelled guns( eg. later stugs 3s and 4s) were often armed with MG42s. Maybe because the MG34 was better suited to the task and of higher quality, and the stugs were basically cheaper tanks.

Mike.

[Pirx]

I couldn't find any info about MG-42 in tanks. If there is any good site about that please put link here. I think that MG-34 was very good weapon in armoured cars and tanks, so germans didn't need replace it.

One more thing. Very often machine gun was placed on turret as A-A weapon, even to the modern times. I know that mg on T-72 or T-80 looks great on parade, but i don't know how to hell shall we hit aircraft from this!!!

[krise madsen]

I've never seen any evidence of the MG42 being mounted on the cupola of any German tank (though I obviously haven't seen or read everything. On the other hand, modifying the mount to accept an MG42 shouldn't be too difficult, so maybe someone made a field modification?

All German tanks, from PzKpfw I to the Tiger II ausf. B, used the MG34 for the bow MG as well as the coax. I suspect that the MG34 was better suited to change barrels from the inside and that there were also production issues as these internal MG mounts were mainly variations of the same design, though this is pure speculation on my part (MG34 experts please set the record straight).

However, the SdKfz 234/2 Puma 8x8 armoured car did have an MG42 coax MG, as did late-war open-topped turrets (mounting the 2cm KwK38) used on late-war scout vechiles. Also, the Panther ausf. F was to have a coax MG42 in the new Schmal Turm, and the bow MG was to be replaced by the StG44 assault rifle.

[von_noobie]

the panther g was never mounted with a mg42 but did mount 2 mg34's (coaxial,bow)

hope it helps

[t_fuller]

The MG34 was the standard machine gun for co-axial and gimble mountings in German tanks. The MG42 would have required a different mounting design because of its larger diameter square barrel jacket. The AA mounting on the cupola would likewise have to be different as the MG34 attached by a ring clamp which went around the barrel and jacket, while the MG42 was attached with a cylindrical stud at the bottom of the barrel jacket--hence they could not be switched.

It was also fairly common, to take radio operators MG 34 and use it on the cupola AA mounting when there was a threat of air attack--so while some tanks had mountings for three machine guns--normally only two were issued per vehicle (although an enterprising crew might obtain a third). The AA machine gun would not, in any event be used normally in ground combat because it was suicidal to expose oneself enough to train and fire it--that is mostly for Hollywood.

trf