Question about Panzer nomenclature

Imad · Post by **Imad** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:44 pm

Hello
The Tiger came out almost a year before the Panther. Why, then, is it known as the PzVI while the latter is PzV? Should it not be the other way round?

Rudi S. · Post by **Rudi S.** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:01 pm

According to the book "World War II Tanks", by Eric Grove:
...In 1942, Henschel and Porsche demonstrated their prototypes. The Henschel VK 4501 design was the superior one and ir was accepted into service as the PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf H (SdKfz 181). The tank was renamed Ausf E in 1944.
...It was hoped that 250 PzKpfw V Panther would be in service bu May 1943. In September, the month that the first two test pilot models appeared, Hitler raised this target to 600.

Seems like your stement is correct.
Rudi S.

Imad · Post by **Imad** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:06 pm

Sorry Rudi. I don't think I made myself clear.
What I meant was that if the Panther came after the Tiger it would have made more sense to call the Tiger the PzV and the Panther the PzVI. For some reason it's the other way around.

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:08 pm

Off the cuff, when were the designs started, or the plans accepted? That could be a factor.

Imad, package arrive?

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:47 am

Tom, think this was addressed elsewhere - the Panther project stopped and started a couple of times, but I don't know the exact dates. Also, the Tiger programme in total design time in the sense of manhours was shorter, as it was the end of a derivative line of tanks, whereas the Panther with its sloping armour and performance was the start of a completely new family thats still around today in the shape of the Leopards.

Imad · Post by **Imad** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:06 pm

Tom Houlihan wrote:Off the cuff, when were the designs started, or the plans accepted? That could be a factor.

Imad, package arrive?

Negative, Tom

Paulus II · Post by **Paulus II** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 4:29 am

Going from memory here but I think the MAN design that became the Panther was approved in May 1942 (the 14th?) and the Henschel design that was to be the Tiger somewhere in July of that same year.
That is the only thing that I know of where the Pz V went before the Pz VI. In the various design and development stages the orders for the later Pz VI were ususally given before those for the Panther.

Cheers,

Paul