Tamiya 1/35 Panther Ausf D 35345

Where It All Began – The First Panther

The Ausf.D was the debut variant of the famed German WWII tank Panther. It offered a complete performance package, with firepower from the imposing L/70 7.5cm gun, excellent protection afforded by its sloped armor, and maneuverability thanks to a roaring 700hp gasoline engine. Around 840 Ausf.D Panthers were produced between January and September of 1943, and the first time it appeared on the battlefield was in the Battle of Kursk in July of that year. While it wasn’t all smooth sailing, Panthers were still able to take out some 140 Soviet tanks from a range of 1,500 to 2,000 meters, all the while protected impeccably by their sloped plate. The Ausf.D was followed by improved Ausf.A and G variants, and while the Panther was unable to stop the tide from turning against Germany it nonetheless revolutionized German armored vehicle design, and remained on the front line until the end of hostilities.

This 1/35 Military Miniature Series model kit depicts the German Panther, a WWII AFV developed by Germany to combat the mighty Russian T-34. Given the importance of stopping the T-34 as the Russians turned the tide in WWII, the Panther was a priority and this was emphasized by armored warfare expert Heinz Guderian’s role in the design process. The Panther packed a powerful L/70 7.5cm gun (rumored to have taken out a T-34 at 3km) and combined it with excellent mobility and a 55km/h top speed. Just as importantly, it made great use of T-34-inspired sloped armor, up to 80mm in places. As things turned out, development of the Panther was rushed as the German situation worsened, and this led to severe reliability problems in engagements such as the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. Despite that, it proved offensively and defensively highly capable. The Ausf.D was the initial variant of the Panther; 842 were manufactured between January and September 1943.