PANTHER – VOLUME I From Genesis to Baptism of Fire

This first volume reviews the chronology of the Panther's genesis, its prototype, its production, its various models and variants, and details several of its systems — including its main armament, the highly effective 7.5 cm Kampfwagenkanone 42 of 70 calibres — as well as the infrared devices, the Bergepanther recovery vehicle, and more.

A second volume, to be published, will deal more specifically with the tank's operational career, but it seemed appropriate to conclude the present work by recounting its very first engagement, during Operation "Zitadelle" — the German offensive on the Eastern Front in July 1943, aimed at eliminating the Soviet salient at Kursk. This was also the only occasion on which the Panthers, moreover all of the same model, were concentrated within a single formation, Panzer-Regiment 39; subsequently, they would only be allocated to Panzerdivisionen at the rate of a single Abteilung within each Panzer-Regiment.

This first volume is the result of six years of research conducted by the authors in German military and industrial archives. The majority of photographs illustrating these pages are previously unpublished or rarely seen, drawn from private collections. The iconography also includes 3D images, with four tanks depicted from every angle, complemented by technical drawings and plans.

This book will mark the history of Second World War tanks in the French language. We can safely wager it will become a reference work from the moment of its publication!