Panther model and crew on framed diorama base, color cobblestone illustration and text created via Microsoft Powerpoint. Panther glacis (also known as Driver's Front Plate) ballistic design enhanced upward deflection of enemy rounds. Germans incorporated feature from captured Soviet T-34 tanks in 1941. Although German Tiger tanks were synonymous with utmost armor prowess, thus engrave in Allied postwar psyche. Nevertheless, it is the Panther which had most influence on postwar tank design. Rob's Panther Page - members.tripod.com/~dietmagic/panther.html

Camouflage netting came from Verlinden aftermarket products, to conform with glacis contours the net was soaked in Water + Elmer's Glue, set to glacis surface for initial fit. Once dried, it was paint washed with TESTOR Forest Green enamel paint, then placed back onto glacis contours. Netting clustered around protrusions (ex. driver visor, ball MG mount, gun travel lock) were brush tabbed with liquid cement for final fit.

Panther armed with 7.5 cm KwK 42 L/70 gun barrel (79 rounds carried), left hole for co-axial 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 machine gun (5,100 rounds carried), right hole for Turmzielfernrohr 12a (abbreviated TZF12a) which literally meant "Tower Goal Telescope" but colloquially rendered as Tank Gunsight Scope. Originally Panthers had TZF12 binocular (two holes) scopes, but was changed to TZF12a monocular scope to streamline production.

Flap over scope was rain guard, channeled water around scope opening. Left Kugelblende (ballistic ball armor mount) was machine port and housed MG34 machine gun for close-in defense, its gunner is also radio operator, weapon is fired via direct sight Zielfernrohr2 (KZF2) telescope aligned with gun (previous Panther versions used a periscope). Panther webshots - news.webshots.com/photo/1375956174066580379bGvpDz

Inset 1 : Engine deck close-up with engine vent shafts and engine access door. For surface detailing, excess black paint wash was removed via thinner-dosed cotton swab. Model ship chain painted in TESTOR Military Brown, wrapped around gun barrel cleaning rod storage tube. Wire mesh was placed inside vent shafts to prevent debris from clogging up internal works, in actuality the screens were placed on outside. Note since TAMIYA Panther model was of early 1980s mold, they did not produce complete hulls since motor and batteries could be install inside the tank to make it remote-controllable (this was the market inclination back then). Decided to retain this model legacy by not filling the hull, hence one could see through the engine vents to the tracks and ground below.

Rollover : Circular vise is gun travel lock, it secures gun barrel during prolonged travels to prevent yawing effect which could wear out gun mantle mechanism. Tanks usually do not transverse long distances unless absolute necessity due to excessive stress on the track linkages and suspension. WW2 commencement saw Germans using specially designed semi-trailers to haul tanks to battlefront, but heavier tanks like Panther and Tiger negated this mass feasibility due to bridge limitations and road conditions. Hence heavy armor were transported by Deutsche Reichbahn (German Imperial Railway, Imperial term was vestige title from previous German Empire) to frontlines. This German railway organization was one of greatest WW2 logistical accomplishments, enabling German military to rapidly transverse men-equipment-material to diverse European battlefronts be it pinching off 1943 Allied invasion of Salerno-Italy, routing reinforcements to 1944 Normandy-France, or transfer of German 14th Armor Division from one 1944 southern battlefield in Romania to northern one in Kurland-Baltic region. Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft

Inset 2 : Thoroughly shot-up Panther Ausf A model in western Europe given its swivel hull hatches for driver and radio operator and rubber rimmed wheels. Panther 131 was probably already disabled and abandoned by its crew, its derelict was fired upon by approaching Allied forces for fear of German ambush or simple target practice (as noted by small caliber anti-tank rounds penetrating hull and turret). It was common German practice to nestle ambush tanks among derelicts, hence Allies learnt to always fire upon any German armor regardless of their condition to make sure "No one was home". Note lighter color shading between roadwheels and upper camouflage, since bottom areas quickly picked up dirt - grim - mud on its armor march. Various methods are used to model replicate this weathering, such as examples on Track48 model site. Tiger II Weathering - www.track48.com/gallery/ww2/axis/tanks/tiger2-ingram/index-page3.html

• Amtrak - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak