German forces near Moscow in December,1941.
A Soviet Mosin–Nagant rifle is hanging on the barrel of the Panzer IV.


Tank and soldiers in the cold

PzJg. Abt. 653 was renown for the oddities it utilized and/or slapped together. In this picture we have at only SdKfz 181 PzKpfW VI (P) (one of the the original prototypes) to see action mounted on a railway platform, preceded by the one-of-a-kind hybrid Panther that blended the Panther Ausf. D hull of a spare Bergepanther with a Panther IV turret.

The turret was bolted down and could therefore no longer operate as a turret. Both beasts served as command vehicles.


PzJg. Abt. 653

PzKpfw V Panther tanks, abandoned at the end of the battle for Vienna, 1945.  While I have no hard data for this, anecdotal evidence suggests that there was something of a surge in German production at the very end of the war, leading to some rather odd incidents.  One story I recall is of a young Waffen-WW sturmfuhrer who was underpinning part of the German retreat into Germany (Eastern Front) in 1945.  He was astounded to be presented with about 20 factory-new Panther Gs as replacements.  Since he had no fuel to power his existing tank complement, he asked whether a fuel consignment came with the Panthers - no dice.  All he could do was wait until the last Heer unit came through his post (saying that "only Ivan was behind", at which he destroyed his heavy equipment (including the brand-new Panthers), parade his troops for a final address, and send them home.  An anecdote, but not the only similar one from this time.  Best regards, JR.

