Tamiya 35345 German Panther Ausf D
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.