Panther vs T-34: Ukraine 1943

Osprey Duel #4

by Robert Forczyk

Robert A. Forczyk provides a riveting and intense description of the design and development of these two deadly opponents, the Panther and the T-34, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses and describing their tactics, weaponry and training. Moreover he gives an insight into the lives of the tank crews themselves, who were caught up in the largest land conflict of World War II, in some of the most important engagements in the history of warfare.

Innovative digital artwork and first-person perspectives place the reader in the midst of a duel between the titans of the Soviet and German armed forces in a ruthless and relentless death match that would determine the war on the Eastern Front and, indeed, the fate of Nazi Germany.

Genres: History, Military History, World War II, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Russia, European History

80 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2007

About the author

Robert Forczyk has a PhD in International Relations and National Security from the University of Maryland and a strong background in European and Asian military history.

Reviews

[Dachokie]

A Simple Book Loaded with Unbiased Content ..., April 19, 2011

I found the concept of Osprey Publishing's series of "duel" books intriguing and opted for PANTHER vs. T-34 as my first sample simply because the title of "best tank of World War II" has been liberally applied to both vehicles. After reading it, I was more than impressed with the balance, format and graphical presentation of the book and found it to be a treasure trove of useful information that was quite easy to consume.

Robert Forczyk does an excellent job of comparing these two mechanical beasts in a balanced manner. All too often I find assessment-type books exhibiting bias, but that is not the case with PANTHER vs. T-34. The author exhibits a knack of presenting considerable background knowledge of the subject matter and thorough research in a condensed, easy-to-read format ... even when covering technical and engineering aspects of each tank. Starting with a historical overview of the vehicles, the reader receives a brief but comprehensive overview of the Panther and T-34 before delving into the components that comprise the comparison: production, engine mechanics, armor, armament, training, tactics, communication, etc. An appropriate amount of photos and other graphics are provided to enhance, but not overwhelm, the informative text covering each comparison point. More importantly, though, the author maintains a critical yet even approach on the positives and negatives of each vehicle. After all the necessary background information is provided for the reader, the book culminates with three specific engagements in the Ukraine (1943) where Panthers and T-34s fought each other tank-to-tank. And rather than simply stating "the winner is ..." the author graciously allows the reader to make the final determination based on the material presented.

I really enjoyed the thoroughness of the content of this book and the manner in which it is presented (neutral). PANTHER vs. T-34 was obviously well-researched and I found it both enlightening and entertaining. The only critical issue I had with the book was that I wish it had cutaway drawings to further illustrate the interior orientation of each tank. Regardless, using this book as an example, I plan on purchasing more books in the "duel" series.

[Ulzar Sadosh]

Hardly a duel.

I'm not sure if that book really belongs to the series because instead of focusing on one example of combat, it's more of an analysis of combat between two types of vehicles over period of half-a-year.

[Grant]

Forczyk provides a solid study of the development, strengths, and weaknesses of two of the best-known and most-admired tanks of World War II, culminating in a well-considered analysis of their performance in combat.

[Justin]

Detailed breakdown of the development of the Panther and T-34 tanks and their deployment on the Eastern front in 1943, particularly for the Battle of Kursk.

[Liam]

I found the back story of both vehicles interesting. How the Russian in charge of tanks deliberately delayed the t34 in order to favour his grandson's KV 1 design. Rather dangerous thing to do with Stalin breathing down your neck I would have thought. How the Panther succumbed to internecine squabling between the various German concerns as was the case with so much of their armnaments production. It started out at 33 tons but ended up at 45 tons with a drive system that sheared under the weight and could only manage 100km before breaking down in many instances whereas the t34 was much more reliable. Can you apply the term holistic design to a tank I wonder? The T34 took 5000 man hours to make the Panther 55000. (writing from memory, figures might be slightly off) Lessons for manufacturing I think.