by Robert Forczyk
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Product Description
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.
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 Interesting, but not outstanding..., 2008-09-12
I found the author's premise thought provoking and interesting, but in the end, a bit hollow. He contends that the Panther was a failed design when compared to the basic T-34, and therefore a waste of resources that the Third Reich could ill afford.
So the Panther was not "the best tank of WWII". Fair enough. But to make the book more interesting for WWII wonks, Mr. Forczyk could have discussed potential alternatives available to the German military in lieu of the Panther. Just a few more pages on this issue would have been fun.
He also seems to give short shrift to the fact that the German armored forces' qualitative advantages in training, radios, guns, and gun sights througout 1943 led to significant losses in the ranks of the Red Army which could have been avoided had the Soviets upgraded to the T-35/85 six months earlier. Given the number of tanks the Soviet Union built in 1944, it's difficult to believe that an earlier upgrade would have appreciably slowed overall production.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
 Good Book, Incorrect outcome, 2008-06-24
Very good book. However, the Panther's achilles heal was actually the thickness of her side armor(50mm). Her mechanical problems were remedied soon after the battle of Kursk. But whatever she may have given up in armor,her powerful KwK/42 (L/70) 7.5cm main gun more than made up for it. This gun actually had more penetrating power than the main gun on the Tiger I . The Panther could engage and destroy frontal plate armor on all T-34 versions at 2,000 meters while the Soviet counterpart had to get to 500 meters to do the same to the Panther. It was the combined tactics of the Soviets to outnumber the Panzers five and six to one and then "get in close" regardless of losses that ultimately doomed the Panther and all the great german tanks . This is an advantage in numerical superiority and not mechanical superiority. One on One, the Panther was the most deadly tank of WWII. I would respectfully disagree with the outcome of the Author.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
 Learn why T-34 mobility counted for more than Panther firepower, 2008-06-14
I enjoyed this book and learned a great deal from it. As a 1970's era wargamer, I always saw the Panther as superior, given the higher combat factors assigned it in the famous wargame Panzerblitz. Yet the author makes a convincing case that the T-34's outstanding mobility counted for far more than the Panther's admittedly impressive firepower. While a Panther could usually best a T-34 in a one-on-one encounter, Panthers were always outnumbered. Panthers were also seriously unreliable, at least in 1943. This made a big difference, allowing the Soviets to transfer entire tank corps over distances greater than 100 kilometers, while Panthers had to be hauled any significant distance by railroad. The T-34's advantage in operational mobility was extremely helpful, and maybe even decisive, as the tide turned in Russia during 1943. When the Germans tried to retreat with Panthers under their own power over long distances, breakdowns were frequent. As a result, more Panthers were blown up to prevent capture than were lost in combat. And the Germans were retreating more than advancing by the latter half of 1943.
This finely detailed book made the Russian front interesting to me despite a preference for other parts of World War II. It gives details on the design history of these two tanks, as well as insight into crew training and day-to-day life. The author also gives a detailed analysis of a duel in the Kursk campaign. Graphic quality is very good. Few of the Osprey books are as well-researched as this one. Whether you are a casual reader interested in tanks or a serious student of armored warfare, this title is a "must read."
2 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
Panther is mostly remembered for her looks, 2008-05-20
In its 79 pages, this fine & richly illustrated American book makes a thorough comparison between the German 'Panther' and its Russian counterpart 'T 34'.
Being only partially better than T 34, Panther's main flaw was its mechanical weakness. No doubt Josef Stalin was greatly helped by the many Panthers that got out of action without ever engaging his much more reliable T 34's. Obviously Panther's designers valued their own vanity more.
That brings us to the only overall-superiority Panther enjoys over T 34: the beauty of its looks. Panther surely makes a magnificent example of 1940's industrial design. Unfortunately that isn't decisive for winning a war.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Small but excellent book on armored warfare., 2008-03-13
"Panther vs. T-34" gives readers the story of the epic showdown between two legendary tanks. The Russian T-34 met the German panther for the first time in the brutal battles in Southern Russia and the Ukraine. By the end of 1943, the flawed but powerful panthers had destroyed droves of Soviet tanks, but ultimately Soviet strenght prevailed. The book is thin, but contains quite a bit of information in a very readable form. The production of the vechicles is described as are the armored battles in which they faced each other. Additional features include brief descriptions of tank commanders and two interesting computer generated images of the tanks targeting one another. The book has numerous photos of the vechicles, including some I haven't noticed in other books. There is only one piece of artwork depicting an engagement, but it is very well done (much more detailed than the one featured in the "Duel" book featuring the firefly and tiger I). Overall, I recommend it to anyone interested in World War II armored vechiles or the epic tragedy called the Eastern Front.
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