Panzerwaffe-Steel cats- Panther ausf D and King Tiger Ausf B 1/35 ICM-DS3524

Before the outbreak of World War II, the armored forces of the Third Reich (Panzerwaffe) were equipped mainly with light and medium tanks. The results of the battles on the Eastern Front in 1941 showed that in order to successfully confront the Soviet tanks, new armored vehicles with more powerful guns and thick armor were needed. In early 1943, production of the Pz.Kpfw V Panther tank, equipped with a 75 mm long 7.5 cm KwK42 L/70 gun, began. The weight of this tank, depending on the modification, ranged from 43 to 45.5 tons, being classified as both medium and heavy tank according to different criteria. Many military historians consider it one of the best tanks of World War II. The Pz.Kpfw V also served as the basis for the Jagdpanther tank destroyer and the Bergepanther recovery vehicle. In the winter of 1944, production began on the Pz.Kpfw VI Ausf B Königstiger tank, with an 88 mm gun and heavy armor, capable of destroying any Allied tank at more than 2000 meters.