One of the most famous tanks of the Second World War, comparable only to the legendary T-34 and Tiger, the Pz.V Panther was designed not just as a “Teutonic answer” to our “thirty-four”, but as a Wunderwaffe capable of turning the tide of the war. However, the miracle did not happen again. Despite the powerful frontal armor, rational angles of inclination of the armor plates (low bow to the T-34!) and an excellent gun capable of hitting any enemy tanks at a distance of up to one and a half kilometers, the first experience of the combat use of the Panthers was lumpy - they suffered heavy losses on the Kursk Bulge , finding themselves vulnerable in the lateral projection not only to 76-mm anti-tank guns, but even to “magpies”. The situation only worsened in 1944, when new T-34-85 and even more powerful anti-tank systems began to enter service with the Red Army, and the quality of German armor fell sharply due to a shortage of alloying additives. If we take into account the exceptional technical complexity and high cost of the Panther, all its advantages seem completely dubious. Nevertheless, many Western historians continue to call the Pz.V “the best tank of World War II.” What is this myth based on? Why, unlike the Allies, who considered the “Panther” a terrible enemy, did our tankers not only not notice it at all, but put it much lower than the formidable “Tiger”? Was it a “miracle weapon” - or an unsuccessful, unbalanced and simply superfluous machine that undermined the combat power of the Panzerwaffe? In the unique encyclopedia of the leading historian of armored vehicles, illustrated with hundreds of exclusive drawings and photographs, you will find the answers to all these questions.