The Pz.Kpfw V Panther II is a German prototype medium tank, sometimes classified as heavy, from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this vehicle appeared in 1943. The drive was provided by a single Maybach HL 230 P 30 engine with 700 HP. The length of the tank, including the gun barrel, was 6.6 meters with a width of 3.4 meters. The armament of the vehicle consisted of a 75mm KwK 42 L / 70 gun and two 7.92mm MG34 machine guns.
The Panther II is a development version of the standard Pz.Kpfw V tank. The main changes, in the first stage of work, consisted in strengthening the frontal armor of the tank while maintaining its considerable angle of inclination. There were also minor production simplifications in the construction of the tower. Shortly after, the concept of unifying the Panther II chassis with the Pz.Kpfw VI Tiger heavy tank appeared. Due to the experience gained from the operation of the Panther I vehicles, it was also planned to use a completely new turret - the so-called Schmallturm. However, in the first half of 1943 it was decided not to put the Panther II into production, but interestingly, further development works on this tank were not abandoned. However, the Panther II never entered mass production.
The Volkssturm is a German military formation of a militia or a mass movement from the end of World War II. The formation was established by a special order of Adolf Hitler in September 1944, due to the catastrophic losses of the German armed forces, especially on the Eastern Front. All capable men between the ages of 16 and 60 served in its ranks. Volkssturm members did not receive virtually any uniforms, except for special armbands, and their weapons were outdated rifles, pistols and machine guns, very often from the First World War. The only modern weapons used by the Volkssturm were the Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck anti-tank grenade launchers. Units of this formation were initially used to protect roads, railroads and fortifications, but from the beginning of 1945 they were already used on the front line - especially in the defense of Wrocław, Kołobrzeg and Berlin.