G.W. Panther

In 1942, German designers started the development of a new series which would utilize chassis and components of various tanks and use them as mountings for various heavy weapons. Designs of the Grille Series incorporated many new technical modifications in order to mount heavy weapons. Some vehicles of the Grille Series were designed to be weapon carriers - Waffentrager. Some of those vehicles reached prototype stage, but none of them entered production that was planned for mid 1945. The Grille 12/15 were to be based on a Panther chassis. Originally, the Grille 10 was built based on the order for heavy anti-tank vehicle armed with the 88mm Flak L/56 gun to be used against fortifications of the Maginot Line. In June of 1940, a change of technical specifications occured: the vehicle build by Krupp was modified to be a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun. It was based on the Pz Sf IVc chassis. The original anti-tank vehicle designated as 8.8cm K(PzSfl) auf Sonderfahrgestell was to be armed with the 88mm Pak 43 gun, but only a wooden model was made. In late 1942, three prototypes were made: the Versuchsflakwagen fur 8.8cm Flak 37. In 1944, they were rearmed with the 88mm Flak 41 guns and designated the Versuchsflakwagen fur 8.8cm Flak 41. A single example was rearmed again with 88mm Flak 37 and was sent for tests to Italy, where it served with Heeres Flakartillerie Abteilung (Sf.) 304 with was assigned to the 26th Panzer Division.

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