Any information would be much appreciated.
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Maybe painted like this interpretation… Who knows? Some may even have had white wash…
This one is from Kampfgruppe Pfeifer with more visible markings.
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If I’m not mistaken, by that point of the war, most of the Panthers were new production and camouflage painted at the factory. The pattern depended upon which factory produced the tank. When the Ardennes attack began, there was not much snow on the ground, except in a few areas, so no white wash camo was used in the initial phase. That came about after the snows fell later in the battle.
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This image comes from Osprey’s Battle of the Bulge 1944(2), page 80. The Panther is from the 2nd Pz. Div., Pz.Rgt. 3. of Kampfgruppe Böhm.
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Thanks guys, KG von Bohm is what I’m interested in. The recon battalion was reinforced with 14 Panthers. It’s difficult to find information or clear photos showing the style of mufflers. Late G’s with flame arresters? Late G’s with the 3 muffler configuration?
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I was trying to find out when these vehicles were delivered, but of course they probably were a mixed bag within the KG. The second one has the debris guard over the mantlet gap, and that marks the same start date as factory applied camo, as Stik has stated. No zimmerit? I can’t tell. But without chinned mantlets, they wouldn’t have Flammenvernichter exhaust, as they came afterwards, plus I can see the pipes on the rear photo. This places them as August-early Sept. production vehicles. I can’t tell if crew heaters are present. Kinda looks like it but could be a box or something else. Chin mantlet started about 2 weeks before dropping Zimmerit, so things are a bit fuzzy here timing wise.
Unfortunately, I’m headed to the airport soon and don’t have the time right now for further study.
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Thanks paska
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A closer photo of some of the same Panthers
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The more famous photos of the KG, a Panther can be seen coming up the road and the infamous Pumas the battalion had along with an old 233 with the 75 mm short barrel gun.
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Opps, they do have chins! (looking closer at the other photos I can now see them. And therefore I’m guessing no Zimmerit, so they are late-Sept. vehicles at least.
I’m going to be gone for the next week, so hopefully someone else can help you. Good luck!
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Thanks paska and safe travels
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Kampfgruppe von Cochenhausen 2nd Panzer Panther Ardennes. What is it and can you tell the muffler configuration?
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It looks like it was taken long after the battle with the parts missing etc and how the earth has settled around it and the plants grown. No chin mantlet, Crew heater fitted, and the LH exhaust looks like the normal straight up type with the slight bend at the top
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@Paska that image from ospreys book is worthy of a diorama, thank you for some inspiration!
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Same Panther with parts removed.
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That Panther now is a memorial or trophy of sorts in Celles, Belgium.
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That’s what happens when you park your Panther in a bad neighborhood. 
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The story behind this tank monument is funny. That particular Panther was disabled by a mine and later towed to the small Belgium cafe as a tourist attraction. The woman who owned the cafe renamed her business “Le Tank.” It is also said that when the German tank column reached the town an officer ask the woman about the road ahead. She told them it was mined. They went no further. She became known as the lady who stopped the German Panzer division. In reality, the panzers ran out of fuel and the allied air force was able to finally get airborne.
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Was that at the location where engineers had laid fake mines across the route of the panzers? Something like pot lids or dinner plates. Between what the cafe owner said, and the apparent “mines” on the road ahead, they looked for a different route.
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