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"Welcome to your arrival, Dr. Marcus."
Strasser looked at the elderly man with the frizzy hair in front of him, somewhat surprised. He remembered that Marcus didn't seem to have this hairstyle before.
"As the head of the R&D department, I have to conduct many experiments every day, some of which are successful, of course, but there are also failures," Marcus explained as he noticed Strasser staring blankly at his new hairstyle.
"The Panther tank you designed is very advanced. We have already tested it in the R&D department, and while maintaining mobility, both firepower and armor protection have been greatly enhanced. Compared to the armed tractor we developed before, it is simply a behemoth."
Strasser couldn't help but smile; he wondered what Marcus would think if he knew that the Panther tank was only considered a light tank in World War II.
In fact, Strasser initially wanted to directly design the blueprints for the Panzer III and IV tanks. After all, historical evidence shows that light tanks like the Panther were merely a transitional phase, and their role diminished as the war progressed.
Unfortunately, many technologies in Germany are still not mature. It was barely possible to produce the Panther tank nearly a decade ahead of schedule, let alone the Panzer III and IV tanks.
"Let's bring this guy in for the officers of the First Division to take a look. Clearly, they can't wait any longer," Strasser said, looking at the eager group of officers beside him.
On the drill ground of the First Division, all the soldiers of the First Infantry Division stopped their training when they heard that the Division had brought in some big equipment, and they rushed over to watch.
As a result, what was originally planned by Strasser as a small demonstration for senior officers of the First Division along with Rommel's Independent Armored Regiment turned into a large-scale event with thousands of spectators.
Everyone looked at the large equipment covered by a curtain on the drill ground, curious and speculating about what was underneath the fabric.
"You said, what do these tanks look like?"
Jürgen Second Lieutenant asked Lieutenant Ralph next to him. During World War I, Jürgen had not yet been to the front lines before the war ended, so naturally he didn't have the opportunity to see a British person's tank in person.
"What else could it be, isn't it just a metal box with two rows of wheels underneath and a gun barrel sticking out on top?"
Unlike Jürgen's curiosity, Ralph has already seen the British people's tanks at the Somme River, so he is not interested in the new tanks brought by the Division at all.
"When I was fighting at the Somme River, the British person's tanks were much bigger and more powerful than these guys, although they look very fierce, they are just a bunch of clumsy bears.
These tanks not only move slowly, but also have difficulty turning. They can basically only fight on the plains. Without infantry cover, give me an elite infantry squad, and I can directly destroy these tanks with hand grenades."
In fact, Ralph's thoughts are not an isolated case; many veterans of World War I who have witnessed tanks in action are skeptical about their role in warfare. While these cumbersome machines are highly lethal in trench warfare, their limitations are indeed significant.
"Pull it down."
At Strasser's signal, the guards of the Division simultaneously pulled down the curtain covering the tank.
At that moment, the newly developed Panther tank made its grand debut in front of the soldiers of the First Division, nine years ahead of its historical timeline. The soldiers curiously examined this new machine; compared to Germany's independently developed A7V heavy tank from World War I, the Panther tank was smaller and more aesthetically pleasing. Strasser had opted for an overall gray paint scheme adorned with numerous golden patterns for visual appeal. Of course, looks alone were not enough; actual combat capability was far more important.
"Dr. Marcus, can you drive this tank?"
None of the people present had ever driven this new type of tank. Strasser had played a Japanese game called "Tank Battle" before, but relying on that experience to drive a tank was clearly unrealistic.
"Of course, who else could drive this tank besides me?"
Marcus was very proud of himself. In the blink of an eye, he climbed onto the nearly two-meter-high tank. Despite his advanced age, he was still very agile.
"Who wants to come up and experience it? There are only two spots available," Marcus asked from the tank turret.
"Me!"
Strasser felt it was his duty; after finally getting the chance to sit on a tank, he couldn't possibly give it up.
"Rommel, you get up here too," Strasser called out. As the company commander of the independent tank battalion of the First Division, it was essential for him to familiarize himself with the weapon he would be using in the future.
Rommel, who had been eagerly rubbing his hands in anticipation, wasted no time and leaped directly onto the top of the tank.
The three quickly entered the tank. Although the space was somewhat cramped, it was still enough to fit all three of them.
"Hold on tight, I'm about to start driving."
With a loud roar of the engine, the entire tank trembled slightly, as if a steel monster had come to life.
Is this what it feels like to drive a tank? Strasser felt a bit excited; there was clearly a big difference between the game and reality. No man could refuse the chance to drive a tank, even if it was just for a joyride.
Dr. Marcus's driving skills were impressive; he drove the Panther tank like a gust of wind, bursting out of the drill ground and then soaring up and down the hills at the entrance of the Division, leaving the soldiers of The First Division dumbfounded. This was nothing like the tanks they were used to.
Immediately after, Marcus charged down the slope and accelerated straight toward the Division's drill ground, aiming directly at several other Panther tanks parked on the drill ground, showing no signs of slowing down even as he was about to collide with them.
This scared the soldiers of the First Division, causing everyone to scatter in a panic, fearing that they would be caught in an accident. Inside the vehicle, Strasser and Rommel were also feeling a bit frightened. "Doctor, slow down! We're about to crash!" Strasser shouted as he desperately shook Marcus's shoulder.
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush just yet."
Marcus obviously had everything under control. He had practiced this driving style many times and never failed.
"Let me show you the skills of the German car god."
Dr. Marcus slammed the steering wheel and pressed the brake to the floor. The Panther tank immediately pivoted, its tracks squeaking as they worked, leaving a deep tread mark on the flat ground. The tank maneuvered at an angle around the first Panther tank parked on the drill ground.
But that wasn't all; Marcus then sharply turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction, driving the tank around the second Panther tank. Strasser noticed that the Panther tanks arranged on the drill ground were all in a straight line, with about five meters between each of them.
In this way, Marcus swayed left and right, successfully navigating the tank around all the Panther tanks parked on the drill ground, ultimately finishing the performance with a spectacular drift.
As Marcus, Strasser, and Rommel stepped out of the vehicle, the soldiers of the First Division greeted them with applause and cheers. Such an impressive display of racing was rare in the 1920s.
Dr. Marcus elegantly bowed to the crowd, while Strasser and Rommel smiled and waved. At that moment, Strasser was struggling to suppress discomfort in his stomach; he certainly did not want to vomit in front of thousands of people.
"Am I not suited for riding in a tank? Erwin," Strasser questioned, feeling somewhat doubtful about his life choices.
"Don't worry, Gregor, you'll get used to it after sitting for a while." Rommel whispered in comfort. During the months that Strasser was away, he had been riding in Student's vehicle every day and had built up some resistance to it.
"I believe everyone here has no doubts about the mobility of the Panther tank. Next, I will demonstrate the firepower and defensive capabilities of the Panther tank," Marcus said.
In the following hours, Marx personally drove the Panther tank, easily piercing through 15 millimeters of steel plate with its mounted 30-millimeter cannon, demonstrating the weapon's tremendous lethality against infantry and armored vehicles.
At the same time, its welded and sloped armor design was sufficient to allow the Panther tank to withstand multiple direct hits from the same caliber weapon, leaving the soldiers of The First Division in shock.
Overall, during the early stages of tank development in the 1920s, the Panther tank essentially swept across Europe without rivals, as there were hardly any opponents, mostly outdated relics from World War I. The famous tanks would not begin to emerge until the 1930s.
Looking at the soldiers marveling at the Panther tank on the drill ground, Marcus felt quite proud. Although the Panther tank was designed by Strasser, Marcus had implemented many improvements on it. Many technical details were not shown in Strasser's blueprints; they were developed by him and the experts from the weapons research department, who worked tirelessly day and night. It could be said that Marcus also deserved half of the credit for the emergence of the Panther tank.
"I have finished presenting what I wanted to show. Does anyone have any questions?" Marcus asked with a triumphant smile.
"I have a question."
From the crowd, a Second Lieutenant stepped forward, and it was Jürgen.
"Doctor, since this is the first tank officially designed by your team, why is it called the Panther tank?"
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