The Panther was Germany 's response to the shocking experience of encountering the superior Soviet T-34 tank in the wake of the invasion of Russia in 1941. While drawing heavily on the design of the T-34, the Panther was, however, a more sophisticated machine, incorporating features that led many to judge it to have been possibly the best designed tank of the war. This program covers not only evolution of the Panther design, but through the usage of combat footage, illustrates the Panther in action on all fronts on which the German Army fought from 1943 until 1945.