If I'm not mistaken, I recall that the Luchs was to be fitted experimentally with the 50mm gun turret from the Puma. That would be an interesting conversion to add the Italeri Puma's turret to a Luchs. That little pussycat would have a nasty set of claws!
:-)

Hi !

Also not sure, but with what I remember, that turret was designed for a light tank called "Leopard", that was never introduced to the Wehrmacht. It looked like a mixture between a "Panther" and a Pz II Ausf. L ("Luchs"). Man, are we talking about cats ? :-)

Frank

Hi, Very interesting. Was there any pictures of such a vehicle, or drawing made?

Take care, Sgirty

sgirty,

once upon a time ...
I saw only one picture ever of that Leopard prototype, but I'll try to paint it virtually:
Ok, take the body of a Pz IIL Luchs on wider tracks (must have been more than two rows of roadwheels), take the frontal armor plate of a Panther (side armor was vertical), take the Puma turret. Ready.
I think I'll do a quick-search.

CU

Frank

Spähpanzer II (Recon tank II) Luchs

New MAN chassis and suspension (they built the Panther), standard Pz II turret (without cuppola) including the 2cm Kwk. The last 31 units built had a 50mm gun in the same turret (something I didn't know yet).
No photo

Search goes on

Take a look at


www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de


From what I read there, the Puma turret with open top (!) was installed on the Luchs. Don't know which information is right now. The Leopard recon tank (VK 1602) is also mentioned there with open Puma turret along with a recovery vehicel (VK 1601), with a bad photo of the latter. Both should have the same chassis and suspension.

That's all

CU

Frank

Couldn't be as simple as just slapping the Puma turret onto the Luchs hull, could it? Unless as a 'what if?' An unmodified Luchs chassis should be able to take the weight of the Puma turret - the earlier Mk ll's carried the 75mm L48 as a jagdpanzer, and the SiG 33 150 mm howitzer as SP artillery.

Hallo. Wie gehts ? Gents check out Panzer Tracts #20-2 Paper Panzers. This book has all the info you need to know about 'what if' Luchs designs. Included are the Pz Kpfw II Ausf M Luchs, and the 5cm Luchs. Other good gouge includes the Aufklarer Leopard designs. For info on how to get a copy of this book, and other titles in this EXCELLENT series, check this site out:

https://panzertracts.com/

Enjoy !!

Auf Wiedersehen !

Alpen

Thanks Robert!

@Alpenflage

Danke, gut. Und Dir ?

@Biggles2

German armor is very simple, and there are only a few versions. A few millions...
Whenever I check something about it, I have more questions after than before. Motto being: Anything goes.
I think they left the turret roof off, because its frontal armor was about 80mm thick and therefore the whole construction being a lot heavier than the Marder's (or Wespe's)thin metal box.
The 15cm SIG 33 II (exclusively build for DAK) had a lengthened chassis with 6 roadwheels instead of five. Both Marder/Wespe and SIG II were said to be hard to handle due to their weight.

CU

Frank

Hmmmmmm! Verrrrry interesting!