Panther Tank Turret Used as a Pillbox in Berlin, May 1945

November 28, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Panther tank turret repurposed as a pillbox in Berlin during the city’s defense, May 1945.

This photograph shows a Panther tank turret (Pz.Kpfw V Ausf. D) installed as a long-term defensive point (DOT) on a street in Berlin during the final battles of May 1945. The turret’s command cupola has been removed, and it served as a makeshift fortification for German forces attempting to slow the Soviet advance in the city.

Starting in 1943, Panther turrets were increasingly adapted for static defensive roles. While some were removed from operational tanks, the majority were purpose-built as anti-tank fortifications. Specially manufactured turrets lacked the command cupola of a full tank, featuring a simple hatch instead. The roof armor was reinforced to 40 mm, allowing them to withstand 150-mm shells, compared to 17 mm on standard Panther turret roofs.

Manufacturing and assembly were coordinated across several German firms. Dortmund Hoerder Huttenverein produced 112 “Panther Ostwallturm” kits by February 1944. Ruhrstahl followed with 155 kits completed by August 1944. The Demag-Falkansee plant assembled 98 turrets by May 1944, planning production at 15 per month. Turrets could be installed on either a steel plate box (Pantherturm I) or a reinforced concrete base (Pantherturm III), following standardized designs issued by Wa Pruf Fest IV in late 1944. These installations were a common sight in German “fortress cities,” providing mobile firepower in urban defense.

Despite their robust construction, these turret pillboxes could often be bypassed due to the dense urban street networks, limiting their long-term effectiveness. This image captures both the ingenuity and desperation of Germany’s defensive measures in the final days of World War II in Europe.

Technical Photo Data:

📍 Location: Berlin, Germany
📅 Date: May 1945
📝 Subject: Panther tank turret used as a fortified DOT (pillbox)
📷 Photographer: Unknown

• Panther tank turrets as pillboxes
• Urban combat Berlin WWII
  
• German fortress city defenses
• Pantherturm I and III installations
• Final battles in Berlin 1945