panther tanks?

Question

what year did they start using imfa red equipment on panther tank and how long was the training fot this eqipment

Answer 1

they started to us infrared equipment in end 1944 and not in 1939 like said above ( they started to do the necessary development for it in 1939 also the panther was even on the drawing board then )
The first training of units happened in the panzer school at Fallingsboostel in the summer of 1944 this unit was indented to participate in the ardenne offensive but that didn't happen but in 1945 there some small units that did see some local action

"Sparrowhawk Night-fighting Panther:
In 1943 a small number of Panthers had a 300 mm (11.8") Uhu (Owl) infra-red searchlight and Biwa image converter installed.8 The range was approximately 600 m (1,968').8

Crews practiced at the Armored School at Fallingsboostel.8

In 1944, a 600 mm (23.6") infra-red searchlight was installed on a half-track.8 These were to operate alongside the Panthers to provide longer range.8

Also intended to be deployed with the Panther and half-track would be a panzergrenadier squad that would be equipped with Vampir (Vampire) night sights.8 This unit of 3 vehicles was to be known as the Sperber (Sparrowhawk).8

In the summer of 1944, the 3rd Company, 24th Panzer Regiment, of the 116th Panzer Division were equipped with the Uhu devices at the Bergen training ground.8 Hitler had wanted them to be used in the Ardennes offensive, but they never were.8

In early 1945,a team was sent to Stuhlwissenberg, Hungary to be used by the Sixth SS Panzer Army in the relief of Budapest.8 However, the rest of the company didn't have their Uhu devices.8

In 1945 it was planned to equip five companies, but only two teams joined the Panzer Division Clausewitz.8 On April 21, 1945, the teams overran an American unit on the Weser-Elbe Canal, to become the only documented case of the Sperber units in action.8

A company of 10 Sperber Panthers and a company of night fighting panzergrenadiers with half-tracks was assigned to the Panzer Division Muncheberg.8 The unit was in the battle of Berlin and was destroyed.8 It is unclear whether they were deployed in their night fighting role.8

Some Ausf Ds and Ausf As were equipped with an additional infra-red searchlight and image converter for the driver.8 This was developed at the tank school at Fallingsboostel and was know as Solution B.8 In April 1945, Some of these Panthers were assigned to the Panzer Division Clausewitz.8 Near Uelzen in mid-April, they were deployed in their only known action, and destroyed an entire platoon of British Comet tanks.8 "

Answer 2

1939 was the first year the Panther used Infrared.

Please see this article for info:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/articles/ir.htm