Panther tanks used by French in Vietnam?

Answer 1

Unless.someone's maintaining some secrets; the only WWII tanks used in the French War (1st Indochina War) were US supplied (to the French) M24 Chaffee light tanks, and some left over Japanese WWII Type 95 light tanks.

(The above is incorrect: the French also used H-39, M5 Stuart and M4 Sherman tanks of WWII vintage in Indochina).

Besides, Tiger & Panther tanks had teething problems for their own crewmen! They were new and experimental.

(This also is incorrect. Panthers had been in use since mid-'43 and Tigers from late '42 - they were neither new nor "experimental").

The Panzer Mk IV was commonly more exported, Israel may have been supplied with some in either 1948 or the 1950s. The chances of a Mk IV (or III) being in Indochina would be more believable than a Panther.

Whilst the french did use panther tanks at the end of ww2 this was only for a brief period. My understanding is they used them in small numbers in France from 45 to no later than 1950, although I am very uncertain on this date, logic suggests that they could not have used them in large numbers or for too long as their ability to get spares to repair them would get harder as time progressed.

Well having just written this I immediatly found out that the French used panthers from 45 to 52 in the following formations 503rd RCC and the 6e Cuirs.