Jagdtiger

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Jagdtiger Sdkfz 186
A Jagdtiger in the Aberdeen tank museum
Specifications
Weight	71.7 tonnes
Length	10.65 m including gun
Width	3.6 m
Height	2.8 m
Crew	6
Armour	250 mm
Primary armament	1x 12.8 cm PaK 44 L/55
Secondary armament	1x 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
Engine	V-12 Maybach HL 230 P30 700 hp (515 kW)
Power/weight	9.21 hp/tonne
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	120 km on roads, 80 km offroad
Speed	34 km/h

The Jagdtiger (Sd. Kfz.186) (Ger. "Hunting tiger") was a German World War II Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer) based on the chassis of the Tiger II ("King Tiger") tank. It is also the heaviest armored fighting vehicle ever to reach production in World War II.

[edit] Design

The Jagdtiger was a logical extension of the creation of Jagdpanzer designs from tank designs such as the Jagdpanther from the Panther tank. The Jagdtiger used a boxy superstructure on top of a lengthened Tiger II chassis. The idea for the Jagdtiger began in early 1943 and prototypes were produced by Porsche and Henschel as had been the case with the Tiger II.

The resulting vehicle featured very heavy armor and the powerful 128 mm L/55 PaK 44 gun, a development of the 12.8 cm FlaK 40 anti-aircraft gun, capable of defeating any tank fielded in World War II, even at long ranges (+3,500 meters). It had 250 mm armor on the turret front and 150 mm on the glacis plate, which made it invulnerable to any frontal fire. However it lacked a traversable turret and the main gun mount had a limited traverse of only 10 degrees; the entire vehicle had to be turned to aim outside that narrow field of fire.

It suffered from the same maladies as the King Tiger, only that they were magnified since the Jagdtiger was three tons heavier: an underpowered engine, frequent breakdowns, and poor maneuverability. These problems, along with the lack of a revolving turret, made it vulnerable to infantry with anti-tank weapons and Allied air attacks. When properly supported, the Jagdtiger had the potential to be a formidable opponent, especially at longer ranges. However, Jagdtigers were deployed in limited numbers due to the small production, further reduced by equipment shortages, low reliability, and gasoline shortages.

[edit] Combat history

Only two heavy antitank battalions (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung), numbered 512 and 653, were equipped with Jagdtigers, with the first vehicles reaching the units in September 1944. About 20% were lost in combat; most were destroyed by their own crews when abandoned chiefly due to mechanical breakdowns or lack of fuel in the desperate final stages of the war. The gun used separate-loading ammunition, which meant that two loaders were used to insert the projectile and the cased propelling charge separately. This resulted in a slow rate of fire. The tremendous amount of smoke would often give away the position of the vehicle, in addition to momentarily blinding the crew.

[edit] Production

Destroyed Jagdtiger. One of eleven Jagdtigers with the Porsche designed prototype longitudinal torsion bar suspension

150 Jagdtigers were ordered but only some 88 were produced in total. Eleven of them, serial numbers 305001 and 305003 to 305012, were produced with Porsche suspension (8 roadwheels); all following with Henschel suspension (9 roadwheels).

Production figures vary depending on source and other factors such as if prototypes are included and if ones made after VE day are included. Totals range from about 77 to 88 produced from July 1944 to May of 1945. Approximately 48 from July 1944 to the end of December 1944; 36 from January to April 1945, serial numbers from 305001 to 305088 (such as examples from May 45, and pre-production prototypes, and whether incomplete chassis's count).

Some sources say no more vehicles were completed after February. Towards the end some were lacking important equipment and could not be used operationally, or could not be deployed to units.

Product history by serial number

• February 1944 - 2 - #305001-305002
• July 1944 - 3 - #305003-305005
• August 1944 - 3 - #305006-305008
• September 1944 - 8 - #305009-305016;
• October 1944 - 9 - #305017-305025
• November 1944 - 6 - #305026-305031
• December 1944 - 20 - #305032-305051
• January 1945 - 10 - #305052-305061
• February 1945 - 13 - #305062-305074
• March 1945 - 3 - #305075-305077
• April 1945 - 7 - #305078-305084
• May 1945 - 4 - #305085-305088

after serial number 305011 (September 1944) no Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste was factory applied.

[edit] Survivors

Surviving Jagdtigers include a rare Porsche suspension type with serial number 305004 in the Bovington Tank Museum, UK. Other surviving Jagdtiger are Henschel suspension types number 305020 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA and 305083 in the Kubinka tank museum, Russia.

[edit] External links

• Achtung Panzer!
• Battletanks.com
• Panzerworld
• Surviving Tiger tanks - A PDF file presenting the Tiger tanks (Tiger I, Kingtiger, Jagdtiger and Sturmtiger) still existing in the world