| Jagdpanther" | |
|---|---|
Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther |
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| Type | Tank destroyer |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1944–1945 |
| Number built | 415 |
| Variants | G1, G2 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 45.5 tonnes (100,300 lb) |
| Length | 9.87 m (32 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in) |
| Height | 2.71 m (8 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 5 |
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| Armor | 80 mm (3.14 in) frontal 100 mm (3.93 in) mantlet 45mm side 40mm rear |
| Main armament |
1 × 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 or 43/4 L/71 57 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 600 rounds |
| Engine | Maybach HL230 P30 (V-12 petrol) 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW) |
| Power/weight | 15.4 PS/tonne |
| Suspension | dual torsion bar |
| Operational range |
160 km (99 miles) |
| Speed | 46 km/h (28.6 mph) |
The Jagdpanther (German: "hunting panther") was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. It entered service late in the war (1944) and saw service on the Eastern and Western fronts. The Jagdpanther combined the very powerful 8.8 cm KwK 43 cannon and the characteristically excellent armor and suspension of the Panther chassis.
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A heavy tank destroyer design based on the 8.8 cm Pak 43 gun and the Panther tank chassis was ordered in late 1942 as design SdKfz 173. Production started in January 1944; in February Hitler specified the Jagdpanther name.
To accommodate the heavier-calibre gun, much as on previous Jagdpanzer-style unturreted tank destroyers, the glacis plate and sides of the Jagdpanther were extended up into an integral, turretless fixed casemate as part of the main hull itself to provide a roomy interior. The Jagdpanther had side armour of increased thickness to offset the slightly reduced angle of the side armour necessary to provide enough interior space. The new (April 1944) Panther Ausf. G had the same feature, to harmonize production and increase protection.
It was armed with an anti-tank version of the same long-barreled 8.8 cm gun as the Tiger II "King Tiger" and a single 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun in the front glacis plate for local defence. The Jagdpanther had a good power-to-weight ratio and a powerful main gun, which enabled it to destroy any type of Allied tank. Based on the existing Panther chassis, the vehicle did not suffer too many mechanical problems;It had an upgraded transmission(the zf ak 7-400)and final drive to counter the Panther's main weakness. It was manned by a crew of five: a driver, radio-operator, commander, gunner and a loader.
Two main variants can be distinguished, the earlier (1944 model) G1 with a small internally-bolted main gun mantlet and a modified Panther A engine deck, and the later (1945 model) G2 with a larger, outside-bolted mantlet and a modified Panther G engine deck, though late G1s also had the larger mantlet. Early Jagdpanthers had two vision openings for the driver, whereas late versions had only one. The main gun originally had a monobloc gun barrel but later versions were equipped with the Pak 43/4 gun with a two-part barrel. Early G1s (to September 1944) were coated with Zimmerit in a distinctive "small-squared" pattern.
A total of 415 Jagdpanthers were produced from January 1944 by three manufacturers. MIAG produced 270 from January 1944 until the end. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen-Hannover (MNH) produced 112 from November 1944. Maschinenbau und Bahnbedarf (MBA) produced 37 vehicles from December 1944.[1] They equipped heavy antitank battalions and served mainly on the Eastern Front. In the West, they were first encountered in very small numbers late in the Battle of Normandy, where the German 654 schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung ("654th Heavy Antitank Battalion") deployed about 12 Jagdpanthers against British units. Later, significant numbers were concentrated in the West for the Ardennes Offensive.
Three surviving Jagdpanthers have been restored to running condition. Two German museums Deutsches Panzermuseum at Munster and Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung (WTS) at Koblenz have one running Jagdpanther each. The SDKFZ Foundation in the UK has restored one Jagdpanther to running condition, using two wrecked Jagdpanthers to complete one. The other wreck will also be restored.
There are at present seven other known surviving Jagdpanthers, which are on display at:
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