Kanonenjagdpanzer

Kanonenjagdpanzer

A Kanonenjagdpanzer in 1968
Type Tank destroyer
Place of origin  West Germany
Service history
In service 1965–1990
Used by  West Germany
 Belgium
Production history
Manufacturer Henschel and Hanomag
Produced 1965–1967
Specifications
Weight 27.5 tonnes
Length Total: 8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)
Hull: 6.24 m (20 ft 6 in)
Width 2.98 m (9 ft 9 in)
Height 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)
Crew 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)
Armor 10–50mm
Main
armament
 1 × Rheinmetall BK 90/L40 90mm anti-tank gun
Secondary
armament
 2 × 7.62mm MG3 machine guns
8 smoke dischargers
Engine 29,4l MTU MB 837 Aa V8 water-cooled multi-fuel diesel-engine
500 hp (368 kW)
Suspension torsion bar
Operational
range
 385 km (239 mi)
Speed 70km/h (43.5 mph)

The Kanonenjagdpanzer (also known as Jagdpanzer Kanone 90mm, or tank destroyer, gun) was a German Cold War tank destroyer equipped with a 90mm anti-tank gun from obsolete M47 Patton tanks. Its design was very similar to that of the World War II Jagdpanzer IV.

History

The first prototypes of the Kanonenjagdpanzer were built in 1960 by Hanomag and Henschel for West Germany and by MOWAG for Switzerland. Between 1966 and 1967, 770 units were built for the Bundeswehr, 385 by Hanomag and 385 by Henschel. Eighty of them were delivered to Belgium from April 1975 onward.[1]

When the Soviets began deploying their T-64 and T-72 main battle tanks, the 90 mm gun was not capable of engaging them in long-range combat and the Kanonenjagdpanzer became obsolete. Although the producers claimed it could be rearmed with a 105 mm gun,[1] between 1983 and 1985, 163 of these tank destroyers were converted into Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 2 anti-tank guided missile carriers by removing the gun, adding a roof-mounted TOW missile launcher and fastening further spaced and perforated armour on the hull. Some others were refitted into artillery observation vehicles by removing the main gun, so called Beobachtungspanzer, which served most particularly in the mortar units.

Some Kanonenjagdpanzer remained into service with the Heimatschutztruppe until 1990.

Design

The Kanonenjagdpanzer was a highly mobile vehicle, its survivability based on its mobility and its low profile.[1] Its hull consisted of welded steel with a maximum thickness of 50 mm. It carried a crew of four: commander, driver, gunner and loader. Since the Kanonenjagdpanzer followed the casemate design of most World War II tank destroyers, the gun was fixed within the casemate, located a little right from the center. The 90 mm gun could only traverse 15° to the sides and elevate from −8° to +15°. It carried 51 90 mm rounds for the main gun and 4,000 7.62 mm rounds for the two MG3s.[1] The Kanonenjagdpanzer had NBC protection and night-fighting ability.[1]

Operators

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Panzer und andere Kampffahrzeuge von 1916 bis heute, Christopher F. Foss, Buch und Zeit Verlagsgesellschaft, p.134 (German)
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