Jagdpanzer 38 (t)

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Jagdpanzer 38 (t)
Jagdpanzer 38 (t) in the Worthington Tank Museum (Ontario, Canada)

Jagdpanzer 38 (t) in the Worthington Tank Museum (Ontario, Canada)
General properties
crew 4th
length 6.27 m
width 2.63 m
height 2.17 m
Dimensions 16 t
Armor and armament
Armor 8-60 mm
Main armament 7.5 cm Pak 39 L / 48
Secondary armament 1 × 7.92 mm MG 34 or MG 42
agility
drive Praga PS 1 EPA AC / 258 ( Otto engine )
160 PS
Top speed 42 km / h (road), 16 km / h (off-road)
Power / weight 10 hp / t
Range 180 km (road), 130 km (terrain)

The Jagdpanzer 38 (t) was a light tank destroyer , built on the modified chassis of the Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) . It was built for the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War in 1944 and 1945 as a special motor vehicle (Sd.Kfz) 138/2.

Due to a misunderstanding, the tank was occasionally referred to as "Hetzer" during the war ; post-war literature primarily used this term.

development

Since the effective 7.5 cm anti-tank gun 40 (PaK 40) was too heavy for the platoon and therefore immobile on the battlefield, from 1942 onwards, three different designs were used for both the Panzer II and Panzer 38 (t) chassis 7.5 cm PaK 40 as well as captured and modified Soviet 7.62 cm anti-tank guns mounted. The resulting PaK self-propelled guns were referred to as Marder I , II and III tank destroyers . These successful emergency solutions were replaced in the summer of 1944 by an equally effective new design, the Jagdpanzer 38 (t).

The tried and tested chassis of the Panzer 38 (t), which continued to be produced, was selected as the technical basis for a light tank destroyer. The tub had to be widened to make room for the cannon. The structure of armor plates bevelled on all sides was 60 millimeters thick on the front and 20 millimeters on the side. Wider tracks and a more powerful engine ensured sufficient mobility of the now 16-ton vehicle.

The 7.5 cm PaK 39 L / 48 with a further developed barrel brake , which no longer made a muzzle brake necessary, was selected as the weapon . For short-range defense, the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) had a 7.92 mm machine gun (mostly MG 34 , but also MG 42 ) on the roof, which the commander could remotely control via a periscope and an extended trigger. This secondary armament had a swivel range of 360 degrees and was used to repel enemy infantry. Although the machine gun was fired from the protected interior, since it only had a small drum magazine, the reloading process had to take place outside the tank without protection. Since the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) was a relatively small vehicle, the cannon, which was shifted 380 millimeters to the right, protruded considerably over the bow with its pig head cover .

"Hetzer"

Draft E-10

The name "Hetzer" became known primarily through a memorandum from Heinz Guderian to Adolf Hitler . According to this, German soldiers spontaneously coined this nickname for this tank. On the basis of this letter, the concise name established itself in post-war literature as the main name for the tank. It was never an official name and, according to many authors, there was no other indication of its contemporary use; However, individual examples for use in war reports, for example, were found.

According to the Canadian officer and military historian Harold A. Skaarup, the origin of the name lies in the never realized E-series , which was supposed to replace the existing German tanks, including the Jagdpanzer 38 (t), which was still in development, with more standardized models. As a replacement for the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) the Jagdpanzer E-10 was intended, which was given the project name Hetzer . In the Škoda plants , the name was mistakenly applied to the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) and was used in the first unit equipped with it, until the misunderstanding was cleared up after a few weeks.

Manufacturer

The Bohemian-Moravian Machine Factory (BMM, formerly ČKD) and Škoda were located in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia . By the end of the war in May 1945, around 2,600 vehicles had been produced (chassis no .: 321001–323000, 323001–?). They were delivered to the units from July 1944, initially to Heeres-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 731 and 743.

commitment

Jagdpanzer 38 (t) during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944
Ready-to-drive Jagdpanzer 38 (t) (Swiss version G-13) of the Army History Museum in Vienna

The Jagdpanzer 38 (t) proved its worth in use. The low silhouette made it difficult to detect and combat, the shape was exemplary and its firepower corresponded to that of the Panzer IV and the Jagdpanzer IV / 48 . The unusually bevelled front armor made the armor-piercing shells of the widely used cannon caliber ricochet off.

However, the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) was not particularly popular with the crews, as it only had a small combat area and the cannon swivel range was only 16 degrees (11 degrees to the right and only 5 degrees to the left due to the asymmetrical position of the main weapon) . To compensate for this, the entire vehicle had to be turned. The side armor was very weak at 20 millimeters, so that many Jagdpanzer 38 (t) were shot down from the side. In particular, 20 mm armor was insufficient to repel the anti-tank rifles , which were still widely used in the Red Army . In addition, the tank was completely blind on the right side, as none of the periscopes could be aimed at this side. This was problematic because of the weak armor on the sides.

Versions

Versions of the German Wehrmacht

There were various developments based on the Jagdpanzer 38 (t):

  • Flammpanzer 38 (t) - (end of 1944, 20 produced, conversion)
  • Bergepanzer 38 (t) (Sd.Kfz. 136, 181 produced)
  • 15 cm infantry gun 33/2 (Sf) on Jagdpanzer 38 (t) (1944, 1 prototype)
  • Full-track reconnaissance vehicle 38 (t) - reconnaissance tank (two prototypes)
  • Rheinmetall-Borsig Waffträger - weapon carrier with extended chain suspension of the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) (probably 1 prototype)
  • Light unit weapon carrier from Ardelt

There were also attempts to integrate the Panther's 7.5 cm KwK 42 L / 70 into the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) - some examples were made. Because of their extreme top-heaviness, these vehicles were only partially operational.

Tank destroyer G13

Panzerjäger G13 of the Swiss Army in the Thun Tank Museum

After the end of the war, the Škoda works built other models for the Czechoslovak army based on the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) ; 158 vehicles were delivered to the Swiss Army , where they remained in service under the designation Panzerjäger G13 until 1973. After production was discontinued in Czechoslovakia in 1950, between 1952 and 1954 a total of 86 tanks were converted to the Swiss Saurer Arbon 8-cylinder diesel engine with Allison transmission due to a lack of spare parts .

The main differences between the Panzerjäger G13 and the Jagdpanzer 38 (t) were:

  • 7.5 cm L / 48 Sturmkanone 40 of the StuG III instead of the 7.5 cm L / 48 PaK 39 of the Jagdpanzers 38
  • the remote-controlled MG was replaced by a panoramic periscope
  • The commander and loader exchanged places in the interior
  • the lighting system was changed (among other things, a rotating headlight was attached)
  • the gasoline engines were gradually replaced by diesel engines
  • Accommodation of numerous spare parts on the tub side

Technical specifications

Jagdpanzer 38 (t) (Swiss version G13) (exhibited in the Technikmuseum Sinsheim )
Jagdpanzer 38 (t) (Swiss version G13)
Sd.Kfz. 138/2 rear view
Technical data of the Jagdpanzer 38 (t)
0 General characteristics
Dimensions 16 t
length 6.27 m
width 2.63 m
height 2.17 m
Gauge 212.3 cm
Chain width 35 cm
Ground clearance 38 cm
0 armament
Main armament 7.5 cm PaK 39 L / 48
Secondary armament 1 × MG 34 or MG 42
Ammunition supply PaK: 40
MG: 1200
Caliber length (PaK) 48
Armor
front 60 mm
pages 20 mm
Rear 20 mm
ceiling 8 mm
ground 10 mm
agility
engine Praga PS 1 EPA AC / 258
6-cylinder gasoline engine,
water-cooled
Displacement 7754 cc
power 160 hp at 2800 rpm
Power to weight ratio 10 hp / t
Speed ​​limit road 42 km / h (road)
16 km / h (off-road)
Fuel supply 320 l
Driving range 180 km (road)
130 km (terrain)
Wading ability 100 cm
crew 4th
number of pieces 2584

Preserved copies

Jagdpanzer 38t on display at the Texas Military Forces Museum in Austin, TX, USA

Trivia

In the film The Ultimatum (1977), a G-13 (as a fictional blue USAAF tank) is used to attack the missile base.

See also

literature

  • Franz Brödl, Thomas Ilming: The tank destroyer G-13 "Hetzer" - its history and the restoration. in: Viribus Unitis. Annual report 2007 of the Army History Museum. Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-902551-06-1 , pp. 89-94, online in the HGM knowledge blog
  • Walter J. Spielberger: The Panzerkampfwagen 35 (t) and 38 (t) and their variants. Volume 11, Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, ISBN 3-87943-708-4 .
  • Walter J. Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle, Thomas L. Jentz : Light tank destroyers, development - production - use. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03363-4 .
  • Horst Scheibert: Hetzer. Podzun-Pallas Verlag, ISBN 3-7909-0785-5 .
  • Hillary Dole, Thomas L. Jentz , Mike Badrocke: Jagdpanzer 38 'Hetzer' 1944–1945. Osprey Publishing, ISBN 1-84176-135-4 .
  • Hans-Heiri Stapfer: Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer Walk Around (27027). (including a lot of information about the Swiss G13), Squadron-Signals Verlag, ISBN 978-0-89747-658-4 .
  • OKW: Regulation D 652/63, Jagdpanzer 38, manual for tank drivers. 1944.

Web links

Commons : Jagdpanzer 38 (t)  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The official name was "le. Pz. Jg. 38 t" and according to the bulletin of the armored troops it was renamed "Jagdpanzer 38" on November 17, 1944 .
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwjKW51Bt3g&t=292s German Tank Museum: History (s) made of steel: impostors and bearers of hope - the agitator (S01E02) , January 14, 2017
  3. ^ David B .: Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer. tanks-encyclopedia.com, November 1, 2015, accessed March 7, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Harold A. Skaarup: Ironsides: Canadian Armored Fighting Vehicle Museums and Monuments . iUniverse, 2011, ISBN 978-1-4620-3465-9 , pp. 155 . Google preview
  5. ^ Walter J. Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle, Thomas L. Jentz: Leichte Jagdpanzer, development - production - use. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03363-4 , p. 76 ff.
  6. ^ Walter J. Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle, Thomas L. Jentz: Leichte Jagdpanzer, development - production - use. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03363-4 , p. 87.
  7. ^ Bulletin of the Panzer Troops October 1944 , see Walter J. Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle, Thomas L. Jentz: Leichte Jagdpanzer, Development - Production - Use. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03363-4 , p. 91.
  8. ↑ Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer. Retrieved April 2, 2018 (American English).
  9. ↑ www.he.admin.ch Swiss Army, Documentation Panzermuseum Thun ( Memento of the original from 23 September 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Accessed May 9, 2011)  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.armeemuseum.ch
  10. ↑ Panzerjäger G13 with petrol engine onmilitary vehicles.ch (accessed on March 9, 2011)
  11. ↑ Panzerjäger G13 with diesel engine atmilitary vehicles.ch (accessed on March 9, 2011)
  12. ^ Hetzer G13 (CH). Retrieved August 5, 2018 .
  13. ^ Walter J. Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle, Thomas L. Jentz: Leichte Jagdpanzer, development - production - use. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, 2011, ISBN 978-3-613-03363-4 , p. 196.
  14. ↑ Alex Lüdeke: Type compass tanks of the Wehrmacht 1933–1945. Motorbuch-Verlag Stuttgart, ISBN 978-3-613-02953-8 .
  15. ↑ on doppeladler.com , accessed on June 6, 2013.