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German tank destroyer level 7 jagdpanther. Anti-tank self-propelled guns Jagdpanther. Equipment for Jagdpanther II

I bring to your attention a review of the German tank destroyer of the 7th level "Jagdpanther" (German: Jagdpanther).

"Jagdpanther" (German: Jagdpanther)

Now let's look at Yaga in WOT.

The main features in the top configuration but with the 8.8 cm Pak 43 L/71 gun and consumables installed…

Development tree.

Booking scheme.

Tool.
8.8 cm Pak 43 L/71- a good accurate rapid-fire gun with cheap shells. Its accuracy is so good that it allows you to shoot without full information, to aim at turrets and hatches, it has proven itself when shooting at tanks in shelters (I put the IS-3 on the harp, in which only the edge of the caterpillar stuck out, hit the edge of the PT tower behind the hill). With this gun, I mostly got to levels 7-8, for its level it's a pretty good gun. Ammunition - 57 shells, distributed for myself so BB - 40, BP - 12, OF - 5.
10.5 cm Pack L/52- a damage tool with a quick aiming. To install this implement, the undercarriage must be replaced. A gun with good one-time damage, active tactics just for him, allows you to pick up the enemy or inflict good damage on him, the mixing is very good, one but expensive shells ... Ammunition - 40 shells. Accordingly - BB - 25, BP - 10, HE - 5. With the top gun, it was more often thrown to 9 levels, hence the lower damage per battle and the increased consumption of credits to replenish the BC.
Brief characteristics of the guns ...

Optional equipment.
Since Yaga is not a cluster anti-tank, but rather an attack aircraft, a support vehicle, then the equipment must be installed appropriately. The high visibility of the PT is a confirmation of this. There is no sense from the camouflage net, we glow after each shot (although there were cases when the shooting was carried out at the limit of the rendering square and there was no light)
I currently have a medium-caliber rammer, ventilation and horns. I'm still running it, maybe I'll change the horns to optics, since a more active game on it is more productive.

Consumables.
According to the game, we are promised frequent fires due to the front location of the transmission, so an Automatic fire extinguisher was chosen as one of the consumables, but out of several dozen fights carried out on it, it never caught fire ... so it probably makes sense to replace it with a Large Repair Kit.
The second of the consumables was a small repair kit, due to the constant damage to the gun and tracks.
The third is a small first aid kit. never used it, but if the driver is wounded, it will be sad ...
After a closer acquaintance, I may correct ...

Perks.
Oh, this constant selection of perks ...
Decided for myself like this:

Game tactics.
Yaga is a support machine, so you need to work on it actively ... we follow the heavyweights, keep our distance, don’t stick out too much, work carefully, but standing is not an option, unless of course you are deficient in the flank or base. It’s better not to stay alone, although you can go to someone in the forehead and take it apart ...
I do like this:
when I hit the top, I take standard positions for PTs, shoot at the lights, if help is needed somewhere nearby, I’ll definitely go to help. It’s better to attack the enemy with your forehead, there the armor is thicker and the angles are better 🙂
when it hits the bottom of the list, shoot only from ambush, cover, and preferably at the limit of the rendering square...

so let's sum it up!
«+»
rational angles of inclination of armor
good selection of guns
mobility and maneuverability
good review
good UGN and UVN

«-«
thin armor
high visibility

Battle screen.

Proof of the accuracy of the gun 8.8cm

One of the most famous tanks of World War II, comparable only to the legendary T-34 and Tiger, Pz.V Panther was designed not just as a "Teutonic answer" to our "thirty-four", but as a Wunderwaffe capable of turning the tide of war. However, the miracle did not happen again. Despite the powerful frontal armor, the rational angles of the armored plates (low bow of the T-34!) And the magnificent cannon capable of hitting any enemy tanks at a distance of up to one and a half kilometers, the first experience of the combat use of the Panthers came out lumpy - they suffered heavy losses on the Kursk Bulge , being vulnerable in the lateral projection not only to 76-mm anti-tank guns, but even to "forty-five". The situation only worsened in 1944, when new T-34-85s and even more powerful anti-tank systems began to enter service with the Red Army, and the quality of German armor fell sharply due to a shortage of alloying additives. If we take into account the exceptional technical complexity and high cost of the Panther, all its advantages seem completely doubtful. Nevertheless, many Western historians continue to call the Pz.V "the best tank of World War II." What is this myth based on? Why, unlike the Allies, who considered the "Panther" a terrible enemy, our tankers not only did not notice it at all, but put it much lower than the formidable "Tiger"? Was she a "wonder weapon" - or an unsuccessful, unbalanced and just an extra machine that undermined the combat power of the Panzerwaffe? In the unique encyclopedia of the leading historian of armored vehicles, illustrated with hundreds of exclusive drawings and photographs, you will find the answers to all these questions.

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On August 3, 1942, the Army Ordnance Department decided to design and manufacture a new self-propelled gun armed with an 88-mm PaK 43 L / 71 anti-tank gun mounted on the basis of the Panther. The development of the new machine was entrusted to Krupp in Essen, which at that time was designing a self-propelled gun with similar weapons, but on the chassis of the Pz.IV tank. According to the original plan, the project of a new combat vehicle based on the Panther was to be ready by January 1943 in order to start mass production in July. The first draft studies of the machine were considered on October 15, 1942 at a joint meeting of the Reichsministry of the military industry and the Armaments Department of the ground forces. Krupp presented a draft self-propelled gun weighing about 35 tons with an 88-mm L / 71 gun, 2400 mm high and 9000 mm long (along the barrel). In addition to the cannon, the crew had at its disposal two MP-40 submachine guns, which could be fired through special "turret" holes. The angle of horizontal fire of the 88-mm gun was 28 degrees and from -8 to +14 degrees vertically. Booking cabin was offered in two versions: 80-mm vertical front plate or 50-mm, but set at an angle of 60 degrees. The sides were provided with a thickness of 40 mm with their installation at an angle of 30 degrees to the vertical.

At the same meeting, representatives of the Reich Ministry of War Industry and the Office of Arms decided to transfer the further development of the machine, which was then called the "8.8-cm Sturmgesch? tz", to Daimler-Benz. The reasons for this were both the workload of Krupp factories with other orders, and the fact that Daimler-Benz was preparing for the mass production of Panther tanks, the chassis of which was supposed to be used as a base for new self-propelled guns.

Nevertheless, on November 16, 1942, Krupp engineers presented a life-size wooden model of a self-propelled gun for consideration by the Armaments Office. In this version, the self-propelled cabin was made with a vertical frontal sheet. In the future, Krupp designers assisted Daimler-Benz engineers in the development of a gun mount for a new self-propelled gun.

On January 5, 1943, a meeting was held at the representative office of Daimler-Benz in Berlin, at which the further development of the 88-mm assault gun project on the Panther chassis was determined. At the insistence of the Ordnance Department, the front plates of the hull and cabin were set at an angle of 55 degrees to the vertical, while the upper one was supposed to be made of 100 mm, and the lower one - from 60 mm armor. The thickness of the roof and bottom sheets was set at 30 mm. The gun mantlet was supposed to be cast and mounted on bolts - after removing it through the embrasure, it was possible to mount and dismantle the gun mount itself.

For the driver, it was planned to use two periscopes in the upper frontal sheet, in addition, if necessary, he could observe through the revolving hole in the left side of the hull. At the same meeting, the deadlines for the manufacture of a new self-propelled gun were set - the armored hull was supposed to be submitted in August-September, and in December 1943 to assemble prototypes of the new vehicle.

At a meeting at the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces on March 6, 1943, among others, the issue of a new self-propelled gun on the chassis of the Panther tank was discussed. For example, it was proposed to make the armor protection of the gun mask not according to the model of the StuG 42 assault gun, but, if possible, in the same way as “in the Porsche assault gun or 15-cm assault gun” (we are talking about self-propelled guns “Ferdinand” and “Brummbar” respectively - Note by the author). By the way, already in April 1943, a self-propelled gun on the Panther chassis began to be referred to in the documents as a “tank destroyer”, and not an “assault gun”.

In the exacting sheet of the Army Arms Department for "8.8 cm tank destroyer 43/3 L / 71 on the undercarriage of the Panther tank" dated May 1, 1943, it was stated that the new vehicle should have 100 mm frontal armor (at an angle 55 degrees), 60 mm onboard (at an angle of 35 degrees) and 40 mm aft - the Panther II tank, which was being worked on at that time, should have received the same armor. It was assumed that the Panther II would replace the Panther I in the series, and it is quite natural that the chassis of the new tank was planned to be used in the development of a new self-propelled gun. However, already on May 4, 1943, the Ordnance Department decided to continue the production of the Panther I and postpone the introduction of the Panther II project into mass production. Nevertheless, some of the design, production and technological changes that were planned to be introduced on the Panther II were ordered to be implemented on the Panther I.

This decision required some reworking of the tank destroyer project, since it was necessary to abandon the use of the Panther II hull, as originally planned, and focus on the Panther I hull. Daimler-Benz received an order from the Ordnance Department to redo the project as quickly as possible so that in September 1943, to begin production of tank destroyer armored hulls on the Panther chassis.

However, problems arose with the organization of the release of a new combat vehicle. It turned out that Daimler-Benz Plant No. 40, which was assembling Panther tanks, did not have free production space for the production of a new self-propelled gun. Yes, and the company itself could not cope with the given volume of production of tanks, and then a new combat vehicle. Therefore, the serial production of the new tank destroyer was transferred to the Braunschweig company M?hlenbau und Industrie AG (MIAG), with which the Army Ordnance Department signed an agreement on May 24, 1943. However, at the initial stage of production, MIAG had to receive the necessary assistance from Daimler-Benz. So, in June 1943, the latter made a wooden model of a new tank destroyer (life-size), which, together with the drawing and technological documentation, was transferred to MIAG. This model, along with similar models of the Royal Tiger heavy tank and the Jagdtigr heavy tank destroyer, was shown to A. Hitler on October 20, 1943.

To lighten the mass of self-propelled guns, it was decided to reduce the thickness of the armor of the bottom, roof of the hull and engine compartment to 16 mm. In addition, for more convenient placement of the driver, the installation of the gun was moved to the right (according to the original project, the gun was placed along the axis of the vehicle), as a result of which the firing angle along the horizon decreased from 28 to 24 degrees. To protect against infantry in close combat, the self-propelled gun had an MG 34 machine gun mounted in the front plate to the right of the gun. In addition, the crew had two MP 40 submachine guns stowed in the fighting compartment. Fire from them could be fired through the "turret" holes in the sides, closed with armor plugs.

Ammunition consisted of 50 shells for the 88-mm gun and 600 rounds for the MG 34 machine gun. The crew initially included six people - a commander, a driver, a gunner, a radio operator and two loaders. The 88-mm gun was equipped with an SFl ZF5 periscope sight, the viewing head of which protruded above the cabin roof and moved along with the gun. The commander of the vehicle could observe through the SF 14-Z (Sfl) stereo tube, which could be mounted in a special hatch, as well as three periscopes (one of them with all-round visibility), the driver had two viewing devices, and the loaders had two periscopes (one of them with a circular view). In addition, "turret" holes could be used for review - two in the starboard side, one in the left and two in the stern. Three hatches served for the landing of the crew: two round ones in the roof - in front on the right and behind on the left - and also a large rectangular one in the aft deckhouse.

It was planned to equip all self-propelled guns with Fu 16 and Fu 15 radios (usually they were used in artillery), and the vehicles of battery and division commanders were to additionally receive Fu 8 radios.

In preparing the machine for mass production, some changes were made to its design. So, the number of periscopes in the roof of the hull was reduced from five to four (two of them with all-round visibility), the crew was reduced to five people (the second loader was excluded), and the ammunition load was increased to 60 shells.

The first prototype of the new self-propelled gun, which received the official designation "Panzerj?ger fur 8.8-cm StuK 43 auf Fgst Panther I (Sd.Kfz.173)" - "tank destroyer with an 8.8-cm StuK 43 gun on the Panther I chassis “”, - MIAG manufactured in October 1943. On November 13, 1943, at a meeting of commanders, photos from the tests of this machine were shown to the commander-in-chief of the ground forces. The second prototype of the machine was ready in November, and on December 16, 1943 it was shown to A. Hitler.

Despite the fact that the release plan provided for the start of mass production of a new self-propelled gun, which they began to call the Jagdpanther (Jagdpanther), in November 1943, MIAG failed to do this. The first five mass-produced self-propelled guns were accepted by representatives of the Ordnance Department in January 1944. Over the next months, it was not possible to reach the planned release: in February, seven Jagdpanthers were assembled, eight in March, ten each in April and May. In June, MIAG was able to deliver only six self-propelled guns - the company's factories during this period were heavily bombed by Allied aircraft. Thus, in the first six months of mass production, 46 Jagdpanther self-propelled guns were manufactured with a plan of 160 vehicles. It was planned that this number would be enough to equip three divisions of heavy tank destroyers, as well as to use part of the vehicles for training purposes and testing. Production rose to 15 self-propelled guns in July and 14 in August, despite Allied bombing of factories.

Naturally, such a pace of production of the Jagdpanther did not suit the military. However, in response to the claims, MIAG constantly complained about the lack of labor. To speed up work on the manufacture of the Jagdpanther, an additional 300 workers were sent to the MIAG factories, and the Army Ordnance Department allocated 300 soldiers, who began work on August 4, 1944. A little later, another 160 soldiers arrived - ten people were allocated by each of the 16 divisions of tank destroyers. Thus, within a short time, the MIAG factories received an additional 760 people who were used in the production of Jagdpanthers. Thanks to this, in September 1944, 21 self-propelled guns were delivered to the customer, but in October, due to an air raid, only 8 vehicles were assembled.

Naturally, neither the High Command of the Ground Forces nor the Ordnance Department were satisfied with such a small scale of Jagdpanther production. To get out of this situation, enterprises of other companies were involved in the production of these combat vehicles.

One of them was the Maschinenbau und Bahnbedart (MBA) in Potsdam-Drevitz. True, this company was not engaged in the production of armored vehicles, but it had large production areas and the equipment necessary for the production of self-propelled guns. The Jagdpanther production plan at the MBA took into account the time needed for the company to develop new products: in November 1944, it was supposed to produce only 5 self-propelled guns and 10 more in December. For 1945, the release was supposed to be larger: 20 pieces in January, 30 in February, 45 in March, 60 in April, 80 in May, 90 in June, and from July, 100 cars a month.

At the time of mastering the production of self-propelled guns at the MBA and the latter reaching the planned level, the MNH plant in Hannover was involved in the manufacture of the Jagdpanther. This enterprise already had significant experience in the production of armored vehicles - since the summer of 1943 it has been producing Panther tanks. According to the approved schedule, MNH was to produce 20 Jagdpanthers in November, 44 in December 1944 and 30 in January 1945.

To ensure the fulfillment of this task, 80 self-propelled gun hulls were shipped from the MIAG factory to MNH. It was assumed that after the release of 94 Jagdpanthers, MNH would stop their production - according to the plan of the Ordnance Department, by February 1945, the MBA plant was supposed to reach the set capacity.

After the MNH and MBA enterprises were involved in the production of Jagdpanthers, the total production of these machines amounted to 55 units in November and 67 in December 1944. The highest indicator - 72 self-propelled guns - the German industry was able to achieve in January 1945.

Since, despite the measures taken, neither MIAG nor MBA were able to reach the planned Jagdpanther production schedule, MNH was instructed in early 1945 to continue manufacturing these self-propelled guns until June. In addition, based on the current situation, the Inspector General of the Tank Forces G. Guderian was forced at the beginning of February 1945 to approve the so-called “rescue program” for the production of tanks, which provided for the use of all forces and means available at that time. According to this program, the release of the Jagdpanther over the next six months should have looked like this (see table 15).

However, the program looked too optimistic for the agonizing industry of the Reich.

Due to Allied air raids, power outages, difficulties in supplying various materials and transporting them by rail, MIAG, MNH and MBA were able to produce only 42 Jagdpanthers in February, 52 in March and 21 in April 1945. . Thus, for the entire period of mass production, only 415 Jagdpanther tank destroyers were produced, including two prototypes. Data on the monthly production of self-propelled guns are shown in table 16. It should be borne in mind that it was compiled on the basis of monthly reports from MIAG and MNH, as well as the Arms Department, which have been preserved. As for the MBA, there are no documents for it. Therefore, Jagdpanther production by this firm is obtained by subtracting the production of MIAG and MNH from the total number of vehicles produced for each month.

** Prototypes.

*** There is information indicating that before April 22, 1945, several more Jagdpanthers could be made.

CHANGES DURING SERIES PRODUCTION

A large number of changes were made to the design of the Jagdpanther, which were supposed to simplify production and improve the combat qualities of the vehicle. Let's consider some of them.

January 1944. Five "turret" holes in the sides of the cabin were only on the first two prototypes No. V 101 and V 102. With the start of mass production (starting with chassis No. 300001), they were abandoned. The military believed that these holes weakened the side and stern sheets, and in addition, for self-defense in close combat, the Jagdpanthers began to install the N? hverteidigungswaffe device for firing 90-mm "jumping" mines. The installation for firing them was located in the roof of the cabin on the left. However, due to delays in organizing the production of such installations, their installation in Jagdpanthers began only in June 1944. On machines made before that time, the hole for mounting the N? hverteidigungswaffe in the roof of the wheelhouse was closed with a round armored plug, fixed with four bolts.

February 1944. In the course of production, the driver's left viewing device was abandoned, and the hole for its installation was welded with a rectangular armor plate. A towing device was welded on the hatch, fixed on the aft hull sheet with eight bolts and intended for access to the engine. The latter made it possible to use the so-called “rigid” hitch during the evacuation of failed Jagdpanthers, which significantly improved towing conditions (before that it was supposed to use cables). The hitch made it possible to transport the damaged Jagdpanther by the same machine, although at the same time they were installed stern to stern, and a kind of “push-pull” was obtained. The jack, previously placed horizontally at the stern in place of the towing device, was now installed vertically, between the exhaust pipes.

The first serial "jagdpanthers" received an armored roof of the engine compartment from the Panther Ausf.A. tank. True, at the same time, the gratings for air ejection, located immediately behind the stern cutting sheet, have already become about twice as large. In addition, on the first serial Jagdpanthers, the hole for installing the antenna on the roof of the engine compartment on the left (this is where the antenna was attached to the Panther tanks) was welded with a round plug. This was due to the fact that on self-propelled guns the holes for the antenna input were located in the aft hull sheet.

The hole for installing the air supply pipe (it had to be mounted on the car when overcoming deep fords) in the roof of the engine compartment between the fillers for filling water and refueling was also welded. The use of such a pipe was abandoned even before the start of mass production of the Jagdpanther, but there was already some backlog of armored parts with holes. After April 1944, the holes for the antenna and the air supply pipe in the roof of the Jagdpanther engine compartment were not cut.

May 1944. Two additional tubes appeared to the left and right of the left exhaust pipe, which served for its additional cooling (as on the Panther Ausf.A tanks).

The monoblock barrel of the 88-mm PaK 43/3 gun was replaced with a composite one (with the gun designation remaining the same). This measure greatly facilitated production, as it became much easier to process short segments of a composite structure. Prior to this, the barrel had to be made from a billet, the length of which was more than six meters. However, some "jagdpanthers", made in the fall of 1944, had a gun with a monoblock barrel. This was due to the fact that before being sent for assembly, the 88-mm guns were accepted and zeroed in the weapons department. If any problems or shortcomings were identified, they were sent back to the factory, so for some guns the time from the moment of manufacture to final acceptance could be quite long. In addition, during the production of guns in the fall of 1944, the possibility of using blanks delivered a few months earlier is not ruled out.

June 1944. Three supports were installed on the roof of the cabin for mounting a 2-ton winch crane. It could be used when repairing self-propelled guns, for example, to excavate an engine or gun. In addition, a threaded hole appeared in the upper part of the movable mask, mounted directly on the gun barrel, for screwing in a special eyelet. The latter was intended for engagement with a crane hook during repair work.

September 1944. As with the rest of German armored vehicles, the Jagdpanthers abandoned the use of zimmerite coating.

The fixed gun mantlet, fixed in the embrasure of the frontal plate, became somewhat different in shape and received an additional mount of eight bolts with bulletproof heads. Bolts were installed in the lower and upper parts (four each), while the lower part became more massive. Some Jagdpanther tank destroyers sent to the front in November 1944 still had a mask of the old design.

On the part of the machines on the aft cutting sheet on the left, a box was installed for stowage of the crew's personal belongings.

October 1944. The design of the fixed gun mantlet has been changed - it has become more massive, especially at the bottom, a more protruding "collar" has appeared around the perimeter to protect the moving part from jamming during shelling. Additional fastening in the form of eight bolts remained.

Protective screens made of steel sheets were installed above the exhaust pipes. This was done so that in the dark the enemy could not see the exhaust pipes, which often became hot when the engine was running intensively.

November 1944. On a small number of “jagdpanthers” (no more than ten are known) of November-December production, the fighting compartment fan, on most self-propelled guns located on the right side of the cabin roof behind the vehicle commander’s hatch, was installed in front of the roof above the gun mount. Two Jagdpanthers with such a fan installation have survived to this day - in the USA, in the Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum, and in Russia, in the Military Historical Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka.

December 1944. On the Jagdpanthers, the roof of the engine compartment from the Panther Ausf.G tank began to be installed, which required internal changes in the engine cooling system. In the middle of the roof of the engine compartment, an additional fan hole appeared, closed from the outside by a casing with a mesh. The gratings for air access, located at the rear of the hull, have become narrower. Special flame arresters were mounted on the exhaust pipes (as on the Ausf.G "panthers"), which were supposed not only to hide the hot pipes from the enemy, but also to prevent the appearance of "fiery" exhausts - emissions of burning fuel residues, which unmasked self-propelled guns at night at long distances.

Nevertheless, it is reliably known that as early as March 1945, the MNH company (and possibly others) manufactured Jagdpanthers with the old design of exhaust pipes.

A new vehicle heating system was introduced, similar to that installed on the Ausf.G "panthers" - a special box was mounted above the left fan on the roof of the engine compartment, which diverts the flow of warm air from the engine to the fighting compartment.

However, even in 1945, Jagdpanthers were produced with a roof of the engine compartment similar to the Panther Ausf.A tank, apparently from the available backlog.

In order to more conveniently place the radio equipment, the laying of shells located in front on the right was changed. Now the Jagdpanther's ammunition load was 58 rounds instead of 60.

COMBAT APPLICATION

The first unit to receive the Jagdpanthers was the 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion (schwere Panzerj?gerabteilung), previously equipped with Ferdinands. Back in August 1943, after the battles on the Kursk Bulge, this unit transferred the Ferdinands remaining in service to the 653rd battalion of the same type in organization and departed for Germany. But due to delays in the release of the Jagdpanther, crew training for new self-propelled guns began only at the beginning of 1944. Moreover, the 654th battalion initially used eight Bergepanther evacuation tanks received in February 1944 as training vehicles.

Only on March 23, 1944, the Army Ordnance Department gave permission for the operation of two Jagdpanthers, which entered the tank destroyer school in Mielau. These machines were later used as training ones.

On April 28, 1944, the Army Supply Department sent the first eight Jagdpanther tank destroyers to the 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion. By states K.St.N. 1149 s and K.St.N. 1154 and it was supposed to consist of three companies, each of which included three platoons (four Jagdpanthers each) and a headquarters (two self-propelled guns), a total of 14 vehicles in a company. In addition, three commander's Jagdpanthers were included in the battalion headquarters, and the total number of self-propelled guns in the latter was to be 45 vehicles. But due to the very small production volumes, the 654th battalion could not be completely re-equipped with Jagdpanther tank destroyers by the summer of 1944.

After the allies landed in Normandy on June 6, 1944, the 654th battalion was hastily prepared to be sent to the Western Front. On June 11, a report to Hitler on the state of the unit stated that the headquarters with the 1st and 2nd companies of the 654th battalion was standing near Rethel in combat readiness, but it included only 8 Jagdpanthers and five Bergepanther repair and recovery tanks ”, which were used for training of driver-mechanics.

Only on June 14, 1944, the Ordnance Department sent 17 new self-propelled guns by rail to the 654th battalion. However, without waiting for this replenishment, at 0.10 on June 15, the second company of the 654th battalion loaded 8 Jagdpanthers it had on railway platforms and went to the Western Front. After several night marches, the company reached its destination, where it became part of the Training Tank Division. From June 27 until the beginning of July, the Jagdpanthers were at the disposal of the 47th Panzer Corps and fought with British tank units.

In its summary of July 1, 1944, the headquarters of the 654th battalion reported that it had 25 Jagdpanthers. All this time, the part of the 2nd and 3rd companies that remained at the place of their previous deployment used the 17 self-propelled guns that arrived to train the crews. And the 1st company was transferred to the Malou-le-Camp training ground without materiel. She stayed here for four weeks, but did not receive self-propelled guns.

On July 16, 1944, the Army Ordnance Department shipped one Jagdpanther and three Panther command tanks (instead of command Jagdpanthers) to the 654th battalion. The next day, the headquarters, the remnants of the 2nd and 3rd companies were sent to the front, where they became part of the 47th tank corps. On July 28, 1944, the latter reported that the 654th battalion had 21 combat-ready Jagdpanthers, and four more vehicles were being repaired.

On July 30, 1944, the battalion transferred to the 74th Army Corps, reporting ten destroyed British tanks in the battle report. On the same day, three Jagdpanthers collided with a squadron of Churchill tanks of the 6th British Tank Brigade. Within a few minutes, German self-propelled guns knocked out and destroyed 11 British tanks. However, as a result of the return fire of the approaching main forces of the 6th brigade, the Jagdpanthers retreated, while losing two vehicles, whose undercarriage was broken.

On August 1, 1944, the 654th battalion had eight serviceable self-propelled guns and two Panther command tanks, another 16 Jagdpanthers were under repair. To make up for the losses on August 16, eight more self-propelled guns arrived in the battalion.

In mid-August 1944, the British decided to send the captured Jagdpanther of the 3rd company (tail number 314) for testing. The vehicle was hit by a 6-pounder anti-tank gun and a PIAT HEAT grenade, but was not seriously damaged.

The first attempts to evacuate a self-propelled gun for testing in England were unsuccessful. So, when they tried to load it onto the trailer of the Diamond-T tractor using a winch, the Jagdpanther, hitting the trench with the front of the hull, threw up the trailer and at the same time broke the winch. After that, British military engineers bet 1000 pounds that the self-propelled gun weighs more than 46 tons.

In the course of heavy fighting against the Anglo-American troops, the 654th battalion irretrievably lost 17 Jagdpanthers in August 1944 (most during the exit from the boiler near Falaise and southwest of the Seine). Most of the remaining 23 vehicles also required urgent repairs. On September 9, the battalion headquarters received an order to return to Germany to replenish and put itself in order, and on the same day left for the Grafenwehr training ground in Bavaria.

In order to restore the machines, the repairmen requested 7 Maybach HL 230 engines, 5 AK 7-200 gearboxes, 23 sets of tracks and 46 road wheels. In one of the reports sent by the 654th battalion to the Ordnance Department, it was reported that the gearboxes of the Jagdpanther quickly failed due to the large mass of the vehicle and overloading its front end. The data provided indicated that the box in combat conditions could reliably work no more than 300–350 kilometers. Only at the end of October 1944 was it possible to more or less solve this problem by strengthening a number of checkpoint nodes. As a result, accident-free mileage increased, but did not exceed 500 kilometers.

In the autumn of 1944, the 654th battalion of heavy tank destroyers was hastily completed with materiel and again prepared to be sent to the Western Front. So, on October 14, this unit received nine, on October 23 - seven, and on November 15, six more Jagdpanthers, thus staffing up to the regular strength - 45 vehicles. In addition, an anti-aircraft platoon was additionally included in the battalion - four Pz.IV Wirbelwind tanks and one Pz.IV Mobelvagen, and the repair platoon received four Bergepanthers.

On November 18, 1944, the 654th battalion, having plunged into echelons, left Grafenwöhr for the Western Front. At the same time, during the transfer to the combat area, two heavy-duty Ssyms railway platforms failed (these special-built platforms were used to transport heavy armored vehicles - Tigers, Ferdinand and Jagdtigr self-propelled guns. - Note by the author). As a result, the two Jagdpanthers on the platform joined their unit only at the beginning of December 1944.

The 654th battalion of heavy tank destroyers, which arrived at the front, was included in the 63rd Army Corps of the 19th Army (Army Group G). From November 20 to November 30, 1944, the Jagdpanthers almost continuously participated in battles with the Anglo-American troops. During this period, according to the report of the battalion headquarters, self-propelled guns destroyed 52 tanks and 10 anti-tank guns of the enemy. Their losses during the same period amounted to 18 Jagdpanthers and three anti-aircraft Wirbelwinds.

By December 1, 1944, the 1st company of the 654th battalion had 10, the 2nd - 7 and the 3rd - 8 serviceable self-propelled guns.

Due to difficulties in the production of these self-propelled guns, the 654th battalion became the only unit in the Wehrmacht equipped with Jagdpanthers in full force - 45 vehicles. In order to somehow get out of this situation, in the summer of 1944, at the direction of Guderian, battalions of heavy tank destroyers began to form a mixed composition. Now they were to include one Jagdpanther company and two companies of Jagdpanzer IV, Pz.IV / 70 or StuG 42 self-propelled guns. Such an organization, as the main one for heavy tank destroyer battalions, was finally approved by Hitler on September 11, 1944.

The first unit to be reorganized according to the new state was the 559th Tank Destroyer Battalion. After he lost the last seven 75-mm Marder self-propelled guns on the Eastern Front in February 1944, he was sent to Mielau for reorganization. In March, the 559th battalion began retraining for Jagdpanthers, using two machines of this type available at the training ground.

The first five self-propelled guns entered the staffing of the battalion on May 18 from the Supply Department of the Ground Forces. After that, there was a pause, and only on August 21-25 did 28 StuG 42 assault guns and 11 Jagdpanthers arrive. Another 17 Jagdpanthers were delivered on 3 September 1944, after which the 559th Battalion (renamed the Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion) departed for the Western Front.

Naturally, the fact that the unit, armed with new machines, immediately went to the front, could not but affect the preparation. The crews did not have enough time to master the Jagdpanther, not to mention the combat cohesion of platoons, companies and the entire unit as a whole.

Unloaded near Utrecht on September 1, 1944, the 559th battalion of heavy tank destroyers entered the battle five days later. On September 29, the battalion, which left nine Jagdpanthers (six of them under repair) and eight assault guns (all out of order), became part of the 68th Army Corps of Army Group B.

On October 4, 1944, the 559th battalion reported that it had three serviceable Jagdpanthers and five assault guns. Soon, 12 StuG 42s were additionally transferred to him, and on November 1, only six Jagdpanthers remained in the battalion (only one was operational) and 15 StuG 42s, of which three vehicles were combat-ready.

The third unit to receive the Jagdpanthers was the 519th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion. Almost completely destroyed during the fighting in Belarus in June - July 1944 and having lost all of its 88-mm Nashorn self-propelled guns, in August it was sent to the Mielau training ground for rest and reformation.

On August 22, a new organization of the 519th battalion was approved - now it was supposed to include 17 Jagdpanthers (14 in the 1st company and three at headquarters) and 28 assault guns (14 vehicles each in the 2nd and 3rd companies). The materiel arrived only in September (on the 6th - 28 StuG 42s, and from the 14th to the 27th - 17 Jagdpanthers).

On the morning of October 8, 1944, in six echelons, the 519th battalion of heavy tank destroyers left for the Western Front, where three days later it entered the disposal of the 81st Army Corps of Army Group G. The change in the number and condition of the Jagdpanther self-propelled guns of the battalion can be traced in Table 17, compiled on the basis of combat reports.

The average combat strength of nine combat-ready Jagdpanthers dropped in October to seven in November and to three in the first half of December 1944. Thus, in two months of fighting, the number of self-propelled guns decreased by almost half, and the number of combat-ready vehicles - by four.

For the planned offensive on the Western Front in December 1944, the High Command of the Wehrmacht Ground Forces decided to reinforce its units of Army Groups G and B with five battalions of heavy tank destroyers armed with Jagdpanthers. Three of them by this time had already participated in the battles (654th, 559th and 519th), and two (560th and 655th) had just completed their formation at the Mielau tank training ground.

The 560th battalion arrived from the front back in April 1944, but only on October 25 received the first four Jagdpanthers. Four more arrived on November 22, one on November 30, and four on December 6. In addition, 31 Pz.IV / 70 (V) tank destroyers entered service with the battalion.

On December 3, 1944, the unit was sent to the Western Front, and five days later it unloaded in the Rommerskirchen-Niederhausen area.

Another unit re-equipped with Jagdpanthers was the 655th Battalion, which arrived in Mielau in August 1944. He received five such vehicles only on November 24, and between November 25 and December 7 - 31 Pz.IV / 70 (V) tank destroyers. On December 24, nine more Jagdpanthers were sent to complete this unit, but they arrived only in January 1945.

The total number of Jagdpanthers on the Western Front by December 16, 1944 (the beginning of Operation Watch on the Rhine, the German offensive in the Ardennes) was as follows (see table 18).

However, out of the 56 Jagdpanthers available, by the beginning of the offensive in the Ardennes, only 27 vehicles were actually combat-ready. When the offensive began on December 16, 1944, at least 17, but not more than 20 Jagdpanthers took part in it, the rest remained in place due to minor breakdowns. Three battalions used in the operation "Watch on the Rhine" in the first days reported the loss of five Jagdpanthers, both irrevocably and out of order from enemy artillery fire or due to technical malfunctions.

By December 30, 1944, the 559th heavy tank destroyer battalion had two combat-ready Jagdpanthers, two were under repair at the factory and one was irretrievably lost. On the same date, the 519th battalion reported four combat-ready Jagdpanthers, five more were under repair. The 560th battalion did not submit a report at the end of the year. This unit was attached to the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", with which it participated in heavy fighting. From the reports of this division, it can be assumed that the 560th battalion lost four Jagdpanthers. On December 30, 1944, the 654th battalion reported 28 combat-ready vehicles, seven more needed repairs. All units demanded new Jagdpanthers to replace those lost on the Western Front: the 560th in January 1945 received 12 self-propelled guns, the 654th and 655th received 10 vehicles each, the 559th and 519th received 6 vehicles each. From the report on the state of affairs on the Western Front dated February 5, 1945, it can be seen that the Jagdpanthers were used quite actively in January (see table 19).

During 1944, all Jagdpanthers fought only in the west, not a single machine of this type entered the Soviet-German front. Only on January 13, 1945, 10 of these self-propelled guns were sent to the east - five of them entered the 563rd and five - in the 616th battalion of heavy tank destroyers. Due to the fact that these vehicles changed their destination along the way (several times it was supposed to be redirected to other units), they arrived in the combat area with a great delay. On January 15–16, 1945, nine more Jagdpanthers departed for the Eastern Front. You can learn about the actions of these vehicles from the report of the commander of the 653rd battalion, in which he reported on the battles from December 1, 1944 to January 31, 1945: “The battalion arrived in Mielau from Courland on December 3, 1944, consisting of: headquarters and three companies . By order of the inspector general of tank troops, the unit was to be reorganized into a heavy battalion of tank destroyers and have the following composition:

headquarters company;

1st company, armed with Jagdpanthers;

2nd and 3rd companies armed with Pz.IV/70 tank destroyers;

Support company;

Maintenance company.

On January 16, 1945, the formation of three companies was completed (there is no combat materiel). On January 17, the battalion in full strength was introduced into battle in the Grudusk region. During this operation, 55 specialists were lost (commanders of vehicles, drivers, gunners). Before the start of the fighting, 150 people dropped out of the unit.

Equipment condition: 35 auxiliary and special vehicles were under repair in the companies and 10 vehicles in the maintenance company. 23 cars were sent to the military commandant in Mielau.

By order of the high command, the battalion was supposed to receive its weapons in Soldau, but as a result of the breakthrough of Russian tanks, it lost 16 special vehicles there. The armament intended for the battalion (24 Pz.IV/70 self-propelled guns and 18 Jagdpanthers) was sent to Allenstein, where two companies of 12 Pz.IV/70s each, a Jagdpanther company (9 vehicles), as well as the attached 3rd a company of the 616th heavy tank destroyer battalion with nine Jagdpanthers. The lack of crews covered the transfer of specialists from other units.

The reorganization in Allenstein began on January 20 at 10 o'clock and ended on January 21 at 7 o'clock. Due to lack of time, the arrived self-propelled guns were examined and checked only superficially, no firing was carried out, the drivers were seconded partly from parts of East Prussia. People are completely exhausted in previous battles.

On January 21, 1945, the 563rd Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion departed in two groups to the battlefield. Since that time, he participated in the battles north of Allenstein, south and west of Guttstadt, occupied Liebstadt and is currently fighting in the Wormditt area.

Within 10 days, the battalion knocked out and destroyed 58 enemy tanks. Losses are as follows:

Four Pz.IV / 70s and one Jagdpanther were irretrievably lost from enemy fire.

Eight Jagdpanthers and four Pz.IV/70s were blown up due to lack of fuel.

One Jagdpanther and eight Pz.IV/70s that got stuck and could not be evacuated were blown up.

Three Jagdpanthers and three Pz.IV / 70s subject to long-term repairs were blown up.

Taking into account the existing personnel, the battalion can currently man the crews and use 15 self-propelled guns "Jagdpanther" or Pz.IV / 70.

Battalion Commander Major (signature)."

Thus, in ten days of fighting, the 563rd battalion lost most of its combat vehicles and on February 1, 1945, it consisted of only five serviceable Jagdpanthers and three Pz.IV / 70 tank destroyers. As a result, on February 18, the unit was sent for reorganization, and the first company with the remaining materiel was assigned to the 131st Infantry Division.

Since January 1945, the well-established supply system for the tank troops of the Wehrmacht began to falter more and more. The frequently changing situation on the fronts, naturally not in favor of Germany, forced them to make adjustments to the plans for supplying units with armored vehicles, including Jagdpanthers. More and more often, these vehicles were sent not to heavy tank destroyer battalions, but to tank divisions, regiments and battalions. Often, these units and subunits went into battle immediately upon receiving the materiel. Information about which units, starting from the second half of January 1945, the Jagdpanthers were sent to, can be found in Table 20.

There is information about the number of combat-ready Jagdpanthers as of March 15 and April 10, 1945 (see tables 21 and 22). They clearly show how deplorable the situation was in the German Panzerwaffe in the last month of the war. For example, on April 10, there were only 16 combat-ready Jagdpanthers, despite the fact that various units received 71 new self-propelled guns of this type in April 1945. Although it must be said that not all units were able to provide information by April 10.

The situation in the Panzerwaffe in the last month of the war is well illustrated by the report of Lieutenant Bock on the combat operations of the 560th battalion of heavy tank destroyers:

I had the task of obtaining reports on the status of the tank divisions of the 6th SS Panzer Army and the 8th Army and to find out why the 560th battalion of heavy tank destroyers blew up a very large number of self-propelled guns when leaving the battle in Hungary.

Negotiations with the command of the 560th battalion, subordinate to the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", showed the destruction of an unusually large number of military vehicles in the area of the German-Hungarian border.

The battalion was subordinate to the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" and was used in battles as the 3rd Battalion of the Panzer Regiment. The battalion's support company was combined with the regiment's support unit into the so-called support group. In the same way, evacuation units were merged so that repairs and evacuations could be centrally managed. As a result of this, the battalion commander could not normally manage either the provision or the repair of military equipment. In addition, an orderly was supposed to be sent to the regiment from the battalion, but there was no person in the battalion who could be entrusted with the performance of these duties.

When leaving the battle in the area from the Bakoniev forest to Oldenburg, the battalion did not receive fuel at all. In order to withdraw the available nine Pz.IV / 70s and three Jagdpanthers, it was necessary to use fuel from captured enemy vehicles.

The greatest number of explosions of self-propelled guns occurred due to the insufficient organization of the evacuation, which was to be carried out by the tank regiment of the Hitler Youth division. However, in the first place, the evacuation of regimental equipment was carried out, while the self-propelled guns of the 560th battalion were evacuated last. However, in most cases it was no longer possible to do this, because due to the weak resistance of their own infantry, the Russians bypassed the positions of self-propelled guns stuck in the mud or broken.

So, for example, the evacuation of a tank destroyer that got stuck on March 8, 1945, was carried out only on March 21.

The repeated insistent requests of the battalion commander, sent to the headquarters of the regiment and division for providing him with additional evacuation means, came back with resolutions that the means for evacuation were not available and, if necessary, the vehicles must be blown up. Meanwhile, the tank regiment actively used self-propelled guns of the 560th battalion, providing them to other units and not informing the battalion command about this. As a result, very often the battalion commander did not know how many combat-ready vehicles he had available and where they were located.

Another reason for the heavy losses was tactically incorrect combat use. Tank destroyers, in almost all cases without exception, were used in battles as assault guns, along with infantry as a rear guard. As a result, damaged or disabled self-propelled guns in most cases remained at the enemy's location.

For a vehicle that can only fire forward in the direction of travel, such use is completely unacceptable, since it must maneuver before each change of position.

In some cases, it was ordered to bury damaged tank destroyers in the ground and use them as firing points. This use of tank destroyers is also wrong, as the result was that the vehicles had to be blown up in order to avoid capture by the enemy, who bypassed them from the flanks.

Based on the fact that the tank regiment of the Hitler Youth Division was in full charge of the supply, repair, evacuation and combat use of the units, then the responsibility of the commander of the 560th battalion of heavy tank destroyers is out of the question. The battalion commander was, to a certain extent, only one of several company commanders within the regiment.

During the last month of the war, despite a large number of problems, such as difficulties with transport, lack of electricity, Allied air raids, the loss of many factories and the lack of various materials, MIAG, MNH and MBA managed to produce a number of Jagdpanthers. Information about where they went and how they were used was preserved in the reports of the Inspector General of the Tank Forces, the last of which is dated April 28, 1945:

Of the vehicles produced in March, 7 Jagdpanthers arrived in Wünfsdorf and 8 in Braunschweig.

The 519th battalion of heavy tank destroyers needs to cross the Weissenfeld area, where it will additionally receive self-propelled guns from the Braunschweig military acceptance.

The 655th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion is subordinate to the 1st Tank Army. It was withdrawn for repairs to the Sulingen area as part of:

1st company - 7 tank destroyers Pz.IV / 70;

2nd company - 8 Jagdpanther tank destroyers;

3rd company - 5 tank destroyers Pz.IV / 70;

Anti-aircraft platoon - 3 20 mm Vierling anti-aircraft tanks and 3 37 mm anti-aircraft tanks;

Repair platoon - 1 Bergepanther.

35 combat-ready Jagdpanthers with crews stationed in the Braunschweig region advanced to replenish the 2nd Panzer Division in the Schweinfurt region.

The 519th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion is to replenish the 2nd Panzer Division. The division and battalion receive 35 Jagdpanthers from Braunschweig in the Schweinfurt-Bamberg area.

Call to General Ziegler from Braunschweig at 17:30:

35 Jagdpanthers for the 2nd Panzer Division are fully prepared. 35 Ssymswagen heavy-duty platforms for transporting self-propelled guns, as well as 16 other wagons, are missing.

The military reception in Braunschweig has two ready-made Jagdpanthers at its disposal, and six more will be handed over before April 8. Distribution?

At MNH in Hannover-Laatzen, 9 Jagdpanthers are on alert. They must be transported under their own power, since there is no other possibility of their transfer. No fuel! Distribution?

Call from Colonel Rudolf at 2:45 from Braunschweig: On April 9 at 7:30, ten Jagdpanthers and one Bergepanther, fueled and with full ammunition, under the direction of one officer, were sent by rail to Soldau for the 655th battalion heavy tank destroyers.

The 559th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion received 11 Jagdpanthers from the MBA in Potsdam-Drevitz.

Replenishment of the 7th Panzer Division - the 559th battalion of heavy tank destroyers (20 Jagdpanthers).

The 2nd company of the 559th battalion of heavy tank destroyers received two Jagdpanthers by the evening of April 19, and seven more vehicles would arrive in 2–4 days.

Assembly status of the Jagdpanther of the 559th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion at MBA in Potsdam-Drevitz:

Seven Jagdpanthers will be ready, presumably, within three days. 14 self-propelled guns currently do not have guns (they will be delivered by trucks).

The MBA firm in Potsdam-Drevitz produced four Jagdpanthers; 5 more Jagdpanthers will be handed over on April 22, and only 9 self-propelled guns.

The 559th battalion of heavy tank destroyers with a headquarters company, one company of self-propelled guns and a repair platoon is subordinate to the 7th tank division. The battalion is ready to arrive in the division, in total it has 19 Jagdpanthers.

The 559th battalion of heavy tank destroyers became part of the 7th Panzer Division with 16 Jagdpanthers (of which 12 were combat-ready).

The 106th Panzer Battalion, consisting of three Panther tanks and four Jagdpanther tank destroyers, is subordinate to the Clausewitz Panzer Division.

In general, the Jagdpanther tank destroyer can be considered one of the most successful anti-tank self-propelled guns of the Second World War. The powerful 88 mm cannon could hit any American, British or Soviet tank at distances of 1500-2500 meters. And the rather thick armor of the frontal projection of the vehicle, which was also installed at large angles of inclination to the vertical, provided reliable protection during shelling. It is confirmed by the fact that only one photo of the Jagdpanther is known with a hole in the front plate.

Nevertheless, this self-propelled gun was not invulnerable - it was hit on the sides and stern by the fire of most enemy tanks and anti-tank guns, and from long distances. In addition, the Jagdpanther had a large number of design and manufacturing defects inherent in the base chassis, as a result of which many of these self-propelled guns failed for technical reasons. And the installation of a powerful gun and an increase in the size of the frontal hull sheet led to an overload of the front road wheels.

Despite the high combat performance, this machine did not leave a noticeable mark in the campaigns on the Eastern and Western fronts. This was due to the fact that most of the Jagdpanthers were produced in the last months of the war.

The Jagdpanther was by far the best conversion option for the Pz.Kpfw V Panther medium tank. According to experts, it has become one of the best anti-tank self-propelled guns of World War II. In many respects, it surpassed all the self-propelled guns of the allies. Despite this, the excellent German tank destroyer did not leave a significant mark on the military campaigns of the last war. This is partly due to a small release (about 390 units), as well as overcoming all manufacturing defects only towards the end of production on 30-40% of the last cars.

Having in their arsenal an excellent 88-mm long-barreled gun, developed on the basis of an excellent anti-aircraft gun, German engineers made more than one attempt to install it on a tank chassis. So the self-propelled guns Ferdinand and Nashorn were born. The first of them was very heavy and difficult to manufacture, and the second could not boast of serious armor. The most suitable option for installing a new gun was the chassis of the medium tank PzKpfw V "Panther". The decision to create a new self-propelled guns on its basis was made on August 3, 1942, even at a time when work was underway to create a base tank. Initially, they were going to entrust the implementation of the project to the Krup company, which at that time was already working on installing a new 88-mm gun on the chassis of the PzKpfw IV tank, but in mid-October 1942, further development of the self-propelled guns was transferred to Daimler-Benz.

On January 5, 1943, at a meeting of the technical commission of the Daimler-Benz concern, a number of requirements for the future self-propelled guns were determined. Initially, the tank destroyer was supposed to be unified with the Panther II tank under development, but after the decision on May 4, 1943 by the Ministry of Armaments to temporarily freeze the Panther II project, the developers of the self-propelled guns, in order to unify with the Panther medium tank, had to introduce a number of serious changes.

As a result of all this, as well as the transfer of production to the MIAG factories, the first sample of this machine, which was very necessary for the front, which received the designation Jagdpanther, was shown to Hitler only on October 20, 1943 and immediately received his approval. A well-protected armored tube with a perfect ballistic profile was installed on the chassis of the Panther tank, which remained practically unchanged. A significant drawback could be limiting the aiming angle in the horizontal plane, if the tank destroyer did not have an excellent control system that made it easy to deploy self-propelled guns and ensured high accuracy of aiming the gun at the target. In terms of its characteristics, the gun that was installed on the Jagdpanther surpassed all allied tank guns. A similar gun was installed only on the heavy tank PzKpfw VI "Tiger II". Armor-piercing shells of this gun at a distance of 1 kilometer pierced armor 193 mm thick.

The first self-propelled guns began to arrive in the Wehrmacht in February 1944. Initially, it was believed that these vehicles would be produced in the amount of 150 self-propelled guns per month, but due to the constant bombing of Allied aircraft and the fact that the self-propelled gun was created on the basis of the main and, perhaps, the best tank of the Wehrmacht, the production of which was given the highest priority, the German factories managed to produce only 392 self-propelled guns "Jagdpanther" until April 1945. We can say that the troops of the anti-Hitler coalition were lucky, since the Jagdpanther was one of the best tank destroyers of the Second World War, extremely effectively fighting allied tanks.

Design features

The Jagdpanther was the most effective German tank destroyer. This tank destroyer successfully combined good armor protection, firepower, and excellent mobility.

The body of the self-propelled gun was welded from rolled steel heterogeneous plates, its mass was about 17 tons. The walls of the hull and the cabin were located at different angles, which contributed to the dissipation of the kinetic energy of the projectiles. In order to increase the strength of the welds, they were additionally reinforced with grooves and tongues. The forehead of the hull had a reservation of 80 mm and was located at an angle of 55 degrees. The cabin sides had a reservation of 50 mm. and placed at an angle of 30 degrees.

For the manufacture of self-propelled guns "Jagdpanther" used the standard body of the tank "Panther". In front of the hull was a gearbox, to the left and right of it were a driver and a radio operator gunner. Opposite the place of the latter, a 7.92-mm MG-34 machine gun was mounted in a ball mount. The driver controlled the self-propelled guns using levers that turned on or off the final drives. The review from the driver's seat was carried out through a single or double periscope, displayed on the frontal part of the hull. The radio station was located on the right wall of the car body. The gunner-radio operator could observe the area only with the help of the optical sight of his course machine gun. The ammunition of the machine gun was 600 rounds, which were in 8 bags in tapes of 75 rounds to the right and left of the gunner-radio operator.

The central part of the body of the vehicle is occupied by the fighting compartment, which houses the breech of the 88 mm StuK 43/3 gun and racks with 88 mm rounds. Here are the jobs of the rest of the crew: gunner, loader and commander. On all sides, the fighting compartment is closed by a fixed cabin, on its roof there are 2 round hatches for the crew. A rectangular hatch is located in the rear wall of the cabin, which serves for loading ammunition, ejection of spent cartridges, dismantling the gun and evacuating the crew.

In the rear of the hull was the engine compartment, separated from the fighting compartment by a fire bulkhead. The engine compartment and the entire back of the hull 1 in 1 repeated the serial Panther.

The Jagdpanther self-propelled guns were equipped with a fairly powerful Maybach HL230P30 engine. This 12-cylinder V-shaped (camber 60 degrees) liquid-cooled carburetor engine at 3000 rpm developed a power of 700 hp, allowing a 46-ton self-propelled gun to accelerate to 46 km / h. The engine had four carburetors, which were supplied with fuel using Solex gasoline pumps. Additionally, the car had a manual emergency fuel pump. Fuel was placed in 6 tanks with a total capacity of 700 liters. The power reserve on the highway reached 210 km.

The engine worked in conjunction with a mechanical, semi-automatic gearbox with preselection. The gearbox had 7 speeds forward and reverse. The gearbox was controlled hydraulically using a lever located to the right of the driver's seat.

From its "progenitor" - the medium tank PzKpfw V "Panther" - the Jagdpanther self-propelled guns inherited exceptional smoothness. The undercarriage of the tank has a "chessboard" arrangement of road wheels (Kniepkamp design), which provides a more even distribution of pressure on the ground and a good ride. Along with this, such a design is very difficult to manufacture and especially to repair, and also has a very large mass. To replace just one roller from the inner row, it was necessary to dismantle from 1/3 to half of all outer rollers. On each side of the self-propelled guns, there were 8 large-diameter road wheels. Double torsion bars were used as elastic suspension elements, the front and rear pair of rollers had hydraulic shock absorbers. Leading rollers - front.

The main armament of the Jagdpanther tank destroyer was the 88 mm StuK 43/3 cannon with a barrel length of 71 calibers (6,300 mm). The total length of the gun was 6595 mm. Elevation angles ranged from -8 to +14 degrees. The horizontal aiming angles were 11 degrees in both directions. The mass of the gun was 2265 kg. The gun was equipped with a hydraulic type recoil mechanism. The normal recoil of the gun was 380 mm, the maximum 580 mm. In the event that the rollback exceeded 580 mm, it was necessary to take a break in the shooting. The gun was equipped with an electric trigger, the trigger button was located near the gunner's seat. The ammunition load of the gun was 57 rounds. Armor-piercing, sub-caliber and high-explosive fragmentation shells were used for firing. The shots were located along the sides and on the floor of the fighting compartment. In the stowed position, the barrel of the gun was given an elevation of 7 degrees.

The tank destroyer "Jagdpanther" was originally equipped with SflZF5 sights, late production vehicles with WZF1 / 4 sights. The SflZF5 scope is a telescopic sight with a single lens. He provided the gunner with a 3-x increase and had a field of view of 8 degrees. The sight was calibrated to 3,000 meters when firing PzGr39/1 armor-piercing shells and up to 5,300 meters when firing PzGr 40/43 sub-caliber shells. The maximum firing range was 15,300 meters. The WZF1 / 4 sight was also telescopic, but provided a magnification of 10x and had a field of view of 7 degrees. The sight was calibrated to 4,000 meters for PzGr39/1 rounds, 2,400 meters for PzGr40/43 rounds, and 3,400 meters for high-explosive rounds.

Additional armament of the self-propelled gun is a 7.92-mm machine gun MG-34 with 600 rounds of ammunition. The machine gun is located in the ball mount to the right of the gun. The optical sight of the machine gun provides a 1.8x magnification. The machine gun has a declination/elevation angle of -10 +15 degrees and a firing sector of 10 degrees (5 to the left and 5 to the right). Spent cartridges and empty machine-gun belts are collected in a special bag, fixed under the machine gun. In addition, the Jagdpanther was additionally armed with a Nahverteidungswafte melee mortar, which could fire fragmentation, smoke, lighting or signal grenades. The grenade launcher had a circular sector of fire and had a fixed elevation angle (50 degrees). The firing range of fragmentation grenades was 100 meters.

Features of use

Initially, the Jagdpanther self-propelled guns were supposed to enter service with separate heavy anti-tank battalions, which consisted of three companies of 14 self-propelled guns each, another 3 tank destroyers belonged to the battalion headquarters. The leadership of the Wehrmacht ordered the use of self-propelled guns only to counter enemy tank attacks. The self-propelled guns in the division were supposed to ensure quick success in decisive areas. The use of tank destroyers in parts was not allowed. The use of platoons "Jagdpanther" was allowed only in some cases, for example, during the assault on the fortified positions of the enemy. Unless absolutely necessary, they were not allowed to be used as fixed firing points. After solving the combat mission, the self-propelled guns were ordered to immediately withdraw to the rear for technical inspection and repair.

These recommendations, especially in the last months of the war, were hardly feasible. Therefore, most often the self-propelled guns were used in batches, making up one of the three companies of the anti-tank battalion. The most massive Jagdpanther was used during the Arden operation. At least 56 vehicles took part in it as part of 6 battalions of tank destroyers, as well as about 12 vehicles as part of various SS units. On the Eastern Front, the vehicles were most massively used during the battles under Lake Balaton and in the defense of Vienna. At that time, most self-propelled guns were part of hastily assembled SS formations, tank destroyers were used along with tanks, and often simply replaced them in newly created formations. Despite high losses during the Arden operation and low production rates, on March 1, 1945, the Wehrmacht had 202 Jagdpanther tank destroyers.

Performance characteristics: Jagdpanther
Weight: 45.5 tons
Dimensions:
Length 9.86 m, width 3.42 m, height 2.72 m.
Crew: 5 people
Reservation: from 20 to 80 mm.
Armament: 88 mm StuK43/3 L/71 cannon, 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun
Ammunition: 57 rounds, 600 rounds.
Engine: 12-cylinder liquid-cooled gasoline engine "Maybach" HL HL230P30, 700 hp
Maximum speed: on the highway - 46 km / h, on rough terrain - 25 km / h
Power reserve: on the highway - 210 km., on rough terrain - 140 km.

12-09-2016, 12:21

Good day and welcome to the site! Friends, today we will talk about a very strong and quite comfortable car that has all the qualities of a real killer. We are talking about one of the German tank destroyers of the eighth level, in front of you is the Jagdpanther II guide.

TTX Jagdpanther II

Let's start the review of the main parameters with the properties of survivability, because despite the fact that this German woman does not have the largest margin of safety, the Jagdpanther II armor characteristics cause genuine respect. We do not have such a strong VLD, however, it is located at a good angle and is able to contain the shots of classmates and lower-level vehicles.

But more importantly, this panther was given a really strong cabin, which, thanks to the excellent slope of the armor and the large gun mantlet, is able to take a blow perfectly. If you stand with your forehead to the enemy and hide the NLD, breaking through us will not be such an easy task.

In terms of mobility, Jagdpanther 2 World of Tanks is also not far behind. The creators endowed this unit with an excellent maximum speed, which we are able to gain quite quickly thanks to a good ratio of horsepower per ton of weight. Another plus is the fact that we are not so easy to spin, we spin very quickly in place.

However, there is a small drawback in this abundance of positive aspects - the base viewing range of the Jagdpanther II WoT is only 360 meters, needless to say, this figure is far from perfect.

gun

The most important element of each tank is the gun, and in our case there really is something to be proud of, because a real mousegun is installed on board.

So, the Jagdpanther II gun has an excellent alpha strike and quite a decent rate of fire, which gives us the ability to deal about 2500 damage per minute without additional equipment and perks.

There is no need to complain about the parameters of armor penetration either. A standard AP can easily penetrate most Tier 9 tanks, and for thicker targets, the Jagdpanther II World of Tanks tank destroyer has good sub-caliber shells, take about 10 of them with you.

Many will be surprised, but even the accuracy of this unit is truly German. At your disposal is a small spread, fairly fast aiming and good stabilization, thanks to which the Jagdpanther 2 WoT tank can shoot equally effectively at short and long distances.

Perhaps only the vertical aiming angles will cause inconvenience to someone, the gun leans down by 6.5 degrees, but the UGN in the amount of 10/10 practically does not cause discomfort.

Advantages and disadvantages

In our hands is a really standing machine with a large number of different characteristics. Of course, some of the parameters are better, some are worse, but in order to get a more complete impression of the Jagdpanther II, it is necessary to highlight its strengths and weaknesses separately.
Pros:
Powerful alpha strike;
Decent DPM;
Good accuracy;
High rates of armor penetration;
Impressive mobility;
Good armor.
Minuses:
Mediocre hull armor;
High chance of engine damage when hit by NLD;
Weak review;
Not very comfortable UVN.

Equipment for Jagdpanther II

As usual, additional modules should either compensate for the shortcomings of the tank, or increase its advantages, in our case we are talking about the latter. To make this unit even more dangerous, the following equipment is installed on the Jagdpanther II:
1. - only with this module, the DPM can be brought to really good values.
2. - the faster we converge, the easier it is to implement damage and the less discomfort there will be from turning the hull.
3. is also a great option, because it is a guaranteed 5% boost to the most important parameters of the car.

However, there is a fairly good replacement for the third point, which is suitable for those who like to rely on their own review and prefer a passive style of play - this is. By equipping your German woman with this equipment, you will most likely get the right to the first shot.

Crew training

As for the choice of skills for our versatile crew of five, everything is quite simple, because you can completely rely on the standard set for tank destroyers, which prioritizes camouflage and damage comfort. Thus, we will learn perks on Jagdpanther II in the following sequence:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Loader - , , , .

Equipment for Jagdpanther II

In terms of staffing consumables, the situation is completely standard. Silver credits are often not enough, and if you are on a budget, take the usual set of , and . But, of course, a more reliable choice would be to carry equipment from , , to the Jagdpanther 2, however, at your own peril and risk, you can replace the fire extinguisher with .

Game tactics on Jagdpanther II

So we come to the main point - the style of play on this machine. Of course, in order to drag fights, and our panther is capable of this, you need to remember all the pros and cons of the tank, as well as be able to use them.

On the Jagdpanther II, combat tactics can be both aggressive and passive. If you like to play measured, you like to stand in the bushes, using the classic tank destroyer style, please. Powerful one-time damage, good rate of fire and accuracy, will allow you to implement DPM at long distances to the fullest. Just remember that our disguise is weak and it is better to stand far away.

At the same time, the Jagdpanther 2 World of Tanks tank is capable of more aggressive actions. Thanks to good mobility, all the same formidable weapons and fairly serious armor, you can fight on the second line, but you still shouldn’t get too close to the enemy.

Ideally, even if you are caught in the light, you should try to hide your vulnerable hull and show only a well-armored cabin. The German tank destroyer Jagdpanther II WoT should play from alpha. We make a shot, and immediately roll back into cover, where artillery and the opponent will not reach us.

Remember, it is always necessary to hide the NLD, do not let the enemy on board and to whom. Although the Jagdpanther 2 tank has a good turn rate on the spot, a mobile enemy LT or MT can cause a lot of problems. And yet, you need to use your mobility wisely, you should not rush forward too much, such behavior can contribute to a quick departure to the hangar.

Today I got into my review of Jagdpanther - this is exactly what many people who pump the German branch are striving for. Jagdpanther guide or "Yaga" really deserved the name of the best tier 7 tank destroyer. Excellent running performance, comparable to the CT (indeed, the running gear is taken from the Panther) and an accurate gun allow you to use this machine in different ways. For aggressive play, the 88mm 8.8cm PaK43L/71 gun is ideal. This gun is very accurate (0.32 m/100 m), fast-firing (9.84 rounds/min), and most importantly, it has excellent penetration at its level (203 mm), alpha (240 HP) is lower than on the TOP gun, but that's all. it's not the Panther with its hole punch. The TOP gun is ideal for ambushing and shooting fireflies. The 10.5 cm PaK 45 L/52 gun has excellent alpha (320 HP), slightly lower penetration (200 mm), less accuracy (0.34 m/100 m - although this is a wonderful indicator for most guns) and a slightly lower rate of fire of 7, 32 rounds / min. The armor of our PT is weak, only 80/50/40 mm, but the frontal VLD is located at an angle of 60˚, which leads to frequent ricochets. The driving performance of our car is simply wonderful, the maximum speed is 46 km / h, the turning speed is 29˚ / s. The weak point of the Yaga is the review, it is only 350 m, which is very small for level 7, but the long-range radio (710 m) allows you to fire at someone else's light, remaining in the shadow of shelters.

Pros:

Excellent dynamics
Two good weapons, depending on playstyle
Ricochet frontal armor
You can put all the TOP modules on the STOCK running gear
Good UVN

Minuses:

low view
Weak booking
The engine is located behind the NLD, therefore fires often crit
high visibility

Crew and additional skills

Since the tank destroyer Jagdpanther can play 2 roles at once, you should decide which style of play is closer to you

For "ambush" style:

Commander: Sixth Sense, Disguise, Eagle Eye
Gunner: Disguise, Sniper, Grudger
Mechanic Driver: Disguise, Virtuoso, Cleanliness and Order
Radio Operator: "Masking", "Radio Interception", "Repair",
Loader: Disguise, Desperate, Repair

For an aggressive style:

Commander: "Repair", "Sixth Sense", "Fire Fighting"
Gunner: "Repair", "Sniper", "Smooth turret turn"
Driver-mechanic: "Repair", "Virtuoso", "Cleanliness and order"
Radio Operator: "Repair", "Radio Interception", "Fire Fighting",
Loader: Repair, Desperate, Firefighting

How to pump this Fri?

Conclusion: PT is very good, he skated more than one hundred fights on it. Download!
Well, that's all! TheHeel was with you! Good luck on the battlefields!

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