Jagdpanther

You are here: Home › Gallery › Germany › Tanks ›
Jagdpanther photo gallery

Click on thumbnail images to enlarge


The construction programme of the new tank destroyer based on the Panther tank chassis began in August 1942. The Krupp company from Essen was originally comissioned to do the construction work. In October 1942 minister Albert Speer ordered to pass on the work on the Jagdpanther to the Daimler-Benz factories (the Panther tank producer). It was meant to improve further production of the destroyer.
The Jagdpanther was armed with the excellent 8,8 cm PaK 43/3 L/71 cannon and the front of the vehicle was protected by a 80 mm plate inclined at an angle of 55˚ (an installation of a 100 mm armour was also considered).
The mass production was developing very slowly since January 1944 because of a lack of resources as well as manpower and the later USAAF bombings. Several modifications were implemented during the manufacturing, e.g.: the left driver’s periscope was removed, the gun mantlet design was changed, the two-part barrel of the new 8,8 cm PaK 43/4 L/71 gun was being mounted since May 1944. Since Autumn 1944 use of the Zimmerit paste was discontinued also the construction of the idler-wheel and the engine plate were changed.
Until the end of the war, the Jagdpanther was the best German tank destroyer. The Jagdpanther construction was a great combination of armour, good mobility with a powerful gun which had no equivalents in the armament of the Allied vehicles. However, too few of those vehicles appeared on the battlefields to have a significant influence on the course of the war.
The first Jagdpanthers were issued to the 559 Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung and 654 Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung in January 1944.
Main gun: 88 mm Pak 43/3 or 43/4 L/71 – traverse: 13° left and right; elevation: -8° +14°.
Total production: 415 destroyers.

Specifications

designations
Panzerjäger für 8,8cm PaK 43 auf Fgst Panther I
s.Pz.Jager Panther
8,8cm PaK43 (L/71) auf Pz Jäg Panther
Sd.Kfz. 173
crew
5
lenght
9860 mm
hull lenght
6870 mm
width
3270 mm, 3420 with schurzen
height
2715 mm
combat weight
45000 – 45500 kg
ground pressure
0,87 kg/cm2
armor / angle:
hull: 60 mm front,  40 mm sides and rear, top and bottom: 25-16 mm

superstructure: 80 mm front, sides : 50 mm, rear: 40 mm, top: 25 mm mantlet: 100 mm

engine:
Maybach HL230 P30, 690 hp at 3000 rpm or 600 hp at 2500 rpm, 12
cylinder, water-cooled, gasoline 23095 cm3. Weight: 1280 kg
transmission
ZF AK 7-400 (Adler Frankfurt, Waldwerke Passau, Zahnradfabrik
Friedrichshafen), 7 forward and 1 reverse
fuel
720 l
fuel consumption (road / off road) per 100 km
280 l / 700 l
tracks
Kgs 64/160/150

number of links per track

86 – 87 (from October 1944)
max speed
55 km/h (25 km/h off-road)
range
250 km (100 km off-road)
grade
30°
turning radius
10 m
trench crossing
2450 mm
vertical obstacle
900 mm
fording
1600 mm
ground clearance
560 mm
ammunition
57 – 59 (later) rounds
secondary armament
1 x MG34 or MG42 (600 rounds)
radio
FuG 2, FuG 5
chassis numbers
300001 – 300392
manufacturer
MIAG, MNH, MBA

Bibliography

  • David R. Higgins – Jagdpanther vs SU-100: Eastern Front 1945, Osprey Duel 58
  • Panzer Tracts No. 9-3 “Jagdpanther”, Panzerjaeger Panther (8.8 cm) (Sd.Kfz.173) Ausf.G1 und G2 – Thomas L. Jentz and Hilary Louis Doyle
  • Panzer Tracts No.9 Jagdpanzer Jagdpanzer 38 to Jagdtiger – Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle
  • Horst Scheibert – Jagdpanzer: Jagdpanzer IV – Jagdpanther, Das Waffen-Arsenal Band 62 (german)
  • Jagdpanther – Wydawnictwo Militaria 83 (Polish/English)
  • Janusz Ledwoch – Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger – Wydawnictwo Militaria 207 (Polish/English)
  • Jagdpanther – Militaria in detail 4, Wydawnictwo Militaria 2000
  • 173 Jagdpanther – AJ-Press GunPower 24 (Polish/English)
  • Dennis Oliver, Stephen Andrew – Panther: Panther and Jagdpanther Units in the East Bagration to Berlin. Vol.1, Firefly Collection 10, ADH Publishing 2015
  • Horst Scheibert – Panzerjager und Sturmgeschutze: Die Bilddokumentation der Deutschen Panzerabwehrwaffen des Zweiten Weltkrieges (german)
  • Ian Baxter – Hitler’s Heavy Panzers 1943-1945 (Images of War)
  • Walter J. Spielberger – Panther & Its Variants, The Spielberger German Armor & Military Vehicles, Vol I 1993
  • Walter J. Spielberger, Uwe Feist – Sturmartillerie from Assault Guns to Hunting Panther, Armor Series 3
  • Spielberge, Jentz, Doyle – Heavy Jagdpanzer: Development – Production – Operations (Spielberger German Armor and Military Vehicle)
  • Karlheinz Munch – Combat History of the 654th Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung
  • Achtung Panzer, 4: Panther, Jagdpanther & Brummbar