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

Bibliography

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