|
|
Crew: |
5 |
|
Powerplant: |
Maybach HL230P30 V12 Petrol engine -
515Kw at 3,000rpm ( 690hp ) |
|
Length: |
9.87m (500ft) |
|
Width: |
3.42m |
|
Weight: |
45.5 tonnes |
|
Max speed: |
55kph |
|
Range: |
250Km |
|
Armour: |
80mm (Front), 100mm (Mantlet) |
|
Armament: |
1 x Long 8.8cm Pak43 plus 1 x MG 34 in
the front hull |
|
In early August
1942 the German Armaments ministry instructed Krupp to design a tank
destroyer (anti-tank) vehicle based on the Panther chassis that
mounted an 8.8cm Pak43 gun as its main armament, the same calibre gun
as mounted on the heavy Tiger tank. Krupp managed to
produce a full scale model by mid-November 1942. In October
development was handed over to Daimler Benz as they would be
responsible for the production of the vehicle. |
|
Due to problems that
Daimler Benz were experiencing in producing the Panther tank it was
decided during late may 1943 to switch production to Mulhenbau
Industrie AG, who also received the full scale model that Daimler Benz
had produced. |
|
 |
|
Changes to the
specification followed, including a reduction of crew from six to five
and the addition of a self defence machine gun in the hull to the
right of the main armament. The first prototype was completed in
October 1943, the second following in November. The first production
vehicle was delivered in January 1944 with around 400 more being
produced until the production plants were captured by the allies
around April 1945. The vehicle was assigned the official designation
of Panzerjäger V JagdPanther SdKfz173. |
 
|
|
Though the
JagdPanther was well armed and had superb armour protection it came
too late and too few in numbers. There were a few local victories such as the one against
the British 6th Tank Brigade at Caumont in
Normandy on 30th July 1944
when three JagdPanthers destroyed 14 British Churchill tanks in two
minutes; two of the JagdPanthers subsequently had to be abandoned
through track damage. But otherwise the JagdPanther had little impact
on the outcome of World War 2. |
|
