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Germany's Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther", SdKfz 173; 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 auf Panzerjäger Panther (Jagdpanther) SdKfz 173⁸; Jagdpanther, SdKfz 173⁴

Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:
Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:
Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:
Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer:	Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther "Hunting Panther" tank destroyer being painted:

1/72 Die cast Models of JagdPanther
Dragon Armor			Easy Models
60005: 60006:	60007: 60008:	60037: 60038:	36241:

Design

Specifications for a heavy assault tank that would use the long 8.8 cm PaK 43/3 L/71⁶ mounted on a Panther⁶ chassis was given on October 2, 1942/ mid-1943⁶. The Panther chassis was preferred over one based on the Tiger, as the Elefant was disappointing, and the Panzer III/IV chassis was too light to handle the weight of the gun and the armor necessary to protect it.⁶

On October 20, 1943, a prototype developed by MIAG was shown to Hitler at Arys.
On October 20, 1943, MIAG completed the prototype.⁶

On February 27, 1944, Hitler ordered that it be called the Jagdpanther.⁶

The chassis that was used was the Panther Ausf A / Panther Ausf G⁶. It's Saukopf mantlet was 100 mm. The driver had a periscope beside the gun mount and the rest of the crew had vision through periscopes in the roof.

The crew was rather cramped with the large breech mechanism of the 88 mm PaK 43/3 and ammunition, but the crews still seemed to like it.⁶ The driver was on the left, and the radio and hull MG operator was on the right.^6,7 Behind them were the gunner and loader.⁶ The commander was all the way in the rear.⁶

Platoon commanders would have extra radios and two aerials at the rear of the superstructure.⁶

Main Armament

In the rear of the superstructure was the main hatch that the crew could use to enter and exit the vehicle, but also for loading the long 88 mm ammunition.⁶

Ammunition Type	Weight	Velocity	Range	°	Penetration
					100 yards
AP8	22.4 lb8	3,281'/s8		08	9.4"8
HE8			9,0008

Production

Full production started in February 1944⁷ at the MIAG factory in Brunswick, and was joined in December 1944 by Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen-Hannover (MNH). Production continued until April 1945. Armor was produced at Brandenburgische Eisenwerk Kirchmöser of Brandenburg/Havel. The main armament was produced by Dortmund/Hyrder Hüttenverein of Lippstadt.

• Jagdpanther: 382^3,4,6,7, 392^1,2
  • Production: January 1944 - March 1945², February 1944 - December 1944⁶, February 1944 - April 1945⁶, December 1944 - April 1945⁶ , ? - April 1945³
    • 1943: 2
    • 1944: 228

Usage

First issued to the 559th and 654th Panzerjägerabteilungen in June 1944.⁴ They were also issued, starting in January 1945, to 7 different Panzer Divisions, a Panzer brigade, and The Führer Grenadier Division⁴.

A battalion was designated to have 30 Jagdpanthers.⁴

France

The 654th was only unit in the west in June 1944.⁶ On June 6, 1944, it was at the Mailly-le-Camp training ground, near Paris.⁶ The crews had just received their Jagdpanthers.⁶ By June 18, only 2 companies received their complement of 14 Jagdpanthers.⁶ Only the 2nd Company fought in Normandy, not arriving until July 28, 1944.⁶

The 2nd was crucial in the stopping of Operation "Bluecoat", that was launched by the British XXX Corps.⁶ Just south of Caumont, the British 15th Scottish Division, with support from the 6th Guards Tank Brigade, went through the weakened German lines towards Hill 309.⁶ Three Jagdpanthers attacked the Churchills, and in two minutes, 11 Churchills were knocked out.⁶ The Jagdpanthers then withdrew because of the superior numbers of Allied tanks.⁶

Only 2 of the 2nd Company's vehicles made it back across the River Seine.⁶

Ardennes

51 Jagdpanthers were assigned to the offensive in the Ardennes.⁶ Typically for each of the independent army heavy anti-tank battalions, there was 1 company of Jagdpanthers and the other two had field assault guns or Jagdpanzer IV/70s.⁶ Six of these battalions were used.⁶

The 560th Army Heavy Anti-tank Battalion, with 25 Jagdpanthers and 25 Jagdpanzer IV/70(V)s provided support to the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend.⁶

Operation Northwind

During the Ardennes offensive the 654th Army Heavy Anti-tank Battalion was taken from reserve and redeployed to Alsace-Lorraine on December 31, 1944.⁶ The goal of the offensive was to retake Strasbourg in a pincer attack.⁶ There were 8 Jagdpanthers with the 654th and advanced with the southern pincer.⁶

On February 6, 1945, at Wolfgantzen, near Colmar, a Jagdpanther was waiting in ambush.⁶ However, Sherman tanks from the 1st French Army succeeded in surprising it, and shot off it's tracks.⁶ Engine failure and damaged tracks forced crews to abandon 2 Jagdpanthers.⁶ A fourth was recovered with a Bergepanther.⁶

By the end of the offensive there were only 4 Jagdpanthers in the 654th.⁶ By March 1945, the battalion was completely destroyed.⁶

	Jagdpanther
Crew	Commander, gunner, 2 loaders, radio operator/machine gunner, driver.7 51,2,3,6,8, 67
Radio	FuG52, FuG22
Physical Characteristics
Weight	101,411 lb3, 102,500 lb 46,000 kg1,3 45.27 tons1, 45.5 ton6, 46 tons2, 51.3 tons8
Length w/gun	32' 4"6, 32' 5.7"1, 32' 5.8"3 9.86 m6, 9.9 m1,2,3
Length w/o gun	22.6'8, 22' 6"6, 22' 6.5"3, 22' 9" 6.87 m3,6
Height	8.9'8, 8' 10.9"3, 8' 11"1,6 2.715 m3, 2.72 m1,2,6
Width	10' 8.7"3, 10' 9"6, 11.2'8, 11' 2.6"1 3.27 m3, 3.28 m6, 3.42 m1,2
Width over tracks
Ground clearance	21.2"8 55 cm
Ground contact length	154"8 3.91 m
Ground pressure	12.8 psi8 0.9 kg/cm2
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main	88 mm1 88 mm PaK 433 88 mm PaK 43/3 or 43/4 L/71 88 mm PaK 43/3 L/712,5,6,7,8
Secondary
MG	1 or 2: 7.92 mm MG1 7.92 mm MG342 7.92 mm MG34 or MG423
MG - hull	7.92 mm MG346,7 7.9 mm MG348
Side arms	2: machine pistols
Quantity
Main	572, 603,6,8, 57 or 604 28: AP; 29: HE
Secondary
MG	3008, 6002,6
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)	Front: 3.2"@55°8 Side: 2"@35°8
Hull Front, Upper	801, 80@55°2, 80@35°6 100@55°5
Hull Front, Lower	60@55°2,5, 60@35°6
Hull Sides, Upper	40@90°6, 50@30°2, 60@35°5
Hull Sides, Lower	40@0°2 60@0°5
Hull Rear	40@35°2,5 & 40@25°2, 40@60°6
Hull Top	25@83°2 + 16@90°2 30@80°5 30@90°5
Hull Bottom	16-25@90°2 30@90°5
Superstructure Front	80@35°6 Mantlet: 1001 Mantlet: 100, Saukopfblende2
Superstructure Sides	50@60°6
Superstructure Rear	40@60°6
Superstructure Top	17@15°6
Engine (Make / Model)	Maybach HL 230 P301,2,6,8 Maybach HL2303,6
Bore / stroke
Cooling	Water8
Cylinders	V-126,8
Capacity
Net HP	600-7003, 7006, 700@3,000 rpm8
Power to weight ratio
Compression ratio	6.8:18
Transmission (Type)	AK 7-400 Synchromesh8 7 forward, 1 reverse2,8
Steering	Discontinuous regenerative, giving 1 radius of turn for each gear engaged8
Steering ratio
Starter	Electric and inertia8
Electrical system	Starting: 24-volt8 Normal: 12-volt8
Ignition	Magneto8
Fuel (Type)	Gasoline3,6,8
Octane
Quantity	154 gallons6, 193 gallons (in 5 tanks)8 700 liters6
Road consumption	0.67 mpg8 100 km/333 liters
Cross country consumption	0.34 mpg8
Performance
Traverse	11°8 11° left, 11° right6,7 13° left, 13° right2,4
Max speed	28 mph6, 28.6 mph1, 29 mph6,8, 34 mph8, 34.2 mph3 45 kph6 46 kph1,2,6, 55 kph3
Cross country speed	15 mph6, 16 - 19 mph8 24 kph6
Road radius	99 miles, 99.4 miles1,3, 124 miles8, 131 miles6 160 km1,2,3, 210 km6
Cross country radius	62 miles8, 87 miles6 140 km6
Turning radius
Elevation limits	-8° to +14°2,8 -8° to +15°4
Fording depth	5' 7"3,8 1.7 m3
Trench crossing	6' 3"3,8 1.9 m3
Vertical obstacle	2' 11"3, 35.4"8 0.9 m3
Climbing ability	35° (70%) slope8
Suspension (Type)	Torsion bar8
Wheels each side	8x28, overlapped and interleaved8
Return rollers each side	18, 1x2
Tracks (Type)	Dry pin8
Length	13' 5.5"
Width	2' 2"8 65 cm
Diameter
Number of links	878
Pitch	5.9"8
Tire tread
Track centers/tread	8.4'8, 8' 7.5" 2.62 m

Sources:

1. The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
2. Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two, Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle, 1999
3. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
4. New Vanguard 88 mm PaK 43/36/37/41 and PaK 43 1936-45, John Norris, 2002
5. Panther Variants 1942-1945, Hilary Doyle and Tom Jentz, 1997
6. German Tanks of World War II, Dr. S. Hart & Dr. R. Hart, 1998
7. Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
8. Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?

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