Jagdpanther (Sd Kfz 173)

History: On 2 October 1942, the order was issued to develop a heavy assault gun by using the long 8.8cm Pak L/71 mounted on the Panther chassis. A wooden mock-up was completed by October 1943, and the prototype was shown to Hitler on 16 December 1943. Production started at MIAG in January 1944, and at MNH in November 1944, and continued until March 1945. Originally, there were two designations listed, the above and 'Sturmgeschütz fur 8.8cm StuK43 auf Fgst Panther I (Sd Kfz 172)', but no further record of this model has been located. 

Specific features: The fighting compartment was designed by extending the upper hull and side plates of the normal Panther chassis. The 8.8cm PaK43/3 was installed in a gun mount in this sloping front plate. Earlier production vehicles had the gun mount welded to the superstructure front plate; later production vehicles had a protruding gun mount which was bolted in place. The driver was provided with a periscope in the front superstructure next to the gun mount, while all other crew vision was by periscopes mounted in the superstructure roof. Close defence was provided by a 'Nahverteidigungsgerät' (close-defence weapon) mounted in the superstructure roof, and a machine-gun in a hull mount in the superstructure front. The suspension was unchanged from that installed on the Panther, but the drivetrain was improved by the installation of a heavy-duty transmission. 

Combat service: The first Jagdpanthers were issued to the 559th and 654th Panzerjägerabteilungen in June 1944. Only the latter unit only a company strength of from ten to fourteen Jagdpanthers. The largest collection of Jagdpanthers built during the war were assembled in December 1944 to participate in the Ardennes offensive. From January 1945 until the end of the war, they were also issued to the tank detachments of seven different Panzer divisions, to The Fuhrer Grenadier Division and to a Panzer brigade.

Type	Tank destroyer
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1944-1945 (Nazi Germany) 1945-1960s (France)
Production history
Produced	1944–1945
Number built	415
Variants	G1, G2
Specifications
Weight	45.5 tonnes (100,300 lb)
Length	9.87 m (32 ft 5 in)
Width	3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)
Height	2.71 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew	5
Armor	80 mm (3.14 in) frontal 100 mm (3.93 in) mantlet 45mm side 40mm rear
Main armament	1 × 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 or 43/4 L/71 57 rounds
Secondary armament	1 × 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 600 rounds
Engine	Maybach HL230 P30 (V-12 petrol) 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight	15.4 PS/tonne
Suspension	dual torsion bar
Operational range	160 km (99 miles)
Speed	46 km/h (28.6 mph)