The SdKfz 186 Jagdtiger ("Hunting tiger")was a self-propelled gun/heavy tank destroyer that was used by Germany during World War II. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B as it was based on a lengthened Tiger II chassis.[1]
Description[]
The Jagdtiger had a 12.8 cm PaK 44 main gun and one MG 34 secondary gun. Although, some tankers mounted an additional MG 42 for use against aircraft. The Jagdtiger also had a Maybach HL 230 engine capable of propelling it at speeds of up to 34 km/h. It had a crew of six and a maximum range of 120.7 km. The weight was about 72,030.4 kg and the length was 10.6 meters.[2]
The armor of the Jagdtiger ranged from 250 mm to 80 mm. Due to all the weight of the armor, gun, and ammunition, the Jagdtiger was very succeptible to breaking down and it often did in combat. The Jagdtiger also had a 8 speed forward, 4 speed reverse transmission and a torsion bar suspension system.[3]The total height was 2.8 meters and the width was 3.6 meters. The Jagdtiger could carry about forty rounds of 12.8 cm ammunition and due to it being so heavy, reload was slow. The main gun had a limited traverse of only 10 degrees to either side.
Variants[]
There were some minor differences in design between the two main manufacturers, Posche and Henschel. The Henschel version had nine road wheels while the Porsche version had eight. The Henschel version was also about 907.1 kg heavier than the Porsche version.
History[]
The Jagdtiger was first developed in early 1943 and was scheduled for production in late 1943, but instead priority was placed on the Panther Tank.[4] Production actually did start in 1944 and they were used until the end of World War II in 1945. They were disliked by their crews for breaking down and many were lost to crew incompetence. The Jagdtiger was assigned to only two German units and saw service in The Battle of the Bulge and in the later campaigns against Germany itself. Among these areas were the Remagen Bridgehead Defense and the Vistula–Oder Defense. In total, 74 were built.[2]
References[]
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdtiger
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lüdeke, Alexander. Weapons of World War II. Parragon Books Ltd, Page 76.
- ↑ http://www.wwiivehicles.com/germany/tank-hunters/jagdtiger.asp
- ↑ http://www.achtungpanzer.com/jagdpanzer-vi-jagdtiger-ausf-b-sd-kfz-186.htm
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