FACTOID # 117: In Germany and Italy, every second person owns a car.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RELATED ARTICLES
People who viewed "Jagdtiger" also viewed:
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > Jagdtiger
Jagdtiger Sd. Kfz. 186

Type Tank destroyer
Place of origin Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Specifications
Weight 71.7 tonnes (Henschel suspension)
Length 10.65 m including gun
Width 3.6 m
Height 2.8 m
Crew 6

Armor 250 mm
Primary
armament
1x 12.8 cm PaK 44 L/55
Secondary
armament
1x 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34
Engine V-12 Maybach HL 230 P30
700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight 9.76 PS/tonne
Suspension torsion bar
Operational
range
120 km on roads, 80 km offroad
Speed 34 km/h

The Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B JagdTiger (Sd. Kfz. 186) was a German tank destroyer of World War II. It saw service from late-1944 to the end of the war on both the Western Front and Eastern Front. The Jagdtiger was the heaviest armored fighting vehicle to see service during World War II, and it was also the only super-heavy armored fighting vehicle to ever see combat. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany_1933. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... The 12. ... 7. ... The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, was a German machine gun that was first produced and accepted for service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. ... Several Maybach 57 and 62 models at the 2005 Concours dElegance in Pebble Beach, CA. Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH (IPA: ), founded by Wilhelm Maybach and his son Karl, was a German manufacturer of engines for Zeppelins and later, large and luxurious automobiles. ... The HL230 is a water-cooled 60° V12 gasoline engine designed by Maybach. ... A torsion spring is a ribbon, bar, or coil that reacts against twisting motion. ... A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... During the Battle for Berlin, the Red Flag was raised over the Reichstag, May 1945. ... During World War II, the Western Front was the theater of fighting west of Germany, encompassing the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Denmark. ... Combatants Soviet Union,[1] Poland, Tannu Tuva (until 1944 incorporation with USSR), Mongolia Germany,[2] Italy (to 1943), Romania (to 1944), Finland (to 1944), Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Spain (to 1943, unofficial) Commanders Joseph Stalin, Aleksei Antonov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Ivan Bagramyan, Kirill Meretskov, Ivan Petrov, Alexander Rodimtsev, Konstantin Rokossovsky... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Super-heavy tanks were designed in response to the arms race of ever-increasing armament and armour in tanks. ...

Contents

Development

With the success of the StuG III in the tank destroyer role, the military leadership of Nazi Germany decided to utilize the chassis of existing armored fighting vehicles as tank destroyers with the installation of heavier guns and thicker armor. By design tank destroyers lack turrets and as a result they are capable of mounting larger caliber guns. The lack of a turret also reduces their production time and cost as less complex components need to be manufactured. StuG III Ausf G The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was one of Germanys most produced AFVs during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the Panzer III. Initially intended as a mobile, armoured light gun for infantry support, the StuG was continually...

A wooden model of the Jagdtiger, presented to Adolf Hitler on October 20, 1943, can be seen behind the heavy Italian tank P 26/40

In early 1942 a request was made by the Army General Staff to mount a 128 mm gun on a self-propelled armored chassis. On May 18, 1942, Adolf Hitler ordered that the 128 mm gun be utilized in the tank destroyer role, rather than for infantry support.[1] Firing tests of the 128 mm gun showed to have a high percentage of hits; lower caliber heavy shells such as the 88 mm and 105 mm were also tested.[2] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Hitler redirects here. ...


By early 1943 a decision was made to install a 128 mm gun on a Panther or Tiger I chassis as a heavy assault gun. The Panther chassis was considered unsuitable after a wooden mockup of the design was constructed. On October 20, 1943 another wooden mockup of the Jagdtiger was constructed on a Tiger II chassis was presented to Hitler in East Prussia. Two prototypes were produced; a version with the Porsche suspension system (number 305001[3]) and a version with the Henschel suspension system (number 305002[4]) were completed in February 1944. It was originally designated as JagdPanzer VI, but was later named the JagdTiger.[5] It received the series number Sd.Kfz. 186. Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Panther ( ) was a tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. ... First Tiger I tank captured near Tunis The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tiger II is the common name of a a German heavy tank of the Second World War. ... East Prussia (German: Ostpreu en; Polish: Prusy Wschodnie; Russian: Восточная Пруссия — Vostochnaya Prussiya) was a province of Kingdom of Prussia, situated on the territory of former Ducal Prussia. ...


Design

The Jagdtiger was a logical extension of the creation of Jagdpanzer designs from tank designs such as the Jagdpanther from the Panther tank. The Jagdtiger used a boxy superstructure on top of a lengthened Tiger II chassis. The resulting vehicle featured very heavy armor and the powerful 128 mm PaK 44 L/55 gun capable of defeating any tank fielded in World War II, even at long ranges (+3,500 m). It had 250 mm armor on the turret front and 150 mm on the glacis plate, which made it invulnerable to any frontal fire. However it lacked a traversable turret and the main gun mount had a limited traverse of only 10 degrees; the entire vehicle had to be turned to aim outside that narrow field of fire. The Jagdpanther (Hunting Panther) was a tank destroyer built by Nazi Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank. ... The Panther ( ) was a tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... A glacis, in military engineering (see Fortification and Siege) is an artificial slope of earth in the front of works, so constructed as to keep an assailant under the fire of the defenders to the last possible moment. ... Turret (highlighted) attached to a tower on a baronial building in Scotland In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects from the wall of a building, such as a medieval castle or baronial house. ...


The Jagdtiger suffered from a variety of mechanical and technical problems due to its immense weight and under-powered engine. The vehicle had frequent breakdowns; ultimately more Jagdtigers were lost to mechanical problems or lack of fuel than to enemy action.[6] Despite these shortcomings it was still very effective in defensive roles.[7]

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 236 pixelsFull resolution (1068 × 315 pixel, file size: 75 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Fair Use rationale: Techincal diagram used in the illustration of the important characteristics of this AFV in the Jagdtiger article. ...

Production

Jagdtiger factory assembly line, 1944
Jagdtiger factory assembly line, 1944
A Jagdtiger of the 653rd heavy antitank battalion destroyed by its own crew in April 1945

150 Jagdtigers were ordered but only 88 were produced in total. Eleven of them, serial numbers 305001 and 305003 to 305012, were produced with Porsche suspension (8 roadwheels); all following with Henschel suspension (9 roadwheels). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Download high resolution version (945x583, 64 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (945x583, 64 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...


Production figures vary depending on source and other factors such as if prototypes are included and if ones made after VE day are included. Totals range from about 77 to 88 produced from July 1944 to May of 1945. Approximately 48 from July 1944 to the end of December 1944; 36 from January to April 1945, serial numbers from 305001 to 305088 (such as examples from May 45, and pre-production prototypes, and whether incomplete chassis's count). Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was May 8, 1945, the date when the Allies during the Second World War formally celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitlers Reich. ...


Some sources say no more vehicles were completed after February. Towards the end some were lacking important equipment and could not be used operationally, or could not be deployed to units.


Product history by serial number

  • February 1944 - 2 - #305001-305002
  • July 1944 - 3 - #305003-305005
  • August 1944 - 3 - #305006-305008
  • September 1944 - 8 - #305009-305016;
  • October 1944 - 9 - #305017-305025
  • November 1944 - 6 - #305026-305031
  • December 1944 - 20 - #305032-305051
  • January 1945 - 10 - #305052-305061
  • February 1945 - 13 - #305062-305074
  • March 1945 - 3 - #305075-305077
  • April 1945 - 7 - #305078-305084
  • May 1945 - 4 - #305085-305088
after serial number 305011 (September 1944) no Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste was factory applied.

Zimmerit was an anti-magnetic mine coating produced for German armored fighting vehicles during World War II. It was created by the German company Chemische Werke Zimmer AG. The coating worked by providing a non-conducting, irregular surface that would reduce the area of contact between a mine and the...

Combat history

Only two heavy antitank battalions (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung), numbered 512 and 653, were equipped with Jagdtigers, with the first vehicles reaching the units in September 1944. About 20% were lost in combat; most were destroyed by their own crews when abandoned, chiefly due to mechanical breakdowns or lack of fuel in the desperate final stages of the war.


The gun used separate-loading ammunition, which meant that two loaders were used to insert the projectile and the cased propelling charge separately. This resulted in a slow rate of fire. The tremendous amount of smoke would often give away the position of the vehicle, in addition to momentarily blinding the crew, [citation needed] although the latter was a moot point, owing to the very slow reload time.


Survivors

Only three Jagdtigers survived to this day; all are on display in military museums in the United States, England, and Russia. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA - Henschel Variant
Jagdtiger on display at the Aberdeen Proving Ground

The Jagdtiger on display at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Aberdeen, Maryland, USA was produced in October, 1944 (serial number 304020).[8] The vehicle was attached to the s.Pz.Jg.Abt 653 and had the vehicle number 331. The vehicle was captured near Neustadt, Germany in March 1945. Damage is still visible on the gun mantlet, glacis plate, and lower nose armor. This vehicle used the late version 9 tooth sprocket ring.[9] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1512 × 2016 pixel, file size: 417 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1512 × 2016 pixel, file size: 417 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located at Aberdeen, Maryland (in Harford county). ... , Aberdeen (IPA: ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is Scotlands third largest city with an official population of 202,370. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 90 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N  - Longitude 75° 03′ W to 79° 29... Neustadt (new city) is a common name for cities and municipalities in the German-speaking countries. ... A mantlet was a large shield or portable shelter used for stopping arrows or bullets, in medieval warfare. ... A glacis ( or ) in military engineering is an artificial slope of earth in the front of works such as fortifications, so constructed as to keep any potential assailant under the fire of the defenders to the last possible moment. ...

Bovington Tank Museum, UK - Porsche Variant

The Jagdtiger on display at the Bovington Tank Museum, England is a rare Porsche variant; the chassis number of this vehicle is 350004.[10] This vehicle was captured by British troops in April 1945 near Sennelager, Germany. The third wheel station on the left side is missing. Zimmerit was applied to approximately 2 meters high on the superstructure and the Balkenkreuze was painted in the mid section. An earlier 18 tooth sprocket ring is found on this vehicle. British Mark V; one of the few WWI tanks still in working order. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. ... Zimmerit was an anti-magnetic mine coating produced for German armored fighting vehicles during World War II. It was created by the German company Chemische Werke Zimmer AG. The coating worked by providing a non-conducting, irregular surface that would reduce the area of contact between a mine and the...

Kubinka Tank Museum, Russia - Henschel Variant

The Jagdtiger on display in the Kubinka Tank Museum near Moscow is a Henschel variant; vehicle number 305083.[11] It was acquired by Soviet forces when a Kampfgruppe of the s.Pz.Kg.Abt 653 equipped with 4 Jagdtigers surrendered in Amstetten, Austria on May 5, 1945. This Jagdtiger was acquired in mint condition with complete side skirts and later 9 tooth sprocket ring. 12 hooks on each side of the super structure were used to carry 6 pairs of track links. This vehicle was not coated with Zimmerit.[12] The vehicle lost all its tools but retains the MG-42 anti-aircraft mount on the rear engine deck.[13] The Kubinka Tank Museum also known as The Tank Museum in Kubinka is a large Armoured fighting vehicle museum in Russia, just outside Moscow. ... For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ... Amstetten is a village in Germany. ... The Maschinengewehr 1942, or MG42, is a German machine gun, first manufactured in 1942 as the successor to the MG34. ...


Notes

  1. ^ Schneider, Wolfgang. Elefant - Jagdtiger - SturmTiger: Rarities of the Tiger Family, Schiffer Military History Vol. 18, 1990, pg. 19
  2. ^ Schneider, Elefant - Jagdtiger - SturmTiger pg. 19
  3. ^ Ledwoch, Janusz. Tank Series No. 207 - JagdPanther and JagdTiger, Wydawnictwo Militaria (1999), pg. 6
  4. ^ Ledwoch, Tank Series No. 207 - JagdPanther and JagdTiger, pg. 6
  5. ^ http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz12.htm
  6. ^ Schneider, Elefant - Jagdtiger - SturmTiger pg. 29
  7. ^ http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz12.htm
  8. ^ Duske, Heiner F. Greenland, Tony. Schulz, Frank. Nuts & Bolts Vol. 1: JagdTiger (SD.KFZ.186)
  9. ^ Duske, Nuts & Bolts
  10. ^ Duske, Nuts & Bolts
  11. ^ Duske, Nuts & Bolts
  12. ^ Duske, Nuts & Bolts
  13. ^ Duske, Nuts & Bolts

References

  • Duske, Heiner F. Greenland, Tony. Schulz, Frank. Nuts & Bolts Vol. 1: JagdTiger (SD.KFZ.186)
  • Ledwoch, Janusz. Tank Series No. 207 - JagdPanther and JagdTiger, Wydawnictwo Militaria (1999), pg. 6
  • Schneider, Wolfgang. Elefant - Jagdtiger - SturmTiger: Rarities of the Tiger Family, Schiffer Military History Vol. 18, 1990

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Jagdtiger
  • Achtung Panzer!
  • Battletanks.com
  • Panzerworld
  • Surviving Tiger tanks - A PDF file presenting the Tiger tanks (Tiger I, Kingtiger, Jagdtiger and Sturmtiger) still existing in the world

  Results from FactBites:
 
Achtung Panzer! - Jagdtiger (917 words)
Jagdtiger resembled King Tiger with the difference of having a superstructure instead of the turret and had much higher profile what made it a large target for the enemy.
Jagdtigers were mounted with two different types of running gear, Henschel's gear (74 models) and Porsche's gear (11 models produced from February to September of 1944).
Jagdtiger's breakdown problem was never solved and many were abandoned or blown up by their crews to prevent them from being captured intact by the Allies.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.