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Suggestion No.45
G’day lads. I want to suggest a newly found (or atleast so I think) tank destroyer, to be specific a Jagdpanther with more frontal armour built by the Germans under British supervision :)
Description:
Spoiler
The Jagdpanther was designed based on the chassis of the Panther tank and combined a powerful anti-tank gun with the armor and mobility of the Panther platform. It was introduced in 1944 and saw action until the end of the war. The vehicle was known for its excellent balance of firepower, protection, and speed, making it one of the most effective tank destroyers of the war. The Brits had some delivered to them from Germany, and decided to bolt on 76mm extra armour. They were functional, however ended up with a similar fate such as the Swedish Tiger 2, that being it being used for weapons testing.
History:
Spoiler
The Jagdpanther, officially designated as Sd.Kfz. 173, was developed by Nazi Germany during World War II as a response to the increasing threat posed by Allied armored vehicles. The project to create a tank destroyer using the chassis of the Panther tank began in 1942, aiming to combine the proven mobility and reliability of the Panther with the formidable 8.8 cm Pak 43 anti-tank gun.
The first prototypes were completed by the end of 1943, and the Jagdpanther entered service in early 1944. It was deployed on both the Eastern and Western Fronts and saw action in several key battles, including the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Its primary role was to provide support to infantry and other armored units by engaging enemy tanks from a distance.
The Jagdpanther was produced in limited numbers, with only 413 units built by the end of the war. Production was hampered by various factors, including Allied bombing raids on German factories and shortages of materials.
After the war, several Jagdpanthers were captured by Allied forces, including the British. These vehicles were studied and evaluated to understand their design and capabilities better. Some captured units were even used by the French army in the years immediately following the war.
Anyway, back to the Brit Jagdpanther; These tank destroyers were brought back to the United Kingdom for evaluation and testing purposes. The British were particularly interested in studying the design and capabilities of the Jagdpanther to understand how it could be countered effectively on the battlefield.
The newly made Jagdpanthers were subjected to a series of tests at various British military facilities, including the Shoeburyness Range. These tests included firing trials to assess the vehicle’s armor and firepower. The British also used these tanks for training purposes, allowing their crews to gain firsthand experience with the Jagdpanther’s strengths and weaknesses. After some more Jagdpanthers came from Germany, Britain decided to attach a 76mm metal plate, allegedly coming from a literal aircraft carrier, to a Jagdpanther. Why? Because it was meant to “simulate” possible soviet armour that they thought they could’ve faced in the future.
In the end, like the Swedish Kungstiger, they were used as target practice, specifically for 165mm HESH rounds, however it was found out that the armour didn’t help with HESH, as only spaced armour could be effective against that at its time.
Armaments:
Spoiler
1 PaK43 88mm cannon, capable of firing, you guessed it, all rounds the current German Jagdpanther can fire in-game
1 MG34 7.62mm machine gun (Although has been visibly taken out)
Specifications:
Spoiler
It had a length of 9.87 meters, a width of 3.42 meters, and a height of 2.71 meters. Weighing in at 45.5 tons without the extra 76mm armour. I cannot find anything how much it weights with the extra armour, but I’d guess like, idk, 5 extra tons or so. The Jagdpanther was powered by a Maybach HL230 P30 V-12 petrol engine, which produced a power output of 690hp.
Sources:
Spoiler
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/jagdpanther.php
https://www.tankarchives.ca/2020/10/big-anti-tank-feline.html
The Panther: A British View | PanzerPlace
Jagdpanther | Jagdpanther interior | Broń Pancerna | Flickr
https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/zaseux/captured_jagdpanther_in_french_service_fréland/
Thanks a lot for reading! If you have any extra information, as this vehicle is newly discovered (at least according to reverse search) and therefore has limited info, then feel free to share them in the replies!
