Jagdpanther (Late Production) - Hungary 1945

Germany produced numerous types of tank destroyers during WWII, and in the defensive battles that characterized the latter half of the war, they proved very effective. Perhaps at the apex of the tank destroyer evolutionary tree was the Sd.Kfz.173 Jagdpanther. This vehicle was based on the famous Panther tank. The turret was replaced with a well-sloped superstructure that mounted an 8.8cm PaK 43 cannon, with an MG34 machine gun also fitted in the glacis plate. This long-barreled gun, the same as that fitted to the Kingtiger, was a potent weapon, and 55 ammo rounds were carried internally. Maximum armor thickness was 100mm and the vehicle had relatively good mobility. The Jagdpanther was ordered in late 1942, and production of 415 vehicles commenced in January 1944. The 45.5-tonne Jagdpanther fought on both the Eastern and Western Fronts, and took a heavy toll on enemy tanks. Production can be classified into two main variants – an Early and a Late – with primary differences including the mantlet and engine deck.