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The ''Jagdtiger'' ("Hunting Tiger"; officially designated ''Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B'') is a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...
-type heavy
tank destroyer A tank destroyer, tank hunter or tank killer is a type of armoured fighting vehicle, predominantly intended for anti-tank duties. They are typically armed with a direct fire anti-tank gun, artillery gun, also known as a self-propelled anti-ta ...
(''
Jagdpanzer ''Jagdpanzer'' ("tank destroyer") (JgPz) is the name given in German to an armored, tracked tank destroyer, although it may also be used for other kinds of self-propelled guns. Translated from German, ''Jagdpanzer'' meaning "hunting tank". I ...
'') of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was built upon the slightly lengthened chassis of a
Tiger II The Tiger II was a Nazi Germany, German heavy tank of the World War II, Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B, often shortened to Tiger B.Jentz and Doyle 1993, p. 16. The ordnance inve ...
. Its ordnance inventory designation was
Sd.Kfz. ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'' (abbreviated ''Sd.Kfz.'', German for "special purpose vehicle") was the ordnance inventory designation used by Nazi Germany before and during World War II for military vehicles; for example ''Sd.Kfz.'' 101 for the Panzer ...
186. The 72-tonne ''Jagdtiger'' was the heaviest
armored fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (British English) or armored fighting vehicle (American English) (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can b ...
(AFV) used operationally by any nation in WWII and the heaviest combat vehicle of any type to be produced during the conflict. It was armed with a 12.8 cm Pak 44 L/55 main gun which could out-range and defeat any AFV fielded by the Allied forces. It saw brief service in small numbers from late 1944 until the end of the war on both the
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
and Eastern Front. Although 150 were ordered, only around 80 were produced. Due to an excessive weight and an underpowered drivetrain system, the ''Jagdtiger'' was plagued with mobility and mechanical problems. Three ''Jagdtigers'' survive in museums.


Development

With the success of the StuG III, Marder I, Marder II, and
Marder III ''Marder'' III was the name for a series of World War II German tank destroyers. They mounted either the modified ex-Soviet 76.2 mm F-22 Model 1936 divisional field gun, or the German 7.5 cm PaK 40, in an open-topped fighting compartment o ...
, the military leadership of Nazi Germany decided to use the chassis of existing armored fighting vehicles as the basis for self-propelled guns (serving as
assault guns An assault gun (from , , meaning "assault gun") is a type of Armored fighting vehicle, armored infantry support vehicle and self-propelled artillery, mounting an infantry support gun on a protected self-propelled chassis, intended for providing ...
and tank destroyers). German tank destroyers of World War II used fixed
casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...
s instead of fully rotatable
turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...
s to significantly reduce the cost, weight, and materials necessary for mounting large-caliber guns. In early 1942, a request was made by the Army General Staff to mount a 128 mm gun on a self-propelled armored chassis. Firing tests of the 128 mm gun showed it to have a high percentage of hits; smaller caliber guns, such as the ubiquitous 88 mm and the slightly larger 105 mm, were also tested.Schneider (1990) By early 1943, a decision was made to install a 128 mm gun on either a Panther or
Tiger I The Tiger I () was a Nazi Germany, German heavy tank of World War II that began operational duty in 1942 in North African Campaign, Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent German heavy tank battalion, heavy tank battalions. It g ...
chassis as a heavy assault gun. The Panther chassis was considered unsuitable after a wooden mockup of the design was constructed. On 20 October 1943, another wooden mockup was constructed on a
Tiger II The Tiger II was a Nazi Germany, German heavy tank of the World War II, Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B, often shortened to Tiger B.Jentz and Doyle 1993, p. 16. The ordnance inve ...
heavy tank chassis, and presented to Hitler in
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
. Two prototypes were produced: One was a version fitted with the eight-roadwheel
Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in luxury, high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Th ...
suspension system (serial number 305001) and another version was equipped with the
Henschel Henschel & Son () was a German company, located in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons. Georg C ...
nine- overlapping roadwheel suspension system (serial number 305002),Ledwoch as used on the main-production Tiger IIs constructed by Henschel. They were completed in February 1944. It was originally designated as '' VI'' but was later renamed as the and received the
Sd.Kfz. ''Sonderkraftfahrzeug'' (abbreviated ''Sd.Kfz.'', German for "special purpose vehicle") was the ordnance inventory designation used by Nazi Germany before and during World War II for military vehicles; for example ''Sd.Kfz.'' 101 for the Panzer ...
186 designation as its inventory ordnance number.


Design

The was a logical extension of the creation of designs from tank designs, such as the or the from the Panzer IV and Panther tanks respectively, with a fully armored and enclosed casemate-style fighting compartment. The used a boxy superstructure, with its sides integral with the hull sides, on top of a lengthened Tiger II chassis. Unlike the , the 's casemate design did not extend its glacis plate upwards in one piece to the full height of the casemate's "roof" – it used a separate forward plate to form its casemate structure atop the hull roof, and mount its anti-tank gun. The resulting vehicle featured very heavy armor. It had armor on the front of the casemate and on the
glacis A glacis (, ) in military engineering is an artificial slope as part of a medieval castle or in early modern fortresses. They may be constructed of earth as a temporary structure or of stone in more permanent structure. More generally, a glaci ...
plate. 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 gun used two-part ammunition, which meant that the main projectile and the cased propellant-charge were loaded into the breech separately. Two loaders were tasked with this work, one for each type. The 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 were lost to mechanical problems or lack of fuel than to enemy action.


Production

One hundred and fifty were initially ordered but only between 70 and 85 were produced at the Nibelungenwerk at St. Valentin, from July 1944 to May 1945. Eleven of them, serial numbers 305001 and 305003 to 305012, were produced with the Porsche suspension (with eight road wheels per side); all the rest used the Henschel suspension with nine road wheels per side. Important parts such as the tub, superstructure and drive wheels were supplied by the . Details and production locations were known to the Allies through the resistance group around the later executed priest
Heinrich Maier Heinrich Maier (; 16 February 1908 – 22 March 1945) was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest, pedagogue, philosopher and a member of the Austrian resistance, who was executed as the last victim of Hitler's regime in Vienna. The resistance gro ...
. Prisoners from the St. Valentin
concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...
were used to build the tank. Production figures vary depending on source and other factors such as if prototypes are included and if those made after
VE day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...
are included: approximately 48 from July 1944 to the end of December 1944; 36 from January to April 1945, serial numbers from 305001 to 305088. After serial number 305011 (September 1944), no
Zimmerit ''Zimmerit'' was a paste-like coating used on mid- and late-war German armored fighting vehicles during World War II. It was used to produce a hard layer covering the metal armor of the vehicle, providing enough separation that magnetically ...
anti-magnetic paste was factory applied.


Combat history

Only two heavy anti-tank battalions (), numbered the 512th and 653rd, were equipped with , with the first vehicles reaching the units in September 1944. About 20% were lost in combat, with most destroyed by their crews when abandoned because of breakdowns or lack of fuel. The first lost in combat was during the failed
Operation Nordwind Operation Northwind () was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in the Battle of the Bulge, which by late December 1944 had decisively ...
offensive in France in 1945. Despite its heavy armour, this was lost to American infantry using a
bazooka The Bazooka () is a Man-portable anti-tank systems, man-portable recoilless Anti-tank warfare, anti-tank rocket launcher weapon, widely deployed by the United States Army, especially during World War II. Also referred to as the "stovepipe", th ...
, which at the time was considered ineffective against such a massive vehicle. Tiger I tank ace
Otto Carius Otto Carius (27 May 1922 – 24 January 2015) was a German tank commander in the German Army (Wehrmacht), Wehrmacht during World War II. He fought on the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern Front in 1943 and 1944 and on the Western Front (World ...
commanded the second of three companies of in  512. His postwar memoir ''Tigers in the Mud'' provides a history of the 10 under his command. He said the were not utilized to their potential due to factors including Allied air supremacy making it difficult to maneuver and the heavy gun needing to be re-calibrated after travelling off-road even short distances.This was attributed to the eight-wheel Porsche suspension proving unfit for off-road terrain, causing excessive vibrations. The nine-wheel Henschel suspension system from the King Tiger was thought to suffer less from this problem. It is unknown which type was fitted to the Carius commanded. The vehicle was slow, having the same engine as the already-underpowered Tiger I and Tiger II. The vehicles' transmissions and differentials broke down easily because the whole 72-tonne vehicle needed to rotate for the gun's traverse. The enormous 128 mm main-gun had to be locked down during the vehicle's maneuvers, otherwise its mounting-brackets would wear out too much for accurate firing afterwards. This meant a crew-member had to exit the vehicle in combat and unlock the gun from its frontally mounted gun travel-lock before firing. Carius recorded that, in combat, a 128 mm projectile went through the walls of a house and destroyed an American tank behind it.Carius (2003), p. 214 Insufficient training of vehicle crews and their poor morale during the last stage of the war were the biggest problems for crewmen under Carius's command. At the Ruhr Pocket, two commanders failed to attack an American armored column about away in broad daylight for fear of attracting an Allied air attack, even though the were well-camouflaged. Both vehicles broke down while hurriedly withdrawing through fear of the supposed air attack that did not materialize and one was then subsequently destroyed by its crew. To prevent such a disaster, at
Siegen Siegen () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg (region), Arnsberg region. The university town (n ...
, Carius himself dug in his command vehicle on high ground. An approaching American armored column avoided his ambush because nearby German civilians warned them of it. Later, one of his vehicles fell into a bomb crater at night and was disabled while another was lost to a attack by friendly militia troops who had never seen a before and mistook it for an Allied vehicle. Near Unna, one climbed a hill to attack five American tanks 600 meters away, leading to two withdrawing and the other three opening fire. The took several hits but none of the American projectiles could penetrate the thick frontal armor of the vehicle's casemate. However, the inexperienced German commander lost his nerve and turned around instead of backing down, thus exposing the thinner side armor, which was penetrated and all six crew members killed. Carius wrote that the crews were not trained or experienced enough to keep their thick frontal armour facing the enemy in combat. When unable to escape the Ruhr Pocket, Carius ordered the guns of the remaining destroyed to prevent intact vehicles falling into Allied hands and then surrendered to American forces. The 10 of the 2nd Company of  512 destroyed one American tank for one lost to combat, one lost to friendly fire, and eight others lost to mechanical breakdown or destruction by their own crews to prevent capture by enemy forces. On 17 January 1945, two used by the XIV Corps engaged a bunker-line in support of assaulting infantry near Auenheim. On 18 January, they attacked four secure bunkers at a range of 1,000 meters. The armored cupola of one bunker burned out after two shots. A Sherman attacking in a counter-thrust was set afire by explosive shells. The two Jagdtigers survived the fight, having fired 46 explosive shells and 10 anti-tank shells. In April 1945,  512 saw a great deal of action, especially on 9 April, where the 1st Company engaged an Allied column of Sherman tanks and trucks from
hull-down In sailing and warfare, to be hull down means that the upper part of a vessel or vehicle is visible, but the main, lower body (Hull (watercraft), hull) is not; the term hull up means that all of the body is visible. The terms originated with sai ...
positions and destroyed 11 tanks and over 30 unarmored or lightly armored targets, with some of the enemy tanks knocked out from a distance of more than 4,000 m. The unit lost one in this incident, after Allied
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
fighter-bombers appeared. During the next couple of days, the 1st Company destroyed a further five Sherman tanks before surrendering to US troops at
Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region. Geogr ...
. Meanwhile, the 2nd Company fought on with little gain. On 15 April 1945, the unit surrendered at Schillerplatz in
Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region. Geogr ...
.


Survivors

Three survive, in US, UK and Russian museums: * (serial number 305004):
The Tank Museum The Tank Museum (previously the Bovington Tank Museum) is a collection of armoured fighting vehicles at Bovington Camp in Dorset, South West England. It is about north of the village of Wool and west of the major port of Poole. The collectio ...
in
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. One of the 11 Porsche–designed suspension-equipped variants, it was captured by British troops in April 1945 near the armour proving ground at Sennelager, Germany, where it was undergoing testing and trials. The third wheel-station (paired-wheel bogie) on the left side is missing.
Zimmerit ''Zimmerit'' was a paste-like coating used on mid- and late-war German armored fighting vehicles during World War II. It was used to produce a hard layer covering the metal armor of the vehicle, providing enough separation that magnetically ...
was applied to approximately 2 meters high on the superstructure and the German
Balkenkreuz The ''Balkenkreuz'' () is a straight-armed cross that was first introduced in 1916–1918 and later became the emblem of the ''Wehrmacht'' (German Armed Forces) and its branches from 1935 until the end of World War II. It was used by the '' Wehr ...
was painted in the mid-section of the vehicle's casemate's side. The earlier 18-tooth drive-sprocket version is found on this vehicle (later vehicles had 9-tooth drive sprockets). * (serial number 305020): U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection,
Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...
,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. It was produced in October 1944 and was attached to the 3rd Company of the  653, bearing the vehicle-number of 331. It was captured by American troops near , Germany in March 1945. Shell damage is still visible on the
gun mantlet A gun mantlet is an armour plate or shield attached to an armoured fighting vehicle's gun, protecting the opening through which the weapon's barrel projects from the hull or turret armour and, in many cases, ensuring the vulnerable warhead of a ...
, glacis plate and lower-nose armor. This vehicle used the later-version nine-tooth drive sprocketsDuske, Greenland & Schulz (1996) for use with the 'contact shoe' and 'connector link'-style
continuous track Continuous track or tracked treads are a system of vehicle propulsion used in tracked vehicles, running on a continuous band of treads or track plates driven by two or more wheels. The large surface area of the tracks distributes the w ...
it shared with the
Tiger II The Tiger II was a Nazi Germany, German heavy tank of the World War II, Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B, often shortened to Tiger B.Jentz and Doyle 1993, p. 16. The ordnance inve ...
on which it was based. * ''Jagdtiger'' (serial number 305083):
Kubinka Tank Museum The Kubinka Tank Museum (Центральный музей бронетанкового вооружения и техники - Tsentral'nyy Muzey Bronetankovogo Vooruzheniya I Tekhniki -Central Museum of Armored Arms and Technology) is a larg ...
near
Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
. This vehicle, equipped with the standard Henschel-built running gear, was acquired by Soviet forces when a (battle-group) of the  653 equipped with four surrendered to the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
in Amstetten, Austria on 5 May 1945. This , not coated with
Zimmerit ''Zimmerit'' was a paste-like coating used on mid- and late-war German armored fighting vehicles during World War II. It was used to produce a hard layer covering the metal armor of the vehicle, providing enough separation that magnetically ...
, was acquired in mint condition with complete sideskirts and the later nine-tooth drive sprockets. Twelve hooks on both sides of the superstructure were designed to carry six pairs of track-links (the spare track-links are now missing on this vehicle). All of the Jagdtiger's repair-tools are also missing, but it still retains the
MG 42 The MG 42 (shortened from German: ''Maschinengewehr 42'', or "machine gun 42") is a German recoil-operated air-cooled general-purpose machine gun used extensively by the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS during the second half of World War II. Enter ...
anti-aircraft gun mount on the rear engine-deck (recent photographs show that this specific machine gun-mount has since been removed, leaving only its mounting-base).


Variants

Aside from the 11 early vehicles with a Porsche suspension, the only variant developed was the Sd.Kfz.185. *8.8 cm PaK 43 Jagdtiger – This variant used the 8.8 cm Pak 43 cannon instead of the 12.8 cm Pak 44 due to shortages of the latter weapon. The variant did not enter production.Chamberlain & Doyle (1999), pp. 144, 246, 249.


See also

*
List of WWII Maybach engines This is an incomplete list of gasoline engines designed by Maybach AG, manufactured by Maybach and other firms under licence, and fitted in various German tanks (German: , French: ) and half-tracks before and during World War II. Until the mid ...
*''
Sturer Emil The 12.8 cm ''Selbstfahrlafette auf'' VK 30.01(H) ''"Sturer Emil"'' (German for "Stubborn Emil"), also called ''Panzer Selbstfahrlafette'' V (Pz.Sfl. V), was an experimental World War II World War II or the Second World War ...
'' *''
Elefant Elefant ( German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer (self propelled anti-tank gun) used by German ''Panzerjäger'' (anti-tank units) during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand (after its designer F ...
'' *''
Jagdpanther The (German: "hunting Panther"), Sd.Kfz. 173, was a tank destroyer (, a self-propelled anti-tank gun) built by Germany during World War II. The combined the 8.8 cm Pak 43 anti-tank gun, similar to the main gun of the Tiger II, with the armor ...
''


Tanks of comparable role, performance and era

*Soviet
ISU-152 The ISU-152 (, meaning " IS tank based self-propelled installation with 152mm caliber gun") is a Soviet self-propelled gun developed and used during World War II. It was unofficially nicknamed ''Zveroboy'' (; "beast killer") in response to seve ...
and
ISU-122 The ISU-122 (acronym of'' Istrebitelnaja - or Iosif Stalin-based - Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 122'') was a Soviet assault gun used during World War II, mostly in the anti-tank role. History and purpose A prototype of the ISU-122 (in Russian ИСУ ...
– heavy tank–based assault guns that frequently found themselves employed as heavy tank destroyers *Soviet SU-100Y – another SPG used as tank destroyer


References

;Notes ;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * *


External links


Achtung Panzer!



PanzerworldSurviving Tiger tanks
- A PDF file presenting the Tiger tanks (Tiger I, Kingtiger, Jagdtiger and Sturmtiger) still existing in the world {{Authority control Self-propelled anti-tank gun World War II tank destroyers of Germany Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944