Another shot of the converted Ausf. F

Panther Ausf. F being used as a bulldozer to clear rubble in the streets.

The Hetzer was built on the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t)’s widened chassis with modified suspension (larger road-wheels from Praga TNH n.A prototype reconnaissance tank) and up-rated engine. The new engine was 160hp Praga AC/2 6-cylinder engine controlled by Praga-Wilson gearbox (5 forward and 1 reverse gear). Chassis was modified in order to accommodate larger gun and thicker armour than regular Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) tank. Hetzer carried 320 litres of fuel in two tanks, which gave it maximum range of 177km. Its combat weight was 16 metric tons and it could travel at maximum speed of some 42km/h. Hetzer’s tracks had 96 links per side with 350mm wide tracks with track surface contact of 2.72m. Hetzer had a low well-sloped hull of welded construction. Hull had 60mm thick frontal plate, 8mm thin roof and rear armour and 20mm thin side armour. All armoured plates sloped inwards. In addition, Hetzer was fitted with small 5mm side skirts (Schuerzen). It was armed with 75mm Pak 39 L/48 gun with limited traverse (5 degrees to the left and 11 degrees to the right) and elevation (-6 degrees to +10 degrees). The gun was mounted with Sfl.Z.F.1a gun sight. Main armament was protected by 60mm cast gun mantlet.

Hetzer’s interior was cramped for the four-man crew (commander, gunner, loader and driver), because of its sloped armour and low silhouette. Interior was divided into two compartments - engine and fighting/crews compartment. Gunner and loader were located on the left side of the gun; commander was in the rear on the right side of the gun, while the driver in front of the vehicle on the left side of the gun. Crew communicated using the intercom system and 10-watt FuG5 radio set. Hetzers completed as command vehicles - Befehlswagen 38(t) Hetzer had additional 30-watt FuG8 radio set.

The Jagdpanzer 38(t) fitted into the lighter category of German tank destroyers that began with the Panzerjäger I, continued with the Marder series and ended with the Jagdpanzer 38(t).

The 75 mm PaK 39 L/48 gun of the Jagdpanzer 38(t) was a modified version of the 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 used in the StuG III and StuG IV assault guns. With this gun the Jagdpanzer 38(t) was able to destroy nearly all allied or soviet tank types in service at long ranges (except heavy tanks) and its fully enclosed armor protection made it a safer vehicle to crew than the open-topped Marder II or Marder III series.

Destroyed Jagdpanzer 38(t) on the street of Warsaw, Poland, 5 Aug 1944; this vehicle was captured by Polish fighters and destroyed by Germans.

A Hetzer moves into position in Normandy to counter the advance of Allied armour.

Polish resistance fighters with a captured Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyer, Warsaw Uprising, Poland, 14th August 1944.

Hitler inspects a new Jagdpanzer 38(t) also known as the infamous ”Hetzer”.

It was intended to be more cost-effective than the much more ambitious Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger designs of the same period (Designed in 1943, seeing service in 1944 and 1945). Using a proven chassis, it avoided the mechanical problems of the larger armoured vehicles.

It was better armored than the lightly armoured earlier Panzerjäger Marder and Nashorn with a sloped armour front plate of 60 mm sloped back at 60 degrees from the vertical (equivalent in protection to about 120 mm), carried a reasonably powerful gun, was mechanically reliable, small and easily concealed. It was also cheap to build.