Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger ( Heavy Tank Destroyer)

Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger
* A tiger hunting in camouflage in the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen (Maryland)
Main Features
Crew	6
Long	10,37–10,654 m
Width	3,59–3,625 m
Height	2,92–2,945 m
Mass	69,9–71,7 t
Armor and armament
Plating	40–250 mm
Main armament	12.8-cm-Pak 44 L/55
Secondary armament	1 × 7.92 mm MG 34
Mobility
Drive	Maybach HL 230 P 30 515 kW (700 PS)
Top speed	38 km / h
Power / weight	10 to 9.7 hp / t
Range	170 km

*

Panzerjäger "Jagdtiger" (model)

The German Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger (Sd.Kfz. 186) was a heavy tank destroyer , as the modification of the Tiger II was created and during the Second World War by the Wehrmacht was used. The Jagdtiger is the world's worst ever serial built tanks .

Contents 1 History 2 Production 3 Specifications 4 Munition 5 use 6 received copies

History

The Jagdtiger was developed after the troops demanded a super-heavy tank destroyer, which was to be armed with a 12.8 cm gun. On 22 February 1943, the Krupp company, division artillery construction in food, and the company were Henschel und Sohn in Kassel in charge of the Army High Command to develop. Thereby providing the Krupp took 12.8 cm KwK L/55 and Henschel, the development of the structure and the chassis . Henschel presented on 12 April 1943, two drafts before - one with rear and an engine with advanced front. To avoid a costly redesign and produce at lower cost, which ruled Heereswaffenamt on 5 May 1943, the chassis of the Tiger II to use it, this was the ideal base for Henschel's design with the rear mounted engine. The first scale wooden model called "Heavy Tank Destroyer with 12.8 cm KwK L/55 on Tiger II chassis" was Adolf Hitler on 12 October 1943 on the training ground Arys presented, the first two prototypes were in February 1944 for testing at the Army Ordnance Department in Kummersdorf delivered. One vehicle was a drive by Porsche with eight 700-mm wheels, and the other a drive from Henschel with nine 800-mm wheels. The drive of Porsche was to produce space-efficient and easier, and cheaper, and the tank was nearly 2000 lbs lighter. However it was not as robust as that of Henschel, only eleven vehicles with Porsche chassis were built.
T with a total weight of 70 to 72, a 12.8-inch gun and a massive armor up to 250 mm of armor was a true giant. The Jagdtiger was the already known from the King Tiger Engine Maybach HL230 P30 equipped and was significantly underpowered. Nevertheless, he achieved a maximum speed of 38 km / h on the road and 17 km / h off. The fuel consumption was very high - the 865 liter tank capacity sufficient for about 170 km on the road and about 120 km off-road at cruising speed.
As Jagdpanzer provided he received no revolving turret, the gun was to swivel by 10 degrees to the right and left and the entire tank had to be therefore directed to the target. There are no reports that the frontal armor was ever penetrated in the war effort by an enemy grenade, most were hunting tigers from aircraft or infantrymen off or had to be abandoned by the crews.
As the Jagdtiger in autumn 1944 went into production, he could, for example, the armor of a Sherman penetrate to over three kilometers away at any angle. Its frontal armor of 250 mm was virtually impenetrable and the 12.8 cm gun excellent in their performances. But the weakness such as the enormous weight of the bad road capability and the size far outweighed heavier than the strengths. Also, the rate of fire was poor because the 12.8-inch shells were so heavy that the projectile and propellant are loaded separately needed.

Production

Altogether, from February 1944 until the end of the war in the Nibelungen works near St.Valentin 88 Jagdtiger (including prototypes) made. Eleven of these vehicles (chassis number 305001 and 305003 to 305012) received the Porsche chassis, the rest of the Henschel chassis. Of the 14 produced in the last three months of the war vehicles some vehicles were equipped with the 8.8-cm PaK 43/3 L/71, this variant was designated Panzerjäger Tiger for 8.8 cm PaK 43/3 (Sf) ( Sd.Kfz. 185). The exact number is not known, however, it was probably the last four by May 1945. With the chassis numbers 305085-305088 Due to the war situation in the last two months, it is possible that not all vehicles produced were fully equipped and ready for use.

Specifications

Engine of hunting Tigers

Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger
0 Main Features
Weight	69.9 t (t Henschel 71.7)
Overall length with gun forward	10.370 m (10.654 m Henschel)
With wide area chains	3.590 m (3.6225 m Henschel)
Height	2.92 m (2.945 m Henschel)
Canon front overhang	305 cm
Elevation	2,172 m
Ground clearance	56 cm (48 cm Henschel)
0 armament
Main armament	12.8-cm-Pak 44 L/55
Pipe length	7,02 m
Secondary armament	1 × 7.92 mm machine gun in a 34 Bug
0 Performance
Motor	Maybach HL 230 P 30, 12-Cylinder-Ottomotor
Cooling	Water
Capacity	23 l
Bore / Stroke	130/145 mm
maximum speed	3000/min.
PS	PS 700
Motoreffektivität	30.4 PS / l
Power to weight	10.0 hp / tonne
Transmission	8V, 1R (eight courses)
Maximum road	38 km / h
Maximum terrain	17 km / h
Fuel storage	865 l
Reach Road	170 km
Range site	120 km
Climbing ability	88 cm
Gradeability	up to 35 °
Fording	175 cm
Grave excess capacity	250 cm
0 Panzerung
Tub / driver front 40 ° inclination	150 mm
Wannenbug 40 °	100 mm
When pages 65 °	80 mm
When Rear 60 °	80 mm
When ceiling	40 mm
Tower bezel	250 mm
Turmfront 75 °	250 mm
Tower side 65 °	80 mm
Turret rear 80 °	80 mm
Tower ceiling 0 °	45 mm

Ammunition

The Jagdtiger was 38-40 rounds are carried for the main armament. The machine guns are shot in 2925 were in the tank.

Ammunition and penetrating power of the PaK 44 L/55
Nomenclature of ammunition	Tank shell 39/43 APC	Tank shell 40/43 APBC with ballistic hood	HE shell
Bullet weight		28,3 kg	28,0 kg
Explosive charge		0,55 kg	3,6 kg
Propellant		15 kg	12,2 kg
Length of the shell		49,65 cm	62,3 cm
Muzzle Velocity		930 m/s	750 m/s
Penetrating power of the PaK 30 ° angle of incidence
500 meters	166 mm	178 mm
1000 meters	143 mm	167 mm
2000 meters	117 mm	148 mm

The penetrating power of the 8.8-cm PaK 43/3 L/71, with a few hunting tigers were armed was, in comparison to 500 m at an angle of incidence of 30 degrees, 185 mm steel armor with the tank shell 39 and 217 mm with the rarer Panzergranate 40/43. 1000 m from the firing range was 12.8 cm Pak with the APBC-kinetic energy projectile superior to 40/43 of the 8.8-cm Pak, however. For the 12.8 cm due to the already huge clout were no expensive hard core bullets (tungsten hard core) produced.

Use

Of the U.S. Army destroyed Jagdtiger, January 1945

Jagdtiger side view, on display in the United States Army Ordnance Museum

The heavy tank destroyer units 512 and 653 are equipped with hunting tigers. These units fought on the Western Front : During the Battle of the Bulge , they stood in the reserve and in the space around Saarbrücken , the department was 653 at the Operation Nordwind involved. Parts of sPzJägAbt 512 should also on the Eastern Front in the room Hungary fought. On 1 April 1945 23 ready-Jagdtiger were available that were probably all destroyed in the last weeks of the war or captured.