Existing comment:
Hetzer (tank destroyer), German.
Initial production 1944.
The Hetzer mounted a powerful antitank gun on a hull with an excellent ballistic shape. This tank destroyer was well armed with the 48 caliber Pak 40 75mm fun and a remote-controlled 7.92mm machine gun on the roof. The hull was based on the reliable chassis of the Panzer 38(t) but with vastly improved armor. The hull was well sloped on all sides, particularly the front, where the glacis [sic] is 2.4 inches thick and angled at 60 degrees. With its low silhouette of only 7 feet, the Hetzer was a difficult target to sight. The Hetzer had a crew of 4, a maximum road speed of 24 mpg, and a maximum cross-country speed of 10mph. It had a cruising range of 111 miles on roads and 60 miles cross-country. A Technical Intelligence Team of the U.S. Army found this vehicle in brand new condition on a flatcar at the Skoda factory in Plzen at the end of the war. |