Hetzer

Jagdpanzer 38
Jagdpanzer 38 in museum at Lešany, Czech Republic
Type	Light tank destroyer
Place of origin	Nazi Germany, German-occupied Czechoslovakia
Service history
In service	1944–1945
Used by	Nazi Germany Hungary Czechoslovakia (ST-I) Switzerland (G-13) Poland (three captured, one by AK, two by LWP) Romania (two captured)
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	BMM
Designed	1943
Manufacturer	Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik (ČKD), Škoda
Produced	4 March 1944 – 11 May 1945
No. built	Approx. 2,827
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Mass	15.75 tonnes (34,722 lb)
Length	6.27 m (20 ft 7 in)
Width	2.63 m (8 ft 8 in)
Height	2.17 m (7 ft 1 in)
Crew	4
Armor	8-60 mm (0.31-2.36 in)
Main armament	1× 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48 41 rounds
Secondary armament	1× 7.92 mm MG 34 or MG 42 machine gun 1,200 rounds
Engine	Praga 6-cylinder petrol, 7.8 litres 160 PS (158 hp, 118 kW) at 2,800 rpm
Power/weight	10.2 PS (7.5 kW) / tonne
Transmission	5 + 1 Praga-Wilson Typ CV
Suspension	leaf spring
Ground clearance	38 cm (1 ft 3 in)
Fuel capacity	320 litres (85 US gal)
Operational range	Road: 180 km (110 mi) Cross-country: 130 km (81 mi) [1]
Maximum speed	42 km/h (26 mph)

The Jagdpanzer 38 (Sd.Kfz. 138/2), originally the Leichter Panzerjäger 38(t), known mostly post-war as Hetzer, was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t) chassis.

German armoured forces in World War II created a variety of vehicles by mounting anti-tank guns on the chassis of obsolete tanks. These machines performed better than expected, but were still vulnerable due to their high vehicle profiles and open-topped turrets. Allied bombings took a heavy toll on German production facilities and further increased the need for an easily produced, yet effective light tank destroyer to replace vehicles like the StuG III and Marder series (Marder I, II, and III). Prototypes of the Jagdpanzer 38 were ready by 1944, and mass production began in April of that year. The Jagdpanzer 38 was covered entirely with sloped armour and possessed a compact form and low silhouette, giving it much improved defensive ability over other self-propelled guns. Armament consisted of a 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48 gun and a remote-controlled MG 34. It featured a wide body to accommodate the four-man crew, as well as a strengthened lower hull with enlarged wheels, guide rollers, and tracks.

Jagdpanzer 38s first entered service in July 1944 and would eventually be assigned to a number of units, including infantry, Panzerjäger and Volksgrenadier divisions. The Jagdpanzer 38 equipped the Panzerjägerabteilungen (tank destroyer battalions) of the infantry divisions, giving them some limited mobile anti-armor capability. BMM and Škoda continually modified and improved the Jagdpanzer 38 during production of the more than 2,800 vehicles built. Owing to the ease of production and high operating rates, the Jagdpanzer 38 came to serve as Germany's main tank destroyer in the latter period of the war, making an important contribution on both the Eastern and Western Fronts.