Chapter 126 Tank Destroyer 2

The Type 38 tank destroyer (also known as the "Jagdschafer") was one of the best armored combat vehicles of the German army during World War II.

How good was this tank destroyer?

The first unit equipped with the Jagdschafer, the 731st Tank Destroyer Battalion, reported the following combat experience to the German High Command.

"The Jagdschafer has passed the test of actual combat. His crew members are proud of it, and the infantry is full of confidence in it. The reliability of the MG34 machine gun is also particularly praised. The powerful 75mm main gun, low body and armor with a large angle of inclination of the Jagdschafer make it not only capable of fighting against enemy tanks, but also can provide support for infantry in attack or defense."

"After a period of running-in, our unit achieved confirmed destruction of 57 Soviet tanks in the first large-scale defensive battle on the Eastern Front and repelled the infiltration of the defense line. In the face of a tank brigade of the enemy, one company of the company destroyed nearly 20 Soviet tanks in just one day, and successfully destroyed two IS-2s at a distance of 800 meters. During this period, none of our battalion's "Hunter" was penetrated by enemy artillery fire. In order to reach the combat position designated by the army headquarters, after continuous fierce fighting, we advanced 160 kilometers in one day without any mechanical failure of the "Hunter". "

In addition to fully affirming the combat and mechanical performance, the report of the department also emphasized the importance of vehicle camouflage. "On the way to the assembly point, we disguised all armored vehicles in the color of bushes so that we can make full use of the surrounding terrain for cover. It is this "magical" coat that allows our tanks to move quickly and obtain advantageous positions for observation and firing without attracting the attention of the enemy. "

The most concerned thing in this report is the combat experience and lessons of the Hunter. The relevant departments of the German army later used the actual combat conclusions drawn by this battalion as the dogma when training other troops. "In the exchange of fire with enemy tanks, the low body of the vehicle enables the 'Type 38 Tank Destroyer' to ambush enemy tanks with direct fire within the effective range of the artillery, and after the first firing, it can quickly move to the combat position and fire again while the enemy is still in a panic."

"The reassuring front armor can completely resist the attack of the Soviet 2mm caliber tank gun and will never be penetrated by it. So far, all the losses of our battalion have been caused by the side or rear of the vehicle body. Therefore, it is better to expose the strong front armor to withstand the enemy's tank gun. It is particularly important. "

"To counterattack enemy tanks or self-propelled artillery accompanied by a large number of infantry, the 'Hunter' must at least be a platoon of troops and approach the front line in secret, but avoid entering the direction of the assault that the enemy artillery firepower is preparing to cover. Villages, transportation hubs, and other targets that the enemy often chooses must also be vigilant at all times. Once the enemy has formed a breakthrough, it is necessary to hit the infiltrating enemy head-on from the flank. This is the fastest way to repel the enemy, and it can often cause heavy losses to the enemy. "

Of course, when using the pursuit In the process of training the Hunter, the German troops also discovered its many inherent shortcomings, which can only be compensated by tactical advantages and tacit cooperation between the crew: "It should be said that the Hunter is not designed to perform tasks near swamps, because once it leaves the passage or terrain with better road conditions, it will be like a tiger stuck in the mud and unable to extricate itself. And if it keeps operating on the road, it can be called stupid. Due to the extremely limited rotation angle of its 75mm caliber Pak39 tank gun, it cannot attack the flank of the enemy tank. What's more dangerous is that Because the side armor of the Jagdpanzer is quite weak, it is easy to be penetrated by the enemy's anti-tank guns in such a situation. "

"Because the Jagdpanzer's travel speed is quite slow, it cannot be incorporated into motorized or reconnaissance units. Even if it is forced to play such a role, it will only cause mechanical failure due to motor overspeeding, resulting in unnecessary losses. "

In fact, not only in field battles, but also in the battle to suppress Polish insurgents in Warsaw, the Jagdpanzers of the 731st Battalion also played a very important role, which may be attributed to its flexibility in operation and its remote-controlled MG34 top-mounted machine gun.

Although its loader needs to open the hatch to refill the machine gun with ammunition, the clever Jagdpanzer crew will use the radio to notify another accompanying friendly vehicle to provide fire cover.

As a model unit of the Jagdpanzer, the 731st Tank Destroyer Battalion began to be deployed to the Eastern Front at the end of July 1944 and fought there until the end of the war. Although the 731st Battalion was equipped with 45 brand new Jagdpanzers when it first entered the battlefield, the bloody fighting also made the 731st Battalion pay a heavy price. After only one month, 12 of its vehicles were removed from the ranks, and another 3 had to be sent back to the rear for overhaul. By October 1, another 8 vehicles were damaged in battle, and only 18 of the remaining 25 vehicles could be barely started. However, in November, the headquarters sent 10 newly built Jagdpanzers to the 731st Battalion, and 20 more were added at the end of December. There were no more additions after that.

So by December 1, despite the continuous fierce fighting, the number of Jagdpanzers owned by Battalion 731 increased instead of decreased. There were 11 vehicles available out of a total of 26 vehicles. In addition to the large blood supply at the end of 1945, the number of Jagdpanzers in Battalion 731 rose sharply to 41 vehicles on February 1 of the following year, with 27 vehicles available. In the last occupation report of Battalion 731 on March 1, the total strength of the battalion - 28 Jagdpanzers that could be deployed was 13 vehicles. Perhaps from the perspective of combat effectiveness, it might be more appropriate to call it a company, but such equipment was already quite good in the German army at that time.

Later generations called it the last straw for Germany in World War II. There is also a saying that if the German army had equipped this weapon earlier, it could even change the course of the war.

The real opportunity for the birth of the original "Hunter" should be "thanked" to the Royal Air Force: at that time, the British Air Force launched a new round of large-scale air strikes on the German mainland. The heavy bombs dropped by the British hit the production plant of Alkett Company in the suburbs of Berlin, and the No. 3 assault gun produced here was forced to stop production for a period of time.

The three-gun StuGs could not be replenished in time, which was a disaster for the front-line troops. For this reason, the German Army High Command decided to let the Czech BMM company, which had been annexed by Germany, produce light tank destroyers of about 13 tons. Because the chassis uses the LT-38 tank and has a large number of mature technologies, Czech engineers only took 4 months to complete the entire design work of the Hunter.

Its main weapon is a 48-caliber Pak39 75mm gun (with 41 rounds of ammunition). When using the 39-type armor-piercing projectile, it can penetrate the horizontally placed 91mm thick 60-degree angle armor at a distance of 500 meters, and penetrate the 82mm thick 60-degree angle armor at a distance of 1000 meters. It is fully capable of dealing with most of the main armored vehicles of the Allied forces at that time.

And its artillery hit rate is very high. It can fire within 15 seconds of discovering the enemy, and has a very good hit rate and destructive power within 1500 meters, especially 1000 meters.

And the maintenance of the hunter is very convenient, and it is even more convenient to manufacture. You should know that the working hours of the German No. 4 tank are 30,000 hours, which is already the lowest. The working hours of the Tiger tank are 250,000 hours. In contrast, the Soviet KV series heavy tanks only have 100,000 hours in peacetime, and further reduced in wartime. The T-34 medium tank has only about 8,000 hours of working hours. So on the battlefield, the number of Soviet tanks is always more than that of German tanks.

The Jagdpanzer takes less than 3,000 hours to produce, which means it can be mass-produced in a short period of time, making it very suitable for filling the front line. In the last years of World War II, the Jagdpanzer tank destroyer resisted the armored torrent of the Allied and Soviet forces. Although it could not save the defeat, it greatly hindered the offensive of the Allied and Soviet forces.

Many Western European war history experts hold the view that only the "Jagdpanzer" is the only way for the German army to deal with the large number of American M4 Sherman tanks and Soviet T-34 tanks.