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The Jagdpanzer or tank hunter was a key German weapon type during the Second World War, produced in large numbers in an attempt to cope with the vast numbers of tanks fielded by the Soviets and the Western Allies, and compensate for the the slow production of the heavier Panther and Tiger I and Tiger II. This book traces the evolution of these tank hunters, from the first improvised designs to the purpose built weapons of the last years of the war.
One thing that quickly becomes clear is that German arms manufacture was somewhat chaotic. A wide range of tank hunters were produced in a relatively small period, ranging in size from the small but effective Hetzer, built on the chassis of a pre-war Czech tank design to the massive and unwhieldy Jagdtiger. Many were produced in an attempt to use industrial capacity that was already dedicated to particular tank designs without the delays that would have been needed to convert to a standard design, so we get tank hunters based on the Panzer III and Panzer IV.
The text is well supported by contemporary documents, in particular a series of reports produced by the units using these vehicles, describing their pros and cons. There is a tendancy in these documents to blame other units for the failings of the tank hunters, and to claim somewhat unconvincing levels of success, presumably because the authors knew that too much honesty would have been bad for their careers, but they do provide some interesting insights into how these tank hunters were seen by their users. As one would expect the book is very well illustrated, with pictures from both sides of the conflict.
This is a useful single volume history of this important German weapon type, bringing together accounts of a wide range of vehicles into a single volume.
Chapters
1 – Anti-tank Defences: 1935-1939
2 – Panzerabwehr to Panzerjager
3 – Russia: 1942-43
4 – The First Jagdpanzer
5 – Jagdpanther
6 – Jagdpanzer 38
7 – Jagdtiger
8 – Weaponry
9 – Allied and Soviet Types
Author: Thomas Anderson
Edition: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Publisher: Osprey
Year: 202