Self-propelled gun "Jagdtigr" was the last argument of Hitlerite Germany to change the course of the war in a more favorable direction for itself. It is difficult to be guided by the logic of the creators of this self-propelled gun, because at the time of the creation of the Jagdtigr self-propelled gun, Germany already had armored vehicles capable of easily knocking out any Allied tanks. Perhaps the creators of this vehicle were guided by the fact that the German 75mm and 88mm tank guns had an anti-tank orientation and did not give a sufficient high-explosive effect. Be that as it may, the desire to combine good armor-piercing and high-explosive characteristics was the reason for the appearance of "Jagdtigr". The Jagdtiger self-propelled gun turned out to be the heaviest self-propelled gun of the Second World War. Its 128mm cannon could penetrate absolutely any tank at a distance of 1.5 km, while the frontal 250mm armor was practically invulnerable to most of the gun barrels of its rivals.
The Royal Tiger Tiger II was chosen as the chassis for the Jagdtiger self-propelled gun, lengthening the hull by 25 cm and leaving everything else unchanged, including two sets of tracks - narrow transport and wide combat ones. The Tiger II also inherited the MG 34 machine gun in a ball mount in the frontal hull plate. Inside the SPG there were also 7.92mm MG 34 (MG 42) anti-aircraft guns, 9mm MP 38/40 and a 27mm Walter flare pistol.
It should be noted that the armored hull of the tank has hardly undergone any changes either in terms of the design or in terms of the thickness of the armor. The sides of the cabin were integral with the sides of the hull and had the same thickness - 80 mm. The frontal and stern sheets of the felling were connected to the sides "in a thorn", reinforced with dowels, and then scalded. The thickness of the frontal sheet of the wheelhouse reached 250 mm, it was located at an angle of 75 ° from the horizontal, which made it practically invulnerable to all enemy anti-tank weapons at a distance of over 400 m. The rear sheet was 80 mm thick. It housed a hatch for dismantling the gun, loading ammunition and evacuating the crew, which was closed with a hinged double-leaf lid. The roof of the wheelhouse was made of 40-mm armor plate and bolted to the hull. In the right front part of the roof of the wheelhouse there was a commander's rotating observation turret with a viewing device covered with a U-shaped armored bracket. In front of the instrument in the turret roof there was a hatch for installing a stereo tube. Behind the commander's cupola was the commander's landing hatch, and to the left of it was the embrasure of the gun's periscope sight. In addition, a fan, a “melee device” and four observation devices were installed in the roof of the wheelhouse.
A 12.8 cm Pak 44 (Pak 80) cannon of 128 mm caliber was installed in the embrasure of the front leaf of the wheelhouse, covered with a massive cast mask. The muzzle velocity of the armor-piercing projectile reached 920 m / s. The barrel length of the gun, developed by Kgarr and manufactured at Bertha-Werke in Breslau, was 55 calibers (7020 mm). The mass of the gun is 7000 kg. The shutter was wedge-shaped, horizontal, had 1/4 automatic, that is, opening the shutter and extracting the sleeve were done manually, and after the projectile and charge were sent, the shutter closed automatically. The gun was mounted on a special machine installed in the SPG hull. Vertical guidance was carried out in the range from -7 ° to + 15 °, horizontal - 10 ° to the side. Recoil devices were located above the gun barrel. The maximum rollback length is 900 mm. The greatest firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile reached 12.5 km. As already noted, the Cancer 44 cannon was different from the 128-mm anti-aircraft gun Flak 40 with separate-case loading. In the cramped cockpit of the self-propelled guns with a bulky and heavy "unitar" there was no way to turn around. To speed up the loading process, the crew of the Jagdtigr consisted of two loaders: while one was sending a projectile into the chamber, the other was feeding a cartridge case with a charge. Nevertheless, the rate of fire of "Jagdtigr" did not exceed 2 - 3 rds / min.
The ammunition load of the self-propelled guns was located on the floor of the fighting compartment and the sides of the wheelhouse in clamping packs and amounted to 38 - 40 rounds. The WZF 2/1 periscope sight had a tenfold increase and a field of view of 7 °, which made it possible to hit targets at a distance of up to 4000 m. Auxiliary armament of the Jagdtigr consisted of an MG 34 machine gun placed in a ball mount in the frontal hull sheet. Machine gun ammunition - 1500 rounds. On the roof of the wheelhouse was mounted a "melee device" - a 26-mm anti-personnel grenade launcher. On machines of later releases, the MG 42 anti-aircraft machine gun began to be installed. 
The Rak 44 ammunition included shots with an armor-piercing projectile weighing 28.3 kg and a fragmentation mass of 28 kg. Rak 44's armor penetration was 200 mm at a distance of 1.5 km. The gun could hit any Soviet, American or English tank at distances beyond their limits. In addition, due to the large mass of the projectile, when it hit the tank, even without breaking through the armor, in 90% of cases it would still fail.
The crew consisted of self-propelled guns consisted of 6 people: the commander to the left of the gun, in the wheelhouse; gunner - in front of the commander; two loaders - to the right of the gun; The driver is on the left in front of the hull; radio operator - to the right of the driver.
The Jagdtigr's armor was extraordinary, the frontal armor plate of the wheelhouse was 250mm thick, and the hull was 150mm at the top and 100mm at the bottom, the sides were 80mm each. As a result, the combat weight of the vehicle was 71700 kg and exceeded the weight of the Tiger II by approximately 3700 kg. Because of the large wheelhouse, the "Jagdtigr" had a height of 2.82 m. If on the self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" the wheelhouse was bolted to the hull, then on the "Jagdtiger" the hull and the wheelhouse were one. The armor was rolled, homogeneous and joined in a tenon with double electric welding. It should be noted that it is atypical that the dimensions and weight of the ACS turned out to be greater than that of the tank, on the basis of which the ACS was created.
Even during the testing of "Jagdtigr" many problems were revealed, which were not eliminated until the end of the war. The overweight and extremely unreliable chassis of the Tiger II, on a huge self-propelled gun, turned out to be below any criticism. Gasoline engine Maybach HL230 P30 700 hp and the gearbox clearly did not cope with the weight of the car: the engine power density was 9.8 hp / ton. Although the Maybach-Olvar 40 12 16 B transmission had 8 forward speeds and 4 reverse speeds, the car moved clumsily. In combat tracks 79 cm wide, the specific ground pressure is 1.07 kg / cm2. Turning radius - 4.8 m. Fuel consumption of more than 5 liters per kilometer, limited autonomy to 170 km on the road. The declared passport speed on the highway of 38 km / h was almost never reached, but engine overheating happened often, especially when climbing even a slight slope.
Serial production of self-propelled guns began in July 1944 at the branch of the Austrian concern Steer-Daimler-Puch, at the Nibelungenwerke plant in St. Valentine. According to the plans of the Armament Directorate ground forces it was ordered to make 150 heavy self-propelled guns "Jagdtigr" Ausf B. But the production of "Jagdtigr" was actually activated only in January 1945. In April 1944, 4 self-propelled guns with an 88mm Pak 43 L / 71 gun and the official name Panzerjager Tiger mit 88mm Pak 43 came out of the factory gates. / 3 (Sf.) (Sd. Kfz. 185). Until the end of 1944, 48 self-propelled guns were issued. And in total, from July 1944 to March 1945, the only manufacturer "Jagdtigr", the Nibelungenwerke company, produced 74 heavy tank destroyers "Jagdtiger", not counting three prototypes.
Based on the prohibitively low reliability, in order to avoid the faulty vehicle falling into the hands of the Allies, the Jagdtigr had 2 explosive charges - under the breech of the gun and under the engine. And in all likelihood, the main "losses" of this self-propelled gun just fell on these charges, set in motion by their own crews.
On the Eastern Front, "Jagdtigru" did not have a chance to fight, and its rival was the American "Sherman". Difficulties with moving such a large vehicle to the battlefield reduced the possible combat potential of this vehicle to modest results. From various kinds of breakdowns, they were constantly being repaired. Although when they did take part in hostilities, their effectiveness was quite high.
For example, on March 10, the 1st company of the 512th battalion of heavy tank destroyers entered into battle with American troops in the area of the town of Remagen on the banks of the Rhine. The Jagdtigers' cannons hit American tanks at a distance of 2500 m. After the battles near Siegen, the company included several StuG III assault guns and Pz.IV tanks and transformed it into the Ernst battle group, named after its commander, Captain Albert Ernst. Battle group occupied the defense on the heights dominating the terrain on the banks of the river. Ruhr. When a large column of American troops appeared, the Germans unleashed heavy fire on it. "Jagdtigers" fired at long-range targets, and assault guns and tanks at near ones. As a result of the fleeting battle, the Americans lost 11 tanks and up to 50 other combat and transport vehicles. The Germans lost one Jagdtiger, hit from the air by a missile launched from the R-51 Mustang fighter.
The Jagdtigers took part in the battles in the Ruhr Sack. According to some foreign sources, on April 11, 1945, in the area of Unna, the company of Otto Carius knocked out about 15 enemy tanks.
Ultimately, most of the surviving Jagdtigers ended up in the hands of the American allies after the surrender of their crews, because even the Jagdtigr could not fight American planes.
Conceived as another Wunderwaffe ("wonder weapon"), which was supposed to change the course of the war, "Jagdtiger" did not live up to the hopes placed on it, becoming just as redundant and virtually useless war machine, like the "Royal Tiger": "Purposes worthy 128-mm cannon, the opponents of Nazi Germany did not have. From the metal necessary for the manufacture of one "Jagdtiger", it was possible to make four "Hetzer" - the best light anti-tank self-propelled guns of the times of the war, from which there was much more sense! "
: 12.03.2019 16:40
The secret of this product is that armor plates made for the Navy were used for the frontal armor even before the war, and they were in the fleet's warehouse.
: 02.07.2016 20:25
But the Germans knew how to create excellent weapons ... for training grounds and exhibitions ... in piece quantities. They are really poorly adapted for war, but these are trifles)))
: 25.06.2016 00:34
: 17.01.2016 22:12
: 17.01.2016 17:58
Quoting the reader And after that, what is the best AT and SHO for Jagdtir? :) Brummer, ISU-152, and even more so also Sturmtiger have a larger gun caliber. Elephant's frontal hull armor (with, as you rightly noted, the best quality thereof) is thicker .. Well, for starters, the Broomber is an assault weapon, like the Assault Tiger and the Isu-152. They fired only high-explosive shells (sometimes smoke or incendiary) and were not effective against tanks!
: 19.02.2015 18:55
Quote Van P.S. The Germans developed magnificent engineering and technical structures during the total war - Tigers first and second, Panther, Jagdpanther, Jagdtiger - BUT SUCH complex equipment needs to be developed, tested and brought to mind in PEACEFUL conditions, and not in conditions of an acute shortage of everything and everyone. So the Germans did not need to unleash the Second World War. Why develop such a technique during a TOTAL war? |
Self-propelled artillery installation 12,8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V in the yard of the Rheinmetall plant
Traditionally, it is believed that the Germans began to create heavy anti-tank guns, faced with Soviet T-34 and KV tanks. However, this is not entirely true, since for the first time they had to face tanks with anti-cannon armor during the French campaign.
So it is not surprising that already in May 1941, at a meeting in the Berghof, Hitler ordered the development of self-propelled anti-tank installations with powerful 105 and 128 mm cannons and test them against captured heavily armored French and British tanks. We decided to use two VK 3001 (H) chassis as a base. These were the chassis of an experienced 30-ton tank. The frontal hull armor was 60 mm, and the side armor was 50 mm. The chassis used a staggered suspension with road wheels and a 520 mm wide track. The machine was powered by a Maybach HL116 300 hp engine. On the basis of this chassis, Rheinmetall-Borsig in Dusseldorf manufactured heavy self-propelled guns 12.8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V. installed in an open-top wheelhouse in the aft part of the hull. To accommodate a 7-ton gun, the undercarriage had to be lengthened by introducing an eighth road roller. The wheelhouse with a wall thickness of 30 mm housed five crew members and 18 cannon shots. The mass of the vehicle reached 36 tons. After specifying the characteristics of the gun, the Armaments Directorate came to the conclusion that with an initial velocity of an armor-piercing projectile of 900 - 920 m / s, any tank is practically unprotected from firing this ACS at all ranges of actual fire. However, the available guidance tools made it possible to conduct effective fire from this gun at distances up to 1500 m.
The first ACS prototype was manufactured in August 1941, and at the end of the year two vehicles of this type were sent to the Eastern Front for testing in combat conditions. In the winter of 1943, one of them was captured by the Red Army in the Stalingrad region. This machine entered the NIBT Polygon GBTU of the Red Army in Kubinka, where it is still located. The fate of the second car is unknown.
Because the German self-propelled gun arrived at the test site in a faulty condition, it was not possible to carry out its full tests, nevertheless, the trophy underwent a thorough study, as evidenced by excerpts from the report.
Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V in the assembly shop
“The main feature of this assault gun is its powerful armament from a 128-mm cannon, which makes it possible to effectively engage all types Soviet tanks at very long distances (about 1500 m and more). Since the gun is partially faulty, it was not tested on the spot with standard ammunition.
Despite the fact that the gun's ammunition contains shots with a fragmentation shell, the prisoners show that there was practically no fire from the gun at the infantry (only at tanks and vehicles). The power of a fragmentation projectile is sufficient to destroy light tanks and vehicles of any type.
The gun does not have a standard defensive machine gun, which makes it an easy prey for infantry and small-sized fire weapons.
Applied in car new type The six-cylinder engine is very successful in terms of its design and reliability. However, the specified type of engine is very critical to the purity of the fuel and requires special training for maintenance (adjustment and repair).
Of the currently available in the German army, this type of assault weapon is the most interesting and promising for mass use, both in the offensive and in defense. "
Analyzed the Soviet experts and the features of the use of self-propelled guns, as well as ways to combat it.
“According to the testimony of the prisoners, this heavy assault vehicle was used by German troops in special unit(division) to repel the attacks of Soviet tanks of heavy and medium types ... mainly in production positions for attack. Using armament from a powerful long-barreled cannon, the German heavy assault cannon can be effectively used against all types of our tanks at all effective fire ranges within sight.
The interior of the fighting compartment. Starboard view
By the time of the capture, the assault gun crew had destroyed at least 7 Soviet tanks, mostly of the heavy type, in about a month of battles (the destruction of 6 marked tanks was additionally confirmed). The assault gun was not used against light tanks.
View of the carriage and guidance mechanisms of the 128-mm cannon
The armor of a KB type tank, even taking into account its maximum allowable build-up, is not an obstacle for the armor-piercing projectile of the K.40 (R) heavy cannon at all firing ranges.
Currently the most effective remedy protection from such a heavy assault weapon is, apparently, not an increase in the thickness of the armor (which no longer makes sense), but a significant improvement in mobility and a decrease in size domestic tanks and other armored vehicles. The prisoners show that it is much more difficult to fire aimed fire against moving Soviet light tanks of the T-60, T-70 and Valentin types than against the heavy tanks (KB and T-34).
Thanks to the installation of the gun in a non-rotating installation and the use of separate loading shots in it, the most effective way to counter it should be considered the constant maneuvering of the tank, which makes it difficult to calculate the production of an aimed shot. The weapon is easy to detect by observation, since when fired, a large cloud of powder gases rises due to the action of the muzzle brake.
128-mm German self-propelled gun at the exhibition of captured weapons in the Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after Gorky. Moscow, spring 1943
The Germans avoid using such assault weapons in battle without the support of light and medium tanks, as well as anti-tank and assault weapons of medium and small calibers. "
Krupp 128-mm anti-tank gun Cancer 44 in the stowed position
Looking at all, German command did not experience any illusions about the further use of the 12.8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V. However, this experience also forced the Arms Directorate in the summer and autumn of 1942 to turn to the idea of creating specialized fully armored anti-tank self-propelled guns armed with medium and large caliber guns. At the same time, the development of a new self-propelled gun with a 128-mm cannon was not initially envisaged. But already on February 2, 1943, the Armaments Directorate transferred the tactical and technical requirements for the heavy "Jagdpantzer" to the artillery design bureau of Friedrich Krupp AG in Essen. The technical requirements provided for the creation of a 128-mm self-propelled gun based on the Tiger NZ tank (Tiger II) with a wheelhouse located in the stern. The chassis contract was awarded to Henschel & Sohn in Kassel. By mid-April 1943, the latter proposed two versions of the 12.8 cm Panzerjager project on the Tiger NZ chassis (Tigerjager). One - with the aft placement of the deckhouse, the other - with the deckhouse installed in the middle of the hull. As a result, preference was given to the second option, which is most unified with the Tiger NZ tank.
Prototype "Jagdtigra" with a chassis designed by F. Porsche at the test site. The armament has not yet been installed. Spring 1944
On the ACS with a front engine, it was supposed, by the way, to install a 128-mm cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers. It was extremely difficult to place this gun in a vehicle with the layout of the Tiger II tank. In this case, the barrel protrusion outside the ACS hull would have been 4.9 m. In addition, the charge for this gun had an ISO mm length versus 870 mm for the Rak 44 cannon with a barrel length of 55 calibers. As a result, the preference was given to the latter.
Prototype "Jagdtigra" with a chassis designed by F. Porsche in the assembly shop. The flanges of the suspension bogies are clearly visible
In the assembly shop there is a prototype of the Jagdtiger with a chassis borrowed from the Royal Tiger. The holes in the side of the hull are clearly visible, intended for the installation of torsion shafts.
It should be noted that the serial production of the 128-mm Rak 44 cannon began in December 1943 as a towed anti-tank gun. The cannon was designed on the basis of the ballistics of a 128-mm anti-aircraft gun, but unlike the latter, it had a separate-case rather than unitary loading. Despite this, the gun had a rate of fire of up to 5 rds / min. The gun was mounted on a cruciform carriage, which provided circular fire. Due to the large mass of the artillery system - more than 10 tons - only 12- and 18-ton half-track tractors could tow it. A total of 18 such guns were made.
The first prototypes of the Jagdtigr arrived at the Kummersdorf Proving Ground, respectively, in February (with a Porsche suspension, above) and in May (with a Henschel suspension, below) 1944.
The Rak 44 ammunition included shots with an armor-piercing projectile weighing 28.3 kg and a fragmentation mass of 28 kg. Rak 44's armor penetration was 200 mm at a distance of 1.5 km. The gun could hit any Soviet, American or English tank at distances beyond their limits. In addition, due to the large mass of the projectile, when it hit the tank, even without breaking through the armor, in 90% of cases it would still fail.
In February 1944, the production of 128-mm anti-tank guns Rak 80 began. They differed from Rak 44 mainly by the absence of a muzzle brake. Since the carriage was not designed for it, the swinging part began to be installed on the carriages of captured Soviet 152-mm M-10 howitzers, ML-20 howitzers-guns and French 155-mm guns. In total, 132 guns were manufactured by January 1945, of which 80 were installed in the self-propelled guns, the Maus super-heavy tank, and were also used to train crews.
A life-size wooden SPG model was shown at the Aris training ground in East Prussia. The self-propelled guns made the most favorable impression on the Fuhrer, and the "highest" order followed to begin its serial production next year. On April 7, 1944, the vehicle was named Panzerjager Tiger Ausf.B (Sd.Kfz.186), later simplified to Jagdtiger. After 13 days, the first sample was made in metal.
Assembly shop of the Nibelungenwerke plant in St. Valentine (Austria)
The release of "jagdtigers" (more precisely, their manufacture) began in July 1944 in the shops of the Niebelungenwerke plant in St. Valentine, owned by the concern Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. Apart from the first three prototypes, 74 Jagdtigers were produced.
Production of self-propelled guns "Jagdtigr"
The plans provided for the production of 150 "jagdtigers" in 1944, and in 1945 another 100 until the month of May. Then production was supposed to be transferred to the Jung plant in Jungenthal. At the new location, the Germans were going to release 5 cars in May, 15 in June, and then produce 25 units monthly until the end of 1945. These plans were not destined to come true. Only the Niebelungenwerke plant was engaged in the release of "jagdtigers", and, as can be seen from the table, with a significant lag behind the schedule, which is not surprising. On October 16, 1944, Allied aviation carried out an air raid on the plant in St. Valentine and dropped about 143 tons of bombs on it. The production of "jagdtigers" for some time completely stopped, and then it was very slow pace, reaching its maximum in March 1945 (most likely due to the delivery of machines, the assembly of which was started back in February). But on March 23, 1945, the Niebelungenwerke plant was subjected to another massive bombardment (about 258 tons of high-explosive bombs were dropped), which practically stopped production. The last 4 "Jagdtigers" were assembled by April 15, 1945. These vehicles were received by the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers (Panzerjager Abteilung 653), and the last self-propelled gun was transferred to the crew on May 4, 1945. Four days later, the St. Valentine plant was occupied by the Red Army.
"Jagdtiger" in the assembly shop. The balancers of the Henschel suspension are clearly visible
Due to the lack of 128-mm Rak 44 guns, it was decided to install an 88-mm Rak 43/3 cannon on the Jagdtiger. It was planned to produce 4 such vehicles in April 1945, and 17 in May. The Panzerjager Tiger fur 8,8 cm Pak 43/3 (Sd.Kfz.185) ACS project was developed, but not a single vehicle was manufactured in metal.
Description of construction
The layout of the tank destroyer "Jagdtiger"
The overall layout of the Jagdtiger ACS is generally the same as that of the Tiger II tank. However, the load on the chassis when fired was assumed to be greater than that of the tank, so it was lengthened by 260 mm.
The control department was located in front of the ACS. It housed the main clutch, gearbox and steering mechanism. To the left of the gearbox were the controls, control devices and the driver's seat. On the right was a course machine gun and a radio operator's seat. The radio station was also located in the control compartment - above the gearbox and right-hand final drive.
The fighting compartment was located in the middle of the SPG. Above it was an armored wheelhouse, in which the gun was mounted. To the left of the gun were the periscope sight, guidance mechanisms and the gunner's seat. The commander's seat was to the right of the gun. Ammunition was housed in niches along the walls of the wheelhouse and on the floor of the fighting compartment. In the rear of the cabin there were two loaders.
The engine compartment, located in the rear of the hull, housed the engine, fans and radiators of the cooling system, and fuel tanks. There was a partition between the engine and fighting compartments.
It should be noted that the armored hull of the tank has hardly undergone any changes either in terms of the design or in terms of the thickness of the armor. The sides of the cabin were integral with the sides of the hull and had the same thickness - 80 mm. The frontal and stern sheets of the felling were connected to the sides "in a thorn", reinforced with dowels, and then scalded. The thickness of the frontal sheet of the wheelhouse reached 250 mm, it was located at an angle of 75 ° from the horizontal, which made it practically invulnerable to all enemy anti-tank weapons at a distance of over 400 m. The rear sheet was 80 mm thick. It housed a hatch for dismantling the gun, loading ammunition and evacuating the crew, which was closed with a hinged double-leaf lid. The roof of the wheelhouse was made of 40-mm armor plate and bolted to the hull. In the right front part of the roof of the wheelhouse there was a commander's rotating observation turret with a viewing device covered with a U-shaped armored bracket. In front of the instrument in the turret roof there was a hatch for installing a stereo tube. Behind the commander's cupola was the commander's landing hatch, and to the left of it was the embrasure of the gun's periscope sight. In addition, a fan, a “melee device” and four observation devices were installed in the roof of the wheelhouse.
"Jagdtiger" (chassis No. 305003) with a Porsche suspension structure before being sent to the front
A 12.8 cm Pak 44 (Pak 80) cannon of 128 mm caliber was installed in the embrasure of the front leaf of the wheelhouse, covered with a massive cast mask. The muzzle velocity of the armor-piercing projectile reached 920 m / s. The barrel length of the gun, developed by Kgarr and manufactured at Bertha-Werke in Breslau, was 55 calibers (7020 mm). The mass of the gun is 7000 kg. The shutter was wedge-shaped, horizontal, had 1/4 automatic, that is, opening the shutter and extracting the sleeve were done manually, and after the projectile and charge were sent, the shutter closed automatically. The gun was mounted on a special machine installed in the SPG hull. Vertical guidance was carried out in the range from -7 ° to + 15 °, horizontal - 10 ° to the side. Recoil devices were located above the gun barrel. The maximum rollback length is 900 mm. The greatest firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile reached 12.5 km. As already noted, the Rak 44 cannon differed from the 128-mm Flak 40 anti-aircraft gun by a separate-case loading. In the cramped cockpit of the self-propelled guns with a bulky and heavy "unitar" there was no way to turn around. To speed up the loading process, the crew of the Jagdtigr consisted of two loaders: while one sent a projectile into the chamber, the other fed a cartridge case with a charge. Nevertheless, the rate of fire of the "Jagdtigr" did not exceed 2 - 3 rds / min.
"Jagdtiger", rear view. Noteworthy are the casings of the exhaust pipes and a massive double armored door in the aft deckhouse
Panzerjager Tiger Ausf.B
The drawing was made by V. Malginov
Machine 128-mm guns:
1 - axle mounting bracket;
2 - pin;
3 - rollback brake;
4 - horizontal flywheel;
5 - drive to the sight;
6 - flywheel vertical guidance
The ammunition load of the self-propelled guns was placed on the floor of the fighting compartment and the sides of the wheelhouse in clamping pads and amounted to 38 - 40 rounds.
The WZF 2/1 periscope sight had a tenfold increase and a field of view of 7 °, which made it possible to hit targets at a distance of up to 4000 m.
Auxiliary armament "Jagdtigr" consisted of an MG 34 machine gun, placed in a ball mount in the frontal sheet of the hull. Machine gun ammunition - 1500 rounds. On the roof of the wheelhouse was mounted a "melee device" - a 26-mm anti-personnel grenade launcher. On machines of later releases, the MG 42 anti-aircraft machine gun began to be installed.
The fighting compartment of the self-propelled guns "Jagdtigr". In the foreground is the breech of the 128 mm cannon. To the left of it is the gunner's workplace and the horizontal flywheel. Above it, in the roof of the wheelhouse, a so-called "melee device" is installed - a breech-loading mortar for firing smoke and fragmentation grenades. On the sides of the cabin - racks for canisters with charges
The Jagdtigr was equipped with the same power unit as the Royal Tiger tank - a 12-cylinder carburetor four-stroke Maybach HL 230Р30 engine with a capacity of 700 hp. (515 kW) at 3000 rpm (in practice, the number of revolutions did not exceed 2500). The cylinders were V-shaped at an angle of 60 °. Compression ratio 6.8. The dry weight of the engine was 1300 kg. Leaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74 was used to power the engine. The capacity of seven gas tanks was 860 liters. The fuel supply is forced by means of two Solex diaphragm pumps. Carburetors - four, brands Solex 52FFJIID.
Driver's workplace. The steering wheel, instrument panel (on the right above the gearbox) and the driver's observation device are clearly visible. Left - the lever and the servo mechanism for opening the driver's landing hatch cover
The lubrication system is circulating, under pressure, with a dry sump. The oil was circulated by three gear pumps, of which one is for injection and two are suction pumps.
The cooling system is liquid. Radiators - four, connected by two in series. The capacity of the radiators is about 114 liters. Zyklon fans were located on both sides of the engine.
To speed up the engine start in the cold season, a thermosyphon heater was intended, heated by a blowtorch, which was installed on the outside of the rear hull sheet.
The engine was started normally using an electric starter. If necessary, it was possible to start the engine manually or using a launcher. The handle to manually start the engine was connected to a cam clutch on the engine crankshaft. The handle was inserted into a small hole in the aft hull sheet on the right side, just below the exhaust pipe. The hole was covered with an armored cover.
Stowage of charges of the 128-mm cannon in the fighting compartment of "Jagdtigra"
To start the engine using the launcher, the large hatch cover was removed at the level of the engine crankshaft. The launcher was motionlessly fixed on the ACS armor using two holders, and the gear on the launcher shaft meshed with the gear on the engine crankshaft.
General view of the suspension bogie design F. Porsche (left and center), broke during testing due to poor quality material
With the help of a special device, it was possible to start the ACS engine from the engines of the Kubelwagen or Schwimmwagen cars.
The transmission consisted of a cardan gear, a gearbox with an integrated main clutch, a steering mechanism, final drives and disc brakes. At the same time, the main clutch, gearbox and swing mechanism, which consisted of two summing planetary gear sets, were structurally combined into a single whole - a two-flow gear and swing mechanism.
Porsche undercarriage idler
The gearbox Maybach OLVAR OG (B) 40 12 16B produced by the Zahnradfabrik plant in Friedrichshafen is shaftless, with longitudinal axles, eight-speed, with constant gearing, with a central synchronizer and individual brakes, with semi-automatic control. The box provided 8 forward and 4 reverse gears. Its feature was the absence of common shafts for several gears, each gear was mounted on separate bearings. The box was supplied with an automatic hydraulic servo drive. To change gears, it was enough to move the lever without depressing the pedals of the main clutch. The servo drive automatically, without the participation of the driver, turned off the main clutch and the previously engaged gear, synchronized the angular speeds of the gear clutches to be engaged, turned on a new gear, and then smoothly turned on the main clutch.
Tank destroyer "Jagdtiger" with a chassis designed by F. Porsche.
Tank destroyer "Jagdtiger" with 88-mm cannon Rak 43/4 (draft)
The roof of the Jagdtigra cabin. Top right - the commander's cupola with a hatch for a stereo tube, in front of it - the commander's landing hatch, top left - an arched embrasure of the periscope sight
In the event of damage to the hydraulic equipment, gear shifting and turning off the main clutch could be done mechanically. The gear lubrication system is jet, with oil supply to the engagement point when the sump is dry.
The layout of the fighting compartment of the tank destroyer "Jagdtigr"
The multi-disc main clutch with friction of the working surfaces in oil was structurally integrated into the gearbox, as well as the parking brake.
A friction-gear turning mechanism with a double power supply provided the tank with two fixed turning radii in each gear. At the same time, the maximum radius was 114 m, the minimum - 2.08 m. Sharper turns with the gear engaged, including around the lagging track, were not provided by the transmission. In the neutral position of the gearbox, it was possible to turn around the center of gravity of the ACS by moving the running track forward and backward with a radius of B / 2, where B is the width of the ACS.
Final drives are double-row, combined, with an unloaded driven shaft.
It should be emphasized that the engine and transmission of the ACS were borrowed from the Tiger II tank with minimal changes. For example, there was no power take-off for the hydraulic turret rotation, due to its absence.
"Jagdtiger" with F. Porsche's suspension on a railway platform. Transport tracks by car, bulwarks dismantled
The undercarriage was also basically the same as the tank one. The extension of the body by 260 mm resulted in an increase in the length of the support surface from 4120 to 4240 mm. However, due to the increase in the mass of the ACS in comparison with the tank by 5 tons, the specific pressure on the ground not only did not decrease, but even increased from 1.02 to 1.06 kg / cm2.
The assembly of the chassis of the Jagdtiger self-propelled gun (as, indeed, of the "Royal Tiger" itself) was one of the most labor-intensive operations, seriously delaying the production process. Therefore, the design bureau of Ferdinand Porsche proactively proposed to use a suspension on the Jagdtigr, similar to that installed on the Ferdinand tank destroyer.
The peculiarity of this suspension was that the torsion bars were located not inside the body, but outside, inside the bogie. Each of these longitudinally located torsion bars "worked" on two road wheels. The gain in weight of the suspension was 2680 kg, and in the time of manufacture and installation - 390 kg.
This "Jagdtiger" (chassis # 305032) is loaded onto a railway platform without changing tracks. You can clearly see how the combat tracks protrude beyond the dimensions of the platform.
In addition, the installation and tightening of the standard suspension torsion bars was possible only in the assembled body, in a strict sequence and using a special winch. Replacement of torsion bars and suspension balancers could only be done in the factory. The assembly of the Porsche suspension bogies was possible separately from the body, and their installation could be carried out without the use of special equipment.
It was not difficult to repair and replace failed suspension bogies in frontline conditions.
American soldiers inspect the Jagdtigr, abandoned by the Germans, from the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers. Germany, April 1945. The car received a tangential hit into the eyelet of the left front towing earring (photo below), due to which the final drive failed
With the Porsche suspension, seven cars were built (two prototypes and five production), the first of which was tested even earlier than the Henschel suspension car. Nevertheless, despite all the advantages of the Porsche chassis, the Armaments Directorate did not recommend it for serial production. The main reason was more than a strained relationship between officials and the designer. The breakdown of the suspension bogie during the tests, which was the fault of the manufacturer, also played a role. However, one cannot discount the desire for elementary unification between the tank and the SPG.
As a result, the chassis of the Jagdtigr self-propelled guns, applied to one side, consisted of nine all-metal double road wheels with internal depreciation, staggered in two rows (five rollers in the outer row, four in the inner row). The roller dimensions are 800x95 mm.
Suspension - individual, torsion bar, single-shaft. The diameter of the torsion bar is 60 ... 63 mm. The balancers of the front and rear road wheels were equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers located inside the hull.
The front drive wheels had two removable toothed rims with 18 teeth each. The gearing is pinned. The guide wheels with a diameter of 650 mm had metal tires and crank mechanisms for tensioning the tracks.
Tracks are steel, fine-link, each of 94 tracks (47 smooth tracks, 47 - double-ridged tracks). Width of combat tracks Kgs 73/800/300 - 818 mm, transport Kgs 73/660/52 - 658.5 mm. Transport tracks "Jagdtigra" were combat tracks of the "Panther" and were used for transportation by rail.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ACS Jagdtiger
American soldiers unload ammunition from the captured Jagdtigr (chassis # 305004). Germany, 1945
Combat use
The first 14 serial "jagdtigers" were to enter the 3rd company of the 130th training battalion of tank destroyers of the Training Tank Division. In German it sounds 3.Companie Panzerjager Lehr Abteilung Panzer Lehr Division. The full German name is not given by chance. The fact is that in literature the word Abteilung is translated sometimes as a battalion, sometimes as a division. Both are correct, it all depends on the context. If a tank, then a battalion, if an artillery, then a division. There's no end in sight with tank destroyers. I would like to put an end to this question, since there is an obvious clue - the word Companie. This is a company, not a battery, as some authors translate (battery in German - Battarie). Well, if it is a company, then it is a battalion.
So, the 130th battalion was to receive "jagdtigers" in March 1944. It was about 14 vehicles - two to the headquarters and four to each of the three platoons. However, as you know, in February 1944, only two prototypes were made, which were delivered to the Kummersdorf test site in May 1944. So, not waiting for new machines, the company departed to the front in June 1944, having in its composition 9 Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers.
In reality, the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers received the first "jagdtigers". This battalion fought on the Eastern Front and in Italy, being equipped with Elephant tank destroyers (nee Ferdinand). By August 1, 1944, the battalion had lost 60% of its materiel - only 12 "elephants" remained in the ranks, which were assembled into the 2nd company. In December 1944, this unit was renamed 614th separate company heavy tank destroyers. The rest of the battalion's personnel went to Austria to retrain for the Jagdtiger tank destroyers. By the end of November 1944, the battalion had received 16 Jagdtigers.
"Jagdtigr" (chassis No. 305004), prepared for towing. This vehicle, equipped with a Porsche chassis, is now on display at the British Royal Tank Museum in Bovington.
The Wehrmacht command planned to use the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers in the offensive in the Ardennes in December 1944. Since the battalion was not fully staffed, only the 1st company with its 14 "jagdtigers" went to the front from the Dellersheim training camp. Her journey turned into a separate epic. By December 12, the company’s equipment was delivered by three railway echelons to Vitlich, which is 50 km from the front line of Army Group B. From here the Jagdtigers had to be delivered to Kal at the disposal of the 6th Panzer Army. But for this purpose, only one train was provided ( it comes on special platforms for the transport of heavy tanks, which, apparently, were in great deficit), with the help of which 6 "jagdtigers" were delivered to Blankenheim by December 21st. Here, 10 km from the front line, they remained and did not participate in the offensive, contrary to the assertions of individual publications that "The division inflicted heavy losses on the advancing Anglo-American armored units, mostly armed with Shermans, which presented an excellent target for the German gunners due to their exorbitant height."
"Jagdtiger" (chassis No. 304004) during towing
Leaving without comment the style, spelling and grammar of this quote, I would like to draw the reader's attention to the fact that in December 1944 it was the Germans who were advancing, as well as to the fact that the height of the Sherman, depending on the modification, ranges from 2743 to 2972 mm ... For comparison, the height of the T-34-85 is 2720 mm, that is, the "Sherman" is either 2.5 or 25 cm higher. Nothing to say, it is prohibitively high! This made it much easier for the German gunners to fire, especially from 2 km! How many fables can you feed your readers? However, let us return to the "jagdtigram" of the 653rd battalion.
"Jagdtiger" (chassis No. 304004) on a trolley-trailer for transportation
On December 23, 1944, the battalion was ordered to take part in Operation Nordwind. This time the battalion was provided with special platforms, but due to the lack of locomotives and damage to the tracks by the Allied aviation, the transfer of "jagdtigers" to the concentration area near Zweibruecken did not begin. In the following days, unintelligible attempts were made to reach the area, both with the help of railway transport, and under its own power. The latter led to the failure of most of the combat vehicles. As a result, on January 2, 1945, only four "jagdtigers" reached Zweibrucken, which joined the three SPGs that arrived on December 30 from Austria.
"Jagdtigr" (chassis # 305058) from the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers, captured by American troops. March 1945
The same "Jagdtiger", rear view
In accordance with Hitler's order, the 653rd Battalion of Heavy Tank Destroyers was transferred to operational subordination of the 17th SS Motorized Division "Getz von Berlichingen", which was part of the 1st Field Army of Army Group "G". By the beginning of the offensive on December 31, 1944, the battalion had only three combat-ready "jagdtigers". There is no information about their participation in hostilities. However, the operation "Nordwind" itself had a local success, and by January 5 it became clear that it had failed.
In the meantime, the formation of a new 2nd company began, and the 653rd battalion, by January 23, 1945, finally acquired its finished form. To the 33 "jagdtigram" already available, 11 more vehicles from the reserve of the High Command were transferred to it. This number includes all seven self-propelled guns with Porsche suspension. These 11 "jagdtigers" were previously used in Milau and Dellersheim to train crews.
The same "Jagdtiger". The original installation of the MG42 anti-aircraft machine gun on the roof of the engine compartment is clearly visible (left)
It should be noted, however, that the staff strength of the 653rd battalion, achieved with such difficulty, was conditional, since some of its vehicles were scattered over a fairly large territory from Witlich to Bonn. All of them were in disrepair, evacuated or preparing for evacuation. Some were repaired on site and fought. For example, two "jagdtigers" supported the infantry of the 14th SS corps near Auenheim. In this battle, by the way, they successfully fired high-explosive shells at the counterattacking Shermans. In January 1945, the first Jagdtiger was irretrievably lost.
The serviceable Jagdtiger (chassis # 305020), captured by American forces, is ready for dispatch to the United States. 1945 year. This machine is now on display at the War Museum at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the United States.
American soldiers inspect the "Jagdtiger" from the 3rd company of the 512th heavy tank destroyer battalion, destroyed on April 15, 1945, north of St. Andreasberg (Germany)
As of February 1, 1945, the 653rd battalion had 22 combat-ready "jagdtigers", 19 vehicles needed temporary support. The battalion was used as a mobile reserve on the left flank of Army Group G. At the end of March, the transfer of the 653rd battalion to the Stuttgart area began. At the same time, in the process of withdrawing combat vehicles from the front line, 7 faulty "jagdtigers" had to be blown up, since their towing was impossible. A similar phenomenon later became commonplace. As a result, by March 30, 1945, the battalion had already 28 "jagdtigers", and by April 14th - 17. Two days later, 4 "jagdtigers" from the army arsenal in Linz were transferred to the crews of the 653rd battalion. Reduced to a battle group, they fought the last battles east of Linz, until May 5, 1945, in Amsteten, they were captured by American and Soviet troops. One of the "yagdtigers" captured there is now on display in the Military-Historical Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka, Moscow Region.
One of the last "jagdtigers" released in March 1945. Apparently, this car, equipped with narrow transport tracks, simply buried itself in the ground and was then blown up by the crew. Germany, April 1945
In the summer of 1944, the 512th battalion began to form in Paderborn on the basis of the 500th reserve battalion. Personnel in the newly formed battalion of heavy tank destroyers were transferred from heavy tank battalions. The combat training of the 512th battalion took place at the training ground in Dellersheim, from where its 1st company went to the front on February 11, 1945.
"Jagdtiger" with a Porsche chassis (chassis # 305001) from the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers, which fell victim to American aviation. Another shot down "Jagdtiger" is seen in the background.
On March 10, the 1st company of the 512th battalion of heavy tank destroyers entered into battle with American troops in the area of the town of Remagen on the banks of the Rhine. The Jagdtigers' cannons hit American tanks at a distance of 2500 m. After the battles near Siegen, the company included several StuG III assault guns and Pz.IV tanks and transformed it into the Ernst battle group, named after its commander, Captain Albert Ernst. The battle group took up defensive positions on the heights dominating the terrain on the banks of the river. Ruhr.
The remnants of the 1st company of the 512th heavy tank destroyer battalion are surrendered to the American forces. Germany, Iserlohn, April 16, 1945
Another blown up and burned down "Jagdtiger". 1945 year
When a large column of American troops appeared, the Germans unleashed heavy fire on it. "Jagdtigers" fired at long-range targets, and assault guns and tanks at near ones. As a result of the fleeting battle, the Americans lost 11 tanks and up to 50 other combat and transport vehicles. The Germans lost one Jagdtiger, hit from the air by a missile launched from the R-51 Mustang fighter.
Meeting of Soviet and American soldiers in May 1945. The SU-76M is backed by the Jagdtiger. Location unknown
On April 16, the 1st company of 6 relatively serviceable "jagdtigers" surrendered to American troops in the area of Iserlohn.
The 2nd company of the 512th battalion, commanded by the German tank ace Otto Carius, went to the front near Siegburg on March 8, 1945. During the march to the front line, Allied fighter-bombers destroyed two Jagdtigers, and another was shot down a few days later in the battle of Waldenau.
Karius' Jagdtigers took part in the battles in the Ruhr Sack. According to some foreign sources, on April 11, 1945, in the area of Unna, Karius knocked out about 15 enemy tanks. However, this seems unlikely. In any case, judging by the recollections of Karius himself, there was nothing of the kind. This is most likely about tanks knocked out by the entire company. IN last weeks wars self-propelled guns of the 2nd company took part in the defense of Dortmund, where on April 15 they surrendered to American troops. Some of the combat vehicles were destroyed by the crews.
Trophy "Jagdtiger" during tests at the NIBT Polygon in Kubinka. 1947 year
As for the 3rd company, in which as of March 26, 1945, there were 10 "jagdtigers", it was at that moment in Zennelager. Nothing is known about further hostilities of this company.
On May 2, 1945, about 40 tankmen from the 501st SS Heavy Tank Battalion arrived in St. Valentine at the Niebelungenwerk plant to receive six jagdtigers. However, only two cars were put on the move. On May 5, they took up defensive positions in the area of St. Pölten. On May 8-9, the remnants of the battalion's personnel retreated to the west and surrendered to the Americans.
9-01-2015, 09:25
Hello everyone and welcome to the site! Today our guest is a rather famous and what is there to hide, a strong machine that inspires fear with just one look. We are talking about a tank destroyer of the ninth level of Germany, in front of you Jagdtiger guide.
Despite the fact that the car looks really very formidable, in reality everything is not as good as it seems at first glance. In the realities of the battle Jagdtiger World of Tanks capable of a lot, but even knowing all its strengths, the gameplay is not so simple, since weaknesses the car also has enough, as you can see for yourself now.
TTX Jagdtiger
As in most cases, we will start our acquaintance with the fact that this unit has a very impressive margin of safety, which will help you more than once in battle, in addition, Jagdtiger review in the basic state it is 390 meters, which is very worthy by the standards of a tank destroyer of our level.
If we talk about survival, then in our case everything is completely relative, and in order for you to feel the contrast, let's start with the bad. It is about the fact that Jagdtiger Specifications hull armor in the frontal projection, although it seems impressive, in fact, the VLD in the figure has 233 millimeters of armor. This is broken through by all classmates, and the lower frontal part 156 millimeters thick helpfully takes damage even from sevens, that is, in most cases, it is better to hide the body.
The frontal part of the cabin is protected much more seriously, even with the almost complete absence of a slope here German tank Jagdtiger boasts a 259mm armor plate. This figure suggests that we can tank many classmates, but top self-propelled guns, as well as anyone who charges gold, can easily inflict damage on us. There are no complaints about the large gun mask, it is really incredibly durable.
As for the side projection, there is nothing particularly surprising. Anyone who drives in from the side will be able to knock out of Tank destroyer Jagdtiger WoT durability points, artillery, when hitting the side, often inflicts full damage and it is possible to withstand "blows" only by turning the hull strongly and exposing the side at an acute angle, but this must be done confidently and carefully.
It is impossible not to draw your attention to the fact that Jagdtiger tank has a truly shed size. Of course, our disguise suffers from this, and it is banal to hide from incoming damage not behind every cover, especially from artillery suitcases.
Of course, we pay in full with mobility for the conditionally powerful booking and huge dimensions. Maximum speed at Jagdtiger World of Tanks not bad, but due to a terribly low ratio Horse power per ton of weight, we accelerate to the maximum only when descending a hill, and maneuverability is so puny that a heavy tank with medium mobility will be able to spin us.
Cannon
If in the plan general characteristics If there are strengths of this German woman, then they are relatively strong, weapons in almost everything please the eye and strike fear into the hearts of enemies.
First of all, at Jagdtiger cannon has a powerful alpha strike, but even more pleases the fast reload speed, thanks to which the DPM surpasses all expectations, even without taking into account the perks and equipment, we have the ability to inflict almost 3000 damage per minute.
You will also be incredibly happy about the penetration rates, because with a standard armor-piercing projectile Tank destroyer Jagdtiger World of Tanks can damage almost everyone, especially if you target vulnerable areas. As for the monstrous sub-calibers, you also need to have them with you, for example, in order to break through the strong E 100 tower in the forehead.
It becomes even warmer in my soul from the realization of how accurate our top gun is. Jagdtiger tank is an excellent sniper due to its excellent 100-meter spread and quick aiming. Of course, stabilization is letting us down a little, but it's not as bad as some.
Perhaps the only drawback of this self-propelled gun in terms of weapons can only be called the vertical and horizontal guidance angles. The point is that down Jagdtiger WoT the trunk can be lowered by 7 degrees, and that's nothing, but the total UGN of 20 degrees with our mobility and dimensions is not enough, so be prepared for the fact that you will have to twist the body very often and translate.
Advantages and disadvantages
In view of the fact that we have already familiarized ourselves with the characteristics of the anti-tank installation, it is time to summarize all of the above, that is, for ease of perception and understanding of the gameplay, to highlight the most obvious advantages and disadvantages Jagdtiger World of Tanks.
Pros:
Large margin of safety;
Good armoring of the cutting forehead;
Powerful one-time damage;
Excellent damage per minute;
Gorgeous armor penetration parameters;
Excellent accuracy (spread and flattening);
Good basic overview.
Minuses:
Weak armor of the hull and sides;
Large dimensions and poor camouflage;
Very poor mobility;
Mediocre vertical and horizontal aiming angles.
Equipment for Jagdtiger
In almost every case, the installation of additional modules plays an important role. At least this aspect makes it possible to significantly increase the initial parameters of the machine, in this case by Jagdtiger tank equipment it is better to set the following:
1. - no matter how high the damage per minute is, there is no limit to this parameter, so it always makes sense to improve it.
2. - due to the mediocre UGN and frequent body rotations, it would be a reasonable decision to improve the mixing speed.
3. - having received a complex 5% boost of characteristics, you will improve firepower, make mixing even more pleasant, and also increase visibility.
However, it is worth noting here that while your crew has not studied the perks for review, the last item should be replaced with OPTICS. In addition, due to the shed dimensions and poor mobility, it makes sense to install it on this self-propelled gun in order to suffer less from the focus of artillery, the choice is yours.
Crew training
As you know, another very effective way to strengthen your tank is crew training. The choice of skills should always be approached very responsibly, since there are initially few truly correct options for the distribution of skills, but for Tank destroyer Jagdtiger perks should be downloaded in this order:
Commander -,,,.
Gunner -,,,.
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator -,,,.
Charger -,,,.
Charger -,,,.
Equipment for Jagdtiger
In terms of buying consumables, as in most cases, you will have to be guided by your silver stocks. If you have a little game currency, take, and. But the truth is that this car often takes a lot of damage, so it's better to carry on Jagdtiger gear as , , . By the way, this creation of German engineers does not often burn, which means you can also take it.
Jagdtiger tactics
At the very beginning, it was said that this is a strong machine that instills fear only by its presence. But by this point, you should have already understood that everything is not so simple, because Jagdtiger tank although endowed with many advantages, some of them are relative and exacerbated by the influence of serious disadvantages.
Now we are talking about the fact that in terms of booking, one can only rely on the front of the wheelhouse, while the hull and sides are easy to break through. Hence, we conclude that for Jagdtiger tactics is to take an advantageous position on the front line, where you can only tank with a wheelhouse and artillery will not be able to shoot at you. The problem is that there are very few such positions on the maps and it will not always be possible to become perfect.
So, if the card is unsuitable, completely open, it is not profitable for you to become. Tank destroyer Jagdtiger WoT can play from a distance, taking advantage of his magnificent weapon. It is important to understand here that because of a very bad camouflage, you need to get really far, only in this way you can not glow after the shot and continue to realize your excellent firepower.
If we talk about what cannot be done, first of all try not to let yourself be merry-go-round. Jagdtiger World of Tanks has very weak mobility, loose sides and poor UGN, which is why even a heavy tank can twist us, it is enough just to get used to us to the side or stern.
Besides, German tank Jagdtiger, if you have chosen an active style of play, is a one-way machine. When choosing this direction, think about how you can get to it, and having arrived, you had the opportunity to become as profitable for yourself as possible, taking into account all of the above.
As a result, I just want to say that this unit is really strong, but a lot depends on the situation and if everything turns out to be unprofitable for you, realize the potential Jagdtiger WoT it won't be easy.
During the design of the Tiger II heavy tank, Henschel, in cooperation with Krupp, began to create a heavy assault gun based on it. FlaK 40 Life-size wooden mock-up of self-propelled guns was demonstrated to Hitler on October 20, 1943 at the Aris training ground in East Prussia, the self-propelled gun made the most favorable impression on the Fuhrer and was followed by the "highest" order to start its serial production next year April 7, 1944, the vehicle was named Panzerjager Tiger Ausf B (Sd Kfz 186), later simplified to Jagdtiger. 13 days later, the first sample was made in metal. With a total combat weight of 75.2 tons, the ACS was the heaviest of all combat vehicles that participated in World War II.
The general layout of the engine-transmission group and the chassis of the self-propelled unit remained the same as that of the Royal Tiger tank. However, the load on the chassis during firing was assumed to be greater than that of the tank, so it was lengthened by 260 mm.
The armored hull of the tank underwent almost no changes either in part of the design or in terms of the thickness of the armor. The sides of the wheelhouse were integral with the sides of the hull and had the same thickness - 80 mm. The frontal and stern sheets of the cabin were connected to the sides "in a thorn", reinforced with dowels, and then scalded. The thickness of the frontal sheet of the cabin reached 250 mm, it was located at an angle of 75 ° to the horizontal, which made it practically invulnerable to all enemy anti-tank weapons at a distance of over 400 m The stern sheet was 80 mm thick. It housed a hatch for dismantling the gun, loading ammunition and evacuating the crew, which was closed with a double-leaf hinged cover. shaped armored bracket In front of the device in the roof of the turret there was a hatch for installing a stereoscopic tube. Behind the commander's turret was the commander's landing hatch, and to the left of it was the embrasure of the cannon's periscope sight. In addition, a fan, a “melee device” and four observation devices were installed in the roof of the cabin.
In the embrasure of the forward leaf of the wheelhouse, covered with a massive cast mask, a 12.8 cm Pak 44 (Pak 80) cannon of 128 mm caliber was installed.The muzzle velocity of the armor-piercing projectile reached 920 m / s. Breslau, was 55 calibers (7020 mm) The mass of the gun - 7000 kg The shutter was wedge-shaped, horizontal, had 1/4 automatic, that is, the shutter opening and the extraction of the sleeve were carried out manually, and after the shell and charge were sent, the shutter was closed automatically The gun was mounted on a special the machine installed in the body of the ACS Vertical guidance was carried out in the range from -7 ° to + 15 °, horizontal - 10 ° to the side Anti-recoil devices were located above the gun barrel Maximum rollback length - 900 mm The greatest firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile reached 12.5 km ...
The Rak 44 cannon differed from the 128-mm Flak 40 anti-aircraft gun by separate-case loading. In the cramped cockpit of the ACS with the bulky and heavy Unitar, there was no way to turn around. To speed up the loading process, the crew of the Jagdtigr consisted of two loaders, while one sent a projectile into the chamber, the other fed a cartridge case with a charge. Nevertheless, the Yagdtigr's rate of fire did not exceed 2 - 3 rds / min.
The ammunition load of the self-propelled guns was located on the floor of the fighting compartment and the sides of the wheelhouse in clamping packs and amounted to 38 - 40 rounds.
The WZF 2/1 periscope sight had a tenfold increase and a field of view of 7 °, which made it possible to hit targets at a distance of up to 4000 m.
It is curious to note that the 128-mm Pak 44 cannon first appeared on the front in August 1944 as a field anti-tank gun. -20 and French 155-mm guns In total, 116 guns were made in this way.
Auxiliary armament "Jagdtigr" consisted of an MG 34 machine gun, placed in a ball mount in the frontal sheet of the hull.
The "Jagdtigr" was equipped with the same 12-cylinder V-shaped carburetor four-stroke Maybach HL 230P30 engine with a capacity of 700 hp as on the "Royal Tiger" tank. with. at 3000 rpm (in practice, the number of revolutions did not exceed 2500) The dry weight of the engine was 1300 kg Leaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74 was used as fuel. The capacity of seven gas tanks reached 860 liters.
The ACS transmission consisted of a cardan gear, a gearbox with an integrated main clutch, a steering mechanism, final drives and disc brakes. and turning.
In general, the engine and transmission of the ACS were borrowed from the Royal Tiger tank with minimal changes. For example, there was no power take-off for the hydraulic turret rotation drive, since it was not on the ACS.
Tank destroyer "Jagdtiger":
1 - 128 mm cannon; 2 - gun mask, 3 - bannik, 4 - towing rope; 5 - antenna, 6 - armor plate machine gun, 7 - headlight with blackout nozzle, 8 - aft hatch, 9 - exhaust pipes, 10 - jack, 11 - gunner's hatch, 12 - driver's hatch, 13 - commander's cupola, 14 - embrasure of the gun's periscopic sight, 15 - embrasure of the "melee device"; 16 - commander's landing hatch, 17 - air inlet opening, 18 - air outlet opening, 19 - armor vents for air inflow to the air filters.
The undercarriage was also basically similar to the tank one and, as applied to one side, consisted of nine all-metal double road wheels with internal shock absorption, staggered in two rows (five rollers in the outer row, four in the inner row) .Rink dimensions - 800 × 95 mm Suspension - individual, torsion bar, single-shaft Torsion bar diameter - 60.63 mm The balancers of the front and rear road wheels were equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers located inside the body. metal tires and crank mechanisms of track tension
The extension of the body by 260 mm resulted in an increase in the length of the support surface from 4120 to 4240 mm. However, due to the increased mass of the ACS in comparison with the tank by 5 tons, the specific pressure on the ground not only did not decrease, but even increased from 1.02 to 1.06 kg / cm 2.
The assembly of the chassis of the Jagdtiger self-propelled gun (as, incidentally, of the “Royal Tiger” itself) was one of the most labor-intensive operations that seriously delayed the production process. tanks "Ferdinand" The peculiarity of this suspension was that the torsion bars were located not inside the hull, but outside, inside the bogie. Each of these longitudinally located torsion bars "worked" on two road wheels. The gain in suspension mass was 2680 kg, and during manufacture and installation - 390 kg
In addition, the installation and tightening of the standard suspension torsion bars was possible only in the assembled body, in a strict sequence and using a special winch. The replacement of torsion bars and suspension balancers could only be carried out at the factory. The assembly of the Porsche suspension bogies was possible separately from the body, and their installation could be carried out without the use of special equipment. It was not difficult to repair and replace failed suspension bogies in front-line conditions.
With the Porsche suspension, two cars were built (a total of four sets of suspensions were made), the first of which was tested even earlier than the car with the Henschel suspension. Nevertheless, despite all the advantages of the chassis designed by F. Porsche, the Armaments Directorate did not recommend it for mass production. The main reason was more than a strained relationship between officials and the designer. The breakdown of the suspension bogie during the tests, which occurred through the fault of the manufacturer, also played a role. However, the desire for elementary unification between the tank and the ACS cannot be disregarded.
The production of "jagdtigers" began in July 1944 in the shops of the Niebelungenwerke plant in St. self-propelled guns On October 16, 1944, Allied aviation carried out an air raid on a plant in St. Valentine and dropped about 143 tons of bombs on it. In a massive bombardment (about 258 tons of high-explosive bombs were dropped), which practically stopped production, 26 (according to other sources, 28) "jagdtigers" left the factory shops. Thus, a total of 74 (or 79) self-propelled guns of this type were produced.
Due to the shortage of 128-mm Rak 44 guns, it was decided to install the 88-mm Rak 43/3 cannon on the Jagdtigr. It was planned to produce 20 such vehicles in the first half of 1945. The Panzerjager Tiger fur 8,8 cm Pak 43/3 (Sd Kfz 185) self-propelled guns project was developed, but this machine was not made in metal. The Jagdtigr armament project with a 128-mm cannon with a barrel length of 66 calibers remained on paper.
The first 14 serial "jagdtigers" entered the 130th training battalion of tank destroyers, which did not take part in hostilities. All subsequent vehicles entered the 512th and 653rd battalions of heavy tank destroyers.
The 512th battalion began to form in the summer of 1944 in Paderborn on the basis of the 500th reserve battalion. The 1st battalion took place at the training ground in Dellersheim, from where its 1st company went to the front on February 11, 1945.
On March 10, the 1st company of the 512th battalion of heavy tank destroyers entered into battle with American troops in the area of the town of Remagen on the banks of the Rhine. StuG III and Pz.IV tanks and transformed into the Ernst battle group, named after its commander, Captain Albert Ernst The battle group took up defensive positions on the heights dominating the terrain on the banks of the Ruhr River When a large column of American troops appeared, the Germans unleashed heavy fire on it ... "Jagdtigers" fired at long-range targets, and assault guns and tanks - near targets. As a result of a fleeting battle, the Americans lost 11 tanks and up to 50 other combat and transport vehicles. The Germans lost one Jagdtigr, hit from the air by a missile launched from the R-51 Mustang fighter.
The 2nd company of the 512th battalion went to the front near Siegburg on March 8, 1945 During the march to the front line, Allied fighter-bombers destroyed two Jagdtigers, another was knocked out a few days later in the battle near Waldenau In the last weeks of the war, ACS 2 The th company took part in the defense of Dortmund, where on April 15 they surrendered to the American troops. Part of the combat vehicles were destroyed by the crews.
Nine Jagdtigers from the 512th battalion fought in Austria as part of the 6th SS Panzer Army. This unit, despite frequent failures of the material part, inflicted heavy losses on the Soviet troops. On May 9, 1945, the last three SPGs broke into the American zone and surrendered.
The 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers entered the battle at the beginning of December 1944. It consisted of only nine self-propelled guns, but by the end of the month their number had increased to 16. Moreover, this battalion included both Jagdtigers with a Porsche chassis. During the first months of 1945, the battalion occasionally participated in battles with American troops in southern Germany. On May 6, several "jagdtigers" were surrounded by Soviet units. When trying to break into the American zone, one car was damaged by our artillery fire, and the crew left it.
In conclusion, we can say that the "Jagdtiger" was undoubtedly the most powerful tank destroyer of the Second World War, but at the same time the same useless combat vehicle as the "King Tiger" Targets worthy of a 128-mm cannon, the opponents of Hitlerite Germany did not have From the metal necessary for the manufacture of one "Jagdtigr", it was possible to make four "Hetzer" - the best light anti-tank self-propelled guns of the times of the war, from which there was much more sense.
The performance characteristics of ACS Jagdtiger
Combat weight, t: 75.2 (74)
Crew, people: 6
Overall dimensions, mm:
length with gun forward - 10 654 (10 370)
width - 3755 (3590)
height - 2945 (3050)
clearance - 495 (565)
The height of the line of fire, mm: 2172
Armor thickness, mm:
the forehead of the body - 150
board and feed - 80
bottom - 40-25
cutting forehead - 250
board and feed - 80
Max travel speed, km / h:
on the highway - 36
cross country - 20
Cruising range, km:
on the highway - 170
cross country - 120
Overcoming obstacles:
ascent angle, rad - 35
ditch width, m - 2.5
wall height, m - 0.85
ford depth, m - 1.6
Support surface length, mm: 4240 (4415) Specific pressure, kg / cm 2: 1.06 (1.05)
Specific power, hp with. / t 9.3 (9.46)
Note: in brackets are data for ACS with chassis designed by F. Porsche.
M. BARYATINSKY
The history of the creation of the self-propelled guns "Jagdtiger"
“Traditionally, it is believed that the Germans began to create heavy anti-tank guns when they encountered Soviet T-34 and KV tanks. However, this is not entirely true, since for the first time they had to face tanks with anti-cannon armor during the French campaign.
So it is not surprising that already in May 1941, at a meeting in the Berghof, Hitler ordered the development of self-propelled anti-tank installations with powerful 105 and 128 mm cannons and test them against captured heavily armored French and British tanks. We decided to use two VK 3001 (H) chassis as a base. These were the chassis of an experienced 30-ton tank. The frontal hull armor was 60 mm, and the side armor was 50 mm. The chassis used a staggered suspension with road wheels and a 520 mm wide track. The machine was powered by a Maybach HL116 300 hp engine. On the basis of this chassis, Rheinmetall-Borsig in Dusseldorf manufactured heavy self-propelled guns 12.8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V. installed in an open-top wheelhouse in the aft part of the hull. To accommodate a 7-ton gun, the undercarriage had to be lengthened by introducing an eighth road roller. The wheelhouse with a wall thickness of 30 mm housed five crew members and 18 cannon shots. The mass of the vehicle reached 36 tons. After specifying the characteristics of the gun, the Armaments Directorate came to the conclusion that with an initial velocity of an armor-piercing projectile of 900 - 920 m / s, any tank is practically unprotected from firing this ACS at all ranges of actual fire. However, the available guidance tools made it possible to conduct effective fire from this gun at distances up to 1500 m.
Self-propelled artillery installation 12,8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V in the yard of the Rheinmetall plant
The first ACS prototype was manufactured in August 1941, and at the end of the year two vehicles of this type were sent to the Eastern Front for testing in combat conditions. In the winter of 1943, one of them was captured by the Red Army in the Stalingrad region. This machine entered the NIBT Polygon GBTU of the Red Army in Kubinka, where it is still located. The fate of the second car is unknown.
Since the German self-propelled gun arrived at the test site in a disrepairable state, it was not possible to carry out full-fledged tests; nevertheless, the trophy underwent a thorough study, as evidenced by excerpts from the report.
Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V in the assembly shop
“The main feature of this assault gun is its powerful armament from a 128-mm cannon, which makes it possible to effectively engage all types of Soviet tanks at very long distances (about 1500 m and more). Since the gun is partially faulty, it was not tested on the spot with standard ammunition.
Despite the fact that the gun's ammunition contains shots with a fragmentation shell, the prisoners show that there was practically no fire from the gun at the infantry (only at tanks and vehicles). The power of a fragmentation projectile is sufficient to destroy light tanks and vehicles of any type.
Video: Tank destroyer "Jagdtiger" in action.
The gun does not have a standard defensive machine gun, which makes it an easy prey for infantry and small-sized fire weapons.
The new type of six-cylinder engine used in the car is very successful in terms of its design and reliability. However, the specified type of engine is very critical to the purity of the fuel and requires special training for maintenance (adjustment and repair).
Of the currently available in the German army, this type of assault weapon is the most interesting and promising for mass use, both in the offensive and in defense. "
Analyzed the Soviet experts and the features of the use of self-propelled guns, as well as ways to combat it.
“According to the testimony of the prisoners, this heavy assault vehicle was used by German troops in a special unit (division) to repulse attacks by Soviet tanks of heavy and medium types ... mainly in production positions for attack. Using armament from a powerful long-barreled cannon, the German heavy assault cannon can be effectively used against all types of our tanks at all effective fire ranges within sight.
The interior of the fighting compartment. Starboard view
By the time of the capture, the assault gun crew had destroyed at least 7 Soviet tanks, mostly of the heavy type, in about a month of battles (the destruction of 6 marked tanks was additionally confirmed). The assault gun was not used against light tanks.
View of the carriage and guidance mechanisms of the 128-mm cannon
The armor of a KB type tank, even taking into account its maximum allowable build-up, is not an obstacle for the armor-piercing projectile of the K.40 (R) heavy cannon at all firing ranges.
At present, the most effective means of protection against such a heavy assault weapon is, apparently, not an increase in the thickness of the armor (which no longer makes sense), but a significant improvement in the mobility and a decrease in the size of domestic tanks and other armored vehicles. The prisoners show that it is much more difficult to fire aimed fire against moving Soviet light tanks of the T-60, T-70 and Valentin types than against the heavy tanks (KB and T-34).
Thanks to the installation of the gun in a non-rotating installation and the use of separate loading shots in it, the most effective way to counter it should be considered the constant maneuvering of the tank, which makes it difficult to calculate the production of an aimed shot. The weapon is easy to detect by observation, since when fired, a large cloud of powder gases rises due to the action of the muzzle brake.
128-mm German self-propelled gun at the exhibition of captured weapons in the Central Park of Culture and Leisure named after Gorky. Moscow, spring 1943
The Germans avoid using such assault weapons in battle without the support of light and medium tanks, as well as anti-tank and assault weapons of medium and small calibers. "
Krupp 128-mm anti-tank gun Cancer 44 in the stowed position
Apparently, the German command had no illusions about the further use of the 12.8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V. However, this experience also forced the Arms Directorate in the summer - fall of 1942 to turn to the idea of creating specialized fully armored anti-tank self-propelled guns armed with guns medium and large calibers. At the same time, the development of a new self-propelled gun with a 128-mm cannon was not initially envisaged. But already on February 2, 1943, the Armaments Directorate transferred the tactical and technical requirements for the heavy "Jagdpantzer" to the artillery design bureau of Friedrich Krupp AG in Essen. The technical requirements provided for the creation of a 128-mm self-propelled gun based on the Tiger NZ tank (Tiger II) with a wheelhouse located in the stern. The chassis contract was awarded to Henschel & Sohn in Kassel. By mid-April 1943, the latter proposed two versions of the 12.8 cm Panzerjager project on the Tiger NZ chassis (Tigerjager). One - with the aft placement of the deckhouse, the other - with the deckhouse installed in the middle of the hull. As a result, preference was given to the second option, which is most unified with the Tiger NZ tank.
Prototype "Jagdtigra" with a chassis designed by F. Porsche at the test site. The armament has not yet been installed. Spring 1944
On the ACS with a front engine, it was supposed, by the way, to install a 128-mm cannon with a barrel length of 70 calibers. It was extremely difficult to place this gun in a vehicle with the layout of the Tiger II tank. In this case, the barrel protrusion outside the ACS hull would have been 4.9 m. In addition, the charge for this gun had an ISO mm length versus 870 mm for the Rak 44 cannon with a barrel length of 55 calibers. As a result, the preference was given to the latter.
Prototype "Jagdtigra" with a chassis designed by F. Porsche in the assembly shop. The flanges of the suspension bogies are clearly visible
In the assembly shop there is a prototype of the Jagdtiger with a chassis borrowed from the Royal Tiger. The holes in the side of the hull are clearly visible, intended for the installation of torsion shafts.
It should be noted that the serial production of the 128-mm Rak 44 cannon began in December 1943 as a towed anti-tank gun. The cannon was designed on the basis of the ballistics of a 128-mm anti-aircraft gun, but unlike the latter, it had a separate-case rather than unitary loading. Despite this, the gun had a rate of fire of up to 5 rds / min. The gun was mounted on a cruciform carriage, which provided circular fire. Due to the large mass of the artillery system - more than 10 tons - only 12- and 18-ton half-track tractors could tow it. A total of 18 such guns were made.
The first prototypes of the Jagdtigr arrived at the Kummersdorf Proving Ground, respectively, in February (with a Porsche suspension, above) and in May (with a Henschel suspension, below) 1944.
The Rak 44 ammunition included shots with an armor-piercing projectile weighing 28.3 kg and a fragmentation mass of 28 kg. Rak 44's armor penetration was 200 mm at a distance of 1.5 km. The gun could hit any Soviet, American or English tank at distances beyond their limits. In addition, due to the large mass of the projectile, when it hit the tank, even without breaking through the armor, in 90% of cases it would still fail.
In February 1944, the production of 128-mm anti-tank guns Rak 80 began. They differed from Rak 44 mainly by the absence of a muzzle brake. Since the carriage was not designed for it, the swinging part began to be installed on the carriages of captured Soviet 152-mm M-10 howitzers, ML-20 howitzers-guns and French 155-mm guns. In total, 132 guns were manufactured by January 1945, of which 80 were installed in the self-propelled guns, the Maus super-heavy tank, and were also used to train crews.
A life-size wooden SPG model was shown at the Aris training ground in East Prussia. The self-propelled guns made the most favorable impression on the Fuhrer, and the "highest" order followed to begin its serial production next year. On April 7, 1944, the vehicle was named Panzerjager Tiger Ausf.B (Sd.Kfz.186), later simplified to Jagdtiger. After 13 days, the first sample was made in metal.
Assembly shop of the Nibelungenwerke plant in St. Valentine (Austria)
The release of "jagdtigers" (more precisely, their manufacture) began in July 1944 in the shops of the Niebelungenwerke plant in St. Valentine, owned by the concern Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. Apart from the first three prototypes, 74 Jagdtigers were produced.
Production of self-propelled guns "Jagdtigr"
The plans provided for the production of 150 "jagdtigers" in 1944, and in 1945 another 100 until the month of May. Then production was supposed to be transferred to the Jung plant in Jungenthal. At the new location, the Germans were going to release 5 cars in May, 15 in June, and then produce 25 units monthly until the end of 1945. These plans were not destined to come true. Only the Niebelungenwerke plant was engaged in the release of "jagdtigers", and, as can be seen from the table, with a significant lag behind the schedule, which is not surprising. On October 16, 1944, Allied aviation carried out an air raid on the plant in St. Valentine and dropped about 143 tons of bombs on it. The production of "jagdtigers" for some time completely ceased, and then proceeded at a very slow pace, reaching its maximum in March 1945 (most likely due to the delivery of machines, the assembly of which was started back in February). But on March 23, 1945, the Niebelungenwerke plant was subjected to another massive bombardment (about 258 tons of high-explosive bombs were dropped), which practically stopped production. The last 4 "Jagdtigers" were assembled by April 15, 1945. These vehicles were received by the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers (Panzerjager Abteilung 653), and the last self-propelled gun was transferred to the crew on May 4, 1945. Four days later, the St. Valentine plant was occupied by the Red Army.
"Jagdtiger" in the assembly shop. The balancers of the Henschel suspension are clearly visible
Due to the lack of 128-mm Rak 44 guns, it was decided to install an 88-mm Rak 43/3 cannon on the Jagdtiger. It was planned to produce 4 such vehicles in April 1945, and 17 in May. The Panzerjager Tiger fur 8,8 cm Pak 43/3 (Sd.Kfz.185) ACS project was developed, but not a single vehicle was manufactured in metal.
Description of the design of the self-propelled gun "Jagdtiger"
The layout of the tank destroyer "Jagdtiger"
The overall layout of the Jagdtiger ACS is generally the same as that of the Tiger II tank. However, the load on the chassis when fired was assumed to be greater than that of the tank, so it was lengthened by 260 mm.
The control department was located in front of the ACS. It housed the main clutch, gearbox and steering mechanism. To the left of the gearbox were the controls, control devices and the driver's seat. On the right was a course machine gun and a radio operator's seat. The radio station was also located in the control compartment - above the gearbox and right-hand final drive.
Inside the tank destroyer "Jagdtiger"
The fighting compartment was located in the middle of the SPG. Above it was an armored wheelhouse, in which the gun was mounted. To the left of the gun were the periscope sight, guidance mechanisms and the gunner's seat. The commander's seat was to the right of the gun. Ammunition was housed in niches along the walls of the wheelhouse and on the floor of the fighting compartment. In the rear of the cabin there were two loaders.
The engine compartment, located in the rear of the hull, housed the engine, fans and radiators of the cooling system, and fuel tanks. There was a partition between the engine and fighting compartments.
It should be noted that the armored hull of the tank has hardly undergone any changes either in terms of the design or in terms of the thickness of the armor. The sides of the cabin were integral with the sides of the hull and had the same thickness - 80 mm. The frontal and stern sheets of the felling were connected to the sides "in a thorn", reinforced with dowels, and then scalded. The thickness of the frontal sheet of the wheelhouse reached 250 mm, it was located at an angle of 75 ° from the horizontal, which made it practically invulnerable to all enemy anti-tank weapons at a distance of over 400 m. The rear sheet was 80 mm thick. It housed a hatch for dismantling the gun, loading ammunition and evacuating the crew, which was closed with a hinged double-leaf lid. The roof of the wheelhouse was made of 40-mm armor plate and bolted to the hull. In the right front part of the roof of the wheelhouse there was a commander's rotating observation turret with a viewing device covered with a U-shaped armored bracket. In front of the instrument in the turret roof there was a hatch for installing a stereo tube. Behind the commander's cupola was the commander's landing hatch, and to the left of it was the embrasure of the gun's periscope sight. In addition, a fan, a “melee device” and four observation devices were installed in the roof of the wheelhouse.
"Jagdtiger" (chassis No. 305003) with a Porsche suspension structure before being sent to the front
A 12.8 cm Pak 44 (Pak 80) cannon of 128 mm caliber was installed in the embrasure of the front leaf of the wheelhouse, covered with a massive cast mask. The muzzle velocity of the armor-piercing projectile reached 920 m / s. The barrel length of the gun, developed by Kgarr and manufactured at Bertha-Werke in Breslau, was 55 calibers (7020 mm). The mass of the gun is 7000 kg. The shutter was wedge-shaped, horizontal, had 1/4 automatic, that is, opening the shutter and extracting the sleeve were done manually, and after the projectile and charge were sent, the shutter closed automatically. The gun was mounted on a special machine installed in the SPG hull. Vertical guidance was carried out in the range from -7 ° to + 15 °, horizontal - 10 ° to the side. Recoil devices were located above the gun barrel. The maximum rollback length is 900 mm. The greatest firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile reached 12.5 km. As already noted, the Rak 44 cannon differed from the 128-mm Flak 40 anti-aircraft gun by a separate-case loading. In the cramped cockpit of the self-propelled guns with a bulky and heavy "unitar" there was no way to turn around. To speed up the loading process, the crew of the Jagdtigr consisted of two loaders: while one sent a projectile into the chamber, the other fed a cartridge case with a charge. Nevertheless, the rate of fire of the "Jagdtigr" did not exceed 2 - 3 rds / min.
"Jagdtiger", rear view. Noteworthy are the casings of the exhaust pipes and a massive double armored door in the aft deckhouse
Panzerjager Tiger Ausf.B
The drawing was made by V. Malginov
Machine tool 128 mm cannon:
1 - axle mounting bracket;
2 - pin;
3 - rollback brake;
4 - horizontal flywheel;
5 - drive to the sight;
6 - flywheel vertical guidance
The ammunition load of the self-propelled guns was placed on the floor of the fighting compartment and the sides of the wheelhouse in clamping pads and amounted to 38 - 40 rounds.
The WZF 2/1 periscope sight had a tenfold increase and a field of view of 7 °, which made it possible to hit targets at a distance of up to 4000 m.
Auxiliary armament "Jagdtigr" consisted of an MG 34 machine gun, placed in a ball mount in the frontal sheet of the hull. Machine gun ammunition - 1500 rounds. On the roof of the wheelhouse was mounted a "melee device" - a 26-mm anti-personnel grenade launcher. On machines of later releases, the MG 42 anti-aircraft machine gun began to be installed.
The fighting compartment of the self-propelled guns "Jagdtigr". In the foreground is the breech of the 128 mm cannon. To the left of it is the gunner's workplace and the horizontal flywheel. Above it, in the roof of the wheelhouse, a so-called "melee device" is installed - a breech-loading mortar for firing smoke and fragmentation grenades. On the sides of the cabin - racks for canisters with charges
The Jagdtigr was equipped with the same power unit as the Royal Tiger tank - a 12-cylinder carburetor four-stroke Maybach HL 230Р30 engine with a capacity of 700 hp. (515 kW) at 3000 rpm (in practice, the number of revolutions did not exceed 2500). The cylinders were V-shaped at an angle of 60 °. Compression ratio 6.8. The dry weight of the engine was 1300 kg. Leaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74 was used to power the engine. The capacity of seven gas tanks was 860 liters. The fuel supply is forced by means of two Solex diaphragm pumps. Carburetors - four, brands Solex 52FFJIID.
Driver's workplace. The steering wheel, instrument panel (on the right above the gearbox) and the driver's observation device are clearly visible. Left - the lever and the servo mechanism for opening the driver's landing hatch cover
The lubrication system is circulating, under pressure, with a dry sump. The oil was circulated by three gear pumps, of which one is for injection and two are suction pumps.
The cooling system is liquid. Radiators - four, connected by two in series. The capacity of the radiators is about 114 liters. Zyklon fans were located on both sides of the engine.
To speed up the engine start in the cold season, a thermosyphon heater was intended, heated by a blowtorch, which was installed on the outside of the rear hull sheet.
The engine was started normally using an electric starter. If necessary, it was possible to start the engine manually or using a launcher. The handle to manually start the engine was connected to a cam clutch on the engine crankshaft. The handle was inserted into a small hole in the aft hull sheet on the right side, just below the exhaust pipe. The hole was covered with an armored cover.
Stowage of charges of the 128-mm cannon in the fighting compartment of "Jagdtigra"
To start the engine using the launcher, the large hatch cover was removed at the level of the engine crankshaft. The launcher was motionlessly fixed on the ACS armor using two holders, and the gear on the launcher shaft meshed with the gear on the engine crankshaft.
General view of the suspension bogie design F. Porsche (left and center), broke during testing due to poor quality material
With the help of a special device, it was possible to start the ACS engine from the engines of the Kubelwagen or Schwimmwagen cars.
The transmission consisted of a cardan gear, a gearbox with an integrated main clutch, a steering mechanism, final drives and disc brakes. At the same time, the main clutch, gearbox and swing mechanism, which consisted of two summing planetary gear sets, were structurally combined into a single whole - a two-flow gear and swing mechanism.
Porsche undercarriage idler
The gearbox Maybach OLVAR OG (B) 40 12 16B produced by the Zahnradfabrik plant in Friedrichshafen is shaftless, with longitudinal axles, eight-speed, with constant gearing, with a central synchronizer and individual brakes, with semi-automatic control. The box provided 8 forward and 4 reverse gears. Its feature was the absence of common shafts for several gears, each gear was mounted on separate bearings. The box was supplied with an automatic hydraulic servo drive. To change gears, it was enough to move the lever without depressing the pedals of the main clutch. The servo drive automatically, without the participation of the driver, turned off the main clutch and the previously engaged gear, synchronized the angular speeds of the gear clutches to be engaged, turned on a new gear, and then smoothly turned on the main clutch.
Tank destroyer "Jagdtiger" with a chassis designed by F. Porsche.
Tank destroyer "Jagdtiger" with 88-mm cannon Rak 43/4 (draft)
The roof of the Jagdtigra cabin. Top right - the commander's cupola with a hatch for a stereo tube, in front of it - the commander's landing hatch, top left - an arched embrasure of the periscope sight
In the event of damage to the hydraulic equipment, gear shifting and turning off the main clutch could be done mechanically. The gear lubrication system is jet, with oil supply to the engagement point when the sump is dry.
The layout of the fighting compartment of the tank destroyer "Jagdtigr"
The multi-disc main clutch with friction of the working surfaces in oil was structurally integrated into the gearbox, as well as the parking brake.
A friction-gear turning mechanism with a double power supply provided the tank with two fixed turning radii in each gear. At the same time, the maximum radius was 114 m, the minimum - 2.08 m. Sharper turns with the gear engaged, including around the lagging track, were not provided by the transmission. In the neutral position of the gearbox, it was possible to turn around the center of gravity of the ACS by moving the running track forward and backward with a radius of B / 2, where B is the width of the ACS.
Final drives are double-row, combined, with an unloaded driven shaft.
It should be emphasized that the engine and transmission of the ACS were borrowed from the Tiger II tank with minimal changes. For example, there was no power take-off for the hydraulic turret rotation, due to its absence.
"Jagdtiger" with F. Porsche's suspension on a railway platform. Transport tracks by car, bulwarks dismantled
The undercarriage was also basically the same as the tank one. The extension of the body by 260 mm resulted in an increase in the length of the support surface from 4120 to 4240 mm. However, due to the increase in the mass of the ACS in comparison with the tank by 5 tons, the specific pressure on the ground not only did not decrease, but even increased from 1.02 to 1.06 kg / cm2.
The assembly of the chassis of the Jagdtiger self-propelled gun (as, indeed, of the "Royal Tiger" itself) was one of the most labor-intensive operations, seriously delaying the production process. Therefore, the design bureau of Ferdinand Porsche proactively proposed to use a suspension on the Jagdtigr, similar to that installed on the Ferdinand tank destroyer.
For comparison, the sizes of others German tanks and ACS
The peculiarity of this suspension was that the torsion bars were located not inside the body, but outside, inside the bogie. Each of these longitudinally located torsion bars "worked" on two road wheels. The gain in weight of the suspension was 2680 kg, and in the time of manufacture and installation - 390 kg.
In addition, the installation and tightening of the standard suspension torsion bars was possible only in the assembled body, in a strict sequence and using a special winch. Replacement of torsion bars and suspension balancers could only be done in the factory. The assembly of the Porsche suspension bogies was possible separately from the body, and their installation could be carried out without the use of special equipment.
It was not difficult to repair and replace failed suspension bogies in frontline conditions.
American soldiers inspect the Jagdtigr, abandoned by the Germans, from the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers. Germany, April 1945. The car received a tangential hit into the eyelet of the left front towing earring (photo below), due to which the final drive failed
With the Porsche suspension, seven cars were built (two prototypes and five production), the first of which was tested even earlier than the Henschel suspension car. Nevertheless, despite all the advantages of the Porsche chassis, the Armaments Directorate did not recommend it for serial production. The main reason was more than a strained relationship between officials and the designer. The breakdown of the suspension bogie during the tests, which was the fault of the manufacturer, also played a role. However, one cannot discount the desire for elementary unification between the tank and the SPG.
As a result, the chassis of the Jagdtigr self-propelled guns, applied to one side, consisted of nine all-metal double road wheels with internal depreciation, staggered in two rows (five rollers in the outer row, four in the inner row). The roller dimensions are 800x95 mm.
Suspension - individual, torsion bar, single-shaft. The diameter of the torsion bar is 60 ... 63 mm. The balancers of the front and rear road wheels were equipped with hydraulic shock absorbers located inside the hull.
The front drive wheels had two removable toothed rims with 18 teeth each. The gearing is pinned. The guide wheels with a diameter of 650 mm had metal tires and crank mechanisms for tensioning the tracks.
Tracks are steel, fine-link, each of 94 tracks (47 smooth tracks, 47 - double-ridged tracks). Width of combat tracks Kgs 73/800/300 - 818 mm, transport Kgs 73/660/52 - 658.5 mm. Transport tracks "Jagdtigra" were combat tracks of the "Panther" and were used for transportation by rail.
TACTICAL AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ACS Jagdtiger
American soldiers unload ammunition from the captured Jagdtigr (chassis # 305004). Germany, 1945
Combat use PT ACS "Jagdtiger"
The first 14 serial "jagdtigers" were to enter the 3rd company of the 130th training battalion of tank destroyers of the Training Tank Division. In German it sounds 3.Companie Panzerjager Lehr Abteilung Panzer Lehr Division. The full German name is not given by chance. The fact is that in literature the word Abteilung is translated sometimes as a battalion, sometimes as a division. Both are correct, it all depends on the context. If a tank, then a battalion, if an artillery, then a division. There's no end in sight with tank destroyers. I would like to put an end to this question, since there is an obvious clue - the word Companie. This is a company, not a battery, as some authors translate (battery in German - Battarie). Well, if it is a company, then it is a battalion.
So, the 130th battalion was to receive "jagdtigers" in March 1944. It was about 14 vehicles - two to the headquarters and four to each of the three platoons. However, as you know, in February 1944, only two prototypes were made, which were delivered to the Kummersdorf test site in May 1944. So, not waiting for new machines, the company departed to the front in June 1944, having in its composition 9 Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers.
In reality, the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers received the first "jagdtigers". This battalion fought on the Eastern Front and in Italy, being equipped with Elephant tank destroyers (nee Ferdinand). By August 1, 1944, the battalion had lost 60% of its materiel - only 12 "elephants" remained in the ranks, which were assembled into the 2nd company. In December 1944, this unit was renamed the 614th Separate Company of Heavy Tank Destroyers. The rest of the battalion's personnel went to Austria to retrain for the Jagdtiger tank destroyers. By the end of November 1944, the battalion had received 16 Jagdtigers.
"Jagdtigr" (chassis No. 305004), prepared for towing. This vehicle, equipped with a Porsche chassis, is now on display at the British Royal Tank Museum in Bovington.
The Wehrmacht command planned to use the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers in the offensive in the Ardennes in December 1944. Since the battalion was not fully staffed, only the 1st company with its 14 "jagdtigers" went to the front from the Dellersheim training camp. Her journey turned into a separate epic. By December 12, the company’s equipment was delivered by three railway echelons to Vitlich, which is 50 km from the front line of Army Group B.
From here the Jagdtigers had to be delivered to Kal at the disposal of the 6th Panzer Army. But for this purpose, only one train was provided (we are talking about special platforms for transporting heavy tanks, which, apparently, were in great shortage), with the help of which 6 "jagdtigers" were delivered to Blankenheim by December 21st. Here, 10 km from the front line, they remained and did not participate in the offensive, contrary to the assertions of individual publications that “the division inflicted heavy losses on the advancing Anglo-American tank units, armed mostly with Shermans, which presented an excellent target for the German gunners. due to its unreasonably high height. "
"Jagdtiger" (chassis No. 304004) during towing
Leaving without comment the style, spelling and grammar of this quote, I would like to draw the reader's attention to the fact that in December 1944 it was the Germans who were advancing, as well as to the fact that the height of the Sherman, depending on the modification, ranges from 2743 to 2972 mm ... For comparison, the height of the T-34-85 is 2720 mm, that is, the "Sherman" is either 2.5 or 25 cm higher. Nothing to say, it is prohibitively high! This made it much easier for the German gunners to fire, especially from 2 km! How many fables can you feed your readers? However, let us return to the "jagdtigram" of the 653rd battalion.
"Jagdtiger" (chassis No. 304004) on a trolley-trailer for transportation
On December 23, 1944, the battalion was ordered to take part in Operation Nordwind. This time the battalion was provided with special platforms, but due to the lack of locomotives and damage to the tracks by the Allied aviation, the transfer of "jagdtigers" to the concentration area near Zweibruecken did not begin. In the days that followed, little intelligible attempts were made to reach the area both by rail and on their own. The latter led to the failure of most of the combat vehicles. As a result, on January 2, 1945, only four "jagdtigers" reached Zweibrucken, which joined the three SPGs that arrived on December 30 from Austria.
"Jagdtigr" (chassis # 305058) from the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers, captured by American troops. March 1945
The same "Jagdtiger", rear view
In accordance with Hitler's order, the 653rd Battalion of Heavy Tank Destroyers was transferred to operational subordination of the 17th SS Motorized Division "Getz von Berlichingen", which was part of the 1st Field Army of Army Group "G". By the beginning of the offensive on December 31, 1944, the battalion had only three combat-ready "jagdtigers". There is no information about their participation in hostilities. However, the operation "Nordwind" itself had a local success, and by January 5 it became clear that it had failed.
In the meantime, the formation of a new 2nd company began, and the 653rd battalion, by January 23, 1945, finally acquired its finished form. To the 33 "jagdtigram" already available, 11 more vehicles from the reserve of the High Command were transferred to it. This number includes all seven self-propelled guns with Porsche suspension. These 11 "jagdtigers" were previously used in Milau and Dellersheim to train crews.
The same "Jagdtiger". The original installation of the MG42 anti-aircraft machine gun on the roof of the engine compartment is clearly visible (left)
It should be noted, however, that the staff strength of the 653rd battalion, achieved with such difficulty, was conditional, since some of its vehicles were scattered over a fairly large territory from Witlich to Bonn. All of them were in disrepair, evacuated or preparing for evacuation. Some were repaired on site and fought. For example, two "jagdtigers" supported the infantry of the 14th SS corps near Auenheim. In this battle, by the way, they successfully fired high-explosive shells at the counterattacking Shermans. In January 1945, the first Jagdtiger was irretrievably lost.
The serviceable Jagdtiger (chassis # 305020), captured by American forces, is ready for dispatch to the United States. 1945 year. This machine is now on display at the War Museum at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the United States.
American soldiers inspect the "Jagdtiger" from the 3rd company of the 512th heavy tank destroyer battalion, destroyed on April 15, 1945, north of St. Andreasberg (Germany)
As of February 1, 1945, the 653rd battalion had 22 combat-ready "jagdtigers", 19 vehicles needed temporary support. The battalion was used as a mobile reserve on the left flank of Army Group G. At the end of March, the transfer of the 653rd battalion to the Stuttgart area began. At the same time, in the process of withdrawing combat vehicles from the front line, 7 faulty "jagdtigers" had to be blown up, since their towing was impossible. A similar phenomenon later became commonplace. As a result, by March 30, 1945, there were already 28 "jagdtigers" in the battalion, and by April 14 - 17.
Two days later, the crews of the 653rd battalion were transferred to 4 "jagdtigers" from the army arsenal in Linz. Reduced to a battle group, they fought the last battles east of Linz, until May 5, 1945, in Amsteten, they were captured by American and Soviet troops. One of the "yagdtigers" captured there is now on display in the Military-Historical Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka, Moscow Region.
One of the last "jagdtigers" released in March 1945. Apparently, this car, equipped with narrow transport tracks, simply buried itself in the ground and was then blown up by the crew. Germany, April 1945
In the summer of 1944, the 512th battalion began to form in Paderborn on the basis of the 500th reserve battalion. Personnel in the newly formed battalion of heavy tank destroyers were transferred from heavy tank battalions. The combat training of the 512th battalion took place at the training ground in Dellersheim, from where its 1st company went to the front on February 11, 1945.
"Jagdtiger" with a Porsche chassis (chassis # 305001) from the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers, which fell victim to American aviation. Another shot down "Jagdtiger" is seen in the background.
On March 10, the 1st company of the 512th battalion of heavy tank destroyers entered into battle with American troops in the area of the town of Remagen on the banks of the Rhine. The Jagdtigers' cannons hit American tanks at a distance of 2500 m. After the battles near Siegen, the company included several StuG III assault guns and Pz.IV tanks and transformed it into the Ernst battle group, named after its commander, Captain Albert Ernst. The battle group took up defensive positions on the heights dominating the terrain on the banks of the river. Ruhr.
The remnants of the 1st company of the 512th heavy tank destroyer battalion are surrendered to the American forces. Germany, Iserlohn, April 16, 1945
Video: the moment of delivery of the 1st company of the 512th heavy tank destroyer battalion, May 1945 (not specified data)
Another blown up and burned down "Jagdtiger". 1945 year
When a large column of American troops appeared, the Germans unleashed heavy fire on it. "Jagdtigers" fired at long-range targets, and assault guns and tanks at near ones. As a result of the fleeting battle, the Americans lost 11 tanks and up to 50 other combat and transport vehicles. The Germans lost one Jagdtiger, hit from the air by a missile launched from the R-51 Mustang fighter.
Meeting of Soviet and American soldiers in May 1945. The SU-76M is backed by the Jagdtiger. Location unknown
On April 16, the 1st company of 6 relatively serviceable "jagdtigers" surrendered to American troops in the area of Iserlohn.
The 2nd company of the 512th battalion, commanded by the German tank ace Otto Carius, went to the front near Siegburg on March 8, 1945. During the march to the front line, Allied fighter-bombers destroyed two Jagdtigers, and another was shot down a few days later in the battle of Waldenau.
Karius' Jagdtigers took part in the battles in the Ruhr Sack. According to some foreign sources, on April 11, 1945, in the area of Unna, Karius knocked out about 15 enemy tanks. However, this seems unlikely. In any case, judging by the recollections of Karius himself, there was nothing of the kind. This is most likely about tanks knocked out by the entire company. In the last weeks of the war, the self-propelled guns of the 2nd company took part in the defense of Dortmund, where they surrendered to American troops on April 15. Some of the combat vehicles were destroyed by the crews.
Trophy "Jagdtiger" during tests at the NIBT Polygon in Kubinka. 1947 year
As for the 3rd company, in which as of March 26, 1945, there were 10 "jagdtigers", it was at that moment in Zennelager. Nothing is known about further hostilities of this company.
On May 2, 1945, about 40 tankmen from the 501st SS Heavy Tank Battalion arrived in St. Valentine at the Niebelungenwerk plant to receive six jagdtigers. However, only two cars were put on the move. On May 5, they took up defensive positions in the area of St. Pölten. On May 8-9, the remnants of the battalion's personnel retreated to the west and surrendered to the Americans.
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Quote from the book by M. Bratynsky "Jagdtiger and other tank destroyers"
