Jagdpanzer

This illustrated study traces the history of the Jagdpanzer, the self-propelled German tank destroyers introduced in the second half of World War II. All sides in the war struggled to counter enemy armour. Between the wars, the German Army adopted the 3.7cm anti-tank gun, but it soon became clear that towed weapons lacked firepower, and more powerful guns were brought in during 1942 and 1943.

By 1942, overstretched Panzerjäger (anti-tank) units on the Eastern Front, equipped with towed guns, were increasingly turning to StuG-equipped assault artillery units for help. By late 1943 the StuG was being issued to new tank destroyer units, and at the same time a dedicated Jagdpanzer, meaning hunting tank, was ordered, built on the chassis and running gear of the PzKpfw IV.

Written by German armour expert Thomas Anderson, the book draws on archival material and after-action reports to describe how the Jagdpanzer was developed, along with the many variants built on other German tank chassis. It also covers in detail how Jagdpanzer units were organized and what they experienced in battle.