Jagdtiger

Model by Matt Ward.

The Jagdtiger was one of the largest (if not the largest) AFV to see any widespread service during World War II. Tales abound of single Jagdtigers cutting through entire divisions or holding them up for a day without support, but these were the exception rather than the rule. Operationally, the Jagdtiger was a nightmare. Breakdowns were common and logistics were also nightmarish (the 653rd was unable to participate in the Ardennes offensive because of bombed-out rail lines). On the other hand, no AFV of the day could withstand the force of it's 12.8cm gun (who's AP performance would still be respectable by modern standards, though the design is outdated).

The Jagdtiger was another one of Hitler's favorites (undoubtedly because it was large with a big gun, Freud would have had a field day) and he saved the project from cancellation several times. Only 77 of these mammoth vehicles were completed. The hull was a lengthened version of the standard Tiger II chassis. Even though the vehicle only had a small number of production examples, there were a few variants on the design. At least three Jagdtigers were fitted with Porsche designed longitudal torsion bars. At least two of these vehicles were coated with zimmerit. Reportedly, late in the production run, a shortage of 12.8cm guns forced some Jagdtigers to be fitted with the 8.8cm L/71 cannon of the regular Tiger II and Jagdpanther. I've discovered no photos of these vehicles, though the Simonides Group has reportedly discovered one of these extremely rare vehicles and is in the process of recovering it.

• Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War II
• Combat History of Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 653

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