Hetzer - Jagdpanzer 38 (t): The most cost-effective German tank hunter
- Thread starter Tamaskun
- Start date
not that i've seen. Bovington has a 234/3 with the short barrel 75mm but i dont know of a 234/2 this side of the channel.
The Russians probably have one at Kubinka, they have all the cool stuff but i dont have that sort of budget and getting in there takes an act of the orthodox god, intimate favours to Putin or being a contributer to World of Tanks obviously!
Munster has a 234/4 theyve got on semi-permanent loan from Bovington apparently!
http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_German_Armoured_Vehicles.pdf
The Russians probably have one at Kubinka, they have all the cool stuff but i dont have that sort of budget and getting in there takes an act of the orthodox god, intimate favours to Putin or being a contributer to World of Tanks obviously!
Munster has a 234/4 theyve got on semi-permanent loan from Bovington apparently!
http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_German_Armoured_Vehicles.pdf
I wasnt commenting on the problems of maintaining and running it i was talking about the time it takes to build the chassis from a sheet of steel to rolling it out the front gates on a train.
The lower hull is four solid plates, the upper hull is five then you have to add the tricky bit of the hull roof and rear decking.
Not counting the problem of casting and rolling out large sheets of steel and cutting out basic shapes all you need is a decent crane to lift the plates and some basic welding to fit them together.
Your losing time and energy in producing large sheet steel compared to the small plates used in the Stug but your gaining time in reducing handling, welding, number of craftsmen involved and so on. Just the complexity an expense of optics in the Stugs commanders cupola is incredible, the Hetzer lost that in favour of a simple scissor periscope.
All that saves production time and gets more units to the battle front.
One semi-decent Hetzer at your back is better than a Panther still held up in the factory.
The lower hull is four solid plates, the upper hull is five then you have to add the tricky bit of the hull roof and rear decking.
Not counting the problem of casting and rolling out large sheets of steel and cutting out basic shapes all you need is a decent crane to lift the plates and some basic welding to fit them together.
Your losing time and energy in producing large sheet steel compared to the small plates used in the Stug but your gaining time in reducing handling, welding, number of craftsmen involved and so on. Just the complexity an expense of optics in the Stugs commanders cupola is incredible, the Hetzer lost that in favour of a simple scissor periscope.
All that saves production time and gets more units to the battle front.
One semi-decent Hetzer at your back is better than a Panther still held up in the factory.
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sailorsam
All you have when buttoned up is the Gunner looking out that periscope with a small field of view, the TC had nothing except a rear facing periscope, and the driver that small frontal periscope.
It's like trying to drive a car with the windows blacked out, except for a pair of binoculars the only way to see forward. Without someone sticking a head out to give him directions, he will be having a rough time
It wasn't rocket science. A TC who can't see the surrounding area is wasted. Might as well have him stay back at the base and make it 3 man tank and give the loader some more room
The KV-1S of late 1942 had a cupola, and the Soviet tanks the Nazis captured, had vision cupolas retrofitted for the TC
But not for a factory built Hetzer
It's like trying to drive a car with the windows blacked out, except for a pair of binoculars the only way to see forward. Without someone sticking a head out to give him directions, he will be having a rough time
It wasn't rocket science. A TC who can't see the surrounding area is wasted. Might as well have him stay back at the base and make it 3 man tank and give the loader some more room
The KV-1S of late 1942 had a cupola, and the Soviet tanks the Nazis captured, had vision cupolas retrofitted for the TC
But not for a factory built Hetzer
I found a couple of things on zhe Hetzer that might interest You (in case You don't already know about, of course):
http://www.pzfahrer.net/driving.html
http://www.pzfahrer.net/improve.html
WWII Weapons: The Hetzer Tank Destroyer
http://www.pzfahrer.net/driving.html
http://www.pzfahrer.net/improve.html
WWII Weapons: The Hetzer Tank Destroyer
