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The Jadgpanther was Germany's response to an effective tank destroyer utilizing the deadly 88mm L71 anti-tank gun. Earlier tank destroyers included the Nashorn, which due to its thin armor and open top, was not suitable for open combat situations. The tank destroyer Ferdinand had superb armoring, however was very mechanically unreliable and was susceptible to infantry attacks due to its lack of any defensive MGs. A new tank destroyer was needed, which possessed adequate armor to fight alongside tanks and also mechanically reliable. The Panther chassis was chosen as the base, which by this time was relatively proven and reliable.
The Jadgpanther was built on the Panther medium tank chassis, with the hull consisting of a turretless design and smooth angled armor which made it almost impervious from the front. The early versions carried the main gun in a smooth gun mantlet collar (ACADEMY No. 13019/1342) whereas the late versions were fitted with a larger, bolt-fixed collar (ACADEMY NR. 1330/1339). The 88mm on the Jadgpanther had a killing range of up to 3000 meters. For close defense, a ball mounted MG34 or MG42 bow machine gun was fitted on the right side of front glacis plate.
The Jadgpanther first saw service in the Normandy campaign in June 1944, and large production numbers were ordered. However only 415 units were delivered due to Germany's chronic shortage of raw materials and the frequent bombings of the tank production plant.
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