Jagdpanzer - Anderson Thomas

This highly illustrated title details the history of the Jagdpanzer, the self-propelled German tank destroyers introduced in the second half of World War II. Throughout World War II all sides grappled with how to deal with the threat of enemy armour. The German Army had adopted the 3.7cm anti-tank gun in the inter-war years. However, it was already apparent that the towed weapons lacked firepower and more powerful weapons were introduced in 1942 and 1943. By 1942, hard-pressed Panzerjäger (anti-tank) units equipped with towed anti-tank weapons fighting on the Eastern Front increasingly sought assistance from StuG-equipped assault artillery units. By late 1943 the StuG was being issued to new tank destroyer units and at the same time a dedicated Jagdpanzer (hunting tank) was ordered, based on the chassis and running gear of the PzKpfw IV. This highly illustrated study by German armour expert Thomas Anderson uses archival material and after-action reports to describe the development of the Jagdpanzer, and the many variants built on other German tank chassis. It also covers in detail how Jagdpanzer units were organized as well as their operational experience on the battlefield.