The Jagdpanzer 38 (t) Hetzer was a German tank destroyer of World War II. The first prototypes of the vehicle were created between 1943 and 1944, and serial production continued in the period 1944-1945, ending with the production of approximately 2,800 vehicles. The Hetzer was powered by a single 160 hp Prague EPA AC2800 engine. It was armed with 1 75 mm PaK 39 L/48 cannon and 1 7.92 mm MG34 or MG 42 machine gun.
The Hetzer was built on the basis of the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) tank chassis, but had a completely new casemate and booster. Its great advantages included a very low silhouette of the vehicle, a considerable slope of the armor plates and good armament. Furthermore, the Hetzer could be produced on a large scale at a relatively low cost, which was very important for Germany in the last stage of World War II. Production was carried out mainly at the factories of the Skoda company. The disadvantage was the small crew compartment, which made the weapon difficult to handle and reduced its rate of fire. On the basis of the Hetzer vehicle, the Flammpanzer 38 (t) self-propelled flamethrower and the Bergepanzer 38 (t) technical support vehicle were built. The Hetzer tank destroyer was used on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the period 1944-1945, e.g. in battles in Poland with the Red Army. After World War II, it was still manufactured for the Czechoslovak Army under the designation ST-1.
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