#panzer 38t

[captain-price-returns]

German infantry and a Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) during fighting in Daugavpils, Latvia. Summer 1941.

[colourzoid]

Panzer 38(t), Soviet Union, June 1941. The Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) was originally a Czechoslovak tank of pre-World War II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland, France and the USSR.

[captain-price-returns]

German Panzer 38t being refueled alongside a railroad in the USSR, 6 Oct 1941

[jtem]

“Hetzer”

One of the coolest tanks of WWII, or really a self propelled gun or tank destroyer, was the Hetzer. If you were an American then this was an awesome tank, a fearsome killing machine. It’s small & low, making it difficult to spot, plus heavily armored in the front and packing a gun that could blow through most anything in the U.S. arsenal. If the Germans knew you were coming, and they usually did, they could choose their ground and lie in wait. So, to the Americans this was a GREAT tank! But if you were a German then it was a horrible death trap!

The Hetzer is cramped, to say the least. The gun is off center because it’s so small that if it wasn’t there wouldn’t be operating room for the crew. As is, three men fit on one side, in a row, with the commander alone on the other. The commander, btw, was about the only one who had a chance of escaping a burning tank...

There’s very little range of motion for the gun in the Hetzer, so if the enemy wasn’t being cooperative you had to move the whole tank to aim!  It’s slow and noisy, so you were never going to out run an American tank. Through the frontal armor is quite good it was highly vulnerable from the sides. And, visibility for the crew is abysmal. 

Two odd facts about the Hetzer, and when I say two I mean three. Or four:

Everything about the Hetzer is contentious, even the name!  There are full blown debates over whether or not it’s appropriate to call it a “Hetzer” or if that name is given in error and belongs to another vehicle.

“Experts.” Got to love them... Sheesh!

AND THEN there’s the fact that this fine German tank wasn’t even German! It was built in what is now the Czech Republic, and based at least in part on the earlier Panzer 38t, which was a Czech military tank pressed into service by the Germans following the annexation. But it’s relationship to the Panzer 38t is yet another point of contention so pretend I didn’t say anything...

ALSO, the Hetzer was introduced very late in the war (1944) but, even so, more were built than the Tiger tank -- both the Tiger I & Tiger II combined! Maybe because, being a Czech built tank, it escaped a lot of the allied bombings, or maybe because it was so much smaller and cheaper & faster to build.

FINALLY, this example of the Hetzer, like a great many that you’ll come across, isn’t technically a Hetzer at all, but a Swiss army G13. The Czechs continued building the tanks following the war, initially with whatever parts they had left over, and exported them to Switzerland. As these later Swiss tanks left service many were scooped up by collectors & re enactors who would often try to convert them to German military specs. 

[darkblizzardwolf]

Finally i researched the Panzer 38(t), the Hetzer!Equipped with a 7,5cm PaK 39 L/48 and a MG 34 (7,92mm)Enjoy the screenshots

[hanspanzer]

T-34 mod.1940 embiste a un panzer 38t, detras se ve panzer IV y BT-7.

http://imgur.com/YNguOHG

[mioprismriver]

Für ihren Tapferen Einsatz im Gefecht gegen Pravda und ihren Mutigen Vorstoß gegen die Russische Übermacht in ihrem Stolzen Panzer 38t. Verleihen wir das Eisernen Kreuz an Anzu Kadotani, Momo Kawashima und Yuzu Koyama. Sie gaben ihr Leben für Ooarai’s Sieg. ---------------------------------------For their Brave Combatservice in the Battle against Pravda. On meeting the oncoming Russians in their proud Panzer 38t. We are honored to hand the Iron Cross to Anzu Kadotani, Momo Kawashima and Yuzu Koyama. They gave their lives to ensure Ooarai’s Victory

[cutetanksdoingcutethings]