The Jagdtiger was the heaviest armored vehicle to see service in World War Two, yet paradoxically, the vehicle has remained somewhat enigmatic with confusion over its development, production and role. The design process started out with a demand for a heavy assault gun back in 1942 when the war was still in Germany’s favor and the army needed a heavily armored and armed vehicle to smash enemy fortifications. However, by the time the Jagdtiger, based on the Tiger II tank, came along two years later, the original need for the vehicle had vanished and it was put to work as a heavy tank destroyer instead. Despite its huge size, impressive armor and powerful main gun, the Jagdtiger failed to live up to expectations. The range of fire of the Jagdtiger’s 12.8 cm gun could classify the vehicle as a self-ropelled gun (indirect fire capability had been an original requirement but was subsequently dropped), and the confusion over name and role resulted in an argument within the German military over who controlled them. If the vehicle was designated as a Sturmgeschütz (Eng. Assault Gun), it would belong to the artillery but, if it was designated as a Panzerjäger (Eng. Tank Destroyer), it would belong to the tank destroyers. The StuG. argument was bolstered by Hitler and the Inspector-General of the Panzer Troops in late March 1944. On 13th July 1944, the squabble over the name was seemingly put to rest by Heinz Guderian, Chief of the Army General Staff (who was also the General of Artillery), when he listed the vehicle as “Panzerjäger with 12.8cm Pak. L/55 on Tiger II chassis” or ‘Jagdtiger
Having considered both the Panther and Tiger hulls for the mount for the 12.8 cm gun, the vehicle selected for use was the Tiger II which was, at the time, still on the drawing board at Henschel. In order to fit the gun onto the chassis of the Tiger II, the chassis had to be lengthened by 260 mm and on top of this hull was placed a large flat-sided casmate for housing the main gun and four of the crew. The engine remained at the back and the transmission at the front, as on the Tiger II, and the hull crew positions were also retained. Inside this giant casemate would fit the no-less enormous 12.8 cm gun breech. In essence, this was the layout of the Jagdtiger, a box with a gun in the front of it sat on top of a Tiger II chassis. The Jagdtiger had a crew of six men. The crew in the hull retained their role and positions from the Tiger II, with the driver located in the front left and the radio operator in the front right. This radio operator also had control over the secondary armament, a machine gun located in a mount in the glacis to his front. In the casemate were the remaining 4 crew. This crew consisted of a commander (front right), the gunner (front left), and two loaders located in the rear of the casemate. By 1945, with severe pressures on training caused by the war, some tank crews were even sent directly to the Nibelungen works to help with the production of the tanks they were to crew, both as a means to help familiarise them with the vehicles but also to help with production. Dimensions (L-w-h) 10.654 x (including gun) x 3.625 x 2.945 meters Total weight, battle ready 72.5 tonnes (Porsche suspension) 73.5 tonnes (Henschel suspension) Crew 6 (Driver, Radio operator/hull machine gunner, Commander, Gunner, 2 Loaders) Propulsion Maybach HL230 P30 TRM 700hp Petrol engine Suspensions Double torsion bars and interleaved wheels Speed (late model) 38 km/h (road) Armament 12.8 cm PaK 44 L/55 -7° to +15° elevation, traverse 10° R and 10° L Armor Glacis: 150mm at 50 deg. Hull Front (Lower): 100mm at 50 deg. Hull Front (Roof): 50mm Hull Sides (Lower) 80mm (vertical) Hull Sides (Upper & Casemate): 80mm at 25 deg. Hull Rear 80mm at 30 deg. Casemate (Roof): 40mm Casemate (Front): 250mm at 15 deg. Casemate (Rear) 80mm at 5 deg Engine Deck: 40mm Floor (Front): 40mm Floor (Rear): 25mm Built 74
