The Jagdpanzer IV L/70 (A) Zwischenlosung was the last tank to enter service with the Wehrmacht in September 1944. Essentially, German tank designers placed a Jagdpanzer IV turret on a Panzer IV chassis then fitted it with a powerful 75mm L/70(A) gun. The Zwischenlosung proved to be an excellent tank killer even though only 278 vehicles were built by war's end.

With experience gained during the initial phases of the Battle of Stalingrad, in September 1942 the Wehrmacht's arms bureau, the Waffenamt, called for a new standard for heavy assault guns: 100 mm of armor to the front, 40-50 mm on the sides, wider tracks, ground clearance of 50 cm (20 in), top speed of 26 km/h (16 mph) and the lowest possible firing positions. The new Panzerjager ("tank hunter") design would be armed with the same 7.5 cm gun as fitted to the Panther tank: the Pak 42 L/70. Initially a new chassis was planned, but that of the Panzer IV had to be used.

Previous efforts to mount bigger guns on smaller chassis resulted in the Marder I, II and III series and the Sturmgeschutz III. The Marder series were tall and had open crew compartments. The new design had a low silhouette and completely enclosed, casemate-style fighting compartment.

The Jagdpanzer IV used a modified Panzer IV Ausf. H chassis, but the almost-vertical front hull plate was replaced by sloped armor plates. Internally, the layout was changed to accommodate the new superstructure, moving the fuel tanks and ammunition racks. Since the Jagdpanzer lacked a turret, the auxiliary engine which powered the Panzer IV's turret traverse mechanism could be eliminated.

The new superstructure had 80 mm thick sloped armor, giving much greater protection than vertical armor of 100 mm. To make the manufacturing process as simple as possible, the superstructure was made from large, interlocking plates that were welded together.

This particular Jagdpanzer IV L/70 tank destroyer comes with side skirts and a star antenna. Number "101" was a command vehicle used in the defense of Germany in 1945. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-1/2-inches
Width: 1-3/4-inches

Release Date: September 2006

Historical Account: "Across the Rhine" - Once the Allies had crossed the Rhine, the British fanned out Northeast towards Hamburg crossing the river Elbe and on towards Denmark and the Baltic. The U.S. Ninth Army, which had remained under British command since the battle of the Bulge went south as the northern pincer of the Ruhr encirclement.

The U.S. 12th Army Group fanned out, the First Army went north as the southern pincer of the Ruhr encirclement. On April 4th the encirclement was completed and the Ninth Army reverted to the command of Bradley's 12th Army Group. The German Army Group B commanded by Field Marshal Walther Model was trapped in the Ruhr Pocket and 300,000 soldiers became POWs. The Ninth and First American armies then turned east and met up with the Soviet forces near the River Elbe in mid-April. The first units to make contact were from the U.S. 69th Infantry Division of the First Army and the Soviet 58th Guards Division of the 5th Guards Army near Torgau, on the Elbe River on April 25th. The rest of the American 12th Army group had fanned out to the East into western Czechoslovakia and Southeast into Northeast Bavaria. By V-E Day, the U.S. 12th Army Group was a force of four armies (1st, 3rd, 9th, and 15th) that numbered over 1.3 million men.

The American 6th Army Group fanned out to the Southwest passing to the east of Switzerland through Bavaria into Austria and North Italy. Elements of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division were the first allied troops to arrive at Berchtesgaden, which they secured along with the Berghof (Hitler's Alpine residence).

Field Marshal Montgomery took the German military surrender of all German forces in Holland, Northwest Germany and Denmark on Lüneburg Heath an area between the cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen, on the May 4th, 1945. As the operational commander of some of these forces was Grand Admiral Karl Donitz, the new Reichspräsident (head of state) of the Third Reich this signaled that the European war was over.

On May 7th at his headquarters in Rheims, Eisenhower took the unconditional surrender of all German forces to the western allies and Russia, from the German Chief-of-Staff, General Jodl, who signed the surrender document at 0241 hours. General Franz Bahme announced the unconditional surrender of German troops in Norway. Operations ceased at 2301 hours Central European time (CET) on May 8th. (courtesy: Wikipedia)