In the fall of 1942, the German Waffenamt issued an order to develop a heavy assault gun to combat the growing menace posed by Russian armored forces all along the "ostfrontier" or eastern front. What resulted was the Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther tank destroyer, arguably the best long-range tank destroyer of the war. The Jagdpanther mounted a powerful 8.8cm Pak L/71 cannon within a fixed turret, which was situated atop a standard Panther V chassis. Although production of the tank was begun at MIAG in January 1944, it took another ten months before the larger NMH plant could expand the production run in time for the "Wacht am Rhein" counteroffensive. By war's end only 392 vehicles had entered service with the Wehrmacht, but these had a telling effect on the prosecution of the war.

There were two main variants of the Jagdpanther. The earlier G1 1944 model had a small welded main gun mantlet, one-piece Pak 43/3 gun, a modified Panther A engine deck, and two vision openings for the driver. The G2 Jagdpanther used a Panther Ausf. G engine deck, a larger gun mantlet bolted externally, and a two-piece KwK 43/4 L/71 gun. Some later G1 models had 'hybrid' G2 features such as the larger G2 mantlet as changes to the design were implemented. Zimmerit was applied to G1s up to September 1944, then was withdrawn to decrease production time. Early Jagdpanthers had two vision openings for the driver, whereas late versions had only one. The main gun originally had a monobloc gun barrel, but, from May 1944 onwards, it was gradually replaced with an economical two-part barrel after crews determined barrel wear was uneven.

Pictured here is a 1:43 scale replica of a German Jagdpanther Ausf. G1 tank destroyer that was attached to schwere Panzerabteilung 507, then deployed to Germany during 1945. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 8-1/2-inches
Width: 3-inches

Release Date: June 2022

Historical Account: "Roose on the Loose" - Schwere Panzerabteilung 507 was formed on September 23rd, 1943, from personnel taken from I Abt./Pz.Rgt. 4 of 13.Panzer Division. It was organized in the usual fashion: a battalion HQ staff company, three tank companies, and a workshop company, plus supply and support detachments, and equipped with 45 Tigers between December 23rd, 1943 and February 25th, 1943. Transferred to the Eastern Front in March 1944, the 507th received seven replacement Tigers before the end of the month and a further 12 in April, eight in July, six in August, ten in November and one final tiger in December 1944. Over-strength at 55, the 507th met the Russian winter offensive on the Tarnapol River above Vitebk and around Narev, on January 14th, 1945, and by February 1st,1945, had only seven Tigers left, none of which were operational.

On February 6th, 1945, the 507th was ordered to return to Sennelger, to refit with the Tiger II. The unit received 21 Tiger II Ausf Bs: four on March 9th, 1945, 11 on March 22nd, 1945, and the last six on March 31st. The front came to schwere Panzerabteilung 507, deployed in the defense of the local area.