Image size: 1600 x 967 pixel. 385 KB
Date: Thursday, 1 January 1948
Place: Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, USA
Photographer: Armin Sohns
Jagdpanzer (Hunting Tank) IV (Sd.Kfz.162) armed with a 75mm (3 inch) L/48 gun. Also designed as Sturmgeschütz (assault gun) neuer Art (new design) mit (with) 7.5cm PaK L/48 auf Fahrgestell (based on chassis) Panzerkampfwagen IV. This is an early production vehicle because it has four return rollers; later Jagdpanzer IVs only had three. The stopgap Marder I/II/III designs (various captured Soviet, Czech and French guns and tanks welded together to form tank destroyers) were unsatisfactory and in December 1942, the Jagpanzer IV was ordered from manufacturer Vogtlandische Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft (Vomag) in Plauen, Germany in December 1942. After a year of design and testing a prototype was presented to Reichskanzler (Reichchancellor) Adolf HItler and accepted for production. Over 750 vehicles, including the one in this view, were produced between January-November 1944. This "short" version of the Jagdpanzer IV is missing its muzzle brake, which dampened recoil and gun rising during discharge. The muzzle brake was found to give away the Jagdpanzer IV's position, and many crews had already removed them in the field. In May 1944, Jagdpanzer IVs were made without a muzzle brake. An updated version of the Jagdpanzer IV mounted heavier armor and a longer L/70 gun. This example was either captured in Italy or Normandy and shipped to the Ordinance Museum for testing. It was scrapped as part of an unfortunate consolidation during the Korean War. Aberdeen has an L/70 version that survived the cutter's torch.
Source:
Charles Kliment photo collection
http://www.worldwar2database.com/gallery3/index.php/wwii0070
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