Evolution of WW2 German Tank Destroyers

Used extensively by the German Army of World War Two, the “tank destroyer” was developed to counter the increasing dominance of the tank on the battlefield.

Germany would field a massive 18 different types of tank destroyer in World War Two – compared with the 7 or 8 different types used by US, British and Commonwealth forces. One of these in particular, Sturmgeschütz III, would destroy more tanks than any other AFV in the entire conflict.

In this video we look at the development, strengths and weaknesses of German tank destroyers: from the17 tonne Hetzer to the massive 70 tonne Jagdtiger - the heaviest tracked vehicle of the War.

00:00 | Introduction
00:59 | The First Tank Destroyers
04:14 | Avoiding Close Combat
06:59 | Jagdpanther
12:05 | Jagdtiger
15:31 | Hetzer
18:01 | Stug III
22:51 | Conclusion

This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.

#tankmuseum #jagdpanther #stugiii #hetzer #jagdtiger

[Tuaj]

The quality of these videos is simply excellent, incredible work. Better than most WWII TV documentaries.

[FMKeb]

Sturmgeschutz is my favorite. The StuG always stayed to a good tank design, and never overdid it. It had reliable armor, a tried and tested chassis, and a gun that wasn’t too big, nor too small. Also had the highest kill rate of all German tanks. It’s a little diamond in the rough of Tigers, Panthers and such tanks like those.

[HumbleHonkingEnthusiast]

I absolutely adore when engineers decide to take the biggest gun they can find and build a vehicle around it

[thetankmuseum]

Hey Tanks Nuts! What did you think of our latest video? Which of these German Tank Destroyers do you think was the best - let us know below

[callumgordon]

Love the clarity of Chris’s delivery. Another brilliant video.

[Sahrawiyun]

I just have to say I'm amazed by the production quality of these videos. Really well done.

[Spartan]

The design of the Stug was spot on. A excellent balance of armour, speed and fire power. I am also a fan of the Hetzer.

[brianferguson]

I am not a military history fan in any way, but, I find these videos fascinating. I never miss one. It's a combination of interesting content and brilliant presentation with no gimmicks or unnecessary effects.
Well done you !

[RedViking]

Thank you. I very interesting video and following in the footsteps of the 2 Davids is no easy task and yet you've done it and i enjoy your informative and authoritative style. You will always get your nit-pickers who want to draw attention to themselves and then you get those who add a thought, ask a directive question or offer a constructive criticism handed underarm. Very interesting and the Stugs massive kill rate shows how it was way more than an assualt gun and in fact became the most effective tank destroyer. The results and gun size sort of hint at that. Excellent video from every tankers favourite living museum. Keep up the good work!

[Eggstraordinary]

I’m literally 20 minutes away from the museum right now and I am heading there while watching this 😂. It is my absolute FAVORITE museum and I haven’t been in a while. So I can’t wait!

[Blockio]

One of the few channels I've got the notification bell on for. Even having been in this rabbithole for many years at this point, there's always some new tidbit you learn from these

[saline]

I really enjoyed this - love the colour highlights to draw attention to hatches etc. Well done !

[calvinbutterworth]

Can’t wait to visit Bovington for my second time this summer!

Me and my Father are coming down from Manchester, stopping by IWM Duxford, then straight to Bovington and finally wrapping things up at the Historic dockyard in Portsmouth….

Can’t wait, my most fond memories are at museums with my dad

[williamzk]

German Language makes a distinction between “Tank Destroyers” (termed Panzerjaeger which literally means tank hunter) such as the Nashorn and “Hunter Tanks” (termed Jagdpanzer which literally means Hunter Tank). The Nashorn was a panzerjaeger with its open top and 30mm armour. The Jagdpanther was a Jagdpanzer with extra heavy armour and a bigger gun than the tank it was based on. The difference was mainly the armour but also crewing eg having a radio operator for tactical coordination

[deadandburied]

You forgot the Stug. IV based on the chassis of the Panzer IV. It had the long 75mm gun too, but maybe more room inside as the chassis was longer. (Panther was Panzer V)

There was also the Panzerjager IV, also mounted on a Panzer IV chassis. It was much more the predecessor of the Jagdpanther. The Panzerjager IV had the powerful 75mm gun Panther tanks had.

[bassfunkypenguin]

New Chris Copson video? Happy days! Looking at German tank destroyers? Even better! Excellent video as always!!

[LandonOrr-zq]

The quality of this video was much higher than I expected. You earned my subscription. I'm looking forward to watching your other videos on WW2 tanks.

[davidrobertson]

New Tank Museum content, Also tank destroyers, one of my favourite subjects.

[ntrslmgb]

I think the Jagdpanzer IV would have been worth a mentioning, but great video! Loved to see those insides.

[CidFafner]

I was a conscript with the Panzerjäger when they were still part of the Bundeswehr. The Jaguar 1 and 2 vehicles were carrying guided missile systems like TOW and HOT, yet the history of the Sturmgeschütze was very much alive in the branch in the 80s.