Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: Jgdpz 38(t) Pt 2

A two-part tour of the ever popular (and very uncomfortable) German tank destroyer.

Discussion thread,

[VRichardsn]

Final Assessment: "Better than pushing a Pak 40 through the mud"

[michaelbruce]

Chieftain, I could listen to you talk tanks all day and night, your knowledge is crazy awesome.

[ScandzaVaeringjar]

Gotta give the tank crews respect for operating these piles of metal

[Shiraumere]

lol the paper at 0:30 behind him.." track pins Hetzer " Hetzers gonna hetz.

[calvingreene]

Given that by that time Germany was drafting boys maybe the crews fit better.

[ILikeTheThingsIDo]

I've figured it out. The Hetzer is the Mosin Nagant of tanks. It's got a lot of weird quirks and seems to hate anyone who tries to make it do the job it was made for, but if you get used to it, it's pretty good at that job.

[nbifier]

I have to say watching you climb through the confined crew quarters is hilarious

[CrazyChemistPL]

I'd love to see material on AMX 13 or other tank with osciallting turret and drum loader.

[Danspyst]

There is something that hit me about Jgdpz 38(t), Chieftain. That is, yes the manual, or what you tank crew call them, might said that the TC is sitting behind the gun. But I do think that in combat, or realistic setting, the TC of the Jgdpz 38(t) would sit where the loader is. The reason I think that is the case is because:

1st. He have more veiw in front of him when he had his head out. I mean the hatch of the loader is abit forward the the hatch for the TC. I havent been in one, so I cant confirm if that is right
2nd: He has the MG to controll, which means he might have a scope pointed forward. I mean how else could you aim with the MG as remote when you a hatched down (Or what you now call it)
3rd: The loader might have it easier to load the gun from behind. Not really in a way for any of his follow crew members. He might not be able to slam the round in, but the TC or gunner might be able to do that.
4th: Also need to remember that the gun follows when the gunner aims. So the loader will, again, have it easier to load the gun, when e.g. the gunner aiming all the way to the right. I mean he might not about to be crushed by the breech guard and the gunner's back all in all he is trying to load the gun again

[ThePoorPCgamer]

posted 3 minutes ago. What a way to start the morning with coffee.

[Berghof]

Are we inside the Hetzer that came from the Patton Museum? If so, I crewed it for over ten years during their annual July 4th WWII simulations. I learned to drive that Hetzer there. I owned one for over twenty years. I began as their loader and became their driver. Theirs had the same problem mine had, both had original gasoline engines. I eventually found why they would quit running. The JPz. originally was fitted with a scissors observation scope, the Swiss removed these and switched the commander to where the German loader sat. Did you try depressing the gun? Hard isn't it? Because when the museum removed the muzzle brake (Swiss option) they did not remove the counter weight at the end of the safety cage. What ever became of the postwar Swiss (US made) radio equipment that was in it? I believe the escape hatch is something that the Swiss added or opted for. When the Swiss opted to move the loader to the right side, they added an extension to the loader's electric trigger/safety switch. Want to know more? Read my book; A BRIDGE TO TIME, A Re-enactor's Journey available from Amazon. The museum folks took the remove MG fittings from another German vehicle. The Swiss used this an a commander's periscope. (dome). I almost always would pull the back to the driver's seat up and remove it to get in and out. In fact I would often drive with the driver's back removed. You can see the ignition and light switches are of later Swiss manufacture. The steering of a G13 is very responsive when going forward, but sluggish while reversing. The Swiss also had the British built Wilson transmissions, same as the pre-war Czech 38s-half-automatic. Like that of British Dingo Scout Cars (pre-selector). Mine had a few original German coded track links. These got upgraded by the Swiss with new tracks that featured removable ice spikes. (Those little round doobies on the tracks (2@). I can vouch for fitting into a garage. It was in my one car garage, I live in a US subdivision, for eight months while being rehabbed-all sixteen tons of it. Tanks!

[tantoismailgoldstein]

Looks like a " significant emotional event" just trying to get into the matchbox.

[justforever]

I have a feeling that in this vehicle that the "Commander" is more like a spare set of eyes than anything. And I guess it's good to have one guy in command over everyone. I also assume that 95% of the combat was done from ambush, long distances, etc; this isn't a tank, meant to bring into combat with everyone shooting at you. I assume that you are knowledgeable enough to be aware that the G-13s supposedly reverted back to having the loader on the right; are you positive that the radios, etc, were actually in these same places in the wartime machine?

As for the "escape hatch", I think that is more for throwing empty shell cases out under the vehicle. I really don't see how anyone could fit through that, not with the driveshaft right on top of it. Although I'd be sure to give it a strenuous try if my 38(t) flipped over and went turtle, and it was impossible to open any of the other hatches! That would be a terrible situation to be in.

[williamreymond]

I just suffered through what Lindibege had to say about the Jgdpz 38t, but in the whole time in my misery I was thinking, what does 'The Chieftain' have to say about the Jgdpz 38t? So, the Chieftain sets me completely straight on the subject in this video. But even that, despite the technical analysis, doesn't completely shake me free from the notion I had formed from everything that I had ever heard on the subject that the Hertzer was pretty effective in combat because it was: small, heavily armed, and hard to hit. I was hoping maybe for a few more facts about the Hetzer's actual combat performance - despite all of it's design shortcomings. Great video, by the way.

[peterdavy]

Wilson pre-selector gearbox was designed originally for London buses.

[TrueCanadan]

1st of all I from all of us from WOT thank you very much for doing these video. Even though some of the the tanks you look into are very very small. 

[orangejoe]

0:32 - Tee hee! You swore you wouldn't say it that word again, but I still it!

[THX]

I've run into a couple of guys who've driven G13/Jpz-38Ts in private collections over the years. I remember one telling me that it must have been impossible to fire at a moving target with it.

[Birdy]

Chieftan, your videos are well done and informative, thanks for putting up with the crammed positions you find yourself in to explore/review these tanks in detail.

I can't wait for your videos on the Medium tanks of the war. (Pz3, 4, Sherman, Cromwell, T34, ah you get the point.) My grandfather was in a Sherman and fought his was up the East coast of Italy, so it would be interesting to see what he had to deal with.

[TheOne-pvrz]

It might be uncomfortable, but the sloped design and small silhouette were very valuable properties I would imagine. I would prefer survivability over comfort any time.