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Kanonenjagdpanzer
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F027421-0002, Kanonenjagdpanzer (KanJPz) - Jagdpanzer Kanone 90 mm
Type Tank destroyer
Place of origin Flag of Germany West Germany
Service history
In service 1965 - 1990
Used by Flag of Germany West Germany
Flag of Belgium (civil) Belgium
Production history
Manufacturer Henschel and Hanomag
Produced 1965 - 1967
Specifications
Mass 27.5 tonnes
Length Total: 8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)
Hull: 6.24 m (20 ft 6 in)
Width 2.98 m (9 ft 9 in)
Height 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in)
Crew 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Armor 10 - 50mm
Main
armament
1 x Rheinmetall BK 90/L40 90mm anti-tank gun
Secondary
armament
2 x 7.62mm MG3 machine guns
8 smoke dischargers
Engine 2,94l MTU MB 837 Aa V8 water-cooled multi-fuel diesel-engine
500 hp (368 kW)
Suspension torsion bar
Operational
range
385 km (239 mi)
Maximum speed 70km/h (43.5 mph)

The Kanonenjagdpanzer 4 - 5 (also known as Jagdpanzer Kanone 90mm, or tank destroyer, gun) was a German Cold War tank destroyer equipped with a 90mm anti-tank gun from obsolete M47 Patton tanks. Its design was very similar to that of the World War II Jagdpanzer IV.

History[]

The first prototypes of the Kanonenjagdpanzer were built in 1960 by Hanomag and Henschel for West Germany and by MOWAG for Switzerland. Hanomag and Henschel continued to produce prototypes, until between 1966 and 1967, 770 were built for the Bundeswehr, 385 by Hanomag and 385 by Henschel. Eighty of them were delivered to Belgium from April 1975 onward.[1]

When the Soviets began deploying their T-64 and T-72 main battle tanks, the 90 mm gun wasn't capable of ensuring long-range combat and the Kanonenjagdpanzer became obsolete. Although the producers claimed it could be rearmed with a 105 mm gun,[1] between 1983 and 1985, 163 of these tank destroyers were converted into Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 2 anti-tank guided missile carriers by removing the gun, adding a roof-mounted TOW missile launcher and fastening further spaced and perforated armour on the hull. Some others were refitted by removing the main gun into artillery observation vehicles, so called Beobachtungspanzer, which served most particularly in the mortar units.

Some Kanonenjagdpanzer remained into service with the Heimatschutztruppe until 1990.

Design[]

The Kanonenjagdpanzer was a highly mobile vehicle, its survivability based on its mobility and its low profile.[1] Its hull consisted of welded steel, which had a maximum thickness of only 50 mm. It carried a crew of four, a commander, driver, gunner and a loader. Since the Kanonenjagdpanzer followed the casemate design of most World War II tank destroyers, the gun was fixed within the casemate, located a little right from the center. The 90 mm gun could only traverse 15° to the sides and elevate from -8° to +15°. It carried 51 90 mm rounds for the main gun and 4000 7,62 mm rounds for the two MG3s.[1] The Kanonenjagdpanzer had NBC protection and night-fighting ability.[1]

Operators[]

  • Flag of Germany West Germany - The German Army operated a total of 770 Kanonenjagdpanzer
  • Flag of Belgium (civil) Belgium - The Belgian Army operated 80 slightly modified Kanonenjagdpanzer from 1975 onwards

External links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Panzer und andere Kampffahrzeuge von 1916 bis heute, Christopher F. Foss, Buch und Zeit Verlagsgesellschaft, p.134 (German)


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Kanonenjagdpanzer and the edit history here.
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