Nashorn

Mess with the Rhino you get the horns!

The Panzerjager IV, aka the Nashorn (Rhinoceros) (or the Sd.Kfz 164, if that is really what you want) was a German World War II "tank destroyer", which is code for a fuckoff massive AT gun on treads. It shares a modified Panzer IV chassis with the Hummel. It is notable for being a solid design that worked really well. It was also first, (And for some reason Wikipedia and Flames of War love to use this name rather than NASHORN) called the Hornisse (Hornet), in contrast to the Hummel's bumblebee. Uncle Adolf probably didn't like the name hornet as well.

Mid War

Die Stats.

IRL

The Nashorn was developed by a German firm for the Wehrmacht, who were looking for a weapons platform that could kill Communist T-34s and KV-1s. The firm, named Alkett, responded to this request by mounting a modified Tiger II cannon to the Panzer IV chassis along with some minor modifications to redistribute weight and improve comfort for the crew.

The Nashorn was only intended as an interim design, but they were solid and reliable, serving admirably in the Battle of Kursk, assisting many Communist tanks into the afterlife with 88mm shells. In fact, the Nashorn could kill just about anything the allies could field during the war, from Churchills and Pershings to the absolute units that were the IS series. One of the primary downsides was it had a rather large profile, something that the Jagdpanzer IV tank rectified. The other was that it was introduced far too late in the war to make a difference on the eastern front.

The Nashorn served with distinction, and even when it was slated to be replaced by the Jagdpanzer, production continued right up until the very end of the war.