Hetzer

"Hetzers gonna hetz"

– World of Tanks players.

From Czech minds to German hands to blowing up Russian tanks.

The Jagdpanzer 38t, more commonly known as the "Hetzer" was a light German Tank destroyer that was in service throughout the later war as a cheaper alternative to the Jagpanther/tiger tank destroyers.

Late War

Die Stats

IRL

After the Conquest of Czechoslovakia, the design for the Hetzer was stolen. It sat in the dustbin for a few years until the Germans decided that building incredibly large tank destroyers was fucking retarded. Enter the Hetzer, which was better armored than the Nashorn, and had a smaller overall height, much like the Jagdpanzer IV.

These two advantages alone made it good, but it also incorporated sloped armor that made it an absolute bitch to kill. It also had a 75mm gun that was more than match for most allied tanks operating on the field at the time. But the most innovative and iconic feature of the Hetzer was the internally controlled MG-34.

There were downsides to the design. Like most Axis and Soviet Tank Destroyers, it lacked a turret, so the vehicle had to physically face a target to hit it, and it also had to face incoming fire, with larger calibre guns easily able to penetrate the side armor if hit directly. It was also incredibly cramped, even by German standards, who typically considered "cramped" conditions to be relatively comfortable. By cramped, we mean that it was only 6 foot 11", with the Panzer II being 15" tall by comparison. Only the SU-76 was smaller at 6 ft 1", and the Soviets hated those things so much that they shipped them to their colonies Comrade Nations after the war in droves.

In any case, the Hetzer was a solid design that saw plenty of action during the war, and even some post war with the Swiss army. Of course, Hitler being the absolute fucktard he was ordered some of the Hetzers converted into flame tanks, despite this making zero fucking sense in 1944.