Pix: IWM Jagdpanther.....

Went to the IWM in London this afternoon to take a good look at their early-model Jagdpanther.

Sadly, many pieces are missing but of note are the early-version details such as non-bolted mantlet, lack of external recuperator shroud and triple-exhaust piping ( albeit with one pipe missing ).

Undoubtedly a feared and lethal weapon if you were on the receiving end, but I have to say it's an aesthetically-pleasing machine....

 

Wow, amazing pictures. Thanks for sharing them.

 

Very nice.

 

Great pictures Martin ! Are the three holes in the right lower side where the tank got shot or are they holes for something else ?

 

There is some talk of them being holes from post capture testing TA. However I'm pretty sure they are from when Lt. WH Griffiths & crew (in their Welsh Guards Cromwell) destroyed the vehicle in Belgium during september 1944.
I'd never registered it was a Befehls/command version before.

Cheers for the nice shots Martin, I've got a picture of myself aged about six standing next to it somewhere, it made a great impression on me at the time.
If I may I'll sneak in an old favourite shot I grabbed of the Gibb one at Beltring last year.


Cheers,
Adam.

 

The Jagdpanther must have had the most "clean looking" frontal view of any AFV in WWII.
I noticed a 4th hole which probably took the motor out.

 

Go on educate me, how do you tell that?

 

I'm guessing here, but is it the aerial mountings on the rear of the main superstructure ?

Thanks for the info, Adam - I have to say that those shell-holes are very close together for 'heat of battle' damage......

I've seen the Jagdpanther you pictured but not running - only static at Beltring a year or two back. One day I'd love to see and hear both this and the Bovington Tiger......

 

The day I went to see the Tiger run the Gibb Jagdpanther Broke down, so the combination's been denied me too.
keep this just between you and me , but the rumour mill says Bovington's next tankfest may instead be called 'Panzerfest' with plans for running Pz.1,2,3,4,5,6,6b and whatever else they can gather up from across Europe...

Cheers,
Adam

 

I've yet to see either the Tiger or Jagdpanther running so even one of them would be an experience for me....

 

The shot holes were big enough to insert hand and digital camera for some cool interior shots ... Friend of mine was a 17-yr old Jagdpanther driver in 1945. Lost a finger when his vehicle was knocked out by the Russians. Which reminds me ... those 75mm shoot holes had edges still sharp enough to break skin after all these years!

 

What's up with the texture engraved in the skin of that beast, shown here to good effect in one of Martin's earlier pictures:



....looks like a damn Mah-Jongg board!

-whatever

-Lou

 

Zimmerit ...........a paste applied over most Panthers and Tigers that kept magnetic mines from sticking.

 

Martin Bull.. Thanks for the Amazing Photos.