>Type Light tank destroyer
>Place of origin Nazi Germany
>In service 1944–1945
>Used by Nazi Germany, Hungary ,Czechoslovakia (ST-I), Switzerland (G-13)
>Wars World War II
>Designer Škoda
>Designed 1943
>Manufacturer Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik, Škoda
>Produced 4 March 1944 – 11 May 1945
>Number built Approx. 2,827
>Weight 15.75 tonnes (34,722 lb)
>Length 6.38 m (20 ft 11 in)
>Width 2.63 m (8 ft 8 in)
>Height 2.17 m (7 ft 1 in)
>Crew 4
>Armor 8-60 mm (0.31-2.36 in)
>Main armament 1x 7.5 cm PaK 39 L/48 41 rounds
>Secondary armament 1× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 1,200 rounds
>Engine Praga 6-cylinder petrol, 7.8 litres 160 PS (158 hp, 118 kW) at 2,800 rpm
>Power/weight 10 PS/tonne
>Transmission 5 + 1 Praga-Wilson Typ CV
>Suspension leaf spring
>Ground clearance 40 cm (1 ft 4 in)
>Fuel capacity 320 litres (85 US gal)
>range 177 km (110 mi)
>Speed 42 km/h (26 mph)
The name Hetzer was at the time not commonly used for this vehicle. It was the designation for a related prototype, the E-10. The Škoda factory for a very short period confused the two names in its documentation and the very first unit equipped with the vehicle thus for a few weeks applied the incorrect name until matters were cleared. However, there exists a memorandum from Heinz Guderian to Hitler claiming that an unofficial name, Hetzer, had spontaneously been coined by the troops. Post-war historians basing themselves on this statement made the name popular in their works, the vehicle was never named as such in official documents
The Jagdpanzer 38(t) fit into the lighter category of German tank destroyers that began with the Panzerjäger I, continued with the Marder series and ended with the Jagdpanzer 38(t). The 75 mm PaK 39 L/48 gun of the Jagdpanzer 38(t) was a modified version of the 75 mm StuK 40 L/48 used in the StuG III and StuG IV assault guns. With this gun the Jagdpanzer 38(t) was able to destroy nearly all Allied or Soviet tank types in service at long ranges (except heavy tanks) and its fully enclosed armor protection made it a safer vehicle to crew than the open-topped Marder II or Marder III series.
The Jagdpanzer 38(t) was one of the most common late-war German tank destroyers. It was available in relatively large numbers and was generally mechanically reliable. Also, its small size made it easier to conceal than larger vehicles.
Like some other late-war German SPGs, the Jagdpanzer 38(t) mounted a remote-control machine gun mount which could be fired from within the vehicle. This proved popular with crews, though to reload the gun a crewmember needed to expose himself to enemy fire.
Its main failings were comparatively thin side armor, limited ammunition stowage, poor gun traverse, poor internal layout that made operating the vehicle difficult, as well as leaf springs and drive wheels that were prone to failure due to the increased weight.
