Henschel Jagdpanzer Kanone (Kanonenjagdpanzer)

     Notes: Also known as the Jagdpanzer-90 (to distinguish it from later versions with heavier armament), this is a tank destroyer based on the chassis of the Leopard 1 tank, with a gun taken from obsolete M47 tanks.  They had been largely phased out of service or converted to artillery observation post vehicles or Jaguars during the Cold War.  These vehicles were used only by Germany and Belgium; the Belgians did not retire theirs until 1991.  Like the Leopard 1, the armor of the Jagdpanzer is not much to write home about, but is aided by raked sloping on the front and moderate sloping on the sides.

     The Jadgpanzer Kanone has a raised superstructure instead of a turret and the gun mounted in the glacis plate.  These vehicles were further upgraded, with laser rangefinders, better night vision, and braces of flare and smoke grenade launchers.  There is a hatch near the front of the superstructure on the right for the commander, and another on the rear right deck for the rest of the crew.  Unusually, the driver does not have his own hatch. Some are equipped with searchlights above the gun.  German Jagdpanzers have MG-3 machineguns, while Belgian vehicles have MAG machineguns.

     The Jagdpanzer Kanone is a quick and agile vehicle, in keeping with its primary role as a tank destroyer; this is a result of the use of the Leopard 1 hull, engine, and transmission along with its light weight, which is primarily due to the rather thin armor. Power is provided by an MTU MB 837Aa 500-horsepower multifuel engine, normally fueled by diesel fuel in German and Belgian service. Traverse for the main gun is only 15 degrees for most versions, and elevation from -8 to +15 degrees.

 

Belgian Jagdpanzer Kanones

     The Belgians took delivery of 80 essentially stock Jagdpanzer Kanones in 1975, intending to use them primarily as fire support vehicles, as the 90mm gun was not able to handle the newer crop of T-64 and T-72 tanks being deployed by the other side.  However, the Belgians began modifying them almost immediately, adding in a ballistic computer, laser rangefinder, and widening the arc through which the gun could be traversed to 20 degrees to either side.  In addition, the IR vision blocks were replaced with vision blocks with image intensification channels. Their smoke grenade launchers usually had a partial load of flares (usually a 3-2 mix on each side). Belgian Jagdpanzer Kanones have extra armor plating on the glacis and sides and have an Overpressure system.

 

     Twilight 2000 Notes: While the Jagdpanzer-90 acquitted itself well during the Twilight War as an infantry support vehicle, it quickly became apparent even before hostilities started that its 90mm gun lacked the punch to allow it to be the tank destroyer it was designed to be so long ago.  Therefore, shortly before the war a limited number of Jagdpanzer-90s were upgraded with more modern 105mm guns.  They retained the laser rangefinders, ballistic computers, night vision, and flare and smoke generation launchers of the Jagdpanzer 90s, as well as some being equipped with the optional white light/IR searchlight.  Conversions began in the mid-1980s at a slow rate, but this conversion rate quickened dramatically when the war began in earnest.  Unlike the Jagdpanzer-90, the Jagdpanzer-105 (and later versions with heavier armament) were used only by Germany.

     While the Twilight War was going on, some of the older Jagdpanzer 90s were upgraded by replacing their main guns with 120mm guns, and called the Jagdpanzer-120.  These vehicles entered service in late 1997 and gave a good accounting of themselves in combat. 

     The Jagdpanzer-122 is an assault gun based on the Jagdpanzer 90 chassis.  These were made during the war by replacing the 90mm gun with a 122mm D-30 Howitzer, which the Germans had from former East German stocks.  These vehicles were used for fire support when assaulting fortified positions and were not generally used in the antitank role, unlike other Jagdpanzer vehicles.

     These variants of the Jagdpanzer Kanone are entirely fictional: they are the idea of Jim Lawrie (known to most T2Kers as ChalkLine).

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

Jagdpanzer-90

$293,528

D, G, AvG, A

520 kg

27.5 tons

4

13

Passive IR (D, G, C), (Some) WL/IR Searchlight

Shielded

Jagdpanzer-90 (Belgian)

$304,016

D, G, AvG, A

522 kg

27.6 tons

4

15

Passive IR (G), Image Intensification (D, G, C)

Shielded

Jagdpanzer-105

$336,965

D, G, AvG, A

527 kg

27.75 tons

4

13

Passive IR (D, G, C), (Some) WL/IR Searchlight

Shielded

Jagdpanzer-120

$363,320

D, G, AvG, A

534 kg

28 tons

4

10

Passive IR (D, G, C), (Some) WL/IR Searchlight

Shielded

Jagdpanzer-122

$362,504

D, G, AvG, A

533 kg

28.06 tons

4

10

Passive IR (D, G, C), (Some) WL/IR Searchlight

Shielded

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

Jagdpanzer-90

132/93

37/26

470

185

Stnd

T6

TF27  TS14  TR10

Jagdpanzer-90 (Belgian)

132/92

37/26

470

185

Stnd

T6

TF30  TS17  TR10

Jagdpanzer-105

131/92

36/26

470

185

Stnd

T6

TF27  TS13  TR10

Jagdpanzer-120/122

130/91

36/25

470

185

Stnd

T6

TF27  TS13  TR10

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

Jagdpanzer-90

+2

Fair

90mm NATO Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C)

51x90mm, 4000x7.62mm

Jagdpanzer-90 (Belgian)

+4

Fair

90mm NATO Gun, MAG, MAG (C)

51x90mm, 4000x7.62mm

Jagdpanzer-105

+3

Fair

105mm NATO Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C)

44x105mm, 4000x7.62mm

Jagdpanzer-120

+3

Fair

120mm Rheinmetall Gun, MG-3, MG-3 (C)

38x120mm, 4000x7.62mm

Jagdpanzer-122

+3

Fair

122mm D-30 Howitzer, MG-3, MG-3 (C)

38x122mm, 4000x7.62mm