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 |