The Jagdpanther (SdKfz 173) was arguably the finest tank hunter of World War II: it was fast, maneuverable, heavily armored, made for a difficult target, and was armed with a main gun that could destroy any vehicle on the battlefield.

The vehicle’s development began with a decision by the German Army to mount the formidable 88mm gun on a tracked vehicle. The hull was a standard Panther chassis with a well-sloped superstructure that carried the 88mm PaK 43/3 L/71 gun. The weapon could be traversed 13° left and 13° right and elevated 8° to +14°, and had a standard combat load of 57 rounds. The Jagdpanther was also armed with a 7.92mm machine gun in a ball-mounting on the right side of the glacis plate.

Like the Panther, the Jagdpanther was powered by a 700hp Maybach HL 230 P30 gasoline engine, and all vehicles were fitted with track skirts and had the Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine coating.

The first vehicles were available in June 1944, and by war’s end only 384 had been built (some were also converted into command vehicles and recovery vehicles).

The vehicle on display was produced in March 1945 by MNH in Hannover. It was captured by British troops in April, and later donated to the Panzertruppenschule in July 1961.