JPz 4-5

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Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
germ_kanonenjagdpanzer.png
GarageImage JPz 4-5.jpg
ArtImage JPz 4-5.png
JPz 4-5
AB RB SB
6.3 6.3 6.3
Research:27 000 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:185 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

In the early stages of the Cold War, the newly formed Bundeswehr faced the issue of combating the massed armoured threat that the Warsaw Pact presents. Reflecting back to the combat effectiveness of "Jagdpanzer" type vehicles in World War II, the Bundeswehr aimed for the procurement of similar tank destroyers to take on Soviet armour. One such design that the Bundeswehr would procure was a cannon-armed tank destroyer known as the Kanonenjagdpanzer. Following a period of development, the prototype developed by Rheinstahl-Hanomag, designated Kanonenjagdpanzer 4-5, would be adopted in 1963 and 770 units would be produced. These 90 mm cannon-armed tank destroyers would see use up until the early 1980s, but variants derived from the vehicles stayed in Bundeswehr service until 2003.

The Hanomag-Henschel JPz 4-5 was introduced in Update 1.53 "Firestorm". Players familiar with the StuG and Jagdpanzer series of vehicles earlier in the German tech tree would be familiar with the JPz 4-5's form factor. The vehicle is benefitted by its mobility, allowing players to quickly get into positions for ambushes to minimize the downsides of a turret-less construction. While the 90 mm cannon is not the most intimidating calibre of use, the access to HEATFS shells in the matchmaking means the JPz 4-5 can very easily penetrate any foes it hits.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull50 / 30 / 30
Turret50 / 30 / 30
Crew4 people
Visibility71 %

The 50 mm thick frontal plate protects the crew against heavy machine gun fire and some small calibre cannons. Care must be taken in regards to strafing planes since .50 cal rounds can penetrate your roof armour with ease, usually resulting in 1-2 crew loss and potential engine fire.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull Superstructure 50 mm (51°) Front glacis
50 mm (54°) Lower glacis
30 mm (35°) Top
30 mm Bottom
30 mm (44°) Top
30 mm (41°) Bottom
10 mm General area
20 mm Front part
Cupola 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm 10 mm

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 15 mm thick while tracks are 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Reverse gearbox
Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed
Speedforward / back
AB77 / 77 km/h
RB and SB71 / 71 km/h
Number of gears6 forward
6 back
Weight25.5 t
Engine power
AB954 hp
RB and SB500 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB37.4 hp/t
RB and SB19.6 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 77 77 25.5 710 954 27.84 37.41
Realistic 71 71 442 500 17.33 19.61

The JPz 4-5 is quite mobile for a tank destroyer due to its light weight, which means it can get into a sniping position early in the game and quickly change locations if spotted. The reverse speed is very good due to the reverse gearbox on the vehicle, which lets it escape just as quickly as it popped out if necessary. This lets the JPz 4-5 perform 'hit-and-run' manoeuvres well, as the vehicle can fire and quickly relocate without having to change directions to retreat. The JPz 4-5 also has great overall handling, turning and getting around the battlefield as fast as contemporary light tanks.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB2 794 → 3 894 Sl icon.png
RB3 196 → 4 455 Sl icon.png
SB4 336 → 6 044 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications46 700 Rp icon.png
84 700 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost1 500 Ge icon.png
Crew training52 000 Sl icon.png
Experts185 000 Sl icon.png
Aces710 Ge icon.png
Research Aces480 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
110 / 180 / 230 % Sl icon.png
166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ger.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
3 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
5 600 Sl icon.png
175 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
90mm_us_M431_HEAT_ammo_pack
Research:
2 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
3 800 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
3 900 Rp icon.png
Cost:
7 100 Sl icon.png
220 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png
Mods night vision device.png
NVD
Research:
3 800 Rp icon.png
Cost:
6 900 Sl icon.png
210 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Night vision device
Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Main armament

Ammunition51 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
7.2 → 5.6 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 15°
Horizontal guidance-15° / 15°
Main article: BK90 (90 mm)

The JPz 4-5 is equipped with a Rheinmetall 90 mm BK 90/L40 anti-tank gun. When the Soviets began deploying their T-64 and T-72 main battle tanks, the 90 mm gun was not capable of engaging them in long-range combat and at that point the Kanonenjagdpanzer 90 mm became obsolete, despite the claims from manufacturers that the JPz 4-5 could be rearmed with a 105 mm gun. Once you unlock the HEATFS round, the JPz 4-5's ability to take out enemies will greatly improve.

90 mm BK90 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 51 -8°/+15° ±15° N/A 7.04 9.75 11.84 13.10 13.93 7.28 6.44 5.94 5.60
Realistic 4.76 5.60 6.80 7.52 8.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
DM502 HESH 102 102 102 102 102 102
M71 shell HE 20 20 18 17 16 16
M431 shell HEATFS 320 320 320 320 320 320
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
DM502 HESH 853 10.6 0.1 4 3,050 73° 77° 80°
M71 shell HE 823 10.55 0.2 0.1 1,210 79° 80° 81°
M431 shell HEATFS 1,216 5.8 0.05 0.1 712.64 65° 72° 77°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the JPz 4-5
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
51 (+47) (+50) No

Notes:

  • The massive first rack depletes from right to left (when seen from behind).

Machine guns

Ammunition2 600 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Ammunition2 600 rounds
Belt capacity200 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate1 200 shots/min
Main article: MG3A1 (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm MG3A1
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 2,500 (1,000) 1,200 N/A N/A
Pintle 2,500 (1,000) 1,200 -5°/+25° ±45°

Usage in battles

The Jagdpanzer 4-5 is a very hard tank destroyer to master. It shines with excellent mobility and in rate of fire but has some serious downsides as well, such as the lack of a turret and really poor armour all around. The thin armour of this tank leaves little space for mistakes. Know the map and flank your enemies making use your excellent mobility, but don't get too carried away. Use your great mobility to get a great sniping spot early game, rather than just rushing into a capture point, because if you do, you're most likely going to be in a close-combat fight with another tank at the capture point, and the JPz 4-5 isn't great in close quarters combat. When you first spawn, drive and find a flanking position that allows you to quickly drive into cover with your fast reverse gear if you make a mistake. Scan the environment for enemies and take them out one by one, but don't get too carried away with it, once you kill 2 or 3 enemy tanks get out of that area and find a different spot, because most players will be looking for you when they respawn in another tank or aircraft. In case of getting spotted get in cover as fast as possible and reposition or wait until your enemy makes a mistake, like driving out into the open or getting bored and pushing or firing their cannon.

The best way to engage the enemy in this tank is to "shoot and scoot" since this vehicle is literally a glass cannon, concealment and cover are the JPz 4-5's best friends. Don't just play the JPz 4-5 like an MBT and rush into the middle of the map, sure it's fun and you might get 1 or 2 kills but you won't survive very long. Play the JPz 4-5 like the M41 before it, use your speed to get a sniping spot and move from there.

Play it in a way that you're never spotted by the enemy, because if you're seen by the enemy you are already dead.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Low profile, meaning enemy will have a hard time searching for your silhouette
  • Fast-firing gun
  • Fast speed and mobility, with a great turning speed on the spot
  • HEATFS can reliably penetrate most of the tanks easily you will meet at that battle rating, and especially Soviet sloped armour
  • Great in a sniper role
  • Full night vision (for the driver, the commander, and the gunner)

Cons:

  • Glass cannon, your armour is bad all around, only able to stop small-calibre autocannon from the front and MG from the side
  • Small calibre for a rank IV tank destroyer, when using the stock HESH shell
  • Stock shell is HESH, meaning its harder than usual to research modifications
  • Low versatility, meaning it's only good at sniping

History

Development

In the Cold War, the Bundeswehr, West Germany's defence forces, envisaged a tactical doctrine of a mobile defence system. This system would require the use of traditional tank destroyers as they were during World War II. Their role would be to provide infantry support against an armoured target with their powerful guns.

Hanomag and Henschel of Germany, along with MOWAG from Switzerland, developed a prototype of a vehicle able to hold the 90 mm gun commonly used in the M47 Patton. The first prototype was made in 1960 and these vehicles were produced until 1967. The vehicle was known as the Kanonenjagdpanzer 4-5, or shortened to Kanonenjagdpanzer. 770 were built for the Bundeswehr, West Germany's defence forces, and 80 of these produced models were also given to Belgium in April 1975.

Design

The Kanonenjagdpanzer takes a huge design similarity to the Jagdpanzer IV design, with a very low profile to present itself less of a target. However, the armour is only 50 mm thick sloping, which itself is the very thing for the era the vehicle was introduced. The vehicle carries a crew of four people to perform its functions. The 90 mm gun is fixed on a casemate structure, thus it has limited traverse like traditional tank destroyer designs. Inside the vehicle, there are provisions for holding 51 rounds for the main gun, plus about 4,000 machine gun rounds for the coaxial. Aside from that, additional protection the vehicle protects is NBC protection to combat against weapons of mass destruction.

Usage

The Kanonenjagdpanzer saw use in tank destroyer companies within mechanized and mountain infantry brigades of the Bundeswehr. However, the newer Soviet second-generation main battle tanks, the T-64 and the T-72, were more than capable of taking on the 90 mm gun the Kanonenjagdpanzer is equipped with, and so the Kanonenjagdpanzer was declared obsolete. The producers tried to lengthen its service life by claiming that the 105 mm L7 gun can be adapted into the design, but this proved fruitless.

The Kanonenjagdpanzer, due to its obsolete status, saw more usage in specialized roles. Between 1983 and 1985, about 163 Kanonenjagdpanzer were converted into Raketenjagdpanzer Jaguar 2 (not to be confused with the Raketenjagdpanzer 2), a vehicle with a BGM-71B TOW anti-tank guided missile on the roof. Others were converted to artillery observation vehicle named Beobachtungspanzer and served in mortar units to direct fire.

The Kanonenjagdpanzer design stayed with the Bundeswehr up until 1990, when they were formally retired from service.


Archive of the in-game description

The project to develop the self-propelled antitank mount was begun in the mid-1950s by specialists from the companies Hanomag (Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG) and Henschel (Rheinstahl Henschel AG). The base selected for the new vehicle was the Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30 armoured transporter. The first prototype of the SPG with the designation Kanonenjagdpanzer 1-3 was assembled in 1959. The tests revealed significant flaws in the vehicle. As a result, more work was done to refine it. The decision was made to arm the new SPG with a 90 mm antitank cannon similar to the one installed on the American M47 Patton II.

By 1961 each development company had built its own experimental model. Both models were presented for testing. After comparative testing, as well as the merger of the two companies, the decision was made to combine the efforts of the specialists from both companies in order to build a single experimental model. Work on the creation and testing of the new model continued until 1965.

After all testing was complete in 1966 the new vehicle was accepted as part of the arsenal under the designation JPz 4-5. The SPG was built serially from 1966 to 1967. During its production the companies Hanomag and Henschel each built 385 vehicles.


Media

Skins
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See also

External links


Germany tank destroyers
Pz. I Derivatives  Panzerjäger I
Pz. II Derivatives  15cm sIG 33 B Sfl
Pz. 38(t) Derivatives  Marder III · Marder III H · Jagdpanzer 38(t)
Pz. III Derivatives  StuG III A · StuG III F · StuG III G · StuH 42 G
Pz. IV Derivatives  Jagdpanzer IV · Panzer IV/70(A) · Panzer IV/70(V) · Dicker Max · Nashorn · Brummbär · VFW
Pz. V Derivatives  Jagdpanther G1 · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1
Pz. VI Derivatives  Sturer Emil · Elefant · Ferdinand · 38 cm Sturmmörser · Jagdtiger
Wheeled/Half-track  8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. · Sd.Kfz.251/9 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
ATGM Carrier  RakJPz 2 · RakJPz 2 (HOT) · Wiesel 1A2
Other  Waffenträger · M109G · JPz 4-5 · Raketenautomat · VT1-2