Difference between revisions of "Panzerjager I"
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− | {{Specs-Card|code=germ_panzerjager_1}} | + | {{Specs-Card |
+ | |code=germ_panzerjager_1 | ||
+ | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}} | ||
+ | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
− | <!--''In the description, the first part | + | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> |
− | + | The '''Panzerjäger I''' (''4,7 cm Pak (t) (Sfl.) auf Pz.Kpfw.I (Sd.Kfz.101) ohne Turm'') was the first self-propelled gun adopted by Nazi Germany. The SPG had a chassis from the obsolete Pz.I, from which the turret was removed and the hull partially cut down; onto this an open-topped, rear fighting compartment was mounted. The vehicle was armed with a 47 mm captured Czech Skoda gun, designed in 1937-1938, which received the designation 4,7 cm PaK(t) in the Wehrmacht. The Panzerjäger I was produced from 1940 to 1941, during which period 202 units of the self-propelled guns were manufactured. It actively participated in the French, North African and Eastern campaigns, where it was used for ambushing fire and proved effective against enemy light tanks, but was practically helpless against medium and heavy tanks. In addition, in autumn/winter 1941, the self-propelled gun showed complete unsuitability for the climate of the Soviet Union, where it constantly broke down or got bogged down in mud and snow. The Panzerjäger I participated in combat operations until mid-1943. | |
− | |||
− | The '''4,7 cm Pak(t) auf Pz.I | ||
− | + | Introduced in [[Update 1.57 "Battle March"]], the Panzerjäger I has a sufficiently powerful gun for its battle rating, but also an open fighting compartment, which makes it quite vulnerable to HE shells, artillery, and enemy aircraft. | |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
− | <!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules | + | {{Specs-Tank-Armour}} |
+ | <!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' --> | ||
+ | '''Armour type:''' | ||
− | + | * Rolled homogeneous armour | |
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− | *Rolled homogeneous armour | ||
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* Suspension wheels and bogies are 10 mm thick while the tracks are 15 mm thick. | * Suspension wheels and bogies are 10 mm thick while the tracks are 15 mm thick. | ||
− | Any enemies at this rank can pierce your armour. However, the biggest threats are the SPAA vehicles due to their higher rate of fire with effective weapons that will absolutely rip apart the vehicle. Airplanes too are a concern, and | + | Any enemies at this rank can pierce your armour. However, the biggest threats are the SPAA vehicles due to their higher rate of fire with effective weapons that will absolutely rip apart the vehicle. Airplanes too are a concern, and artillery is very deadly. |
=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
− | <!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and | + | {{Specs-Tank-Mobility}} |
− | {| | + | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> |
− | + | ||
− | + | {{tankMobility|abMinHp= 142|rbMinHp= 88|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}} | |
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− | + | === Modifications and economy === | |
− | + | {{Specs-Economy}} | |
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== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
− | <!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the | + | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} |
− | {{main|Pak(t)(Sf.) (47 mm)}} | + | === Main armament === |
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} | ||
+ | <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' --> | ||
+ | {{main|Pak.(t)(Sf.) (47 mm)}} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" |
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− | ! colspan=" | + | ! colspan="5" | [[Pak.(t)(Sf.) (47 mm)|47 mm Pak.(t)(Sf.)]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds) |
|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer |
− | ! | + | ! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced |
− | ! | + | ! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced |
− | ! | ||
− | ! | ||
− | ! | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! ''Arcade'' | |
+ | | rowspan="2" | 86 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+10° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 10.6 || 14.6 || 17.8 || 19.6 || 20.9 || rowspan="2" | 3.9 || rowspan="2" | 3.5 || rowspan="2" | 3.3 || rowspan="2" | 3.0 | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | + | ! ''Realistic'' | |
− | + | | 7.1 || 8.4 || 10.2 || 11.3 || 12.0 | |
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|} | |} | ||
− | + | ==== Ammunition ==== | |
− | { | + | {{:Pak.(t)(Sf.) (47 mm)/Ammunition|Pzgr.36(t), Pzgr.40}} |
− | + | ||
− | + | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | |
− | + | [[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | |
− | + | <!-- '''Last updated: 2.35.0.31''' --> | |
− | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |
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− | | Pzgr.36(t) | ||
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− | ! | ||
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|- | |- | ||
− | ! | + | ! Full<br>ammo |
− | ! | + | ! 1st<br>rack empty |
− | ! | + | ! 2nd<br>rack empty |
+ | ! 3rd<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 4th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! 5th<br>rack empty | ||
+ | ! Visual<br>discrepancy | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | '''86''' || 76 ''(+10)'' || 42 ''(+44)'' || 27 ''(+59)'' || 17 ''(+69)'' || 0 ''(+86)'' || No |
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|} | |} | ||
+ | '''Notes''': | ||
− | + | * Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack. | |
− | + | * Turret empty: 76 ''(+10)'' shells. | |
− | + | * Right flank empty: 17 ''(+69)'' shells. | |
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− | == Usage in | + | == Usage in battles == |
− | <!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''--> | + | <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> |
− | Although virtually unarmoured, | + | Although virtually unarmoured, the Panzerjäger I ''can'' be used in a head-on manner. However, this is not recommended. It is much better to snipe or ambush the enemy. Its gun may have a good Rate of Fire, but many other guns of its rank, such as the British 2-pounder, will reload faster than you. However, your gun is extremely powerful for its rank, which means you will go through almost anything, so there is no need to throw yourself in front of the enemy. |
− | + | While the gun can be sufficient and one-shot many enemies from light to medium tanks, more heavily armoured tanks will be a problem unless using the APCR ammunition. The common enemies to be concerned about are the B1 bis, B1 ter, and Matilda Mk II if the Panzerjäger I is used as the highest-BR option in your line-up. The B1 bis is only frontally penetrable on the turret ring or the exposed breech of the hull-mounted 75 mm. The B1 ter is only penetrable in flank shots with APCR or a very lucky turret ring hit. The Matilda is only frontally penetrable on the turret ring or demands use of APCR. | |
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
− | <!--'' | + | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> |
+ | |||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
− | *Large ammo reserve of 86 rounds | + | * Large ammo reserve of 86 rounds |
− | *Agile vehicle | + | * Agile vehicle, with a good power-to-weight ratio |
− | + | * One of the best guns in Rank I, can penetrate most things it comes up against and destroy them in 1-2 penetrating hits due to HE filler | |
− | *One of the best guns in Rank I, can penetrate most things it comes up against and | + | * Access to APCR ammunition for certain targets that the APC round cannot penetrate reliably |
− | *Access to APCR ammunition for certain targets the APC | + | * Good ballistics for 47 mm, can be used effectively at long range |
− | *Good ballistics for 47 mm, can be used effectively at long range | + | * Narrow, can fit in tight spaces |
− | *Narrow, can fit in tight spaces | + | * Fast reload |
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
− | *Tall profile, bigger target | + | * Tall profile, bigger target |
− | *Very thin armour, maximum | + | * Very thin armour, maximum of 15 mm |
− | *Crew operating the gun have no armour protection in the top and rear of their position | + | * Crew operating the gun have no armour protection in the top and rear of their position |
− | *Not a lot of horsepower, poor for towing downed allied vehicles | + | * Not a lot of horsepower, poor for towing downed allied vehicles |
− | *No defensive machine gun, open- | + | * No defensive machine gun, open-topped SPAA can be a problem |
− | *Gun quickly becomes obsolete in uptiers, it does not cope well with sloped armour | + | * Gun quickly becomes obsolete in uptiers, it does not cope well with sloped armour |
+ | * Prone to flipping over when making turns at high speed (especially in arcade with upgrades to mobility) | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
− | <!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the | + | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> |
===Development=== | ===Development=== | ||
− | The heavily armoured tanks in Allied inventory was considered a threat to the German armoured forces, which consisted of mostly 3.7 cm gun that were ineffective. To counter these threats, the | + | The heavily armoured tanks in Allied inventory was considered a threat to the German armoured forces, which consisted of mostly 3.7 cm gun that were ineffective. To counter these threats, the Germans sought for a vehicle able to mount a bigger gun able to fight these tanks. It was found that they could convert obsolete chassis designs like the Panzer I to mount the guns, thus saving the design process of developing a new vehicle for the role. The Czech 4.7 cm Pak(t) anti-tank gun was chosen for this task, and was mounted on a converted Panzer I chassis with the turret removed, a gun shield was used for the mount of the gun. Between 1940 to 1941, 202 Panzer Is were converted by Alkett and Deutz AG to these tank destroyers, designated the "Panzerjäger I", the first of its kind of tank destroyers in the war. |
===Combat usage=== | ===Combat usage=== | ||
− | The Panzerjäger I were organised in anti-tank battalions, each having three companies with nine vehicles each. Five battalions in the war were equipped with the tank destroyer. The first usage of the Panzerjäger I was in the Battle of France, where four battalions were committed. Though, only Anti-Tank Battalion 521 saw service from the beginning to the end as the other four were still in training when the campaign started. The opinion of the crew of these vehicles were positive, saying that the weapon was adequate to distances up to 600 | + | The Panzerjäger I were organised in anti-tank battalions, each having three companies with nine vehicles each. Five battalions in the war were equipped with the tank destroyer. The first usage of the Panzerjäger I was in the Battle of France, where four battalions were committed. Though, only Anti-Tank Battalion 521 saw service from the beginning to the end as the other four were still in training when the campaign started. The opinion of the crew of these vehicles were positive, saying that the weapon was adequate to distances up to 600 m if the enemy had 45 to 50 mm of armour. However, the crew also say that the ability to observe the battle in the vehicle was terrible, the crew had to look over the shield to see what is ahead, risking themselves to injury to the head. |
+ | |||
+ | After the Battle of France, the Panzerjäger I's in Anti-Tank Battalion 605 were sent to the North African Campaign, though only 3 of the 27 vehicles made it as the transport freighter ''Castellon'' carrying the rest was sunk. The battalion was in full strength during the British offensive in Operation Crusader in November 1941, to which they lost 13 vehicles in the battle. Battle experience praise the accuracy the vehicle provides, but state that the vehicles were too weak for the combat conditions and the gun didn't have enough penetration in long distance. With an APCR round, it was found it could destroy the venerable Matilda infantry tanks at distance of around 400 m. The battalion continued this battle of attrition with reinforcement and losses that during the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, only 11 Panzerjäger Is were left in the battalion. The last two replacement vehicle were sent to the battalion in November 1942. In Operation Barbarossa, five anti-tank battalions were equipped with the Panzerjäger Is, which made up a total of 135 vehicles. The combat experience was subpar, while the Panzerjäger I had a good effective range of up to 1,000 to 1,200 m, but the high profile of the vehicle presented a big target to enemy anti-tank weapons and artillery, even shrapnel from high-explosive shells could penetrate the thin armour. Many Panzerjäger I's were destroyed and by the Fall of 1942, many battalions reported to be under equipped for further action and were disbanded. At this point, better anti-tank weaponry and vehicles were more accessible and replaced the Panzerjäger I in service, notably the Marder series. | ||
− | |||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
− | '' | + | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | ;Skins | ||
− | = | + | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_panzerjager_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] |
− | + | ;Videos | |
− | + | {{Youtube-gallery|7QXTwiEGLT4|'''PanzerJager 1. Nice little gun, on a nice Chassis!''' - ''Joseph 2000''|gvw95nUZnQE|'''The Panzerjager I, German Tier-1, Tank Destroyer / SPG''' - ''Angry Nerd Gaming''}} | |
− | == | + | == See also == |
− | '' | + | <!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' |
+ | * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;'' | ||
+ | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
+ | ;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[Flakpanzer I]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Similar German vehicles | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[Marder III]] | ||
+ | * [[Marder III H]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[M3 GMC]] | ||
+ | * [[SU-5-1]] | ||
+ | * [[SU-57]] | ||
+ | * [[Ho-Ni I]] | ||
+ | * [[47/32 L40]] | ||
+ | * [[Ikv 72]] | ||
+ | |||
+ | == External links == | ||
+ | <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
− | * ''other literature.'' | + | * ''other literature.'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | * [[wt:en/devblog/current/886/|[Development] The Panzerjäger I, and announcing a branch of German SPGs with open cabins]] | ||
+ | * [[wt:en/news/4478-profile-panzerjäger-i-the-first-german-tank-hunter-en|[Profile] Panzerjäger I - The first German Tank Hunter]] | ||
+ | * [[wikipedia:Panzerjäger_I|Wikipedia - Panzerjäger I]] | ||
+ | * [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/Panzerjager_I.php Tanks Encyclopedia - 4,7 cm PaK (t) (Sfl) auf Pz.Kpfw.I (Sd.Kfz.101) ohne Turm, Panzerjäger I] | ||
{{Germany tank destroyers}} | {{Germany tank destroyers}} |
Latest revision as of 11:42, 9 November 2024
Contents
Description
The Panzerjäger I (4,7 cm Pak (t) (Sfl.) auf Pz.Kpfw.I (Sd.Kfz.101) ohne Turm) was the first self-propelled gun adopted by Nazi Germany. The SPG had a chassis from the obsolete Pz.I, from which the turret was removed and the hull partially cut down; onto this an open-topped, rear fighting compartment was mounted. The vehicle was armed with a 47 mm captured Czech Skoda gun, designed in 1937-1938, which received the designation 4,7 cm PaK(t) in the Wehrmacht. The Panzerjäger I was produced from 1940 to 1941, during which period 202 units of the self-propelled guns were manufactured. It actively participated in the French, North African and Eastern campaigns, where it was used for ambushing fire and proved effective against enemy light tanks, but was practically helpless against medium and heavy tanks. In addition, in autumn/winter 1941, the self-propelled gun showed complete unsuitability for the climate of the Soviet Union, where it constantly broke down or got bogged down in mud and snow. The Panzerjäger I participated in combat operations until mid-1943.
Introduced in Update 1.57 "Battle March", the Panzerjäger I has a sufficiently powerful gun for its battle rating, but also an open fighting compartment, which makes it quite vulnerable to HE shells, artillery, and enemy aircraft.
General info
Survivability and armour
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides (Slope angle) | Rear | Roof |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 13 mm (18°) Front plate 13 mm (72-75°) Front glacis 13 mm (26°) Lower glacis |
13 mm | 13 mm | 8 mm |
Superstructure | 14 mm (26°) | 14 mm (15-18°) | N/A | N/A |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels and bogies are 10 mm thick while the tracks are 15 mm thick.
Any enemies at this rank can pierce your armour. However, the biggest threats are the SPAA vehicles due to their higher rate of fire with effective weapons that will absolutely rip apart the vehicle. Airplanes too are a concern, and artillery is very deadly.
Mobility
Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
Arcade | 46 | 5 | 6.4 | 142 | 191 | 22.19 | 29.84 |
Realistic | 43 | 5 | 88 | 100 | 13.75 | 15.63 |
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Main armament
47 mm Pak.(t)(Sf.) | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
Arcade | 86 | -8°/+10° | ±15° | N/A | 10.6 | 14.6 | 17.8 | 19.6 | 20.9 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.0 |
Realistic | 7.1 | 8.4 | 10.2 | 11.3 | 12.0 |
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 | ||
Pzgr.36(t) | APC | 87 | 82 | 66 | 50 | 38 | 29 |
Pzgr.40 | APCR | 119 | 110 | 77 | 50 | 32 | 21 |
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% | ||||||||||
Pzgr.36(t) | APC | 775 | 1.65 | 1.2 | 9 | 15 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
Pzgr.40 | APCR | 1,080 | 0.83 | - | - | - | 66° | 70° | 72° |
Ammo racks
Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86 | 76 (+10) | 42 (+44) | 27 (+59) | 17 (+69) | 0 (+86) | No |
Notes:
- Racks disappear after you've fired all shells in the rack.
- Turret empty: 76 (+10) shells.
- Right flank empty: 17 (+69) shells.
Usage in battles
Although virtually unarmoured, the Panzerjäger I can be used in a head-on manner. However, this is not recommended. It is much better to snipe or ambush the enemy. Its gun may have a good Rate of Fire, but many other guns of its rank, such as the British 2-pounder, will reload faster than you. However, your gun is extremely powerful for its rank, which means you will go through almost anything, so there is no need to throw yourself in front of the enemy.
While the gun can be sufficient and one-shot many enemies from light to medium tanks, more heavily armoured tanks will be a problem unless using the APCR ammunition. The common enemies to be concerned about are the B1 bis, B1 ter, and Matilda Mk II if the Panzerjäger I is used as the highest-BR option in your line-up. The B1 bis is only frontally penetrable on the turret ring or the exposed breech of the hull-mounted 75 mm. The B1 ter is only penetrable in flank shots with APCR or a very lucky turret ring hit. The Matilda is only frontally penetrable on the turret ring or demands use of APCR.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Large ammo reserve of 86 rounds
- Agile vehicle, with a good power-to-weight ratio
- One of the best guns in Rank I, can penetrate most things it comes up against and destroy them in 1-2 penetrating hits due to HE filler
- Access to APCR ammunition for certain targets that the APC round cannot penetrate reliably
- Good ballistics for 47 mm, can be used effectively at long range
- Narrow, can fit in tight spaces
- Fast reload
Cons:
- Tall profile, bigger target
- Very thin armour, maximum of 15 mm
- Crew operating the gun have no armour protection in the top and rear of their position
- Not a lot of horsepower, poor for towing downed allied vehicles
- No defensive machine gun, open-topped SPAA can be a problem
- Gun quickly becomes obsolete in uptiers, it does not cope well with sloped armour
- Prone to flipping over when making turns at high speed (especially in arcade with upgrades to mobility)
History
Development
The heavily armoured tanks in Allied inventory was considered a threat to the German armoured forces, which consisted of mostly 3.7 cm gun that were ineffective. To counter these threats, the Germans sought for a vehicle able to mount a bigger gun able to fight these tanks. It was found that they could convert obsolete chassis designs like the Panzer I to mount the guns, thus saving the design process of developing a new vehicle for the role. The Czech 4.7 cm Pak(t) anti-tank gun was chosen for this task, and was mounted on a converted Panzer I chassis with the turret removed, a gun shield was used for the mount of the gun. Between 1940 to 1941, 202 Panzer Is were converted by Alkett and Deutz AG to these tank destroyers, designated the "Panzerjäger I", the first of its kind of tank destroyers in the war.
Combat usage
The Panzerjäger I were organised in anti-tank battalions, each having three companies with nine vehicles each. Five battalions in the war were equipped with the tank destroyer. The first usage of the Panzerjäger I was in the Battle of France, where four battalions were committed. Though, only Anti-Tank Battalion 521 saw service from the beginning to the end as the other four were still in training when the campaign started. The opinion of the crew of these vehicles were positive, saying that the weapon was adequate to distances up to 600 m if the enemy had 45 to 50 mm of armour. However, the crew also say that the ability to observe the battle in the vehicle was terrible, the crew had to look over the shield to see what is ahead, risking themselves to injury to the head.
After the Battle of France, the Panzerjäger I's in Anti-Tank Battalion 605 were sent to the North African Campaign, though only 3 of the 27 vehicles made it as the transport freighter Castellon carrying the rest was sunk. The battalion was in full strength during the British offensive in Operation Crusader in November 1941, to which they lost 13 vehicles in the battle. Battle experience praise the accuracy the vehicle provides, but state that the vehicles were too weak for the combat conditions and the gun didn't have enough penetration in long distance. With an APCR round, it was found it could destroy the venerable Matilda infantry tanks at distance of around 400 m. The battalion continued this battle of attrition with reinforcement and losses that during the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942, only 11 Panzerjäger Is were left in the battalion. The last two replacement vehicle were sent to the battalion in November 1942. In Operation Barbarossa, five anti-tank battalions were equipped with the Panzerjäger Is, which made up a total of 135 vehicles. The combat experience was subpar, while the Panzerjäger I had a good effective range of up to 1,000 to 1,200 m, but the high profile of the vehicle presented a big target to enemy anti-tank weapons and artillery, even shrapnel from high-explosive shells could penetrate the thin armour. Many Panzerjäger I's were destroyed and by the Fall of 1942, many battalions reported to be under equipped for further action and were disbanded. At this point, better anti-tank weaponry and vehicles were more accessible and replaced the Panzerjäger I in service, notably the Marder series.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
- Similar German vehicles
- Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
External links
- [Development] The Panzerjäger I, and announcing a branch of German SPGs with open cabins
- [Profile] Panzerjäger I - The first German Tank Hunter
- Wikipedia - Panzerjäger I
- Tanks Encyclopedia - 4,7 cm PaK (t) (Sfl) auf Pz.Kpfw.I (Sd.Kfz.101) ohne Turm, Panzerjäger I
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 |