Jagdtiger

The Jagdtiger ("Hunting Tiger"; officially designated Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B) is a German casemate-type heavy tank destroyer (Jagdpanzer) of World War II. It was built upon the slightly lengthened chassis of a Tiger II. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 186. The 72-tonne Jagdtiger was the heaviest armored fighting vehicle (AFV) used operationally by any nation in WWII. It was armed with a 12.8 cm Pak 44 L/55 main gun which could out-range and defeat any AFV fielded by the Allied forces. It saw service in small numbers from late 1944 until the end of the war on the Western and Eastern Front. Although 150 were ordered, only around 80 were produced. Due to its heavy weight and relatively weak drivetrain, the Jagdtiger was plagued with mobility and mechanical problems. Although the Jagdtiger could destroy Allied tanks over long distances from good ambush positions, it has been argued that they were a costly failure because of the effort needed to build and maintain them. Three Jagdtigers survive in museums.