Tank of the Month: Jagdpanther

Tankers!

As part of our new Tank of the Month special, we'll focus our line of sight on the notable German tank destroyer, the tier VII Jagdpanther. We'll describe the origins and history of this tank and provide some useful tips to take onto the battlefield. As Tank of the Month, the Jagdpanther will earn you 30% extra credits per battle when you take it on the field from 04:30 PDT on April 1, 2013 to 04:00 PDT on May 1, 2013.

The Jagdpanther in World War II

Production started on the Jagdpanther in early 1944 and ended in March 1945 with a total of 392 units manufactured. The origin and purpose of this German Tank Destroyer can be easily explained with the following equation: Chassis of the Panther tank + 8.8 cm PaK 43 cannon = Jagdpanther. The base is the Panther, a medium German tank produced from mid-1943 as a direct response to the Soviet T-34. It was later upgraded with a PaK 43 (Panzerabwehrkanone 43, ‘Anti-tank warfare 43’) 88 mm anti-tank gun developed by Krupp, that became the one of the most powerful anti-tank guns of the Wehrmacht, and was also installed in other tanks such as the well-known Tiger II (aka King Tiger).

As you may know, Germans gave a series of zoological names for their tanks. In fact, the name Jagdpanther does not hold any mystery, since it literally means "hunting panther".  Their artillery includes the names of insects such as Wespe (wasp) and Grille (cricket), while for medium and heavy tanks it is common to find feline references such as Tiger and Löwe (lion), Elephant and even Mammut (mammoth). The last of these had its name changed to Maus (mouse), in an attempt to show the world that the Germans also had a sense of humor.

The Jagdpanther in World of Tanks

There are many things can be said about this tank destroyer, but the obvious one is that when mounted with the 105mm gun, it is an exceptionally good stationary sniper, even at a long range. If we add that this huge hitting power comes with the same armor as the PzKpfw V Panther, the result is a vehicle that's capable of posing a threat to most of the tanks you will encounter in a battle, even against tier VIII heavies.

This vehicle is also a stepping stone to two amazing tank destroyers: the Ferdinand and the Jagdpanther II. It helps if you've already done your homework in the Tiger and VKs, since they share the engine and radio modules.

Sniper Role

The Jagdpanther can serve a variety of roles on the battlefield, but if you're just starting out we recommend you concentrate your efforts into a sniper role; then learn how to run the battlefield deep in your territory. There are four available guns ranging from tier VI to tier VIII for this vehicle. The stock 75 mm gun provides just 135 hit points-worth of damage, but the rate of fire (15 rounds per minute) can clearly make up for the lack of damage, and even the penetration, which truth to be told, is not bad at all for a tier VI gun.

Don’t spend too much time with the 88 mm L/56 and upgrade to the L71 as soon as you can. This is due to a nice increase in the penetration and accuracy, albeit at cost of the aiming time. However, if you want to see the full potential of this tank destroyer, then don’t stop the grinding just yet. Go all the way up to the 105 mm. Its aiming time is only the tip of the iceberg: with a huge 320 hit points damage and 200 mm of penetration, it also comes with an acceptable firing rate of 7.32 rounds per minute.

Second Line Tank

The Jagdpanther has no obvious weak points from the front, but it is necessary to remember at all times that it has a large profile and lacks a turret, so watch your flanks. Researching the Maybach HL 230 P 45 engine gives you an opportunity to flee if the battle isn't going your way. However, don’t rush to the front line.

The highly sloped armor is very thin and needs distance for bouncing shells. This means that close fighting and flanking are not recommended. Don’t try to poke heavier tanks with enough health to put up a decent fight. Ask for help; you'll most likely need it to get out alive if things don’t turn out the way you were expecting.

Expensive Ammo

As tempting as it might be to finish off an enemy who's less than 100 points of health left, hold your fire. It's very expensive to load ammo for the Jagpanther, so save your shots for dealing damage to strong enemies and let your allies destroy some of your weaker foes.

Suggested Equipment

	Camouflage Net: -25% to detection chance when the vehicle is stationary. It's the perfect accessory, helping you become a better sniper.
	Medium-caliber Tank Gun Rammer: -10% to loading time. Considering the gun on the Jagdpanther is the best feature, this module is a must.
	Improved Ventilation Class 2: +5% to all crew skills. Considering the gun isn't all that accurate, your crew could help give you a slight edge to remedy this flaw.
	Binocular Telescope: +25% view range for a stationary vehicle, up to 500 m. 'Nuff said.