+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Jagdtiger was until 1945 the heaviest armored vehicle to see service in World War Two. The design process started out with a demand for a heavy assault gun back in 1942 when the war was still in Germany’s favor and the army needed a heavily armored and armed vehicle to smash enemy fortifications. However, by the time the Jagdtiger, based on the Tiger II tank, came along two years later, the original need for the vehicle had vanished and it was put to work as a heavy long-range tank destroyer instead.
On 12th April 1943, Henschel presented two designs for the vehicle which was being referred to as the “Tigerjäger”, one with a conventional hull layout (with the engine in the rear) and the other with a mid-engine layout. Having considered both the Panther and Tiger hulls for the mount for the 12.8 cm gun, the vehicle selected for use was the Tiger II which was, at the time, still on the drawing board at Henschel. To fit the massive weapon onto the Tiger II base, the chassis had to be lengthened by 260 mm and on top of this hull was placed a large flat-sided casemate for housing the main gun and four of the crew. The engine remained at the back and the transmission at the front, as on the Tiger II, so that many components could be carried over.
The Jagdtiger had a crew of six men. The crew in the hull retained their role and positions from the Tiger II, with the driver located in the front left and the radio operator in the front right. This radio operator also had control over the secondary armament, a machine gun located in a mount in the glacis to his front. In the casemate were the remaining 4 crew. This crew consisted of a commander (front right), the gunner (front left), and two loaders located in the rear of the casemate.
Just as with Henschel, where the bodies of the Tiger and Tiger II were made by Krupp and then shipped to them for finishing and fitting into battle tanks, the Jagdtiger’s assembly followed a similar modular pattern: The Nibelungen works did the construction, fitting, and assembly of components including the gun, but the basic armored hull was made at a different site, namely the Eisenwerke Oberdonau (Oberdonau Iron Works) in Linz, modern-day Austria.
The original order for 150 Jagdtiger was increased on 3rd January 1945, even though the production of the 12.8 cm gun barrels was a significant bottleneck in production. By the end of 1944, just 49 Jagdtiger plus the two prototypes had been finished, well behind the original schedule. Production was therefore re-scheduled to run through April 1945 with another 100 Jagdtiger planned, after which production would switch to the Tiger II instead and then, gradually and in parallel, to the E-50 and E-75 tanks from the upcoming Einheitspanzer vehicle family.
The Jagdtiger was not to be terminated, however, because it was a highly specialized vehicle that was expected to see a relatively long useful career against heavy Soviet tanks and potentially against anything heavier than the medium M4 Sherman that Allied forces might field at the Western front, too. Production would simply switch to the firm of Jung in Jungenthal instead, with the first five Jagdtiger planned to be ready in May 1945, 15 in June, and then 25 per month through to the end of the year.
Things did not evolve this way, though. Resources became scarce and battle tanks received higher production priority. On 25th February 1945, ‘extreme measures’ were ordered to increase production of the Jagdtiger, which included the temporary expedient of fitting an 8.8 cm gun (the 8.8 cm L/71 KwK. Pak. 43/3) in lieu of the 12.8 cm piece, so that the semi-finished hulls that waited in Austria for completion could be completed somehow and fielded. This vehicle was designated Sd.Kfz.185, but it was only a stopgap solution and only produced in very limited numbers. Due to the lack of guns, Jagdtiger hull production chronically outran the upper hull completion lines so that plans were made in mid-1945 to find another way to bring the uncompleted lower hulls to use and outfit them with different superstructures, weapons, and engines, what led to the “Jagdtiger Ausf. M”.
This vehicle was designed to carry the newly developed 8.8 cm L/100 KwK. Pak. 45/1 which just had entered production. At its core this weapon was the proven and highly effective KwK 43/3, but it was combined with a longer barrel to improve muzzle velocity, range, and penetration – it was extended by 2.55 m (1000 in). The existing 88 mm projectiles were still used by this weapon, but they received bigger charges in elongated cartridges; shell length increased from 882 mm to 945 mm. The longer rounds called for an extended and reinforced breech section to cope with the higher gas pressures inside of the firing chamber. With all these modifications, the gun’s overall was 17175 m (38 ft 6 in).
The long-barreled 8.8 cm L/100 KwK. Pak. 45/1’s performance was stunning and virtually on par with the much heavier 12,8 cm PaK 44 L/55. With a modified Pzgr. 40/43 APCR (Armour-piercing, Composite Rigid construction) with a projectile weight of 7.3 kg (16 lbs), muzzle velocity achieved 1.200 m/s (3.930 ft/s) and more. Despite its relatively low weight the projectile penetrated 280 mm armor sloped at 30° at 100 m, 240 mm at 500 m and still 150 mm at 2.000 m range. Even at 3.000 m, 80 mm RHA could be penetrated — enough to take out almost any contemporary Allied medium battle tank from any angle. Maximum indirect fire range was 24,410 m (26,700 yd).
During the 8.8 cm L/100 KwK. Pak. 45/1’s design process, fitting it into a turret for a classic battle tank had turned out to be problematic, due to the gun’s sheer overall length, its heavy recoil forces, as well as the necessary space the crew needed to handle the large rounds properly. Even though mounting it into a Henschel-production Tiger II turret was tested, the barrel’s length severely hampered the carrier tank’s mobility and stability when firing sideways, so that this plan was soon shelved. The next best option was to mount the KwK. Pak. 45/1 directly onto a long and heavy carrier chassis, creating a self-propelled gun in the style of the rather unsuccessful Ferdinand/Elefant SPG. The Jagdtiger chassis was the only available option at the time, but well-suited for this task. The planned 150-ton class E-100 tank was still on the drawing boards, but from the start any 88 mm gun was deemed to be “too light” for it. However, despite its mount at the rear of the long chassis, the 8.8 cm L/100 KwK. Pak. 45/1 still had a considerable overhang - but it was less than the massive barrel of the original Jagdtiger's 12.8 cm PaK 44 L/55, which protruded almost 1 m (3 ft) further forward. This markedly improved the vehicle's handling in tight spaces and made it less "head-heavy" in demanding terrain.
Adapting the existing Jagdtiger chassis turned out to be relatively easy, the unfinished hulls could be modified without major problems. Due to the long barrel and the lower weight of the KwK. Pak. 45/1, the mid-engine layout (hence the “M” suffix) was revived, and the casemate, which retained its rather boxy shape, was moved to the back of the hull. The engine, fitted into a compartment that separated the casemate from the hull crew, was a brand new 16-cylinder X engine made by Simmering-Pauker. Delivering up to 800 horsepower, this 36.5 litre engine provided a significant performance boost for the Jagdtiger, and for that matter, potentially for the Tiger II and Panther as well. The engine had the added advantage that it was more compact than the former Maybach HL230 V12 and well suited to the tight confines of a tank’s engine bay. Outwardly the change of powerplant was hardly visible. A further benefit of the mid-engine layout was that the driving shaft to the gearbox in the Jagdtiger’s front hull was shorter, saving material, weight, and internal space in the casemate behind the engine bay. As a drawback the access to the engine compartment was limited through the low and long barrel – it had to be removed before the engine could be changed.
Beyond its different internal layout, another characteristic feature of the Jagdtiger Ausf. M was a different running gear. It used elements of Porsche’s original Tiger I running that was rejected for the heavy battle tank but adopted for the heavy Ferdinand/Elefant SPG that was based on Porsche’s Tiger I design. Consisting of four wheel-units per side made from pairs of 700 mm diameter steel road wheels and a longitudinal torsion bar suspension that remained outside of the hull. While its off-road performance was not as good as the original interleaved running gear with torsion bars inside of the hull, the Porsche system offered a production advantage over the Henschel running gear that it took a third less time to produce than Henschel’s system, reduced the hull construction time as well as machining time, required less maintenance, and could actually be completely replaced in the field without (theoretically) removing other parts and without the use of a jack. The Porsche system also saved about 1,200 kg in weight, 450 man-hours of work time, gained 100 mm more ground clearance, and saved RM 404,000 (Reichsmarks) in cost per vehicle. Much more importantly though, the use of this suspension freed up space inside the vehicle, an entire cubic meter extra! A few standard Jagdtiger were finished with this running gear, too, but the Jagdtiger Ausf. M received it as a standard. With all these modifications, plus a reduced armor strength of the casemate (the front plate was reduced from 250 to “only” 180 mm), the vehicle’s overall weight was, compared with the original Jagdtiger, reduced by about 5 tons.
In service the Jagdtiger Ausf. M received the official designation of Sd.Kfz. 187. The first vehicles were created from existing unfinished hulls in late 1945 and immediately delivered to units in Southern and Western Germany. Late production vehicles were from the start built for the different engine position and the simplified running gear.
They Sd.Kfz. 187s were concentrated in independent commando units that exclusively operated this type, with four tanks per group and a command unit. Their transport to the front lines was already adventurous, and in the winter 1945/46 the heavy vehicles could hardly show their operative worth due to the harsh conditions. The heavy vehicles’ mobility was very limited, and even though the overall lower weight and the more powerful Simmering-Pauker engine theoretically improved performance, the complicated and capricious powerplant was a frequent cause for a generally low operational status, breakdowns and as a consequence abandoned vehicles. These were most often destroyed by the crews because the sheer bulk and weight made the recovery of a Jagdtiger very difficult, esp. in a combat zone.
Due to the gun’s size and position at the hull’s end, elevation was only between -4° to +15°, traverse between 10° right and 10° left. In service the gun’s long barrel turned out to be a source of constant and manifold trouble, though. Not only did it markedly react to ambient temperature and climate changes and warped easily, its inherent weight and length caused additional bending problems. Both effects reinforced each other, resulting in reduced accuracy and increased wear and tear, to a point that the barrel’s material became weakened. Esp. in wintertime, with frequent temperature shocks from firing, cracks appeared, sometimes only after a few shots, that led to burst barrels and even fatal accidents. The special rounds’ enriched charge loads were another reason for accidents. Exploding breaches occurred and the shock waves in the closed casemate as well as metal shrapnel killed several complete gun crews (while the front hull crew, in their separate compartment, survived unscathed).
Modifications were hastily devised to counter these dangers, and a field modification kit was quickly developed and rolled-out in April 1946. It introduced a barrel cage with stiffening steel ribs that was directly fitted to production vehicles or could be retrofitted around the original gun, but this measure was not enough. Already in May 1946 a second kit was issued that added a suspended steel cable construction between the gun’s barrel and its large mantlet. While this mostly solved the alignment problem and reduced the barrel’s inherent tendency to bend to an acceptable limit, the material problems through the high gas pressures as well as the hazardous breech persisted and made the Sd.Kfz. 187 very unpopular among the crews.
But this was not the only problem with the vehicle. Despite being a huge vehicle, the Jagdtiger Ausf. M’s total ammunition load was quite limited. Only fifty 88 mm rounds were held in storage bins located along the casemate sides, and two loaders were necessary to handle them properly within the casemate’s tight confines. However, the crews would often use any available spare space to add additional rounds, sometimes just stored loosely on the casemate floor, reaching a total load of 70 rounds and even more.
When firing at longer ranges, the crews used the Sfl Zielfernrohr 1, a telescopic sight. When engaging targets with direct fire, a Rundblickfernrohr 36 periscope sight was used. While the Jagdtiger Ausf. M could be used as mobile artillery thanks to its armament’s range, sufficient elevation, and firepower, it was rarely used in this manner. The main problem would be the small ammunition load that was insufficient for prolonged artillery fire and the lack of high explosive rounds for long-range fire support. Therefore, the Jagdtiger Ausf. M’s main task remained hunting and destroying tanks and other armored vehicles at long range from prepared positions. Especially in a defensive role the Jagdtiger turned out to be very effective. It lacked, however, the necessary mobility and speed for “hit and run” tactics or flank attacks on moving targets. Its operational range was also very limited, what meant that it constantly needed a staff of support vehicles for frequent refueling and rearming.
A total of 95 standard Jagdtiger and less than 50 Jagdtiger Ausf. M (their definite number remains uncertain due to the fact that most early Sd.Kfz. 187s were built from unfinished standard Jagdtiger hulls) were eventually produced and delivered before more effective tank hunter designs, based on the Einheitspanzer vehicle family and armed with more reliable weapons, were introduced. These quickly replaced the heavy Tiger-based interim designs.
Specifications:
Crew: 6 (Driver, Radio operator/hull machine gunner, Commander, Gunner, 2 Loaders)
Weight: 68.5 tons (150.881 lb)
Length: 9,94 m (32 ft 6 3/4 in) overall
7,80 m (25 ft 6 1/2 in) hull only
Width: 3.625 metres (11 ft 10½ in)
Height: 2,87 metres (9 ft 4 ¾ in)
3,22 metres (10 ft 6 ¾ in) with retrofitted gun barrel suspension
Ground clearance: 56,5 cm (22¼ in)
Suspension: Longitudinal torsion bars
Fuel capacity: 860 Liter (190 imp gal, 230 US gal)
Armor:
20–180 mm (0.79 – 7 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 38 km/h (24 mph)
Operational range: 120 km (75 mi) on road
80 km (50 mi) off road
Power/weight: 11,68 PS/ton
Engine:
Simmering-Pauker X-16-80 16 cylinder 36.5 liter gasoline engine with 800 hp (575 kW)
Transmission:
Maybach eight-speed OLVAR OG40-1216B gearbox
Armament:
1× 88 mm 8.8 cm L/100 KwK. Pak. 45/1 with 50 rounds
1× 7.92 mm MG 34 or 42 machine gun in the hull with 800 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This fictional tank was inspired by Trumpeter’s 1:72 models of the (real yet rare) Jagdtiger with the lighter 88 mm gun and the Porsche running gear. I thought about combining both into a late but fictional production model, but then also considered a more powerful variant of the main gun with a longer barrel – something that had been on the real-world drawing board, and ModelCollect offers one or two fictional Heer ’46 tanks with such a long weapon. An indirect inspiration for the gun and its eventual design on the model was the United States Department of Defense and Canada's Department of National Defence’s mutual HARP (High Altitude Research Project) project, in which light loads were literally fired into space/lower orbit with the help of guns instead of rockets. The ever bigger guns frequently featured lengthened and stiffened barrels to achieve and resist the massive firing pressures needed to reach altitudes with an apogee of up to 110 miles (180) km. Or even more than 300 miles (500 km) with a 40-lbs payload and rocket assistance!
To mount such a long barrel on a tank chassis, a gun position at the rear would make most sense to avoid a massive overhang and a wacky weight distribution. Therefore, the Jagdtiger’s casemate was moved accordingly, creating a more obvious (and challenging) what-if project.
Even though the Trumpeter Jagdtiger kit was used as base, my build is actually a kitbashing of two of them: the combination of the Porsche suspension and the respective hull from one kit with the 88 mm gun and its differing mantlet from another. Since the casemate and the engine cover were integral parts of the upper hull, both had to be cut off, switched and PSRed into their new places. Before the parts were cut off, though, internal stiffeners (simple sprue material) were added between the sloped rear side walls to ensure the upper hull’s stability and alignment. The change of the sections was quite easy; the engine deck cover was easy to re-mount, the casemate called for some PSR to hide the seam at the intersection with the hull. Anything else almost fell into place, just the gun mantlet had to be modified to create enough space for it over the armored fan casings of the engine bay cover.
The 88 mm gun barrel was taken OOB but lengthened with styrene tube plug by 35 mm (1.4 in) to achieve the intended L/100 length on the model instead of the original L/71. Reinforcement ribs along the barrel, made from thin styrene profiles, changed the look and underlined the science fiction aspect of this build. Finally, as a weird extra, I furthermore added a cable suspension construction that was used to stabilize the ultra-long barrels of the experimental HARP guns, too. This was also constructed with styrene bits and steel towing cable plastic dummies from an Revell 1:72 Panzer IV kit. Looks odd, but definitively different and whiffy!
The only other changes/additions are an antenna mast with a long-range “Sternantenne”, and I added mudguards (0.5 mm styrene strips) along the hull, which were dented for a more natiral look.
Painting and markings:
This was not easy to settle upon. Jagdtiger generally left the factories only with an overall primer coat with Oxidrot (RAL 3009), which was frequently stretched due to material shortages, so that the color could range from a deep reddish brown to a dull pink. Camouflage was added later, most of the time in field shops at the operating units.
To stick with this practice I initially gave the model and the still separate major components an overall coat with RAL 3009 (from above) and 8017 (from below) with rattle cans. Once thoroughly dried, Panzergrau (RAL 7021, Humbrol 67) was added in shaggy vertical streaks with a flat brush, so that a lot of the primer would still show through, esp. on vertical surfaces. The rationale behind this outdated color on a 1946 vehicle: the Jagdtiger would be primarily operated in a defensive role from prepared positions, the dark color would conceal it in the shadows, e. g. under trees, between or even inside of buildings. In real life, this concept had been revised through the much lighter Hinterhalt standard camouflage, but for the Jagdtiger and its special role it would IMHO still make sense?
When the dark grey had been applied and dry, I found the overall look of this massive vehicle a bit too murky, so I decided to add some more camouflage to break up the outlines and make the Jagdtiger look a bit more interesting. The choice fell on irregular vertical stripes, and as a personal twist I used RAL 7003 (Moosgrau; Revell 45) – a light olive-green grey tone, very close to the Luftwaffe’s RLM 02, that I have already used on other Heer ’46 builds together with RAL 7021 and 7028 (Dunkelgelb).
The running gear remained all-dark grey, though, and the main wheels' steel rims were painted with Revell 91. The black vinyl tracks received a treatment with grey and burnt umbra acrylic artist paint, and later some dry-brushing with grey and silver, too.
The camouflage stripes were applied with thinned acrylic paint over the dark grey base and around the decals that had been applied in the meantime and protected with clear varnish, as if the camouflage had been painted around the existing markings. Then the Moosgrau was wet-sanded vertically to create the impression of wear wand weathering. This also let a bit more of the red primer underneath shine through.
The model received an overall washing with highly thinned dark red-brown acrylic paint, dry-brushing with a dark earth tone, a treatment with water colors (mud and rust traces), and was finally sealed with matt acrylic varnish before assembly. As a final step, mineral artist pigments were dusted into the running gear, the tracks and the lower hull areas to simulate dust and more mud.
A succesful conversion, and I have earmarked the engine/casemate switch for another whiffy tank project on my agenda - after all, there's still a complete Jagdtiger kit left. However, the resulting "new" vehicle looks like a modernized Elefant SPG, with sloped armor and somewhat "streamlined". The modified gun was IMHO a good move, and the barrel suspension system adds weirdness to the whole thing - and despite the VERY long gun barrel, my Sd.Kfz. 187 looks quite plausible, also in the grey/grey livery which turned out more subtle than expected.
