Cheap and useful design. It had flaws, that would probably be fixed by its never completed successor, but its design repurposed an otherwise near useless hull and put a mobile anti tank gun in the field. It could also cross almost any small road bridge and be used in places other heavier vehicles would struggle to deploy into. And it used up a far less quantity of precious steel resources in its construction. Sipped fuel. Overall a could do better 7/10, but still a solid win.
Always loved the irony of Germany refusing to help start production of T-24/25 only to end up relying on various vehicles on modified czech hulls which had far stricter mass and dimensions limitations then T-24/25 derived vehicles would have had.
@nick230699 the 35 predates it however both the 35 and 38 were in production when the Germans took control of Czechoslovakia. The 38 would be the one that all these later designs were built off of
>Cheap >Logistically viable >Produced in large numbers >Successful when used properly >Post-war production >All of the above Admitted in the video I think the master baiting here is Cone putting it in Cursed by Design while aware of all this
Still it was only made in Czechs factories that was incompatible with rest of German industries. In sole units in infantry divisions they worked fine, but in panzer divisions Hetzer didn't share much parts other than shells and MG.
Yeah exactly. The youtube propaganda machine has gotten so over-the-top. The worst part is every new WWII game is built on this ridiculous meme philosophy.
Nah.. you have a bunch of fat guys pretending to get out .. in real life, skinny kids with the heat of the fire on their cheeks would be out of there in 5 seconds flat.
@@Pimentel-Kreations Thats a Myth. They were never called Ronsons during WW2. The Rosnon didnt exist till the 50s and the term was Coined in the 60s. They were called Tommy Cookers however.
Never a dull moment to see the Chieftain's famous 'Oh bugger the tank is on fire!' drill in use to show how easy/hard it is to escape a tank... Only thing missing been him to yell at you to begin the test.
The big flaw there is that those are museum piece so he must be very careful to not damage them and also not to hurt himself on the battlefield you don’t care about that in an emergency
With the tank width being what it is, putting the gun off centre gives the crew more space, not less. imagine it being placed it in the middle, now neither the gunner nor loader would have space on either side of the gun.
Cone this is such an awesome video. It was so cool seeing the Hetzers interior. Definitely had a lot of variants and a lot built around it. Definitely not a failed design, however it was cursed. Thank you for showing my Hetzer in the video that is just awesome! Keep up the awesome work can’t wait to see the next video!
My understanding is the Hetzer was very effective in the Italian campaign. It was easily concealed for ambushes, maneuvered well on the narrow mountain paths and its 75mm gun was deadly to Allied armor. I was interested to hear that the word Hetzer translates as "Baiter." My German teacher in college said Hetzer was equivalent to the English word: "Bushwacker." Seemingly appropriate for its ambush capabilities.
German here chiming in. I would translate "hetzen" as "to force to hurry", for example in the word "Hetzjagd" (a kind of hunt where something is chased to exhaustion) or the sentence "Hetz mich nicht!" (Dont force me to hurry!). In that regard "Bushwacker" seems like a decent translation in spirit, although I think things like "Stalker" or "Harrier" (there might be an etymological link here?) would also work. "Baiter" seems like a poor translation to me, as we have a word that pretty much translates 1:1 to that: "Köder".
@@808bigislandMy immediate translation for 'Hetzer' was also 'chaser'. But when you ask translation software that doesn't understand the military or hunting context the results you will get is 'baiter' or 'agitatator'. Both are a bad fit for military/tank context!
@@808bigisland Yeah, Chaser would also work, but I do think it omits a bit of nuance in the word that cant really be translated. Remember that "Verfolger" also exists, but doesn't imply that quality of exhaustion and weariness of the target.
My reenactment unit has a fully functional Hetzer, I've been inside it, I greased the 75mm gun breach, and I rode on top of it. We also have a fully functional 251 Halftrack with a 20mm canon. If you live in Texas, you can see the Hetzer and 251 Halftrack at Camp Mabry Army Base in Austin, TX.
- Well, you do want to take care not to slip and crush or shear-off your fingers in the hatches. Thats a thing that happens! In the Navy, I worked around armoured hatches and doors, which would crush me if not agile and timing the opening & closing with the roll of the ship. There weren't any slow close dampers, and latches can break. I've been knocked on the head a few times by hatches, saw some stars, no concussions fortunately! One guy I saw getting it wrong had the .45 auto pistol he wore get caught in the armoured door hinge area, crushing the handgrip/magazine well flat😮. That called for witnesses to the event, I assure you!😅
Im no Weraboo. The Hetzer is my favorite WWII tank while totally knowing its not an objectively "Best" tank. This is a great intro to what I want to understand it better and THANK you for the source on the reports on the vehicle. This is a very nicely structured video and im glad to have watched. Keep up the great work!
Ugh, Wehraboo, those are the dumb words that ultimately made me quit ww2 reenacting, .... People have to make up stupid slang for cool things, and it destroys it for those seriously into things
@@Burninhellscrootoob don't let other people dictate what you do or like bro. Hope you can one day return and if i were a betting guy, I'd wager the slang dies out in a few years or will be replaced by some other possibly obnoxious word of the day. Ride it out i say
@@ThommyofThenn as long as people still brainlessly say Germany is stronkest ebber and that they got defeated solely by numbers, while also going 'hurrhurr did you know the Sherman was called the Ronson cause it burns first time everytime', nah that term's not dying
@@dannywatt6286 No you're right, but the fact that the slang is not going away is all the more reason to not allow it to dictate what people wanna do. Star Trek fans had been called Trekkies since the 60s but they're still around. Same with any other cosplayers, reenactors, fans etc
@dannywatt6286 pretty much why this ADHD brain felt the NEED to say such as the 1st phase. It's not a pressure to do or not to do via "them"(either side of the extreme ends of historical perspective), but an academic respect to differentiate. Unfortunately those less educated that think they are more so will beat their chest at the information they have been given. This isn't to say you need a "formal education" on an interested subject, but to say such "educational information" they have is nothing but utter trash that is peddled to them and such students choose to be so ill informed.
I wouldnt translate "Hetzer" with "baiter" tbh. "Jemanden/etwas hetzen" roughly translates to "chasing someone into something", with a big emphasis on actually being behind said guy. Whereas baiting (for me, but english isnt my first language - thats german) would imply that you are luring someone to go somewhere, so not chasing him.
Keep in mind when evaluating crew escape options, the crews in the day were little more than kids. People weren't nearly as tall or big in the 30s and 40s. Just because several 6' tall, 180lbs men can't escape in a hurry, the crew that would have to do it to save their lives. Especially true if you're vehicle is on fire or drawing even more fire.
I say bs... i work for super old germans who cant shut up about ww2. They are tall enough and thats from someone 190cm tall. "Little more than kids" is gross exaggeration, granted they had way more prosperous life than their parents but someone who is 13 during ww2 doesn't magically gain 40cm compared to previous generation.
Easily my favorite tank/assault gun of the era. This design would be an awesome start for a robot, hybrid, hunter/killer with electric final drives. Great video!
@@aaronagbay5117 the hetzer had 20mm sides and it’ll definitely get crushed, and also the maus in the anime had ammo so adding both 128mm and 75mm ammo the hetzer will definitely be pancaked
The relationship between German, Czech companies is complex. Czech and Slovakia had been part of the Austro Hungarian Empire till the defeat. When the "Anschluss" (unification of Germany and Austria) happened) and then the Sudetenland (German speaking part of Czechoslovakia that had been part of Australia Hungary) was annexed from the German perspective it was just a reunification of the empire with many of the companies having operated across Austria Hungary only 20 years previously.
"Rücklauflos" is better translated as non-reciprocating. Recoilless would be "Rückstoßlos". Like you correctly explain said gun very much had recoil - but no dampening system.
I work in the iron industry, at a scrap yard that shreds cars with an enormous mill. I constantly deal with falling debris and needing to move quickly. I also run to to things made of steel a lot and constantly wear a hard hat. So it has taught me something about bumping your head in a hurry. Something I don't think people realize is that in world war two tank crews almost always wore a helmet and didn't really care about running into things if their head was covered. It's like a subconscious human instinct that so long as the most important part on your body is safe. You are okay with running into things. Just a strange tangent about the "the tank is on fire" bit
First, OSHA wants to know your location. Second, actually no, they didnt wear helmets, just the normal field cap. They used the tank cap that looked like an oversized beret and had padding, only early in the war
The Swiss G-13 revised the crew dispositions, the commander and loader swapped positions, the remote MG mount was removed in favour of a small cupola improved periscope hood, the loader was now in the extreme right of the crew compartment which meant he sat out of action in the recess in the engine firewall, but importantly meant he had access to the right-hand ammunition racks on the sloped pannier wall, previously this ammunition had to be handed across to the loader by the commander, taking his attention from his primary job, In the G-13 the commander was back where he should be behind the gunner, who was behind the driver, and thus gave instructions aiding aiming in azimuth to the driver. So command function in the Swiss G-13 was far superior to the 'Hetzer'. There was also a floor escape hatch in the both Hetzer and G-13 between the driver and gunner, similar to that fitted in JP IV. Whether it was a popular vehicle or just available, you need to read Armin Sohns opinion of the type, and he actually served in a Hetzer unit, his opinion was it was available rather than a good vehicle. As to the Bergepanzer 38(t) it too was more available than good, too small a motor for efficient towing, but like it larger cousin the bergepanther spade failure was an ongoing problem, but all wartime recovery had the same problem Churchill ARV II also had the same problem. There seems to be two JP 38(t) captured during the Warsaw uprising of 1944 'Chwat' which was a knocked out vehicle having suffered an ammunition detonation which broke its back and displaced the roof, and spent its time as part of a barricade and another Hetzer that was inside the post office and was buried when the post office was demolished. In 1948 there was a plan to supply Israel with G-13/ JP 38(t) from Czechoslovakian Army stocks, it went nowhere, but might have been 'interesting' especially from the habitability in semi-desert and fully desert terrain, significantly the only 38(t) ever to serve in the Desert were the few panzerjager38(t) fur7.62cm pak 36r Sdkfz139, so modifications would have soon followed - possibly removal or modification of the roof and engine compartment for crew comfort and engine cooling. As to size although small the Hetzer was a 10 to 15% general increase in size over the original Pz 38(t) and Jpz 38d would have been larger again. The Pz38* (Star) was not a recoilless weapon mount the correct term was non recoiling or rigid mount, so similar to old pre WW1 guns like Ring Canon 72 and 15cm M61/ M80 and French 155 mm Ml1877 de Bange, the Hetzer Star would have relied on mass to absorb recoil, that a suitable sighting mechanism only arrived at the design studio days before the Russians gives an idea how difficult it is to build a non recoiling mount, in that sights are delicate and in the pre-WW1 guns mentioned the gun commander would remove the delicate sight before firing the gun, which slowed rate of fire markedly as each sighting had to be remade.
I had the privilege of sitting in the commander's seat of a G-13 that had been brought over from Switzerland in the early 1990's. It was owned by a re-enactment group in Austin Texas, and stored at a National Guard depot east of the city. At 6'4", I barely managed to squeeze in, and the proximity of the gun breech was a little...disturbing. My host did fire it up, but we didn't do any driving. A mighty interesting experience-no idea if they still have the vehicle.
Again, a really goot video, thank you very much for that good work! I can really recommend Spielberger's books, they were - and are - considered standard works in this field. A few comments on the term "Hetzer" - there are always very different translations in the English-speaking world. The term actually comes from hunting. You can hunt/hound(?) wild animals, such as foxes and rabbits, i.e. pursue them until they have no more strength. The hunter who hunts in this way is a "Hetzer". Im not sure if "Baiter" is the right translation, my dictionay says something different 😉.I think that is meant to be humorous in this context, since this tank destroyer does anything but pursue its prey until it has no more breath... The other meaning of the word "Hetzer" is a person who spreads hatred against a person, a system, a state, who badmouths it, i.e. an agitator, a "hate-monger". Tank in museum: I live near the German tank museum in Munster. There is also a "Hetzer", a Swiss G-13 that has been converted back to a Hetzer as best as possible. If you want some pictures, feel free to contact me 🙂.
Every tank to this day has its design flaw, the important thing is its crew, the crew must be experienced and use it in the right condition for the machine. Also the officers ho plan a defence or ofense must know the strong points of the machines or lives will be lost... Very good video happy new year!!
Always loved the irony of Germany refusing to help start production of T-24/25 only to end up relying on various vehicles on modified czech hulls which had far stricter mass and dimensions limitations then T-24/25 derived vehicles would have had.
11:20 this was tense to watch just with how dark it is. I kept imagining getting scraped by metal if i was trying to bail quickly. Or trying to drag a wounded person through that tiny little space
am I right to think they were cosmetically modified for this task - my old man's memory recalls a video by someone about this. It might be Dale the Stgw dude. EDIT - yes it was him, this is the title of his video: BEHIND THE SCENES: GT13 AFS "Enemy Tanks" from "der Kampf der Infanterie", 1972 (w/ EN Subs)
Hey man great video as always and also your video quality is increasing each video it seems. Conguratulations coming this far this year, I hope a more succesful time for you this year. Also your channel's icon is the turret of FCM 36's turret, since it seems to be the inspiration for your channel name and icon why not make a Cursed by Design episode for FCM 36, I know you made one about the ones that have been cannibalised and then turned into SPGs by germans video but not one detailing its development and service. I would love to see that abomination of a tank being talked about by you. (I did call it an abomination but that is the thing about FCM 36 for me, it is one of my favorite light tanks, the Cone is the deal.)
( 19:47 to 21:00 ) There was also one more design based of the Hetzer; "Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) mit 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24" or something along those lines, it is basically a smaller Sd.Kfz. 234/3, but based on the chassis of the Hetzer. There is a picture of it which is similar to the Bergepanzer 38(t)'s photo at 20:20 ( 23:13 ) To complete this; They were also later on renamed to "SD 75/39-44" while the training variants (ST-III) were renamed to "CPV".
8:15 316/1000 of an inch? 3rd of an inch 3/10ths of an inch 36/100th of an inch all make more sense? 315 of a thousand of an inch ? What’s next 315000 of a million of an inch? At least that would get a laugh or two. But 325/1000?
Small correction: There is not and never was a NATION of Czechoslovakia. It was a Country/State/Republic. The nations were Czechs and Slovaks. Sorry had to vent ...
Hetzer was literally the cheapest and bareboned "tank/TD" Germans ever made, a perfect counter-argument to folks who thought Germans could only build expensive complex tank designs and didn't know to "build cheap". The Jagdpanzer 38t marginally fulfilled the late war tank standard of firepower, armor, and mobility. Its 75mm Pak39 was still capable, though more like painfully average cannon at least in Eastern Front in late 1944. Still serviceable as AT and infantry support role. Its frontal armor was sloped and just enough to effectively tank hits from regular Allied tank from long distances Its mobility, well it could move, not too fast but not too slow either, and not too heavy too. And then it lacked / suffered from almost everything else as far as an AFV goes: A very limited gun transverse, a cramped size while unintentionally aided concealment but also limited crew efficiency and ammo storage, literally only one vision port in hull and one periscope at the top, completely blind to the right and behind, no cupola, side, top and rear armors being light tank/armored car level, crew survivability was as good as having all 4 crews and ammo shells stacked close together in a small box.
This wasn't the end of the story. A version called the Jagdpanzer 38(d) "d=deustch" was being developed. In part this was because the 38(t) could only easily be produced in Czech (T=Tsech) factories. This apart from redesign to aid manufacture could take the long barrel 7.5cm KwK 42 and finally gave the diesel engine the Germans had been seeking. I probably dealt with some of the other ergonomic issues. The 38(t) was also being developed in to a true Infantry Fighting Vehicle armed with a 20mm gun and carrying 5 men (half a squad).
The Jagdpanzer 38t was developed quickly. For the intended use as a tank destroyer firing from a covered position, the Jagdpanzer 38t is sufficient, even if it could have been improved in terms of self-protection, overview and ergonomics. But the vehicles were urgently needed and so their weaknesses were accepted. However, one must also take into account that the Jagdpanzer 38t was never designed as a main battle tank and was not up to this role. Such use was therefore tactically wrong and easily resulted in the loss of tank and crew.
@georglobez9304 Though for the dirt-poor late war German infantry divisions plus many other second-tier units, those that received Hetzer it was their general-purpose AFV since they were literally the only armor available.
From what I have read, it was a very good tank destroyer if used in ambush or defensive positions, but if caught out in the open, it was a sitting duck.
All criticisms of this vehicle can be countered by pointing out that it is extremely cute. It's like the Brave Little Toaster, but with questionable goals. Even then, you hope he makes it through ok.
The more I learn about tanks in WW2 since childhood museum runs the more I realize the best place to be was in a Sherman. Apart from a catastrophic detonation when hit odds are you would survive even getting the tank shot out from under you. Survival stats back that up. Not to mention the damaged vehicle can be back in action quickly and keep you from turning into a second rate infantryman.
Showing us the outside and inside of the Hetzer really made for much better content. Whatever led you to make the change visually, it was a good one. Stick with it.
Germany took a supply of vehicles that were no longer combat viable (the Pz.38t) by 1944 and turned them into a very useful combat vehicle (Jg.Pz.38t) all while not using much in the way of resources for production. While not perfect under the circumstances it was a great use of limited resources to field a effective vehicle. If the Jg.Pz.38t didnt come about you would have had a number of older Pz.38t's doing nothing.
I believe the Swiss G13s had floor escape hatches added. Outside of the first independent A.T. battalions, most Hetzers got assigned to infantry divisional A.T. companies. The Hetzer's PAK 39 (called a PAK 40 in postwar Swiss service, fired the same ammunition as late Pz. IVs - the KWK 40. The towed A.T. gun fired a different cartridge as does the Panther's 7.5cm. As a former owner and driver of two US located Hetzers, I'd have to say that installing a longer gun on the Hetzer would severely limits its cross country ability. Note: The very first prototype featured a muzzle brake, the same as a late Pz. IV. If you look at a side view of a Hetzer with the gun elevated while running a line along the front edge of the tracks (angle of approach), you will see the muzzle brake gets in the way. Ergo the Germans decided to ditch the muzzle brake. Later, the Swiss opted for muzzle brakes on their postwar assembled G13's. A muzzle brake reduces the recoil stress about 10%. The Swiss were more concerned about longevity and, as I understand, had prepared positions should their Hetzers be called on to defend their country. I personally experienced the muzzle of a Hetzer being impaled into the side of a roadway embankment because of its limited angle of approach. (We had to punch out about 18 inches of mud from the barrel!) Further: Remember the Swiss had bought 38t tanks from the Czechs prior to Germany taking over. Thus the Swiss, following the war, were buying the latest version of a tank they already had in service. I knew that my petrol powered Praga engine was running correctly when I could get it up to 44 KPH on the flat. Almost every part on my example (ex-Swiss #78038) had three-letter coded parts and waffenamt markings. The steel body was proofed and marked as being produced by Ruhrstahl during the war. Apparently BMM was unable to make the heavier and thicker Hetzer bodies. In the book, CZECHOSLOVAKIAN ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICLES 1918-1948, you will find photos of my former G13. We can thank the Swiss government for being generous enough and with much foresight to providing us with most all the surviving examples today rather than being scrapped! Vielen dank.
I know it is probably for the joke, but "baiter" is a really weird translation for "Hetzer". The verb "hetzen" can mean several things, but "chase down" is probably the closest English translation. It basically means what a persistence predator does to its prey. Which is a bit silly, because the Hetzer is much more of an ambush predator. Forgive my pedantry, I am German...
It was a good weapon when used properly. And cheap to produce. Interestingly, the chassis of the 38(t) was also used for a prototype APC, the "Vollkettenaufklärer 38(t) Kätzchen". It was open-topped as far as I can tell. Sweden, however, who had TNH tanks (essentially the same as the Pz 38(t) ) converted them into APCs, the Pbv 301, which gives an indication of where the German chassis could have gone.
Back in the day of World of Tanks Blitz one of the gun options for the Hetzer was the 10,5 cm StuH which featured so much HE damage that you could oneshot certain enemies. I miss it 😢
@michaeltelson9798 Yeah I am aware that the the 10,5 never saw any production on the Hetzer, but the Tiger II was also never fitted with the 10,5cm and there are literal fantasy tanks in the game so cleary WoTB doesnt care about historical accuracy (sadly). Still its a nice childhood memory for me :)
@jdmheart4727 Yep, they never even mocked up a mantle for it. One of the reason that I left WoT, too many paper tanks. Some real vehicles like the 90mm Semovente captured in Sicily and displayed at Aberdeen were left out for paper tigers.
@@michaeltelson9798 Yeah I also dislike the lack of realism so to call it, but WoT Blitz is enjoyable for me because of the 7vs7 gameplay, max 10min games and, most importantly, no artillery or planes to mess up your game like in WoT or War Thunder... Sadly no better alternative.
Today I learned two interesting facts: * the "t" in the name stands for "tchechisch" and not for "tonnen" (tons) in terms of weight. * the overall timespan of when this thing was manufactured. I always thought that Hetzer was a rather early war construction. That it was a 1944+ vehicle came as a surprise. I thought so probably because I knew that it was based on an "old Czeck design"
These were more of a Ambush vehicle than a normal tank as people think. When they were properly camouflaged they were incredibly hard to detect before they fired on you.
As an 'ambush" TD it seems pretty good , and the remote controlled style MG is still used on today's AFV's , so it was ahead for it's day in some regard.
"Hetzer" translates to "Agitator" "hetzen" is something hounds do when youre hunting rabbit or such they run after the prey until its tired - that is "hetzen"
In case of the Jgpz 38, agitator isnt the correct translation. Hitler or Trump are agitators, the Hetzer would be beater or drover, someone how makes noise or beat on bushes to drove the prey out of cover and towards the hunters
25:58 "plagued by issues but still a good option under circumstances" is the story of most Soviet tank designs, even current ones (those that work at all, that is). The T-34 is the epitome of it - it was a prefect tank for USSR not because of its supposed superiority, but because it was cheap, primitive and easy to produce and maintain. A perfect fit, just like jgdpz 38(t) was
No point. Soviets didnt have variants. I even heard a claim that every wartime T-34 was different. It was upgraded thru out production without ever naming variants. Factories put together what they had and upgraded/simplified what they could. By looking at the gun, welds, gearbox, copula you can roughly determine when or where it was build. Thats why people think that "T-34 mod. 1942" is a standardized variant of this tank. But its not.
@@PaciatHave you seen his videos on different tank variants? The Sherman and panzer ones? It doesn't have to be a modification by the soviets, it can be anything by anyone...
The Stug III had escape hatches in the front superstructure that only worked if you were young and skinny LOL! Steering brake inspection hatch The driver could escape through the steering brake inspection hatch in the glacis plate if the tank flipped over or the hatch was obstructed. Hatch underneath the vehicle If the tank flipped over, there was an extra escape hatch underneath the vehicle.
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Cheap and useful design. It had flaws, that would probably be fixed by its never completed successor, but its design repurposed an otherwise near useless hull and put a mobile anti tank gun in the field. It could also cross almost any small road bridge and be used in places other heavier vehicles would struggle to deploy into.
And it used up a far less quantity of precious steel resources in its construction. Sipped fuel.
Overall a could do better 7/10, but still a solid win.
I would say this tank is good with an experienced crew like many other German tanks. Otherwise, it's just another design that is mediocre.
Always loved the irony of Germany refusing to help start production of T-24/25 only to end up relying on various vehicles on modified czech hulls which had far stricter mass and dimensions limitations then T-24/25 derived vehicles would have had.
didnt the 38t start with the 35? model
@nick230699 the 35 predates it however both the 35 and 38 were in production when the Germans took control of Czechoslovakia. The 38 would be the one that all these later designs were built off of
>Cheap
>Logistically viable
>Produced in large numbers
>Successful when used properly
>Post-war production
>All of the above Admitted in the video
I think the master baiting here is Cone putting it in Cursed by Design while aware of all this
Sounds like you were describing the Sherman 😂
@@stevenvaughn8431 I mean, most of those are the arguments that get used when praising the sherman
@@kvproductions2581just goes to show how excellent Hetzer and Sherman were
Still it was only made in Czechs factories that was incompatible with rest of German industries. In sole units in infantry divisions they worked fine, but in panzer divisions Hetzer didn't share much parts other than shells and MG.
Yeah exactly. The youtube propaganda machine has gotten so over-the-top.
The worst part is every new WWII game is built on this ridiculous meme philosophy.
The 4 guys getting out: Raw, rare, crispy, well done
I disagree.Ammo fire would end with all well done,fuel rare.
Nah.. you have a bunch of fat guys pretending to get out .. in real life, skinny kids with the heat of the fire on their cheeks would be out of there in 5 seconds flat.
@@naamadossantossilva4736nah, by the time the driver climbs out he would be "ceremony"
Thats the sherman aka ronson. Lights every time😂
@@Pimentel-Kreations Thats a Myth. They were never called Ronsons during WW2. The Rosnon didnt exist till the 50s and the term was Coined in the 60s. They were called Tommy Cookers however.
Never a dull moment to see the Chieftain's famous 'Oh bugger the tank is on fire!' drill in use to show how easy/hard it is to escape a tank... Only thing missing been him to yell at you to begin the test.
Who do you think said "oh bugger the Jagdpanzer is on fire"?
@@ConeOfArc it's wonderful to hear of that crossover.
though given how much of it involves moving across the rear deck pray you don't suffer an engine fire
@@ConeOfArc I'm more used to him just saying 'the tank is on fire'... that and not heard his voice for a good while so didn't notice it his voice.
The big flaw there is that those are museum piece so he must be very careful to not damage them and also not to hurt himself on the battlefield you don’t care about that in an emergency
Germany's what?
🍞
💀
did he stutter?
Fr
Masterbaiter
I like how they decided to make a small tank even smaller by sloping all 4 sides and putting the gun off centre
Chieftain said the hetzer did not use the same hull as the 38t, they borrowed the design and parts from the 38t and widened it
@@123dodo4it's still small.
Ever notice that the abrams gun is off centre
With the tank width being what it is, putting the gun off centre gives the crew more space, not less. imagine it being placed it in the middle, now neither the gunner nor loader would have space on either side of the gun.
@@Kasian02 it worked though didn’t it 😂
Designed by Dr Hans Jerkov
"Jerk who?"
"Hans. Hans Jerk-off.
I did Nah Zee that cuming
Say that again?
And Franz Mitbeeter
That sound like a character from Flesh Gordon!
German SPAA/SPG/Tank Destroyer designers looking at the 38T chassis: "Is for me?"
"I know we're desperate, but how the hell are we supposed to upgun this thing to take out a T-34?"
@@jamesricker3997 hanz get ze smatalship kanon
"and our cameraman" "oh bugger the tank is on fire" "wait a minute i know that camerman"
Cone this is such an awesome video. It was so cool seeing the Hetzers interior. Definitely had a lot of variants and a lot built around it. Definitely not a failed design, however it was cursed.
Thank you for showing my Hetzer in the video that is just awesome!
Keep up the awesome work can’t wait to see the next video!
My understanding is the Hetzer was very effective in the Italian campaign. It was easily concealed for ambushes, maneuvered well on the narrow mountain paths and its 75mm gun was deadly to Allied armor. I was interested to hear that the word Hetzer translates as "Baiter." My German teacher in college said Hetzer was equivalent to the English word: "Bushwacker." Seemingly appropriate for its ambush capabilities.
German here chiming in.
I would translate "hetzen" as "to force to hurry", for example in the word "Hetzjagd" (a kind of hunt where something is chased to exhaustion) or the sentence "Hetz mich nicht!" (Dont force me to hurry!).
In that regard "Bushwacker" seems like a decent translation in spirit, although I think things like "Stalker" or "Harrier" (there might be an etymological link here?) would also work.
"Baiter" seems like a poor translation to me, as we have a word that pretty much translates 1:1 to that: "Köder".
It translates to „Chaser“.
@@mordador2702 Thanks.
@@808bigislandMy immediate translation for 'Hetzer' was also 'chaser'.
But when you ask translation software that doesn't understand the military or hunting context the results you will get is 'baiter' or 'agitatator'. Both are a bad fit for military/tank context!
@@808bigisland Yeah, Chaser would also work, but I do think it omits a bit of nuance in the word that cant really be translated. Remember that "Verfolger" also exists, but doesn't imply that quality of exhaustion and weariness of the target.
My reenactment unit has a fully functional Hetzer, I've been inside it, I greased the 75mm gun breach, and I rode on top of it. We also have a fully functional 251 Halftrack with a 20mm canon. If you live in Texas, you can see the Hetzer and 251 Halftrack at Camp Mabry Army Base in Austin, TX.
“Oh no the jagpanzer is on fire” 9:03
*proceeds to open the hatches like they’re drawing the blinds on a sunny day”
@ yeah that’s completely fair enough actually I hadn’t considered that first point^
They look pretty damn heavy anyway^
- Well, you do want to take care not to slip and crush or shear-off your fingers in the hatches. Thats a thing that happens! In the Navy, I worked around armoured hatches and doors, which would crush me if not agile and timing the opening & closing with the roll of the ship. There weren't any slow close dampers, and latches can break. I've been knocked on the head a few times by hatches, saw some stars, no concussions fortunately! One guy I saw getting it wrong had the .45 auto pistol he wore get caught in the armoured door hinge area, crushing the handgrip/magazine well flat😮. That called for witnesses to the event, I assure you!😅
I think they were trying to be nice to a museum vehicle, so no hatch slamming.
@@shieldmate7444 yeah they replied to my comment and said exactly that, though they deleted the comment now for some reason
Im no Weraboo. The Hetzer is my favorite WWII tank while totally knowing its not an objectively "Best" tank. This is a great intro to what I want to understand it better and THANK you for the source on the reports on the vehicle. This is a very nicely structured video and im glad to have watched.
Keep up the great work!
Ugh,
Wehraboo, those are the dumb words that ultimately made me quit ww2 reenacting, .... People have to make up stupid slang for cool things, and it destroys it for those seriously into things
@@Burninhellscrootoob don't let other people dictate what you do or like bro. Hope you can one day return and if i were a betting guy, I'd wager the slang dies out in a few years or will be replaced by some other possibly obnoxious word of the day. Ride it out i say
@@ThommyofThenn as long as people still brainlessly say Germany is stronkest ebber and that they got defeated solely by numbers, while also going 'hurrhurr did you know the Sherman was called the Ronson cause it burns first time everytime', nah that term's not dying
@@dannywatt6286 No you're right, but the fact that the slang is not going away is all the more reason to not allow it to dictate what people wanna do. Star Trek fans had been called Trekkies since the 60s but they're still around. Same with any other cosplayers, reenactors, fans etc
@dannywatt6286 pretty much why this ADHD brain felt the NEED to say such as the 1st phase. It's not a pressure to do or not to do via "them"(either side of the extreme ends of historical perspective), but an academic respect to differentiate. Unfortunately those less educated that think they are more so will beat their chest at the information they have been given. This isn't to say you need a "formal education" on an interested subject, but to say such "educational information" they have is nothing but utter trash that is peddled to them and such students choose to be so ill informed.
I wouldnt translate "Hetzer" with "baiter" tbh. "Jemanden/etwas hetzen" roughly translates to "chasing someone into something", with a big emphasis on actually being behind said guy. Whereas baiting (for me, but english isnt my first language - thats german) would imply that you are luring someone to go somewhere, so not chasing him.
I agree with you, your interpretation ist besser! I never thought ‘baiter’ seemed quite right to me.
German here. Hetzer definitely refers to chasing rather than baiting.
@@Chris.in.taiwanCanadian here, master baiter is funny as hell.
@@aarongeislinger9230Brit here, I’m currently taking a shit
"herder"?
Keep in mind when evaluating crew escape options, the crews in the day were little more than kids. People weren't nearly as tall or big in the 30s and 40s. Just because several 6' tall, 180lbs men can't escape in a hurry, the crew that would have to do it to save their lives. Especially true if you're vehicle is on fire or drawing even more fire.
Yes, an additionally they would have been much more fit & specifically trained to escape such vehicles.
Well said, though I think even the older unfit blokes in the video would have moved faster in a real emergency lol
Not too many middle aged tubbies in the combat crews.
I say bs... i work for super old germans who cant shut up about ww2. They are tall enough and thats from someone 190cm tall.
"Little more than kids" is gross exaggeration, granted they had way more prosperous life than their parents but someone who is 13 during ww2 doesn't magically gain 40cm compared to previous generation.
"Squire" has a funny skit with a Hetzer and Churchill facing-off in a Normandy village.
I love that skit
that was the first wt video i watched
This better not end up being gore of my comfort charicter.
"They're coming after the Hetzer!"
Charicter?
@@godly_soup Charicter.
I feel like i know what this references, but i don't want to be right.
Can you explain?
Truely a vehicle ahead of its time. It would have been legendary had there been battlemechs in WW2
😂
This is by far, your best video i have ever seen.
Easily my favorite tank/assault gun of the era. This design would be an awesome start for a robot, hybrid, hunter/killer with electric final drives. Great video!
Just watch the Girls und Panzers anime. This tank a legend in the series.
The Maus can cry a river.
The maus will flatten the masterbaiter hetzer
@@WatchingVideos-w9v Episode 11-12 seems to disagree
@@nightshade4873 I mean the Hetzer did almost got flattened, literally
@@WatchingVideos-w9v naaaah, you're wrong. AHAHAHA
@@aaronagbay5117 the hetzer had 20mm sides and it’ll definitely get crushed, and also the maus in the anime had ammo so adding both 128mm and 75mm ammo the hetzer will definitely be pancaked
BMM stand for "Böhmisch Mährische Motorenwerke" (Bohemian Moravian Motor Factory) using a terribly long german wording for Czech.
The relationship between German, Czech companies is complex. Czech and Slovakia had been part of the Austro Hungarian Empire till the defeat. When the "Anschluss" (unification of Germany and Austria) happened) and then the Sudetenland (German speaking part of Czechoslovakia that had been part of Australia Hungary) was annexed from the German perspective it was just a reunification of the empire with many of the companies having operated across Austria Hungary only 20 years previously.
@@williamzk9083 Australia Hungary?
@@williamzk9083 Australia Hungary? Now that would be worth a video of its own! Only joking, I know it's a typo!
Jagdpanzer 38(T), My beloved 🥰. Anzu, Momo and Yuzu would be proud!
Go Turtle Team!
Panzer Vor!
@ Yeah, Panzer Vor!
A fellow man of culture, I see
@rgadventures7818Yessir :)
Panzer Vor!
"Rücklauflos" is better translated as non-reciprocating. Recoilless would be "Rückstoßlos". Like you correctly explain said gun very much had recoil - but no dampening system.
I work in the iron industry, at a scrap yard that shreds cars with an enormous mill. I constantly deal with falling debris and needing to move quickly. I also run to to things made of steel a lot and constantly wear a hard hat. So it has taught me something about bumping your head in a hurry. Something I don't think people realize is that in world war two tank crews almost always wore a helmet and didn't really care about running into things if their head was covered. It's like a subconscious human instinct that so long as the most important part on your body is safe. You are okay with running into things. Just a strange tangent about the "the tank is on fire" bit
First, OSHA wants to know your location.
Second, actually no, they didnt wear helmets, just the normal field cap. They used the tank cap that looked like an oversized beret and had padding, only early in the war
Ive been waiting for this vid. The hetzer is my favorite tank of all time, despite its flaws. As a kid i used to call it the Little Bread Loaf
The Swiss G-13 revised the crew dispositions, the commander and loader swapped positions, the remote MG mount was removed in favour of a small cupola improved periscope hood, the loader was now in the extreme right of the crew compartment which meant he sat out of action in the recess in the engine firewall, but importantly meant he had access to the right-hand ammunition racks on the sloped pannier wall, previously this ammunition had to be handed across to the loader by the commander, taking his attention from his primary job, In the G-13 the commander was back where he should be behind the gunner, who was behind the driver, and thus gave instructions aiding aiming in azimuth to the driver. So command function in the Swiss G-13 was far superior to the 'Hetzer'.
There was also a floor escape hatch in the both Hetzer and G-13 between the driver and gunner, similar to that fitted in JP IV. Whether it was a popular vehicle or just available, you need to read Armin Sohns opinion of the type, and he actually served in a Hetzer unit, his opinion was it was available rather than a good vehicle.
As to the Bergepanzer 38(t) it too was more available than good, too small a motor for efficient towing, but like it larger cousin the bergepanther spade failure was an ongoing problem, but all wartime recovery had the same problem Churchill ARV II also had the same problem.
There seems to be two JP 38(t) captured during the Warsaw uprising of 1944 'Chwat' which was a knocked out vehicle having suffered an ammunition detonation which broke its back and displaced the roof, and spent its time as part of a barricade and another Hetzer that was inside the post office and was buried when the post office was demolished.
In 1948 there was a plan to supply Israel with G-13/ JP 38(t) from Czechoslovakian Army stocks, it went nowhere, but might have been 'interesting' especially from the habitability in semi-desert and fully desert terrain, significantly the only 38(t) ever to serve in the Desert were the few panzerjager38(t) fur7.62cm pak 36r Sdkfz139, so modifications would have soon followed - possibly removal or modification of the roof and engine compartment for crew comfort and engine cooling.
As to size although small the Hetzer was a 10 to 15% general increase in size over the original Pz 38(t) and Jpz 38d would have been larger again. The Pz38* (Star) was not a recoilless weapon mount the correct term was non recoiling or rigid mount, so similar to old pre WW1 guns like Ring Canon 72 and 15cm M61/ M80 and French 155 mm Ml1877 de Bange, the Hetzer Star would have relied on mass to absorb recoil, that a suitable sighting mechanism only arrived at the design studio days before the Russians gives an idea how difficult it is to build a non recoiling mount, in that sights are delicate and in the pre-WW1 guns mentioned the gun commander would remove the delicate sight before firing the gun, which slowed rate of fire markedly as each sighting had to be remade.
I prayed that the Hetzer would not show in this series. but at least it Cone man wasn't to harsh
So....all of the Hetzer crew went blind? : )
they were packed tight on the tin can
@@ernstschmidt4725 I don't think you get it :)
Too much master baiting combined with wood alcohol
Only in WarThunder. 😂
27:00 no offense, dont forget that you 4 are all rather "big boys" compared to a real Panzer crew :)
This is why i am a pro masterbaitor in warthunder 😎
🗿
"Playing with one hand"
@@keannoxyrenceesquivel2349yes I actively play with one hand
Not a recoilless gun, just a rigid mounted gun with no recoil absorbing system.
That is what he said, yes...
I had the privilege of sitting in the commander's seat of a G-13 that had been brought over from Switzerland in the early 1990's. It was owned by a re-enactment group in Austin Texas, and stored at a National Guard depot east of the city. At 6'4", I barely managed to squeeze in, and the proximity of the gun breech was a little...disturbing. My host did fire it up, but we didn't do any driving. A mighty interesting experience-no idea if they still have the vehicle.
Love the video! I can't wait for the Jagdpanzer 38(d) video - hoping it mentions the kätzchen!
Happy new year lads 🫶
The man the myth himself
Happy new year :3 🎉
I see you guys took a cue from The Chieftain with the “oh bugger, the tank is on fire” test
Who do you think filmed it?
@@ConeOfArcnow that you mention it, that voice does sound rather familiar…
"T-34 is cramped"
-meanwhile late-war German equipment
I actually talked to a T-34 owner about the Hetzer in Wolfsschanze. He said Hetzer is far more cramped.
You had me at the double entendre. : )
I have waited for you to do this tank for so long! Thank you!
Again, a really goot video, thank you very much for that good work! I can really recommend Spielberger's books, they were - and are - considered standard works in this field. A few comments on the term "Hetzer" - there are always very different translations in the English-speaking world. The term actually comes from hunting. You can hunt/hound(?) wild animals, such as foxes and rabbits, i.e. pursue them until they have no more strength. The hunter who hunts in this way is a "Hetzer". Im not sure if "Baiter" is the right translation, my dictionay says something different 😉.I think that is meant to be humorous in this context, since this tank destroyer does anything but pursue its prey until it has no more breath... The other meaning of the word "Hetzer" is a person who spreads hatred against a person, a system, a state, who badmouths it, i.e. an agitator, a "hate-monger". Tank in museum: I live near the German tank museum in Munster. There is also a "Hetzer", a Swiss G-13 that has been converted back to a Hetzer as best as possible. If you want some pictures, feel free to contact me 🙂.
This is awesome! Your videos have come so far since I first started watching you! Way to work and make a great product for us to enjoy. 🙂
Every tank to this day has its design flaw, the important thing is its crew, the crew must be experienced and use it in the right condition for the machine. Also the officers ho plan a defence or ofense must know the strong points of the machines or lives will be lost... Very good video happy new year!!
Always loved the irony of Germany refusing to help start production of T-24/25 only to end up relying on various vehicles on modified czech hulls which had far stricter mass and dimensions limitations then T-24/25 derived vehicles would have had.
I find the Hetzer to be an oddly enjoyable vehicle to see, it's a unique design and a fairly effective machine
11:20 this was tense to watch just with how dark it is. I kept imagining getting scraped by metal if i was trying to bail quickly. Or trying to drag a wounded person through that tiny little space
"OH bugger, the jagdpanzer is on fire"
Emotional event ensues.
Fun fact about those Swiss Jadgpanzer 38Ts: you can spot them in Swiss Cold War training video as OPFOR tanks
am I right to think they were cosmetically modified for this task - my old man's memory recalls a video by someone about this. It might be Dale the Stgw dude. EDIT - yes it was him, this is the title of his video: BEHIND THE SCENES: GT13 AFS "Enemy Tanks" from "der Kampf der Infanterie", 1972 (w/ EN Subs)
German here.
Just a small correction: the word Hetzer refers to chasing rather than baiting.
I was waiting for this one! Thank you Cone of Arc! Your channel is truly unique, and is a gem in the history RUclips community.
Hey man great video as always and also your video quality is increasing each video it seems. Conguratulations coming this far this year, I hope a more succesful time for you this year.
Also your channel's icon is the turret of FCM 36's turret, since it seems to be the inspiration for your channel name and icon why not make a Cursed by Design episode for FCM 36, I know you made one about the ones that have been cannibalised and then turned into SPGs by germans video but not one detailing its development and service. I would love to see that abomination of a tank being talked about by you. (I did call it an abomination but that is the thing about FCM 36 for me, it is one of my favorite light tanks, the Cone is the deal.)
It will be featured in a video eventually
@ConeOfArc I will be waiting and again I hope a more succesful year for you and your channel.
Learning that you can translate "Panzerkampfwagen" as "Armored Struggle Buggy" changed my life forever.
Can we mention how the remote controlled MG did not have any optics attached to it? So the gunner had to essentially blind fire and hope.
It had a tiny little periscope. Very narrow field of view.
Accuracy through volume
Tracer rounds?
It's like a clown car at 9:17 LOL
My favorite tank of all time! Thank you!
( 19:47 to 21:00 )
There was also one more design based of the Hetzer; "Aufklärungspanzer 38(t) mit 7.5 cm KwK 37 L/24" or something along those lines, it is basically a smaller Sd.Kfz. 234/3, but based on the chassis of the Hetzer. There is a picture of it which is similar to the Bergepanzer 38(t)'s photo at 20:20
( 23:13 )
To complete this; They were also later on renamed to "SD 75/39-44" while the training variants (ST-III) were renamed to "CPV".
“Hetzer gonna hetz.”
-Dr. Randolph P. Checkers, Esq.
8:15 316/1000 of an inch?
3rd of an inch 3/10ths of an inch 36/100th of an inch all make more sense?
315 of a thousand of an inch ? What’s next 315000 of a million of an inch? At least that would get a laugh or two. But 325/1000?
The jagdpanzer ks really good at master baiting me! 😮😮
"Germany's Master Baiter" best video title for a WW2 tank ever
Very informative, I finally know what master baiting refers to :)
I went to school with a kids who's last names was Bates. We joked, if he was rich, his butler would have called him Master Bates.
Small correction: There is not and never was a NATION of Czechoslovakia. It was a Country/State/Republic. The nations were Czechs and Slovaks. Sorry had to vent ...
Just to say, the Swiss G13 had not the Maingun from the Jagdpanzer 38(t), it had the KWK of the Stug 3 >F
Hetzer was literally the cheapest and bareboned "tank/TD" Germans ever made, a perfect counter-argument to folks who thought Germans could only build expensive complex tank designs and didn't know to "build cheap".
The Jagdpanzer 38t marginally fulfilled the late war tank standard of firepower, armor, and mobility.
Its 75mm Pak39 was still capable, though more like painfully average cannon at least in Eastern Front in late 1944. Still serviceable as AT and infantry support role.
Its frontal armor was sloped and just enough to effectively tank hits from regular Allied tank from long distances
Its mobility, well it could move, not too fast but not too slow either, and not too heavy too.
And then it lacked / suffered from almost everything else as far as an AFV goes: A very limited gun transverse, a cramped size while unintentionally aided concealment but also limited crew efficiency and ammo storage, literally only one vision port in hull and one periscope at the top, completely blind to the right and behind, no cupola, side, top and rear armors being light tank/armored car level, crew survivability was as good as having all 4 crews and ammo shells stacked close together in a small box.
This wasn't the end of the story. A version called the Jagdpanzer 38(d) "d=deustch" was being developed. In part this was because the 38(t) could only easily be produced in Czech (T=Tsech) factories. This apart from redesign to aid manufacture could take the long barrel 7.5cm KwK 42 and finally gave the diesel engine the Germans had been seeking. I probably dealt with some of the other ergonomic issues. The 38(t) was also being developed in to a true Infantry Fighting Vehicle armed with a 20mm gun and carrying 5 men (half a squad).
The Jagdpanzer 38t was developed quickly. For the intended use as a tank destroyer firing from a covered position, the Jagdpanzer 38t is sufficient, even if it could have been improved in terms of self-protection, overview and ergonomics. But the vehicles were urgently needed and so their weaknesses were accepted.
However, one must also take into account that the Jagdpanzer 38t was never designed as a main battle tank and was not up to this role. Such use was therefore tactically wrong and easily resulted in the loss of tank and crew.
@georglobez9304 Though for the dirt-poor late war German infantry divisions plus many other second-tier units, those that received Hetzer it was their general-purpose AFV since they were literally the only armor available.
@@sthrich635 I don't contradict that. Nevertheless, the vehicle was built for a different purpose. It was not intended to be a general-purpose AFV.
I wish there was a hetzer shirt. It's my favorite tank and i think by far the cutest!
From what I have read, it was a very good tank destroyer if used in ambush or defensive positions, but if caught out in the open, it was a sitting duck.
All criticisms of this vehicle can be countered by pointing out that it is extremely cute. It's like the Brave Little Toaster, but with questionable goals. Even then, you hope he makes it through ok.
The more I learn about tanks in WW2 since childhood museum runs the more I realize the best place to be was in a Sherman. Apart from a catastrophic detonation when hit odds are you would survive even getting the tank shot out from under you. Survival stats back that up. Not to mention the damaged vehicle can be back in action quickly and keep you from turning into a second rate infantryman.
Great video. I would love to hear more about how the machine gun was fired remotely from inside the vehicle.
Showing us the outside and inside of the Hetzer really made for much better content. Whatever led you to make the change visually, it was a good one. Stick with it.
Germany took a supply of vehicles that were no longer combat viable (the Pz.38t) by 1944 and turned them into a very useful combat vehicle (Jg.Pz.38t) all while not using much in the way of resources for production. While not perfect under the circumstances it was a great use of limited resources to field a effective vehicle. If the Jg.Pz.38t didnt come about you would have had a number of older Pz.38t's doing nothing.
The standard 38s couldn't be converted into Jagdpanzer 38s as most of the parts were redesigned
All I know, is that for 3 or 4 months, the World of Tanks derp gun with premium rounds was the greatest troll weapon ever created.
I believe the Swiss G13s had floor escape hatches added. Outside of the first independent A.T. battalions, most Hetzers got assigned to infantry divisional A.T. companies. The Hetzer's PAK 39 (called a PAK 40 in postwar Swiss service, fired the same ammunition as late Pz. IVs - the KWK 40. The towed A.T. gun fired a different cartridge as does the Panther's 7.5cm. As a former owner and driver of two US located Hetzers, I'd have to say that installing a longer gun on the Hetzer would severely limits its cross country ability. Note: The very first prototype featured a muzzle brake, the same as a late Pz. IV. If you look at a side view of a Hetzer with the gun elevated while running a line along the front edge of the tracks (angle of approach), you will see the muzzle brake gets in the way. Ergo the Germans decided to ditch the muzzle brake. Later, the Swiss opted for muzzle brakes on their postwar assembled G13's. A muzzle brake reduces the recoil stress about 10%. The Swiss were more concerned about longevity and, as I understand, had prepared positions should their Hetzers be called on to defend their country. I personally experienced the muzzle of a Hetzer being impaled into the side of a roadway embankment because of its limited angle of approach. (We had to punch out about 18 inches of mud from the barrel!) Further: Remember the Swiss had bought 38t tanks from the Czechs prior to Germany taking over. Thus the Swiss, following the war, were buying the latest version of a tank they already had in service. I knew that my petrol powered Praga engine was running correctly when I could get it up to 44 KPH on the flat. Almost every part on my example (ex-Swiss #78038) had three-letter coded parts and waffenamt markings. The steel body was proofed and marked as being produced by Ruhrstahl during the war. Apparently BMM was unable to make the heavier and thicker Hetzer bodies. In the book, CZECHOSLOVAKIAN ARMORED FIGHTING VEHICLES 1918-1948, you will find photos of my former G13.
We can thank the Swiss government for being generous enough and with much foresight to providing us with most all the surviving examples today rather than being scrapped! Vielen dank.
oh god i can already hear all the people crying "wahh wahh hetzer is not a historically accurate name wahh wahh!!!"
and all of them are wrong
A "The Tank is on Fire" with an entire Crew? Now, thats cool.
Ah yes, the classic game; The Tank is on Fire. I loved that clip.
Excellent & Informative!
I know it is probably for the joke, but "baiter" is a really weird translation for "Hetzer". The verb "hetzen" can mean several things, but "chase down" is probably the closest English translation. It basically means what a persistence predator does to its prey. Which is a bit silly, because the Hetzer is much more of an ambush predator.
Forgive my pedantry, I am German...
8:26 That fuse box looks *identical* to the one in my 1976 Sachsenring Trabant.
One of the reason for the production numbers of the Hetzer was its minimal use of strategic minerals that Germany was rapidly running out of.
It was a good weapon when used properly. And cheap to produce. Interestingly, the chassis of the 38(t) was also used for a prototype APC, the "Vollkettenaufklärer 38(t) Kätzchen". It was open-topped as far as I can tell. Sweden, however, who had TNH tanks (essentially the same as the Pz 38(t) ) converted them into APCs, the Pbv 301, which gives an indication of where the German chassis could have gone.
Back in the day of World of Tanks Blitz one of the gun options for the Hetzer was the 10,5 cm StuH which featured so much HE damage that you could oneshot certain enemies. I miss it 😢
Supposedly only a wooden mockup, the gun made the vehicle too nose heavy and increased wear on the forward suspension.
@michaeltelson9798 Yeah I am aware that the the 10,5 never saw any production on the Hetzer, but the Tiger II was also never fitted with the 10,5cm and there are literal fantasy tanks in the game so cleary WoTB doesnt care about historical accuracy (sadly).
Still its a nice childhood memory for me :)
@jdmheart4727 Yep, they never even mocked up a mantle for it. One of the reason that I left WoT, too many paper tanks. Some real vehicles like the 90mm Semovente captured in Sicily and displayed at Aberdeen were left out for paper tigers.
@@michaeltelson9798 Yeah I also dislike the lack of realism so to call it, but WoT Blitz is enjoyable for me because of the 7vs7 gameplay, max 10min games and, most importantly, no artillery or planes to mess up your game like in WoT or War Thunder...
Sadly no better alternative.
Thank you for mentioning the romanian tank destroyer ''Mareşal''. Tumbs up!!
Today I learned two interesting facts:
* the "t" in the name stands for "tchechisch" and not for "tonnen" (tons) in terms of weight.
* the overall timespan of when this thing was manufactured. I always thought that Hetzer was a rather early war construction. That it was a 1944+ vehicle came as a surprise. I thought so probably because I knew that it was based on an "old Czeck design"
These were more of a Ambush vehicle than a normal tank as people think. When they were properly camouflaged they were incredibly hard to detect before they fired on you.
08:50 he was going to say hetzer but corrected himself lol
As an 'ambush" TD it seems pretty good , and the remote controlled style MG is still used on today's AFV's , so it was ahead for it's day in some regard.
"Hetzer" translates to "Agitator"
"hetzen" is something hounds do when youre hunting rabbit or such
they run after the prey until its tired - that is "hetzen"
In case of the Jgpz 38, agitator isnt the correct translation. Hitler or Trump are agitators, the Hetzer would be beater or drover, someone how makes noise or beat on bushes to drove the prey out of cover and towards the hunters
@@wolf310ii yea... youre right
agitator is wrong😒
The Panzer 38(t) kinda seems like the most popular design nobody talks about
25:58 "plagued by issues but still a good option under circumstances" is the story of most Soviet tank designs, even current ones (those that work at all, that is).
The T-34 is the epitome of it - it was a prefect tank for USSR not because of its supposed superiority, but because it was cheap, primitive and easy to produce and maintain. A perfect fit, just like jgdpz 38(t) was
Still waiting on the T-34 variants video, might as well make a T-54/55 one. But anyway happy new years everyone.
No point. Soviets didnt have variants. I even heard a claim that every wartime T-34 was different. It was upgraded thru out production without ever naming variants. Factories put together what they had and upgraded/simplified what they could.
By looking at the gun, welds, gearbox, copula you can roughly determine when or where it was build. Thats why people think that "T-34 mod. 1942" is a standardized variant of this tank. But its not.
@@PaciatHave you seen his videos on different tank variants? The Sherman and panzer ones? It doesn't have to be a modification by the soviets, it can be anything by anyone...
"Master Baiter" is such a good Nickname for the Hetzer
im gonna master bait my enemies with this tank
@francrcg Awh hell nahh
@@Devawake47 whats wrong?
Tank destroyers are ambush vehicles. They remain hidden, strike then withdraw. When used properly they were very effective.
I can't believe the algorithm let him get away with that title 😂
The Stug III had escape hatches in the front superstructure that only worked if you were young and skinny LOL!
Steering brake inspection hatch
The driver could escape through the steering brake inspection hatch in the glacis plate if the tank flipped over or the hatch was obstructed.
Hatch underneath the vehicle
If the tank flipped over, there was an extra escape hatch underneath the vehicle.
Happy new year lads
Nuts
the video tittle reminded me of Circon's video of the UDES gameplay called "S E N D U D E S"
"Hetzers gotta Hetz." Loved playing it in World of Tanks.
You wouldnt if it was at the same tier as IS-2, SU-100 or Comet. That thing was fielded in 1944.