Jagdpanzer IV - Combat History

Combat History

The Jagdpanzer IV served in the anti-tank sections of Panzer and SS Panzer divisions. They fought in Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge and on the Eastern Front. They were very successful tank destroyers but performed badly when used out of role as substitutes for tanks or assault guns, as most tank destroyers were.

In the later stages of the war however, they were increasingly used as tank substitutes, because there was often nothing else available.

Romania received several Jagdpanzer IV tank destroyers from the Red Army after the war ended. They were officially known as TAs T4 in the army inventory and were used until 1950. All German armour was scrapped in 1954.

One of the more notable Jagdpanzer IV aces was SS-Oberscharführer Rudolf Roy from the 12th SS Panzerjäger Battalion of 12th SS Panzer Division. He was killed by an American sniper while looking out of the hatch of his Jagdpanzer IV, on December 17, 1944 during the Ardennes Offensive in Belgium.

After the war, West Germany continued the Jagdpanzer concept with the Kanonenjagdpanzer, but few other fixed-casemate self-propelled guns were built postwar. An innovative exception was the Swedish Stridsvagn 103, or "S-Tank".