Info request: Jagdpanthers in Italy

[gaijinsamurai]

Does anyone know if German Jagdpanthers were deployed in the Italian theater? Because my library is in the US and I'm here in Japan, most of my research on this subject is confined to the net, and so far I have yet to find evidence thereof. If anyone has info, or even better, a photo or two to share, I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

[gaijinsamurai]

Im referring to WWII, of course.

[cover2]

You might be better off asking that question at missing-lynx.com or track-link.net. However, to the best of my knowledge, no Jagdpanthers served in Italy. They were limited to only a few heavy tank destroyer battalions, most of which fought in the West (France, Belgium, Germany) and a few on the Eastern front, too. For big-gunned Tank Destroyers, the Elefant served in Italy near Anzio, as did the Nashorn. As Italy was not really good tank country, it didn't really receive large numbers of the best German vehicles. Some Tigers, some Panthers, but no King Tigers. When I think of the Italian campaign's german armor, I think of things like Stug IIIs and Marder IIs and IIIs and former Italian tanks/guns pressed into service.

HTH.
Rob

[gaijinsamurai]

Thanks for the response, Cover2. I suspected as much. Actually, I posted this question on another forum I belong to, which is more specific to this sort of thing, but have yet to receive a response there.

[PeterG]

Thanks for the response, Cover2. I suspected as much. Actually, I posted this question on another forum I belong to, which is more specific to this sort of thing, but have yet to receive a response there.

Tried 'Tanknet'?

http://63.99.108.76/forums/index.php?showforum=18

[StukaJr]

There weren't any JagdPanthers in Italy - timelines are all wrong. Allies haven't encountered any JagdPanters until sometime in the Late Summer/Fall of '44 in France and by then the lines in Italy has already stabilized, with German Heavy Tank battalions being transfered to the Western/Eastern Fronts.

[gaijinsamurai]

Thanks, StukaJr. i appreciate the info! I spent a lot of time looking on different sites, but could find nothing regarding Jagdpanther activity in Italy. Thank you for confirming my doubt!
I guess I won't be able to build an "Italian diorama" with my Tamiya Jagdpanther kit now! Perhaps I'll do "Hungary" and substitute Wiking Waffen SS figures for the tropical heer or luftewaffe/fallschirmjagers i was going to use!

[StukaJr]

^^ Good luck with that - Hungary would be a plethora of weathering techniques - dust gets pretty old :D Maybe we should ressurect scale model/diorama thread.

I hear yah - all these limited production vehicles are a pain to place in dioramas with their limited expossure windows... I bought Dragon's Tiger B with a Porshe Turret and was pretty much limited to Western Front or Training Battalions - their new 3-in-1 kits are truely remarkable though.

[gaijinsamurai]

Thanks, StukaJr. I am residing in Japan until next April. AS far as model building goes, it is a blessing and a curse. There are tons of cool stuff available here that you can't get in the US, and I've gotten quite a few kits and accessories, but I don't want to assemble anything with the knowledge that I will have to pack up and move in 9 months-so, the diorama and other cool ideas I've got floating around in my head will just have to wait!
I've also wanted to do a "Tarawa" diorama with a Sherman, depicting "Colorado" the sole tank that made it off the beach, or perhaps Lt. Bonnyman's (Posthumous Medal of Honor) assault on the Japanese command bunker.
Also, a "Berlin 1945" diorama seems cool. Dramatic, plus you can use pretty much any combo of vehicles, weapons, and troops.

[Shinobi92]

To GaijinSamurai:
Konnichiwa, there was another Sherman that manages to fight on Tarawa... Think name was "China Gal".

Shinobi92, nihon senso rekishi senseï (japanese military history teacher).

[gaijinsamurai]

Hajimimashi te, Shinobi92!
I didn't know about "China Girl".

(I had to separate the "I" and "t" in the nihongo, because the censor took it to mean the equivilant of "unchi")

[kawaiku]

Here are some things about Jagdpanzers. Hopefully these could help you in some way shape or form.

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/hetzer.htm

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz10.htm#jagd4

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz12.htm

[gaijinsamurai]

Thanks, Kawaiku! Actually, I've seen that site before. It's a good one.

[kawaiku]

Anytime gai jinsamurai. I have fun looking all of this stuff up. And indeed it is a good site and a very usefull one at that!

Here are some other stuff I found:

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz15.htm#jagdpanther

I found another thing on Wiki but they all seem to say what StukaJr said and that they were never used in Italy. And I'd say that mainly Stugs, Marders and other assault gun variants on that front.

[gaijinsamurai]

Thanks, Kawaiku! Actually, I have a photo of myself somewhere standing in front of that Jagdpanther that is in the Imperial War Museum.