Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
German Jagdpanzer JgdPz 38 Hetzer. This is an original WW2 Hetzer unlike many of the Hetzers that you see in Museums that were built after the War for the Swiss Army.
Designer BMM
Designed 1943
In service 1944–1945
No. built Approx. 2,827
Main armament 1× 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48
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Video/editing: Jukka O. Kauppinen
(C) Tankspotting / Mediapalvelut 2025
mediapalvelut.fi
More videos from Arsenalen: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoVrkyzq81gRbrglqzN5r85gnRXclS0O1
More German vehicles: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoVrkyzq81gRKhHOgU7utbYDZv7mJXR5I
This Hetzer is believed to be one of four purchased by the Swedish Army at the end of World War Two from Norway. They were used by the German Army of occupation in Norway. When they surrendered in 1945 most of their vehicles were in tact unlike those on the Western and Eastern front that had been involved in heavy fighting. Another report says that only one was purchased and that was in 1947 from France.
Although this tank destroyer is based on the Czech built Panzer 38(t) light tank chassis there have been some major adjustments from the original tank design. The Hetzer chassis is a lot wider to enable the 75mm gun and drivers position to be accommodated side by side. What is interesting in the Swedish Tank museum is that the Hetzer is very near to the licensed Panzer 38(t) Strv m/41 built in Sweden but from the original Panzer 38(t) plans. It enables you to visually compare the width of each vehicle and there is a noticeable difference. The Hetzer looks like the light tank's fat brother.
The German tank crews liked their little tank destroyer. It was reliable, effective and provided adequate armoured protection so long as the front of the Hetzer was facing the enemy. It had proved itself on the battlefield on the Eastern Front in 1944. The German Army recorded that a single company of Jagdpanzer 38(t)s managed to destroy twenty Russian tanks without loss. Another Unit claimed it had knocked out fifty seven armoured vehicles including two IS-2 heavy tanks at a range of 800mm without loss. The 75mm gun could not penetrate the IS-2 tanks front armour but it could penetrate its side armour.
Distances covered on the Eastern Front were long. Because the Panzer 38(t) tank had been in production since 1938 many of the early mechanical faults had been corrected. The Hetzer benefitted from being built around a Panzer 38(t) tank chassis and was a reliable vehicle that rarely suffered mechanical failures. Crews recorded that the sloping front armour of their Hetzer TDs could withstand a direct hit from a Soviet 76.2mm gun fitted to the T34/76 tank but not the larger 85mm armed T34 tanks. The armour also provided adequate protection in Normandy from incoming shells fired by the Allied tank crews using the standard M4 Sherman 75mm gun. Most tank v tank losses were from hits to the rear and side armour.
About Arsenalen:
The Swedish Tank Museum – Showing the military vehicle development, as well as the military history of Sweden, from the early 20th century until today. The museum also includes a very special exhibition of tin figures, as well as a soldier’s croft dating back to the 17th century, where an accompanying exhibition tells you about a bygone era.
The museum was inaugurated June 17, 2011 and is open year round. Run by a private foundation – Foundation Södermanland Military History collections. The vehicles belong to the Swedish Government – the Swedish National Museums of Military History. The vehicles were previously located to the Tank Museum in Axvall and Military Vehicle Museum in Malmköping. The collection includes about 350 vehicles, of which about 75 are on display in the museum. Some parts of the exhibition changes each year.
Beside the museum there is an original soldiers croft from late 19th century with an accompanying exhibition, The Soldier and the Croft. An exhibition about the history of the local Regiment (Södermanland regiment) tell the story from 14thcentury until 2005 when the regiment was closed. The figure museum is a private collection which previously existed as a museum in Hjortnäs in Dalarna.
https://www.arsenalen.se/en
--
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German Jagdpanzer JgdPz 38 Hetzer. This is an original WW2 Hetzer unlike many of the Hetzers that you see in Museums that were built after the War for the Swiss Army.
Designer BMM
Designed 1943
In service 1944–1945
No. built Approx. 2,827
Main armament 1× 7.5 cm Pak 39 L/48
Tankspotting (TV) is dedicated for the heavy metal battlefield. If you enjoy tanks and other awesome things then please subscribe - just click here:
youtube.com/user/Tankspotting?sub_confirmation=1
Video/editing: Jukka O. Kauppinen
(C) Tankspotting / Mediapalvelut 2025
mediapalvelut.fi
More videos from Arsenalen: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoVrkyzq81gRbrglqzN5r85gnRXclS0O1
More German vehicles: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoVrkyzq81gRKhHOgU7utbYDZv7mJXR5I
This Hetzer is believed to be one of four purchased by the Swedish Army at the end of World War Two from Norway. They were used by the German Army of occupation in Norway. When they surrendered in 1945 most of their vehicles were in tact unlike those on the Western and Eastern front that had been involved in heavy fighting. Another report says that only one was purchased and that was in 1947 from France.
Although this tank destroyer is based on the Czech built Panzer 38(t) light tank chassis there have been some major adjustments from the original tank design. The Hetzer chassis is a lot wider to enable the 75mm gun and drivers position to be accommodated side by side. What is interesting in the Swedish Tank museum is that the Hetzer is very near to the licensed Panzer 38(t) Strv m/41 built in Sweden but from the original Panzer 38(t) plans. It enables you to visually compare the width of each vehicle and there is a noticeable difference. The Hetzer looks like the light tank's fat brother.
The German tank crews liked their little tank destroyer. It was reliable, effective and provided adequate armoured protection so long as the front of the Hetzer was facing the enemy. It had proved itself on the battlefield on the Eastern Front in 1944. The German Army recorded that a single company of Jagdpanzer 38(t)s managed to destroy twenty Russian tanks without loss. Another Unit claimed it had knocked out fifty seven armoured vehicles including two IS-2 heavy tanks at a range of 800mm without loss. The 75mm gun could not penetrate the IS-2 tanks front armour but it could penetrate its side armour.
Distances covered on the Eastern Front were long. Because the Panzer 38(t) tank had been in production since 1938 many of the early mechanical faults had been corrected. The Hetzer benefitted from being built around a Panzer 38(t) tank chassis and was a reliable vehicle that rarely suffered mechanical failures. Crews recorded that the sloping front armour of their Hetzer TDs could withstand a direct hit from a Soviet 76.2mm gun fitted to the T34/76 tank but not the larger 85mm armed T34 tanks. The armour also provided adequate protection in Normandy from incoming shells fired by the Allied tank crews using the standard M4 Sherman 75mm gun. Most tank v tank losses were from hits to the rear and side armour.
About Arsenalen:
The Swedish Tank Museum – Showing the military vehicle development, as well as the military history of Sweden, from the early 20th century until today. The museum also includes a very special exhibition of tin figures, as well as a soldier’s croft dating back to the 17th century, where an accompanying exhibition tells you about a bygone era.
The museum was inaugurated June 17, 2011 and is open year round. Run by a private foundation – Foundation Södermanland Military History collections. The vehicles belong to the Swedish Government – the Swedish National Museums of Military History. The vehicles were previously located to the Tank Museum in Axvall and Military Vehicle Museum in Malmköping. The collection includes about 350 vehicles, of which about 75 are on display in the museum. Some parts of the exhibition changes each year.
Beside the museum there is an original soldiers croft from late 19th century with an accompanying exhibition, The Soldier and the Croft. An exhibition about the history of the local Regiment (Södermanland regiment) tell the story from 14thcentury until 2005 when the regiment was closed. The figure museum is a private collection which previously existed as a museum in Hjortnäs in Dalarna.
https://www.arsenalen.se/en
--
Thanks so much for watching. Wouldn't it be nice if you subsribed us also? You can do it easily here:
youtube.com/user/Tankspotting?sub_confirmation=1
For more information please see:
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