Nashorn Tank Destroyer

MAP CONTROLS: Use slider or mousewheel to zoom, and hold down left mouse button to drag.
KEY: Location markers are coloured from Green meaning exact to Red meaning gone or unknown (details here)

In February 1942 an order was issued to produce a self-propelled anti-tank vehicle consisting of an 8.8cm PaK 43/1 mounted on the GW III/IV chassis. The resulting vehicle was known as the Hornisse (Hornet) and provided much needed mobility to a very potent anti-tank weapon. The vehicle was, however, inadequately armoured and had a very high profile. Hitler did not like the original name and in an order of 27 February 1944 changed it to the more aggressive Nashorn (Rhinoceros). 473 of these vehicles were assembled by Deutsche Eisenwerke at their Teplitz-Schönau factory before production ended in 1944. All models of the Nashorn used PzKpfw IV Ausf F bogie units, return rollers and idler wheels. Early production models had the same drive sprockets, with eight circular holes, as used on the PzKpfw III Ausf E-G. Later vehicles had tracks, and drive sprockets with six holes, from the PzKpfw III Ausf H. They also had towing lugs formed from extensions of the hull side armour as introduced on the PzKpfw III Ausf J. The transmission and the engine, which was centrally mounted, also came from the PzKpfw III Ausf J. It would appear that late production vehicles had a large exhaust silencer fitted on the rear of the hull, similar to that of the PzKpfw IV tank, but that this was not a feature of early production vehicles. Model Id: 190 Manufacture: Deutsche Eisenwerke AG, Duisburg, Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (Chassis manufacturer) Deutsche Eisenwerke AG, Teplitz-Schönau (Teplice), Czech Republic (Vehicle assembly) 1) U.S. Army Ordnance Museum, Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA Number of Photos: 5 Click here or on the image for this tank's profile page Unique ID: 183 Serial Number: Registration: Name: Other Identification: This Nashorn shows battle damage including projectile penetrations. It is a late production model.

2) Kubinka NIIBT Research Collection - Foreign Vehicles, Kubinka, Russia Number of Photos: 1 Click here or on the image for this tank's profile page Unique ID: 184 Serial Number: Registration: Name: Other Identification: This is a late production model of the Nashorn.