''Nashorn'' (, German for "
rhinoceros
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...
"), initially known as ''Hornisse'' (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
"
hornet
Hornets (insects in the genus ''Vespa'') are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to their close relatives yellowjackets. Some species can reach up to in length. They are distinguished from other vespine wasps by th ...
"), was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
''
Panzerjäger
''Panzerjäger'' ( German "armour-hunters" or "tank-hunters", abbreviated to ''Pz.Jg.'' in German) was a branch of service of the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was an anti-tank arm-of-service that operated self-propelled ...
'' ("tank hunter") of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. It was developed as an interim solution in 1942 by equipping a light turretless chassis based on the Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks with the
88mm Pak 43 anti-tank gun. Though only lightly armoured and displaying a high profile, it could penetrate the front armour of any Allied tank at long range, and its relatively low cost and superior mobility to heavier vehicles ensured it remained in production until the war's end.
Development
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-316-1161-22A, Italien, Panzerjäger Nashorn-Hornisse](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-316-1161-22A%2C_Italien%2C_Panzerj%C3%A4ger_Nashorn-Hornisse.jpg)
After the first German experiences with the newer
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
tanks like the
T-34
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...
medium tank or the
Kliment Voroshilov heavy tank during
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
, the need for a ''Panzerjäger'' capable of destroying these more heavily armoured tanks became clear.
In February 1942, the
Alkett (''Altmärkische Kettenwerke GmbH'') arms firm of Berlin designed a tank destroyer using their recently developed ''Geschützwagen III/IV'' chassis which, as its name indicated, used components of both the
Panzer III
The ''Panzerkampfwagen III'', commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight ot ...
and
Panzer IV
The ''Panzerkampfwagen'' IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the ''Panzer'' IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.
The Pan ...
tanks. The
8,8 ''cm Panzerjägerkanone'' 43/1 L/71 (PaK 43/1) a long-barreled anti-tank gun ( also used, as the KwK 43, for the main armament of the
Tiger II
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,''Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: " armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...
tank) was mounted on the rear of the chassis complete with its
gun shield, and an open-topped superstructure was built up around the gun to give the crew some protection. The gun had the same traverse and elevation as if it had been on its carriage: 15° to either side and between -5° to +15° elevation. To accommodate the long and heavy gun, the hull had to be lengthened and the engine moved from the rear to the centre of the chassis. The amount of armour provided for the crew compartment was limited. The shielding provided was adequate to protect the crew from blast and small arms, but not armour-piercing rounds. Thus, like the
Marder series, the vehicle was not intended to engage in tank fights, but to provide mobility to a powerful anti-tank gun.
This model was presented for approval to
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
in October 1942 and entered production in early 1943. It had numerous official designations, such as ''8,8 cm Pak 43 (L/71) auf Fahrgestell Panzerkampfwagen III/IV (Sf)'' or ''8,8cm Pak43 (L/71) auf Geschützwagen III/IV'' (Sd. Kfz. 164), though it was also known as the ''Panzerjäger Hornisse'' (in English "tank-hunter Hornet")
During the first half of 1943, a new model of the ''Hornisse'' was introduced into production. This model altered the driver's front armour plate, along with other minor differences. This model and its predecessor, the few early production vehicles, were almost indistinguishable. It was renamed ''Nashorn'' by Hitler in 1944.
Total production of the ''Nashorn'' amounted to some 494 vehicles, most of which were built in 1943. In January 1944, Hitler favored production of a newer, fully-
casemated
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" means ...
tank destroyer, the ''
Jagdpanzer IV
The ''Jagdpanzer'' IV, Sd.Kfz. 162, was a German tank destroyer based on the Panzer IV chassis and built in three main variants. As one of the casemate-style turretless Jagdpanzer (tank destroyer, literally "hunting tank") designs, it was develop ...
'', which had a much lower silhouette, thicker frontal armor (60 mm frontal plate), and an effective though less powerful 7.5 cm gun. Though still primarily an ambush weapon, this vehicle was better built for armoured engagements. Production of the ''Nashorn'' continued into 1945, although at a slow pace.
Combat service
![The British Army in Italy 1945 NA22003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/The_British_Army_in_Italy_1945_NA22003.jpg)
The Hornisse/Nashorn was issued to the heavy anti-tank
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...
s (''Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilungen''), with which six would eventually be equipped: ''Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung'' 560, 655, 525, 93, 519 and 88. Each battalion was equipped with 45 Nashorns. Most of the Nashorns in these units fought either on the
Eastern Front or
in Italy, few having been sent to
Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
.
The Nashorn's gun was a variant of the
Pak 43
The Pak 43 (''Panzerabwehrkanone 43'' and ''Panzerjägerkanone 43'') was a German 88 mm anti-tank gun developed by Krupp in competition with the Rheinmetall 8.8 cm Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun and used during World War II. The Pak 43 was the ...
, closely related to guns used later for the
Ferdinand/Elefant,
Tiger II
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,''Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: " armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...
and
Jagdpanther
The ''Jagdpanther'' (German: "hunting Panther"), Sd.Kfz. 173, was a tank destroyer ('' Jagdpanzer'', a self-propelled anti-tank gun) built by Germany during World War II.
The ''Jagdpanther'' combined the 8.8 cm Pak 43 anti-tank gun, similar to t ...
. Its
tungsten carbide
Tungsten carbide (chemical formula: WC) is a chemical compound (specifically, a carbide) containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms. In its most basic form, tungsten carbide is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into ...
–cored round, the ''Pzgr. 40/43'', was capable of penetrating 190 mm of
rolled steel armour at a 30° angle of impact at a distance of 1,000 m. The gun's performance enabled Nashorns to penetrate the front armour plating of any Allied combat vehicle and to engage enemy units while staying out of range themselves, thanks to its combination of excellent gunsights, optics, and accuracy.
The Hornisse/Nashorn made its debut during the
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history ...
in 1943, where it performed extremely well. The ability to engage the enemy at long distances negated the disadvantages of its light armour, lack of a roof and a large profile, and revealed that the weapon was well suited to the open and flat
steppes
In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes.
Steppe biomes may include:
* the montane grasslands and shrublands biome
* the temperate grassland ...
that make up much of the landscape of what was then the western Soviet Union. In Italy, however, the generally hilly terrain was not as favourable to the harnessing of the Nashorn's full ability at accurate long-range fire against enemy forces as in Russia.
On 6 March 1945, a US Army
M26 Pershing
The M26 Pershing was a heavy tank/medium tank of the United States Army. It was used in the last months of World War II during the Invasion of Germany and extensively during the Korean War. The tank was named after General of the Armies John J. ...
heavy tank was knocked out by a Nashorn in the town of Niehl near
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
, at a close range of under 300 yd (270 m)''.
Survivors
There are two Nashorns on display in military museums: one in the
United States Army Ordnance Museum
The United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility (formerly known as the U.S. Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center and U.S. Army Ordnance Museum) artifacts are used to train and educate logistic soldiers. It re-located to Fort Lee, ...
(permanently closed and the vehicle transferred out to Fort Lee) and at the new Patriot Park military museum in Moscow, Russia (it was formerly on display in
Kubinka Tank Museum
The Kubinka Tank Museum (Центральный музей бронетанкового вооружения и техники - Tsentral'nyy Muzey Bronetankovogo Vooruzheniya I Tekhniki -Central Museum of Armored Arms and Technology) is a larg ...
).
A third privately owned Nashorn is being restored to running condition in the Netherlands. In 2019, this third surviving vehicle suffered severe damage after being caught in an accidental garage fire, with both the transmission system and engine getting the worst of it. The restoration has made this Nashorn operational again.
Armor
Technical data
*Tracks: single pin, 400 mm wide
**Ground contact length: 3.80 m
**Shoes(links)/track: 104
**Ground pressure: 0.85 kg/cm²
*Obstacle performance
**Vertical obstacle: 0.6 m
**Trench: 2.3 m
**Fording: 0.8 m
*Gearbox: synchromesh manual with six forward and one reverse gear
*Clutch: Fichtel & Sachs La 120 HDA dry, triple disc
*Primary gun sight: ''Selbstfahrlafetten-Zielfernrohr'' 1a, 5× magnification and 8° field of view
*Indirect fire sight: ''Aushilfsrichtmittel'' 38, 3x magnification and 10° field of view
*Radio: FuG Spr. f
References
External links
Achtung Panzer!-Nashorn PageWorld War II VehiclesHornisse manualNashorn in Kubinka tank museumSurviving Panzer IV variants- A PDF file presenting the Panzer IV variants (Jagdpanzer IV, Hummel, Nashorn, Brummbär, StuG IV, Flakpanzer tanks and prototypes based on Pz IV) still existing in the world
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World War II tank destroyers of Germany
Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944