Page "Tank destroyer" Paragraph 8

The first German tank destroyers were the Panzerjäger (" tank hunters ") which took an existing anti-tank gun and mounted it on a convenient chassis to give mobility, usually with just a three-sided gun shield for protection.

For instance, 202 obsolete Panzer I light tanks were modified by removing the turret and were rebuilt as the Panzerjäger I self-propelled Skoda anti-tank gun.

Similarly, Panzer II tanks were used on the eastern front.

Captured Soviet anti-tank guns were mounted on modified Panzer II chassis, producing the Marder II self-propelled anti-tank gun.

The most common mounting was a German anti-tank gun on the Czech Panzer 38 ( t ) chassis to produce the Marder III.

The Panzer 38 ( t ) chassis was also used to make the Jagdpanzer 38 ' Hetzer ' casemate style tank destroyer.

The Panzerjäger series continued up to the equipped Nashorn.