Hetzer

[weapon2010]

When did the Hetzer appear?

[MikeyD]

No references at all in front of me - I want to say July on the Eastern front, not until the bulge battles on the western because Hitler was holding back his armor through much of the fall, or am wrong about that?

[weapon2010]

According to the Encyclopedia of German tanks,the first units to receive the Hetzer were the 731 and 743 Panzerjagerabteilungen and the 15th and 76th infantry divisions in July.I just dont know where those units fought.

[Fernando]

76. Infanterie Division: From Fall 1943 onwards it fought in the Southern sector of the East Front (Dnieper battles, Hungary, Czechoslovakia)

15. Infanterie Division: From February 1943 onwards in the East Front too (Donets, Dnepropetrovsk, Dnestr, Hungary, Czechoslovakia).

Regarding 731 and 743. PzJgabteilungen I have found the following info:

http://www.oocities.org/hauptmann6/cdorbat/Pzjager.txt

Panzer Jäger Abteilung 1944-1945

BHQ

1 Command Stand

1 Kfz-1

1 Staff Radio Kfz-17 Van

1 PzJgr

3 Companies

1 Pz.Jgr Command

1-2 Pz.Jgr

1 SdKfz-2 Maulitier Ammo Half Track (2t)

Notes

1) By the start of 1944 Panzer Jäger Abteilung had 3 companies of Marder

III (75mm). 721 fought with Heeresgruppe A; 731 with Heeresgruppe Sued;

741, 742, and 744 with Heeresgruppe Mitte and 751, 752 and 753 with

Heeresgruppe Nord. 731 and 744 are confirmed as having Marder III (75mm).

Some time in early 1944 731 was withdrawn from combat to be re-equipped

with Hetzers. 741 followed later in the year. 744 was converted to Hetzers

in early 1945.

2) In July 1944 Panzer Jäger Abteilung 731 was formed with a full

complement of 10 Hetzers and sent to Heeresgruppe Nord. 743 followed

shortly after also with 10 Hetzers, it was sent to Heeresgruppe Mitte. 741

formed with 10 Hetzers in September 1944, I Kompanie/741 was sent East,

HQ,II&III Kompanie/741 were sent to the Western Front and participated in

the Ardennes offensive. They had a total of 4 Hetzer. 561 was formed in

February 1945 with 2 companies each of 2 Hetzers and 744 was formed in

March 1945 with 3 companies of 2 Hetzer and no Hetzers at HQ. 3 was formed

in April 1945 with 2 companies of 2 Hetzer and none at HQ. All these units

except for parts of 741 and all of 3 served on the Eastern Front.

3) Several independent companies were formed with 2 or 3 Hetzers:

Pz.Jgr.Kp. Bock, Lang and Pankow each had 3 Hetzers and took part in the

Nordwind offensive at the end of 1944 attached to LXXXX Armee Korps.

Pz.Jgr.Kp.z.B.V Pz.AOK1.Ost: 3 Hetzers formed in January 1945 set to the

Eastern Front, II & III/510: 3 Hetzers each January 1945, sent to the east

and Jgd.Pz.Kp 1235, 1245 & 1257 with 2 Hetzers each April 1945. The last

three units were formed in the west.

4) Hetzer battalions were supposed to have a Wirblewind at HQ, it is

doubtful if many units received it