Nashorn

"Náshorn" ("rhinoceros"), full name - 8.8 cm PaK 43/1 auf Geschützwagen III / IV (Sf) - German tank destroyer (IT) of the Second World War period, medium in weight. It was created in 1942, in parallel with the Hummel self-propelled guns, was produced on the Geschützwagen III / IV chassis, in which parts from the PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV were equally widely used. Intended to fight the Soviet heavy tanks . Until January 27, 1944 it was called "Hornisse" ( German: Hornisse - " hornet "). In the designation system of German armored vehicles during the Second World War, he had the index Sd.Kfz. 164 .

Nashorn
"Nashorn" at the Museum of the Aberdeen Proving Ground
Nashorn
Classification	Tank Destroyer
Combat weight, t	24.4 t
Layout diagram	Engine and transmission compartment - front, combat - rear
Crew	five
Story
Years of production	1943-1945
Years of operation	1943-1945
The number of issued, pcs.	494
Key Operators
Dimensions
Body length mm	8440 mm
Length with gun forward, mm	8440 mm
Width mm	2860 mm
Height mm	2650 mm
Clearance mm	400 mm
Reservation
Type of armor	Steel hardened, surface hardened
Forehead, mm / city.	thirty
Board of the case, mm / city.	20
Feed housing, mm / city.	20
Cutting forehead, mm / city.	ten
Cutting board, mm / city.	ten
Cutting feed, mm / city.	ten
Armament
Caliber and brand of guns	8.8 cm Pak 43/1 (L / 71)
Gun type	threaded
Barrel length, calibres	71
Gun ammunition	40
Sights	Optical Sight SfI.ZF.1a
Machine guns	1 MG 42 machine gun, 7.92 mm caliber
Other weapons	MG 42 machine gun
Mobility
Engine type	Maybach HL 120 TRM, 12-cylinder, carburetor, V-shaped, liquid-cooled; power 265 hp (195 kW) at 2600 rpm., displacement 11867 cc.
Engine power, l with.	265 h.p.
Speed ​​on the highway, km / h	40 km / h
Cross country speed, km / h	40 km / h
Cruising on the highway , km	257 km
Cruising cross country, km	260 km
Specific Power, l s / t	eleven
Suspension type	Interlocked in pairs, on leaf springs
Ground pressure, kg / cm²	0.85
Gradeability, hail.	30 deg
The overcome wall, m	0.6 m
The overcome ditch, m	2.3 m
Fording , m	0.9 m

Self-propelled guns "Nashorn" in the Armored Museum in Kubinka .

Nashorn was mass-produced from the spring of 1943 until the very end of the war; a total of 494 ITs of this type were produced. "Nashhorns" until the end of the war were actively used by troops. The disadvantage of IT was the easy, bulletproof booking, but the powerful 88-mm gun could easily hit any of the enemy tanks participating in the hostilities. The defeat distance of any Soviet or Union tank before the appearance of the IS-2 and later modifications of the Churchill amounted to 3,000 m.

Mass production

1943

February - 14

March - 30

April - 41

May - 35

June - 35

July - 44

August - 16

September - 27

October - 42

November - 24

December - 37

Total - 345

1944

February - 25

April - 20

May - 24

June - 6

July - 3

August - 31

September - 12

October - 7

November - 5

Total - 133

1945

January - 9

February - 7

Total - 16

Total - 494

In total, the Alkett plant built from February 1943 to February 1944 370 self-propelled guns with serial numbers of the chassis 310001-310370.

Another manufacturer was the Werk Teplitz-Schönau factory. From April 1944 to February 1945, 124 Nashorn were released here with serial numbers in the range 310371-310500 .