Special Sub-Topic: The Tank Destroyer Menace Click Here To Play: The Tank Destroyer Menace

Which tank destroyer was created by Ferdinand Porsche to fight in Operation Zitadelle, but suffered from many fatal problems?

Elefant. Operation Zitadelle, the third major campaign against Russia, was delayed by Hitler so the 90 Elefants could have their problems fixed. Even so, as the offensive began, the Elefants still had many bugs, both minor and major. One of the biggest problems was that although the gun was quite effective against armor, the Elefant had no defense against determined Soviet infantry anti-tank squads. Most of the Elefants were killed by the Soviet tank-killers, and the remainder were outfitted with machine guns and used as stopgaps for the rest of the war. The Nashorn was Germany's second attempt at a Panzerjäger, using the same chassis as a Hummel, which was a self-propelled artillery piece. The Jagdpanzer IV was a tank destroyer based on the versatile Panzer IV chassis.

What was most powerful tank destroyer in World War II, based on one of the most feared German tanks?

Jagdtiger. The Jagdtiger was considered to be many the heaviest armored vehicle of World War II, because it was armed with a heavily effective 128mm gun that could take on any Allied tank, even the T-34 and the later M26 Pershing. As with many German armored vehicles, the Jagdtiger suffered mainly because of lack of production capability and mobility. The Marder III was a good tank hunter, based on a Czech design of a light tank, which the Germans had assimilated into their armored columns. The Jagdpanther was an excellent tank destroyer, the most feared by Allied tankers. The Jagdpanther had a great combination of mobility, power, and armor that created one of the most fearsome weapons of World War II. However, it was surpassed by the Jagdtiger in terms of raw power. The Wespe was another 105mm artillery piece, quite mobile and effective at supporting Panzer columns.

The American producers called this tank destroyer the M10. What did the British call it?

Wolverine. The M10 Tank Destroyer was the first tank destroyer produced by the Allies, and was used widely throughout the middle and later years of the war. It was fast, light, and had a relatively effective gun that could pierce the armor of any Axis armored fighting vehicle, except for the heaviest. The Priest was the British designation for the popular American made M7 self-propelled artillery. The Humber was a widely-used armored car, and the Chieftain was the main British battle tank two decades after World War II.

This tank destroyer was nicknamed the Hellcat for its amazing speed and maneuverability.

M18. The M18 was a lightweight tank destroyer, lighter than its companion the M10. it was well-loved by its crews and capable of knocking out any German tank it could outflank, which was practically all of them. The M50 Ontos was an unusual tank destroyer of the Vietnam era that carried six mounted recoilless rifles instead of a cannon. The M36 was the direct successor of the M18, using the chassis of the M10 to mount a heavier gun to combat the heavier German tanks later in the war. The M56 Scorpion was a tank destroyer without a turret, only a meager shield to protect the crew, which made the tank destroyer highly mobile and light but also very dangerous to operate.

Although the British mainly used the American made M10 throughout the war, they also tried to make a few of their own. Which British tank destroyer was used more than the others?

Archer Tank Destroyer. The Archer tank destroyer was a marriage of the famous 17 pdr gun with the body of the widely used Mark III Valentine tanks. The Archer was slightly more used than the Avenger, which was a similar tank destroyer, only it was based on the chassis of the A30 Challenger. The Deacon tank destroyer was an early tank destroyer, featuring a 6pdr cannon mounted on a truck. The Charioteer was a post-war tank destroyer that mounted the more powerful Centurion 20 pdr cannon on a Cromwell tank chassis.

Which was the only nation that did NOT produce tank destroyers in World War II?

China. While the United States produced fast, light, and hard-hitting tank destroyers, the German engineers favored the heavy, defensive, and powerful tank destroyers. Both types of tank destroyers were fitting in their roles, with the U.S. having to outflank the heavier German tanks, and the Germans only having to shoot each Allied tank once or twice with their heavy guns. The British mainly used American tank destroyers, but had a few ideas of their own. Russia also did not produce tank destroyers, because it already had more than enough excellent T34 tanks. France also did not produce tank destroyers because it was occupied for more than half the war.

The gun on the M10 was just how many millimeters wider than the gun on the M4 Sherman?

1mm. The M10 was armed with a 76mm M7 gun, which was very effective against most Axis armor, while the Sherman's 75mm gun was very weak. The M10's gun could penetrate most armor, while the Sherman's round was stopped by most armor. Up to five or six Shermans would be needed to destroy one Panther, and many more to take on a Panther with an ace commander.

What was the caliber of the gun that was fitted on the M36?

90mm. The M36 was a M10 with a new turret, built to fit a 90mm gun and enough ammo to last through a good-sized armored engagement. The M36 was designed to combat the heavier German tanks in the latter years of the war, when the M10's 76mm M7 was proving less and less effective. Engineers placed the 90mm M3, which was originally an anti-aircraft gun, in a new turret on the M10 body.

Which country designed and built the Semovente M41 Self Propelled Gun?

Italy. One of the only Italian attempts at a tank destroyer, the M41 was an anti-tank gun mounted on an M14/41 tank chassis. As a tank destroyer, the M41 suffered from little armor protection and poor maneuverability. Instead, the M41 was mainly converted for long range indirect fire support.

This was a widely used German self propelled gun that blurred the distinction between tank destroyer and self propelled assault gun.

Sturmgeschütz III. The Sturmgeschütz III, or, as it was called by both Axis and Allied troops alike, the Stug III, was a surprisingly versatile vehicle that could serve both as an assault gun and a weapon in armored engagements. The later Ausf F and Ausf G version were fitted with a longer gun that made it much more effective against enemy armor. The Jagdpanzer Kanone was a post war attempt at tank destroyers, marrying both the American and German concepts of tank destroyers. The Sturmmoser Tiger was a Tiger I tank fitted with a huge 380mm rocket propelled depth charge. This extremely heavy vehicle was impractical to drive and to fire. The Hetzer was an excellent tank hunter in Germany's last fighting years.