Tank destroyers in World War II were usually turretless for the Germans and Russians, but American and some British designs had turrets. The majority of tank destroyers were an equivalent sized gun of a tank for a cheaper price. Tank destroyers were mainly effective against tanks and were considerably less effective against infantry. The top 10 tank destroyers of World War II were evaluated on main gun, maneuverability/speed, armored protection, and battlefield experience.
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The need to mount the powerful 17 pounder in an armored fighting vehicle as soon as possible led to the design of the Archer tank destroyer. The Archer became available for combat late in 1944. The 17 pounder gun was mounted on a Valentine tank chassis in a rear-facing mount. This gun could defeat German heavy tanks fairly well. The armor on an Archer was nothing impressive, and had an open top thereby exposing the crew to high explosive fire. It had almost the same mobility characteristics of the Valentine tank. Borrowing the Valentine's slow speed hurt this tank destroyer causing it to take the number ten spot on the list.
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The Su-100 first saw combat in mid-1944 replacing the obsolete Su-85. It was soon realized that its 100mm L/60 gun (which was adapted from a naval gun) was more than adequate for dealing with German tanks. The 100mm gun actually proved slightly better than the 122mm L/43 gun in firing tests! The Su-100 was limited to the number of shells it could carry by their size, however. This tank destroyer was armored well enough to be a major contender coupled with its outstanding gun. It was based on the chassis of the T-34 and retained that tanks ruggedness. The Su-100 was also one of the faster tank destroyers of the war. As you can see, the Su-100 earned its spot at #9. A late war entry with medium combat experience prevents this tank killer from possesing a higher rank.
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As soon as the Germans could, they mounted the outstanding 88mm L/71 gun in a tank destroyer. Although not the only tank destroyer to mount the 88 L/71 the Nashorn was the better of the two (the other one being the unreliable Elefant). It came into service in mid-1943, giving it long combat experience. In 1943, the 88mm L/71 that the Nashorn was packing could destroy anything and everything the Allies had at extreme ranges. The Nashorn was based on a hybrid chassis of the Panzer-III and the Panzer-IV. It was reliable and its speed was neither to bad nor to outstanding. It was, however, thinly armored and had an opened top, thus causing it to fall to the #8 spot.
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At 70 some tonnes the JagdTiger was the largest beast to see combat in World War Two. It was based on a lengthened chassis of the King Tiger. The JagdTiger mounted the most powerful anti-tank gun of the war; the huge 128mm L/58 gun. It was placed in an armored superstructure which was all but invunerable to any Allied gun. In fact, the front armor of the JagdTiger was 10mm thicker than that of the super-heavy weight Maus! It didn't see combat until the Battle of the Bulge and also in Hungary against the Russians. Only enough were built to equip two special battalions. It was so underpowered and lacking in manueverability because of its huge weight that it keeps this formidable defensive monster from being placed higher on the list.
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The M18 Hellcat was, unlike all other American tank destroyers of the war, a completely new design unto itself. It mounted the same 76 L/54 gun of the later M4 Sherman tanks which had comparable performance to the guns of the Panzer-IVtanks which it encountered. It saw action shortly after the Normandy landings and fought on through the rest of the war. It was a rugged vehicle that was very reliable. It can also lay claim to being the fastest armored vehicle of the entire war, with an amazing top speed of just under 50 mph. This speed didn't come without a price, however. It was very thinly armored to allow for a high power to weight ratio giving it its speed. This lack of armor keeps the Hellcat from claiming a higher spot among the top 10 tank destroyers.
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The Stug-IIIg comes from a long line of previous battle tested Stug-III tank destroyers and retains all their splendid performance, but does them one better. This ausf. of the Stug-III series mounted the longer barreled 75mm L/48, where as previous versions had the 75mm L/43 or 75mm L/24 gun. The first version with the 75mm L/24 was not ideal for tank destroying, but wasn't designed for this purpose, however, it was designed for close infantry support. The encountering of the Russian T-34 tank made necessary the adaptation of the long barreled 75mm gun on the Stug-III series. The Stug-IIIg became available for combat at the end of 1942, which allowed it to serve on many fronts, in many battles. Its armor was about average for tank destroyers of its day and its speed was on average, too. It was a reliable mechanical performing vehicle. It was, however, outclassed by heavier and bigger Russian tanks, which they could not always destroy towards the later stages of the war.
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The Hetzer was introduced into the war around the time of the Normandy landings and served on with distinction until the end of the war. It was based on the obsolete Pz-38(t) chassis. The Hetzer can probably lay claim to being the smallest and most compact tank destroyer of the war. Its small silhouette made it a difficult object to spot. This compactness did mean, however, that the four man crew was more or less cramped into the fighting compartment with little room. The Hetzer mounted the same 75mm L/48 gun as the Stug-IIIg. It had well sloped armor on its front hull, giving it a big boost in armored protection. It had very thin side armor and a semi-average top speed placing it at the #4 spot.
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Another tank destroyer based on the proven M4 Sherman tank chassis. The M36 Jackson came into its own in mid-late-1944 when it was introduced into combat. Its arrival marked the end of the German's 88mm gun reigning supreme on the battlefield on the Western Front. The reason: the M36 Jackson had a redesigned turret which allowed it to mount the best American anti-tank gun of the war; the 90mm L/50 gun. It was able to deal with Tigers and Panthers in much the same manner that they could deal with American tanks; at long ranges with a high-velocity main gun. It was a great boost to the ability of the Americans to destroy German tanks. It had sufficient speed for its job. The M36 Jackson improved on the M10 and M18 in armor protection, but was still not on par with German heavies stopping this tank buster from overtaking the #2 spot.
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A huge monster introduced in the early months of 1944. It traces its roots back to the Su-152 which performed outstanding at the Battle of Kursk. It was a platform for the giant 152mm L/32 gun, which, with its huge projectile could crash through the toughest German armor. The JSu-152 was also well protected, being the second best protected tank destroyer behind the JagdTiger. All of this thick armor and huge gun made this tank destroyer a heavy weight, with speed comparable to the Tiger tank. It was based on the early Joseph Stalin tank series chassis and was fairly reliable. This beast could hold its own in any heavy fight and because of relatively slow speeds it gets the #2 spot.
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This is the best all around tank destroyer of World War Two. Although it was only made in limited numbers (approx. 400), it made an impact as soon as it entered into service, which was early enough to see combat in Normandy and for the rest of the war. It is no coincidence that the JagdPanther is the best tank destroyer, and was based on the chassis of the best tank of World War Two, the Panther. It was a reliable machine based on a proven system. It mounted the powerful 88mm L/71 gun, making its tank destroying capabilities even more powerful than the Panther. It was also, a well protected tank, with armor as thick as the JSu-152 except on the sides. The armor was well designed, being sloped at good angles increasing the chance of a shot being deflected away and not penetrating its armor. And for all its armor and weight, it was fast, and more manueverable than many tank destoryers smaller than it! All of these factors combined to make one unbeatable tank destroyer, feared anywhere it fought.
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