TankCraft 42, JagdTiger Heavy Tank Destroyer, German Army Western Front, 1945, details the short life of the heaviest armored vehicle to fight in World War II. Weighing in at about 73 tons, it was a massive vehicle built around the “heavy assault gun” designed for the Panzerkampfwagen (Pz.Kpfw.) VIII Maus – the 12.8 cm Kw.K. L/55 (Kw.K. – Kampfwagen Kanone – Fighting vehicle gun).This book outlines the development of the Jagdtiger from concept in 1942 to first combat in January 1945 through the end of the war. Despite shortages, aerial attacks and the war going against Germany, over 80 of these vehicles were produced (actual number is unknown and is debatable as details were scarce at the end of the war).

This 64-page book is outlined in the familiar TankCraft format and is loaded with incredible black and white photographs, color illustrations, supporting text and detailed captions, modeling references and a bibliography in the following chapters:

• Introduction
• The Western Front, 1945
• The Jagdtiger Units
• The Jagdtigers
• Camouflage and Markings
• Model Showcase
• Modeling Products
• Technical Details and Modifications
• The Kriegsstärkenweissungen (War Strength Predictions)
• Product Contact Details

Author Dennis Oliver does an amazing job highlighting the actions, tanks, and units doing the fighting. This is further highlighted for modelers with 20 Jagdtiger color profiles over ten pages, five fantastic model builds over 18 pages, four pages of model manufacturers, and the extensive technical details and modifications. This is an amazingly detailed book on the intricacies of the Jagdtiger.

Dennis Oliver’s research of model companies is extensive and fun to read.

Interestingly named for the Ente Scambi Coloniali Internazionali, or Colonial Trade Exchange, ESCI was founded in 1930 and began producing plastic model kits in the early 1960s. The company was responsible for several important innovations including the first hard plastic link-and-length tracks which ESCI introduced in 1985. The 1/72 scale Jagdtiger was first released in 1974 and re-boxed many times.

The beginning of the Technical Details and Modifications chapter is where the author really shines, and his research is evident.

From February 1944, when the first production series Jagdtiger was accepted, until May 1945, when the assembly plant was overrun by units of the Red Army, these heavy armoured vehicles were subject to almost constant change and upgrading. These modifications were sometimes introduced as economy measures but also as a means of increasing the Jagdtiger’s combat efficiency and to remedy a number of technical problems, many of which bedevilled the design throughout its existence. It should be mentioned that many available records are ambiguous, or even contradictory, while others simply did not survive the war and the picture press bedeviled here has been compiled from a number of sources including photographic evidence. Therefore, this section is not intended to be a definitive history of the development of the Jagdtiger but will hopefully serve as a useful spotter’s guide and also explain some of the terminology that many readers may find confusing. As the Jagdtiger was essentially based on the suspension and hull of the Tiger II, a number of modifications incorporated into that programme were applied to the new design.

The Technical Details and Modifications chapter is amazing with crisp illustrations and photographs and clearly marked arrows and captions to details. The author did an amazing job highlighting the differences between Jagdtigers. While other armored fighting vehicles were largely interchangeable within their class, Jagdtigers were almost unique by Farhgestelinummer (Fgst Nr. – chassis number for the Jagdtigers were assigned beginning with 305001), and all were assembled at the Nibelungenwerk (Ni-Werk) factory in Sankt Valentin, Austria (which also assembled the Pzkpfw IV Ausf). Dennis Oliver has two sections in the book that outline the characteristics of each of the Jagdtigers by their Fgst Nr. For modelers, this information is key as it allows a model to be built accurately to reflect an actual vehicle. For example, thirteen Jagdtigers were built on Porsche suspension, the rest on Henschel suspensions; there were three types of gun travel locks; 9 and 18 tooth drive sprockets; three types of tracks; Zimmerit (both to lower track hanger, upper track hanger, or none); track hanger sets; etc. There is also speculation that four of the last Jagdtigers were fitted with 8.8cm cannons due to shortages.

If you want detailed and easy-to-understand history of the Jagdtiger, inspiration and research to build a model of this unique German fighting vehicle, or you just want to enjoy great illustrations, this is a good book to start. With my copy of JagdTiger Heavy Tank Destroyer, German Army Western Front, 1945, I will be able to pull a Jagdtiger out of my stash and have an outstanding reference to build a particular vehicle.

Profuse thanks to Casemate Publishers and IPMS/USA for providing the review sample.