1/48 Tamiya Hetzer Mid Production ( THC 32511)

In 1943 the German high command ordered development of a new light tank destroyer to replace vehicles like the StuG III and Marder. Prototypes of the Hetzer, which shared many components of the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t), were ready by 1944 and mass production began in April of the same year, with 2,584 vehicles produced by May, 1945. Manned by a crew of 4, it featured a 75mm Pak 39 L/48 gun in fixed mounting, and sloped armour covering the entire hull. The Hetzer was continually modified during production, which accounts for the many differences between early, mid and later production models. The Hetzer was Germany's main tank destroyer in the latter period of the war, and made an important contribution to both the Eastern and Western fronts.