Nashorn

SdKfz 164 Nashorn
Type	Tank destroyer
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Production history
Designer	Alkett
Manufacturer	Deutsche Eisenwerke
No. built	473
Specifications
Weight	24 tonnes (52,910 lbs)
Length	8.44 m (27 ft 8 in) with gun
Width	2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)
Height	2.65 m (8 ft 8 in)
Crew	4 or 5
Armor	hull: 20-30 mm (.78-1.18 in) superstructure: 10 mm (.39 in)
Main armament	8.8 cm (3.46 in) Pak 43/1
Secondary armament	7.92 mm MG (carried inside)
Engine	Maybach 11.9 litre V-12 gasoline 300 PS (296 hp, 221 kW)
Power/weight	12.5 PS (9.2 kW) / tonne
Suspension	leaf spring
Operational range	235 km (146 mi)
Speed	42 km/h (26.71 mph)

Nashorn (German "rhinoceros", pronounced [ˈnaːshɔɐ̯n]), initially known as Hornisse (German "hornet"), was a German tank destroyer of World War II. It was developed as an interim solution in 1942 by equipping a light turretless chassis with the Pak 43 heavy anti-tank gun. Though only lightly armoured and displaying a high profile, it could frontally penetrate any Allied tank at long range, and its relatively low cost and superior mobility to heavier vehicles ensured it remained in production until the war's end.

After the first German experiences with the newer Soviet tanks like the T-34 or the Kliment Voroshilov tank during Operation Barbarossa, the need for a Panzerjäger capable of destroying these more heavily armoured tanks became clear.

In February 1942, the Alkett (Altmärkische Kettenwerke GmbH) arms firm of Berlin designed a tank destroyer using their recently developed Geschützwagen III/IV which as its name indicated used components of both the Panzer III and Panzer IV tank. The 8,8 cm Panzerjägerkanone 43/1 L/71 (or shortly Pak 43/1), a long-barreled anti-tank gun more known as the main armament of the Tiger II, was mounted on the rear of the chassis complete with its gun shield and an open-topped superstructure was built up around the gun to give the crew some protection. The gun had the same traverse and elevation as if it had been on its carriage: 15° to either side and between -5° to +15° elevation. To accommodate the long and heavy gun, the hull had to be lengthened and the engine moved from the rear to the centre of the chassis. The amount of armour provided for the crew compartment was limited. The shielding provided was adequate to protect the crew from blast and small arms, but not armour piercing rounds. Thus, like the Marder series weapons, the vehicle was not intended to engage in tank fights, but to provide mobility to an excellent anti-tank gun.