Jagdpanther - Department of Corrections – Rear Hatch and Fittings Part 1 - Inside Track | Renault TSF Tank Kent

At Militracts, in Overloon, last May we were offered some very rare Jagdpanther parts which could not be overlooked. Over the years since our original restoration we had already found an original rear door and a hinge strap which had yet to be fitted. The new-found parts would result in almost 100% original crew cabin door. This could then replace our existing authentic reproduction currently fitted to the Jagdpanther 411. The currently fitted door, hinges and fittings will make a welcome contribution to the already substantial heap of parts for the second Jagdpanther project. The Jagdpanther 411 project, of nearly twenty years ago, was completed without the benefit of internet search engines and of sellers on eBay. Smaller components that can be found relatively easily on the internet today had to be located by travelling immense distances and trawling through stalls at militaria fairs and shows. To find a set of door rides and one of the locks for the crew cabin door can only be described as luck. The restoration of Jagdpanther 411 had to been done under unique circumstances. The only saving grace for that project was the Panther tank – her stable mate. If the parts were from Panther Ausf.G, they could provide many of the required suspension, drive train including engine and gear box, engine bay fittings such as air inlet and outlet castings and engine deck components. The remainder of the special Jagdpanther parts required had to either have come as part of the project, sourced from the dealer community or remanufactured to original detail. To find an original crew cabin rear door and its fittings was one step beyond what was possible now or then without the intervention of a critical factor – luck!. The last non original item replaced on Jagdpanther 411 was the wooden jack block holder removed some five years after the original restoration. The jack block holder is welded to the right rear side of the hull. The condition of the “original” jack block when found was average at best but was still infinitely better as a replacement for the newly made example. (See attached images of the replacement original block holder). These recent Jagdpanther door parts will require some work. The torsion bar fitted to the interior of both door hinge ride/pivots is broken and will need to be replaced with a newly made example. Images of the torsion bar emerging from both hinge rides provide us with a very rare view of the construction of this spring steel bar. The torsion bar serves as an assist in the operation of the door by supporting the immense weight of the door. Without this feature the door would be even more difficult for a crew member to open and close. Comparison of these original two door rides with those from the Tank Museum’s Jagdpanther show the weld seam around the body of the object - in the copy, the Tank Museum’s relatively well preserved Jagdpanther and the newly found examples where corrosion has all but removed evidence of the weld seam. The original lock provided with the door grouping parts requires the base to be straightened (See attached photos). This should be made possible with the application of heat and some blacksmithing prowess learned by the Foundation over the years.

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