The Germans had the most diverse self propelled artillery branch of all belligerents in the Second World War. Even if it wasn't the most numerous, there were many different types from tank destroyers with bulletproof armour to assault guns. One of the classes that the Germans created was called Waffenträger (Gun Carrier). They could be built on tank chassis, but there were also completely original chassis that used components from production tanks.
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| Waffenträger für 8.8 cm PaK 43 L/71 (Ardelt) in Patriot Park. |
Patriot Park now contains the world's largest collection of German vehicles from the Second World War. Today, most of the exhibits are displayed in display area #1, including one quite unusual vehicle. This is the Waffenträger für 8.8 cm PaK 43 L/71 (Ardelt), a tank destroyer that appeared towards the end of the war. In this case the concept of a "Gun Carrier" is quite literal, since the vehicle was developed to replace the towed carriage of the Pak 43 anti-tank gun.
