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Upvote informative, well sourced answers.Other factors that killed the concept of the Destroyer included the fielding of ATGMs(Anti-Tank Guided Missiles) which could do the same job while being much more reliable and cheaper as well.New to /r/AskHistorians? Please read our subreddit rules and FAQ before posting! Apply for Flair MBTs were now able to do everything Tank Destroyers could while being more versatile and better able to support infantry. It was primarily the Main Battle Tank concept that killed the Tank Destroyers. It was also extremely effective with it’s superior HE shells against enemy artillery, anti-tank guns soft-skinned vehicles and infantry. It destroyed more Allied AFVs than any other German vehicle and was produced in greater numbers than any other German vehicle except their half-track. The StuG III Assault Gun, Ausfuhrung G variant. The best tank destroyer of WWII, German Jagdpanther (Photo: Bundesarchive) Without a doubt, the biggest and flashiest tank destroyer of the World War II was the German Jagdpanther, but, the one that did the most damage for the longest time, is the StuG III Assault Gun, especially the Ausfuhrung G variant.

This is primarily due to the rise of a universal tank or the Main Battle Tank concept. Oddly enough, destroyers can also include AFVs that aren’t necessarily “tank-like”, such as the American M3 GMC, which was basically a truck with an anti-tank gun mounted on it. It should also be noted that the concept of the Tank Destroyer pretty much died out by the end of the Second World War. German Jadgpanther, a heavy tank destroyer (Photo: Wiki) This, however, came at the cost of being able to mount smaller weaponry with the largest being a 90mm on the M36. Obviously, there were destroyers with turrets, most notably the American tank destroyers, but the majority lacked a turret.

Tank destroyers modern