The Jagdpanzer 38 (Sd Kfz 1382) later known as Hetzer (baiter) was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38 (t) chassis The project was inspired by the Romanian Mare&351;al tank destroyer The Jagdpanzer 38 was intended to be more cost-effective than the much more ambitious Jagdpanther & Jagdtiger designs of the same period Using a proven chassis it avoided the mechanical problems of the larger armoured vehicles It was built on the Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t)&8216;s widened & lengthened chassis with modified suspension (larger road-wheels from Praga TNH n A prototype reconnaissance tank) & up-rated engine The new engine was 160 PS Praga AC2 6-cylinder engine controlled by Praga-Wilson gearbox (5 forward & 1 reverse gear) Chassis was modified in order to accommodate larger gun & thicker armour than regular Panzerkampfwagen 38 (t) tank Its combat weight was 16 metric tons (versus 98-tonnes for the Pz 38 (t) & it could travel at maximum speed of some 42 kmh