The "Jagdpanzer" 38 succeeded the open-top "Marder III" (based on the same chassis). Starting from April 1944, about 2584 were built until the end of the war. The older "Marder III Panzerjäger" series retained the same vertically sided chassis as Panzer 38(t). In the "Jagdpanzer" 38, the lower hull sides slope 15 degrees outward to make a roughly hexagonal shape when viewed from front or rear. This increased the available interior space and enabled a fully enclosed casemate-style fighting compartment. Because of the fully enclosed armor, it was 5 tonnes heavier than the "Marder" III. To compensate for the increased weight, track width was increased from 293 mm to 350 mm.