The design of the Hetzer was planned in December 1943 and already in January 1944 a wooden mock up in 1:1 scale was shown to the HWA. The design based on the undecarriage of the Panzer 38(t) with four slightly bigger roadwheels per side and with a comple new and angled superstructure in which a 7.5cm PaK39 was installed. The Hetzer was armored with 60mm plates at the front and 20mm at the sides. It got the Praga EPA engine with 160hp, which allowed a top speed of 40km/h.
The first prototype was delivered in March 1944 and tested extensively. Several areas needed to be reworked and from May 1944 some items were changed, just as another gun mantlet, different idlers, etc.
In the following months there were frequent changes in the series production - mainly in the appearance of the gun mantlet and idler wheels. The later one had no less then 6 different designs.
The Hetzer was 6.27m long, 2.63m wide and 2.10m high. It had 35cm wide tracks with a ground pressure of 0.78kg/cm².
All in all 2584 Hetzer were produced until the end of the war.

The StuG Abt.1708 belonged to the Volksgrenadierdivision 708 and fought on the Western Front. In October 1944 they received 14 Hetzers and was renamed to Pz.Jg.Abt.1708. The further fate is unknown.