Bergerpanzer 38(t) was a recovery vehicle based on the Hetzer base, with lower open-top superstructure, manufactured by BMM company of Prague. The plans were approved in September 1944 and called for production of 170 vehicles until the end of 1944. In fact just 101 vehicles were built. To meet the production plans it was decided to convert 64 summer production Hetzers into armoured recovery vehicles, but it is unknown how many were actually converted. Production was much slower than planned and total number of about 180 vehicles were finished up until the end of the war.
The Bergepanzer was equipped with a two-ton folding jib crane used to handle engines and other heavy components. Additionally the recovery vehicle was equipped with a five-ton winch manufactured by the Baumgarten company (most of the Early Bergehetzers also had this winch installed to pull other vehicles stuck in mud, using a large pulley). The winch was driven by the vehicle´s engine through its transmission system. At the end a blade was installed at the rear of the hull (Late variant only ), but it is again unclear how many vehicles were equipped with it. There were also some development works to install the blade at the front of the vehicle, as seen in the company blueprints, but probably these plans were never realized.
Early Bergehetzer variant were mostly equipped with the early type of road and idler wheels, it had different towing eyes, the front armor was thinner than the Late variant, its engine cover was the early type and without the two additional small access hatches, and featured the early type of exhaust muffler. The rear support blade was developed later and installed on the Late Bergehetzer variant only.
