PanzerKampfWagen VI - Tiger I & II

The Tiger was a radical change in design from earlier German Tanks which tried to balance Armament, Speed, Armour & Manoeverability. The emphasis for the Tiger being on Armour Protection and Firepower at the expense of Speed & Manoeverability. In the 1930's a new specification for a Heavy Tank was being looked at but it was the Russian T-34 that prompted the Germans to look seriously at a new design after many notable successes on the Eastern Front by T-34's & KV-1's against Panzer Mk III & IV's raised serious concerns in the German High Command. Henschel & Son came up with the design specification for the Tiger, Ferdinand Porsche came up with the name, and it 1st saw Combat in 1942 in the Leningrad sector of the Eastern Front. Although few in number the Tiger was a formidable opponent and could take on most of the Allied Tanks at ranges up to and sometimes exceeding 1600 Metres. A range that most Allied Tanks couldn't even get close to achieving. Combining this with it's extremely thick Frontal Armour (110 mm), Allied rounds would more often than not just bounce off without doing any damage causing a "Tiger Phobia" amongst Allied Tank Crews who would sometimes avoid rather than take on a Tiger in combat. However the Tiger was not without it's problems and serious Mechanical issues surfaced resulting in breakdowns in the field which lead to examples being captured firstly by the Russians and then by the Western Allies in Tunisia during the final phase of the North African Campaign. The Russians in particular studied the strengths and weaknesses of the Tiger and devised tactics to defeat it. The British & Americans were somewhat slower to do this, rightly thinking that only a few would be built. This however would prove costly in later campaigns when Tigers were encountered by the Sherman in particular which would usually end up a blazing wreck if hit directly by a round from the Tiger's lethal 88mm Gun. Only the best Anti Tank Guns had a chance to knock out a Tiger from any angle. The British 17 Pounder could knock out a Tiger from about 1000 Metres for example. The other disadvantages of the Tiger were it's inability to negotiate Bridges due to it's width and weight (56 Tonnes). This was partially rectified by adding special cooling equipment and water tight but floodable compartments within the hull on early Tigers enabling them to Ford 4 Metre Deep Water although this was dropped in later models and it was only able to Ford 2 Metres Depth. Only the Russians brought out anything that was capable of taking on and defeating the Tiger in any quantity in the shape of the IS-2 Heavy Tank and it's later variants. The American M26 Pershing and the British Comet I were never present in enough numbers to make much of a difference.







Tiger I - Captured Tiger in Tunisia, Front & Side view of Tiger I (Turret No. 131) at Bovington Tank Museum in Dorset

 

Tiger I : Technical Spec's


Designer : Henschel & Son

In Service : 1942 - 1945

Number Built : 1355

Weight : 56.9 Tonnes

Crew : 5

Engine : Maybach HL 230 P 45 (V-12 Petrol) of 690.4 hp *

Suspension : Torsion Bar

Operational Range : 110-195 km

Max Speed : 38 kmh (governed)

Primary Armament : 1 x 8.8cm KwK L/56 High Velocity Gun (92 Rounds)

Secondary Armament : 2 x 7.62mm MG34 Machine Guns (4800 Rounds)

* - Early Models had the Maybach HL 210 P 30 Engine but this was found inadequate for the task of propelling the tank.

 

Tiger II


The Tiger II was a development from the Panther & Tiger I and incorporated the Sloping Armour of the Panther & Same Engine & Transmission as the Tiger I. First seeing combat in Normandy in 1944 it again proved a formidable opponent like it's predecessor, but unfortunately for the Germans because of going straight in to combat from the Factory without extensive trials, the mechanical issues resurfaced from the Tiger I but were exacerbated because the Tiger II was now under-powered for it's weight, which was 12 tonnes heavier than the Tiger I. The Russians captured a Tiger II and evaluated it at their proving ground at Bulkin. They found that it suffered from many defects which could prove fatal if the Tank was cornered and effective tactics for countering the threat were devised. Less than 500 were built and they saw action on the Eastern & Western Fronts before War's end. Most notably in the Ardennes Offensive (Battle of the Bulge) during the late winter of 1944 & early spring of 1945 when the Germans launched their last great offensive in the West, trying to split the Allied Armies by taking the Port of Antwerpe in Belgium. This failed mainly due to shortages of fuel and sustained Allied pressure on the flanks of the "Bulge" resulting in the virtual disintegration of the Wehrmacht in the West.






Tiger II - Housed in a Museum in Leipzig, In Normandy (1944), At La Gleize, Belgium (Museum)

 

Tiger II - Technical Spec's


Designed by : Henschel & Son/Krupp (Turret)

In Service : 1944-1945

Designed : 1943

Manufacturer : Henschel & Son

Produced : 1943 - 1945

Number Built : 487

Weight : 69.8 Tonnes (With Production Turret)

Crew : 5

Engine : Maybach HL 230 P 30 (V-12 Petrol) of 690 hp

Transmission : Maybach OLVAR EG 40 12 16 B (8 Forward Gears & 4 Reverse)

Suspension : Torsion Bar (Slight Variation on Tiger I)

Range : 170 km

Max Speed : 41.5 kmh

Main Armament : 1 x 8.8cm KwK 43 L/71 High Velocity Gun (84 Rounds)

Secondary Armament : 2 x MG34 Machine Guns (4800 Rounds)