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German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger". Tiger tank

German tank appeared in 1942 T VI "Tiger""was the most powerful enemy on the battlefield until the end of the Second World War. Large and slow-moving, and unreliable due to the complexity of the design. But when the PzKpfw VI Tiger tank entered battle, its armor and gun made it a serious opponent. Powerful and well-armed war machines.

German tank tiger T VI

The combination of powerful armor and superior firepower meant that when making the right choice position and with an experienced crew, the Tiger was almost invulnerable.
The development of the concept of the Tiger tank dates back to 1937, when the technical specifications for the new heavy tank was issued by the German Ministry of Armaments to Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN and Porsche. At this stage it was seen as a heavy tank capable of breaching defenses such as the Maginot Line.

Destroyed german tank tiger T VI

Work on the project was suspended when the T-III and T-IV tanks proved their superiority in Europe, but work resumed in May 1941 on a 45-ton tank armed with a modified 88 mm anti-aircraft gun. The appearance of our T34 and KV tanks on the battlefield convinced the Wehrmacht of the need for a heavy tank with armor of the greatest possible thickness. With the intervention of the Fuhrer, the structure became larger and heavier. Prototypes of the Pz Kpfw VI were ready for display in Rothenburg in East Prussia for the Fuhrer's birthday on April 20. Henschel and Porsche separately presented cars that were later equipped with an integrated diesel-electric drive. The Henschel design was considered more practical and economical to manufacture, although 90 Porsche chassis were converted into tank destroyers. They are now known as "Elephants" or "Ferdinands".

Tiger tank in Africa Tunisia

The entire journey from project to production of the Tiger took less than three years. In 1942, the German Tiger tank T VI T-6 began to enter service with the troops. A total of 1,354 tanks were produced; each tiger cost the German treasury about 1 million Reichsmarks, which is several times more expensive than our T-34/85 tank.
Michael Wittmann (SS) was the most successful tank ace of the war, he and his crew destroyed over 100 enemy tanks on the Eastern Front. Combat use German tank tiger T VI T-6 here .

German tank T VI captured near Leningrad

The main armament of the tank was the 88-mm KwK-36 L/56 cannon, converted from an anti-tank version of the excellent "eighty-eighth" anti-aircraft gun. It was the most powerful anti-tank gun ever used in any army, capable of hitting 112 mm armor from a distance of 1400 m. The Tiger had 92 rounds for the main gun, stowed in the hull bunker, turret racks and wherever else it could be found. was within reach. The Tiger's 88mm gun was superior in direct range and penetration to almost any other tank gun, with the exception of the gun of the hybrid Anglo-American Sherman tank, but very few of these were produced.

The range of tanks hitting each other diagram

German tank tiger T VI T-6 photo penetrated the frontal armor of the Cromwell tank from any distance of 2500 m.
The 75-mm cannon of the Cromwell tank did not penetrate the Tiger's armor at any distance.

Cromwell tank speed jump

The Tiger penetrated the frontal armor of the Sherman M4A2 tank from a distance of 1800 m.
Sherman" with a short-barreled 76-mm cannon did not penetrate the Tiger's armor from any distance.
The Tiger hit the M4A4 Sherman tank from a distance of 1800 m.
An M4A4 with a 76 mm cannon must approach 700 m to penetrate the front armor of a German T VI tank.
"Tiger T VI"pierced the frontal armor of the Sherman Firefly from a distance of 1800 m.
The Sherman Firefly (M4), armed with a British 17-foot anti-tank gun, could penetrate the frontal armor of a Tiger from a distance of 1,750 m.
The tiger hit the Soviet T-34/85 tank from a distance of 1400 m.
The T-34 tank with an 85-mm cannon only had a chance of hitting the Tiger from a distance of less than 500 m.
Coordinated work of the crew is the key to success.
Crew tasks. The tank commander led and found targets, the gunner determined the position of the targets; the loader selected the projectile according to the chosen target. The well-organized work of the crew did German tank tiger T VI T-6 photo dominator on the battlefield.

Soviet tank crews inspect a damaged Tigr TVI tank

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS PzKpfw VI Aust E "Tiger"

Crew: five people Weight: 55,000 kg
Dimensions: Length (including weapons) 8.24 m; body length 6.2 m; width 3.73 m; height 2.86 m; the width of the combat tracks is 71.5 cm; width of transport tracks 51.5 cm
Armor protection: 100 mm thick frontal armor on the turret and hull; on the sides of the turret - 80 mm armor; on the side walls of the hull - 60-80 mm armor; upper and lower armor - 25 mm
Powerplant: Maybach HL 230 45 12-cylinder petrol engine with 522 kW (700 hp)
Specifications:
maximum road speed 45 km/h; normal maximum speed 38 km/h; maximum speed over rough terrain 18 km/h; the maximum range on the road was 195 km, but in combat conditions it rarely exceeded 100 km;
ford depth - 1.2 m; maximum steepness of the climb - 60%; the height of the vertical obstacle to be overcome is 0.79 m, the trench is 1.8 m

The explosion tore off the turret of the Tiger T6 tank

Main weapons:

KwK-36/56 88 mm gun with 92 rounds
Type of projectiles: armor-piercing projectiles, armor-piercing tungsten core projectiles, cumulative projectiles
Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s (high-explosive projectile); 773 m/sec (armor-piercing projectile); 930 m/sec (armor-piercing projectile with tungsten core)
Effective firing range:
3000 m for an armor-piercing projectile and 5000 m for a high-explosive projectile
Penetration:
171 mm armor at close range and 110 mm at a distance of 2000 m when using an armor-piercing projectile with a tungsten core
Additional weapons:
One 7.92-mm MG-34 machine gun, coaxial with the gun, and one MG-34 machine gun, movably mounted in the front hull plate.
Here =>> Combat use of the German tiger tank T VI T-6.

Good day! Today there are not many surviving tanks of the Tiger family. Surviving and restored cars are available for viewing general public, are in museums in different countries. Their photographs and locations will be presented below. Links to sources of information are attached. As you will see, there are very few surviving cars, but who knows, maybe there are still other Tigers hidden in closed private collections.

Tiger I - Bovington Tank Museum, UK - working condition.

Chassis number 250112 (Alan Hamby). The engine (Maybach HL 230) comes from one of the museum's two Royal Tigers, most likely the one with the Porsche turret.

History and restoration of this Tiger - http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal.htm.

Tiger I – Tank Museum in Münster, Germany.

This tank has been on display in Münster since April 2013. Citizen Hoebig, who reconstructed this tank, was once the owner of the Trun junkyard in Normandy. Knowing that several Tiger Is had been cut into pieces at this junkyard, he probably took all the parts and started welding them together. Some details, such as the barrel and wheels, came from Latvia (Courland region). Trucks are a complete reproduction. The tank, which currently consists of 90% original parts, is most likely empty inside and will be missing an engine and gearbox.

Tiger I – Vimoutiers, France.

The chassis number is unknown. The number 251113 (often confused with the chassis number) is actually the turret number of this example.

Tiger I – Museum of Armored Vehicles in Saumur, France.

Chassis number 251114. This tank was leased from the tank museum in Münster in 2003-2004.

Commander's Tiger I – Tank Museum in Kubinka, Russia.

Chassis number 250427. This tank is believed to have belonged to s. Pz. Abt. 424, and was captured during the retreat of this battalion in January 1945. The tank is now painted and marked s. Pz. Abt. 505. This is the command version of the Tiger I.

Tiger I - Military History Museum, Lenino-Snegiri (Russia) - very poor condition.

Chassis number 251227, the heavily damaged vehicle is located at the Nakhabino military training ground, where it is often used as a tough target. This tank was found with several Shermans (which are on display at Lenino-Snegiri) and a Hull Tiger, which is now in private collection in Germany. There were three different Tigers in total at the Nakhabino Test Site (the third was completely destroyed), all three were brought from the Courland Pocket, Latvia and belonged to Schw.Pz.Abt. 510.

Tiger I - National Museum of Armor and Cavalry, Fort Benning, Georgia (USA).

This tank was loaned to Germany (Sinsheim Auto + Technik Museum, Panzermuseum Munster), later moved to Kevin Wheatcroft's collection for several years, and returned to the USA in July 2012.

Chassis number 250031. Belongs to s. Pz. Abt. 504, tactical number was 712. He was captured in Tunisia in May 1943.

Chassis number 280101, belonged to s. SS-Pz. Abt. 501 with tactical number "121". He was captured in France (La Capelle, near Cambrai and the Belgian border) in September 1944.

Chassis number 280273, built December 1944. The tank was abandoned here on December 24, 1944. Restored in the 1970s. Tactical number 213.

Chassis number 280112. According to an article from magazine no. 54, this tank, which now bears turret number 233, may be tank 123, which belonged to the 1st company 101 SS.s.Abt in August 1944. It may have been abandoned by the crew of 23 August 1944, due to engine problems, in Brueil-en-Vexin (near Mantes-la-Jolie). The tank was apparently saved French Army in September 1944 and then stored at the AMX factory in Satory until transferred to the museum when it was created. The vehicle was out of service for several months due to problems with the gearbox, but the tank was later repaired.

Currently rented from the tank museum in Thun, to be brought into working condition for 5 years (data from the museum, starting in July 2007).

Chassis number 280215, belonged to s. Pz. Abt. 506. This tank was given by France to Switzerland after the war.

This tank served in the s.Pz. Abt. 501 and was captured by the Soviet Army in the Polish village of Oględów in August 1944. It was taken away by the Red Army during the war. The correct (original) tactical number painted on the turret is 502.

Chassis number 280243, built September 1944 (Wikipedia). This car is currently in storage and is not available to the public.

A rare variant with Porsche chassis. Chassis number 305004. Captured by the British at the Henschel training grounds in Haustenbeck, Germany in April 1945. It did not initially have a tactical number.

A battle group from s.Pz.Jg.Abt 653, equipped with 4 Jagdtigers, surrendered in Amstetten, Austria on May 5, 1945. This Jagdtiger was captured in excellent condition with a set of side skirts and a late 9 tooth chain rim. 12 hooks on each side of the top were used to secure 6 pairs of tracks. The car was not coated with Zimmerit. The instruments are lost, but an anti-aircraft MG-42 mounted on the rear engine deck survives.

This Jagdtiger was produced in October 1944. Chassis number 305020. Attached to s.Pz.Jg.Abt 653 and numbered 331. The vehicle was captured near Neustadt-Weinstrasse, Germany in March 1945. Damage is still visible on the gun mantlet, front plate and lower nose armor. The machine used a later version of the 9 tooth drive wheel.

This vehicle, which is a prototype of the Sturmtiger, was most likely in the Elbe area in April 1945. Chassis number 250043. The rollers were replaced by the Germans during the update. The engine and internal equipment are missing.

Chassis number 150072, belongs to s. Pz. Jäg. Abt. 654, with tactical number "501". Captured during the Battle of Kursk (Operation Citadel) in July 1943.

Self-propelled gun Elephant - Fort Lee US Army Artillery Museum, Virginia, USA.

This self-propelled gun was one of the first batch of 200 vehicles transferred from the MD Proving Ground in Aberdeen to Fort Lee, Virginia. Chassis number 150040, belonged to s. Pz. Jäg. Abt. 653, with tactical number "102". Captured in Italy in May 1944. During the Battle of Kursk, this self-propelled gun belonged to s. Pz. Jäg. Abt. 654 (tactical number "511"). This car is currently in storage and is not available to the public.

“Aberdeen Proving Ground”, September 2009 — https://www.flickr.com/photos/usagapg/4497115003/in/set-72157623794807980/

Tiger I turret and hull armor plates - Kevin Wheatcroft Collection, UK.

These pieces were found somewhere in Courland (Latvia). Other Tiger I parts in the Wheatcroft collection include: 3 escape hatches, part of the main gun, 1 exhaust pipe base, most of the turret side armor, rear deck cover, side splash guard wing.

Front panel of Tiger I found near the village of Kiseli, near the city of Orsk, Russia.

Tiger I tower cover – Vadim Zadorozhny Museum, Arkhangelskoye, Moscow region, Russia.

Parts of the early Tiger I turret – Memorial, Shooting Range 38 NIII, Kubinka Academy, Russia.

Some parts of Tiger I - location unknown, Russia.

Engine of the Royal Tiger - Pansarmuseet, Axvall, Sweden.

These components belong to the Royal Tiger, which was purchased by Sweden from France in 1948, for testing purposes. These parts are the last remains of the tank.

King Tiger Back Deck - Kevin Wheatcroft Collection, UK.

This piece was found in Germany in the 1990s.

King Tiger Frontal Armor Plate - Kevin Wheatcroft Collection, UK.

Steering gear of the Royal Tiger - Westwall Museum, Pirmasens, Germany.

Engine and transmission of the Royal Tiger - Tank Museum in Saumur, France.

Part of the Royal Tiger Tower discovered in 2001 near Mantes-la-Jolie, France

This tank from the 101 SS.s.Abteilung was lost in a crater near Fontenay-Saint-Pere on August 26, 1944. After the war it was blown up by a scrap metal dealer and small metal parts were buried during the construction of the D913 road. BrunoRenoult, a local historian, discovered and restored part of the tower: the roof and the left side of the tower. The tank hull (in parts) is still under the road. There is a project to restore all parts of the tank and create a monument with the tank, but it faces technical and administrative difficulties.

88 mm Jagdpanther cannon/ Part of Kingtiger armor – Schweizerisches Militär museum, Full, Switzerland.

These parts were previously on display at the Tank Museum, Thun, Switzerland

Cannon and part of the Royal Tiger tower - Museum named after. OrłaBiałego, Skarżysko-Kamienna (Poland).

Some parts of the Royal Tiger found in Hungary.

380 mm Sturmtiger mortar – Bovington Tank Museum, UK.

Of course, the German heavy tank "Tiger" is the most famous German tank from the Second World War. With its indestructible armor and powerful weapons, it posed a serious threat to Allied armored formations. In the tank duel, the Tiger tank predominantly emerged victorious.

The history of the creation of the Tiger tank

Despite the fact that already in 1933-1934. The Germans sometimes presented their Neubaufahrzeuge (Nbfz) ("newly built vehicles") as PzKpfw VI, this was nothing more than a successful propaganda trick. In fact, work on creating a new heavy tank began only in 1937. It was then that the Kassel company Henschel and Son AG "received an order from the Army Armament Directorate for the development of a heavy 30-33-ton tank, which received the designation DW1 (Durchbruc-hswagen) "breakthrough tank". From the Armament Directorate, the head of the new development department, Erwin Aders, took over the order. Because, according to the plan customer, the main task of the new tank was to be to support infantry in close combat, it was decided to arm the tank with a 75-mm KwK 37 cannon, exactly the same as that which was equipped with the PzKpfw IV. As soon as “Henschel and Son AG” presented the chassis to the customer, testing began, But already in 1938, the company unexpectedly received an order to stop all work on the prototype and begin developing a super-heavy 65-ton tank.

Soon two prototypes of the VK 6501 were created, but as soon as they began to be tested, a new directive was received - to return to the previous version (DW1). In 1940, Henschel and Son AG presented an improved version of the new tank, designated DW2. The tank weighed 32 tons, was designed for five crew members, was equipped with a torsion bar suspension of five pairs of road wheels and was armed with a 75-mm KwK 37 L/24 howitzer and two MG-34 machine guns. In 1941, tests began. At this time, three more companies are joining the process of birth of a new “breakthrough tank” - Porsche, Daimler-Benz AG and MAN.

At the testing stage, the prototype received the standard designation VK 3001 (H). The shape of the tank's hull was reminiscent of the PzKpfw IV, but the chassis was a design innovation and consisted of 7 pairs of rubberized road wheels with three supporting wheels on each side. In total, Henschel & Son AG built 4 prototypes of the VK 3001(H) - two in March

1941 and two more in October of the same year. The mass production stage was about to begin, but the appearance of the Soviet T-34 tank on the stage of the theater of operations forced the Germans to take a time out. Project VK 3001(H) was sent to trash can, although subsequently two of the four chassis produced served to create the Pz Sfl V artillery self-propelled guns with the 128 mm KwK 36 L/61 cannon.

A large order fell through, and the designers had to sit down to the drawings again. Soon, manufacturing companies presented new designs for a heavy tank to the commission. Ferdinand Porsche project (* Ferdinand Porsche is the chief designer of the Porsche design bureau, which worked closely with the Nibelungenwerke company. -Editor's note) (VK 3001 (P), also known as the Leopard tank with an electric transmission and longitudinal torsion bar suspension with 6 rollers on board seemed to the commission too unconventional and difficult to manufacture, so it was unanimously rejected. Although the new car did not exceed the specified weight, and thanks to two air-cooled carburetor engines it reached a speed of 60 km/h. MAI firms were also unlucky and Daimler-Benz AG, the commission found their projects outdated."

As in the case of the "Panther", the Fuhrer from the very beginning laid claim to the role godfather future tank. Just at the time when the commission from the Wehrmacht Armament Directorate was considering the projects presented by the manufacturers, including modernized versions of the VK 3601 (H) and VK 3601 (P) tanks, Hitler formulated his personal wishes regarding the design of the future tank. According to the Fuhrer, the “breakthrough tank” was supposed to combine all the advantages of an ideal combat vehicle - to have powerful weapons, strong armor and high maneuverability, and its maximum speed should be at least 40 km/h.

In March 1942, *Henschel and Son AG" presented a prototype that took into account all the wishes of the Fuhrer. New project, VK 4501(H), was designed for a tank version of the 88-mm FlaK 36 anti-aircraft gun. Hitler was delighted with this idea, since by that time the FlaK 36 had already established itself not only as an excellent anti-aircraft weapon, but also a powerful anti-tank gun. "

The Army Weapons Directorate, however, was very skeptical about the idea of the Henschel and Son AG, fearing that the design would be overweight, and continued to insist on equipping the tank with a lighter gun. As a result, the developers found themselves in a dead end, the way out of which was the creation of two completely different types of towers. The Krupp company created a prototype turret for an 88-mm gun, and Rheinmetall-Borzig developed a lightweight version for the 75-mm KwK 42 L/70 gun with a barrel length of 70 calibers. Looking ahead, we note that this tower remains at the project stage.

In May 1941, an official government order was received for new tank, and the deadlines are set to the strictest - by Hitler’s next birthday, the combat vehicle must be submitted for testing. In such time pressure, Henschel & Son AG made the ingenious decision to use all the best features of the VK 3001(H) and VK 3601(H) in the new project. In an effort to forestall the Fuhrer's wishes, the developers are creating two prototypes at once - "H 1", with an 88-mm cannon, and "H2" - with a 75-mm cannon. The Porsche design bureau, which received an illogical order, did approximately the same thing - they perfected the main characteristics of the previously rejected VK 3001 (P) project. This is how VK4501 (P), or “Tiger” (P), was born. The new tank had a combat weight of 57 tons, a crew of 5 people, and a speed of 35 km/h. The armament and turrets of the Krupp company were 88-mm semi-automatic anti-aircraft gun FluK 36, equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake and an electric trigger similar to the competitor's vehicle. . After modernization, it received the designation 8 cm KwK 36 L / 56 (with a barrel length of 56 calibers). - Approx. ed.

The thickness of the frontal armor of the turret and hull was 100 mm, the side armor was 80 mm. On April 20, 1942, the rivals met at tests held at the training ground near Rastenburg. As you know, Ferdinand Porsche was a personal friend of the Fuhrer, so you can imagine his disappointment and annoyance when, during the tests, the superiority of the Henschel and Son AG model was clearly demonstrated! What was even more offensive was that, without doubting his victory, Porsche had already rushed to place an order for 90 VK 3001 (P) at the Nibelungenwerke plant.

Location of the crew, ammunition, engine in the heavy tank "Tiger 1"

Nevertheless, the VK4501 (H1) project was chosen for mass production. From the end of July-beginning of August 1942 to May 1943, 285 new tanks designed by E. Aders rolled off the assembly lines of the Henschel and Son AG company. Thus began the production of the legendary PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf H1 (SdKfz 181), which later became be called "Tiger" PzKpfw VI Ausf E or "Tiger 1". The Porsche project, to his great disappointment, was not put into mass production, but its 90 chassis, already produced by the Austrian plant "Nibelungenwerke", were subsequently sent to the company " Alquette", where they served to create new combat vehicles.

A fully armored conning tower was installed on the VK 4501 (P) chassis, located in the rear. An 88-mm long-barreled gun RaK 4 3/21/71 was mounted in the wheelhouse. Two 10-cylinder Porsche carburetor engines were replaced by two Maybach MI9 HL 120 TRM with a total power of 600 hp. With. As a result, a new heavy tank destroyer, the 8.8 cm Jagdpanzer Tiger (P) SdKfz 184, was born, named after its creator Ferdinand (“Ferdinand”). Somewhat later, this “simple” name was replaced by the sonorous Elefant (“Elephant” - elephant). The 65-ton "Elephant" with 200 mm of frontal armor and a formidable 88 mm cannon was a truly terrible weapon. The Elefant SdKfz 184 self-propelled guns were first used in 1943 in the battle on Kursk Bulge, where they immediately showed themselves to be very dangerous opponents, especially at long distances."

90 Elefant SdKfz 184 tank destroyers as part of the 653rd and 654th tank destroyer divisions took part in Battle of Kursk. The losses of these vehicles in the battles near Ponyri in July 1943 amounted to 39 units. From July to November of the same year, both divisions destroyed 556 Soviet tanks and self-propelled guns. -Approx. ed.

But let's get back to the Tigers. The first mention of new German tanks appeared in a report from the British Scientific and Technical Intelligence Service in February 1941. The document reported on the creation by the Germans of a new 45-ton tank with a maximum armor thickness of 75 mm, two long-barreled 20 mm guns and 4 machine guns. It was also reported that the new tank is 36 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 6 feet high.

In addition, the car is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour and is designed for a crew of 18 (although the speaker cautiously noted that this figure may well be somewhat overestimated and modestly proposed reducing it to 13) - You don’t even know what’s in this report more - the fruits of the author’s fevered imagination, additional evidence of the effectiveness of Nazi propaganda or frightening reminiscences of German iron monsters during the First World War!
Fortunately, everything soon fell into place. On December 11, 1942, the first photographs of new tanks appeared in the German press. These were photographs of the Tigers of the 501st Heavy Battalion marching cheerfully through the streets of Tunis.

Production of Tiger 1 tanks

Tiger 1 was in production for two years (from August 1942 to August 1944). During this period, 1,354 combat vehicles of this version were produced. All this time, the exclusive manufacturer of the Tigers remained the Henschel and Son AG company, although a number of other firms and enterprises were allowed to produce components for the new tank. From a detailed report on the activities of the Henschel and Son AG company, it follows that Throughout this entire period, manufacturers only managed to achieve three-digit monthly tank output twice: the record was set in April 1944, when 104 Tigers rolled off the assembly lines.

The production process of heavy Tiger tanks at the Henschel and Son AG plant

Due to their enormous mass, the Tigers turned out to be quite difficult machines to produce, especially since the production copy turned out to be as much as 11 tons heavier than the prototype. Large dimensions, reinforced armor and a powerful long-barreled gun of increased caliber were among the undoubted advantages of the new tank, but there was a downside to the medal. The production of each Tiger took 300,000 man-hours and cost the treasury 800,000 Reichsmarks (26,600 US dollars or 6,600 British pounds). The production of one Tiger required the same amount of time as the creation of two Panthers or three Messerschmitt 109 bombers.

German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger" (SdKfz 181)

In order for the tank to withstand the recoil of the huge 88-mm long-barreled KwK 36 gun, it was necessary to create a hull from armor plates of the largest possible size.

Armor scheme for the heavy tank "Tiger"

Tiger tanks received very powerful armor protection up to 100 mm. They used rolled chromium-nickel-molybdenum homogeneous armor steel. The hull had a rectangular box-type cross-section due to the vertical installation of the side plates and a slight inclination of the frontal armor plates. The bottom of the Tiger tank was a monolithic armor plate measuring 4.88 x 1.83 m; The sides and rear of the turret were also made from a single armor plate. The armor plates were connected to each other using spikes, after which their joints were welded with special double seams, which made it possible to achieve high mechanical strength.

The Tiger was the first German tank with a chassis whose road wheels were staggered. Initially, the road wheels had rubberized tires, which on the latest Tigers were replaced by non-rubberized rollers with internal shock absorption. This type of chassis made it possible to save rubber on tires and significantly extended the service life of the roller itself, although it was accompanied by increased noise when moving.

Suspension and chassis of the Tiger tank

The structure of the suspension of the heavy tank "Tiger"

Suspension diagram of the German tank "Tiger"

The driving wheels are front-mounted. The road wheels had an individual torsion bar suspension with hydraulic shock absorbers on the first and last blocks. The staggered arrangement of the rollers made it possible to evenly distribute the huge weight of the tank and ensure smooth running of the vehicle. However, during operation, significant shortcomings of the new chassis were revealed. In particular, in winter time Snow and dirt easily accumulated between the rollers, which, when frozen, could completely block the Tigers' undercarriage. This was especially true for the operation of the tank in Russian conditions. While collecting material for this book, I looked through numerous reports from the Eastern Front in which tank crews complained that in winter the Russians deliberately postponed their attacks until the morning, waiting until the Tiger tracks were frozen solid.

German tank crews exchange “travelling” or transport tracks for combat ones after delivering Tiger tanks to the front

The "Tiger" tank is "shod" with traveling tracks, their width is clearly visible (520 mm)

And this is already a “combat” caterpillar. It is wider and has enlarged soil scooping blades.

The Tiger tank is equipped with combat tracks on a railway platform.

By the way, the Tigers used two types of tracks. Wide tracks with 725 mm tracks were called combat tracks and were used during the battle. Since this width did not allow the tank to be transported on standard railway platforms, during transportation the Tiger tank had to be “changed to other transport, narrower (520 mm) tracks. When using narrow tracks, the pressure of the tank on the ground increased from 1.03 to 1. 45 kg/cm5.

Layout of the German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger" (SdKfz 181)

The power plant on the Tigers was originally a 12-cylinder carburetor engine "Maybach" 210 P45, which in May 1943, due to the transition to the unification of tank production, was replaced by a more powerful engine "Maybach" 230 P45. On the "Tiger" tanks "Intended for use in off-road conditions, as well as in adverse climatic conditions in particularly dusty areas (North Africa), Feifcl air filters were installed. The air filters were installed in the rear of the tower and connected to the engine using a casing. The so-called "Tropical Tiger" (Tiger Tr) performed well in North Africa, but after the surrender in Tunisia, production of Feifel system air filters was suspended and never resumed.

Engine "Maybach" 230 P45 installed on "Tiger" tanks

Engine "Maybach" 210 P45 installed on "Tiger" tanks

During the initial period of production, Tigers were also produced with special equipment for underwater driving (OPVT) - snorkels. allowing you to dive to a depth of about 3.9 m and move underwater. The “floating” “Tigers” turned out to be too labor-intensive to produce and difficult to operate, so only 495 of the first tanks were equipped with the snorkel system, after which an order was received to simplify production as much as possible. From that moment on, the "Tigers" became "land". Maximum depth The water barrier that the Tigers could ford was 120 cm.

Tiger tank with a snorkel mounted on the commander's cupola

Since the huge weight of the Tigers significantly complicated the problem of braking, Henschel and Son AG developed hydraulic system brake control. The Tiger's Maybach-Olvar 401216 GA gearbox, shaftless with a synchronizing device, was in many ways reminiscent of the Merritt-Brown gearbox used on the British Churchill infantry tank. Planetary turning mechanisms with double power supply, located in the same block with the gearbox, provided two turning radii in each gear and made it possible to turn the tank on the spot.

During the period when it was considered the most powerful tank in the world. During the first 2 years of production (from August 1942 to August 1944), 1,354 Tigers were produced, with minor changes being made to the basic design. In May 1943, the Tiger received a more powerful engine and an improved commander's cupola, and the latest modifications acquired a chassis made of steel rollers with internal shock absorption. Since the Tigers were used in almost all theaters of combat, appropriate changes were made to the basic design based on the conditions of the area of use. For example, the Tigers operating in North Africa. equipped with a Reifel air filter system. and on the Eastern Front (in Russia) wider tracks were used.

The Maybach-Olvar multi-speed gearbox had eight forward and four reverse speeds. All these innovations made the tank much easier to control and made the Tiger quite maneuverable, despite its enormous weight. It was controlled by a tank steering wheel through a semi-automatic hydraulic servo drive. If it failed, two hand levers with a drive for disc brakes were activated.

Production modifications of Tiger tanks

Officially, there were no differences between the Tiger I tanks, but this did not mean that the Ausf H Tigers were completely identical to the Ausf E tanks. Roughly speaking, individual distinctive features accumulated from model to model already during the production process. Based on this, we can distinguish four periods in the history of the Tiger I: pre-production stage (or prototype stage), early, middle and late stages. The "tigers" of each stage had some distinctive features that distinguished them from earlier ones. and from later models. Let us consider these typical differences one by one.

Early version of the Tiger tank

The prototype tanks were distinguished by a rectangular hole for the smoke exhaust, the presence of special hatches on both sides of the turret for firing from small arms, and the absence of embrasures for firing from a smoke grenade launcher.
At the Tigers early stage production, rectangular boxes for tools and spare parts appeared behind the turret, and three smoke grenade launchers appeared on the roof. During this period, the “Tigers” acquired two headlights and removable toothed rims of the drive wheels, covered in front with special mudguards.

At the height of production, the hatch for small arms was replaced with a large hatch, which, if necessary, could also serve as an emergency entrance and exit. The turret housed three 90-mm Nbk 39 smoke mortars. Tanks intended for use in Africa were equipped with Feifel-type air filters. The "Tigers" sent to the Eastern Front had 5 mortars installed on the hull to shoot anti-personnel shrapnel S-mines. Tanks from all three first stages of production had rubber-coated road wheels.

The latest "Tigers" received a new suspension with steel road wheels, with internal shock absorption, turrets with periscopes but of the "Panther" type. The cylindrical commander's cupola with five viewing slits was replaced in July 1943 by a unified spherical commander's cupola with the PzKpfw V "Panther" tank, with 7 periscopic observation devices and a Fliegerbeschussgerdt anti-aircraft turret.

The tank's maximally simplified design meant the absence of air filters, smoke grenade launchers and mortars for launching anti-personnel mines. The two headlights were replaced by one, located between the driver's viewing device and the machine gun. Early production tanks were equipped with a TZF 9c binocular telescopic sight, and at the final stage of production the vehicles received improved TZF 9c monocular sights.

General description of the Tiger tank

In October 1943, the first Tiger, shot down by the British in North Africa, was delivered to Great Britain for study. The result of a series of tests was a detailed report, which I would like to partially quote below.”
General remarks. The PzKpfw VI tank entered service with the enemy army in the fall or winter of 1942. In January 1943, it appeared in North Africa, then on Sicily and the Eastern Front. The combat vehicle, officially designated PzKpfw VI (H) (SdKfz 182"), is also known as the "Tiger". The design of this tank belongs to the company "Henschel and Son AG".

"Tiger" can be called, without exaggeration, the most powerful tank peace (For those wishing to read the full text of the report, as well as obtain comprehensive information about the Allies’ attitude towards the “Poras”, I recommend turning to the wonderful book: “Tiger The Brtish View”, published in 1986 by HMSC), edited by David Fletcher. librarian of the Tank Museum.). Its combat weight exceeds 56 tons. The tank is armed with an 88 mm howitzer, and the maximum thickness of its armor (vertical front plate) is 102 mm. Another undoubted advantage of the "Tiger" is its ability to submerge in water for greater depth(almost 3.9 m). At the same time, the gigantic size of the new tank has its drawbacks, which include difficulties in transportation and some limitation in the radius of use associated with huge fuel consumption (according to the enemy, consumption is 7.77 liters per 1 km when driving on the highway).

The quality of workmanship is excellent, the design project is implemented quite freely, which makes it possible to widely use spare parts for existing tanks for the Tiger 1 with minimal modification. We cannot fail to note the very ingenious method of joining armored plates, which is absolutely indispensable in the case of using such powerful armor. Of course, here, too, several minor shortcomings can be noted. In particular, a number of units and components seem to be unreasonably complicated and, as a result, too labor-intensive and expensive to manufacture.
The gearbox with differential steering mechanism is generally similar to the English Merritt-Brown, which represents a significant step forward compared to the more primitive clutch-brake system that existed on previous German tanks. There is no doubt that the transition to a new type of transmission was due to the significantly increased weight of the machine. Speaking about the advantages of the Tiger gearbox, one cannot fail to note the original method of placement large quantity forward speeds (in this case there are 8) in a relatively compact mechanism. Full automation of the gear switching process gives the Tiger chassis an undoubted advantage over all existing Allied tanks.

The transmission and steering circuits are extremely complex and technically flawless, which, without a doubt, results in a highly labor-intensive and expensive production process. However, this high cost seems completely justified, since everyone who had the opportunity to drive the “Tiger” during the tests expressed unanimous admiration for the lightness and smooth running of this heavyweight.

As for the power plant, the Germans still remained true to their traditional approach and equipped the new tank with a 12-cylinder Maybach V-12 carburetor engine type 120 TRM, which was already used on the PzKpfw III and PzKpfw IV combat vehicles. Nevertheless, since this power plant is the latest achievement of German engineering, it deserves the closest study. In general, it should be noted that this Maybach, like the previous ones, fully meets its purpose, being light, compact and easy to maintain, repair and operate.

Starting the engine of the Tiger tank using an inertial flywheel (also known as a crooked starter).

General characteristics of the Tiger tank. Compared to all currently operating combat vehicles, the Tiger is not just the most powerful, but also the most well-armed tank. The enormous weight of the tank is explained precisely by the task of carrying a super-heavy 88-mm cannon. Oddly enough, the powerful weapon even somewhat conceals the truly colossal size of the Tiger. When the turret is rotated to the 12 o'clock position, the 88 mm howitzer extends forward to a distance approximately equal to 1/4 of the total length of the tank, and the distance from the muzzle brake to the gun mantlet even exceeds half of this length.

When viewed from the front, the enormous width of the tank and its tracks makes a truly terrifying impression. However, as soon as you go from behind, this impression is immediately lost. The unusual height of the stern plate with air filters located on it makes the silhouette of the tank sloppy and bulky. The use of heavy armor plate is caused by the need to use vertical side armor plates. Thanks to this, the body has a very simple outline and most of all resembles a huge box. This design allows you to place a heavy turret with a huge turret ring on the hull. In general, if you do not take into account the rear part, the Tiger is distinguished by its simplicity and clarity of silhouette. The welded hull significantly distinguishes the Tiger design from previous German tanks, which used bolted connections.

The turret of the Tiger tank from late releases.

The silhouette of the turret is simple; the vertical sides and rear part are made of a single bent armor plate. The armored gun mantlet is steel, 110 mm thick, rectangular. The commander's cupola is installed above the roof of the tower. In the front part of the hull roof there are round hatches for the driver and radio operator. The turret is equipped with three hatches, one of which is located on the roof and has a rectangular shape (*hatch for the gunner*), and the other two, round, are respectively located in the commander's turret and the evacuation hatch on the right side of the turret.

The location of the shells on the right side of the hull and turret of the Tiger tank

Location of ammunition at the bottom of the fighting compartment of the Tiger tank

Options for gun mantlets of the "Tiger" heavy tank, depending on modification

Section of the turret of the Tiger tank from the side of the commander and gunner

Massive cast steel tracks with a relatively small pitch are driven by front drive wheels. This principle can generally be called traditional for German tank building. Tension adjustment is carried out using rear guide wheels raised above the ground. The springs are torsion bars, their number has been significantly increased to ensure a smoother ride for the heavy vehicle. It cannot be said that this system was something new; it was repeatedly tested by them on various tracked vehicles. In this case, this use was predetermined by the unprecedentedly large weight of the tank. The Tiger's chassis consists of 24 rubber-coated road wheels. The layout as a whole is traditional for German practice, as is the impeccable elegance of the design and execution.

Inside the Tiger tank: view of the driver's seat

Inside the Tiger tank: view of the radio operator's position

Inside the Tiger tank: view of the loader's place

Inside the Tiger tank: view of the gunner's aiming devices.

Inside the Tiger tank: view of the breech of the tank's gun.

Inside the Tiger tank: view of the tank commander's seat. He essentially sat above the gunner in the turret.

The power plant is located in the rear part, torque is transmitted to the drive wheels via a driveshaft passed under the floor of the tower. The steering is attached to the gearbox, and each track moves through a gearbox located on each drive wheel. The radiator and dual fan are located on both sides of the engine, in separate compartments, under which there are two fuel tanks.

The submersible system bears the stamp of a well-thought-out design. All embrasure hatches and tank shoulder straps have rubber gaskets, and the commander's cupola is equipped with a special pipe. Air for the crew and engine will be supplied through a removable telescopic air intake pipe installed above the engine compartment. During a dive, the cooling system fans are disconnected and the radiator compartments are flooded.

The non-standard width of the tank creates big problems when transporting it by rail. For this purpose, in addition to wide combat tracks, the Tigers are also equipped with narrow transport tracks, into which the vehicles have to be “changed” before loading onto the platform, but before this the outer disks of the road wheels must be removed.

Test drive of the Tiger tank

The general layout of the fighting compartment and driver's compartment is shown in the attached figure. The arrangement and arrangement of the crew accommodations meets the usual German standards. There are three people in the tower. The gunner takes a position on the left, directly behind the gun, behind him is the commander's position, and the loader sits on the other side of the gun, on the right, facing the stern. There are five inspection holes installed in the commander's cupola. In the control department, the arrangement is as follows: the driver-mechanic is located on the left, and the gunner-radio operator is on the right. Despite the unusually large dimensions of the turret, the breech of the 88-mm gun almost rests on its rear wall and divides the combat compartment into two parts.

A tank gun, roughly speaking, is a larger version of a regular small-caliber tank gun. The gun is equipped with a semi-automatic bolt with an electric trigger, providing a high rate of fire. Spring compensators are mounted under the gun barrel in two cylinders, facilitating vertical aiming. Vertical aiming and rotation of the gun are carried out using flywheels located to the right and left of the gunner. In addition, the tank commander also has an additional flywheel, which circles around the turn. The gunner, pressing his foot on the pedal, rotated the turret using a hydraulic drive. Firing from a 7.92-mm machine gun, coaxial with a gun, is carried out mechanically, using a foot pedal. The gunner is equipped with a binocular sight and a dial, which indicates the position of the turret.

Americans compare their M4 Sherman tank with the German Tiger heavy tank

On the vertical side and rear walls of the tower there are all kinds of drawers, baskets and brackets for storing various small items, such as gas masks, removable glass blocks, spare machine gun barrels, a rocket launcher, a radio headset, etc. The tower frame is rotating. In its central part there is a dome-shaped hydraulic drive casing, which is driven by the gearbox. In addition to this, there are three spare 20-liter water cans and a fire extinguisher on the floor. The gunner's position is located on a welded tubular extension in front of the hydraulic drive. At the rear, in the engine compartment, there are fuel taps and a compartment for an automatic fire extinguishing system. The ammunition rack for the 88-mm cannon is located below the turret shoulder strap, on both sides. Some of the shells are stored under the turret cover, in the control compartment.

Video: heavy tank "Tiger"

The steering is equipped with a hydraulic turret rotation drive, powered by a gearbox. If the engine is turned off, the hydraulic drive is useless, so you have to rotate the turret manually using conventional levers and a disc brake. Since Argus disc brakes are also tank brakes, they are equipped with a foot pedal. The driver's seat is equipped with a viewing slot, which is closed by an armored cover and a standard periscope observation device mounted in the evacuation hatch. Directly in front of the driver, to the left and right of the main axis of the tank, there is a standard German heading indicator (gyro-semi-compass) and an instrument panel, respectively. The 7.92 mm machine gun in a ball mount is located in the front vertical plate of the tank. The sight is standard, binocular telescopic. The Fu 5 radio is located on the shelves to the right of the radio operator.”

Detailed examination of the heavy tank "Tiger" ()

The location of the crew members, their functions, what instruments are located next to each of the crew members of the Tiger tank (how the shot was fired, how the turret rotates, what instruments control the movement of the tank, where the ammunition/ammunition rack of the tank is located, what items need to be checked before crossing the river to "Tigre 1", where the "recoil indicator" is located)

A detailed examination of the components, movement controls and assemblies of the heavy tank "Tiger" (as well as: what checks the tank undergoes before departure, how to start (methods), what needs to be lubricated before departure)

Armament of the Tiger tank. After general description the authors of the report attach to a detailed analysis of the most important components and systems of the tank. Here is the description of the main gun of the Tiger: “The 88-mm gun is installed in the turret on a turret ring with a diameter of 179 cm, which provides all-round fire in the horizontal plane. The full ammunition load consists of 92 shells. The gun, which has the official designation KwK 36, is unlikely. can be considered a tank modification of the FlaK 18 and FlaK 36 anti-aircraft guns. In many ways, this gun can be defined as an improved version of the 75-mm long-barreled KwK tank gun. Unlike the FlaK 36 with a striker-fired firing mechanism, the KwK 36 tank gun has an electric trigger, i.e. .ignition powder charge in an artillery shot it was not produced by a percussion primer sleeve-igniter c/12. and an electric igniter bushing c/22.

The famous 88-mm KwK 36 cannon mounted on Tiger tanks

Capabilities of the KwK36 gun in a tank duel (using the example of Allied tanks)

The only thing the gun has in common with the FlaK anti-aircraft gun is its ammunition load and, perhaps, its ballistic qualities. The presence of a muzzle brake, a long recoil guard (58 cm) and the enormous weight of the tank itself (more than 56 tons) led to the need to use a special, durable turret box, which significantly improves the Tiger's combat qualities compared to heavy British tanks.
In addition to the cannon, the Tiger is also armed with two MG 34 machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber. One of the machine guns is located in the turret and is paired with the gun, the second, the course one, is located in the frontal vertical plate of the hull. A very interesting detail is the presence of a quadrant in combination with a simple direction indicator, which is a dial, graduated like a clock, from 1 to 12. Exactly the same system was already used on tanks of the PzKpfw IV type with a short-barreled 75-mm gun.

Video: starting the engine and moving the heavy tank "Tiger" at one of the tank fests

However, on the same “fours” ( medium tank T-4) with a long-barreled gun there was a more complex system for determining direction, in which there was no quadrant, but the dial was graduated by hours and miles. In addition, the new tank is surprising in the complete absence of any devices to protect ammunition from shell fragments, despite the presence of well-thought-out dust protection. It seems that the Germans abandoned exhaust gas exhaust devices in favor of smoke absorbers located in the tower. Apparently this was done after a thorough examination of the captured British armored vehicles. To reduce gas contamination, a system for purging the barrel after firing is also provided. The internal structure of the turret is much more practical and convenient than that of all currently operating British vehicles, which serves as further proof of the consistently high level of German design thought and its technical implementation in the field of artillery production.

Video: German Tiger tank

Listed below are the main types of artillery rounds with armor-piercing shells included in the ammunition load of the 88-mm Tiger cannon. As already mentioned, the ammunition load usually did not exceed 92 artillery rounds. Further in the report, detailed characteristics of the armor penetration of the Pzgr 38 armor-piercing projectile are given.

High-explosive fragmentation projectile......start. speed 820 m/sec;
Anti-tank cumulative projectile Pzgr39.........initial speed 600 m/sec;
Armor-piercing projectile Pzgr40................beg. speed 914 m/sec;
Armor-piercing projectile with a sub-caliber armor-piercing core and a ballistic fairing Pzgr38....initial speed 810 m/sec.

All artillery rounds were stored in horizontal position along the entire fighting compartment with capsules in different directions. All rounds stored on the turret floor were mounted vertically in the slots of unarmored ammunition racks. Vertical storage made the ammunition on the Tigers more vulnerable than on British tanks, where shots were stored only in a horizontal position and in armored ammunition racks.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the heavy German tank "Tiger 1" T-VI

TANK-BASED VEHICLES

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Data source: Magazine "Armor Collection" M. Bratinsky (1998. - No. 3)

The grandiose military operations of 1939-1945 required the presence on the battlefields of the most modern equipment of that time. One of the representatives of such equipment was the German heavy tank “Tiger” - PZ.VI (T6). This tank became famous not due to the huge scale of production, like the T-34 or Sherman, but precisely because of the highest combat qualities.

Creation of the "Tiger"

The "Tiger" was designed in 1942 at the factories of the Henschel company, the development was headed by Erwin Aders. At the same time, F. Porsche was also developing a version of the VR4501 tank, but the military commission chose the first option, although Adolf Hitler liked Porsche’s version more. The Tiger was first tested in combat in the battles near Leningrad at the end of August 1942. During the war years, 1,354 Tiger tanks (Tiger PZ.VI (T6)) were produced, of which five tanks were made according to Porsche designs. The cost of the tank was twice that of any other tank and amounted to eight hundred thousand Reichsmarks.

The development of the tank began for the first time in 1937. The creation of the tank was very important for Germany, since more than one heavy breakthrough tank was in service. Over the course of four years, several prototypes were developed, but they were not approved. After the opening of the Eastern Front, the question of creating a super-heavy tank became even more pressing. The Germans saw that their tanks were noticeably inferior to the Soviet T-34, and not a single Wehrmacht tank could compare with the KV-1 tank. After analyzing the military battles on the Soviet-German front, Porsche and Henschel were given the task of creating a tank weighing at least forty-five tons.

Presentation of the tank to A. Hitler

The first presentation of the developments was timed to coincide with Adolf Hitler’s name day. The Henschel company implemented in its project the same layout scheme as in the Panzerkampfwagen IV, adding to it the development of G. Kniepkamp - a checkerboard arrangement of the road wheels in 2 rows. Before this, only tractors and armored personnel carriers had such an arrangement. By doing this, the engineers achieved an increase in smoothness and thus the accuracy of shooting on the move increased significantly.

The development of F. Porsche was significantly different in its high cost, as it required a significant amount of copper for the electric transmission. However, they did take something from the Porsche tanks - a turret, since the Henschel turrets were not fully developed like that.

Control

Driving the tank was not difficult and did not require any special skills. Control was carried out by a steering wheel similar to a car and three pedals - gas, clutch and brake, and there were also levers for shifting gears, parking brake, and emergency control. The tank's turret was located almost in the center of the hull; the frontal armor of the turret was 10 cm.

On the first models there were three holes in the turret roof for the top hatch and fan, while later models had five. The Tiger PZ.VI (T6) hull had a variable width for the first time. Almost all the armor plates in the hull were connected to each other at an angle of ninety degrees. Due to this, all surfaces of the body in relation to the ground were either parallel or perpendicular.

Engine

The Tigers had twelve-cylinder engines with a volume of 23,095 cm3. The fuel tanks held 534 liters, which was enough for a distance of about one hundred kilometers over rough terrain. Leaded gasoline with an octane number of seventy-four was used as fuel. It was the gasoline engine that was one of the disadvantages of the heavy tank, since it caught fire very well if it was hit by the enemy. The first Tiger tanks were equipped with binocular sights with 2.5x magnification, and already in 1944 they were equipped with monocular sights with fivex magnification.

The tank was equipped with a powerful radio station with stable two-way communication with a radius of up to 9.4 in Morse code mode. Each crew member had a laryngophone and a headphone, which were connected to the intercom, but as was later shown fighting, the communication system is very vulnerable, so the tankers themselves transmitted signals to the driver using the signaling system.

Armament

The main weapon of the tank was a cannon with a caliber of 88 mm. The length of the gun is 5,316 meters. After the shot, the cartridge case fell into a brass box that held no more than six cartridges, which often distracted the loader from the battle. For firing, cartridges from Flak anti-aircraft guns were used, only the impact capsule bushing was changed to an electric igniter. To the right of the cannon there was a “coaxial” machine gun, which was aimed along with the cannon, and firing was carried out by pressing the pedal.

Purpose

The Tiger was conceived by the developers as a defensive and offensive tank at the same time. German generals described the Tiger as a tank for fighting enemy tanks and anti-tank guns, but in battles with infantry its effectiveness was low. The armament of the super-heavy tank gave it the ability to fight enemy vehicles at a distance of more than two kilometers, while at the same time the heavy-duty armor made it possible to conduct close combat without fear of serious damage.

The Sinyavinsk offensive operation became a kind of “baptism of fire” for the “Tigers” (Tiger PZ.VI (T6)). The tanks were thrown against the advancing enemy troops, and almost immediately the tanks began to break down. The gearbox of two tanks did not work, another had a fire in the engine, perhaps this was due to movement on wet ground, which significantly overloaded the already heavy tank.

However, the tanks were quickly repaired and in mid-September they returned to battle. In the next battle, on September 22, the Germans lost four tanks, and one vehicle fell to the enemy. During Operation Citadel, 148 Tigers were deployed, they were used to break through enemy defenses, here they showed themselves brilliantly, as they effectively hit any Soviet armored vehicles. So one of the “Tigers” was able to single-handedly repel the attack of fifty Soviet tanks, while he destroyed 22 tanks.

The Tigers also took part on the African front under the leadership of Rommel. Here they were able to show all their power, destroying 75 Allied tanks in four days alone in battles in Tunisia. After the surrender of Germany in Africa, many Tigers remained in enemy hands.

The technical superiority of the Tigers can be judged by one of the battles on the Western Front, when the German tank ace Wittmann destroyed eleven tanks, two anti-tank guns and thirteen armored personnel carriers, thus defeating the reconnaissance of the British division. During the fighting, two more tank crews distinguished themselves on the Tigers - aces Otto Carius and Kurt Knispel, destroying more than 150 enemy tanks.

Analogues of "Tiger"

It is difficult to compare the heavy Tiger with similar enemy tanks, since its linear parts are qualitatively reinforced. The “Tiger” (Tiger PZ.VI (T6)) was superior in all its characteristics to the heavy tanks of the USSR KV-1 and KV-1S and looked ultra-modern against their background. Even the KV-85 and IS-1 tanks were significantly inferior to it, although they could penetrate the 100 mm armor of the Tiger. The IS-2 can be called an almost equivalent analogue of the “Tiger”; the “Tiger” was even inferior to it in terms of power and fire protection, but at the same time the “Tiger” was superior to it in rate of fire at minimum distances. The Tiger II, which appeared later, was less balanced than the first model, and until the end of the war, the second model constantly suffered from mechanical problems; very often tank crews preferred the older model to the new one.

In Soviet historiography, the attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR is often presented as a real tank invasion. Invulnerable armored hordes pierced the defensive formations of the Red Army like a knife, and Soviet tanks “burned like matches” and, in general, were no good. Perhaps with the exception of the T-34. But there were so few of them.

In fact, the situation was somewhat different. The Germans did not have that many armored vehicles, but the main thing was something else: in general, they were seriously inferior to the latest developments in the Soviet arms industry.

Most of the German tank fleet was represented by light vehicles that had bulletproof armor and weak weapons. The Germans had nothing like the Soviet T-34 medium tank or the heavy KV. An open battle with these vehicles did not bode well for the Wehrmacht tankers; moreover, German anti-tank artillery was powerless against the armor of the Soviet giants.

The heaviest German tank, the T-IV, with which Germany began the war with the USSR, was significantly inferior to Soviet vehicles both in terms of protection and armament. Taking into account the experience of the first months of hostilities on the Eastern Front, it was modernized, but this was not enough. The Germans needed their own heavy tank that could stand up to Soviet KVs and T-34s on equal terms.

History of the creation of the "Tiger"

Work on the German heavy tank began long before the outbreak of World War II. Back in 1937, the German company Henschel received the task of creating a heavy breakthrough tank weighing more than 30 tons.

After the outbreak of World War II, the idea of creating a heavy tank for Germany became even more relevant. After the start of the conflict, the designers of the Henschel and Porsche companies were tasked with developing a new heavy tank weighing more than 45 tons. Prototypes of the new machines were shown to Hitler on April 20, 1942, his birthday.

The vehicle presented by Henschel turned out to be more “conservative”, simpler and cheaper than the tank of their competitors. The only serious innovation that was used in its design was the “chessboard” arrangement of rollers, previously used on armored personnel carriers. With this, the developers sought to improve the smoothness and accuracy of shooting.

The Porsche model was more complex, had longitudinal torsion bars and an electric transmission. It was more expensive, required a lot of scarce materials for production, and was therefore less suitable for wartime conditions. In addition, the Porsche tank had low cross-country ability and was very small stock progress.

It is noteworthy that Porsche himself was so confident of victory that even before the competition he ordered the serial production of the chassis of the new tank to begin. But he lost this competition.

The Henschel machine was adopted for service - but with some significant comments. Initially, it was planned to install a 75-mm gun on this tank, which at that time was no longer satisfactory to the military. Therefore, the turret for the new tank was taken from its competing Porsche prototype.

It was this peculiar hybrid that became one of the most legendary tanks of the Second World War - Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf E (Pz.VI Ausf E).

During the war, 1,354 Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E units were produced. In addition, several modifications of this tank appeared, including the Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B Tiger II or "Royal Tiger", as well as "Jagdtiger" and "Sturmtiger".

The Tiger entered its first battle at the end of the summer of 1942 near Leningrad, and the debut turned out to be very unsuccessful for the vehicle. The Nazis began to use these tanks en masse at the beginning of 1943; their apotheosis was the Kursk Bulge.

Disputes regarding this car are still raging. There is an opinion that Panzerkampfwagen VI "Tiger" - best tank World War II, but there are also opponents to this point of view. Some experts believe that the mass production of the Tigers was a mistake that cost Germany dearly.

To understand this issue, you should get acquainted with the device and technical characteristics of this extraordinary tank, to understand what its strengths and weaknesses were.

Design of the Tiger tank

The Tiger has a classic hull layout with an engine located in the rear of the hull and a transmission located in the front. In the front part of the car there was a control compartment, in which there were seats for the driver and gunner-radio operator.

In addition, controls, a radio station and a front-mounted machine gun were placed in the front compartment.

The middle part of the vehicle was occupied by the fighting compartment, which housed the other three crew members: loader, commander and gunner. The main part of the ammunition, observation devices and a hydraulic drive for turning the turret were also located here. A cannon and a coaxial machine gun were installed in the turret.

The rear part of the Tiger was occupied by the power compartment, which contained the engine and fuel tanks. An armored partition was installed between the power and fighting compartments.

The tank's hull and turret are welded, made of rolled armor plates with surface cementation.

The tower is horseshoe-shaped, the vertical part of which is made of a single metal sheet. In front of the turret there was a cast mantlet in which a gun, a machine gun and sighting devices were installed. The turret was rotated using a hydraulic drive.

The Pz.VI Ausf E was equipped with a 12-cylinder water-cooled Maybach HL 230P45 carburetor engine. The engine compartment was equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system.

The Tiger had eight gears - four forward and four backward. Few cars of that time could boast of such luxury.

The tank's suspension is individual, torsion bar. The rollers are staggered, without support rollers. The front wheel is driven. The first machines had rollers with rubber tires, then they were replaced with steel ones.

It is curious that the Tigers used two types of tracks of different widths. Narrower ones (520 mm) were used to transport the tank, and wider tracks (725 mm) were intended for movement over rough terrain and for combat. This measure had to be taken because the tank with wide tracks simply did not fit on a standard railway platform. Naturally, such a design solution did not add joy to the German tank crews.

The Pz.VI Ausf E was armed with an 88 mm 8.8 cm KwK 36 cannon, a modification of the famous Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft gun. The barrel ended with a characteristic two-chamber muzzle brake. Minor changes were made to the tank gun, but the overall characteristics of the anti-aircraft gun were not changed.

Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E had excellent surveillance equipment manufactured at the Zeiss plant. There is evidence that the better optics of German vehicles allowed them to start the battle earlier in the morning (even in the pre-dawn darkness) and end the fighting later (at dusk).

All Pz.VI Ausf E tanks were equipped with a FuG-5 radio.

Use of the Tiger tank

The Pz.VI Ausf E "Tiger" tank was used by the Germans in all theaters of military operations of the Second World War. After the Tiger was adopted, the Germans created a new tactical unit - a heavy tank battalion. It consisted of first two and then three tank companies of heavy tanks Pz.VI Ausf E.

The first battle of the Tigers took place near Leningrad, near the Mga station. It was not very successful for the Germans. New technology constantly broke down, one of the tanks got stuck in a swamp and was captured Soviet troops. On the other hand, Soviet artillery was practically powerless against the new German machine. The same can be said about the shells of Soviet tanks.

The Tigers managed to fight both in the African theater of operations and on the Western Front after the Allied landing in Normandy.

In the battles of World War II, the Pz.VI Ausf E tank showed high efficiency and earned excellent reviews from both the Wehrmacht high command and ordinary tankers. It was on the “Tiger” that the most effective German tankman, SS Obersturmführer Michael Wittmann, fought on the Tiger, who accounted for 117 enemy tanks.

A modification of this vehicle, the “Royal Tiger” or “Tiger II”, was produced from March 1944. Just under 500 Royal Tigers were made.

It was equipped with an even more powerful 88-mm cannon, which could cope with any tank of the anti-Hitler coalition. The armor was further strengthened, making the Royal Tiger almost invulnerable to any anti-tank weapon of the time. But its Achilles heel was the chassis and engine, which made the car slow and clumsy.

The "Royal Tiger" was the last serial German tank of the Second World War. Naturally, in 1944, this machine, even if it had supernatural characteristics, could no longer save Germany from defeat.

The Germans delivered a small number of Tigers to the armed forces of Hungary, which was their most combat-ready ally, this happened in 1944. Three more vehicles were sent to Italy, but after its surrender the Tigers returned.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Tiger

Was the Tiger a masterpiece of German engineering genius - or was it a waste of a warring country's resources? Disputes on this matter continue to this day.

If we talk about the undeniable advantages of the Pz.VI, then the following should be noted:

high level of security;
unrivaled firepower;
crew convenience;
excellent means of observation and communication.

The disadvantages that have been repeatedly emphasized by many authors include the following:

poor mobility;
production complexity and high cost;
low maintainability of the tank.

Advantages

Security. If we talk about the advantages of the Tiger, the main one should be called a high level of protection. At the beginning of its career, this tank was practically invulnerable, and the crew could feel completely safe. Soviet 45-mm, British 40-mm and American 37-mm anti-tank artillery systems could not harm the tank at minimum distances, even if they hit the side. Things were no better with tank guns: the T-34s could not penetrate the armor of the Pz.VI even from a distance of 300 meters.

Soviet and American troops used anti-aircraft guns, as well as large-caliber guns (122 and above), against the Pz.VI. However, all these artillery systems were very inactive, expensive and very vulnerable to tanks. In addition, they were controlled by high army authorities, so it was very problematic to quickly transfer them to stop the Tigers’ breakthrough.

Excellent protection gave the Tiger crew a high chance of surviving after the tank was destroyed. This contributed to the retention of experienced personnel.

Firepower. Before the appearance of the IS-1 on the battlefield, the Tiger had no problems destroying any armored target on both the Eastern and Western fronts. The 88-mm cannon, which was armed with the Pz.VI, penetrated any tank except the Soviet IS-1 and IS-2, which appeared at the end of the war.

Convenience for the crew. Almost everyone who describes the Tiger talks about its excellent ergonomics. It was convenient for the crew to fight in it. Excellent observation devices and sighting devices, distinguished by their thoughtful design and high-quality execution, are also often noted.

Flaws

The first thing worth mentioning is the low mobility of the tank. Any combat vehicle is a combination of many factors. The creators of the "Tiger" maximized firepower and security, sacrificing the vehicle's mobility. The mass of the tank is more than 55 tons, and this is a decent weight even for modern cars. Engine with power 650 or 700 hp. With. - this is too small for such a mass.

There are other nuances: the layout of the tank, with the engine located at the rear and the transmission at the front, increased the height of the tank, and also made the gearbox not very reliable. The tank had a fairly high ground pressure, so operating it in off-road conditions was problematic.

Another problem was the excessive width of the tank, which led to the appearance of two types of tracks, which added headaches to the maintenance personnel.

Quite a lot of difficulties were caused by the checkerboard suspension, which turned out to be very difficult to maintain and repair.

A significant problem was also the complexity of production and the high cost of the tank. Was it necessary for Germany, which was experiencing an acute lack of resources, to invest in mass production of a machine costing 800,000 Reichsmarks? This is twice as much as the cost of the most expensive tank of that time. Perhaps it would have been more logical to concentrate efforts on the production of relatively cheap and proven T-IVs, as well as self-propelled guns?

Summarizing the above, we can say that the Germans really created good tank, who had practically no equal in a one-on-one duel. It is quite difficult to compare it with allied vehicles, because there are practically no analogues to it. The Tiger was a tank designed to reinforce line units, and it performed its functions very effectively.

The Soviet IS-1 and IS-2 are breakthrough tanks, while the M26 Pershing is more of a typical "single tank". Only the IS-2 at the final stage of the war could be an equal rival to the Pz.VI, but at the same time it was seriously inferior to it in rate of fire.

Technical characteristics of the Tiger tank

Combat weight, kg:	56000
Length, m:	8,45
Width, m:	3.4-3.7
Height, m:	2,93
Crew, persons:	5
Engine:	Maubach HL 210Р30
Power, hp:	600
Maximum speed, km/h.
along the highway	38
along a dirt road	Oct.20
Cruising range on the highway, km:	140
Fuel capacity, l:	534
Fuel consumption per 100 km, l:
along the highway	270
along a dirt road	480
Weapons:
a gun	88 mm KwK 36 L/56
machine guns	2 x 7.92 mm MG34
smoke grenade launchers	6 x NbK 39 90 mm
Ammunition, pcs.:
shells	92
cartridges	4500
Armor protection (thickness/angle), mm/deg:
Frame
forehead (top)	100/10
forehead (bottom)	100/24
board	80/0
stern	80/8
roof	25
bottom	25
Tower
forehead	100/8
board	80/0
roof	25
gun mask	100-110/0

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