Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. E Tiger

History of the Tiger tank

A offers a heavy tank Tiger I goes deep into the pre-war years and the road to a successful and mass-produced type was very long and difficult. The first mention of the need for a heavy tank weighing 30 tons was found in a report dated October 30, 1935 and it was a report of the head of the Waffenamt Gen. Liese. A 7.5 cm cannon with a muzzle velocity of about 650 m/s was required to make the shooting effective against the new French armor Char 2C, 3C and D. Prolonged discussions about the 650-700 horsepower engine led to the equally long development of a usable engine by Maybach, which had been working on the development since 1936 and completed the development. engine Maybach HL 230, which was used in 1942 in the serial Tiger.
The first construction of the 30 ton category was Durchbruchwagen DW1, later its successor DW2 firmy Henschel . These first projects did not go beyond the production stage of prototype platforms. The development of the company Henschel moved to the type VK 30.01 (H) from which a few chassis were made and towers. Neither this nor the following program VK 36.01 did not exceed the prototype phase. A direct competitor in the competition was also the project of the company Porsche VK 30.01 (P), which used a well-known, but in the competitions unsuccessful combination of fuel system consisting of a petrol engine with an electric generator and electric motors. Constant changes in specifications reflecting the need for heavier tanks with more powerful cannons have led to specifications for a weight category of 45 tons. Two projects were created, namely VK 45.01 (H) and VK 45.01 (P). Porsche Aware of the strong support and acute need for a heavy tank, he launched a mass production platform of his design. However, priority over its complicated gasoline-electric drive was given to the company's proposal Henschel, which won contracts for series production.

VK 45.01 (H)

P first work on VK 45.01 (H) (later Tiger I) began in mid-1941. The new project used several components (transmission, transmission, chassis, tensioner and drive wheel ...) and experience from previous design VK 36.01 company [ url=/topic/view/123820/Henschel-and-Sohn-GmbH-1920-1957] Henschel[/url]. The machine received a new body. The drive was to provide the Maybach HL 210 engine (600-650 hp).
7/23/1941 the company Krupp won a contract for the development and production of three prototype fully equipped turrets for Henschel VK 45.01 (H), whose drive was provided by a hydraulic system. It was basically an identical tower developed for a competitive project VK 45.01 (P) of the company [i :aaaaaa] Porsche. Compared to the tower for the Porsche project, these towers had other modifications. The outer diameter of the bearing ring was 2100 mm. The mount was supposed to be an 8.8 cm cannon with a barrel length of L/56. The sight was binocular T.F.F.9b. The secondary armament consisted of 2-3 machine guns MG 34 (one at the head of the body superstructure in Kugelblende 100, the second as a coaxial mounted to the right of the cannon, the third could be carried inside the vehicle). Submachine guns could fire from a pair of firing ports located in the rear of the tower.The standard radio communication equipment was FU 5, in the tanks of the platoon/company commander was also mounted Fu 2. Only four members had an internal communication device for communication between individual crew members, the charger did not have such a device available. A commander's version Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger Ausf.E was created for higher command units. The tank used 725 mm wide combat belts, in the case of transport by rail, the outer row of wheels was dismantled and the combat belts replaced 520 mm wide conveyor belts ( Kgs 63/520/130 - taken from VK 36.01).

Production

F Irma Henschel received an order in 7/1941 for the production of three prototypes. Subsequently, she received an order for 100 serial tanks. After the construction of the first prototype V1, which was produced in 4/1942, the company Henschel received an order for another 200 tanks, which were originally armed with a 7.5 cm cannon (Pz.Kpfw. VI H Ausf.H2). After the cancellation of the intention to produce the Tiger with a 7.5 cm cannon, these machines were to be made with an 8.8 cm cannon. Other orders were for 124, 250, 490 and 128 tanks. The last order was order 45, later increased to 54 refurbished Tigers, which arose from damaged machines during overhauls (these tanks received new serial numbers). The prototype V2 was produced in 10/1942 and the prototype V3 in 1/1943. A total of 1346 serial tanks (Fgst.Nr. 250001-251346) and three prototypes (V1, V2 and V3) were produced and accepted by the Waffenamt from 4/1942 to 8/1944.

The individual components of Tiger were manufactured by the following companies:

The contract for armored components for three prototypes was won by Fried. Krupp A.G. v Essene. Due to production utilization in the company Krupp (Pz.Kpfw.IV a VK 45.01 (P)) was entrusted with the production of armor components company Dortmund Höder Huttenverein (DHHV), which won a contract for 424 tanks. After the cancellation of the Tiger program, Porsche received additional orders for 230, later increased to 320 tanks Krupp.
The production of engines was provided by the company Maybach in Friedrichshafene. After the bombing of the factory, the failure of engine production was covered by the production of engines in the company Auto Union in Chemnitz.
Gearboxes designed by Maybach were produced by Adlerwerke (Frankfurt am Main) and Waldwerke ( Passau).
The steering gear was manufactured by Henschel & Sohn.
Cannon Kw.K. 36 L/56 caliber 8.8 cm was manufactured by D.H.H.V.[/I:aaaaaa] and Wolf Buchau.
Telescopic cannon sights were manufactured by Ernst Leitz G.m.b.H. The company produced both binocular and monocular type.

Month and year of production	Number of tanks produced	Number of tanks accepted by the Waffenamt	Highest serial number of the received tank chassis
4/1942	1	1	V1
5/1942	0	0
6/1942	0	0	250001
7/1942	0	0
8/1942	8	8	250009
9/1942	3	3	250012
10/1942	11	10	250021 + V2
11/1942	25	17	250038
12/1942	30	38	250076
1/1943	35	35	250111 + V3
2/1943	32	32	250143
3/1943	41	41	250184
4/1943	46	46	250230
5/1943	50	50	250280
6/1943	60	60	250340
7/1943	65	65	250405
8/1943	60	60	250465
9/1943	85	85	250550
10/1943	50	50	250600
11/1943	60	56	250656
12/1943	63	67	250723
1/1944	93	93	250816
2/1944	95	95	250911
3/1944	86	86	250997
4/1944	104	104	251101
5/1944	100	100	251201
6/1944	75	75	251276
7/1944	64	64	251340
8/1944	6	6	251346

The first prototype of Tiger ( Pz.Kpfw. VI H Ausf.H1) of the company Henschel was completed in 4/1942. The prototype Fgst.Nr.V1 had some differences from production machines. The driver's and radio operator's hatches did not have periscopes, a horn was mounted on the ceiling between the hatches (serial machines did not have it), the engine hatch did not have an air intake and the most striking difference was the installation of folding folding armor on the front of the hull (Vorpanzer). The armor was to protect the lower front of the body and part of the belts. Since its inception, the tank has had major problems with the engine, transmission, brakes and rubber wheels.
Despite the archaic shapes, a legendary weapon was created that did not have a capable opponent at the time of its creation. The powerful cannon and rough armor gave this beast advantages that his opponents did not have. He remained a feared tank until the end of the war. During the entire serial production of this tank, it was modified. The table below shows the most striking changes.

Modification implementation date	Modification end date	Modification type (description)
8/1942	1/1943	Installation of observation periscope K.F.F.2 for the driver
8/1942	9/1943	Installation of adjustments for deep wading. The assembly was to be stopped from the 496th tank produced. Nevertheless, some modifications also appeared on later machines.
8/1942	1/1943	Using a tank luggage box Pz.Kpfw.III
1-2/1943	8/1944	Using a new luggage compartment developed specifically for Tiger I.
8/1942	6/1943	Installation of smoke thrower holders on the sides of the tower. Due to the unavailability of throwers, until 10/1942, only holders ready for the assembly of throwers directly by the crews after their delivery were assembled.From 10/1942, the throwers were assembled directly in the factory. Due to the complaints of the crews that there were explosions during the small arms fire, the assembly was stopped.
10-11/1942	10/1943	Installation of Feifel air prefilters. The assembly of fasteners has been known since 12/1943.
10/1942	8/1944	Started assembly of standard combat belts Kgs 63/725/130. The first chassis Fgst.Nr.250001-250020 had belts specifically designed for each side of the chassis. Standard belts the same for both sides were mounted from Fgst.Nr.250021. From 5/1943 (from Fgst.Nr.250145) modified belts with perforated teeth were assembled.
11/1942	8/1944	Installation of side fenders.
11/1942	3/1943	Installation of a heating device designed to heat the crew compartment. The device consisted of a cover made of sheet steel, which was mounted on the air outlet on the left side of the engine compartment. Warm air was supplied to the crew compartment by air ducts. However, due to engine fires, this device was quickly removed from the tanks.
11/1942	8/1944	Established assembly of a modified cannon shield. Its construction has been strengthened in place of the holes for the sight. Originally, this modification was to be introduced from Fgst.Nr.250041, but the company Krupp in Essen prematurely produced 100 pieces of shields for the project VK 45.01 (P). After losing the competition for a new serial heavy tank, it was necessary to use these shields, and 90 pieces of serial Tiger I tanks from Henschel received this non-reinforced shield. Their assembly took place in parallel with the production of tanks with already reinforced shields.
11/1942	10/1943	Standard use of Feifel air filters. The first tank was Fgst.Nr.280014 made in 10/1942.
12/1942	8/1944	An escape hatch was installed on the side of the tower, where it replaced the firing port for defensive shooting from a submachine gun. Crews complained that it was impossible to close it with a crew from inside. It was taken as an escape hatch and the crews used it, for example, in communication with the infantry, in the event of an engine fire to extinguish it, etc. Their objections and suggestions were not heard until the end of the production of the Tiger tank.
12/1942	10/1943	The installation of S-Minenwerfer defensive throwers on the ceiling of the body and the engine cover was introduced. Standard machines had five throwers (three on the left, two on the right), command machines had four throwers.
1/1943	8/1944	Established installation of exhaust protection covers.
2/1943	8/1944	Introduced new cannon cleaning rods. Originally, five rods were used (4x length 1238mm and 1x length 1240mm). Six new bars (5x length 980mm and 1x length 918mm) were first mounted on Fgst.Nr.250122.
3/1943	8/1944	Established installation of an observation periscope for the charger.
4/1943	8/1944	Established assembly of brackets on the sides of the tower for spare belt links. In the middle of 4/1943, three brackets on the right side and five brackets on the left side began to be mounted. At the end of 4/1943, the number of holders on the right was reduced to two.
4/1943	8/1944	Introduced modification of the drive wheel hub manufacturing process to increase the protection of the five mounting bolts.
5/1943	8/1944	Introduction of the assembly of the modified Maybach HL 230 P45 engine (the original engine was the Maybach HL 210 P45). The first tank with this engine was the Fgst.Nr.250251.
6/1943	8/1944	Introduced installation of a new type of shock absorber. The beginning of the assembly was from Fgst.Nr.250301.
7/1943	8/1944	Installation of a new tower. The tower received a new command tower with periscopes and a revolving ring for the anti-aircraft machine gun. The massive shooting port for defensive submachine gun shooting on the left side of the tower was replaced by a small type of shooting port. The charger's periscope moved and received a wider armor screen. The charger hatch received an improved lock. The position of the armored fan cover has changed. The tower received a new bearing, etc. The beginning of the assembly of the new tower was from Fgst.Nr.250391.
8/1943	8/1944	Introduced application of protective antimagnetic paste zimmerit.
8/1943	8/1944	Reduced number of headlights from two to one located on the roof of the body to the left of the driver's hatch. From 10/1943 its position was changed and mounted in the middle of the front armor of the superstructure between the drivers window and Kugelblende.
10/1943	8/1944	Anti-slip protrusions were introduced on the belts on icy terrain (similar to Mittelstollen).
11/1943	2/1944	Established installation of a travel holder, mainly a cannon. It was mounted in the rear right part of the body. They were mounted only on Fgst.Nr.250635 - 250875. The production and assembly of this transport support was not continued.
1/1944	8/1944	A more powerful 20-ton jack (from Fgst.Nr.250772) began to be mounted.
2/1944	8/1944	The assembly of all-steel castors (from Fgst.Nr.250822) has been introduced. Only two wheels were mounted on one axle, in contrast to tanks with wheels with rubber rims, of which there were three on one axle. Both models did not have interchangeable wheels and their covers. It was not necessary to dismantle the outer wheel row when loading the tank onto the wagons.
2/1944	8/1944	Introduced coolant heater.
2/1944	8/1944	Established assembly of the tower protection collar. The modification was introduced after several reported damage to this part of the tank.
2/1944	8/1944	Introduced assembly of a smaller tensioning wheel. The original diameter of 700mm has been reduced to 600mm. This has improved the wheel's self-cleaning properties.
3/1944	8/1944	Introduced 40mm thick ceiling armor tower (from Fgst.Nr.250991).
3/1944	8/1944	Established assembly of defensive and signal weapons Nahverteidigungswaffe.
3-4/1944	8/1944	Established assembly of monocular sight T.Z.F.9c.
4/1944	8/1944	Introduced installation of wooden protective lining of the upper parts of fuel tanks as protection against falling fragments of charges falling through the protective grid (from Fgst.nr.251075).
4/1944	8/1944	Introduced installation of a lighter muzzle brake from Kw.K.43 L/71 ( Tiger II).
6/1944	8/1944	Introduced assembly of three brackets for a 2-ton hand crane, which was to serve the crew in tank repairs.
7/1944	8/1944	Established installation of detection panels for detecting annoying warfare agents in the air.

Armed forces Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H/E Tiger:

schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501 (424)
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (511)
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503 (schwere Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle)
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 504
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 505
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 509
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 510
Panzer-Abteilung (Funklenk) 301
Panzer-Kompanie (Funklenk) 316
13.Company/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland
III.Abteilung/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland
13./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1
8./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2
9./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3
schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 (schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501)
schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 102 (schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 502)
schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 (schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 503)
heavy SS armor division 104
Bergen Tank School
Panzer-Division Clausewitz
Tiger Group Fehrman
Fallschirm-Panzer-Korps Herman Göring
Panzer-Grenadier-Division Kurmark
heavy tank company Hummel
Panzer-Kompanie Kummersdorf
heavy Panzer company Meyer
Panzer-Abteilung Kummersdorf/ Müncheberg
Panzer-Division Tatra (?)
North Panzer Group
Panzergruppe Paderborn
Panzer Company Paderborn
Panzer Company Panther
Panzer-Division Lehr
Panzer Department Lehr (Putlos)
units in Posen Fortress (Poznan)



Tiger with Rheinmetall tower and 7.5 cm cannon
Of interest is the projected alternative tower of the company Rheinmetall with a 7.5 cm cannon Kw.K.42 L/70. Considerations and the requirement for a smaller caliber cannon with the same piercing effect as the 8.8 cm cannon was presented in 7/1941. The development of the tower and the cannon was entrusted to the company Rheinmetall. The first prototype of a cannon with a barrel length of L/60 managed to pierce 100mm armor inclined at an angle of 30 ° to a distance of 1400m. The driven length of the barrel was subsequently extended to L/70.On February 11, 1942, the company presented the design of the tower VK 45.01 (Rh) with a cannon 7.5 cm Kw.K. 42, which was to be mounted on the platform VK 45.01 (H). VK 45.01 (H) s Rheinmetall-Turm mit 7,5cm Kw.K. L/70 received 1.7.1942 from WaPrüf 6 official designation Pz.Kpfw. VI H Ausf.H2. As part of long-term tank production plans ( Panzerprogramm II) it was planned that the tank Tiger with 8.8 cm cannon will be produced only in a series of the first 100 machines, from the 101st machine had a tank Tiger produce with the tower of the company Rheinmetall-Borsig ( 7.5 cm Kw.K. 42 L/70). At the meeting of the Panzerkommission of 14 July 1942, it was decided not to introduce this design modification. The plans counted on the introduction of tank rearmament by the end of 1942. Tiger 8, 8 cm cannon Kw.K. L/71, resp. a modified form of the tank will be produced VK 45.02 (H).
However, the intention to arm the Tiger with a 7.5 cm cannon was canceled and only a demonstration model was made.



*source:

Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle - Germany´s Tiger tanks D.W. to Tiger I Design, production & modifications, year of publication 2000, Shiffer Military History, ISBN 0-7643-1038-0
Walter. J. Spielberger, Hilary L. Doyle - Der Panzer-Kampfwagen Tiger und seine Abarten, Erweiterter Band 7 der Serie Militärfahrzeuge, Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, rok vydání 1998, ISBN: 3-87943-456-5
Wolfgang Schneider - Tigers in Combat I, Stackpole Books, year of publication 2004, ISBN: 0-8117-3171-5
Wolfgang Schneider - Tiger in Combat II, Stackpole Books, year of publication 2005, ISBN: 0-8117-3203-7

Penetration at a vertical armour inclination of 30 degrees:
(88mm cannon KwK 36 L/56)