VK 45.02 (H)

After Henschel won the competition for the new "Tiger" heavy tank (VK 45.01 (H)), the development continued. Initially, the Tiger with the 8.8 cm L/56 gun was to be produced only in a series of 100, followed by a series with the 7.5 cm L/70 barrel length gun (Pz.Kpfw.VI H Ausf.H2). The new specifications stipulated that the heavy tank was to have an 8.8 cm gun with a barrel length of L/71. A rival company, Porsche (VK 45.02 (P)), was also working on a tank to meet such a requirement. The machine that was to be built was to replace the Tiger I tank in production.
The design of the new machine, work on which began in 4/1942, was closely based on the VK 45.01 (H). The most notable change was the sloping frontal armour, which better withstood gunfire. The turret for the machine was designed by Krupp. It was almost identical to that of the VK 45.02 (P) project. The only difference was in its controls. The VK 45.02 (H) was supposed to be hydraulic, whereas the VK 45.02 (P) competitor's control was electric. The design of this tower was put into series production. Pre-produced 50 units (before the announcement of the winning design) were mounted on the first 50 VK 45.03 platforms (the winning design on the Tiger II by VK 45.03 (the winning design on the Tiger II by Tiger II by VK 45.03 by Tiger II). The tank was to be powered by the same engine that was to power the Panther medium tank. The design did not provide for machine gun armament in the front hull armour. The driver was to have a hinged visor in the frontal armour similar to the Panther Ausf.D.

On the basis of preliminary orders, Henschel drew up preliminary plans for series production, which envisaged the production of 330 VK 45.01 (H)[/url] ("Tiger I"), followed by the production of 170 VK 45.02 (H), and from the 501st machine onwards the production of the evolutionary successor VK 45.03 (the future form of the [iaa]Tiger II), the design of which was already in progress. However, this plan was thwarted in early 10/1943 by a member of the Panzerkommission Oberst Thomale, who refused to put this project into production; it was planned to go directly into production from 9/1943 VK 45.03 (Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.B Tiger II).


Official designation WaPrüf 6:


- VK 45.02 (H) (16.4.1942)
- Tiger II (18.9.1942)


The developmental successor to the VK 45.02 (H) type VK 45.03 was also officially designated as the Tiger III (12.10.1942). Attention was thus focused on the new design of the VK 45.03, which in its final form saw the series production of the legendary Tiger II.