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TIGER I HEAVY TANK 1942-45
INTRODUCTION
During more than 22 years of research, the authors
have unearthed thousands of surviving original
records from design and production firms, the
Heeres Waffenamt (army ordnance department), the
office of the Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen
(Guderian), and operational reports from Tiger
units. All information given is based solely on the
contents of these original documents and is backed
by observations made by the authors climbing over,
under, around and through the four Tiger Is that
still exist in the West. Due to the many misinter-
pretations in published material and inaccuracies in
reports prepared by Allied intelligence units during
the World War 2 and the immediate post-war period,
these have not been used in assembling this book.
Many interesting facts obtained from the original
documents have been included: the true origin
and development of the Tiger I; the reasons
behind many key decisions; the precise production
history; the important modifications that occurred
during the production run; and the organisation
and exact number of Tigers issued to each of the
combat units.
If any one of several key circumstances had been
slightly altered, a completely different heavy Panzer
would have been built instead of the now famous
Tiger I. Among those key circumstances that helped
to create the Tiger I were: problems with the
automotive design for the Porsche-Tiger; Krupp's
ability to maintain a monopoly on tank guns;
inadequate supplies of tungsten for armour piercing
Probably the most famous tank of the Second
World War, the Tiger I was, ironically, quickly
designed utilising components that had been partial-
ly tested in previous heavy Panzers. The chassis
had been invented primarily for the 30 and 36-ton
class of heavy Panzer in the DW series from Hen-
schel & Sohn GmbH, Kassel. The gun and turret
were designed by F.Krupp AG, Essen for the 45-
ton Panzer conceived by Dr ing h.c.F. Porsche
KG, Stuttgart.
While limited development of heavy Panzer
designs had commenced in 1937, the first serious
efforts resulted from a meeting with Hitler on 26
May 1941. Design of the Tiger I was thus not
initiated as a response to the T-34 and KW tanks
encountered following the German invasion of
Russia on 22 June 1941. Instead, the main concerns
addressed during this meeting were the problems of
successfully combating British tanks and anti-tank
guns. However, after the appearance of the T-34
and KW, the design and production of an effective
heavy Panzer was pursued with increased urgency.
A 1:76 scale drawing of
the Henschel
VK 36.01
chassis. After the decision
was taken to install deep
fording equipment this was
superceded by
the
heavier
VK 45.01. Before the VK
36.01 was cancelled it was
proposed to mount a turret
fitted with a 7.5 cm Waffe
0725 tapered bore gun.
(Author)
3
Henschel were not originally
involved in the 45 ton heavy
tank project as they had been
tasked with the development
of a 36 ton medium tank
with 80 mm frontal armour.
The designation of which
was Panzerkampfwagen
VI Ausfuhrung B (VK
36.01). Upgraded from the
previous attempts with
experimental tanks in the
DW series, it was powered
by a Maybach HL174 450
metric HP motor, had
Maybach Olvar transmission,
torsion bar suspension and
large diameter interleaved
wheels. (Spielberger
collection)
rounds; the report by Porsche that the higher
performance 8.8 cm Flak gun invented by
Rheinmetall couldn't be mounted in the existing
turret design; and the ease with which the previously
designed VK 36.01 Fahrgestell (fully tracked, 36
ton class, 1st model, chassis) could be modified to
accommodate the larger turret already designed by
Krupp for the VK 45.01 (P).
armament. To prevent another firm from breaking
into Krupp's virtual monopoly on tank guns, in
February 1941 Dr Muller of Krupp sought a
teaming agreement with Porsche, proposing that
an 8.8 cm KwK L/56 (840 m/s initial muzzle
velocity, with complete rounds 931 mm long) be
used in the new heavy Panzer. This gun was
based on the same gun tube and ammunition as
the proven 8.8 cm Flak 18 L/56.
In an internal meeting on 2 April 1941, Krupp
discussed the possibilities of two alternative guns.
Conceptual designs for an 10.5 cm KwK L/47 (840
m/s initial muzzle velocity, with complete rounds
1100 mm long) and an upgraded 8.8 cm KwK
L/56 (940 m/s initial muzzle velocity, complete
rounds still 931 mm long, but with larger diameter
shell cases) were to be completed by 18 April 1941.
By 25 April 1941, the 8.8 cm KwK L/56 had
been selected, as related in a priced proposal to
Nibelungenwerk for: six turrets, 80 mm frontal and
60 mm side armour, turret ring diameter of 1900 mm,
complete with 8.8 cm KwK L/56, each at 110,000
Reichsmarks; three armoured hulls fabricated in
accordance with Porsche design, each at 75,000
Reichsmarks, initial delivery of the first hull
planned for November 1941; and a full-scale
wooden model of the turret for 5,000 Reichsmarks.
Krupp's proposal was accepted by Nibelungen-
DESIGN AND
DEVELOPMENT
Since the Heeres Waffenamt were hesitant in
yielding to Hitler's demands for development of
heavy Panzers, in the autumn of 1940 Dr Porsche
was commissioned to develop independently a 45 ton
Panzerkampfwagen. To support this effort, on 12
November 1940 Nibelungenwerk was awarded an
order by Wa Pruf 6 (the design office for Panzers in
the Heeres Waffenamt) to assemble the Versuchsserie
(trial production series) of the Panzerkampfwagen
VI (Porsche).
Porsche had started development without clearly
establishing which gun would be used as the main
4
werk, who placed an urgent order on 13 May 1941.
The wooden model of the turret was completed
by Krupp for delivery to Nibelungenwerk by 20
May 1941.
The most important meeting, one which greatly
influenced the future development of the heavy
Panzers, took place with Hitler on 26 May 1941.
After reviewing the current status and plans for
the development of Panzers and anti-tank
weapons, Hitler made the following decisions: the
development of both of the heavy Panzers from
Dr Porsche and Henschel was to be accelerated so
that six of each would be available in the Summer
of 1942, it was considered necessary to make the
frontal armour 100 mm thick - 60 mm was sufficient
for the sides of the Panzers. An 8.8 cm KwK was
to be retained for the Porsche design, but its
effectiveness was to be upgraded to that achievable
by the 8.8 cm Flak 41 designed by Rheinmetall.
The effectiveness of the 8.8 cm KwK and the
armour piercing round were to be increased so
that 100 mm thick armour plate could still be
penetrated at a range of about 1500 m.
In response to Hitler's decisions Porsche KG
was commissioned by Wa Pruf 6 on 21 June 1941
to determine if it was possible to mount the 8.8
cm Flak 41 instead of the 8.8 cm KwK L/56 in
the turret already designed for the VK 45.01 (P).
Porsche responded by telegram on 10 September
1941 that only the 8.8 cm KwK L/56 could be
considered for the VK 45.01 (P). Therefore, the
decision was made to complete only the first 100
VK 45.01 (P) with the turret originally designed
by Krupp for the 8.8 cm KwK L/56 instead of
the more effective tank gun based on the 8.8 cm
Flak 41 as ordered by Hitler.
Krupp received a contract to fabricate the
armoured components for 100 hulls and turrets
for the VK 45.01 (P) and to assemble the turrets in
operational condition and ship them for mounting
on the Fahrgestelle assembled at Nibelungenwerk.
The first eight turrets had lower sides and a flat
roof with a raised centre section to allow the gun
to be depressed through a larger arc. The rest of
the 92 turrets had the higher sides and slanted
roof typical of the Tiger I.
The new hull design for the VK 45.01 (P) had
100 mm thick armour plates on the front, 80 mm
on the sides and rear, 25 mm deck and 20 mm
belly. Porsche chose to install a petrol/electric drive
train. Power was provided by, two 10-cylinder,
air-cooled, 15 litre, Porsche Typ 101/1 engines
(rated at 320 metric hp at 2400 rpm) were each
coupled to a matching electric generator. The
electricity generated was used to drive two
electric motors, one for each track and steering
was controlled by regulating the electric power
supplied to each motor. The complete drive train was
designed to propel the tank at up to 35 km/h. A
longitudinal torsion bar suspension was upgraded
to support the additional weight. The combat
loaded weight of 59 metric tons was distributed
over three pairs of steel-tyred, rubber-cushioned
roadwheels per side travelling on unlubricated 640
mm wide tracks with a track of 130 mm.
The official Wa Pruf 6 designation from 5 March
1942 was PzKpfw VI (VK 45.01 P) (Ausfuhrung P).
The Inspekteur der Panzertruppen (In6) designation,
specified for use in training and maintenance manuals
and in organisation tables, was Panzerkampfwagen
VI P (8.8 cm) (SdKfz 181) Ausfuhrung P. Suggested
names were 'Tiger (P)', 'Tiger P1' or 'Porsche Tiger'.
From 5 January 1942 the monthly production
goals were established as ten in May, ten in June,
12 in July, 14 in August and 15 in September,
with further production continuing at the rate of 15
In Autumn 1940, Prof.
Dr. Porsche was
commissioned to develop a
45 ton tank, later
designated VK 45.01 (P).
Later it was decided to
mount an 8.8 cm gun.
Nibelungenwerk in Austria
was awarded the assembly
contract. This VK 45.01
(P) chassis is under test.
(Spielberger collection)
5
The VK 45.01 (P) was a
totally new design, with a
new aircooled motors
designed by Porsche,
Siemens electric drive train
and horizontal torsion bar
suspension. Despite the
clever concept too many
components were new and
untested. The urgency of the
production schedule would
not tolerate the problems
that occurred with these
untested components,
therefore, the production
was cancelled. (Spielberger
collection)
per month. The first VK 45.01 (P) was completed
in April 1942 in time for a demonstration on
Hitler's birthday. The second, completed in June,
was sent to Kummersdorf for gun firing and other
tests. Problems with the engine and suspension
delayed further production and in September
1942, Nibelungenwerk reported that assembly of
the Tiger (P) had stopped because Engines and
suspension parts had not arrived. At this time five
Tiger (P)s were undergoing trials at the troop
training grounds at Dollersheim.
Between 26 and 31 October 1942, a Tiger-
Kommission met to determine which model,
the Tiger (H) or Tiger (P) would be chosen for
further series production. During the subsequent
comparative trials, the Henschel Tiger proved to
be superior and was therefore selected. In the status
report for October 1942, Nibelungenwerk reported
that Tiger (P) production had been discontinued.
A total often Tiger (P)s (Fgst Nr 150001 through
150010), had been assembled by Nibelungenwerk
before the end of October 1942. From the original
order for 100 VK 45.01 (P) 90 turrets were converted
for mounting on the Tiger I; 90 hulls were converted
for the Ferdinand Panzer-Jager; three hulls were
converted for Bergefahrzeuge (recovery vehicles);
three Fahrgestelle were completed with Ramm-Tiger
superstructures; 4 complete PzKpfw VI (VK 45.01
(P) with Turm Nr 150004, 150005, 150013, and
150014 were retained for further tests and trials.
Before October 1942, Porsche had designed a Typ
102 which was virtually the same Panzer as the
Typ 101, but with a Voith hydraulic drive in place
of the electric drive. On 17 February 1943, Dr
Porsche reported that a Tiger PI with hydraulic
drive was being completed at Nibelungenwerk.
The Henschel Model
On 28 May 1941, Wa Pruf 6 placed an order with
Henschel to design a new Fahrgestell suitable for
carrying a turret with an 8.8 cm KwK This Panzer
was to have a new feature known as Vorpanzer
consisting of a frontal armoured shield to protect
the tracks and drive sprockets. This order was
based on the meeting with Hitler on 26 May
1941, where the current design status of the heavy
tanks had been discussed and directives for future
actions established. Before the meeting, Henschel
had not contemplated mounting an 88 mm gun
turret on their VK 36.01 Fahrgestell but had
closely followed specifications and orders originating
from Wa Pruf 6. At the same time another order
to alter the VK 36.01 was also given a high priority
and tough deadlines. Therefore, Henschel did not
immediately pursue the option for an 8.8 cm gun
turret. Instead, they concentrated on the high
6
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