Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I is without exaggeration the legendary tank of World War II. Designed by Erwin Aders and built by the Henschel firm, the Tiger was always in the thick of battles and took an active part in the most important strategic operations of the Wehrmacht.

Exploitation

The Tiger tank was produced from 1942 to 1944 and was put into operation in the middle of 1942, when the 502nd tank battalion was delivered to the outskirts of the Leningrad region. Starting the attack, the superbly reinforced, but heavy and clumsy Tigers got stuck in the swampy soil. Tanks unadapted to such conditions, which were immediately evacuated for repairs, had gearboxes failing in the swamps and engines stalled.

In mid-September, the tanks that returned from repairs again attempted to attack, but were fired upon by Soviet troops and again bogged down in the swamps, after which they were again evacuated.

Despite not the most successful start, the Tiger, nevertheless, during the battles proved to be a devastating military weapon: from February 12 to February 17, 1943, the Tigers disabled and destroyed 31 Soviet tanks, and the total number of trophies in the Leningrad region amounted to 160 units .

Powerful and heavy, the Tigers were still not invulnerable - the tanks regularly failed due to engine breakdowns and still got stuck in the swamps.

By June 1943, the headquarters managed to bring the number of Tigers to the 14 units originally planned by the leadership - before that, the tanks broke down, were towed for repairs and returned back, some were lost during the battles. The required number was reached when 7 more tanks were sent from Germany.

In March 1943, in the Battle of Kharkov, the Tigers destroyed 12 T-34 tanks in a matter of minutes, and knocked out 8 more during the pursuit. The 88-mm Tiger projectile was so powerful that the T-34 simply tore off the tower, leaving no chance not only for victory, but even for some resistance.

A separate topic deserves the participation of the Tigers in the largest tank battle in history - the Battle of Kursk. In the brutal and bloody Operation Citadel, the losses of the 503rd and 505th German tank battalions amounted to only 4 units!

In total, 1354 Tigers were produced during the Second World War, the production costs of which were twice the production costs of any other tank of that time. This, in part, explains the reason for the insignificant export of the Tiger abroad - its production simply did not cover the needs of the Wehrmacht itself.

Production

The Tiger became the first heavy tank of the Wehrmacht. Perhaps its creation would have been postponed indefinitely, but the medium tank PzKpfw IV Ausf. The E-F was inferior to the Soviet T-34 in all respects, and for the success of the enterprise, the army of the Third Reich desperately needed a strong and powerful machine.

The Third Reich announced a competition for the best model of a heavy tank with a mass of at least 30 tons and a gun located in a turret above the hull.

Simultaneously with the Henschel firm, Ferdinand Porsche was involved in the design of the declared model of a new heavy tank. An innovator in the automotive industry, he was in good standing with Hitler and was just starting out in tank building.

According to the characteristics of reliability and patency, the Henschel tank won. The Porsche tank, in addition to its complex design, assumed such rare materials as copper for its work, which excluded mass production.

The turret of the tank, however, was borrowed from the Porsche model, since the turrets ordered by Henschel were not completed on time.

Control

The control of the tank was arranged in the manner of driving a car and did not require special skills and abilities: steering wheel, pedals, gearbox and communication devices.

Characteristics

The Tiger became the first tank in Germany with a variable width: it was wider at the top, which made it possible to install a turret with a shoulder strap diameter of 1850 mm for 88 mm guns - the same ones that tanks would later "scatter" .

The hulls of the tank were made of rolled steel and were located parallel or perpendicular to each other, which significantly improved the safety characteristics. The welded surfaces were the favored German dovetail method. The weak point of the Tiger, for which its designers were regularly criticized, was the practically unprotected junction of the hull and turret and a 30 mm roof (against 80 mm of the hull and 100 mm of the frontal part), which was completely irrational for a tank of this size. An armored ring was subsequently developed at the junction of the tower and the hull, but the roof was left unchanged. Part of the loss of tanks happened precisely because the tank turret was wedged due to fragments of shells falling into the roof. The Tiger's hull was impressive: without the undercarriage and turret, it weighed 29 tons.

The turret of the tank was powered by a gearbox, with the engine turned off, the rotation was done manually by the machinists.

The 725 mm wide caterpillar belt provided excellent driving characteristics, however, when transporting the tank, it was recommended to change it to a special 520 mm transport belt - the wide caterpillars simply did not fit into the car.

Location

The Tiger was a classic tank with a front power train. In front of the tank there was a crew and all the controls: steering wheel, jobs, gearbox, pedals, machine gun, etc.

In order to raise morale, as well as a visual demonstration of the colossal strength of the Tiger, a tank was brought to the training center after a two-day battle in Rostov. After 250 direct hits, the tank was able to independently get to the base for repairs and was a truly ingenious creation of engineering.

In 1943-44, the Tigers were covered with a special coating - zimmerite, which prevents magnetization of undermining magnetic mines. Subsequently, these measures were abandoned.

The Tiger is definitely a legendary tank. At the time of its appearance, it had no equal in the whole world: an 88-mm projectile left no chance for the enemy, and it was almost impossible to penetrate thick frontal armor, which was the best suited for counterattacks and head-on collisions.

“We will be winners thanks to our “Tiger”

Adolf Hitler before the Battle of Kursk.

Big and slow, crews cursed tank "Tiger" for unreliability. But when he went into battle, the armor and cannon of the Tiger made him almost invulnerable.

The tank's high complexity, unreliability and low strength meant that it lost its edge over vast areas. Although in situations where strength is important in combat, he was almost invulnerable and could fire at very long distances; in July 1944, a tank from the 506th heavy tank battalion hit a Soviet T-34 tank at a range of about 4 km.

Individual tank commanders had huge personal accounts of destroyed tanks: 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. He followed on the heels of such masters as Lieutenant Otto Carius.

Tiger Armor

The huge advantages of the "Tiger" consisted of good protection for the crew and the excellent striking power of its gun. The thick, flat-slab armor lacked the good ballistic shape found in other designs of the time, such as the Panther or the Soviet T-34 tank. But with armor thickness increased from 63 to 102 mm on the hull and from 82 to 100 mm on the Ausf H turret (brought to 110 mm on the Ausf E), the Tiger hardly needed it.

Cannon Tiger eight-eight

The main armament of the tank was the 88 mm KwK-36 L156 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 carried 92 rounds to the main gun, stowed in the hull bunker, turret racks and wherever else could be reach out with your hand.

Muzzle brake: The Tifa KwK L/56 cannon was equipped with a muzzle brake that reduced the recoil force when firing an anti-tank projectile flying at a speed of 1000 m/s.
For self-defense against infantry, two 7.92-mm M-634 machine guns were installed on the tank: one coaxial with the main gun, and the other mounted in the front hull plate.

Tank tracks

For the Tiger, tracks 72.5 cm wide were needed to distribute the load on the soil. Its width exceeded the standard railway gauge, so for transporting the tank, the outer road wheels were replaced and narrower 52 cm tracks were installed.

Ride comfort was good - the intermediate road wheels helped distribute considerable weight evenly,
torsion bar suspension made the ride soft even on uneven surfaces. However, if the inner track roller was damaged by a mine explosion, repairing the tank in the field became a serious problem. In the East, mud freezing between the rollers could completely immobilize the tank overnight.

The "Tiger" weighed about 60 tons, but its wide tracks gave it the ability to move in the dirtiest and most snowy places that could be found in Russia.

Disadvantages of the Tiger tank

Despite its excellent power, the Tiger had several drawbacks. The turret traverse mechanism was too slow, which meant that the fast-moving (and bold) enemy tank crew could maneuver at close range in front of or behind the tank. The slowness and limited mobility of the "Tiger" meant that in a maneuverable battle, he obviously did not have an advantage.

The Tigers were complex machines. in need of experienced crews and maintenance personnel capable of working in the field. As a result, often bogged down in a swamp or out of order "Tigers" were destroyed: the large weight of the tank made it impossible to load it onto standard evacuation vehicles.

Production and modification of the Tiger tank

The production of "Tigers" has never been high. Initially, 12 cars were assembled every month, but from November 1942, their production was increased to 25 units per month.

The tank underwent various modifications during its two years of production, early models had smoke grenade launchers and pistol embrasures on the sides of the turret, which were removed on later models.

Tanks destined for Africa and Russia were equipped with air dust filters. Ultimately, 1355 Tiger tanks were assembled. The last operational Tigers were used to defend the center of Berlin in April 1945.

In total, there were several variants of the Tiger tank: about 80 tanks were assembled as command vehicles ("Befehlswagen"), with an additional radio transmitter that allowed commanders to improve control of their vehicles. Some refurbished variants were improved unnecessarily - the standard Wehrmacht recovery vehicle SdKfz 9, an 18-ton half-track towing vehicle.

Specifications of the Tiger tank

Crew: five persons

Weight: 55,000 kg

Dimensions: Length (including weapons) 8.24 m; hull length 6.2 m; width 3.73 m; height 2.86 m; the width of combat tracks is 71.5 cm; transport tracks width 51.5 cm

Armor protection: frontal armor 100 mm thick on the turret and hull; on the sides of the tower - 80-mm armor; on the side walls of the hull - 60-80 mm armor: upper and lower armor - 25 mm.

Power point: One 12-cylinder Maybach HL 230 45 petrol engine, 522 kW (700 hp)

Specifications: maximum road speed 45 km/h; normal maximum speed 38 km/h; maximum cross-country speed 18 km/h; the maximum range on the road was 195 km, but in combat conditions it rarely exceeded 100 km; fording depth - 1.2 m; maximum steepness of rise - 60%; the height of the overcome vertical obstacles is 0.79 m, the trench is 1.8 m.

Main armament: One 88 mm KwK-36/56 cannon with 92 rounds. Type of shells: armor-piercing shells, armor-piercing shells with tungsten cores, HEAT shells. Muzzle velocity: 600 m / s (high-explosive projectile); 773 m / s (armor-piercing projectile); 930 m / s (armor-piercing projectile with a tungsten core).
Effective firing range: 3,000 m for an armor-piercing projectile and 5,000 m for a high-explosive projectile. Penetration: 171 mm armor at close range and 110 mm armor at 2000 m using a tungsten core armor-piercing projectile.

Additional armament: One 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun. coaxial with the gun, and one MG-34 machine gun mounted movably in the frontal hull plate.

HISTORY OF CREATION

Heavy tank "Tiger" in the exposition of captured military equipment in the Gorky Central Park of Culture and Culture. Moscow, March 1944. Mortars for launching anti-personnel mines of type "S" are clearly visible.

"Tiger", "Taiger", "Tigris" - this word, pronounced in Russian, English, Polish, French by soldiers of the armies of the anti-Hitler coalition, made the hearts beat faster, if not from fear, then from a sense of mortal danger. At that moment, the mind of the soldiers was by no means the image of a ferocious striped cat, but the image of an invulnerable steel hulk, spewing fire and death.

Created by the "gloomy German genius", this, without any doubt, the most formidable German tank of the Second World War was a perfect example of military equipment. And if the other two most famous tanks of those years - the T-34 and the Sherman - largely owe their fame to the gigantic volumes of production, then the "Tiger" - to exceptionally outstanding combat qualities. And one can only bitterly regret that these qualities were used in the struggle for a wrong cause ...

Real work on the creation of a new heavy tank under the Panzerkampfwagen VI program began at the end of January 1937, when Henschel received an order to design a combat vehicle under the conditional index DW1 (Durchbruchwagen - breakthrough vehicle). The hull of this 30-ton tank consisted of two parts, connected to each other by bolts - metallurgical plants could not yet produce large-sized rolled armor plates 50 mm thick at that time. The undercarriage consisted of five rubber-coated road wheels and three support rollers on board, a front-mounted drive wheel with ridge engagement and a 300 mm wide caterpillar. Suspension - individual, torsion bar. The turret-ballasted tank chassis that was being tested was equipped with a 280-horsepower Maybach HL 120 engine, Maybach Variorex gearbox and Cletrac-type turning mechanism. The maximum speed is 35 km/h.

Developed from September 1938, the DW2 variant had differences from its predecessor in the design of the gearbox, parking brake, tracks, final drives, drive wheels and suspension. The tank was to be equipped with a Pz.Kpfw.IV turret with a 75 mm cannon and a coaxial MG 34 machine gun. The second machine gun was to be mounted in the right front hull plate. As in the first case, the matter was limited to the construction and testing of the chassis.

In the experimental tank VK 3001 (H), which followed the first two prototypes and was created, like them, under the leadership of the head of the advanced development department of Henschel, Erwin Aders, the thickness of the frontal armor of the hull was increased to 60 mm, a 520 mm wide caterpillar was used and road wheels were placed in a checkerboard pattern. Maybach HL 116 6-cylinder engine with 300 hp at 3000 rpm allowed a 30-ton combat vehicle to move at a speed of 35 km / h. Three experimental chassis were made, which were used to test various components and assemblies. When in May 1941 Hitler ordered the development of self-propelled anti-tank guns with powerful 105 and 128 mm guns, other uses were found for the built VK 3001(H). On the basis of two chassis of this type, Rheinmetall-Borsig in Düsseldorf manufactured heavy self-propelled guns 12,8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V. guns, was installed in a cabin open from above in the aft part of the hull. To accommodate a gun weighing 7 tons, it was necessary to lengthen the undercarriage by introducing the eighth road wheel. The wheelhouse with a wall thickness of 30 mm housed 5 crew members and 18 cannon shots. The mass of the vehicle reached 36 tons. Both self-propelled guns were sent to the Eastern Front, where one of them was captured by Soviet troops in the fall of 1943. Currently, this unique machine is an exhibit of the tank museum in Kubinka.

In parallel with the Henschel firm, Porsche also worked on the project of a new heavy tank. The VK 3001 (P) machine - the first one created in the workshops of the new Nibelungenwerke plant - received the brand name "Leopard" (Leopard) and the designation Tour 100. Two prototypes of the chassis were built, left without towers, and did not come from Krupp. The main feature of the Porsche chassis was the electromechanical transmission. Two engines manufactured by the Viennese company Simmering-Graz-Pauker AG, 210 hp each. each rotated two generators, which, in turn, set in motion two electric motors. From them, the torque was transmitted to the drive wheels. The tank was to receive a modified Pz.IV turret with a 75 mm short-barreled gun. In the future, it was planned to install a 105-mm L / 28 cannon on the Leopard. In 1941-1942, both cars were tested, often interrupted due to numerous transmission problems.

In May 1941, during a meeting at the Berghof, Hitler proposed a new concept for a heavy tank, which had increased firepower and armor protection and was designed to become the strike force of tank formations, each of which was supposed to have 20 such vehicles. In the light of the Fuhrer's proposals and taking into account the results of testing experimental heavy tanks, tactical and technical requirements were developed, and then an order was issued to Porsche for the development of the VK 4501 (P) tank with an 88-mm gun and Henschel for the VK 3601 (H) with a gun with a conical shaft. Prototypes were supposed to be produced by May-June 1942.

The work on assembling the Sonderfahrzeug II machine, or Tour 101, officially referred to in the weapons control documents as Panzerkampfwagen VI, VK 4501 (P) Tiger (P), was carried out in the workshops of the Nibelungenwerke plant. The layout of both the tank itself and the engine compartment remained the same as that of the VK 3001(P). Two parallel to each other 10-cylinder V-shaped air-cooled carburetor engines Tour 101/1 with a capacity of 320 hp. each with the help of a V-belt drive, the rotors of two generators were driven into rotation. From the latter, electricity was supplied to two electric motors that rotated the drive wheels of the tank. The entire electrical part of the transmission was supplied by Siemens-Schuckert. As for the tower, it was developed on an initiative basis by Krupp in close cooperation with Porsche.

Meanwhile, Henschel is rapidly designing, manufacturing and testing its VK 3601(H), which was also documented as the Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf.B. There were no problems with the chassis: the powertrain group and chassis were well developed on previous models. A combat vehicle weighing 36 tons, protected by 100 mm frontal armor, reached a speed of 40 km / h. As for the turret and armament, they were never created for this tank. The fact is that Krupp offered its Ger?t 725 - a 75-mm cannon with a conical barrel. But when it turned out that the armor-piercing projectile of this gun included a tungsten core weighing 1 kg, it was hastily abandoned - the ammunition of this gun would “eat up” the entire tungsten limit of the Wehrmacht. Having successfully passed the tests, which, by the way, was attended by the Minister of Armaments A. Speer, the car was out of work. However, not for long...

Note that the VK 3601 (H) from the very beginning was considered as an intermediate model, as a stepping stone to the next, more powerful combat vehicle. No wonder the planned release of this tank was limited to 172 copies. Since the initial version of the armament turned out to be unsuccessful, and the deadlines were running out, it was necessary to look for some new solution. And they found it - a Krupp turret designed for the VK 4501 (P) was installed on the tank. True, for this it was necessary to increase the clear diameter of the turret ring from 1650 to 1850 mm, which caused a change in the upper part of the hull. The VK 3601(H) had fenders, and the weight increased to 45 tons. The design changes also led to a change in the index: the tank became known as the VK 4501(H). The main thing was that on the car of E. Aders, as well as on the tank of F. Porsche, the 88-mm tank gun “registered”.

Self-propelled artillery mount 12,8 cm Panzer-Selbstfahrlafette V.

This gun was developed by Friedrich Krupp AG using the oscillating part of the 8.8 cm Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft gun - the famous "acht-acht" ("eight-eight"), without a doubt the most famous artillery piece of World War II. In the tank version, having received a muzzle brake and an electric trigger, the gun became known as the 8.8-cm KwK 36.

However, for the Henschel tank, a second armament option was also envisaged - a 75-mm KwK 42 L / 70 cannon in the Rheinmetall-Borsig turret. A feature of this turret, made only as a life-size wooden model, was the stern machine gun MG 34 in a ball mount. The car with the Rheinmetall tower had the index H2, with the Krupp one - H1.

In March 1942, Hitler offered to send prototypes of heavy tanks to the front in order to be tested in real combat conditions. Shortly after this highly dubious proposal, he announced how many tanks should be ready by October 1942 and March 1943. It was a complete break from reality to demand by the end of September 1942 the receipt of 60 vehicles from Porsche and 25 from Henschel, and by the end of February 1943 another 135 combat vehicles from both firms. It should be noted here that both tanks had actually already been put into production even before the start of any serious tests. In the factory workshops of Nibelungenwerke, the assembly of an experimental batch immediately from 10 VK 4501 (P) machines began, and 90 towers were ordered from Krupp. Following this, F. Porsche planned to produce 35 tanks by January 1943 and 45 by April. His competitor went even further: the production of the first 60 VK 4501 (H) machines began already in the middle of 1941, and although only one copy was ready by the spring of 1942, the components and assemblies of the rest did not disappear - they were subsequently used in the assembly of serial "tigers ".

On April 20, 1942, Hitler's birthday, both tanks were shown to the Fuhrer at his headquarters "Wolf's Lair" (Wolfsschanze) in East Prussia. Moreover, certain difficulties arose during the delivery of the VK 4501 (H), since the tank tracks protruded 50 mm from each side of the railway platform. During the transportation of the tank, traffic had to be blocked on all sections of the Kassel-Rastenburg railway line. There were also problems with the F. Porsche tank - when unloading from the platform under its own power, the heavy vehicle got stuck in the ground. The Henschelites prudently used a 70-ton railway crane for this purpose, while the Porshevites decided to show off. In the end, they still had to resort to the help of a crane.

The next day, both cars arrived at the rate. At 10.30, as follows from the memoirs of Erwin Aders, the leaders of the Reich and the Wehrmacht began to gather. Goebbels and Goering were absent. When Hitler appeared at 1100 hours, the manufacturers lined up to present themselves to the Fuehrer. This was followed by the awarding of Ferdinand Porsche with the Military Merit Cross, 1st Class. After the official part, Hitler examined the Porsche car for about half an hour, carefully listening to the explanations of the designers. He devoted only 2-3 minutes to Henschel's tank, asked Aders one question and walked away. Then there was a demonstration of tanks in motion.

Goering arrived after dinner. In the presence of him and the Minister of Armaments Speer, speed tests took place. On the 1000 m section, the VK 4501(P) reached a maximum speed of 50 km/h, while its competitor reached 45 km/h on the 850 m section. At the same time, the VK 4501(H) engine overheated to such an extent that a fire hazard arose. After cooling the engine, the tank was again ready for action. Kurt Arnold, chief engineer of Henschel, offered Speer comparative tests for maneuverability, apparently not without secret intent: he knew the weaknesses of the Porsche car well. The crude, unfinished electric transmission seriously hampered the maneuvering of the VK 4501(P), for example, the tank made 90° turns with great difficulty. Against this background, the VK 4501(H) showed its best side - a multi-ton car was spinning literally on a patch, delighting the audience.

Pz.Kpfw.VI Tiger Ausf.H1 (early production vehicle).

However, this demonstration of tanks, in fact, did not solve anything - there were real tests ahead at the Burke training ground, where two VK 4501 (P) and one VK 4501 (H) arrived in May 1942. As a result, the Porsche tank, as in the case of the VK 3001 (P), revealed a low reliability of the electric transmission. In addition, the car had poor cross-country ability and a small power reserve - only 50 km. Since Hitler wanted to use the new tanks in North Africa, this figure had to be at least 150 km. It turned out to be impossible to place an additional amount of fuel in the tank due to lack of space. It was easy to foresee the numerous difficulties that could arise in the operation of a combat vehicle at the front. The unusual transmission required retraining of drivers and repair service specialists.

One of the first serial "tigers" in the factory yard. The placement of headlights on the front of the body is typical for early models.

After weighing all the pros and cons, despite Hitler's special disposition towards Dr. Porsche, the commission that conducted the tests decided in favor of the Henschel tank. Hitler was forced to agree. The vehicle received the designation Pz.Kpfw.VI (Sd.Kfz.181) Tiger Ausf.H1, and after the adoption of the Tiger II tank in 1944, the name was changed to Tiger Ausf.E or Tiger I. Already manufactured at the Nibelungenwerke 90 VK chassis 4501(P) it was decided to use as a base for heavy assault guns, armed with an 88-mm anti-tank gun, created on the basis of the Flak 41 anti-aircraft gun with a barrel length of 71 calibers - the future Ferdinands.

Early release tower.

At the beginning of August 1942, mass production of the new heavy tank began, which, however, did not mean the end of testing. They continued, but already at the main Wehrmacht tank training ground in Kummersdorf. The first tank had traveled 960 km by that time. In medium cross-country terrain, the car developed speeds of up to 18 km / h, while fuel consumption was 430 liters per 100 km.

Mortars for firing smoke grenades:

1 - front view; 2 - rear view.

Installation of the tower in the factory shop.

By August 18, 1942, the first 4 Tigers were produced. The fifth and sixth vehicles were sent to Fallingbostel on August 27, where the 501st and 502nd heavy tank battalions were formed. Tanks were assembled at the Henschel plant in Kassel. Wegmann was involved in the production of towers. In the process of serial production, changes and improvements were almost continuously made to the design of the tank, which was produced in one modification. The first production vehicles had a modified box for equipment and spare parts, which was attached to the rear of the turret. The prototypes used a box borrowed from the Pz.Kpfw.III. The hatch with a loophole for firing personal weapons on the right wall of the tower was replaced with a manhole hatch. For self-defense against enemy infantry, mortars for anti-personnel mines of type “S” were mounted around the perimeter of the hull. This mine, the warhead of which included 360 steel balls, was fired at a low altitude and exploded. In addition, NbK 39 90 mm smoke grenade launchers (three on each side) were installed on the turrets of early production tanks. The latter could also be used to fire "S" type mines. On vehicles of later releases, a “close-range defense weapon” - Nahverteidigungswaffe - a mortar installed inside the tank and fired through an embrasure located on the roof of the tower behind the loader's hatch served for this purpose.

From the second half of 1943, a new commander's turret (from the 391st vehicle) began to be installed on the Tigers, unified with the Panther's turret and having a device for attaching an MG 34 anti-aircraft machine gun, as well as a periscope observation device in front of the loader's hatch. Changes were made to the trigger mechanism of the gun, to the gun stopper in the stowed position, the mount of the coaxial machine gun, the seats of the crew members, etc. Laying of spare tracks was placed on its sides, which had previously been located only on the lower frontal hull plate. Five tracks were attached on the left, and three on the right side.

Roof of the engine compartment with installed equipment for underwater driving:

1 - exhaust pipes; 2 - OPVT pipe; 3 - Feifel type air filters; 4 - cap above the air outlet window; 5 - air supply pipes to the engine air filters; 6 - air supply pipes to Feifel type filters.

The power plant of the tank has also undergone changes. On the first 250 machines, the Maybach HL 210P30 engine was installed, on the rest - Maybach HL 230P45. For operation in the African desert and in the southern regions of Russia, air filters of the Feifel type were mounted on the aft hull sheet.

The first 495 tanks were equipped with equipment for underwater driving, which made it possible to overcome water obstacles up to 4 m deep along the bottom. A three-meter telescopic pipe was installed above a special hatch in the roof of the engine compartment to supply air to the engine. The exhaust was made directly into the water. All tank hatches had rubber seals. The engine partition was sealed with special care so that exhaust gases would not penetrate into the habitable compartments of the tank. During tests at the factory site, where a special pool was built for this purpose, a tank with a running engine was under water for up to 2.5 hours. At that time, the Tiger was the only mass-produced tank in the world that was massively equipped with underwater driving equipment, which was widely used in tank building only in the 1950s. True, this equipment was practically not used in the troops and was abandoned over time.

The weak point of the chassis of the "Tiger", which could not be got rid of, was the rapid wear and subsequent destruction of the rubber bands of the road wheels. Starting with the 800th vehicle, road wheels with internal shock absorption and steel tires were installed on the tank. At the same time, the outer row of single rollers was removed.

Two types of caterpillars were used on the "tigers" - transport, 520 mm wide, and combat, 725 mm wide. The former were used for transportation by rail, to fit into the size of the platform, and for movement on their own on paved roads outside of combat. (When transporting tanks, the outer track rollers were also often removed.) When using transport tracks, the specific pressure on the ground increased to 1.53 kg / cm 2.

In 1943, 84 tanks were converted to the command variant. The ammunition load was reduced to 66 shots, the coaxial machine gun was removed and additional radio equipment was placed. Depending on the purpose, command tanks Pz.Bef.Wg. Tiger Ausf.E existed in two versions, differing in the set of radios. Sd.Kfz.267 with radios Fu 5 and Fu 8 was intended for the divisional level, and Sd.Kfz.268 with Fu 5 and Fu 7 - for company and battalion commanders.

Several "tigers" were converted into ARVs, and, apparently, by the own forces of military units - there was no "proprietary" version of such a vehicle. One machine with a dismantled gun and crane equipment installed on the tower was captured by the Allies in Italy. In some cases, tank chassis without a turret were used as tractors. Basically, for the evacuation of wrecked heavy tanks from the battlefield, the Bergepanther BREM and FAMO half-track tractors (Sd.Kfz.9) were used.

"Tiger" of the 501st heavy tank battalion in Tunisia, 1943. The inertial air filters of the Feifel type are clearly visible on the aft hull sheet.

In the autumn of 1943, at the insistence of Hitler, an 88-mm KwK 43 cannon with a barrel length of 71 calibers was experimentally installed in the standard H1 turret. But at that time, the development of the VK 4503 tank, the future "Royal Tiger", was already underway, the dimensions of the tower of which were much more suitable for the new gun.

Production of the heavy tank "Tiger"

The only country to which the Tiger was exported was Hungary, Germany's most staunch and bravest ally. The tanks were delivered there in July 1944. Their number (according to various sources) ranges from 3 to 13 units. These were vehicles of different production, apparently transferred from one of the heavy tank battalions from the Eastern Front. On December 7, 1944, four "Tigers" were part of the 2nd Hungarian Panzer Division. Judging by the photographs, these vehicles were also part of the 1st Cavalry Division, which fought the Soviet troops in eastern Poland.

In the summer of 1943, three tanks were loaned to the Italians. After the capitulation of Italy, they were again returned to the banner of the Panzerwaffe.

"Tiger" - the first of those captured by American troops in North Africa. On the right wall of the tower there is a hatch with a loophole for firing personal weapons, later replaced by a manhole hatch.

A curious story happened to the Japanese, who showed an increased interest in the new German tanks. On June 7, 1943, the Japanese ambassador to Germany, General Oshima, observed the fighting of the 502nd heavy tank battalion near Leningrad, then visited the Henschel company and the tank training ground, where the "tigers" underwent factory tests. Soon the company was instructed to transfer to the Japanese two sets of documentation, re-shot on microfilm. In September 1943, the question of selling one "Tiger" to Japan was already raised. It was supposed to be delivered along with the Panther tank, also purchased by the Japanese, to Bordeaux, and from there, disassembled, by submarine to Japan. It is rather difficult to imagine how they intended to do this - after all, it is simply impossible to disassemble the tank into small parts. The hull of the tank, for example, even without the turret and undercarriage, weighed 29 tons and had a very impressive size.

"Tiger" is a US Army trophy at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Museum.

Above: Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H2 (project). Bottom: Pz.Kpfw. Tiger Ausf.E with 88 mm KwK 43 L/71 gun.

Henschel did not fail to take advantage of the deal. A fully completed "Tiger" (namely, in this form the Japanese wanted to get it) with 92 artillery rounds, 4500 rounds for machine guns, 192 for a submachine gun, a radio station and optics cost the Wehrmacht 300 thousand Reichsmarks. He was "pushed" to his Far Eastern ally for 645,000 Reichsmarks. This amount, however, included the cost of disassembly and packaging. On October 14, 1943, the tank was sent to Bordeaux. After the payment was made in February 1944, the Tiger became Japanese. However, he did not wait for a submarine from the Land of the Rising Sun. By decision of the High Command of the Ground Forces on September 21, 1944, the tank was requisitioned and again transferred to the disposal of the German Wehrmacht.

Pz-Kpfw. Tiger Ausf.E (late production vehicle).

From the book Technique and weapons 2001 04 author Magazine "Technique and weapons"

History of creation The development of an infantry fighting vehicle began in the USSR in 1960. By that time, not only tracked, but also wheeled versions of the all-terrain chassis had been sufficiently worked out. In addition, high operational efficiency spoke in favor of the wheeled version.

From the book Bomber B-25 "Mitchell" author Kotelnikov Vladimir Rostislavovich

History of creation In the 70s, work began on the creation of a vehicle in the development of the BMP-1 - it was supposed to make changes to the armament complex and the deployment of the BMP crew. The emphasis was on the possibility of hitting equal vehicles, light defensive structures, manpower

From the book P-51 "Mustang" author Ivanov S. V.

History of Creation In March 1938, the US Army Air Corps sent out Terms of Reference 38-385 to various aircraft manufacturing companies for a twin-engine attack bomber. A competition was announced for the best design, promising large orders. Firm "North"

From the book Aviation and Astronautics 2013 05 the author

The history of creation "One of the "miracles" of the war was the appearance in the skies of Germany of a long-range escort fighter ("Mustang") at the very moment when it was most needed" - General "Hap" Arnold, Commander-in-Chief of the US Air Force. "In my opinion. P-51 played

From the book Yak-1/3/7/9 in World War II Part 1 author Ivanov S. V.

Su-27 history of creation Talking about the progress of designing the future Su-27 fighter, one cannot fail to mention some of the "intermediate" options that had a huge impact on the layout scheme and the final appearance of the aircraft. We remind readers that in 1971 in the Design Bureau

From the book Medium Tank T-28 author Moshchansky Ilya Borisovich

History of creation By the beginning of 1939, the question of creating a modern fighter was acute in the Soviet Union. Potential adversaries acquired new Bf 109 and A6M Zero machines, while the Soviet Air Force continued to fly donkeys and seagulls. More and more

From the book Hitler's Slavic Armor author Baryatinsky Mikhail

HISTORY OF CREATION Shielded T-28 tanks pass through Red Square. Moscow, November 7, 1940. At the end of the 1920s, tank building developed most actively in three countries - in Great Britain, Germany and France. At the same time, British firms were working on a wide front,

From the book Aviation and Cosmonautics 2013 10 of the author

HISTORY OF CREATION Only four copies of the LT vz.35 light tank have survived to this day - in Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and the USA. The vehicle from the Military Museum in Sofia is in the worst condition - it has no weapons at all, in the best condition - a tank in the Military Museum on

From the book Aviation and Cosmonautics 2013 11 author

HISTORY OF CREATION Tank Pz.38 (t) Ausf.S, located in the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising in Banska Bystrica. On October 23, 1937, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Defense of Czechoslovakia with the participation of representatives of the Ministry, the General Staff, the Military Institute

From the book Armor Collection 1996 No. 05 (8) Light tank BT-7 author Baryatinsky Mikhail

Su-27 creation history Sukhoi first encountered the integral layout of the aircraft, in which not only the wing, but also the fuselage had load-bearing properties. This imposed certain conditions on the constructive-force

From the book Armor Collection 1999 No. 01 (22) Medium tank "Sherman" author Baryatinsky Mikhail

Su-27 history of creation Photo and StadnikCombat survivability Sukhoi has accumulated significant experience in ensuring combat survivability (BZh) of aircraft from fire

From the book Medium tank "Chi-ha" author Fedoseev Semyon Leonidovich

History of creation In January 1933, the Kharkov Plant No. 183 received an assignment to develop a new machine, in which it was supposed to eliminate all the shortcomings of its predecessors, the BT-2 and BT-5. The tactical and technical conditions for the new tank provided for the installation on it

From the book Heavy Tank IS-2 author Baryatinsky Mikhail

History of creation The only medium tank adopted by the US Army between the two world wars was the M2. This unremarkable combat vehicle, however, became a milestone for American tank building. Unlike all previous samples, the main

From the book Medium Tank T-34-85 author Baryatinsky Mikhail

History of creation Japanese tank building began with medium tanks. In 1927, the arsenal in Osaka (Osaka Rikugun Zoheisho) built an experimental double-turreted tank No. 1 and a single-turret No. 2, which was later called "Type 87". In 1929, based on the English "Vickers MkS" and

From the author's book

The history of creation Dedicated to those burned alive in tanks ... Tank IS-2 from the 7th Guards Heavy Tank Brigade at the Brandenburg Gate. Berlin, May 1945. Without exaggeration, it can be argued that the heavy tank IS-2 traces its ancestry to the KV-1 and KV-13 tanks: the first tank

From the author's book

The history of the creation of the T-34-85 with the D-5T gun. 38th separate tank regiment. The tank column "Dimitriy Donskoy" was built at the expense of the Russian Orthodox Church. Ironically, one of the greatest victories of the Red Army in the Great Patriotic War - near Kursk was won

"Vanya, dance!"

Masterfully driving the tank, Makarenkov left the chase. Together with Osatyuk, they lured German tanks into the position of an anti-tank battery. As a result, two Pz.Kpfw.IIIs were destroyed, and the third, although it left, was not far away. This episode was the first in a series of setbacks that plagued the Germans in Workers' Village No. 5. Having got rid of his pursuers, Osatyuk opened fire on the enemy infantry, and then the Soviet attack followed. During its course, five T-60s were hit and one burned down. But the neighboring brigades supported the offensive, the Germans were therefore forced to expose the line of defense and were defeated. Work settlement No. 5 was taken by 12:00 on January 18.

Apparently, they tried to tow the tank, but the rapid advance of the Red Army did not allow the evacuation
An abandoned Pz.Kpfw. was in the hands of the Red Army. Tiger Ausf.E with turret number 121 and serial number 250004. According to German records, it had a broken engine and failed radiator. Judging by the Soviet description, the German information is close to the truth. At the time of the capture, the tank was under repair.
And this was not the end of a series of troubles for the 502nd tank battalion. Not knowing that Workers' Settlement No. 5 had been captured, a commander's tank with turret number 100 and serial number 250009 advanced towards it. A little before reaching the settlement, the tank turned off the road and ended up in a peat pit. The crew left the car and went towards the village. Realizing that it was not the Germans ahead, the tank crew retreated. So the Red Army got two "Tigers", one of which the Germans broke, and the second was completely lost unharmed. Together with the tanks, the Red Army also got documents, including a brief instruction and a waybill.

Terrible adversary

The result of Operation Iskra was the breakthrough of the German defense. The success was relatively modest, but it made it possible to supply the besieged city not only along the Road of Life, but also by land. Already on February 7, the first echelon arrived in Leningrad. The successes of the Red Army were most directly reflected in the fate of captured German tanks. Thanks to the corridor pierced in the German defense, they were able to be transported to the "mainland". The study of tanks, however, began almost immediately after the capture. By the end of January, a brief technical description had been prepared. In parallel, the documents captured along with the tanks were translated. Due to the haste and the lack of accurate data, the description turned out to be far from ideal. For example, the combat weight of the tank was indicated in the region of 75-80 tons, which is much more than the real one. The estimate of the thickness of the armor was also incorrect.

"Tiger" with tower number 121 at the NIBT Polygon, April 1943
Initially, the captured tanks appeared in the correspondence as “captured tanks of the HENSHEL type”, later they were called T-VI. It is worth noting that at least two more such tanks were in the hands of units of the Leningrad Front. In addition to the machine with tower number 100, two more are indicated in the correspondence. One of them was captured completely burnt out, and the second - lined and partially burned down. This tank served as a "donor" for the repair of tank No. 100, and pieces of armor were cut out of it for testing. The car with tower number 100 was sent to the NIBT Polygon in Kubinka, but this happened later. The tank with turret number 121 was the first to be sent to Kubinka.

She is on the right side, winter camouflage is washed off
The tanks that arrived aroused great interest. By that time, the "Tigers" were very actively used by the Germans both on the Soviet-German front and in North Africa. For the first time, these vehicles were used on a truly massive scale during the battle for Kharkov, making a significant contribution to the defeat of the Red Army on this sector of the front. Around the same time, the Tigers fought in Tunisia against American and British troops, inflicting serious losses on them. It is worth noting that the British quite quickly supplied the Soviet side with information about the new German tank. In particular, on April 5, 1943, the Soviet side received a report about the shelling of the "German tank MK VI" with a 6-pound anti-tank gun. The shelling was carried out at the end of March. At a distance of 300 yards (274.3 meters), out of 10 shells fired at the frontal plate of the hull, 5 pierced it through.

The turret number began to be read well only after washing off the camouflage
By April 1943, tanks with turret numbers 100 and 121 were already at the NIBT Polygon. It was decided to test one car by shelling, and the second - to use it for shelling tests of the armor of Soviet tanks. The tank with turret number 100 was lucky to be preserved in good condition. As for the tank with turret number 121, it was dismantled and prepared for firing tests by April 25th.

The badge of the 502nd heavy tank battalion is visible on the front of the hull.
The tests were carried out in the period from 25 to 30 April 1943. In total, 13 artillery systems, 5 anti-tank rifles, a KB-30 anti-tank grenade, 2 types of anti-tank mines, and a 37-mm aircraft gun mounted on the LAGG-3 took part in the shelling. It should be noted right away that of all these guns, three (107 mm M-60 cannon, 122 mm M-30 howitzer and 152 mm ML-20 howitzer gun) did not hit the target, despite the fact that the weather was clear .

The results of shelling from a 45-mm cannon. Sub-caliber projectile managed to penetrate the side at a distance of 200 meters
The T-70 tank was the first to open fire on the Tiger. It was obvious that it was useless to shoot at the side armor with a thickness of 80 mm with its usual armor-piercing projectile, so the fire was carried out with sub-caliber projectiles. Of the two hits from a distance of 200 meters, one was crowned with penetration. Also, from a distance of 350 meters, the lower side plate 60 mm thick was pierced. Similar results were shown by the 45-mm anti-tank gun model 1942 of the year. Its armor-piercing projectile did not penetrate the side of the German tank even from a distance of 100 meters, and it was possible to penetrate the upper side plate with a sub-caliber projectile from 350 meters.

For the ZIS-2 and the 6-pounder anti-tank gun, the sides of the German heavy tank were not too serious an obstacle.
57 mm caliber guns opened fire on the German tank next. Both the Soviet ZIS-2 anti-tank gun and the British 6-pounder anti-tank gun showed similar results. Board "Tiger" made its way at a distance of 800-1000 meters. As for firing at the frontal part of the tank, the ZIS-2 could not penetrate it at a distance of 500 meters. At closer distances, the shelling was not carried out, but in general, at distances of about 300 meters, a German heavy tank was probably already amazed by it, as evidenced by the data received from the British. It is worth noting that the English anti-tank gun had a shorter barrel length. Penetration characteristics similar to those of the Soviet cannon were provided by higher quality shells.

The results of firing from the American 75-mm tank gun M3
The American 75-mm M3 tank gun installed in the M4A2 medium tank proved to be quite worthy. When firing from it, two types of anti-tank shells were tested - M61 and M72. In the case of the M61, the penetration of the side of the hull took place at a distance of 400 meters, and in the case of the M72, at a distance of 650 meters. As in the case of the 6-pounder anti-tank gun, the high quality of the workmanship of the shells was noted. No fire was fired on the frontal plate of the hull: most likely, the testers guessed that it would not end in anything good.

The armor of the German heavy tank was too tough for the F-34, the main Soviet tank gun
A real fiasco turned into a test by shelling a German heavy tank from a 76-mm F-34 tank gun. Not a single hit ended in penetration, even when fired from a distance of 200 meters. This applied to both armor-piercing, and experienced sub-caliber, and experienced cumulative shells. In the case of an armor-piercing projectile, the low quality of its manufacture was noted. But in the period described, it was the main Soviet tank gun!
Another 76 mm caliber gun, the 3-K anti-aircraft gun, proved to be more successful. The difference, however, was not so great: the 3-K projectile could not penetrate the side of the tower at a distance of 500 meters. In other words, the 3-K turned out to be approximately equal in terms of penetration to the American 75-mm M3 tank gun with the M61 projectile.

The 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K showed the best penetration data among medium-caliber guns.
It is not surprising that it was she who was identified as a priority for arming heavy tanks and medium SAU3-K, however, it was far from the most powerful weapon that was in service with the Red Army. In addition, it was discontinued in 1940. The replacement was the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K. Since 1940, it has been considered as the basis for a promising tank gun, but for a number of reasons, the matter did not progress further than the manufacture of prototypes. At the same time, these anti-aircraft guns were very actively used as an anti-tank weapon. The tests showed that the leadership of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) and the Main Armored Directorate (GBTU) did the right thing, considering the 52-K as a promising tank gun. The frontal armor of the Tiger was pierced by her projectile at a distance of a kilometer, and the sides were pierced at distances of about one and a half kilometers.

"Tiger" after shelling with the A-19 gun
Even more effective results were shown by the 122-mm A-19 hull gun. Unlike the 52-K, before that it was not considered as a tank gun. A gun with the ballistics of the 107-mm M-60 hull gun claimed a similar role, but, as mentioned above, it did not even hit the Tiger. As for the A-19, it hit, and how it hit! The first shell passed through a breach in the frontal hull plate and pierced through the stern plate. The second shell hit the frontal sheet of the tower, tearing off a piece measuring 58 × 23 cm. At the same time, the tower was torn off the shoulder strap and moved half a meter. After the shelling from the A-19, the Tiger, which already looked not the best according to the results of previous shelling, turned into a pile of scrap metal.

Same in front
The shelling of the test did not end at all. The new German tank had not only thick armor, but also a powerful 88 mm gun. In parallel with the test "Tiger" with tail number 121, his colleague with tail number 100 fired at Soviet tanks. T-34 and KV-1 were used as targets.

KV-1 after shelling from 88-mm gun KwK 36 L/56
The test results were quite predictable. KV-1 did not help even the additional armor of the frontal part of the hull. At a distance of one and a half kilometers, the screen was partially torn off by the first shell, and the screen and the main sheet were pierced with the second. Thus, the idea to lighten the KV-1 turned out to be correct: at least the vehicle, which was vulnerable to a German heavy tank, received better mobility. For 8.8 cm KwK 36, both KV-1 and KV-1s were roughly equivalent targets.

The T-34 looked even more heartbreaking after being hit by a "tiger" cannon.
Even more sad were the results of the shelling of the T-34, which was also carried out at a distance of one and a half kilometers. The very first shell that hit the turret blew it off the shoulder strap, further hits partially destroyed the frontal hull plate. For comparison, the same tanks were fired from the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K. When firing at a distance of 1.5 kilometers, penetration was comparable to that of a German gun. This should not be surprising, since the German and Soviet guns were "relatives". The 76-mm 3-K gun, on the basis of which the 52-K was developed, was created on the basis of an anti-aircraft gun, which also served as the basis for the German Flak 18.
After the end of the tests, both German tanks took their place at the exhibition of captured equipment in the Park of Culture and Recreation. Gorky in Moscow. They were exhibited there until 1948, when they were scrapped. As for the conclusions drawn from the tests, they followed immediately. It became clear that the 76-mm tank guns no longer corresponded to the conditions of the war, and an urgent replacement was required. On May 5, 1943, GKO Decree No. 3289 "On strengthening the artillery armament of tanks and self-propelled guns" was signed. It became the starting point for the development of tank and self-propelled guns of 85 mm caliber.
It should be noted, however, that the GAU KA initiated work on this topic even earlier: as of April 28, 1943, the design bureau (KB) of plant No. 9 had already launched a technical assignment. Also, work on this topic was launched at the Central Artillery Design Bureau (TsAKB). In addition, at that time, work was already in full swing on the development of a self-propelled gun based on the SU-152 using the swinging part of the 122-mm A-19 gun. For the first time, such an idea was voiced back in March 1943 after studying the captured German self-propelled gun Pz.Sfl.V. Finally, in May 1943, the factory #9 design bureau was given the task of developing a tank version of the A-19 gun.
And the appearance of the "Tiger" only accelerated all this work.

Drawn up on the basis of the shelling scheme of the fight against the "Tiger".
The tank is easily recognizable as a "Tiger" with turret number 121. Another test result was the acceleration of work on the ZIS-2 anti-tank gun. Contrary to the widespread version, that gun was not completely abandoned, it was only decided to remake it. Another thing is that these works proceeded at a leisurely pace. The situation that developed after meeting the "Tigers" forced us to sharply speed up the work, and at the same time change our plans. Instead of the IS-1 gun with a slightly shortened barrel and redesigned beds, another gun had to be made, in fact, the ZIS-2 barrel was placed on the carriage and the oscillating part of the 76-mm ZIS-3 divisional gun. In addition, the project of the 57-mm ZIS-4 tank gun was reanimated. In addition to it, the TsAKB began work on the 76-mm S-54 tank gun, which also existed in a self-propelled version.
In a word, GBTU and GAU did not sit idly by. Already in August 1943, the SU-85 self-propelled guns went into production, at the same time the production of the KV-85 began. Even earlier, in July 1943, mass production of the 57-mm anti-tank gun ZIS-2 model 1943 began.
"Tigers" in the Red ArmyDespite the fact that the first "Tigers" were captured in January 1943, their use in the Red Army was episodic. There were several reasons for this. Firstly, in a more or less usable state, the Germans rarely abandoned these tanks, trying to undermine vehicles that could not be evacuated or repaired on the spot. Secondly, do not forget that there were not so many Tigers. In addition, Soviet tank crews tried not to damage, but to destroy a German heavy tank, which practically guaranteed a high reward. In view of all this, it should not be surprising that the first reliable case of the use of a captured "Tiger" in battle was recorded only at the very end of 1943.

Accounting for captured tanks, late 1944 - early 1945
The first to reliably use the "Tiger" in battle was the crew under the command of Lieutenant N.I. Revyakin from the 28th Guards Tank Brigade. On December 27, 1943, one of the "Tigers" of the 501st tank battalion got stuck in a funnel, its crew ran away, and the tank itself became a trophy. The next day, the tank was assigned to the 28th brigade. Revyakin was appointed commander of a captured heavy tank for the reason that he already had extensive combat experience and military awards - two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree and the Order of the Red Star. On January 5, a captured tank with red stars painted on the sides of the turret and with its own name "Tiger" went into battle. The operation of this vehicle looked quite typical for German heavy tanks: this vehicle almost always required repairs. The matter was greatly complicated by the lack of spare parts. Later, another "Tiger" appeared in the 28th Guards Tank Brigade.
You can also recall the episode of the use of the "Tiger" on January 17, 1944. The crew of the T-34 under the command of Lieutenant A.S. Mnatsakanova from the 220th Tank Brigade managed to capture a serviceable Tiger during the battle. Using a captured tank, Mnatsakanov's crew defeated the enemy column. For this fight, Mnatsakanov became a Hero of the Soviet Union.

A tractor based on the KV-1 tows a captured "Tiger"
The situation changed by the spring of 1944. During this period, several operations took place, as a result of which the "Tigers" were captured by the Red Army, as they say, in commercial quantities. For example, on March 6, 1944, the 61st Guards Tank Brigade captured 2 Tigers at the Volochisk station, and on March 23, as many as 13 Tigers and Panthers captured in Gusyatin were in their hands. On the 25th, another 1 Tiger was captured. The most interesting thing is that the brigade took advantage of these trophies: as of April 7, 1944, it included 3 Tigers. True, they fought on them for only a couple of days. Most likely, the trophies of the 61st brigade were the Tigers of the 503rd heavy tank battalion, which is known for the fact that during the battles of late 1943 - early 1944, only one Tiger was irretrievably lost.

The state of the materiel of 51 OMCP on July 5, 1944. The most massive "Tigers" were used in this part
The story had a continuation: the "Tigers" went for repairs. Where exactly is unknown, but in the correspondence of the GBTU KA for the spring of 1944 there is a complaint that there are not enough sights and other optics to repair captured German heavy tanks. One way or another, it follows from this that these tanks were repaired. It is also known that some of them went to the troops.
So far, only one military unit has been reliably identified, which received the captured "Tigers" that underwent repairs. It turned out to be the 51st separate motorcycle regiment. Usually, the Soviet motorcycle regiment included 10 T-34s, but the 51st OMCP turned out to be special. It included a company of captured heavy tanks, which included 5 Tigers and 2 Panthers. All of them were refurbished, received from factories. By the beginning of the Lvov-Sandomierz operation, the number of "Tigers" was reduced to 4. Periodically, in the documents of the regiment, 1-2 vehicles of this type were indicated as requiring repair.
On July 21, 1944, a battle took place, during which the OMCP lost 6 T-34-85s. Return fire destroyed 2 enemy "Tigers", 3 self-propelled guns and 2 armored personnel carriers. It is possible that the enemy tanks were hit by the fire of captured Tigers. In total, for the period from July 20 to July 22, 1944, the regiment destroyed 7 "Tigers" with the loss of 7 T-34-85. Further, the 51st OMCP received replenishment: as of July 28, it included 9 T-34-85s and 4 Tigers. Of the latter, 3 required an average repair, but remained on track. By August 19, 3 "Tigers" in the same condition were still part of the regiment. Further, the regiment was handed over to the NKVD for action against the OUN detachments, while the tanks were withdrawn from its composition.
In total, we can talk about at least 10 captured "Tigers" that operated at different times in various Soviet units.

The equipment that participated in the Second World War on both sides of the front is sometimes more recognizable and "canonical" than even its participants. A vivid confirmation of this is our PPSh submachine gun and German Tiger tanks. Their “popularity” on the Eastern Front was such that our soldiers saw the T-6 in almost every second enemy tank.

How it all began?

By 1942, the German headquarters finally realized that the "blitzkrieg" did not work, but the tendency of positional delay is clearly visible. In addition, Russian T-34 tanks made it possible to effectively deal with German units equipped with T-3 and T-4. Knowing full well what a tank attack is and what its role in the war is, the Germans decided to develop a completely new heavy tank.

In fairness, we note that work on the project has been going on since 1937, but only in the 40s did the requirements of the military take on a more concrete shape. Employees of two companies at once worked on the project of a heavy tank: Henschel and Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche was Hitler's favorite, and therefore made one unfortunate mistake, in a hurry ... However, we'll talk about this later.

First prototypes

Already in 1941, Wehrmacht enterprises offered two prototypes "to the public": VK 3001 (H) and VK 3001 (P). But in May of the same year, the military proposed updated requirements for heavy tanks, as a result of which the projects had to be seriously revised.

It was then that the first documents appeared on the product VK 4501, from which the German heavy tank "Tiger" traces its pedigree. Competitors were required to provide the first samples by May-June 1942. The number of works was disastrously large, since the Germans had to construct both platforms virtually from scratch. In the spring of 1942, both prototypes, equipped with Friedrich Krupp AG turrets, were brought to the Wolf's Lair in order to demonstrate the new technology to the Fuhrer on his birthday.

Contest winner

It turned out that both machines have significant shortcomings. So, Porsche was so “carried away” by the idea of ​​​​creating an “electric” tank that its prototype, being very heavy, could hardly turn 90 °. Not everything was going well for Henschel either: his tank, with great difficulty, was able to accelerate to the required 45 km / h, but at the same time his engine warmed up so that there was a real threat of fire. But still, it was this tank that won.

The reasons are simple: classic design and a lighter chassis. The Porsche tank, on the other hand, was so complex and required so much scarce copper for production that even Hitler was inclined to turn down his favorite engineer. The admissions committee agreed with him. It was the German Tiger tanks from the Henschel company that became the recognized "canon".

On haste and its consequences

It should be noted here that Porsche himself, even before the start of the tests, was so confident in his success that he ordered production to begin without waiting for the acceptance results. By the spring of 1942, exactly 90 finished chassis already stood in the workshops of the plant. After the failure in the tests, it was necessary to decide what to do with them. A solution was found - a powerful chassis was used to create the self-propelled guns "Ferdinand".

This self-propelled gun has become no less famous than if you compare it with the T-6. The "forehead" of this monster did not break through almost anything, even direct fire and from a distance of only 400-500 meters. It is not surprising that the crews of the Soviet Fedya tanks were frankly afraid and respected. However, the infantry did not agree with them: the Ferdinand did not have a course machine gun, and therefore many of the 90 vehicles were destroyed by magnetic mines and anti-tank charges, “carefully” placed directly under the tracks.

Serial production and improvements

At the end of August of the same year, the tank went into production. Oddly enough, but in the same period, intensive testing of new technology continued. The sample shown to Hitler for the first time by that time had already managed to pass 960 km along the roads of the polygons. It turned out that on rough terrain the car could accelerate to 18 km / h, and the fuel was burned up to 430 liters per 100 km. So the German tank "Tiger", the characteristics of which are given in the article, because of its voracity, caused a lot of problems for the supply services.

Production and design improvement went in a single bundle. Many external elements were changed, including spare parts boxes. At the same time, small mortars were placed along the perimeter of the tower, specially designed for mines of the "S" type. The latter was intended to destroy enemy infantry and was very insidious: when fired from the barrel, it exploded at a low altitude, densely filling the space around the tank with small metal balls. In addition, separate NbK 39 smoke grenade launchers (caliber 90 mm) were provided specifically for camouflaging the vehicle on the battlefield.

Problems with transportation

It is important to note that the German Tiger tanks were the first in vehicles that were serially equipped with equipment for underwater driving. This was due to the large mass of the T-6, which did not allow it to be transported over most bridges. But in practice, this equipment was practically not used.

Its quality was at its best, since even during testing the tank spent more than two hours in a deep pool without any problems (with the engine running), but the complexity of installation and the need for engineering preparation of the terrain made the use of the system unprofitable. The tankers themselves believed that the German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger" would simply get stuck in a more or less muddy bottom, so they tried not to risk using more "standard" methods of crossing rivers.

It is also interesting in that two types of tracks were developed for this machine at once: narrow 520 mm and wide 725 mm. The first were used to transport tanks on standard railway platforms and, if possible, to move on their own on paved roads. The second type of tracks was combat, it was used in all other cases. What was the device of the German tank "Tiger"?

Design features

The very design of the new car was classic, with a rear-mounted MTO. The entire front part was occupied by the department of management. It was there that the jobs of the driver and radio operator were located, who along the way performed the duties of a shooter, driving a course machine gun.

The middle part of the tank was given over to the fighting compartment. A tower with a cannon and a machine gun was installed on top, there were also jobs for the commander, gunner and loader. Also in the fighting compartment housed the entire ammunition of the tank.

Armament

The main gun was a KwK 36 88 mm cannon. It was developed on the basis of the infamous "akht-akht" anti-aircraft gun of the same caliber, which, back in 1941, confidently knocked out all the Allied tanks from almost all distances. The length of the gun barrel - 4928 mm, taking into account - 5316 mm. It was the latter that was a valuable find of German engineers, as it made it possible to reduce the recoil energy to an acceptable level. Auxiliary armament was a 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun.

The course machine gun, which, as we have already said, was controlled by a radio operator, was located in the front plate. Note that on the commander's cupola, subject to the use of a special mount, it was possible to place another MG-34/42, which in this case was used as anti-aircraft weapons. It should be noted here that this measure was forced and often used by the Germans in Europe.

By and large, not a single German heavy tank could withstand the aircraft. T-IV, "Tiger" - they were all easy prey for Allied aviation. In our country, the situation was completely different, since until 1944 the USSR simply did not have enough attack aircraft to attack heavy German equipment.

The rotation of the tower was carried out by a hydraulic rotary device, the power of which was 4 kW. Power was taken from the gearbox, for which a separate transmission mechanism was used. The mechanism was extremely efficient: at maximum speed, the turret rotated 360 degrees in just a minute.

If for some reason the engine was turned off, but it was necessary to turn the turret, the tankers could use a manual rotary device. Its disadvantage, in addition to the high load on the crew, was the fact that with the slightest inclination of the trunk, rotation was impossible.

Power point

It should be noted that the German tanks of the Second World War ("Tiger" is no exception), despite their "gasoline", did not receive the glory of "lighters". This was due precisely to the reasonable arrangement of gas tanks.

The car was powered by two Maybach HL 210P30 engines with 650 hp. or Maybach HL 230P45 with 700 hp (which were installed starting from the 251st "Tiger"). Engines are V-shaped, four-stroke, 12-cylinder. Note that it had exactly the same engine, but one. The motor was cooled by two liquid radiators. In addition, separate fans were installed on both sides of the engine to improve the cooling process. In addition, a separate blowing of the generator and exhaust manifolds was provided.

Unlike domestic tanks, only high-grade gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74 could be used for refueling. Four gas tanks located in the MTO could hold 534 liters of fuel. When driving on solid roads, 270 liters of gasoline were consumed per hundred kilometers, and when crossing off-road, the consumption increased immediately to 480 liters.

Thus, the technical characteristics of the "Tiger" tank (German) did not imply its long "independent" marches. If only there was a minimal opportunity, the Germans tried to bring him closer to the battlefield on trains. It worked out much cheaper that way.

Chassis specifications

There were 24 road wheels on each side, which were not only staggered, but also stood in four rows at once! Rubber tires were used on the road wheels, on the others they were steel, but an additional internal shock absorption system was used. Note that the German tank T-6 "Tiger" had a very significant drawback, which could not be eliminated: due to the extremely high load, the tires of the road wheels wore out very quickly.

Starting from about the 800th machine, a steel band and internal shock absorption began to be installed on all rollers. To simplify and reduce the cost of construction, external single rollers were also excluded from the project. By the way, how much did the German Tiger tank cost the Wehrmacht? The model of the sample of the beginning of 1943 was estimated, according to various sources, in the range from 600 thousand to 950 thousand Reichsmarks.

For control, a steering wheel similar to a motorcycle steering wheel was used: due to the use of a hydraulic drive, a tank weighing 56 tons was easily controlled with one hand. It was literally possible to switch gears with two fingers. By the way, the gearbox of this tank was the legitimate pride of the designers: robotic (!), Four gears forward, two - back.

Unlike our tanks, where only a very experienced person could be a driver, on whose professionalism the life of the entire crew often depended, almost any infantryman who had previously driven at least a motorcycle could sit at the helm of the Tiger. Because of this, by the way, the position of the Tiger driver was not considered something special, while the T-34 driver was almost more important than the tank commander.

Armor protection

The body is box-shaped, its elements were assembled “into a spike” and welded. Armor plates are rolled, with chromium and molybdenum additives, cemented. Many historians criticize the "box-like" "Tiger", but, firstly, an already expensive car could have been at least somewhat simplified. Secondly, and more importantly, until 1944, there was not a single Allied tank on the battlefield that could hit the T-6 in frontal projection. Well, unless it's point blank.

So the German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger" at the time of creation was a very protected vehicle. Actually, for this he was loved by the tankers of the Wehrmacht. By the way, how did Soviet weapons penetrate the German Tiger tank? More precisely, what kind of weapon?

Frontal armor had a thickness of 100 mm, side and stern - 82 mm. Some military historians believe that our ZIS-3 caliber 76 mm could successfully fight with the Tiger due to the “chopped” hull forms, but there are several subtleties here:

  • Firstly, a head-on defeat was more or less guaranteed only from 500 meters, but low-quality armor-piercing shells often did not penetrate the high-quality armor of the first Tigers, even at close range.
  • Secondly, and more importantly, the 45 mm caliber "colonel" was widespread on the battlefield, which in principle did not take the T-6 in the forehead. Even if it hit the side, penetration could only be guaranteed from 50 meters, and even that is not a fact.
  • The F-34 gun of the T-34-76 tank also did not shine, and even the use of sub-caliber "coils" did little to correct the situation. The fact is that even this gun was reliably taken by the side of the "Tiger" only from 400-500 meters. And even then - provided that the "coil" was of high quality, which was far from always the case.

Since Soviet weapons did not always penetrate the German Tiger tank, the tankers were given a simple order: shoot armor-piercing only when there is a 100% chance of hitting. So it was possible to reduce the consumption of a scarce and very expensive one. So the Soviet gun could knock out the T-6 only if several conditions coincided:

  • Small distance.
  • Good angle.
  • Quality projectile.

So, right up to the more or less massive appearance of the T-34-85 in 1944 and the saturation of the troops with SU-85/100/122 self-propelled guns and SU / ISU 152 “St.

Characteristics of combat use

The fact that the German T-6 Tiger tank was highly valued by the Wehrmacht command is evidenced by the fact that a new tactical unit of troops was created specifically for these vehicles - a heavy tank battalion. Moreover, it was a separate, autonomous part, which had the right to independent actions. Tellingly, out of the 14 battalions created, initially one operated in Italy, one in Africa, and the remaining 12 in the USSR. This gives an idea of ​​the fierce fighting on the Eastern Front.

In August 1942, the "Tigers" were "tested" near Mga, where our gunners knocked out from two to three vehicles participating in the test (there were six in total), and in 1943 our soldiers managed to capture the first T-6 in almost perfect condition. Tests were immediately carried out by shelling the German Tiger tank, which gave disappointing conclusions: the T-34 tank with the new Nazi equipment could no longer fight on equal terms, and the power of the standard 45-mm regimental anti-tank gun was generally not enough to break through the armor.

It is believed that the most massive use of "Tigers" in the USSR took place during the Battle of Kursk. It was planned that 285 vehicles of this type would be involved, but in reality the Wehrmacht put up 246 T-6s.

As for Europe, by the time the Allies landed there were three heavy tank battalions equipped with 102 Tigers. It is noteworthy that by March 1945 there were about 185 tanks of this type in the world on the move. In total, about 1200 of them were produced. Today all over the world there is one running German tank "Tiger". Photos of this tank, which is located at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, regularly appear in the media.

Why did “tiger fear” form?

The high efficiency of using these tanks is largely due to excellent handling and comfortable working conditions for the crew. Until 1944, there was not a single Allied tank on the battlefield that could fight the Tiger on an equal footing. Many of our tankers died when the Germans hit their vehicles from a distance of 1.5-1.7 km. Cases when T-6s were knocked out in small numbers are very rare.

The death of the German ace Wittmann is an example of this. His tank, breaking through the Shermans, was eventually finished off from pistol range. For one downed "Tiger" there were 6-7 burnt T-34s, and the Americans' statistics with their tanks was even sadder. Of course, the “thirty-four” is a machine of a completely different class, but in most cases it was she who opposed the T-6. This once again confirms the heroism and dedication of our tankers.

The main disadvantages of the machine

The main disadvantage was the high weight and width, which made it impossible to transport the tank on conventional railway platforms without prior preparation. As for comparing the angular armor of the Tiger and Panther with rational viewing angles, in practice the T-6 still turned out to be a more formidable opponent for Soviet and allied tanks due to more rational armor. The T-5 had a very well protected frontal projection, but the sides and stern turned out to be practically bare.

Worse, the power of even two engines was not enough to move such a heavy vehicle over rough terrain. On swampy soils, it is simply an elm. The Americans even developed a special tactic against the Tigers: they forced the Germans to transfer heavy battalions from one sector of the front to another, as a result of which, after a couple of weeks, half of the T-6s (at least) were under repair.

Despite all the shortcomings, the German Tiger tank, the photo of which is in the article, was a very formidable fighting vehicle. Perhaps, from an economic point of view, it was not cheap, but the tankers themselves, including ours, who ran in captured equipment, rated this “cat” very highly.