Tigers at War - Bob Carruthers

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IntroductionTheTigerIwas themostfamousheavytankusedinWorldWarII. Itwasdevelopedingreat haste during 1942 by the Henschel & Sohn company as the answer to theunexpectedlyformidableSovietarmourencounteredduring1941intheclosingstagesofOperationBarbarossa.DuringthattitaniccampaignanunpleasantsurprisefortheGermanarmiesappearedintheominousformoftheT-34andtheKV-1towhichtheGermantankdesignsofthetimecouldprovidenoanswer.The50mmcalibrehighvelocitygunoftheGermanMarkIIIlackedprojectilemassandpenetratingpowerwhilethelowvelocitygunmountedontheGermanMarkIVwasincapableofpenetratingthewellslopedarmourofthe T-34 at anything but the shortest range. The high velocity 88mm anti-aircraft gun,whichhadbeenforced intoaction inananti-tankrole inRussiaand thewesterndesert,wastheonlygunwhichhaddemonstrateditseffectivenessagainsteventhemostheavilyarmouredgroundtargetssuchasTheKV1.

OneofthemostfamousstudiesoftheTigerI.Thisearlyproductionmodelappearstobeinalmostfactoryfreshcondition.

RushedintoserviceinAugust1942theTigerIdesignatleastgavethePanzerwaffeitsfirsttankcapableofmountingthefearsome88mmgunasitsmainarmament.ForthehardpressedmenofthePanzewaffehowevertherewasaveryhighpricetopayfortheTigerinboth literalandmetaphorical terms.Thehighestpriceofall,orcourse,waspaidby theslavelabourerswhowereforcedtobuildtheTiger.

TheRomannumeralIwasonlyofficiallyaddedin1944whenthelaterTigerIIenteredproduction. The initial official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VIAusführungH (‘PanzerVI versionH’), abbreviated to PzKpfwVIAusf.H. SomewhatconfusinglythetankwasredesignatedasPzKpfwVITigerAusf.EinMarch1943.ItalsoenjoyedtheordnanceinventorySonderkraftzugdesignationSdKfz181.

The Tiger I first saw action on 22nd September 1942 near Leningrad. It was not aninstant success. Under pressure from Hitler, the tank was driven into action inunfavourable terrain, months earlier than planned. Many early models proved to be

mechanicallyunreliable;inthisfirstactionmostbrokedown.Moreworryinglytwootherswereeasilyknockedoutbydug-inSovietanti-tankguns.OfevenmoreconcernwasthefactthatonedisabledtankwasalmostcapturedintactbytheSoviets.ItwasfinallyblownupinNovember1942topreventitfallingintoSoviethands.InanyeventtheSovietsusedthebattlefieldexperiencewellandusedthetimetostudythedesignandbegintopreparearesponse which, in due course, would emerge as the fearsome Josef Stalin heavy tankwhichwastoproveequaltotheTigerineveryrespect.

ATigerIwiththeturretnumber133of1.SS-Pz.-KorpsLeibstandarteAdolfHitlerintransitbyroadmarch;intheforegroundisSchwimmkübel;PK698.

-Chapter1-

ProductionoftheTiger

ArarephotographshowstheinterioroftheTigerIfactoryHenschelwerkIIIatKassel-Mittelfeld.

Production of theTiger I began inAugust 1942, and 1,347were built byAugust 1944whenproductionceased.Productionstartedatarateof25permonthandpeakedinApril1944 at 104 permonth.Battlefield strength peaked at 671 on 1st July 1944.Generallyspeaking, it tookabout twiceas longtobuildaTigerIasanyotherGermantankof theperiod. However, none of the obvious lessons concerning the need to husband scarceresourceswerelearnedandastonishinglywhenthe“improved”modelbeganproductioninJanuary1944,theTigerIwassoonphasedoutinfavourofanevenmoreresourcehungrymonsterintheformofthemassive,lessefficientandevenmoreresourceintenseTigerII.

ThemajorproblemwiththeTigerIwasthatitsimplyusedtoomanyscarceresourcesinterms of both manpower and material, especially when compared with the spartansimplicityoftheT-34.AsageneralruleofthumbeachtheTigerIcostovertwiceasmuchasaPanzerIVandfourtimesasmuchasaStuGIIIassaultgun.EachTigerIactuallycost250,000Reichsmarksascomparedtothe103,500itcosttomanufactureaPanzerIV.TheTigerIwasalsosignificantlyoverengineeredwhichmadeitdifficulttomanufactureatafastrate.TheresultwasanincreasingproductiongapwhichSpeer’shardpressedGermantank industry could never hope to close. During the Second World War, over 58,000AmericanShermansand36,000SovietT-34swereproduced,comparedtojust1,347TigerI and492Tiger II.The closest counterpart to theTiger from theUnitedStateswas theM26Pershingaround200ofwhichdeployedduringthewarandtheSovietIS-2ofwhichabout3,800werebuiltduringthewar.

-Chapter2-

OperationalStatus

-Chapter3-

TheDevelopmentProcess

EarlydevelopmentprototypehullsfortheHenschelheavytankprogrammewhichultimatelyproducedtheTigerI.

Henschel&SohnbegandevelopmentofthevehiclethateventuallybecametheTigerIinJanuary 1937when theWaffenamt requestedHenschel to develop aDurchbruchwagen(breakthrough vehicle) in the 30metric ton range (seeDW1 hulk opposite).Only oneprototype hull was ever built and it never was mounted with a turret. The generalconfiguration and suspension of the Durchbruchwagen prototype in many respectsresembledthePanzerIII.Theproposedturretalsoboresimilarities toexistingmachinesand,haditbeencompleted,itwouldhavegreatlyresembledtheearlyPanzerIVCturretwhichsportedtheshortbarrelled7.5cmL/24cannon.

Before Durchbruchwagen I was completed, however, a new request was issued for aheavier 30 tonne class vehicle with thicker armour; this was known as theDurchbruchwagen II (see VK 6501 opposite). This tank would have carried 50mm offrontalarmourandhavemountedaPanzerIVturretwiththestandard7.5cmL/24cannon.Overallweightwouldalsohavebeenapproximately36metrictons.Againonlyonehullwas ever built and a turret was never actually fitted. Development of this vehicle wascancelled in the autumn of 1938 in favour of the more advanced VK3001(H) andVK3601(H)designs.However,both theDurchbruchwagenIandIIprototypehullswereusedastestvehiclesuntil1941.

On 9th September 1939, with the invasion of Poland underway, Henschel & Sohnreceived permission to continue development of a VK3001(H) medium tank and aVK3601(H) heavy tank, both of which apparently pioneered the overlapping andinterleaved main road wheel concept as adapted for tank chassis use. Interleaved roadwheels were already being used on German military half-tracked vehicles such as theSdKfz7althoughtherewasverylittlecomparisonwithregardtotheweightofaheavilyarmouredtankcomparedtoalightweighthalftrack.

TheWarOfficecommissionedthisillustrationonthebasisofaphotographfromtheGermannewspaperabovepublishedinDecember1942.Notethelackofmuzzlebrakeonthegun.

TheVK3001(H)wasintendedbeproducedinthreemainvariantsthefirstofwhichwastomounta7.5cmL/24lowvelocityinfantrysupportgun,thesecondwasintendedtocarrya7.5cmL/40dualpurposeanti-tankgun,andthethirda10.5cmL/28artillerypieceinaKrupp turret.Overallweightwas tobe33metric tons.The armourwasdesigned to be50mm on frontal surfaces and 30mm on the side surfaces. Four prototype hulls werecompletedfortesting.Twoofthesewerelaterusedtocreatethe12.8cmSelbstfahrlafetteL/61,alsoknownasSturerEmil.

TheVK3601(H)wasintendedtoweigh40metrictons,andcarry100mmofarmouronitsfrontalsurfaces,80mmonturretsidesand60mmonhullsides.TheVK3601(H)wasalsointendedtoappearinfourvariantsadaptedtohousea7.5cmL/24,ora7.5cmL/43,ora7.5cmL/70,ora12.8cmL/28cannoninaKruppturret that lookedverysimilar toanenlarged Panzer IVC turret. One prototype hull was built, followed later by fivemoreprototype hulls. The six turrets intended for the prototype hulls were built but neveractuallyfittedandendedtheirworkinglivesasstaticdefencesmountedtheAtlanticWall.ThedevelopmentoftheVK3601(H)projectwasdiscontinuedinearly1942infavouroftheVK4501project.GermancombatexperiencewiththeFrenchSomuaS35cavalrytankandCharB1heavytank,andtheBritishMatildaIandMatildaII infantry tanks inJune1940 showed that theGermanArmyneeded better armed and armoured tanks. In 1940superior tacticshadovercomesuperiorenemyarmour,butRommelhadenduredanastyshock on the form of a successful British counter attack at Arras. The German tankdesigners however, tooknotice of the lessons from thebattlefield.Accordinglyon26thMay1941,atanarmamentsmeeting,HenschelandPorschewereaskedtosubmitdesignsfor a 45 tonne heavy tank, to be ready by June 1942. Porscheworked hard and fast tosubmit an updated version of theirVK3001(P) Leopard tank prototypewhileHenschel

worked to develop an improved VK3601(H)tank. Henschel built two prototypes. AVK4501(H)H1whichusedthe88mmL/56cannonandaVK4501(H)H2whichusedthe75mmL/70cannon.

PrototypedrawingforthePorscheversionoftheTigerI.Thereweremanyproblemswiththisdesignincludingforwardlocationoftheturretmademanoeveringdifficult.Therewerealsomanymechancicalbreakdownsduringtesting.

-Chapter4-

TheUnpleasantSurprise

Dr.ErwinAders(frontrowright)washeadofHenschel’sTigerIdevelopmentandconstructionprojectandtheTiger’schiefdesigner,toursshop5incompanywithhighrankingarmyofficersonSeptember5th,1942.

On 22 June 1941,Germany launchedOperationBarbarossa, the invasion of the SovietUnion. TheGermanswere shocked to encounter Soviet T-34medium andKV-1 heavytankswhichcompletelyoutclassedanything theGermanswere thenable toput into thefield.TheT-34wasalmost immunefrontallytoeveryguninGermanserviceexcept the88mm FlaK 18/36 gun. The Panzer Mark III with the 50mm KwK 38 L/42 mainarmamentcouldpenetratethesidesofaT-34,buthadtobeveryclosetodoso.TohaveanychanceofpenetratingthefrontalarmourthePanzerIIIhadtoclosetosuicidallyshortrange.TheKV-1wasevenmoreheavilyarmouredandinconsequencealmostimmunetoanythingbut the88mmFlaK18/36.Theemergenceof theSovietT-34andKV-1wasavery unpleasant surprise and the shock of the discovery was later recalled by the leadHenscheldesignerErwinAders,“TherewasgreatconsternationwhenitwasdiscoveredthattheSoviettanksweresuperiortoanythingavailabletotheHeer.”InthescrambletocomeupwithanstrongdefensivealternativetotheRussianarmouranimmediateweightincreaseto45tonnesandanincreaseinguncalibreto88mmwasordered.Theduedatefornewprototypeswasbroughtforwardto20thApril1942,AdolfHitler’sbirthday.

Porsche andHenschel submitted prototype designs, Tiger (P) andTiger (H), and theywere put through their paces at Rastenburg before Hitler. The Henschel design wasaccepted as the best overall design. The Porsche gasoline-electric hybrid power unitperformedpoorly on the daywith frequent breakdowns. It also used large quantities of

copper, a strategicwarmaterialwhichwas in very short supply.The contractwas dulyawardedtoHenschel&Sohn.

UnlikethelaterPanthertankhowever,thedesignsfortheTigerdidnotincorporateanyof the design innovations incorporated into the T-34: the defensive benefits of slopingarmour and the corresponding saving in terms of weight were absent from both theHenschel and thePorschedesigns,with the thickness andweight of theTiger’s armourmakingupforthisoversight.

WiththecontractinthebagtherewasnotimetolooseandHenschelbeganproductionofthePanzerkampfwagenVIAusf.HinAugust1942atitstankfactoryHenschelwerkIIIinKassel-Mittelfeld.

AnewlycompletedTigerisloweredontoarailwaycarriagereadytocommenceitsjourneytothefront.

Theofficial designation fromMarch1943onwardswasPanzerkampfwagenVISdKfz181TigerAusfEuntilHitler’sorder,datedFebruary27th,1944,abolishedthedesignationPanzerkampfwagen VI and ratified the use of the new designation PanzerkampfwagenTigerAusf.E.Thiswas to remain theofficial designationuntil the endof thewar.ForcommonusethenamewasfrequentlyshortenedtoTiger-thenamepurportedlygiventothemachinebyitsfrustratedrivaldesignerFerdinandPorsche.

The firm of Henschel & Sohn was established in the early 1800s as a builder oflocomotivesanditwasonlyduringWorldWarI that thefirmundertookthebusinessofarmament manufacturing for the first time. The company kept up the new operationsduringtheinter-waryearsandbythetimeHitlerwasreadytore-armGermanyHenschelwasreadyandwaitingtooblige.BythetimeofthesecondWorldWar,thecompanywasproducing locomotives, tanks, diesel engines, trucks, aeroplanes and artillery pieces.HenschelmanufacturedallofthemainbattletanktypeswiththeexceptionofthePanzerIV.ThismeantthatatvarioustimesthePanzerI,IIandIIIaswellasthePanther,TigerIandTigerIIallrolledofftheHenschelproductionlines.

ThefirmofHenschel&SohnincorporatedthreehugeengineeringworksinandaroundKassel.WerkIinKasselwasdevotedtolocomotiveassemblyandgunproduction,WerkII in the Rothenditmold area consisted of a large foundry, boiler and other locomotivecomponentshopsandWerkIIIinMittelfeldwasprimarilydevotedtotankassemblyandcomponentmanufacture.

TheMittelfeldWerkeswere situated on both sides of a railway line running north tosouth.Lookingsouth, thosebuildingsontherightsideoftherailwaylinewereusedformanufacturinglocomotivecomponentsandtruckandenginerepair.ThemainstorageareafortankcomponentswasalsoontherightsideofthetrackincludingshedsthatheldTigerhullsandturrets.Ontherightsideofthetrackwere4mainshopsnumbered1,2,3and5.(Shop4wasplannedbutneverbuilt.).Tigermanufacturingtookplaceinshops3and5.

Atitspeakthefactoryemployedatotalofover8000workersfortankproduction.Sadly,extensiveusewasmadeof slave labour and thevictimswere treated abominablybeingeffectively worked to death. The Henschel works were in production round the clocksevendaysaweek.Thelabourforce,bothslavelabourersandwillingworkersperformedtwoexhausting12hour shiftsbut thenight shift for avarietyof reasonsproducedonly50%oftheoutputofthedayshift.

Amanufacturingprocessknownasthe“takte”systemwasusedintheassemblyshops.Thatsystemreliedona timedrhythmforeachstepin themanufacturingprocess.TherewereninestepsortakteusedinmanufacturingtheTigerI.Insurvivingfactoryphotosthereadershouldnotethetaktesignsontheshopwalldenotingwhichstepisbeingperformedinthatlocation.

AparticularlyfinestudyofaTigerIinprofile.

THECONTEMPORARYVIEWNO.1

NEWGERMANTANKS

ExtractedfromTechnicalandTacticalTrendsno.18,1943SeveralnewtypesofGermantankshavebeenreportedtobeinexistence:

a)Mark I (C) -Nodetails are knownbut it is probable that this is a redesignedMark I intended for airborneorlandingoperations.TheoriginalMarkItankweighedabout6tons.

b)MarkIISpecial-TheoriginalMarkIItank(weightabout9tons)hasforsometimebeenconsideredobsolescentasacombattank.Thenewtankprobablyhasthickerarmourandamorepowerfulengine.Oneofthemostimportantfeaturesisthatitisreportedlyarmedwiththelong-barrelled50mmgunwhichisusedinthenewMarkIIItanks.Theresult shouldbeacomparatively light, fast tankwithadequate strikingpower,probably suitable foruseasa tankdestroyer.

c)MarkVI-Thisisaheavytank.Nodetailsotherthantheactualnomenclatureareknown,butitseemsprobablethat thismodel isanentirelynewdeparture inGermantankdesign.Ithasbeenanticipatedforsometimethat theMarksIIIandIVmightbesupersededbyanewtypeincorporatingthebestfeaturesofeachmodelandintroducingfeaturesborrowed fromBritishandpossiblyAmericandesigns.Havingobtaineda tankgunof firstquality in thelong-barrelled75mmtankgun(40),theweaponmountedinthenewMarkIVtanks,itisprobablethatthisweaponoran88mmweaponistheprincipalarmament.Thebasicarmourmaybeasthickas80or100mm,andspacedarmour,at least in front, is probably incorporated. Theremay also be skirting armour. Face-hardened armour is probablyused,andthespeedisnotexpectedtobeunder25mph.

ReportsofaGermanheavytankhavebeenreceivedoveraconsiderableperiodoftime.ApparentlythemostrecentisthestatementofaGermancapturedinTunisia.Accordingtotheprisoner,hebelongedtoanindependentheavytank

battalion,which consisted of a headquarters company and two armoured companies.Each armoured companywasequippedwithnine50tontanks.Thetankswerearmedwith88mmgunsandwerecapableofaspeedof50kilometers(about30miles)anhour.WhetherornotthisistheMarkVItankisnotknown.

-Chapter5-

Deployment

ATigerIdeployedinTunisia.Notethebemusedlocalstotheright.

BesidesRussia,theTigerwasalsodeployedinTunisiaasitwasthistheatrewhichgavethewesternalliestheirfirstglimpseofthetankinthefield.PriortothearrivaloftheTigerin Tunisia allied intelligence had been forced to rely on carefully placed Germannewspaper stories and limited intelligence provided by the Soviets. The first widelycirculated intelligence report (see page 17) appeared in the US army intelligencepublication entitledTactical andTechnical TrendsNo. 18whichwas published on 11thFebruary1943somefivemonthsaftertheTigerhadfirstappearedincombatinRussia.ItisinterestingtonotethatthenameTigerhadnotyetcometobeassociatedwiththetank.

AstheTunisiancampaigndeveloped,Tigertanksbeganappearmorefrequentlyonthebattlefieldalbeitinlimitednumbers.However,theirheavyarmourandpowerfularmamentallowedthemdominatetheinitialtankbattlesfoughtintheopenterrainofNorthAfrica,but theirmechanicalunreliabilityand lackofnumbersmeant that theywerenever tobemassedingreatnumbersandthattheyservedinaprimarilysupportingrole.

The following pages feature a further U.S. intelligence report describing the GermanTiger tank originally appeared inTacticalandTechnicalTrends,No. 20 on 11thMarch1943. By this time, accurate information on the Tiger tankwas starting to be receivedfromdestroyed remnantsofTigerscapturedby theBritish forces inTunisia.This is thesecond glimpse of how allied intelligence reported the arrival of the Tiger on thebattlefield.AtthisstagethenameTigerwasstillnotinuseandtheAmericansdidnotusetheRomannumeralswiththenewmachinebeingsimplyrefereedtoasthePZ.KW.6

TheTigerwasdeployedlateinAugust1942butfirstsawactionon22ndSeptember1942.ThemachineswereoperatingintheArmyGroupNorthsectornearLenningradwheretheterrainwasmarshyandentirelyunsuitedtoacolossussuchastheTigerI.ThisrarephotographgivesavividimpressionofthetypeofterrainwhichthefirstTigerswereexpectedto

traverse.


GERMANHEAVYTANKINACTIONINTUNISIA

AsreportedinthepressandaspreviouslyindicatedinTacticalandTechnicalTrends(No.18,p.6)aGermanheavytankhasbeeninactioninTunisia.Sofarascanbedefinitelydetermined,thisisthefirsttimetheGermanshaveusedaheavytankincombat.WhetherornotitisthePz.Kw.6cannotbedefinitelystated.Atleastoneheavytankhasbeencaptured,andwhilecompletedetailsarenotyetavailable,thereissufficientreasonablyconfirmeddatatowarrantatleastapartialtentativedescriptionatthistime.

Thechieffeaturesofthistankarethe88mmgun,4-inchfrontalarmour,heavyweight,andlackofspacedarmour.Theaccompanyingsketchroughlyindicatestheappearanceofthetank,butshouldnotbeacceptedaswhollyaccurate.

Thetankhasacrewof5.Itisabout20feetlong,12feetwide,and91/2feethigh.Thegunoverhangsthenosebyalmost7feet.Itisreportedthattheweightis56tonsor,withmodifications,asmuchas62tons.

Thepowerunit isa single12-cylinderengine.Aspeedofat least20mphcanbeachieved.Two typesof trackare

thought to exist: an operational track 2 feet 4.5 inches wide, and a loading track which is just under 2 feet. Thesuspensionsystemconsistsofa frontdrivingsprocket, a small rear idler, and24Christie-typewheelsoneachsidegivingitanappearancesimilartothefamiliarGermanhalf-tracksuspensionsystem.Thereare8axles.

Thereisnoarmourskirtingforprotectionofthesuspension.Thearmourplatingisasfollows:

The turret front andmantlet range in thicknessbetweenaminimumof97mm(3.8 in) to a (possible)maximumof200mm(7.9in).Itappearsthatthearmourisnotface-hardened.

Thearmamentofthetankconsistsofan88mmgunandtwo7.92mm(.315-in)machineguns.The88mmhasadouble-bafflemuzzlebrakeandfiresthesamefixedammunitionastheusual88mmAA/ATgun.Asalreadyindicated,thegunoverhangs the nose of the tank by almost 7 feet. The turret rotates through 360 degrees and is probably power-operated.Threesmoke-generatordischargersarelocatedoneachsideoftheturret.

CommentFromtheabovecharacteristics, it isapparent that thePz.Kw.6 isdesignedtobe largerandmorepowerful thanthePz.Kw.4.As farasknown,aPz.Kw.5 tankhasnotbeenused incombat.Thenoteworthydifferencesbetween thePz.Kw.4andPz.Kw.6areasfollows:

A360-degreerotatingturretisusedinboththePz.Kw.6andPz.Kw.4.

The appearance of the Pz.Kw. 6 indicates that theGermans continue to see the need for a fully armoured vehicleequippedwith aweapon capable of dealingwith hostile tanks aswell aswith other targets thatmight hold up theadvanceofattackingelements.

This tank isundoubtedlyaneffectiveweapon,butnotnecessarily formidable. In the firstplace,avehicleweighingfrom56to62tonspresentsmanydifficultlogisticalproblems.Also,itisreportedthatoneheavytankwasdestroyedbyaBritishsix-pounder(57mm)antitankgunatarangeofabout500yards;outof20roundsfired,5penetratedthetank,1piercingthesideoftheturretandcomingouttheotherside,andanotherpenetratinganuppersideplateatanangleofimpactofabout15degrees.

*Attainedbyattachingextraarmourplatetoprotectcriticalpointsonthetank.

**Basicarmourplate.Theturretfrontandmantletmaypossiblybe200mmthick.

ATigerIdeployedtosupplementtheAfrikaKorpsoperatinginTunisia,January1943.

-Chapter6-

TheMechanicsoftheTigerI

ThecumbersomeroadwheelassemblyoftheTigerIcanbeclearlyseeninthisphotographtakenattheHenschelworks.Itiseasytounderstandwhythesewheelscouldbecomejammedsolidwithmud,iceorsnowrequiringhugeeffortsto

repair.

TheTigerwasessentiallyattheprototypestagewhenitwasfirsthurriedintoservice,andtherefore changes both small and large were made throughout the production run. Aredesigned turretwitha lower, lessbulkycommander’scupolawas themost significantearly change. To cut costs, the submersion capabilitywas reduced and an external air-filtrationsystemwasdropped.

The rear of the tank held an engine compartment flanked by two floodable rearcompartments each containing a fuel tank, radiator, and fans.German industry had notdevelopedanadequateheavydieselengine,soafuelhungrypetrolpowerplanthadtobeused.The initial enginewasa21 litre (1282cu. in.)12cylinderMaybachHL210P45with650PS(641hp,478kW).Althoughagoodandreliableengine,itwasinadequateforthesizeandweightvehicle.Fromthe250thproductionTigerChassis250251,thisenginewas replaced by the updatedHL 230 P45 (23 litres/1410 cu. in.)with 700 PS (690hp,515kW).Theenginewas inV-form,with twocylinderbanksat60degrees.An inertialstarterwasmountedonitsrightside,drivenviachaingearsthroughaportintherearwall.The engine could be lifted out through a hatch on the hull roof.The engine drove twofrontsprockets,whichweremountedlowtotheground.

The eleven-tonne turret had a hydraulic motor the drive for which was powered bymechanicaldrive fromtheengine.Rotationwasslowand tookaboutaminute toswingthrough360º.The suspensionused sixteen torsionbars,with eight suspension armsperside.To save space, the swingarmswere leadingonone side and trailingon theother.Therewerethreeroadwheelsoneacharm,givingagoodcross-countryride.Howeverthe

smoothnessoftheridewasboughtatahighprice.TheconstantneedtoremovethefrontroadwheelsinordertogainaccesstotherearwheelswastobecomethebaneofTigerIcrewsfromdayone.

Duringactionthelaboriousprocessofre-fuellingandre-armingtheTigerIwasaneverendingtaskforthehardpressedcrewmembers.

The problem from the crew’s point of view was that the heavy wheels which had adiameterof800mm(31in)wereoverlappedandinterleaved.Removingoneinnerwheelthathadlostitstyre,whichwasafairlycommonoccurrence,couldthereforerequiretheremoval of up to nine outerwheels.Thiswas bad enoughunder calm conditions but itmeanttherewasnowayofmakingafastchangeinthecombatzoneandmanypreciousTigers were blown upwhich could otherwise have been saved. The wheels could alsobecomepackedwithmudorsnowthatcouldthenfreeze.Eventually,anew‘steel’wheeldesign,closelyresemblingthoseontheTigerII,withaninternaltirewassubstituted,andwhichliketheTigerII,wereonlyoverlapped,andnotinterleaved.

Another new feature which was to cause problems was the untested Maybach-Olvarhydraulically-controlled pre-selector gearbox and semi-automatic transmission. Theextremeweightofthetankalsorequiredanewsteeringsystem.Insteadoftheclutch-and-

brake designs of lighter vehicles, a variation on the tested and proven BritishMerritt-Brown single radius system was used. The Tiger I, like all German tanks, usedregenerative steering which was hydraulically operated - the separate tracks couldthereforebeturnedinoppositedirectionsat thesametime,sotheTigerIcouldpivot inplace,andcompletelyturnaroundinadistanceofonly3.44meters(11.28ft.).Sincethevehiclehadaneight-speedgearbox,it thushadsixteendifferentradiiofturn.Ifanevensmallerradiuswasneeded,thetankcouldbeturnedbyusingbrakes.Therewasanactualsteeringwheelandthesteeringsystematleastwasrobust,reliable,easytouseandaheadof its time.TheBritishT. I.SummaryNo.104was issuedon16thMay1943gave theBritishtroopsinthefieldaprettyaccuratesummaryofthetypeoftanktheywerefacing.

AnextractfromtheTigerfibel,thecommander’smanual:“Ifyoutravel7km,yourwidetrackswillthrowupthedustfrom1hectareofland.Youwillberecognisedfromfarawayandwillloseyourmostefectiveweapon-surprise.”


Pz.Kw.VIThefollowingadditionalinformationonthePz.Kw.VIhasbeencollatedfromcaptureddocumentsandreportsfromRussianandNorthAfrica:-

(a) The tank can be submerged to a depth of up to 16ft for fording rivers and other water obstacles. FurtherinformationonthisdevelopmentiscontainedatAppendixC.

(b) An automatic fire extinguisher is provided. Heat-sensitive elements are arranged in suitable positions in theenginecompartment.Iffirebreaksout,oneoftheseelementswillcauseanelectriccircuittooperatetheextinguisherwhichwill thereupondischargea fire-extinguishingagent foraperiodofsevenseconds. If the fire is severe, thecircuitwillremainclosedandtheprocesswillberepeatedoneormoretimesuntileither thefire isputoutor thereservoirofthefireextinguisherisexhausted.Thereservoirholds9lbsofextinguishingagent.

(c)Thegearboxispreselectiveandiscooledbyafanwhichalsocoolsthemanifold.

(d)StandardGermanpetrolwithanoctanenumberof74or78isusedfortheengine.

(e) Reference summary 102, appendix D, North Africa now reports that the total amount of 8.8cm ammunitioncarriedis92roundsstowedinracksandbins,46roundseachsideofthetank.

(f)Itisconfirmedthatthe8.8cmtankguniselectricallyfired.

(g)Oilcapacitiesareasfollows:-

-Chapter7-

ProductionHistory

Thehumorousinstructionmanualforthetank,theTigerfibel,wassomewhatunorthodoxbyThirdReichstandards.Fullofrisquesketchesandirreverantstatements,thisisoneofthemoreconventionalpageswhichcomparesthetank’scross

countrycapabilityagainstaroadmarch.

While the Tiger I was justifiably feared by many of its opponents, it was also over-engineered,usedexpensive labour intensivematerialsandproductionmethods,andwastime-consumingtoproduce.Despiteitslastingreputationthetankwasactuallyproducedinrelativelysmallnumbers.Only1,347werebuiltbetweenAugust1942andAugust1944when production ceased. Throughout its brief life the Tiger Iwas particularly prone tocertaintypesoftrackfailuresandimmobilisations,itwasunreliablemechanicallyreliableandferociouslyexpensivetomaintainandcomplicatedtotransport.DuetoitswidetrackspoweredbyinterlockingandoverlappingroadwheelstheTigerIrequiredthatatotalofeightroadwheelsconsistingoftheouterfourroadwheelsonbothofthevehicleweretoberemovedifitwastobetransportedbyrail.

The other huge drawback of theTigerwas the enormous fuel consumption associatedwithsuchaheavyvehicle.The1943logbookacapturedTigercirculatedbytheBritishM.I.10 intelligence unit which gives a fascinating insight into the fuel consumptioncharacteristics of the Tiger I. The British report is shown later in this chapter asContemporaryReportNo.4.

With the conclusion of the Tunisian campaign there was adequate time to study thebattlefieldresultsachievedbytheTiger.CapturedvehiclesprovidedawealthofaccuratetechnicalinformationAfarmoredetailedaccountoftheTigerincombatwasreportedbytheUSarmyintelligenceserviceintheirmonthlyupdateforJune1943whichreferstothevehicle,forthefirsttime,asthe“Tiger”.ThisUSreportappearsattheendofthischapter

asContemporaryReportNo.5.

During the course of the war, the Tiger I saw combat on the three main Germanbattlefronts. Itwas usually deployed in independent tank battalions,which on occasionprovedtobeextremelyformidable.IntherighthandstheTigerIcouldbereliedupontoturnsomespectacularlyonesidedtacticalsituationsinfavourofthehardpressedmenoftheHeer.At theoperational levelhowever, therewereneverenoughTigers toaffect theoutcomeofamajorbattle. In the tacticalarena theTiger Idemandedgoodhandlingbyexperiencedcrewswhoknewandrespectedthelimitationsofthemachine.EvenwiththeverybestcrewsitwassoonapparentthattheTigerIwasbynomeansamiracleweapon.It was always vulnerable to regular battlefield weapons such as the British 6 pounderwhich could prove deadly if theTiger Iwaswithin range as this account from theUSintelligence briefing update Tactical and Technical Trends reproduced in Chapter 6 asContemporaryReportNo.2clearlydemonstrates.American reports tended to favour theuseoftheArabicnumeral6asopposedtotheGermandesignatedVI.

AtypicalrisqueillustrationfromTigerfibel:“Likeafreshshower,thewaterflushesthroughthecaseandremovestheheataccruedbycombustionandfriction,takingittotheradiators.”


NOTEONENTRIESINLOGBOOKOFPZ.KW.VI(H)

MI.10GermanyRcd.atD.T.DSept’43

Pz.Kw.VI(H)TIGERMechanicalbehaviourunderserviceconditions

Entriesshowthat4917litresofpetrolwentintothefueltanksofthisvehicleduringaperiodinwhich489kmwerecovered.Inotherwordstheapparentpetrolconsumptionwasover10litresperkm.Evenifitisassumedthatthetanks(totalcapacity530litres)wereemptyatthestartandfullatthefinish,theconsumptionwouldstillworkoutatabout9litresperkm.

ThesefiguresarehigherthanthepetrolconsumptionquotedintheofficialGermanspecs,viz:-

Thefollowingadditionalpointshavebeennotedinthelogbook:-

120km-Logstarted

136km-WirelessTested

160km-Testrunbyworkshopscompany

200km-WirelessTested/Engineoilandaircleaneroil

343km-Newgearboxfitted

365km-Toothsprocketring(offsidesprocket)changed

482km-Newengine&newnearsidefandriveclutchfitted

609km-Logcloses


NEWGERMANHEAVYTANK

InTunisiatheGermanArmysentintocombat,apparentlyforthefirsttime,itsnewheavytank,thePz.Kw.6,whichitcallsthe“Tiger”.Thenewtank’smostnotablefeaturesareits88mmgun,4-inchfrontalarmour,greatweight,andlackofspacedarmour.AlthoughthePz.Kw.6hasprobablybeenadoptedasastandardGermantank,futuremodificationsmaybeexpected.

The“Tiger”tank,whichislargerandmorepowerfulthanthePz.Kw.4,1isabout20feetlong,12feetwide,and91/2feethigh.Thebarrelofthe88mmgunoverhangsthenosebyalmost7feet.Thetankweighs56tonsinaction(or,withcertain alterations, asmuch as 62 tons), and is reported to have amaximum speed of about 20miles per hour. Itnormallyhasacrewoffive.

ThearmamentofthePz.Kw.6consistsofthe88mmtankgun(Kw.K.36),whichfiresfixedammunitionsimilarto,oridenticalwith,ammunitionfortheusual88mmantiaircraft-antitankgun;a7.92mmmachinegun(MG34)whichismountedcoaxiallyontheleftsideofthe88mm;andasecond7.92mmmachinegun(MG34)whichishull-mountedandfiresforward.

Inaddition,asetofthreesmoke-generatordischargersiscarriedoneachsideoftheturret.

The turret rotates through360degrees,and themountingfor thegunandcoaxialmachinegunappears tobeof thecustomaryGermantype.

Thesuspensionsystem,whichisunusuallyinteresting,isillustratedinfigure4.Thetrackismadeofmetal.Tothefarrightinfigure4isthefront-drivesprocketandtothefarlefttherearidler.Therearenoreturnrollers,sincethetrackridesontopoftheChristie-typewheels,whicharerubberrimmed.Itwillbenotedthatthereareeightaxles,eachwiththreewheels toaside,oreachwithonesingleandonedoublewheel toaside.Thereare thus24wheels-8singlewheelsand8doublewheelsoneachsideofthetank.ThesystemofoverlappingissimilartothesuspensionsystemusedonGermanhalf-tracks.

Thetankisprovidedwithtwotracks,awideone(2feet,4.5inches)andanarrowone(justunder2feet).Thewidetrackistheoneusedinbattle,thenarrowbeingforadministrativemarchesandwheremanoeuvrabilityandeconomyofoperationtakeprecedenceovergroundpressure.Thedottedlineinfigure4indicatestheouteredgeofthenarrowtrack.Whenthenarrowtrackisused,theeightwheelsoutsidethedottedlinecanberemoved.

ThearmourplatingofthePz.Kw.6hasthefollowingthicknessesandangles:

Theangular(asopposedtorounded)arrangementofmostofthearmourisabaddesignfeature;relianceseemstobeplaced on the quality and thickness of the armour, with no effort having beenmade to present difficult angles ofimpact.Inaddition,noneofthearmourisface-hardened.ThefamiliarGermanpracticeofincreasingatank’sfrontalarmourattheexpenseofthesidearmourisalsoapparentinthecaseofthePz.Kw.6.

UndoubtedlytheGermansdevelopedthe“Tiger”tanktomeettheneedforafullyarmouredvehicleequippedwithaheavyweaponcapableofdealingwithavarietyoftargets,includinghostiletanks.Althoughthe“Tiger”canperformtheseduties,itsweightandsizemakeitalogisticalheadache.ItisentirelyprobablethattheGermans,realizingthisdisadvantage,arecontinuingtodeveloptanksinthe30-tonclass.Further,itisinterestingtonotethatthePz.Kw.6hasprovedvulnerabletotheBritish6-pounder(57mm)antitankgunwhenfiredatarangeofabout500yards.

ATigercapturedbyAlliedForcesnearTunis,1943.ItwasvehiclessuchasthiswhichallowedtheAlliestounlockthesecretsoftheTigerI.

-Chapter8-

DesignFeatures

The88mmammunitioncarriedbytheTigerIwasexceptionallybulkyandaningeniousarrayofstowagesolutionswereincorporatedwhichallowedthetanktoaccommodateupto100,andsometimesmore,ofthesespaceconsumingrounds.

TheTiger I differed from earlierGerman tanks principally in its design philosophy. Itspredecessorsallsoughtbalancemobility,armourandfirepower,andasaresultwerebeingoutgunned by their opponents. The Tiger I represented a brand new approach whichemphasisedfirepowerandarmourattheexpenseofmobility.Nonethelessthenewheavytank was surprisingly sprightly and was not that much slower than the best of itsopponents.However,withover50metric tonsdeadweight, suspensions,gearboxesandothervitalitemshadclearlyreachedtheirdesignlimitsandasaresultTigerIbreakdownswereinfuriatinglyfrequent.

Designstudies foranewheavy tankhadactuallybeenstarted in1937,buthadstalledlongbeforeproductionplanningstagewas reached.Renewed impetus for theTigerwasprovided by the discovery of outstanding battlefield qualities of the Soviet T-34encounteredin1941.Althoughthegeneraldesignandlayoutwerebroadlysimilartothepreviousmediumtank, thePanzerIV,theTigerweighedmorethantwiceasmuch.Thiswasduetoitssubstantiallythickerarmour,thelargermaingun,greatervolumeoffuelandammunition storage, larger engine, andmore solidly-built transmission and suspension.Unfortunately for the Panzerwaffe not all of the lessons from the T-34were absorbed.Sloping angular armour deflects most shots away from the vehicle and can thereforeafford to be thinner and lighter.TheArmour plates on theTigerweremostly flat,withinterlockingconstructionhowever thearmour jointswereofhighquality,being steppedandweldedratherthanrivetedwhichovercameoneofthemaindisadvantagesofrivetedconstructionfoundinmanyalliedtanksoftheearlywarperiod.

ThenominalarmouroftheTigeratitsthickestpointonthegunmantletwas200mmandan unprecedented 120mm thick on most of the mantlet. The Tiger I had frontal hullarmour100mm(3.9in)thickandfrontalturretarmourof120mm(4.7in),asopposedtothe80mm(3.1in)frontalhulland50mm(2in)frontalturretarmourofcontemporarymodelsofthePanzerIV.Italsohad60mm(2.4in)thickhullsideplatesand80mmarmouronthesidesuperstructureandrear,turretsidesandrearwas80mm.Thetopandbottomarmourwas25mm(1in)thick;fromMarch1944,theturretroofwasthickenedto40mm(1.6in).

Thegun’sbreechandfiringmechanismwerederivedfromthefamousGerman“88”dualpurpose flakgun, theFlugabwehr-kanone.The88mmKampfwagonkanone36L/56gunwasthevariantdevelopedfortheTigerandwasthemosteffectiveandfearedtankgunsofWorldWar II. The Tiger’s gun had a very flat trajectory and extremely accurate LeitzTurmzielfernrohr TZF 9b sights (later replaced by the monocular TZF 9c). In Britishwartimefiringtrials,fivesuccessivehitswerescoredona16by18inch(410by460mm)target at a range of 1,200 yards (1,100m). Tigers were reported to have knocked outenemy tanks at ranges greater than 2.5 miles (4,000m), although most World War IIengagementswerefoughtatmuchshorterranges.

Ammunitiontypes:

i)8.8cmKwK36#Ammunition(GeneralIssue)

ii)PzGr.39(ArmourPiercingCappedBallisticCap)

iii)PzGr.40(ArmourPiercingCompositeRigid)

iv)Hl.Gr.39(HighExplosiveAnti-Tank)

v)SchSprgr.Patr.L/4.5(IncendiaryShrapnel)


ATTACKAGAINSTGERMANHEAVYTANKPz.Kw.6

ThefollowingreportbyanobserverontheTunisianfrontfurnishessomecommentsasaguidetotraininginantitankactionagainstthistank.

ItappearsthatthefirstofthesetankstobedestroyedinthistheatrewereaccountedforbyBritish6-pounders(57mm).Anaccountofthisaction,asreportedbyaBritishArmyOfficer,follows:

“Theemplaced6-poundersopenedfireataninitialrangeof680yards.Thefirstroundshittheuppersideofthetankatveryacuteanglesandmerelynickedthearmour.As the tankmovednearer, it turnedinsuchamanner that thethirdandfourthshotsgougedoutscallopsofarmour,thefifthshotwentalmostthroughandthenextthreeroundspenetratedcompletelyandstoppedthetank.Thefirstcompletepenetrationwasatarangeof800yards,atanangleof impact of 30 degrees from normal, through homogeneous armour 82mm (approximately 3 1/3 inches) thick.Ammunitionusedwasthe57mmsemi-APsolidshot.

“OneelementofthisactioncontainsanimportantlessonthatshouldbebroughttotheattentionofallATelementsandparticularlytankdestroyerunits.”

(a)“TheBritishgunnersdidnotopenuntiltheenemytankwaswellwithineffectiverange.”

(b)“Inaddition toopeningfirewith theprimaryweapon- the57mm- theATunitalsoopenedwith intense lightmachine-gun fire which forced the tank to button up and in effect blinded him. His vision apparently becameconfusedandhewasactuallytraversinghisgunawayfromtheATgunswhenhewasknockedoutforgood.

(c)“Oncetheyopenedfire,theBritishgunnersreallypoureditonandknockedoutonemoreheavytankandsixPz.Kw.3s.Also,forgoodmeasure,onearmouredcar.”

Theconclusionstobedrawnfromthisaction,accordingtotheBritishofficerquoted,are:

(a)“Theunobstructedvisionof thegunner ina tankdestroyergiveshimavery realadvantageoverhisopponentsquintingthroughtheperiscopeornarrowvisionslitsofatank.

(b)“The tankdestroyerunitmust force theenemy tank to ‘buttonup’by intense fire fromeveryweaponhehas,includingmachine-guns,tommyguns,andrifles.”

The size andweightof a tank suchas thePz.Kw.6presentmanyproblems. It hasbeen indicated fromunofficialenemysourcesthatextensivereconnaissanceofterrain,bridges,etc.,wasnecessarybeforeoperationswiththistankcouldbeundertaken.Bridgeshavetobereinforcedinmanycases,andsoilconditionsmustbegoodforitseffectiveoperation.Itcanthereforebeassumedthatitsfieldofoperationislimited.

Reportssofarindicatethat theuseofthistankischieflytosupportotherarmouredunits, includingemploymentasmobileartillery.Asasupporttankitisalwaysinrearoflighterunits.InonereportedskirmishinTunisia,thelighterunitsformedthespear-head;assoonasenemytanksweredecoyedintorangethelightertanksfannedout,leavingtheheaviertanksinthereartoengagetheenemyunits.

ThePz.Kw.6isnowconsideredastandardGermantank.Presentproductionfiguresarebelievedtobeatamaximumof800permonth.

AtankcommanderconferswithsupportinginfantryfromtheWaffen-SS.Thisshotwastakeninthesummerof1943.

-Chapter9-

GettingtotheBattlefieldThe problems ofmoving the Tiger tank from place to placewere significant andwereespecially marked in relation to rail movement by rail. The Tiger’s width placed thevehicleattheverylimitsoftheabilitiesofEurope’srailsystemstocopewiththevehicleandspecialtransittrackshadtobedevelopedifthetanksweretobemovedatall.InordertosupporttheconsiderableweightoftheTiger,thetrackswereanunprecedented725mm(28.5in) wide. Which was too wide to be carried by rail. To meet rail-freight sizerestrictions, theouter rowofwheelshad toberemovedandspecial520mm(20in)widetransport tracks installed. With a good crew, a track change took 20 minutes. Britishintelligencewasbolsteredbythe1944interrogationofaPOWwhohadexperienceoftheenormousdifficultiesentailedinmovingtheTigerbyrail.

AnotherearlyU.S. reporton theGermanheavyTiger tank,Pz.Kw.6was featured inTacticalandTechnicalTrends,6thMay1943whiletheTunisiancampaignwascomingtoaclose.BynowtheTigerIwasbecomingincreasinglyfamiliaronthebattlefieldsandasaresulttheintelligencereportswereincreasinglyaccurate.

AsGerman prisoners began to be taken in Tunisia so the knowledge available to thealliesincreased.NotesOnTankTacticswasderivedfrominterrogationsoftheseprisonersandwaspublishedinApril1943bytheR.A.C.liaisonunit.Bythisstagemoreandmoredetail was beginning to emerge on the exact statistical role in which the Tiger I wasemployedinTunisia.

ThefirstreportsoftheTigerIincombatinTunisiahadactuallybeguntofilterinfromJanuary 1943. From the speed at which the German battlefield tactics were altered itappearsfairlyclearthattheGermantankcrewswerequicklydisabusedofthenotionthatthenewtankwas invincible.TheTigerIwaswithoutadoubtastronglybuilt tankwithmanysuperiorattributes,butitcouldbeeasilydestroyedbyregularbattlefieldweaponry,especially if the crewwerenot constantlyvigilant for attacks from the rear or the side.ThisfurtherextractfromaBritishintelligencereportfromM.I.10datedSeptember1943underlinesthefactthattheBritishwerefastlearningtheweaknessesoftheTigerinaction.

RoutinemaintenanceoftheTigerIwasincrediblydifficultandrequiredamobilecraneasitwasnecessarytoremovetheturretinordertochangethegearbox.Thiswasafrustratinglyfrequentoccurrence.


PRISONEROFWARDESCRIBESRAILEMBARKATION

APWstatesthatthenarrowloadingtracksforTigertanksbelongpermanentlyonthespecialplatformtruckandareputbackonitwhenthetruckreturnstoitshomestation.

Tigertanksonlyjustfitonthewidthofthetruckandaresecuredbylayingwoodenbeamsagainsttheinnersidesofthetrucksandsecuringthemtotheflooringbymeansofheavyboltspassingthroughpreparedholes.

OnePWdescribed the loadingofTiger tanksatMaille-Le-Camp(France)early inFeb44and theunloadinga fewdayslateratFiculie(Italy).

“Conditionsatbothendswereverybad.Deepmud,rainorsnow,andbitingwindshinderedoperationsandmadethe

jobverytrying.

The80tonplatformtruckwasshunteduptoanendloadingrampandsecuredinposition.

Bymeansofan18tonhalftrackedtowingvehicle,thenarrowloadingtracksweretowedofftheplatformtruckandmanoeuvredintopositiononthegroundinechelonandatthecorrectwidthapart.Onebroadtrackwasthenundoneandthetankdrivenforwardononetracksothatthebogiewheelsontheoppositesideranoffthebroadtrackontothenarrowtrack.

Theintendedjoiningpointofthenarrowtrackwasbetweenthedrivingsprocketandtheground.Tobringtheupperrunofthetrackroundtherearidlerandoverthetopsofthebogiewheels,thesprockethubwasusedasacapstanbypassingawireroperoundit.With thebroad track lockedand thesprocketon theoppositesiderotatingslowly, thecrewpulledontheendofthewireropeandsobroughtthetrackupandover.

Havingjoinedthefirstnarrowtrack,thebroadtrackontheoppositesidewasundoneandthetankdrivenforwardonthenarrowtrackuntilthebogiewheelsranoverthesecondnarrowtrack.

Oncethetankwasfittedwiththenarrowtracks,thecrewhadtoremovethefouroutsidebogiewheelsonbothsides.

When this hadbeendone, the half tracked towingvehicle had to tow the broad tracks side by side in front of theloadingramp.

TheTigerwasthendrivenforwardsothatitstraddledthetracksontheground.Wireropeswereattachedtothetwoliftingeyesatthefrontoftheturret,passedoverthefrontarmourandsecuredattheirotherendstothetracks.

TheTigerwasfinallydrivenuptheramp,towingitsownbroadtracksunderneathitbetweenthenarrowtracks.Onceitwasinpositionontheplatformtrucktheultimateoperationwastobringuptheoverhangingendsofthebroadtracksover the reararmourof the tank, a feat accomplishedbywire ropesandpulleys,with theattendant towingvehicleprovidingthemotivepower.

Beforethetankwasreadyto travel, the turrethadtobetraversedtoapprox5o’clocktoallowfor theright-handedtunnelswhicharemostlyencounteredontheroutefromFrancetoItaly.”

ThecumbersomeprocessofpreparingtheTigerIforrailtransportincludedremovingtheoutermostroadwheels,changingthewidecombattrackstofitthenarrowguagetracksshownhere.


GERMANHEAVYTANK-Pz.Kw.6TheaccompanyingsketchofthetankisbasedonphotographsofaPz.Kw.6knockedoutontheTunisianfront.

Thesuspensionsystem,whichhasonlyverybrieflybeendescribedinTacticalandTechnicalTrends,isshowninthesketchThetrackismadeofmetal.Tothefarrightinthesketchisthefront-drivesprocketandtothefarleft,therearIdler.TherearenoreturnrollerssincethetrackridesontopoftheChristie-typewheels,whicharerubberrimmed.Itwillbenotedthatthereareeightaxles,eachwiththreewheelstoaside,oreachwithonesingleandonedoublewheeltoaside.Therearethus24wheels,or8singlewheelsand8doublewheels,oneachsideofthetank.ThesystemofoverlappingissimilartothesuspensionsystemusedonGermanhalf-tracks.

Thetankisprovidedwithtwotracks,awideone(2ft,4.5in)andanarrowone(justunder2ft).Thewidetrackistheoneusedinbattle,thenarrowbeingforadministrativemarchesandwheremanoeuvrabilityandeconomyofoperationtakeprecedenceovergroundpressure.Thedottedlineinthesketchofthesuspensionsystemindicatestheouteredgeofthenarrowtrack.Whenthenarrowtrackisused,theeightwheelsoutsidethedottedlinecanberemoved.


USEOFPz.Kw.VI(‘TIGER’)(a)InformationobtainedfromPWindicatesthatthePz.Kw.VIwaschieflyusedinTunisiatosupportotherarmouredunits,andmentionwasmadeofitsemploymentasmobileartillery.Asasupport tankitwasalwaysusedinrearoflighterunits.Inonereportedskirmishhowever,thelighterPz.Kw.IIIsandIVsformedthespearheadoftheadvance;assoonasourtankscamewithinrangetheGerman‘spearhead’tanksdeployedtotheflanks,leavingtheheavierPz.Kw.VItankstoengage.

(b)APWwhowaswithRHQ7Pz.RegimentinTunisiaforsometimestatesthatthereweresome20Pz.Lw.Visintheregiment.Whenonthemarchtenofthesemovedwiththemaincolumn,theothersmovingontheflanks.AccordingtothisPW,thetacticsintheattackweretoseektoengageenemytanksfromhull-downpositionsatshortranges,evendown to250yards.On theotherhand, thisprisoneralso reportsanengagement inwhich twoPz.Kw.Visbroughtindirectfiretobear,observationbeingcarriedoutbyanartilleryFOO,eachtankopeningwithoneroundofsmoke.InconfirmationofthisthereisanotherA.F.H.Q.reportwhichspeaksofthisexploitationbyPz.Kw.VIgunnersofthegreatrangeoftheir8.8cmguns.

(c)30MilitaryMissionalsoreportstheuseofPz.Kw.VIinsquadronstrengthonvariouspartsoftheRussianFront,especiallytheSouth-West.

(d)InconversationwithGerneralMartel,MarshalStalinstatedthatinRussia,asinthedesert, thePz.Kw.VIwentintobattleinrearofaprotectivescreenoflightertanks.

(e)AnA.F.H.Q. training instruction states that the size andweight of thePz.Kw.VIpresentmanyproblems.PWindicatedthatextensivereconnaissanceofterrain,bridgesetc.,wasnecessarybeforeoperationswiththistankcouldbeundertaken. Bridges had to be reinforced in many cases, and it was necessary for the ‘going’ to be good for theeffectiveemploymentofthePz.Kw.VI.


TIGERSBOLDLYUSED

ThisisastandardTigertank-or,astheGermansdesignateit,Pz.Kpfw.Tiger.(TheRomannumeral“VI”hasbeendropped.)

AtfirsthisTigerswereveryboldlyusedand,oncetheyweresurethattheirflanksweresecured,theydrovestraighton.Afterseveralofthesetankshadbeenknockedout,however,thecrewsappearedtobelessenterprisingandwereinclinedtousetheirtanksasmobilepillboxes.Thefactremains,however,thatinanarmouredattacktheTigertankmust be regarded as a very formidable fighting component and, given adequate flank protection, will add veryeffectiveweighttotheenemyfirepower.

InthedefensivethePz.Kw.VI,usuallywellsitedinacoveredanddefiladedposition,wasaparticulardanger.Despitethecomparativelyslowtraversingrateofitsturret,thePz.Kw.VIprovedanextremelygooddefensiveweaponandcould effectively cover a wide area with anti-tank fire. It was often used in good hull-down positions over verydifficultground,whichmadeithardfortheShermantodealwithit,andnoamountofartilleryfirecouldforceitout.

Pz.Kw.VIIIs and IVs rarely tookupgooddefensivepositionson theirown,butwereused towatch the flanksofpositionsoccupiedbyPz.Kw.VIs.Theywereoftenusedinsmallgroupstocounter-attackfromconcealedpositionsontheflank,fromacactusorolivegroveordownawadi.Theterrainforcedtheenemytoemployrushtacticsincloseformation,andresultedinthesecounter-attacksbeingsuitablydealtwith.

Tankrecoveryrequiresaspecialnote.Itwasoftenaffectedonthespotwithspeedandcouragebyattachingtowropestothecasualtiesandtowingthemawaybyothertanks.Specialtripsatnightweremadebytankstorecovercasualties(20JanBOUARADA,and1FebROBAA).Wheretheenemyheldthebattlefield,tractorswerebroughtupandthewhole area cleared of recoverable casualties, both theirs and ours, in a very short time.The speedwithwhich therecoveryplanwasmadeandcarriedoutmadeactionbyourdemolitionsquadsverydifficult,andwheretankcasualtieswere in no-man’s land and unapproachable by day, the enemy would get out to them the moment darkness fell.Sometimes(egROBAA,BOUARADA)asmuchasacompanyofinfantrywasusedtoholdoffourpatrolsorstageadiversion while recovery was in progress. The enemy used tanks against our Churchills and was quick to takeadvantageofanunprotectedflank

AbrokendownTigerIbeingtowedbytwoSd.Kfz.9.TheconvolutdarrangementwastheonlymeansbywhichabrokendonwTigerIcouldbeofficiallyrecovered.


GEARBOXTROUBLEIfaTigertankhasgearboxtrouble,itiscustomarytodismantletheflexiblecouplingsinthehalf-shaftdrivesandtotowitoutoftheimmediatebattleareabyanotherTiger,usingtwotowropessecuredin‘X’formationtocorrectthetendencyofthetowedtanktosway.

Should,however,thetrackonaTigerhaveriddenupoverthesprocketteeth,thetractiveeffortrequiredtomoveitissogreatthattwoTigerspullintandem,eachtowingwithcrossedtowropes.

IllustrationshowingthetoolsandmethodsofrunninggearmaintenancefromTigerfibel.Althoughtheneedtochangeroadwheelswasafrequentandfrustratingoccurrance,byfarthelargestshareofthemechanicalproblemsresulted

fromthegearbox,therepairofwhichnecessitatedtheremovaloftheturretbyamobilecrane.

-Chapter10-

MobilityDespiteitsdrawbackstheTigerwasrelativelymanoeuvrableforitsweightandsize,andas it generated less groundpressure, it proved to be superior to theSherman inmuddyterrain,. The Tiger tank however was plainly too heavy to cross small bridges withcertainty,soitwaspurposedesignedwiththebuiltinmechanismtoenablethetanktofordfour-meter deep water while fully submerged. This required unusual mechanisms forventilationandcoolingwhenunderwater.Atleast30minutesofset-upwasrequired,withtheturretandgunbeinglockedintheforwardposition,andalargesnorkeltuberaisedatthe rear.Only the first 495Tigerswere fittedwith this expensive and rarely used deepfordingsystem;alllatermodelswerecapableoffordingonlytwometers.

The main source of mechanical breakdown of the Tiger I appears to have been thegearboxwhich isa recurring theme in relation to thenumerousbreakdownssufferedbythesevehicles.TowingaTigerwasanenormousproblemand frequently resulted in thebreakdown of other Tigers assigned to tow broken down vehicle. The procedure wasdescribedinanR.A.C.liaisonletterdatedAugust1944.

TherealAchillesheeloftheTigerwastheextenttowhichitwaspronetomechanicalbreakdowns.Evenwhenthevehiclewasrunningsmoothlyvigilanceandextremecarewasrequired as theTigerwas exceptionally liable to becomingboggeddownwhilemovingacross thedifficult terrainwhichwasparticularlyprevalent in Italy. Itwashere that theBritish discovered an inordinately large number of disabled Tigers. Initially these 12machineswereall thought tobevictimsofcombat,but itwas laterdiscovered, throughexamination and prisoner interrogation, that the casualtieswere all as a result of eithermechanical or terrain difficulties. This astonishing revelation was published in August1944inareportbytheBritishArmy’sTechnicalBranchentitled“WhoKilledTiger?”

TheillustrationfromthedriversectionfromTigerfibel.


WHOKILLEDTIGER?

ThisTigerofthe502ndoverturnedintheactofcrossingabridgeinRussia,duringNovember1943.Thetankcommanderwaskilledbutthetankwasrecovered.

As a fairly large number of Tiger tanks were reported to have been knocked out in the breakout from the Anziobridgeheadand theadvanceonRomewe thought itmightbeeducational to tryand findoutwhatweaponorwhattacticshadbeenresponsible,sothatthedosemightberepeatedonotheroccasions.

Hearingthattherewassomewhatofaconcentrationofbodiesinacertainareawemadeareconnaissanceonthe5thAugustinanareabetweenVelletriandCorisome30milesS.E.ofRome.

Inallduringthisreconnaissance12Tigerswerefoundeitherontheroad,bytheroadsideorwithineasysightoftheroad.Thefollowingiswhatwefound:-

(1)OntheViaTuscolana.Pulledupatthesideoftheroadnearabridgediversion.Nosignofbattledamagebutbothtrackswereoffandeachhadbeencutwithagastorch.Blownupandburntoutsothecauseofthecasualtycouldnotbedetermined.

(2)OnthevillagegreenofGiulianello.NosignofbattledamageotherthanapenetrationofthehullbackplatebyBazooka.This is thought to havebeendoneby following troops after the tankhadbeen abandoned, because theengine cooling fan had been penetrated by the shot butwas obviously not rotating at the time and, furthermore,several unused rounds ofU.S.Bazooka ammunitionwere found lying near themachine. This tank had not beendemolishedbythecrewandtherewasnoindicationofthecauseofstoppage.

(3)BythesideoftheroadonemilefromGiulianello.SignsoftwoH.E.strikesontheturretandoneonthecupola.AfurtherH.E.hadstrucktheuppersideplateabouttracklevelandmayhavebrokenthetrackwhichwasoffonthisside.

Ontheoppositesidethethreerearbogiespindleswerebentupwardsandthebogieswereridingthetrackguides.Atow-ropewasfoundinplaceandthetankhadbeendemolished.IftherighthandtrackhadinfactbeencutbyH.E.itispossiblethatarecoverycrewhadbeencaughtwhileextricatingthetankwhichhadbecomeacasualtyduetothesuspensiontroubleontheotherside.

(4)HalfwaydownasteepbankontheGuilianello-Coriroad.Nosignofanybattledamageorsuspensiontrouble.Tankhadbeendemolished.Inthiscaseitispossiblethatthemachinehadeitherbecomeditcheddownthebankor

hadsomeinternalmechanicaltroublewhichcouldnotberectified.

Aninterestingpointisthatthistankhadrubberbogiewheelsononesideandsteelontheother.

ThetaskofextricatingastrickenTigerfromdifficultterrainwasbeyondeveryvehicleexceptanotherTiger.Activitiesofthisnatureplacedahugestrainontheengineandcouldoftenresultinbothvehiclesbeinglostandwasofficiallyagainstorders.Howeverthistypeofactivity,althoughfrownedupon,wasadailyoccurrenceforthemenofthe

Panzerwaffeastherewassimplynoalternative.

(5)Foundinasmallcopseabout100yardsofftheroad.Nosignofbattledamagebuttankappearedtohavebecomeditchedinasunkenlanewhereithadbeentryingtoturn.Brokentow-ropesfoundinplace.Noimportantsuspensiondefectssothatthecasualtymusthavebeenduetointernalmechanicaltroublepossiblycausedbytryingtoextricateitselffromthelane.Blownup.

(6)Foundofftheroaddownabankwhereithadbeenpushedtocleartheroad.DeepA.P.scoopsonfrontofmanletandsideofturret.Penetrationbyunknownweaponthrough3rdbogiefromrearonlefthandside.Tracksoff,blownupandburntout.NotenoughevidencetodeducethecauseofthecasualtyexceptthatitwascertainlynotduetotheA.P.strikeswhichwereprobablysustainedinanearlierengagement.

(7)Offtheroadattheedgeofanolivegrove.Definiteevidenceoftracktrouble.Severaltrackguidelugsbroken.R.H.sprocketringcrackedinoneplaceandL.H.ringintwoplaces.Attemptstotowhadbeenmade.Demolished.Possiblyontowbecauseofmechanicaltroubleandabandonedwhentracksrodethesprocketsanddamagedthem.

(8)Onthe level inanolivegrove.Thereweresignsof theareahavingbeenusedbyaworkshopdetachment.NoapparentbattledamageotherthanpenetrationsofbogiewheelsbyH.E.splinters.Casualtyprobablyduetointernalmechanicaltrouble.Onedemolitionchargehadbeenblown.

(9)FoundupagainstahouseinCoriwhereitwouldappeartohavebeenleftbyarecoveryteam.TwoH.E.scoopson front plate.Tracks off and obvious signs of suspension trouble.R.H. front bogie bent and out of line.Tracksfoundnear.Theseshowedfracturesofseverallinks.Demolished.

(10)OfftheroadinCoriwithin10yardsofNo.9above.Onebogiewheelmissingandothersdamaged.Sprocketscrackedinthreeplaces.Tracksoffandlyingnearbyshowedevidenceoftrouble–crackedlinkandbrokenguidelug.Demolished.

(11)On the bridge atCori.Within 50yards ofNos9/10.Tankhad fallen throughdamaged archof bridge.Bothtracksoffandlaidoutontheroadbehind.Nobattledamagetobeseen.Demolished.ThepresenceofNos9,10and11 tanks so close together suggests thatCorimay have been a recovery point for tankswithmechanical trouble

whichwereblownupwhenitwasfoundimpossibletorepairthem.

(12)FoundontheroadfromGiulianellotoValmontoneinafieldbyastreamsome300yardsofftheroad.Nobattledamagebuttwobogiewheelsononesidewerebentandoutofline.Trackswerestillon.Therewasevidenceintheshrubsnearbythatthecrewofarecoverysectionhadcampedbythetankandhadbeenattemptingsomemechanicalrepairswhichcouldnotbecompletedintimesothatthetankhadtobeleftanddemolished.

ATigerIundergoingenginerepair.

NotesSincetheaboveexaminationwasmadesomeinformationhasbeenreceivedfromaP.O.W.whichsuggeststhatthese12tanksweretheremnantof3Sqn,506HeavyTankBattalion,whichwasgiventhejobofresistingtheAlliedbreak-outfromAnziowith16tanks.

Somewere lost in the engagement while others suffered gearbox trouble and had to be towed out of action. ThesquadronwasorderedtoretreatonCoriandduringthisretreatsomuchtroublewasexperiencedwiththegearboxesandsuspensionsoftowingtanksthatattemptsatextricationbeyondCorihadtobeabandoned.

ConclusionTigerisnotyetsufficientlydevelopedtobeconsideredareliablevehicleforlongmarches.Hesuffersfromfrequentsuspensiondefectsandprobablyalsogearboxtrouble.Whenpushed,asinaretreat,thesetroublesaretoofrequentandseriousfortheGermanmaintenanceandrecoveryorganizationtodealwith.

TwoTigersofthe504thSchwereAbteilungirrecoverablystuckinasteepvalley.Thisbattalionsufferedsixtotalwrite-offsinfourdayswhileonaroadmarchinItalyinSeptember1944.

-Chapter11-

TigerRecovery

Threefamo18ttractorswereneededtodragthisTigerIintotheworkshopduringtheassaultonKharkovin1943.

Due to its size and weight the high number of breakdowns and the recovery of battledamaged vehicles was to prove a real headache for the engineers. The tanks wereimmenselyvaluableandhadtoberecoveredifatallpossible.However,theinfrastructureand, in particular the recovery vehicles, to support the easy recovery of such a heavymachineastheTigerIwasfoundtobeseverelywanting.

ThemainproblemwasthatthestandardGermanheavyFamorecoveryhalf-tracktractorcouldnotactually tow the tank;up to threeFamo tractorswereusually theonlyway totow just one Tiger. It was the case therefore that another Tiger was needed to tow adisabled machine, but on such occasions, the engine of the towing vehicle oftenoverheated and sometimes resulted in an engine breakdown or fire. Tiger tanks werethereforeforbiddenbyregulationstotowcrippledcomrades.

Inpractice thisorderwas routinelydisobeyedas thealternativewas the total lossofalargenumberof tanks thatcouldotherwisehavebeensaved. Itwasalsodiscovered toolate that the low-mounted sprocket limited the obstacle-clearing height.ThewideTigertracksalsohadabadtendencytooverridethesprocket,resultinginimmobilisation.Ifatrack overrode and jammed, two Tigers were normally needed to tow the tank. Thejammed track was also a big problem itself, since due to high tension, it was oftenimpossibletodisassemblethetrackbyremovingthetrackpins.Itwassometimessimplyblownapartwithanexplosivecharge.


USEOFPz.Kw.VI(‘TIGER’)

AsectionofTigerItanksrollsintopositionpriortothebattleofKursk.

(a) Information obtained from POW indicates that the Pz. Kw. VI was chiefly used in Tunisia to support otherarmouredunits,andmentionwasmadeofitsemploymentasmobileartillery.Asasupporttankitwasalwaysusedinrearoflighterunits.Inonereportedskirmishhowever,thelighterPz.Kw.IIIsandIVsformedthespearheadoftheadvance;assoonasourtankscamewithinrangetheGerman‘spearhead’tanksdeployedtotheflanks,leavingtheheavierPz.Kw.VItankstoengage.

(b)APOWwhowaswithRHQ7Pz.RegimentinTunisiaforsometimestatesthatthereweresome20Pz.Lw.Visinthe regiment.When on the march ten of these moved with the main column, the others moving on the flanks.AccordingtothisPW,thetacticsintheattackweretoseektoengageenemytanksfromhull-downpositionsatshortranges,evendownto250yards.Ontheotherhand,thisprisoneralsoreportsanengagementinwhichtwoPz.Kw.VIs brought indirect fire to bear, observation being carried out by an artillery FOO, each tank openingwith oneroundofsmoke.InconfirmationofthisthereisanotherA.F.H.Q.reportwhichspeaksofthisexploitationbyPz.Kw.VIgunnersofthegreatrangeoftheir8.8cmguns.

(c)30MilitaryMissionalsoreportstheuseofPz.Kw.VIinsquadronstrengthonvariouspartsoftheRussianFront,especiallytheSouth-West.

(d)InconversationwithGeneralMartel,MarshalStalinstatedthatinRussia,asinthedesert,thePz.Kw.VIwentintobattleinrearofaprotectivescreenoflightertanks.

(e)AnA.F.H.Q.traininginstructionstatesthat thesizeandweightofthePz.Kw.VIpresentmanyproblems.PWindicatedthatextensivereconnaissanceofterrain,bridgesetc.,wasnecessarybeforeoperationswiththistankcouldbeundertaken.Bridgeshadtobereinforcedinmanycases,anditwasnecessaryforthe‘going’tobegoodfortheeffectiveemploymentofthePz.Kw.VI.

ArareshotofaTigeractuallyengagedincombatduringthebattleofKursk.

(f)Itwouldseemthat theemploymentof this tankinasupportrole isnothowever invariable,becauseaGermanpressreportofthefightingroundKharkovinMarchseemstoindicatethatthePz.Kw.VIwereusedoffensivelyinanindependentrole.

(g)AnotherGermanpressreportstatesthatduringtheGermanwithdrawalfromSchusselburg,‘afew’Pz.Kw.VIformedthemostrearwardelementoftheGermanrearguard,aroleinwhichtheyweremostsuccessful.

(h)Aninterestinganddetailednewspaperarticle,writtentowardstheendofMay,oneventsontheLeningradFront,points towards the use of the Tiger as amobile defensive front and as having been in action ‘for days’ (i.e. byinference, that theyhadbeen in the same area).Theseoperationswere carriedout in close co-operationwith theinfantrymanningthedefensivepositions.

In one particular operation a troop of tanks is described as taking up a defensive position forward of the infantrypositionsfromwhich(presumablyhull-down)advancingSoviet tanksand thefollowing infantrywereengaged.Allthis defensive firewas put down at the halt including the fire from theMGs in the tanks. In order tomove to analternativepositionbecauseofenemyartyfireitwasnecessaryforthetankcommandertoobtainpermissionfromtheCOBattleGroup,underwhosecommandhewasoperating.

CONCLUSIONThe use of Pz.Kw.VI tanks in both attack and defence seems, from all available information to hand, to be in asupportrole.Theuseof this typeof tankinan independent thrustingrole,evenwhensupportedbytanksof lightertypes,wouldseemtobediscouraged.

DistantTigersmovinguptoengageRussianforcesduringtheKurskoffensive.Themillionsofanti-tankmineswerethegreatestdangerfacingtheTigersduringtheassaultphaseofthebattle.

-Chapter12-

TigerColourSchemesInJuneof1940ageneralorderwasissuedthatstipulatedallPanzersweretobepaintedDunkelgrau (dark grey). This order was still in effect when the Tigers were initiallydeployedinAugust1942.TheveryfirstTigerI’swerepainteddarkgreyandassuchareusuallyeasytoidentifyinphotographs.

In areas where winter camouflage was needed, the crews applied whitewash. Whenspring arrived, the crews had to scrub the whitewash off, which was a tedious, labourintensivechore.

InFebruary1943,ageneralordercamedowntochangethebasecoatfromdarkgreytotan(DunkelgelbnachMuster).Crewswereissuedcansofredbrown(Rotbraun)anddarkolive green (Olivgruen) to use in creating camouflage patterns over the basic tancolouration.

SometigerswerecoatedwiththeZimmeritanti-magneticminecoatingstartinginJuly1943.Thispastewasappliedinrecognizablegroovedpatternsandthepaintwasappliedoverthetopofthecoating.VehiclescoatedwithZimmerithaveadistinctiveroughlooktotheirsurface.

Camouflagepatternsvariedfromunittounit,asdidtheplacementandcolouringofthevehicle numbers. In addition to good camouflage the tanks themselves required closeprotectionfrominfantrysquadsatalltimes.

ATigerIpaintedintheoriginalfactoryDunkelgraudeployedontheNorthernsectorinJanuary1943.


USEOFAFVsINNORTHAFRICA(a)APOWhasdescribedhowriflemenwithMGswereemployedfortheprotectionoftankswheninharbour.Onthefollowingmorningtheywerewithdrawnfromthistaskforrestandinpreparationforotherduties.

(b)APOWreportsthatGermantankswerealwaysabletointerceptAlliedradiotraffic,ononeoccasionobtaininginthiswayanexactlocation.Pz.Kw.VIwereimmediatelydetailedtoengage.

(c)Voluntarydestructionoftanks.On5thDecember1942thefollowingorderswereissuedbyOC8Pz.Regiment:“Tanksmaybeblownupinthefollowingcircumstancesonly:

(i)Ifthetankcannotbemoved

(ii)Iftheenemyisattacking,andthenonly,

(iii)Ifthetankhasdefendeditselftoitslastround.

TheCommander responsible for issuing the order to blowup the tankmustmake a report toRHQdetailing thecircumstances”.

(d)Anotherreportdescribesas‘typical’acaseinwhichalargeconcentrationoftankswasobservedoppositeoneareaonourfront,smallpartiesofwhichwereobserved‘tapping’alongourfront,haltingtofirefromabout2,000yards.

(e)Onanotheroccasionanotherreportdescribeshowanestimatedtotalof50Germantanksputinacounter-attackintheearlyeveningintwogroups,eachundersmokecover.

TheradiooperatorfromtheTigerfibel.

-Chapter13-

DesignReviewAsthewarworeoninto1944theincreasingvolumeofcapturedTigerscontinuedtoyieldinvaluable intelligence information. With a number of complete machines now in thehandsofthewesternalliesitwaspossibletoconductincreasinglyscientificexaminations.Practical testing of weapon systems and armour was soon undertaken to identify thestrengthsandweaknessesoftheTigerI.InNovember1944aseriesofgunnerytrialswasconductedbyMajorW.deL.MessengerandhisreportissummarizedinComtemporaryViewNo.15.

TheTigerradiosetupfromTigerfibelwhichwassplitintoareceiverandatransmitter.


DESIGNREVIEWThe design has beenwell thought out and it embodies a number of distinctly original features such as the heavyarmamentandarmour,turretandhullconstruction,poweredtraverselayoutandfacilitiesfortotalsubmersion.

It appears that theuserhasnothad the same influenceon it asonBritish tanks since somanyof the items,whilstbasicallygood,areunsatisfactoryandcouldwellbeimprovedfromtheuseraspectbyslightmodification.

Theoutstandingfeatureswouldappeartobe:-

GOODPOINTS(1)8.8cmgunwithitssmoothactionandeasilystrippedbreechmechanism.

(2)Heavyarmourandmethodofconstruction(weldingandfrontplatesprojectingabovetheroofplates).

(3)Stabilityasagunplatform.

(4)Ammunitionstowage–quantityandaccessibility.

(5)Electricalfiringgearwithsafetyinterlocksandnoveltriggerswitch.

(6)Flushturretfloorwithoutcoamingorshields.

(7)Binoculartelescopewithfixedeyepiece.

(8)Mountingforperiscopicbinocularsincupolaandcommander’shandtraverse.

(9)Abilitytosuperimposehandonpowertraverseandabsenceofoilpipesandunions.

(10)Amplespaceforloader.

(11)Methodofattachingstowagetoturretwalls(flexiblestrips).

(12)Springassistedhatches.

(13)S-minedischargers.

(14)2-positioncommander’sseatandbackrest

(15)Electricallyfiredsmokegeneratordischargers.

(16)Handholdsonrooftoassistgunner.

BADPOINTS(1)Out-of-balanceofgunandturret.

(2)Obscurationbysmokefromflashlesspropellent.

(3)Ventilationofgunfumes

(4)Lackofintercommunicationforloader.

(5)Crampedpositionsofgunnerandcommander.

(6)Poweredtraversecontrol–Lackofdefiniteneutralpositionandawkwardrangeofmovement

(7)Noarmouringonbins.

(8)Smallgundeflectorbag.

(9)Awkwardre-armingofco-axialM.G.

(10)Gunner’sexitviacommander’scupola.

(11)HeadpadonauxiliaryM.G.

ThePz.Kpfw.VIwith itsheavyarmour,dualpurposearmamentandfightingability isbasicallyanexcellent tank,and,inspiteofthedefectsnoted,constitutesaconsiderableadvanceonanytankthatwehavetried.

Itsgreatestweaknessisprobablythelimitimposedonmobilityowingtoitsweight,widthandlimitedrangeofaction.Takingitallround,itpresentsaveryformidablefightingmachinewhichshouldnotbeunder-rated.

TheTigerwasaprizedtargetandwasasvulnerableasanyothertanktostronglymotivatedtankhuntingteams.ClosesupportfromwelltrainedinfantrywasthereforecrucialtothesurvivaloftheTigersonthebattlefield.TheTigeronthe

rightiscarryingitsownclosesupportteam.

-Chapter14-

ProductionRunModificationsDuring theproduction runof theTiger I a numberofmodificationswere introduced inorder to correct imperfections to improve automotive performance, firepower andprotection. Any good measure which led to the simplification of the design was alsoimplemented,alongwithforcedadjustmentsasaresultofshortagesofwarmaterials.Dueto a rigid production flow policy at the Henschel factory, incorporation of the newmodificationscouldtakeseveralmonths.In1942alone,atleastsixrevisionsweremade,startingwiththeremovaloftheVorpanzer(frontalarmourshield)fromthepre-productionmodelsinApril1942.InMay,mudguardsboltedontothesideofthepre-productionrunwere added, while removable mudguards saw full incorporation in September. Smokedischargecanisters,threeoneachsideoftheturret,wereaddedinAugust1942.Inlateryears,similarchangesandupdateswereadded,suchas theadditionofZimmerit in late1943.

ModificationscontinuedasaresultofcombatexperiencesinItalyatacomparativelylatestageinthelifeoftheTigerI.TheRACliaisonletterforAugust1944revealedthatPOWintegration sources were still providing valuable information regarding the on-goingmodification programme, which mentioned modifications in the Model E over itspredecessorsincludingthefollowing:-


TURRETTOPARMOURInearlyMarch’44onthebeachhead,anumberofTigertankswerespottedfromtheairbyanartilleryrecceaircraftand shortlyafterwardsa concentrationof artillery firewasputdown,duringwhich the turret topofoneTigerwaspiecedbyadirecthitfromwhatappearstobeanAmerican“LongTom.”

Thisincident,whichcosttwodeadofthecrew,wasdulyreportedandisconsideredtohavebeenthereasonforthethickeningoftheturrettoparmourbackandfrontfrom25mmto40mmontheModelETigerswhichcamedownfromPaderborninlateMay1944.

-Chapter15-

CombatHistory

AninterestingstudyoftwoTigerspassingonanarrowforesttrackinnorthernRussiaduringthesummerof1943.

Aswe have see the Tiger was first used in action on 28th September 1942 inmarshyterrain nearLeningrad.The actionwas a direct result ofHitler’s desperation to see theTiger in action.This resulted in the tank,whichwas still verymuch aprototype, beingforcedintoactionprematurely.

Unfortunately,on22ndSeptember1942,as theyentered thecombatarena for the firsttimetheTigersweredeployedsinglefileovermarshyterrainwiththeinevitableresultthatthemachinesbegantobogdown.Itwastoproveanominousportentwhen,intheirfirstdayofcombat,allfourwereknockedout.Itisinterestingtonotehoweverthatthearmourofthevehicleswasnotpenetrated.ThreeoftheTigerswhichhadbeenabandonedbytheircrewswerelaterrecovered.

InspiteofthisatrociousstarttheTigerIwastobecomeafixtureofanumberofheavyunits serving on the eastern front. Better tactics involving close co-operation withsupporting infantry units were soon developed and other Panzer crews were quicklytrainedatPaderbornsothattheytoocouldbeequippedwiththeTigerIasthemachinesrolledofftheproductionlines.ThedeploymentofTheTigerIhappenedatafairlyrapidpace and by the end of 1942 the first Tiger formations had been deployed in Russia,Tunisia,andItaly.AfurthertrainingcentrewassoonestablishedinFrance.TigerswouldeventuallybeinservicewithtenHeerheavytankbattalionsandonetrainingbattalionaswellasandtheGrossdeutschlandPanzerGrenadierDivision.

In addition to the regular armyunits threeWaffen-SSheavy tank battalionswere alsoequippedwiththeTigerI.AnumberofadditionalHeerformationsreceivedasmatteringofTigers though thenumbersweregenerallyvery limited.The14Tigerequippedunits

were the backbone of the fighting force andwere issuedwith the bulk of the availablemachines.

IntheNorthAfricantheatre,theTigerfirstsawactionnearRobaaTunisia.Intheensuingbattle,abatterybelongingtothe72ndAnti-tankRegimentoftheBritishArmyequippedwithsix-poundermanagedtoknockoutthreeenemyTigersandrouttheremainingforces.The action soon found its way into the British and US intelligence reports reprintedelsewhereinthisbook.ThenexttheatreinwhichthealliesencounteredtheTigerwastobeItalywhereTigerswereencounteredbothinSicilyandonthemainland.FollowingtheD-Day landings theTiger Iwas encounteredduring theNormandybattleswhere itwasfieldedbytheLeibstandartedivision.

AGrenadierstandinginfrontofatrioofcapturedRussiananti-tankgunsscanstheskiesasaTigerIinsummercamouflagepaintschemerollsontowardstheenemy.

-Chapter16-

RoadMarches

AnothershotofaTigerIencounteringdifficultterrainandinsurmountableobstaclesintheArmyGroupNorthsector.

The Tiger’s extreme weight limited which bridges it could cross. It also made drivingthroughbuildingssomethingofalotteryasbasementswereliabletocollapsetrappingthetankintherubble.Anotherweaknesswastheslowtraverseofthehydraulically-operatedturret.Theturretcouldalsobetraversedmanually,butthisoptionwaslaboriousandrarelyused,exceptforverysmalladjustments.

Early Tigers had a top speed of about 45 kilometres per hour (28mph) over optimalterrain.Thiswasnotrecommendedfornormaloperation,andwasdiscouragedintraining.Crews were ordered not to exceed 2600rpm due to reliability problems of the earlyMaybachengineswith theirmaximum3000rpmoutput.To combat this, theTiger’s topspeedwasreducedtoabout38kilometresperhour(24mph)throughtheinstallationofanengine governor, capping the rpm of theMaybachHL 230 to 2600rpm (HL 210swereused on early models). Despite being slower than medium tanks of the time, whichaveragedatopspeedofabout45kilometresperhour(28mph),theTigerstillhadaveryrespectablespeedforatankofitssizeandweight,especiallyifoneconsidersthefactthattheTigerIwasnearlytwiceasheavyasaShermanorT-34.

The Tiger had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger units almostinvariablyenteredcombatunder strengthdue tovariousmechanicalbreakdowns. Itwasrare for any Tiger unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due tobreakdowns. The tank also had poor radius of action ie the distance which a combatvehiclecantravelandreturntothebattlefieldwithoutrefuelling.AlthoughtheTigerfibelgave the figureof42.5km ineachdirection (seepage27) the realitywasmuch lower -35km across countrywas considered to be themaximum on a full tank. However, theTiger I was a remarkably efficient cross-country vehicle. Due to its very wide trackshowever,theTigerdidproducealowergroundpressurebearingthanmanysmallertanks,

themostnotableexceptionbeing theSovietT-34whichalsoranoncomparativelywidetracks.

ThisdiagramfromTigerfibelshowsthrottleandventflappositionswhentheTigerismovingonaroadmarch.


NOTESONTANKTACTICSUSEOFPzKwVi(‘TIGER’)

Informationobtained fromPW indicates that thePzKwVIwas chieflyused inTunisia to support other armouredunits,andmentionwasmadeofitsemploymentasmobileartillery.Asasupport tankitwasalwaysusedinrearoflighterunits.Inonereportedskirmishhowever,thelighterPzKwIIIsandIVsformedthespearheadoftheadvance;assoonasourtankscamewithinrangetheGerman‘spearhead’tanksdeployedtotheflanks,leavingtheheavierPzKwVItankstoengage.

APWwhowaswithRHQ7PzRegimentinTunisiaforsometimestatesthatthereweresome20PzKwVisintheregiment.Whenonthemarchtenofthesemovedwiththemaincolumn,theothersmovingontheflanks.AccordingtothisPW,thetacticsintheattackweretoseektoengageenemytanksfromhull-downpositionsatshortranges,evendown to 250yards.On the other hand, this prisoner also reports an engagement inwhich twoPzKwVis broughtindirectfiretobear,observationbeingcarriedoutbyanartilleryFOO,eachtankopeningwithoneroundofsmoke.InconfirmationofthisthereisanotherA.F.H.QreportwhichspeaksofthisexploitationbyPzKwVIgunnersofthegreatrangeoftheir8.8cmguns.

30MilitaryMission also reports the use of PzKwVI in squadron strength on various parts of theRussianFront,

especiallytheSouth-West.

InconversationwithGeneralMartel,MarshalStalinstated that inRussia,as in thedesert, thePzKwVIwent intobattleinrearofaprotectivescreenoflightertanks.

AnA.F.H.Q.traininginstructionstatesthatthesizeandweightofthePzKwVIpresentmanyproblems.PWindicatedthat extensive reconnaissance of terrain, bridges etc., was necessary before operations with this tank could beundertaken. Bridges had to be reinforced in many cases, and it was necessary for the ‘going’ to be good for theeffectiveemploymentofthePzKwVI.

Itwouldseemthattheemploymentofthistankinasupportroleisnothoweverinvariable,becauseaGermanpressreport of the fighting roundKharkov inMarch seems to indicate that the Pz KwVI were used offensively in anindependentrole.

AnotherGermanpressreportstatesthatduringtheGermanwithdrawalfromSchusselburg,a“few”PzKwVIformedthemostrearwardelementoftheGermanrearguard,aroleinwhichtheyweremostsuccessful.

An interesting and detailed newspaper article,written towards the end ofMay, on events on the Leningrad Front,pointstowardstheuseoftheTiherasamobiledefensivepillbox.Thetanksaredescribedasoperationonadefensivefrontandashavingbeeninaction‘fordays’(i.e.byinference,thattheyhadbeeninthesamearea).Theseoperationswerecarriedoutincloseco-operationwiththeinfantrymanningthedefensivepositions.

In one particular operation a troop of tanks is described as taking up a defensive position forward of the infantrypositionsfromwhich(presumablyhull-down)advancingSoviet tanksand thefollowing infantrywereengaged.Allthis defensive firewas put down at the halt including the fire from theMGs in the tanks. In order tomove to analternativepositionbecauseofenemyartyfireitwasnecessaryforthetankcommandertoobtainpermissionfromtheCOBattleGroup,underwhosecommandhewasoperating.

TheuseofPzKwVItanksinbothattackanddefenceseems,fromallavailableinformationtohand,tobeinasupportrole.Theuse of this typeof tank in an independent thrusting role, evenwhen supportedby tanks of lighter types,wouldseemtobediscouraged.

TheloaderfromTigerfibel.

-Chapter17-

TacticalOrganisationTheTiger Iwasusuallyemployed in separateheavy tankbattalionsknownas schwere-Panzer-Abteilung,andweresoprecioustheyweregenerallyplacedunderarmycommand.The heavy battalions would normally be deployed to critical sectors, for use either inbreakthroughoperationsor,asthewarworeon,moretypicallyinlocalcounter-attacks.Afewfavoureddivisions,suchastheGrossdeutschlandandthe1stSSLeibstandarteAdolfHitler,2ndSSDasReich,and3rdSSTotenkopfPanzergrenadierDivisionsatKurskhadaTiger company in their tank regiments. The Grossdeutschland Division had its Tigercompany increased to a battalion as the III Panzer Battalion in Panzer RegimentGrossdeutschland.3rdSSTotenkopfretaineditsTigerIcompanythroughtheremainderof the war. 1st SS and 2nd SS tank regiments lost their Tiger Companies which wereincorporatedintoaSSTigerBattalion,the101stSSTigerBattalion,whichwaspartof1stSSPanzerKorps.

ThecommanderschosentobegrantedcommandofaTigerIrepresentedtheverybestofthecandidateswhopassedthroughthegatesofthetanktrainingfacilityatPaderborn.

TheTigerwasoriginallydesigned tobeanoffensivebreakthroughweapon,butby thetimetheywentintoaction,themilitarysituationhadchangeddramatically,andtheirmainusewas on the defensive, asmobile gun batteries known as “themobile fire brigade”.Unfortunately, this also meant rushing the Tigers constantly from location to locationcausingexcessivemechanical issues.As a result, there are almostno instanceswhere aTigerbattalionwent intocombatatanythingclose to full strength.Furthermore,againsttheSovietandWesternAlliedproductionnumbers,evena10:1killratiowouldnothavebeensufficienttoturnthetacticaltide.SomeTigerunitsdidactuallyexceedthe10:1killratio, including 13. Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland with a ratio of 16:1,schwereSS-Panzer-Abteilung103witharatioof12:1andschwerePanzer-Abteilung502with a ratio of 13:1. These numbers must be set against the opportunity cost of theexpensiveTiger.EveryTigercostasmuchasfourSturmgeschützIIIassaultgunstobuild.

AnEnglishtranslationofacontemporaryarticlefromtheSovietArtilleryJournalgivingdetailed instructions for the use of anti-tank weapons against the German Tiger tank,appeared in the U.S. intelligence periodical Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 40,December16th,1943.Vulnerabilityofvariouspartsof the tankwascited inconnectionwith directions for attack.At the timeof publication,U.S. forces hadonly sporadicallyencounteredtheTigertankinTunisia,Sicily,andItaly.Theaccompanyingsketchshowsvulnerablepointsandindicatesweaponstobeusedagainstthem.Materialconcerningthe

vulnerabilityofGermantankswaspublishedinTacticalandTechnicalTrendsNo.8andNo.11.DetailedinformationabouttheTigertankwaspublishedinTacticalandTechnicalTrends No. 34. A translation of the Soviet Artillery Journal article follows inContemporaryViewNo.18.

-Chapter18-

TheRussianView

TheRussianviewonhowtoattacktheTigerwasreproducedforthebenefitofwesternAlliedsoldiersintheDecember1943versionofTacticalandTechnicalTrends.


VULNERABILITYOFTIGERTANKS“Themobilityoftanksdependsupontheproperfunctioningofthesuspensionparts-sprocket(smalldrivingwheel),idler (small wheel in the rear), wheels and tracks. All of these parts are vulnerable to shells of all calibres. Aparticularlyvulnerablepartisthesprocket.

“Firearmour-piercingshellsandHEshellsatthesprocket,theidlerandthetracks.Thiswillstopthetank.FireatthewheelswithHEshells.Also,whenattackinga tank,useATgrenadesandmines.Ifmovableminesareused,attachthreeorfourofthemtoaboardanddrawtheboard,bymeansofacordorcable,intothepathofanadvancingtank.

“Thereare twoarmourplatesoneachsideof the tank.The lowerplate ispartlycoveredby thewheels.Thisplateprotectstheengineandthegasolinetankswhicharelocatedintherearofthehull,directlybeyondandoverthetworearwheels.

“Fireatthelowerplateswitharmour-piercingshellsfrom76-,57-and45mmguns.Whenthegasolinetanksarehit,thevehiclewillbesetonfire.Anothermethodofstartingafirewithin the tank is topierce theupperplateson thesidesofthetank,thusreachingtheammunitioncompartmentsandcausinganexplosion.

“Thereararmourplateprotectstheengineaswellasgivingadditionalprotectiontothegasolinetanks.ShellsfromATguns,penetratingthisarmour,willdisablethetank.

“Theturrethastwovisionportsandtwoopeningsthroughwhichthetank’screwfiretheirweapons.Thecommander’ssmallturrethasfiveobservationslits.Therearetwosightingdevicesontheroofofthefrontofthetank,oneforthedriver,theotherforthegunner.Also,inthefrontofthetankthereisaportwithaslidingcover.

“The turret is a particularly important and vulnerable target. Attack it with HE and armour-piercing shells of allcalibres.Whenitisdamaged,useATgrenadesandincendiarybottles(Molotovcocktails).

“Thereisa10mmslitallaroundthebaseoftheturret.ATgunandheavymachine-gunfire,effectivelydirectedatthisslit,willpreventtheturretfromrevolvingandthusseriouslyimpairthetank’sfieldoffire.Furthermore,hitsbyHEshellatthebaseoftheturretmaywrecktheroofofthehullandputthetankoutofaction.

“The tank’s air vents and ventilators are under the perforations in the roof of the hull, directly behind the turret.Anotherairventisinthefrontpartoftheroof,betweenthetwoobservationportsusedbytheradiooperatorandthedriver.UseATgrenadesandincendiarybottlesagainstthesevents.

“Explodeantitankminesunderthetanktosmashthefloorandputthetankoutofaction.”

ATigerIcamouflagedinastaticdefensiveposition.

-Chapter19-

TigerAcesThe Tiger is particularly associated with SS-Hauptsturmführer Michael Wittmann ofschwereSS-Panzerabteilung101.Heworkedhiswayup, commandingvariousvehiclesandfinallyaTigerI.IntheBattleofVillers-Bocage,hisplatoondestroyedovertwodozenAlliedvehicles,includingseveraltanks.

AstonishinglygivenhisenduringreputationWittmannwasnotthehighestscoringtankcommander. Over ten Tiger tank commanders claimed over 100 vehicle kills each,including Kurt Knispel with 168, Walter Schroif with 161, Otto Carius with 150+,JohannesBölterwith139+,andMichaelWittmannwith138.

TigertankaceMichaelWittmann.Despiteallofthereports,itcomesasasurprisetomanytodiscoverthatthehighestscoringTigerIacewasactuallyKurtKnispelwhosurvivedthewarwith168tankkillstohiscredit.

TheTiger Ihasbeenestimated tohaveanoverall ratioof5.74kills toeach loss,with9,850 enemy tanksdestroyed for a loss of 1,715Tigers. It is important to note that thenumberofTigerIslostishigherthanthoseproduced(1,347),astheWehrmachtincludedtanks thathadundergoneheavyrepairandbroughtbackintocombat in the totalofnewmachines.

ThefollowingchartdemonstratestheestimatedTigerIkillstolossesratio:

ATigerIengagesinactionduringthebattleofKursk.

-Chapter20-

Tigerphobia

ThisimpactfulstudyofaTigerIonthemovecreatesastrongimpressionofthepoweroftheTigerI.Facedwiththeprospectofengagingwithafastmovingandstronglyequippedmonstersuchasthisitiseasytounderstandhowthe

Tigerphobiaconditiongrewandspread.

TheTigers forged an impressive combat record inRussia during 1943 and 1944. Theydestroyedtremendousamountsofenemyequipmentespeciallyanti-tankguns.EventuallyitwasheldthatoftenthemeresightofaTigerwasenoughtocauseRussiantankcrewstowithdrawfromthebattlefield.TheTigerenjoyedasimilarpsychologicalsuccessinNorthAfricaandItaly,creatingapowerfulnegativeeffectonthemoraleofbothBritishandUStroops. The mere rumour that the troops were up against Tigers was often enough tospreadpanic.

PanzercrewmeninspectthecombatdamageinflictedbyenemyroundswhichhavejustfailedtopiercethestrongsidearmouroftheTiger.

ThedebilitatinginfluenceoftheTigeronalliedmoralewassowidespreadtheconditionwasgivenitsownnameandwaswidelyknownasTigerphobia.ThegripwhichtheTigerheld on the popular imaginations of allied soldiers was so severe that British FieldMarshallMontgomery banned all reports of the Tigerwhichmade any reference to itsprowessinbattle.ThereweretimeswhenevenMontycouldn’tprevailoverthecoldfacts.In the right hands the Tiger was a ferociously weapon system. The Tiger’s greatestmomentoffamewasonesuchmoment.MichaelWittmanngainedlastingnotorietywithhisamazingexploitsinasingleactionon13thJune1944inNormandywherethefamouscommander destroyed an entire column of 25 tanks, 14 half-tracks and 14 bren-guncarriersinafewshortminuteswithoneTigerIhandledwithdeadlyefficiency.

ThispressphotodoesagreatjobofconveyingthestrengthofthefrontalarmourofaTigerIwhich,althoughnotefficientlysloped,wasstrongandrobustenoughtodealwiththedirecthitfromalargecalibreshell,theevidenceof

whichcanbeseenonthefrontmantlettotherightofthefigureinthehelmet.


NOTESONTIGERTANKSINTHEBATTLEFORFLORENCE

Afieldconferenceinthesummerof1943,thehalfheartedcamouflageandrelaxedattitudesuggestthatsovietaircoverwasnotpercievdtobeathreatbythesetankmen.

Asarule, theTigerswerewellsitedandwellcamouflagedwithnaturalfoliage.TodelaytheNewZealandinfantryand to pick off tanks, theTigerswere used in hull-downpositions.Another enemymethodwas to sendTigers bycoveredroutestopreviouslyselectedpositions.FromthesepositionstheGermanswouldfireafewharassingrounds,withdraw,andmovetoalternatepositions.TigersalsowereusedtoprovideclosesupportforGermaninfantry,tolendadditional fire power to artillery concentrations, and to engage buildings occupied by the New Zealanders. Thesetroops noted that almost invariably a Tiger would be sitedwith at least one other tank or a self-propelled gun insupport. The supporting tank or gunwould remain silent unless its firewas absolutely needed. Sometimes aTigerwouldbeaccompaniedbyinfantrymen-oftenonly6to12ofthem-deployedontheflanksasfaras50yardsawayfromthetank.

TheNewZealanderswereoftheopinionthattheTiger’sheavyfrontandreararmourmadeitunlikelythatthetankwouldbeknockedoutbyhitsontheseparts.Simultaneousfrontalandflankattackswereconsidereddesirable.TheNewZealandersfoundtheTigers’sidearmourdefinitelyvulnerabletofirefrom17-pounders.Otherweakspots,itwasreported,weretherearofthetank,justovertheengines,andthelargeexhausthole,alsointherearandjustovertheleftofcentre.Somecommandersfoundhighexplosivesthemosteffectiveammunitionagainsttheserearparts.

Asarule,theTigerswereplacedinpositionsoskillfullythattheNewZealandersfounditdifficulttoemployasnipinganti-tankgunoratowedgunforstalkingpurposes.Unlessverycarefulreconnaissancewascarriedouttositetheguntothebestadvantage,andsoastodetectGermansupportingtanksorself-propelledguns,theeffortwaslikelytobefruitless.For this reason, theNewZealandersconcluded thatmaximumtime for reconnaissance,and themaximumamountofinformation,wereessentialforabatterycommanderwhowascalledupontoengageaTiger.TheGermantank-and-guncombinationseemedtobeslowatmanoeuvringandfiring,andalsoverysusceptibletoblindingbyU.S.75mmsmokeammunition.Ononeoccasion,twosmokerounds,followedbyarmour-piercingprojectiles,wereenoughtoforceaTigertowithdraw.

Sometimes the Germans used their Tigers with marked recklessness, the crews taking risks to an extent whichindicatedtheirextremeconfidenceintheirvehicles.ThisrenderedthelattervulnerabletoNewZealandtank-hunting

squadsarmedwithclose-rangeantitankweapons.WhenTigerswerecloseddown,andwereattackingontheirownatsome distance from their supporting guns, the tanks’ vulnerability to those close-range weapons was increasedcorrespondingly.

Tigerswereeffectivelyknockedout,orwereforcedtowithdraw,byconcentrationsoffieldartillery.ItwasclearthatGermantankcrewsfearedthedamagingeffectofshellfireagainstsuchvitalpartsastracks,suspension,bogiewheels,radioaerials,electricalequipment,andsoon.TheNewZealanders incorporatedmediumartilleryinseveralof theirartilleryconcentrations,anddecidedthatmediumpiecesweresuitablewhenasufficientlylargeconcentrationcouldbebrought to bear. However, owing to a dispersion of rounds, it was considered preferable to include a goodconcentrationoffieldguns,to“thickenup”thefire.ThedivisioninquestionhadnoexperienceinusingheavyartilleryagainstTigers.

Itwas admittedly difficult to locate stationary,well camouflagedTigerswhich had been sited for defensive firing.Worthmentioning,however, is theperformanceofanartilleryobservationpost,whichwasnotifiedbyAllied tanksthataTigerwasbelievedtobeinacertainarea.Theobservationpostbegantorange.Aroundfallinginthevicinityofthesuspectedtankblastedawaythevehicle’scamouflage,andtheTigerpromptlyretreated.

SeveraloftheNewZealandantitankgunners’experiencesincombatingTigerswillbeofspecialinterest:

(1)ATigerwasobservedabout3,000yardsaway,engagingthreeShermans.WhenitsetoneoftheShermansafire,theothertwowithdrewoveracrest.A17-pounderwasbroughtuptowithin2,400yardsoftheTiger,andengageditfromaflank.WhentheTigerrealizedthatitwasbeingengagedbyahigh-velocitygun,itswungaround90degreessothatitsheavyfrontalarmourwastowardthegun.Intheensuingduel,oneroundhittheturret,anotherroundhitthesuspension,andtwonear-shortroundsprobablyricochetedintothetank.Thetankwasnotputoutofaction.Therangewastoogreattoexpectakill;hencetheNewZealanders’tacticsweretomaketheTigerexposeitsflanktotheShermansata rangeofalmost500yards,byswingingaroundonto theantitankgun.TheTigerdid just this,and,whenitwasengagedbytheShermans,itwithdrew.Theenemyinfantryprotectionofhalfadozentoadozenmenwasengagedbymachineguns.

(2) At the junction of a main road and a side road, a Tiger was just off the road, engaging forward troops inbuildings.AnotherTiger,about50yardsupthesideroad,wassupportingthefirst.Afield-artilleryconcentrationwascalledfor.Itappearedtocomefromonebatteryonly.Althoughnohitswereobserved,bothTigerswithdrew.

(3)ATigerona ridgewasengagedbywhatappeared tobeabatteryofmediums.After the first fewroundshadfallen,thecrewbailedout.(Itisnotknownwhy.)Shortlyafterward,whilethetankstillwasbeingshelled,aGermansoldierreturnedtothetankanddroveitoff.About10minuteslater,theremainderofthecrewmadeadashalongthesameroutetheirtankhadtaken.

(4)Atankhiddeninthegarageofatwo-storyhouseventuredoutforabout20yards,firedafewharassingrounds,andreturnedtoitsshelter.Manyhitsonthebuildingwerescoredby4.2-inchmortarsfiringcap-on,butlittledamagewasvisible.Eachnightthetankwaswithdrawnfromthearea,eventhoughitwasinanexcellentconcealedpositionandwasprotectedbyinfantry.Laterthehousewasexamined.Althoughithadsufferedappreciabledamage—andtherewereseveraldeadGermansabouttherewasnoevidencethatdamagehadbeendonetothetankitself.

AtankmaninspectsthecombatdamageinflictedbyenemyroundswhichhavefailedtopiercethestrongsidearmouroftheTigertankturret.

-Chapter21-

InsidetheTiger

ThisphotographfromacontemporaryBritishreportshowsthedrivingpositionoftheTigerI.

TheinternallayoutwastypicalofGermantanks.Forwardwasanopencrewcompartment,withthedriverandradio-operatorseatedatthefrontoneithersideofthegearbox.Behindthemthe turret floorwassurroundedbypanelsformingacontinuous levelsurface.Thishelpedtheloadertoretrievetheammunition,whichwasmostlystowedabovethetracks.Twomenwereseatedintheturret;thegunnertotheleftofthegun,andthecommanderbehindhim.Therewasalsoafoldingseatontherightfortheloader.Theturrethadafullcircularfloorand157cmheadroom.

ThecrewsoftheTigertankgainedafeelingofinvincibilityandthismoodofsuperiorityon behalf of the German tank crews survived defeat and captivity as revealed by theinterrogationofanveteranGermantankgunnerwhohadservedinTheAfrikaKorpsandinItalyandthereforecouldboastpracticalexperienceofboththeTigerandcapturedalliedShermantanks.


THETIGERvsTHESHERMANThegunlayer-anexperiencedtankman-wasinclinedtobeveryboastfulwhereGermantankswereconcerned.Hehad landed inAfrica inMay1941andstayed in thedesert fornearly twoyears(nohomeleaveandonly therarestvisitstotowns).HismemoriesofthecampaignarechieflyarecordofthenumbersofBritishAFVsknockedoutby

theinvincibleMkIIIsandIVs,tingedwithareluctantadmissionthatthesametankswerematchedinOctober43atAlameinbyGeneralGrantsandGeneralShermans.HewascriticalofthefactthattheemploymentoftheseAFVshadnotbeenappreciatedbytheGermansandthat the launchingof theBritishpushcameasasurprise to thearmouredDivs.

Hisconfidencehasbeen fully restored sincehe transferred toTigerTanks.Oneveryoccasionhe stresses thegreatfeelingofsecuritywhichacrewhasinsideanAFVwithsucharmour.Crewsfeelverycertainoftheirabilitytoengageanddestroyanytarget.Heclaimsthatheonceranintofirefromtheflankfromseven17pdrA/Tkgunsatcloserangeand,havingturnedthehullofhistanksothatathreequarterviewwaspresentedtothefire;proceededtodestroyfiveoutofsevenA/TkgunswithHErounds.Severalhitswereregisteredonthefrontalarmouroftheflakingfromshellsplinters.

TheonlysituationinwhichhefeltuncomfortablewastoreceiveA/Tkgunfirefromtheflankand,havingengagedthegunafterhavingturnedhisAFVintotheoptimumposition, toreceivefireatrightanglesfromanundetectedA/Tkpositioninhisrear.Hisreactionwouldthenbetoswinghisturretasfastaspossibleandengagethemoredangerousofthetwotargets.

TheonlytimewhenaGeneralShermanstandsachanceofknockingoutaTiger(inhisopinion)iswhenitcanclosetoless than800metres.Hehasobserved that, evengrantedgreat superiority innumbers,Sherman tankcrewsdonotventurewillinglytoclosein,evenonsidesawayfromtheprincipalpreoccupationoftheTiger’sfire.Heclaimsthat3Sqnhasaccountedfor63Shermanssincearrivalinthistheatre,17ofwhichfalltohisaccount.

ThegeneralopinionoftheShermanforitsclasswashigh.PWwasinstrumentalincapturingtwoonthebeachhead(onewitharadialengineandonewithtwinDieselengines)andtheBnhadampletimetoacquaintitselfwiththeseAFVs before removing the turrets and passing them back to 4 (workshops) Sqn for use as recovery vehicles, lessturrets.HisbiggestcriticismoftheShermanisofthevisibilityaffordedtothecommanderwhenhishatchiscloseddown.Heregardedtheperiscopeasextremelypoor.

FromTigerfibel

-Chapter22-

“Yank”MagazineTheContemporaryViewNo.21 is an articleon enemyvehicles tested at theAberdeenOrdnanceResearchCentre from the January 21st, 1944 issue ofYank.The cover is animage ofGermanTiger I tank from the 1.Ko. of s.Pz.Abt. 504whichwas captured byAlliedforcesinTunisia.

TheUSArmydidlittletoprepareforcombatagainsttheTigerdespitetheirassessmentthatthenewly-encounteredGermantankwassuperiortotheirown.ThisconclusionwaspartlybasedonthecorrectestimatethattheTigerwouldbeencounteredinrelativelysmallnumbers.Laterinthewar,theTigercouldbepenetratedatshortrangebytanksandtankdestroyersequippedwiththe76mmgunM1whenfiringHVAProunds,andatlongrangewith theM2/M390mmAA/ATgun firingHVAP,and theM36 tankdestroyerandM26Pershingbytheendofthewar.

ATigerIladenwithgrenadiersmovesuptowardsthefrontduringJanuary1944.


ENEMYVEHICLESFROM‘YANK’AtAberdeen’sOrdnanceResearchCentre, inquisitiveexpertsfindswhatmakesanAxisvehicle tick,and their testsproducefactsworthremembering.

BySgt.MACKMORRISSandSgt.RALPHSTEIN,YANKStaffCorrespondents

ABERDEEN,MD.

ThisextractistakenfromYankmagazine

ThefirstthingyoulearnattheForeignMaterialoutfithereisnever,ever,tocallaNazitanka“MarkSix”ora“MarkFour.”ThecorrectdesignationisPz.Kw.VIorPz.Kw.IV.“Mark”isaBritishwayofsayingmodel,whereasPz.Kw.meanswhatitsays:PanzerKampfwagen,orarmouredbattlewagon.

Formorethanayearcapturedenemyvehicleshavebeenarrivingherefromeverybattlefrontonearth.Thefirstwasahalf-trackprimemoverthatcameinsectionsandrequiredthreemonthsoftrial-and-errortinkeringtobecompletelyreconstructed.Missingparts,whichwererequisitionedfromNorthAfrica,neverarrived;mechanicsintheBaseShopsectionmadetheirown.

Theworstheadache for repair crewshere is thedifference inmeasurement causedby theEuropeanmetric system.Nothingmanufactured in theU.S.will fitanything inaNazimachineunless it ismade to fit. In reconstructing thecapturedstuff,ithassometimesbeennecessarytocombinethesalvagedpartsoftwoorthreevehiclesinordertoputone in runningorder.Themechanicshavemade theirownpistonsor recut foreignpistons to takeAmericanpistonrings;they’vecutnewgears;they’vehadtoretapholessothatAmericanscrewswillfitthem.

ChangingthehugefrontsprocketontheTigerIwasaregularjobasthesprocketitselfwassettoolowtothegroundwithoutmuchclearanceandasaresultwasfrequentlydamagedbyobstacles.

Speciallyassignedrecoverycrews,ordnancementrainedtoknowandworkwithenemymaterial,roamthebattlefieldsof theworld to collect the captured rolling stock,which is being accumulated here. It arriveswith the dust of itsrespectivetheatrestillonit,plusthenamesandaddressesofGIswhoscratch“Bizerte”or“Attu”or“BunaMission”inbiglettersonthepaint.

Generallyspeaking,ordnanceexpertsherehavefoundGermanstuffexceptionallywellmadeinitsvitalmechanisms,whereasthelessessentialpartsarecomparativelycheap.ThemotorofaNazipersonnelcarrier,forexample,isawell-builtaffair,whilethebodyofthevehicleislittlemorethanscraptin.JapanesepiecesofequipmentforthemostpartarecheapimitationsofAmericanorBritishcounterparts.

TigerstraininginperfectconditionsinNormandyduringMay1944.

Theengineers,whojudgebythemassofdetailemployedinallGerman-builtmachines,areconvincedthattheNaziideahasbeentosacrificespeedforover-allperformanceandmanoeuvrability.TheGermanequipment,fromthesleekmotorcycletothemassivePz.Kw.VI,isrugged.

ThefamousTigeristhelargestandheaviestGermantank.Weighing611/2tons,itispropelledataspeedoffrom15to18milesanhourbya600-to-650horsepowerMaybachV-12cylinderengine.MaybachenginesareusedinmanyoftheNaziPanzerwagonenandinsubmarines.ThePz.Kw.VIhasanarmourthicknesswhichrangesfrom31/4to4inches.Anadditionalslabofsteelmountedinconjunctionwithits88mmformsfrontalarmourfortheturret.Besidesthe long-barreled88, it carries twoMG34(Model1934)machineguns.Largest tankused incombatbyanynationtoday,theTigerismorethan20feetlong,about113/4feetwideand93/4feethigh.Ithasacrewoffive.

ThereconnaissanceelementofaTigercompanyhadanequallydifficultanddangerousjob.ThisevocativestudywastakeninRussiaduringMarch1944.

-Chapter23-

TigerITanksinSicily

ATigerrollsthroughaSiciliantowninJuly1943.ThesemachineshadbeendestinedtoservewiththeAfrikaKorpsbutarrivedtoolatetotakepartinthecampaign.Allbutoneofthe17TigersdeployedinSicilywerelostinaction.

In total 17Tiger I tanks from schwere PanzerAbteilung 504 (s.Pz.Abt. 504) fought inSicily in1943against theAllied invasionforces.Allbutonewere lost incombat in theperiodfromJuly11thtoAugust10th1943whentheGermanforceswerefinallyforcedtowithdraw.

Whenthefirstelementsofs.Pz.Abt.504with20TigerIweresenttoNorthAfrica,the2nd Kompanie remained behind in Sicily with nine Tiger I tanks. As a result of thesurrenderofGermanforcesinNorthAfrica,thenineTigersofs.Pz.Abt.504wereneveractuallyshippedtoTunisia,butstayedbehindonSicilywheretheyweresooncalledintoaction to repel the Allied assault which took place in July 1943. Prior to the AlliedinvasioneightadditionalTigerIwereshippedtotheunitarrivingearlyinthesummer.BythetimeoftheAlliedinvasionofSicily,s.Pz.Abt.504with17TigerIwasattachedtothePanzerDivisionHermannGöring.

DuringtheillfatedattackontheAlliedbeachheadnearGela,s.Pz.Abt.504washeavilyengagedandlosttenTigersinjusttwodaysoffiercefightingbetween11thJulyand12thJuly.FurtherTigerswerelostinactionorabandonedduringJulyandAugustasGermanforces slowly retreated across the island. In August, the unit’s last surviving Tiger Ibearing the tactical number 222 from managed to escape from the wreckage and wasferriedacrosstheStraitsofMessinatoItaly.

Thispagefromthedriver’ssectioninTigerfibelemphasizestheneedforteamwork.

The followingContemporaryViewNo.22 is an article onGerman tank trends,Panzertactics, and how to fight the German heavy tanks from the October 1944 issue of theIntelligenceBulletin.ThearticleincludessuggestionsfromtheSovietArtilleryJournaloncombatingtheTigertank.


GERMANTANKTRENDSJust what can be expected fromGerman tanks in the near future?Whichmodels aremost likely to be employedextensively?Arepresentmodelsundergoingmuchalteration?

A brief summary of the German tank situation at the moment should serve to answer these and other pertinentquestions.

ThereisgoodreasontobelievethattheGermantankswhichwillbeencounteredmostfrequentlyinthenearfuturewillbethePz.Kpfw.V(Panther),thePz.Kpfw.VI(Tiger),andthePz.Kpfw.IV.However,theGermanshaveanew88mm(3.46-inch) tankgun, theKw.K.43,whichiscapableofanarmour-piercingperformancegreatlysuperior tothatof the88mmKw.K.36.Accordingtoreliable information, theKw.K.43issupersedingtheKw.K.36as themainarmamentoftheTiger.Anewheavytank,whichhasbeenencounteredonasmallscaleinnorthwesternFrance,alsoisarmedwiththeKw.K.43.Thisnewtanklookslikeascaled-upPanther,withthewideTigertracks.(FurtherinformationregardingthistankwillappearinanearlyissueoftheIntelligenceBulletin.)

DuringrecentmonthsboththeTigerandthePantherhavebeenfittedwithaslightlymorepowerful690-horsepower

engineinplaceofthe642-horsepowermodel.Theprincipalbenefitfromthisslightincreasewillbeabettermarginofpowerandimprovedenginelife.Themaximumspeedwillbeincreasedbynomorethan2or3milesperhour.

Face-hardenedarmour,whichwasnotusedon theearlyTiger tanks,has reappeared incertainplateofat leastonePanther.OnotherPantherswhichhavebeenencountered,onlymachine-qualityarmourisused.Thereisnoreasontobelieve that face-hardening would substantially improve the armour’s resistance to penetration by the cappedprojectilesnowinuseagainstit.

OfficersplanthenextmoveduringafieldconferenceinNormandy,June1944.

ItwouldnothavebeensurprisingifthePz.Kpfw.IVhadslowlydisappearedfromthepictureasincreasedquantitiesof Panther tanks became available, but actually therewas a sharp rise in the rate of production of Pz.Kpfw. IV’sduring1943.Moreover,the,frontarmourofthePz.Kpfw.IVhasbeenreinforcedfrom50mm(1.97inches)to80mm(3.15inches)bytheboltingofadditionalarmourtothenoseandfrontverticalplates.Andthe75mm(2.95-inch)tankgun,Kw.K.40,hasbeenlengthenedbyabout143/4inches.

All these developments seem to indicate that the Pz.Kpfw. IV probablywill be kept in service formanymonths.Recent organization evidence reflects this, certainly. In the autumn of 1943, evidence regarding provisionalorganization for the German tank regiment in the armoured division indicated that the aim was a ratio ofapproximatelyfourPanthertanksforeachPz.Kpfw.IV.Now,however,thestandardtankregimenthasthesetwotypesinapproximatelyequalnumbers.

Thepossibility thatTigerproductionmayhavebeendiscontinuedhasbeenconsidered.Althoughdiscontinuing theTigerwouldrelievethepressureonGermanindustry,itisbelievedthatasufficientnumberofthesetankstomeettheneedsofunitsequippedwiththemstillisbeingproduced.

TigertanksconstituteanintegralpartofdivisiontankregimentsonlyinSSarmoureddivisions.However,armoureddivisionsofanarmymayreceiveanallotmentofTigersforspecialoperations.

Earlyin1944anumberofPz.Kpfw.III’sconvertedintoflame-throwingtanksappearedinItaly.Nevertheless, it isbelievedthatproductionofthistankceasedsometimeago.SomeofthefirmswhichinthepastproducedPz.Kpfw.III’s now are making assault guns; others are believed to be turning out Panthers. It is extremely unlikely thatproductionofPz.Kpfw.III’sasfightingtankswilleverberesumed,nomatterhowserioustheGermantanksituationmaybecome.

Inanefforttocombatattacksbytankhunters,theGermanshavefittedtheTigerwithS-minedischargers,whicharefiredelectricallyfromtheinteriorofthetank.Thesedischargersaremountedontheturret,andaredesignedtoprojectashrapnelantipersonnelminewhichburstsintheairafewyardsawayfromthetank.ThusfarthesedischargershavebeennotedonlyontheTiger,buttheGermansquitepossiblymaydecidetousethemonstillothertanks.

TheGermans take additional precautions, as well. For protection against hollow-charge projectiles and the Sovietantitankrifle’sarmour-piercingbulletwithatungstencarbidecore,theyfitaskirtingofmildsteelplates,about1/4-inchthick,onthesidesofthehull.InthecaseofthePz.Kpfw.IV,theskirtingissuitablyspacedfromthesidesandalsofromtherearoftheturret.Finally,theskirtingplates,aswellasthehullsandturretsofthetanksthemselves,are,coatedwithasufficientthicknessofnon-magneticplastertopreventmagneticdemolitionchargesfromadheringtothemetalunderneath.

Despite the recent introduction of the newheavy tankwhich resembles thePanther andmounts aKw.K. 43, it isbelieved that circumstanceswill force theGermans to concentrate on themanufacture and improvement of currenttypes,particularlythePz.Kpfw.IVandthefamiliarversionofthePanther.

Evidence suggests that a modified Pz. Kpfw. II will shortly appear as a reconnaissance vehicle. Official Germandocumentssometimesrefertoitasanarmouredcarandsometimesasatank.

-Chapter24-

ArmourandArmament

ATigerIrollsthroughtheopencountrysideinNormandyinJune1944.Thetankisobviouslysomedistancefromthecombatzoneasthecrewhavenottakenanyformofanti-aircraftprecautions.

TheoverwhelmingadvantageoftheTigerIlayinthequalityofitsmainarmament.Froma30degreeangledependingonthewindandweatherconditions theTiger’s88mmgunwascapableofpenetratingthewellslopedfrontglacisplateofanAmericanM4Shermanat ranges up to 2,100m (1.3 miles). The better armoured British Churchill IV becamevulnerable at a closer range of 1,700m (1.1 mile), the hardy Soviet T-34 could bedestroyedat1,400m (0.87mile), and theSoviet IS-2couldonlybedestroyedat rangesbetween100and300m.

TheSovietT-34equippedwiththe76.2mmguncouldnotpenetratetheTigerfrontallyatanyrange,butcouldachieveasidepenetrationatapproximately500mfiringBR-350PAPCRammunition.TheT34-85’s85mmguncouldpenetratethefrontofaTigerbetween200 and 500 m (0.12 and 0.31 mi), the IS-2’s 122mm gun could penetrate the frontbetween500and1,500m(0.31and0.93mi).

Froma30degreeangleofattack,theM4Sherman’s75mmguncouldnotpenetratetheTiger frontally at any range, and actually needed to bewithin 100m to achieve a sidepenetration shot against the 80mm upper hull superstructure. However, the British 17-pounder as used on the Sherman Firefly, firing its normal APCBC ammunition, couldpenetrate thefrontarmourof theTigerIout to1000m.TheUS76mmgun, if firingtheAPCBCM62ammunition,couldpenetratetheTigersidearmouruptoarangeof500m,

and could penetrate the upper hull superstructure at ranges up to 200m. Using HVAPammunition,whichwasinconstantshortsupplyandprimarilyissuedtotankdestroyers,frontalpenetrationswerepossibleatrangesofupto500m.TheM390mmcannonusedinthelate-warM36Jackson,M26Pershing,andM2AA/ATmountcouldpenetrateitsfrontplateatarangeof1000m,andfrombeyond2000mwhenusingHVAP.

Asrangedecreases incombat,allgunscanpenetratemorearmour.HEATammunitionwas themost effective roundbut thisprojectilewas rare and in short supply.ThegreatpenetratingpoweroftheTiger’sgunmeantthatitcoulddestroymanyofitsopponentsatranges atwhich they could not respond. The issuewhichwas compounding theAlliedtankcrew’sproblemwasthesuperiorityofGermanoptics.Thisadvantageincreasedthechancesofahitonthefirstshotandintanktotankbattlesoneshotwasfrequentlyallthatmattered.Inopenterrain,thiswasamajortacticaladvantageasopposingtankswereoftenforcedtochangepositioninordertomakeaflankingattackinanattempttoknockoutaTiger.

ATigerwhichhasreceivedacoatingofanti-magneticZimmermitcoatingdesignedtopreventtheapplicationofmagneticminesbytankhuntingteams.


GERMANTANKSINACTIONAGermanprisonerobservesthatthefollowingarestandardtrainingprinciplesintheGermantankarm:

(1)Surprise.

(2)Promptdecisionsandpromptexecutionofthesedecisions.

(3)Thefullestpossibleexploitationoftheterrainforfiring.However,fieldsoffirecomebeforecover.

(4)Donotfirewhilemovingexceptwhenabsolutelyessential.

(5)Facetheattackerhead-on;donotofferabroadsidetarget.

(6)Whenattackedbyhostiletanks,concentratesolelyonthese.

(7) If surprisedwithouthopeof favourabledefence, scatter and reassemble in favourable terrain.Try todraw theattackerintoapositionwhichwillgiveyoutheadvantage.

(8) If smoke is tobeused,keepwinddirection inmind.Agoodprocedure is to leavea few tanks inpositionasdecoys,and,whenthehostileforceisapproachingthem,todirectasmokescreentowardthehostileforceandblindit.

(9)Ifhostiletanksaresighted,Germantanksshouldhaltandpreparetoengagethembysurprise,holdingfireaslongaspossible.Thereactionofthehostileforcemustbeestimatedbeforetheattackislaunched.

AGermanArmydocumententitled“HowtheTigerCanAidtheInfantry”containsanumberofinterestingpoints.Thefollowingareoutstanding:

(1)Thetankexpertmusthaveachancetosubmithisopinionbeforeanycombinedtank-infantryattack.

(2)Ifthegroundwillsupportamanstandingononelegandcarryinganothermanonhisshoulders,itwillsupportatank.

(3)Whenmudisverydeep,corduroyroadsmustbebuiltaheadoftime.Sincethisrequiresmanpower,material,andtime,theworkshouldbeundertakenonlynearthepointwherethemaineffortistobemade.

(4)Tanksmustbedeployedtoconducttheirfirefight.

(5)TheTiger,builttofighttanksandantitankguns,mustfunctionasoffensiveweapon,eveninthedefence.Thisisitsbestmeansofdefenceagainsthostiletanks.Giveitachancetouseitsuniquecapabilitiesforfireandmovement.

(6)TheTigermustkeepmoving.Atthehaltitisaneasytarget.

(7)TheTigermustnotbeusedsingly. (Obviously, thisdoesnotapply to theTigerusedas rovingartillery in thedefence.OnnumerousoccasionstheGermanshavebeenusingsingleTigersforthispurpose.)Themoremassyoucanassemble,thegreateryoursuccesswillbe.ProtectyourTigerswithinfantry.

AsectionofTiger’sdeployingforcombatoperationsinRussiaduringJanuary1943.Thevehicleontheleftstillhasthecoveronthemuzzlebreakwhichsuggeststhistankisnotanticipatingbeingforcedintocombat.

-Chapter25-

TheTwoExtremesTheTigerIenjoyedsomespectacular triumphson thebattlefield,but italsoendured itsfairshareofignominioussetbacks.ThesetwocontrastingcombatreportsdemonstratethetwoextremesoftheTigerIexperience.

On 21st April 1943, a Tiger I of the 504th German heavy tank battalion, with turretnumber 131, was captured after being knocked out on a hill called Djebel Djaffa inTunisia.AroundfromaChurchill tankof theBritish48thRoyalTankRegimenthit theTiger’sgunbarrelandricochetedintoitsturretring.Theroundjammedtheturrettraversemechanism andwounded the commander.Although the vehiclewas still in a driveableconditionthecrewflewintoapanicandbailedout.ThecompletetankwascapturedbytheBritish.ThetankwasrepairedanddisplayedinTunisiabeforebeingsenttoEnglandforathoroughinspection.

IncompletecontrasttothedismalperformanceofTiger131theTigerIcommandedbyFranzStaudeggerenjoyedanamazingstringofsuccesses.On7thJuly1943, thissingleTiger tank commanded bySS-Oberscharführer FranzStaudegger from the 2ndPlatoon,13thPanzerCompany,1stSSDivisionLeibstandarteSSAdolfHitlerengagedagroupofabout 50 T-34s around Psyolknee in the southern sector of the German thrust into theSoviet salient known as the Battle of Kursk. Staudegger used all his ammunition andclaimedthedestructionof22Soviettanks,forcingtheresttoretreat.ForthisamazingfeatofarmshewasunderstandablyawardedtheKnight’sCross.

TheTigerfibelemphasizedthesmoothrideoftheTigerIcomparingittoasportscar.


HOWTOFIGHTPANZERS:AGERMANVIEWAn anti-Nazi prisoner of war, discussing the various methods of combating German tanks, makes some usefulcomments.Althoughtheyareneithernewnorstartling,theyarewellworthstudyingsincetheyareobservationsmadebyatankmanwhofoughttheUnitedNationsforcesinItaly.

German tanks undoubtedly are formidable weapons against a soft-shelled opposition, but become a less difficultpropositionwhenconfrontedwith resolutioncombinedwithaknowledgenotonlyof theirpotentialitiesbutalsooftheirweaknesses.

WhendealingwithGermanheavytanks,yourmosteffectiveweaponisyourabilitytokeepstillandwaitforthemtocomewithin effective range.The nextmost important thing is to camouflage your positionwith the best availableresourcessothattheGermantankswon’tspotyoufromanyangle.

If these two factors are constantly kept inmind, the battle is halfwon.Movement of anykind is amistakewhichcertainlywillbetrayyou,yetIsawmanyinstancesofthisself-betrayalbytheBritishinItaly.Allowtheenemytanktoapproachascloseaspossiblebeforeengagingit—thisisoneofthefundamentalsecretsofantitanksuccess.InItalyI

oftenfeltthattheBritishopenedfireontanksmuchtoosoon.Theiraimwasgood,buttherangesweretoogreat,andthe rounds failed topenetrate.Myowncase isagood illustration: if theoppositionhadheld its fire foronlya fewmomentslonger,Ishouldnotbealivetotellthistale.

By letting theGerman tankapproachas close aspossible,yougain abig advantage.When it is on themove, it isboundtobetrayitspresencefromafar.Whereasyouyourselfcanpreparetofireonitwithoutgivingyourownpositionaway.Thetankwillspotyouonlyafteryouhavefiredyourfirstround.

Atankinmotioncannotfireeffectivelywithitscannon;thegunnercanplacefireaccuratelyonlywhenthevehicleisstationary.Therefore, thereisnoneedtobeundulynervousbecauseanapproachingtankswivelsits turret thiswayandthat.Everytankcommanderwilldothisinanattempttoupsethisopponents’tankrecognition.Ifthetankfiresnothingbutitsmachineguns,youcanbeprettysurethatyouhavenotyetbeenspotted.

Considertheadvantagesoffiringonatankatcloserange:

(1) Inmost cases the leading tank is a reconnaissancevehicle.Survivorsof thecrew,when sucha shortdistanceawayfromyou,havelittlechanceofescape.Thisisabigadvantage,inasmuchastheycannotrejointheiroutfitanddescribethelocationofyourpositiontothemainbody.

(2)Anothertankfollowingitsleaderonaroadcannotrunyoudown.Inordertobypasstheleadingtank,ithastoslow down. Then, long before the gunner can place fire on you, you can destroy the tank and block the roadeffectively.Earlierinthewar,aGermantankmanIknewdestroyed11hostiletanksinonedaybyusingthismethod.

TwoTigerspicturedjustbeforetheyweretogointocombatatVillersBocageinJune1944.

-Chapter26-

TheBritishResponseIncontrasttothelaissez-faireattitudeoftheAmericans,whocorrectlyassumedthattherewouldneverbeenoughTigersinthefieldtopresentapotentthreat,themoreexperiencedBritish had observed the gradual increase inGermanAFV armour and firepower since1940 andhad anticipated theneed formorepowerful anti-tankguns.As a result of thelessons learned inFranceworkon theOrdnanceQF17pounderhadbegunin late1940and in1942100early-productiongunswere rushed toNorthAfrica tohelpcounter thenewTiger threat.Sogreatwas thehaste that theyweresentbeforepropercarriageshadbeendesignedandconstructed,andthegunshadtobemountedinthecarriagesdesignedfor25-pounderhowitzers.

Hasty efforts were also made to get Cruiser tanks armed with 17 pounder guns intooperationassoonaspossible.TheA30Challengerwasalreadyattheprototypestagein1942andwaspressedintoservice,butthistankwaspoorlyprotected,havingafronthullthicknessofonly64mm.Itwasunreliable,andwasfieldedinonlylimitednumbers-onlyaround200wereeverbuiltalthoughcrewslikeditforitshighspeed.TheShermanFirefly,armedwiththe17-pounder,wasanotablesuccesseventhoughitwasonlyintendedtobea stopgap design. Fireflies were successfully used against Tigers. In one famousengagement,asingleFireflydestroyedthreeTigersin12minuteswithfiveshotsandasaresultofthesuperiorAlliedproductcapabilityover2,000Fireflieswerebuiltduringthewar. Five different 17-pounder-armedBritish tanks and self-propelled guns saw combatduringthewar.TheseweretheA30Challenger,theA34Comet,theShermanFirefly,the17-pounderSPAchillesandthe17-pounderSPArcher.

ThegunnerfromTigerfibel.

-Chapter27-

TigerITanksinNormandySomethinglike130TigerIsweredeployedinNormandyduringJuneandJuly19944.Themachines were chiefly deployed by the three schwere Panzer Abteilung equippedwithTigerItankswhichfoughtinNormandyagainsttheAlliedinvasionforces.Inaddition,asmall number of Tiger I tanks also fought in Normandy serving with the Panzer LehrDivision.

s.Pz.Abt.503wasaparticularlyformidableunitandwastransferredtoNormandywithafullcomplementof33TigerIand12ofthenewTigerIItanks.TheunitwentintoactioninearlyJuly1944.The33TigerIswereallshippedtotheunitinJune1944.Photographsof the unit’s Tigers are very limited. Technical features are, of course, identical to lateTigersshippedtotheotherunits.Howeveronepossibledistinguishingfeaturesisthefactthat spare tracks do not appear to have beenmounted on front plate aswas customaryelsewhere.Camouflagepatterningwassimilartootherunits,butonatleastsomevehicles,the Balkankreuz appear to have been unusually large in size. Tactical numbers wererelatively thin, neatly stencilled with a white outline and a very dark, probably black,interior.

s.SS-Pz.Abt.101received45TigerIindeliveriesintotalbeginningwith10inOctober1943,nineadditionallatemodelmachinesweredeliveredinJanuary1944,and25inApril1944.Theunit reachedNormandy inearlyJuneandMichaelWittmannand the1stand2ndKompaniefought in thecelebratedbattleofVillers-Bocageon13thJune1944.TheTigersissuedtothisunitincludedboththerubber-wheelandsteel-wheelvariants.Unlikes.Pz.Abt.503sparetrackappearstohavebeenmountedonthefrontplateofmost,butitseemsnotalloftheunit’sTigers.EachKompaniecarriedthedistinctiveunitmarkingofcrossedkeysinashield,onthefrontandrear.Inaddition,the1stKompaniealsocarriedaPanzerlozengewithan“S”andasmall“1”onthefrontandrearplates.Tacticalnumberswerefairlylargeanddarkwithwhiteoutline,exceptforthecommandtanks.

s.SS-Pz.Abt.102wastransferredtoNormandywithafullcomplementof45TigerIandwentintoactionforthefirsttimeinearlyJuly.Theunitwasoriginallyissuedwithameresix Tiger I in April 1944 but received a further batch of 39 Tiger I in May 1944.Photographs of this unit’s Tigers are very rare. However, the unit appears not to havemountedsparetrackonthefrontplate.Camouflagewaslargepatchesofcolourwhichonsomevehiclesleadstotheappearanceoflinesoftheoriginaldunkelgelb.Tacticalnumberswerethin,neatlystencilledwithwhiteoutlineanddarkinterior.Tacticalnumbersontheturretsideswereoftensloped,beingalignedwiththeslopeoftheturretroof.SomeTigerscarried a single underlined “S” rune painted on the zimmerit on the front and/or rearplates.

PanzerLehrDivisionwasissued10TigerIinSeptember-October1943andfiveTigerII

in February-March 1944. Of the ten Tiger I, three Tiger were listed as still with thedivisioninsummer1944.ThedivisionreportedsixofeightTigersoperationalonJune1andthreeTigersoperationalonJuly1st.

AknockedoutTigerIofs.SS-PzAbt.101liesabandonedintheruinsofVillersBocage.

VULNERABILITYOFTHEPZ.KPFW.VI

AlatemodelTigerIliesabandonedafterbeingknockedoutinaction.

Atankissuchacomplicatedweapon,withitsmanymovablepartsanditselaboratemechanism,thatitisparticularlyvaluable to know its points of greatest vulnerability. Recently the Soviet Artillery Journal published a number ofpracticalsuggestions,basedonextensivecombatexperience,regardingthevulnerabilityoftheTiger.

AllweaponsnowusedfordestroyingGermantanks-antitankgunsandrifles,caliber.50heavymachineguns,antitankgrenades,andMolotovcocktails-areeffectiveagainstthePz.Kpfw.VI.

(1) SuspensionSystem -Themobility of tanks depends upon the proper functioning of the suspension parts: thesprocket (small drivingwheel), the idler (smallwheel in the rear), thewheels, and the tracks.All these parts arevulnerabletoshellsofallcalibres.Thesprocketisespeciallyvulnerable.

Firearmour-piercingshellsandhigh-explosiveshellsatthesprocket,idler,andtracks.

Fireat thewheelswithhigh-explosive shells.Useantitankgrenades, antitankmines, andmovableantitankminesagainstthesuspensionparts.Attachthreeorfourminestoaboard.Placetheboardwherevertanksareexpectedtopass.Camouflage theboardandyourself.Asa tankpassesby,pull theboard in theproperdirectionandplace itunderthetrackofthetank.

(AGermansourcestatesthat thismethodwassuccessfullyusedonroadsandroadcrossingsinRussia,andthat itstillistaughtintankcombatcoursesforinfantry.ThemineiscalledtheScharniermine(pivotmine).Itconsistsofastoutlengthofboard,8incheswideby2inchesthick,andcuttoalengthdependentonthewidthoftheroadtobeblocked.Aholeisboredatoneend,throughwhichaspikeorbayonetcanbedrivenintotheground,thusprovidingapivot for theboard.Ahook is fastened to theotherendof theboard,anda rope is tied to thehook,as shown inFigure3.Tellerminesaresecuredtothetopoftheboard.

Onemancanoperatethismine.Aftertheboardhasbeenfasteneddownatoneendwiththespike(inemergencies,abayonet)andaropetiedtothehookattheotherend,theboardislaidalongthesideoftheroad.Ontheoppositesideoftheroad,amanispostedinanarrowslittrench.Heholdstheotherendoftherope.Whenatankapproaches,thetankhunterwaitsuntilitiscloseenoughtothepivotedboard,and,attheverylastmoment,hepullsthefreeendoftheboardacrosstheroad.Theropeandslittrenchmustbewellcamouflaged.Agooddealofemphasisisplacedonthispoint.)

(2)SideArmourPlates-Therearetwoarmourplatesoneachsideofthetank.Thelowerplateispartlycoveredbythewheels.Thisplateprotectstheengineandthegasolinetanks,whicharelocatedintherearofthehull—directlybeyondandoverthetworearwheels.Ammunitioniskeptinspecialcompartmentsalongthesidesofthetank.Thesecompartmentsareprotectedbytheupperarmourplate.

Firearmour-piercingshellsfrom76-,57-,and45mmgunsattheupperandlowerarmourplate.Whenthegastanksorammunitioncompartmentsarehit,thevehiclewillbesetonfire.

(3)RearArmourPlate-Thereararmourplateprotectstheengine,thegasolinetank,andtheradiators.

Useantitankguns.Aimatthereararmourplate.Whentheengineorthegasolinetanksarehit,thetankwillhaltandwillbegintoburn.

(4)Peepholes,VisionPorts,andSlits -Themain turrethas twoopenings for firingsmall-armsweapons,and twovisionports.Theturrethasfiveobservationslits.Therearetwosightingdevicesontheroofofthefrontpartofthetank-oneforthedriver,theotherforthegunner.Thereisalsoaportwithslidingcoversinthefrontarmourplate.

Useall availableweapons for firingat thepeepholes,observationports, vision slits, and theports for small-armsweapons.

5.Turrets-Thecommander’sturretisanimportantandvulnerabletarget.

Firehigh-explosiveandarmour-piercing shellsof all calibresat thecommander’s turret.Throwantitankgrenadesandincendiarybottlesaftertheturrethasbeendamaged.

Thetankcommander, theturretcommander,andthegunnerrideintheturret.Thetankgunandmanymechanicaldevicesarefoundintheturret.

Fireattheturretwith76-,57-,and45mmshellsatrangesof500yardsorless.

(6)TankArmament-Theturretisarmedwithagunandamachinegunmountedcoaxially.Anothermachinegunisfoundinthefrontpartofthehull.Itprotrudesthroughthefrontarmourplate,onaballmount,andismannedby,theradiooperator.

Concentratethefireofallweaponsonthearmamentofthetank.Firewithantitankriflesattheballmountofthehullmachinegun.

(7)AirVentsandVentilators-Theairventsandtheventilatorsarefoundundertheslit-shapedperforationsoftheroofofthehull,directlybehindtheturret.Anotherairventislocatedinthefrontpartoftheroof,betweenthetwo

observationportsusedbytheradiooperatorandthedriver.

Useincendiarybottlesandantitankgrenadestodamagetheventilatingsystem.

(8)TankFloor-Whenanantitankmineexplodesunderthetank, thefloorofthetankissmashed,andthetankisknockedoutofaction.

(9)BaseofTurret-Thereisa10mmslitgoingallaroundtheturret,betweenthebaseoftheturretandtheroofofthehull.

Fireatthebaseoftheturretwithheavymachinegunsandantitankguns,todestroytheturretmechanism,anddisruptthefieldoffire.Firewithhigh-explosiveshellsatthebaseoftheturretinordertowrecktheroofofthehullandputthetankoutofaction.

TheTigerIthatknockedoutthefirstM26Pershingincombat.ThevictoriousTigerthenbackedintoademolishedbuildingandbecameimmobile.ThecrewthenabandonedthetankwhichfellintoAlliedhands.

-Chapter28-

TheSovietResponseThe initial Soviet response to the Tiger I was to order the restart of production of the57mmZiS-2anti-tankgun.Productionofthismodelhadbeenhaltedin1941infavourofsmallerandcheaperalternatives.TheZiS-2whichhadbetterarmourpenetrationthanthe76mmF-34tankgunwhichwastheninusebymostRedArmytanks,butittooprovedtobeallbutinadequatewhenfacedwiththeTigerI.

A2.52firingAPCRroundscouldusuallybereliedupontopenetratetheTiger’sfrontalarmour.A small number of T-34swere fittedwith a tank version of theZiS-2, but thedrawbackwasthatasananti-tankweapontheZiS-2couldnotfireastronghigh-explosiveround, thusmakingitanunsatisfactorytankgun.TheRussianshadnoinhibitionsaboutfollowing the German lead and accordingly the 85mm 52-K anti-aircraft gun wasmodified for tankuse.Thisgunwas initially incorporated into theSU-85self-propelledgunwhichwasbasedonaT-34chassisandsawactionfromAugust1943.Bythespringof1944, theT-34/85appeared, thisup-gunnedT-34matched theSU-85’s firepower,buthadtheadditionaladvantageofmountingthegunwithamuchbetterHEfiringcapabilityin a revolving turret. The redundant SU-85 was replaced by the SU-100, mounting a100mmD-10tankgunwhichcouldpenetrate185mmofverticalarmourplateat1,000m,andwasthereforeabletodefeattheTiger’sfrontalarmouratnormalcombatranges.

InMay1943, theRedArmydeployed theSU-152, replaced in 1944 by the ISU-152.Theseself-propelledgunsbothmountedthelarge,152mmhowitzer-gun.TheSU-152wasintended to be a close-support gun for use against German fortifications rather thanarmour;but,bothitandthelaterISU-152werefoundtobeveryeffectiveagainstGermanheavytanks,andwerenicknamedZveroboywhichiscommonlyrenderedas“beastkiller”or“animalhunter”.The152mmarmour-piercingshellsweighedover45kilograms(99lb)andcouldpenetrateaTiger’sfrontalarmourfrom1,000metres.Eventhehigh-explosiveroundswerepowerfulenoughtocausesignificantdamagetoatank.However,thesizeandweightoftheammunitionmeantbothvehicleshadalowrateoffireandeachcouldcarryonly20rounds.

ThetidewasdefinitelyturningagainsttheTigerIandtheTigerIIwasintroducedasareplacement inmid 1944. In order to shore up the crumblingmorale andmaintain thesenseofinvincibilitytheGermanSchoolofTankTechnologyreleasedre-assuringcombatreportssuchasthedetailedexamplefeaturedinContemporaryViewNo.26.


THEJOSEFSTALIN

AcolumnofGermaninfantrycapturedduringthedestructionofArmyGroupCentrefilepastanintactTigerInowalsointhehandsoftheRussians.

The newSoviet heavy tank, ‘Josef Stalin’, has caused theGerman tank experts no littleworry. It is, therefore, ofinterest that thefollowingunconvincingdescriptionofa‘Tiger’versus‘Stalin’engagement isprinted in theofficial‘NotesforPanzerTroops’ofSeptember1944,presumablyasanencouragementtotheGermantankarm.

A‘Tiger’squadronreportsoneofanumberofengagementsinwhichitknockedout‘Stalin’tanks.

Thesquadronhadbeengiventhetaskofcounter-attackinganenemypenetrationintoawoodandexploitingsuccess.

At1215hours thesquadronmovedoff togetherwitha riflebattalion.Thesquadronwasformed tomove in filebyreason of the thick forest, bad visibility (50 yards) and narrow path. The Soviet infantrywithdrew as soon as the‘Tigers’ appeared. The A/tk guns which the enemy had brought up only three-quarters of an hour after initialpenetrationwerequicklyknockedout,partlybyfire,partlybycrushing.

The point troop having penetrated a further 2,000 yards in to the forest, the troop commander suddenly heard thesoundoffallingtreesandobserved,rightahead,thelargemuzzlebrakeofthe‘Stalin’.Eimmediatelyordered:‘AP-fixed sights-fire’ but was hit at the same time by two rounds from a 4.7 cmA/tk gunwhich obscured his visioncompletely.Meanwhilethesecondtankinthetroophadcomeuplevelwiththetroopcommanders’stank.Thelatter,firingblind,wascontinuingthefirefightatarangeof35yardsandthe‘Stalin’withdrewbehindahillock.Thesecond‘Tiger’hadinthemeantimetakentheleadandfiredthreeroundsattheenemytank.Itwashitbyaroundfromtheenemy’s122mm tankgunon thehull below thewireless operator’s seat but nopenetrationwas effected, probablybecausethe‘Tiger’wasobliquetotheenemy.The‘Stalin’,however,hadbeenhitinthegunbythe‘Tiger’s’lastroundandputoutofaction.Asecond‘Stalin’attemptedtocoverthefirsttank’swithdrawalbutwasalsohitbyoneoftheleading‘Tigers’justbelowthegunandbrewedup.

Therateoffireofthe‘Stalin’wascomparativelyslow.Thesquadroncommanderhasdrawnthefollowingconclusionsfromalltheengagementshissquadronhashadwith‘Stalin’tanks:

(1)Most‘Stalin’tankswillwithdrawonencountering‘Tigers’withoutattemptingtoengageinafire-fight.

(2)‘Stalin’tanksgenerallyonlyopenfireatrangesover2,200yardsandthenonlyifstandingobliquetothetarget.

(3)Enemycrewstendtoabandontanksassoonashit.

(4)TheRussiansmakegreateffortstoprevent‘Stalin’tanksfallingintoourhandsandparticularlystrivetorecoverorblowupsuchofthemashavebeenimmobilized.

(5) ‘Stalin’ tanks can be brewed up although penetration is by nomeans easy against the frontal armour at longranges (another ‘Tiger’ battalion reports that ‘Stalin’ tanks can only be penetrated by ‘Tigers frontally under 550yards).

(6)‘Stalin’tanksshould,whereverpossible,beengagedinflanksorrearanddestroyedbyconcentratedfire.

(7)‘Stalin’tanksshouldnotbeengagedunderanycircumstancesby‘Tigers’inlessthantroopstrength.Tousesingle‘Tigers’istoinvitetheirdestruction.

(8) It is useful practice to follow up the first hitwithAP on the ‘Stalin’ tankwithHE, to continue blinding theoccupants.

TheInspector-GeneralofPanzerTroops(whoisresponsibleforthisofficialpublication)commentedasfollowsontheaboveremarks:

(1)Theseexperiencesagreewiththoseofother‘Tiger’unitsandarecorrect.

(2)Referencepara.(4),itwouldbedesirablefortheenemytoobservethesamekeennessinallour‘Tiger’crews.No‘Tiger’shouldeverbeallowedtofallintotheenemy’shandsintact.

(3)Referenceparas(5)and(6),facedaswearenowwiththe122mmtankgunand57mmA/tkguninRussiaandthe92mmAA/AtkguninWesternEuropeandItaly.‘Tigers’cannolongeraffordtoignoretheprinciplespracticedbynormaltankformations.

Thismeans,interalia,that‘Tigers’cannolongershowthemselvesoncrests‘tohavealookround’butmustbehavelikeothertanks–behaviourofthiskindcausedthedestructionby‘Stalin’tanksofthree‘Tigers’recently,allcrewsbeingkilledwiththeexceptionoftwomen.

Thisbattalionwassurelynotunacquaintedwiththebasicprincipleoftanktacticsthattanksshouldonlycrosscrestsinabodyandbyrapidbounds,coveredbyfire–orelsedetourroundthecrest.Thelegendofthe‘thickhide’,the‘invulnerability’andthe‘safety’ofthe‘Tiger’,whichhassprungupinotherarmsoftheservice,aswellaswithinthetankarm,mustnowbedestroyedanddissipated.

Hence,instructionintheusualprinciplesoftankversustankactionbecomesofspecificimportanceto‘Tiger’units.

(4)Referencepara(7),thoughthistrainofthoughtiscorrect,3‘Tigers’donotformapropertroop.Particularlywithconditionsastheyareatthemoment,circumstancesmaywellarisewherefulltroopswillnotbereadilyavailable.And it is precisely the tank versus tank actionwhich is decidedmore by superior tactics than superior numbers.Howeveritisstilltruetosaythatsingletanksinvitedestruction.

(5)Itmaybeaddedthatthe‘Stalin’tankwillnotonlybepenetratedinflanksandrearby‘Tigers’and‘Panthers’butalsobyPz.Kpfw.IVandassaultguns.

MarshalGeorgyZhukovinspectingacapturedTiger.

-Chapter29-

TigersinItalyDue to Allied air superiority, the Tigers in Normandy and France were frequentlyemployedmainly in a static defensive role. This conserved fuel as the Tiger normallyconsumedhugeamountsofpetrol.Italsokeptthemechanicalbreakdownstoaminimum.InothertheatressuchasItaly,AlliedaircoverwaslesscomprehensiveandtheTigersstillenjoyedsomefreedomofaction.Thiswasnotalwaysagoodthinghowever.

AlthoughtheTigerwasaformidabledesignandrecognizedasbeingsuchinanumberofallied studies although the high fuel consumption and frequentmechanical breakdownsoccasionallyrendereditsbattlefieldperformanceallbutworthless.Thiswascertainlythecasewiththe508schwereAbteilunginMay1944whichtheBritishreportofwhichfromAugust1944makessoberingreadingandfurtherdeflatesthemythoftheinvincibleTiger.


TIGERTANKINACTION

Firstmajorreverseof3Sqn508HyTkBnAsanillustrationofthedifficultiesencounteredintheemploymentofTigertanksitisinterestingtoreconstructoneofthetwomobileengagementsonaSqnbasiswhichtheBnfoughtinItaly,whenitwonavictoryandyetlostalmostallitstanks.

Theactiontookplacebetween23and25May44inthegeneralareaofCisterna.3Sqn,whichhadbroughtdown14TigertanksfromFrance,losttwoburntoutattheendofFeb4–onethroughcarelessnessonthepartofthecrewandanotherbyAlliedA/tkaction.IthadreceivedfourofthelatestpatternAFVsduringMay44andwastwotanksoverwarestablishmentstrengthon23May44,i.e.16insteadof14.

TheSqnformedupbehindarailwayembankmentbetweentheMussoliniCanalandthelevelcrossingatG063299andengagedtroopconcentrationswithHE.ItthencrossedtheembankmentandputthreeAFVsoutofactionintheattempt(onewithgearboxtroubleandtwowithtracksridingoverthesprocketteeth).Theremainingthirteencrewshadalltostoponopengroundbecausethegunshaddugintotheearthasthetankscamedowntheembankmentandneededpullingthrough.

TheAlliedtroopsweredrivenbackaboutthreekmsandanumberofShermantankssurprisedandknockedout.

ThefirstlosssustainedinactionwasaTigerwhichhadoneradiatordestroyedbyanartilleryroundandhadtolimpbacktowardsCoriinstages.

TwelveTigerswere thus left inactionduring thenight23/24May44.On themorningof24May44a retreatwasorderedtoeveryone’ssurpriseandA/tkfireaccountedforoneTiger(hitontherightreductiongearandsubsequentlyblownupbyitscrew).

ElevenTigerswithdrewtotheembankmentandtheOCSqnorderedfivetocontinuetoholdtheenemywhilstthesixweretotowawaythetreetankswhichhadfailedtocross.

Four of the six towing tanks experienced gearbox trouble and the OC then ordered the three towed tanks to bedestroyedandtowoutofthefivefightingtankstoassistintowingawaythebreakdowns.

TheseeightAFVsweregotbacktoanassemblypointnearCori,leavingfourTigersonlyinfightingorder.Ofthesefour,onewashitbyA/Tkgunfireandtwomoreexperiencedgearboxtrouble(allthreewereblownup),sothatonlyonerunnerwasleft.

TwoconvertedShermantankscamedownfromRomeduringthenight24/25May44andextricatedtheonerunnerwhichhadalsobecomeu/smeanwhile,bytowingitintandemalongtherailwaytracks.

By25May44,thesituationhadsodeterioratedthatitwasmanifestlyimpossibletogettowingvehiclesthroughandtheOCorderedtheblowingupofthenineTigerswhichhadreachedtheassemblyarea.

AlthoughagoodmanyofthecrewshadgonebacktoRomewiththeonerunner,theOCandabout45menwereleftnearCori.TheyhadtomarchbacktoRomeandcameunderfireseveraltimesintheprocess,arrivinginanexhaustedcondition.

PWstatescategoricallythatthisactionhadaprofoundeffectupontheSqn’smoraleandalsodecidedagainstthemassuseofTiger tanks.OfsixteenAFVsput intoaction,notonewouldhavebeenlost,hadadequaterecoveryfacilitiesbeenprovided.

AlthoughtheOCSqn’spersonalcouragewasnot indoubt, itwasgenerally thought thathehadnotappreciatedthesituationandhadcreatedthedisasterbyattemptingtosalvagethethreeAFVsthatjibbedattheembankment.Hadhenotdoneso,hemighthavesavedabouttenoutoftheoriginalsixteen.

‘Pennywise,poundfoolish’wasthecriticismmadeofhim.3Sqnalsotookapoorviewofthefactthatalmostatonceanewtroopwasformedfromtanksdrawnfrom1and2Sqncrewsputin,theformercrewsgoingbacktotheirSqnpools.

ThecitizensoftheliberatedFrenchtownofMarleclamberaroundthisTigerIwhichwasabandonedinthemainstreet.

-Chapter30-

TankLossesWithsuchanimportantrangeofindustriesinoperationthecityofKasselwastargetedfordestructionandwasbombedaround40timesbytheAlliesduringthecourseofthewar.These unwelcome intrusions severely disrupted Tiger production. The most notableoccasiontookplaceinlate1943.DuringthenightofOctober22nd/23rdtheRAFdroppedanamazing1800tonsofbombswhichobviouslycausingseveredamageattheHenschelfacilities.Inadditiontothedamagecausedtotheinfrastructureofthefactoryitselfandthelocal transport system theRAFbombers also killed or injuring a high proportion of itsworkforce.

Despite these set backs and the huge difficulties which had to be overcome Tigerproductioncontinuedrightupuntilalmosttheendofthewar.TheU.S.ThirdArmybeganthebattletocaptureKasselonApril1st,1945.TheHenschelworkscontinuedworkingtothebitterendand,asUSforcesapproached,theHenschelfactorycompletedworkonthefinalbatchof13TigerIItankswhichwerehandeddirectlyoverfromthefactorytotwocompaniesofschwerePanzer-Abteilung510and511.Threedayslaterat1200hoursonApril4th,1945thecitywassurrenderedandTigertankproductionwasendedforever.

Tanklossesontheeasternfrontbyyear:

-Chapter31-

NotableVariants

TheElefantwasdeployedinRussiaandalsosawactionduringtheWarsawuprisingin1943,andfinallyendeditscareerinItaly.

In Italy, a field version of a demolition carrier version of the Tiger I was built bymaintenancecrewsinanefforttofindawaytoclearminefields.Itisoftenmisidentifiedas aBerge Tiger recovery vehicle.Asmany as threemay have been built. It carried ademolitionchargeonasmallcranemountedontheturretinlieuofthemaingun.Itwastomoveup to aminefield anddrop the charge, back away, and then set the chargeoff toclear theminefield. There is no verification anywere used in combat although such avehiclewouldhavebeenofgreatvalueatKursk.

During1942,anticipatingordersforhisversionoftheTigertank,FerdinandPorschehadactuallygoneasfarastobuild100chassisbasedonhisTigerprototypes.Onlosingthecontract, the Porsche vehicleswere used as the basis for a new heavy assault gun/tankhunter.Inthespring1943,ninety-onehullswereconvertedintothePanzerjägerTiger(P),alsoknownasFerdinand.AfterHitler’sordersof1stand27thFebruary1944,theElefant.

TheFerdinandorElefant,shownhereinItalyin1944,actuallyperformedfarbetterincombatthanisgenerallyperceived.

TheFerdinandrepresentsafascinatingglimpseintowhattheTigermighthavebeentheTigerhadPorschewonthecompetitionfortheTigercontract.ThisheavilyarmouredtankdestroyervariantutilisedalloftheremainingredundantchassiswhichFerdinandPorschehadordered tobeproduced in anticipationof receiving theorder for theTiger I.Thesevehicleswereascratchbuiltsolutionintroducedintocombatin1943.TheFerdinandhasan unfair reputation as a complete failure and is widely held to have floundered thendisappearedfollowinganunsuccessfulshowingatKurskwherethepoorperformancehasbeenascribedasbeingduetothelackofaclosedefencemachinegun.TherealityisthattheFerdinandwasahighlyeffective tankdestroyerwhichperformedverycreditably inRussia and Italy.Mechanically the Ferdinand was to prove remarkably reliable and inmanyrespectsmayactuallyhavebeenabettermachinethantheTigerI.

AmongotherfactoryvariantsoftheTigerIwasthefearsomeJagdtigerwhichwasoneofthemostformidabletankdestroyersofthewarhoweverproductionwasverylowandonly160machineswerebuilt.Alsoofnotewas thecompact,armouredself-propelled rocketprojector, today commonly known as Sturmtiger, only 16 of these machines built andwhen the first of these was captured by the Americans a great deal of attention wasfocusedonthisremarkablypowerfulweapon.

TheSturmtigerwithits15inhowitzerprotuding.Thiscalibrewasasgreatasmanyabattleship’sbigguns.

-Chapter32-

TheEndoftheTiger

TheendfortheTigerIcameinMay1945,almostthreeyearstothedayfromitsbirth.

-Chapter33-

IntroductiontotheTigerfibelandTranslationNotes

TigerIwas themostfamousheavytankproducedinWorldWarII. Itwasdevelopedingreathasteduring1942bytheHenschel&SohncompanyinordertocombattheRussianT-34andtheKV-1.

TheTigerwasenvisagedasbeingastheanswertotheunexpectedlyformidableSovietarmor encountered in the initial months of Operation Barbarossa, during 1941. Thisradicalnewbreedof tankwasdesigned tohouseanewtypeofKampfwagenkanone(ortankgun)basedontheGermanhighvelocity88mmFlugzeugabwehr-KanonethefamousFlak36anti-aircraftgun,whichhadbeenforcedintoactioninananti-tankroleinRussiaand the western desert. This was the only German gun on the battlefield which haddemonstrated its effectiveness against heavily armored ground targets such as theKV1andwhichwasportableenoughtobeadaptedinordertofitintotheturretofatank.Itwasrapidly redesigned for conversion into the Kwk 36 / L56 which was a paralleldevelopmentdesignedtoproduceagunwhichcouldbemountedintothe11tonturretoftheTigerI.

RushedintoserviceinAugust1942theTigerIdesignhadmanyflawsanddesignfaults.Itwasessentiallystillatprototypestage,butatleastitgavethePanzerwaffeitsfirsttankcapableofmountingthefearsome88mmgunasitsmainarmament.

TheRomannumeralIwasonlyofficiallyaddedin1944whenthelaterTigerIIenteredproduction. The initial official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VIAusführungH(‘PanzerVIversionH’,abbreviatedtoPzKpfwVIAusf.H),butsomewhatconfusinglythetankwasredesignatedasPzKpfwVITigerAusf.EinMarch1943.ItalsohadtheordnanceinventorydesignationSdKfz181.

TheTigerwasfirstsawactionon22ndSeptember1942nearLeningrad. Itwasnotaninstant success. Under pressure from Hitler, the tank was driven into action inunfavourable terrain months earlier than planned. The early models, not surprisingly,proved to bemechanically unreliable; in this first action therewere breakdowns.Moreworryinglythreeotherswereeasilyknockedoutbydug-inSovietanti-tankgunsaimingattherunninggearalthoughtherewassomecomfortinthefactthatnonesufferedahitthatactuallymanagedtopiercethearmorofthetank.

JustastherewasagreatneedofhasteinproducingtheTigerI,sotoowasthereaneedtotraineffectivecrews.Theverybestof theexistingtankcrewsweresooncreamedoff toformthecadreoftheTigertankcrews-theeliteofthePanzerwaffe.

A prospectiveTiger crewmemberwent through, as rapidly as possible, long hours ofessentialclassroomstudy.Thiswascoupledwithextensiveandhands-on trainingat the

PanzerSchoollocatedinPaderborn.

TheheadoftrainingfortheInspectorateofthePanzerwaffeandalsobasedatPaderbornwasOberstleutnantHansChristern, anexperienced tankcommanderwhocouldprovideprooftohisownpracticalexperienceasevidencedbyhispossessionoftheKnight’sCrossawardedtohimforbraveryinthefield.

HansChristern.

WiththeintroductionoftheTigerI(AusfH)inlate1942,Christernfoundhimselffacedwiththeneedtorapidlyinstructcrewsintheoperationofaverydifferenttypeofvehicle.ForthefirsttimeGermanypossessedaheavytankworthyofthename.Tacticallythistankhadtobehandledverydifferently;mechanicallyitneededfarmorecareandattentionthananyothermachinesofardeliveredtothePanzewaffe.

The situation dictated that everything needed to be done in a hurry and Christernthereforedecideditwouldhelptomovemattersalongifheweretoreplacetheusualdustytank instructionmanualwithaspecial trainingbooklet for theTigerstudentswhichwassimple yet memorable. The end result was certainly a success on both counts. Thesimplisticbuteffectivestylerecalledachildren’sschoolbook,anditwasthereforegiventhe name Tigerfibel, whichmeans Tiger primer. This booklet was assigned the officialpublicationnumberofD656/27.

ThetaskofactuallywritingthenewtrainingmanualwasassignedtoLeutnantJosefvonGlatter-Goetz.Glatter-Goetztooktheassignmenttoheartandgaveseriousconsiderationtotheneedtoimpartsuchalargeamountofinformationquicklyandmakeitstickinthemindsofboredyoungtankmen.HethereforedevelopedtheideaofwritingahumorousandhighlyrisquémanualthatwouldholdfastinthememoriesoftheyoungmentrainingontheTiger.Todothisheusedhumorousandrisquécartoonillustrationsalongwithslangandtheeverydaysituationswhichitwashopedthetargetaudiencewouldidentifywith.

The illustrations in the Tigerfibel were completed by two serving soldiers namedObergrenadierGessingerandUnteroffizierWagner.Thiswide rangeof images includedthe usual technical drawings and photographs, supplemented by a range of cartoons.Wherever possible the cartoons featured an attractive and curvaceous blonde namedElvira. Shewas depicted naked as often as possible and somewhat predictablywas theromantictargetfortheaffectionsofaTigercrewmanwhogetsthegirlintheend.

TheTigerfibelalsocontainssomeshortversesandrhymingcoupletswhichdonotlendthemselves readily to an exact translation from German and English, but have beenrenderedascloselyaspossibletotheproduceessenceofwhatwasintended.

Each of the five fictitious crew-members appearing in the Tigerfibel was given amemorable name connected with his function. The commander was Speedy “the righttimer”whichmightbetterberenderedinEnglishasSpeedyQuickthinker.HisdriverwasGustav“thelandrover”,theradiooperatorwasFunkerPiepmatz“thedecrypter”,thegunloaderwasHulsensackederhemmungslosewhichisprobablybest translatedasthe“theindefatigable” and Gunner Holzauge “the infallible” was the man responsible for theeffectiveuseofthemainweaponsystem.

The manual covered a wide range of subjects and besides the obvious informationconcerningtheTigerIanditsbasicmaintenancerequirementsandpeculiarities,therewasalso important adviceongunnery andammunitiondrill aswell as a comprehensive rundown on the type of enemy targets likely to be encountered.Therewas also advice ondriving techniques, fuelconservation,howtodealwithenemy infantryatclosequartersandtargetspotting.

Although it was quite unconventional when compared to any other manual hithertoproduced,theTigerfibelwasactuallyauthorizedbyGuderianhimselfanditprovedtobeveryeffectivetrainingaid.

EachTigerfibel alsocamewitha setof foldout supplements thatwerecontained in apocketontheinsideof thebackcover.Oneof thesesupplementswasanenemyvehiclerecognition chart, which folded out to reveal good black and white photos anddiagrammaticrepresentationsofthevariousAlliedtankswhichtheTigerIcrewcouldbeexpected to encounter in the field. Another particularly interesting supplement was thegraphic demonstration of the range the Tiger could be penetrated by or itself penetrateenemytankssuchastheShermanM4,T-34orKV1.

In addition to the advice on fighting andmaintaining themachine, theTigerfibel alsoaffords a fascinating insight into the deteriorating supply situation in the form ofexhortations to conserve ammunition and to overrun targets rather than use preciousshells. The Tigerfibel is also noteworthy for the fact that noNazi iconography appearsanywhereinthebooklet.ForavehiclewhichhasbecomesynonymouswithHitlerandtheThirdReichitisironicthatthereisnotasingleswastikatobefoundonanyofitspages.

BobCarruthers

-Chapter34-

TheTigerfibel

Originalfrontcovertranslation

Man–whatamachine!

Originalpage1translation

ForCommandersandTigermen.

Tigerprimer…whataquickthing!


Handleslikeacar!

Withtwofingertipsyoucansteer

700horsepower60tonsofsteel45kmperhourtopspeedonsurfacedroads20kmperhourinroughterrainTravel4munderwater


Willblastanythingtopieces!

OnthenorthernfrontinthecourseofonedayLieutenantM.destroyed38T-34tanks.InrecognitionhewasawardedtheKnightsCross.


Willwithstandanything!

ThisTiger tank servingon the southern sectorendured thesehitswithinaperiodof sixhours:

227hitsbyanti-tankrounds14hitsby52mmshells11hitsby76.2mmshells

Notoneoftheabovepenetrateditsarmor!

Insidethetracks,therollersandlinkshadbeenheavilydamaged.

Twocrankarmswerenolongeroperating.

Severalshotsfromanti-tankgunshitdirectlyonthetracks.Thetankhadrolledoverthreemines.

Thistanknegotiatedafurther60kmofroughterrainunderitsownpower.


Neverconqueredbyexternalforces,butsingle-handedlybeatenfromwithin…

DANGERlurksinthesump!

Rememberthen:

StudyyourTigerprimerwell,oryourTigergoestohell!


Motto:Amoroseattitudewon’treachthegoal

TheTigermanlearnswithhumour

Moral:Evenmoralistsfortheirpreachings

Aresometimesimmoral,despitetheirteachings

TheTigerTankManual

Publishedon8/1/1943by

THECHIEFOFSTAFFOFTHETANKCORPS


CHIEFOFSTAFF

TANKCORPS

Headquarters,8/1/1943

IauthorizetheTigerTankManual

Guderian


TheDriver

“Gustavthelandrover”

Youdriveatankwhichhasfewopponentsworthyofnote,butalsoveryfewbrothers.ItisuptoyouwhethertheTigeristransformedintoapredatorwaitingtopounceorintoaheapofscrapmetal.


Motto:Attentiontodetailmakesagoodjobperfect;

agoodjobisnominordetail.

A runnerwill take two hours towarm up for the competition. If he does not, the bestequipmentandthemostvigoroustrainingarevalueless.

FUEL

POWER

WATER

STARTER

6xOILCHECK

OILPRESSURE

IDLING

ThedriverofaTigertankneedstwohourstogethisvehiclemoving.

Otherwiseitwillbreakdownbecauseofaminorproblem.

Preventioniseasierthancure.Therefore,beforestarting,payattentionto:

FUEL-POWER-WATER-STARTING

6xCHECKOIL-OILPRESSURE-WAITING


Motto:Ohfriend,fuelhastwosides,

ontheonehanditpropelsyou,ontheotheryouflywithit!

Fuel isapropellant: If fuelevaporatesand is thenmixedwithairand ignited insmallquantitiesitwillmoveall60tonsoftheTigeralongtheroad.Itdoessobyrepeatedsmallexplosions,inthesamewaythatachildmightrollawheelusingastick,bycontinuouslystrikingthewheel.

OnelitreinthefueltankwillpropeltheTigeradistanceof200meters.Thestrengthofagiantisharnessedinthatportion,butitisspreadoverhalfaminutejustlikeamassage.AndtheTigerlikesthat.

Fuel isanexplosive: If that same litreof fuel flows into thesumpandnot through thecarburetor,thenthefuelwillevaporatebywayofengineheat,mixwiththeaircirculatingintheenginebayandsuddenlyigniteatahotspotorthroughaspark.

InthiswayjustthisonelitrewillblowupyourTigerasifthegiant’sforceisappliedatonceinasingleknockoutblow,whichevenyourTigercannotwithstand.Theengineandyourownroofwillflyuphigherintheairthanyoucanthrowastone.


Therefore:Refuel-butdonotspill,otherwisetheTigerwillburnorburst.

Attention!Iffuelisrunninglow-immediatelyswitchtoreserve,ifthefuelreservoirisusedupstopimmediatelyandshutofftheengine-30secondsworthofeffort.

However, if you do notmaintain fuel in the lines and the fuel pump runs empty, afterrefuelingno fuelwill flow through it:Youmust then remove theair filter andhousing,removetheaccessscrewsat thecarburetor,primewith theelectricfuelpumpallof thiswithoutcausingaspill!Thenyoumustreinstalleverything-Onehourofwork.

Closethelidforthefueltank,butkeeptheventopen.

Otherwisetheenginewillhavenopickup.

Keepfuelcanistersandhosesclean,donotremovethefilter.

Otherwise the sight glassand jetswill get dirty, bothofwhich canbe reachedonlywithgreatdifficultyforrepair.

Cleansightglassofdirtandmoisture,donotdamagetheseals,ifindoubtreplaceseals,insertproperly,tightencapnut.

OtherwisetheTigerwillburnorburst.


Fuel lines and pumps must be checked for leaks. Fittings and lines must be tightenedcarefully.Donotcocktheconeseal,itwillworkitselflooseinthecourseofoperation-OtherwisetheTigerwillburnorbust.

Carburetor

Themainjetmustbecleanedwithcare.Blowairthroughthejetwhenfinished.Checkiftheneedlereturnsfromtheseatimmediately.Itmustnotstickorbedamaged-Otherwise,theenginebackfiresatidle.

Incaseoffire

Thewarninglightnexttothedriver’slookoutwillilluminateandthefirecontrolapparatuswillsprayliquid.Ifitdoesnot,thegunnermustpressthebuttononthefireextinguisher.Youmust immediately shut off fuel supply to the engine. Do not open to full throttlepositionaswithothervehicles-Otherwisethegasesintendedtoextinguishtheflameswillberemovedbytheblowers.Theliquiddispensedbythefireextinguisherwillnotputouttheflamesexceptasapressurisedgas.

Extinguisherjets

Mustaimatthetemperaturesensors-Otherwise,theapparatuswillcontinueanddispenseallliquidatthefirstoutbreakoffire.Itisdesignedtoextinguishforsevensecondseach

time,onfivedifferentoccasions.

Temperaturesensors

Andlinesmustnotbedamagedwhenworkingontheengine.Thefireextinguishermustbeexchangedforanewoneassoonasthepressurefallsbelow4atmospheres.Checkthefuses-Otherwiseyoumustusethemanualfireextinguisher.

Causeoffire

Isalwaysfueloroil in thesump.Checkall the linesatonce-Otherwise itwillhappenagain!

Moral:Iffuelisleakingfromyourlinesitwillexplodeunderneathyou.


Motto:Hewhotreatshisbatterieswithgreatcare,

willreceivebenefitinreturn!

Theyareyourbestcomrades.

Theystartyourengineasthebulletsflyoutside.Theyfireoffyourshells,theyclearthesmoke!Theylightyourwayinthedarkandinfog,theyallowyoutocommunicatedespitethenoiseofbattle,youbroadcastandreceiveuptoadistanceof10km!

Givethemanextrachargeoften!

Sothattheystayfullycharged!

Keepthemwarm-heartedtowardsyou!

A charged battery will freeze at -65°C, a discharged battery will freeze at just -10°C.Dischargecanveryeasilyhappen.Voltageandchargedecreasefasterasthecoldincreasesoutside. Charge them with some electricity anytime you have a surplus, so they cansupportyouwhenyouarerunningshort.

Use distilled water or boiled water. In the wintertime melted snow may be used inemergencies.Fillupuntiltheplatesarecoveredplusonefinger’swidth.Keeptheclampsfreeofacid,tightenthemfirmlyandcoverthemwithgrease-Otherwisethebatterywill

gunkuporfail!

Inwinterusethemanualinertiastartertoturnandstarttheengine.Itisactuallyalotlesseffortthantakingoutthebatteriesandrechargingthem!Ifthevoltagefallsbelow11voltsortheTigerhasbeenparkedinthecoldforalongtime-takethebatteriesoutandlookafterthem!Otherwisetheymayfail.

12volts!Donotletthechargefallunder11volts.Tocheckconnectvoltmeterbetweentheground and the fuse for high beam. Turn on high beams. When checking with thehydrometer,ifmarkat1.285=charged,1.15=empty.Donotcreateashortcircuit,donotchangebatterypolarity.Otherwisetheplateswillbecomedistorted!

Moral:Sorunstheoldtale,hewhoisfullwillnotfreezepale!


Motto:Waterisabenevolentpower

aslongasyourememberedtheantifreeze!

Waterisacoolant,likeafreshshower,thewaterflushesthroughthecaseandremovestheheataccruedbycombustionandfriction,andcarryingittotheradiators.Additionally,inthewinter time the hotwaterwill preserve engine heatmaking it easier to start again,muchlikeabatteryholdsacharge.

TheTigerneeds120litresofwater.Hefeelsgreatat85°C.

Anytimeyouarethirsty,givesomewatertothegoodanimaltoo,andmakeitcleanwater.If you can get the coolant additive “Akorol”, put it in, but be careful,Akorol can be apoisontoo.Likeavigilanthawkitwillguardagainstrustandmineraldeposits.

Water

Waterisanexplosive,whenfreezingtoiceitexpandsby10%.Iftheenginewallscannotflex,theyarecrackedundertheenormouspressure.Iceisusedtobreakironandrock.

Those120litreswillthenturnto132litres,andtheyhavenoplacetogo.NotevenintheTiger’sbelly!

Therefore:

Fillup,until thewater level touches thebottomof thefilter,checkthehoseclampsandlines,checkespeciallyonthebottomconnectingtheradiators.


95°C-attention!Thatistoohot.Theoilceasestolubricateandyoucanstartlookingforanewengine.Stopimmediatelyandcheck:

1. Isthereenoughwaterintheradiators?2. Aretheblowersworking?3. Aretheslidingclutchesoperating?4. Theoilcoolermustbesealingtight!

Otherwisetheenginewillseizeup!

Inthewintertimeahottoddyisbestmixedalittlemoreonthestiffside.Whenitiscold,mixthewaterwithantifreeze.Otherwisetheenginewillcrack!

Hereistheinfamousrecipefromtheicebar:

2Litresofantifreezeper3litresofwater.

Downto-20°Cthat’s:

48Litresofantifreeze+72Litresofwater=120Litres

Downto-40°Cthat’s:

72Litresofantifreeze+48Litresofwater=120Litres

Constantlycheckthecoolingsystem,becauseantifreezeloosensalldeposits.Butdonotmixantifreezewiththeadditive“Akorol”.

Openthefillercapcover.Drainthewaterhot,througharubberhoseattachedtothedraincock. Before refilling flush the cooling system and tighten the drain cock with gasketinstalled.

-Afteraweekagaindrainhot, letsit for threehours,so that rustandsludgecansettle,refillusingaragasfilter;checkandwaterleveleachtimeafterworkingontheengine.

Otherwisetheradiatorwillleak.

Moral:TheTigerdrinksthewatermostlikeyouandspirits.


Motto:Across-countryskiertakeshistimetoprepare,

ifhestartshastilyhewon’tmakeitthere.

Before the start the runnerwill check the soles of his shoes and laceswith care. Evenmillimetersmakeadifference.

Before startingout, carefully check thepositionof all levers.One lookmust tell you ifeverythingisokay.Theyareallessentialforsurvival.

1.Fireextinguisher

2.Fusebox


Bottomplug-open-sothatthegasescanvent,atthesametimekeeprearcoveropen,sothat fresh air can circulate.Close onlywhen driving in or throughwater,mud or uponenteringanengagement-OtherwisetheTigerwillblowup!

Fuel valves - open - Fuel tanks must be empty one after the other. If fuel runs out,immediatelyturnofftheengine.-Otherwise,see“fuel”.

Mainbatteryswitch-on-Itturnsoffallappliances-Otherwiseyoucannotstart!

Blowerswitch - “land” - The blowersmust be turned off underwater -Otherwise theengineoverheats!

Fuel vent - “land” - While under water the tanks are vented into the engine bay -Otherwisetotheoutside.

Throttle#1-down-thisregulatesairflowintheductbetweenblowerandtransmission-Otherwisethetransmissionoverheats.

Throttle#2-“land”-Itdirectsthehotairfromthetransmissiontotheblowersorintotheenginebay-Otherwisetheengineoverheats.

Throttle#3 -open - Itpushes thehotengineair to theblowers -Otherwise the engineoverheats.

Ventflap -closed-Openonlytogetherwiththefronthatch-Otherwiseenginebayairentersthevehicle.

Fuel pump - on - So that the carburetor has fuel as you start -Otherwise the batterydischarges.

Directionallever-on“0”-forward=leverforward,reverse=leverback-Otherwisethetankmovesonstarting.

Ignition key - in - Do not turn, turn off other appliances - Otherwise the batterydischarges.

Choke lever - forward -So that themixture isenriched.Takeyour footoff the throttlewhenstarting-Otherwiseitwillnotstart.

Clutch-depress-Sothatthestartermotordoesnotbreakbetweenattemptsatstartingtheengine-Otherwisethebatterydischarges.

Starterbutton -push-Pushlonger, takelongerbreaksbetweenattemptsatstartingtheengine-Otherwisethebatterywilldischarge.

Starter button - release - as soon as the engine starts -Otherwise the starter motorsuffers.

Chokelever-reverse-Assoonastheenginerunssmoothlyandevenly-Otherwisethesparkplugsfoul.

Throttle-touchlightlyforfiveminutes,sothatthewarninglampflickers.Donotracetheengine-Otherwiseitwillstall.

Clutch-engageslowly,sothattransmissionandsteeringgearbecomewarmtothetouch-Otherwisenogearchange.

Throttle-pushintowarmuptheengine.Increaseenginespeedtowithin1000and1500rpm-Otherwisethesparkplugsfoul.


Inthewintertime…

Theoil gets thick, somuch so that it canhardlybe called a liquid.Shafts lock in theirbearings, pistons clamp to the cylinderwalls. It takes an enormous amount of force toseparate thesepartsandmove themuntil theengineoilgetswarmand liquid.Althoughthe Tiger can be started immediately at temperatures down to -20°C using the electricstartermotor,usethemanualinertiastarterinsteadtocrankoverandstarttheengine.Savethebatteries-Otherwiseyoucannotstartwhenthebulletsflyoutside.

Whenitisverycold…

OneTigercanwarmuptheother.Thehotenginecoolantinoneengineispumpedintoacoldengine.Atthesametimethecoldengineiswarmedup.Afterthisprocedure,besuretocheckthatnormaloperationhasbeenreinstated-OtherwisetheTigerwillexplode.

Blowers…

Must be shut off, so that the engine heats up faster.Watch the thermometer carefully -Otherwisetheenginewillboiloverlikeapotfullofsoup.

Inject…

If themanualinertiastarterdoesnotstart theengine-Otherwiseyouwill losefaithandtime.

Inthetropics…

And in high summer conditions the blowersmust be set at high speed -Otherwise theengineoverheats.

Manualinertiastarter…

Swingwith thehandcrank inclockwisedirection.Swiftlyengage thecrankandhold ituntiltheenginestarts,thenimmediatelyreleasethecrank!

Ifthepiniondoesnotmesh,repeattheengagementofthecrank.Donotengagethecrankwhentheengineisrunning!

Toexchangeenginecoolant…

A.Fillthehoses.

1. Shutofftheengine.2. Attachthehosestotheredfittings.3. ShutoffradiatorsthroughtheinlineValves.4. Shutoffblowers,removetheradiatorcap.5. Run the engine, hold up the hose, work the plunger at the open end until water

flowsout.6. Replacelostwaterandantifreeze.

B.Exchangethecoolant.

1. Shutoffengineassoonasitreaches60°Ccoolanttemperature.2. Connectthehosessothateachoneconnectsaredandagreenfitting.3. Oncemoreclose thevalves in thecoolant linesof thewarmengine.Turnoff the

blowers,removetheradiatorcaps.4. Runtheengineat2400rpm,thenat2000rpm.Untilthecoldenginehasreacheda

coolanttemperatureof50°C.5. Shutoff theengine,openthecoolant lines, turnontheblowers,close theradiator

caps.

Selector…

on the blower transmissionmust be loosened and switched back to position “increasedcooling”,thentightened.

Moral:Alittlewarmdrinkandafterawhile

evenafrigidonewillcutadash


6xCheckOil

Motto:Oilblockstheheatofthesun

FortheTigerit’sbliss.

Oilisalubricant

Evenjustrubbingyourhandsoneagainst theotherwillcausethembothtobecomehot.You need not even rub quickly or usemuch effort. But, if sufficient skin oil is placedbetweenyourhands, they stay cool.Yourmachinedoes3000 rotationsperminutewith700horsepowerbehindit.Itwouldgetburninghot,allmovingpartswouldsizeupbeforeyouhadgoneonekilometer,iftheoildidnottakeuptheheatanddisperseitaway.

Alowoillevelisdangerous.

Oilisacombustible

If it leaks from your lines, or is discharged from moving driveshafts, or drips fromdamagedsealsandmixeswithfuel,itwillburnfuriouslyandsetotherpoolsoffuelandtheremainingsludgeinthesumponfire»

Toomuchoilisdangerous.

Therefore:


1.FilltheEngine-with28Lengineoil-uptomaximumlevelatuppermark,Minimumlevelat lowermark-Otherwisethesparkplugsfoul.Youwilluselotsofoilandmaybeloseanengine.

2.Fill theTransmission -with 30L of transmission oil - until themeasuring rod justtouchestheoillevel-Otherwiseyoucanneitherchangegearsnorsteer.

3.FilltheRightreductiongear-with6Ltransmissionoil-removesmallinspectionbolt-Ifyoufilluptoomuchortoolittle,bothconditionsareequallybad.

4.FilltheLeftreductiongear-with6Ltransmissionoil-fillupuntiltheoilflowsover

5.FilltheTurretdrive-with5Ltransmissionoil-fillupuntillevelisonefinger’swidthunderfillplughole-Otherwiseyoucannottraversetheturret!

6.Fill theBlowerdrive - with 7 L transmission oil - only up to upper levelwith theengineturnedoff-Otherwisetheoilisthrownontotheexhaustmanifoldcover.

Oillevel:

Toomuchoilisjustasbadastoolittle!Withtheenginerunningat1000rpmandwarmedup, to 50°C coolant temperature measure the oil level and fill up to the proper level.Repeat theprocessafter traveling5km, ifpossible-Otherwise theamountofoil in theenginewillbeincorrect.

Donotloseoil:

Checkthatthesealsareinexcellentshape.Tightenthefill-anddrainplugs.Checkalllinesto discover leaks. Check the oil for signs of foaming and oil discharge at radial seals.Cleanthebottomof thesump,drain throughthebottomplug-Otherwise theTigerwillburn.

Oilchange:

Change the oil before and after the winter, also within specified intervals. Change itespeciallyafterperformingenginerepairs-Otherwiseanewenginemustbeinstalled.

Inthewintertime:

You can run the military engine oil labeled (winter) without a problem down totemperaturesof-30°C.Below30°Cyoumustdrain4Litresofengineoilwhiletheengineiswarmtothetouch.Substitute4Litresofpetrolfortheoildrainedoff.Mixtheoilandpetrolbyrunningtheengineatfastidleforashortperiod-Otherwiseyouwillfreezeup.

Afterdrivingforthreehours:

The petrol in the oil will have evaporated as long as the enginewas above -60°C andwarm.You can keepmoving butmust replenish the 4 Litres of petrol with the enginerunning,beforeshuttingitoff.Whetherornotallthepetrolhasevaporatedcanbecheckedagainst the bubblemeter. The transmission oil for themilitary is effective up tominus40°C,thereforeitneednotbethinnedout-Otherwisethenextmorningtheenginewillbefrozenup.

Moral:Itwillseizeupifyoudon’tlubricate,

ifyouloseit,youwillincinerate


OilPressure

Motto:Onlywithhisbloodunderfullpressure

willtheTigershowhisstrengthtofullmeasure.

Thecorrectamountofoilaloneisnotsufficient.Oilinthereservoirisjustasuselessasbeerinthecellar,ifthereisnopressuretopumpitupstairstotheparchedthroatsoftheconsumers.Only thenwill theplacestart swinging.Only thencanyouchangegearsupanddownwithaclatter,throwupthedustandswingyourturretlikeaflaginthewind.

Theoilpressuregauge:

Withtheenginerunning,thegaugemustshowapressureofatleast3atmospheres.Whenonthemove7atmospheresistherightpressure.Ifalineburstsorgetscloggedorifthebearing clearance has become too large, the pressure will fall. In that case you mustimmediatelyshutofftheengine.-Otherwisetheenginewillseizeup.

Theoilfilterfortheengineoilmustbecleanedwitheachoilchangeor,evenbetter,morefrequently.

1. Removelid,removefilterpack.2. Loosenthewingnut,removethefilterplatesandseparatorplatesonebyone.

3. Thehousingandtheseparatorplatesmustbecleanedinpetrol.Caution!Thepetrolcontainsleadandwilldamagetheskin.

4. Toinstall,firstslideonefilterplate,theninalterationoneseparator-andonefilterplate over the suction pipe. Then install the top plate and press the assembly inplacewiththewingnut.

5. Installthefilterpack.Donotforgetthetoppressurespring!

Moral:Asonelearnsinlife,

acertainpressureproducestherightatmosphere!


Moral:You’llfindthefittings,eventhroughthegrime,

bylookingatthelubecharteverytime.

Beforetherace,arunnerwillrunaroundthetrackafewtimesinordertowarmup.Ifhestartscoldhemayteartendons,buthewillnotbreakrecords.

Idling

Beforemovingoff,theTiger’sdriverwilllethisengineidle,inthesummerfor5minutes,in the winter for 15 minutes, until the engine coolant temperature reaches 50°C, thetransmission is warm to the touch and the oil pressure has risen to 3 atmospheres -Otherwisethebearingswillbeshot!

Runat fast idle so that theengine turnsbetween1000and1500 rpm.Donot remainatbaseidle-Otherwisethesparkplugsfoul.

Donotbehasty,waitontheTiger!

Regularserviceprocedures:Lubrication

Those who take care of themselves are ahead of all others. Rather more often andthoroughlyshouldthecrèmefordayandnightbeapplied.-Otherwiseyou’llgetintroublewithyoursupplysergeant.

Moral:Themoviestarpowdersandpaints,

thedriverpaysattentiontothechassis.


B.Engine

Motto:Airwillgive-bycompression

theproperexplosionuponingestion.

Dustisyourenemy!

Ifyougoadistanceof7Km,yourwidetrackswillthrowupthedustfrom1hectareofland. You will be spotted from far away and will lose your most effective weapon -surprise.

Dustisyourarch-enemy!

Asyouaretravelingthese7kilometers,yourTigeruses170,000litresofthesamedirtyairagainstwhichyouareholdingyourbreath.

Within15minutesitmustbreatheinasmuchdustasyouwouldbreatheinduringaperiodof ten days spent riding on the back of the tank, where the air contains the highestconcentrationofdust.

Bothofyourfiltersmustdigestallthatdustyair.Theyareyouronlyweaponsagainstthisdeadlyfoe.


Theairfilter

Catches dust like a flycatcher catches flies. But as soon as it is covered or saturatedcompletely, it is useless. The air then enters the cylinders almost without having beenfiltered at all, the fine dust is ground between cylinder walls and pistons, constantlyworking like sand paper.With increasing wear the consumption of petrol and oil risesbecausethepistonsarebanginginsidethecylinders.

Inaddition,asaturatedfilterallowsinsufficientairtogothrough.Theenginenowdrawsinanincreasingamountofpetrol,whichinturnwashesthelubricatingoiloffthecylinderwalls.Forthesecondtimewearisincreasedtogetherwithfuelconsumption,thistimeduetoalackoflubrication.

Both factors multiply each other, soon causing a breakdown. A new engine must beinstalled.

In action your Maybach engine will serve you for 5000 km, if you give it clean air.Otherwiseitwillnotevenlast500km.

Therefore:

Cleantheairfilteraftercoveringanydistancewhichinvolvedanygenerationofdust!

Loosenthewingnut,removethefilterfromtheintakeairduct,andtaketheassemblyoff

thetank.Removethelid,andthenremovetheinsert.Washthefilterandthehousinginpetrol. (Caution, poison!)Dry thoroughly afterwards. Fill up used engine oil to the redmark.Installtheinsert,watchforagoodseal.Clamponthelid.Installthehousingevenlyand tightlyon the intakeairductandfasten thewingnut…donot forget thewiregauzeinserts.


Fourtwobarrelcarburetors

They faithfully feedyourengine,but theydemandcareandattention fromyou!Donotdrill or scrapewith needles orwires, use pliers and a splinter ofwood instead.Do notovertightenthelid!

Cleanthemoftenandpayspecialattentionto:

Thefuellevel(drainbyunscrewingmainjet).Themainventuri,itmustbeinstalledsothat“38”or“40”canbereadfromthetop.Thecenterring,itmustrestsquarelyonthemainventuri.(Thecenteratomizermustnotbeinstalledtoohighortoolow).Thethrottlevalves,theymustclosetightly.Thefloats,theymustnotbedentedandtheymusthangfreewithoutbinding.Thelinkage,itmustfitintothethrottleleverswithoutbinding.Also, that the side opening for the idle screw and all passages in the carburetorhousingarefree-otherwisetheenginejerksandbackfires.Avoid vacuum leaks by attending to immaculate gaskets and sealing surfaces -otherwisetheenginehasnopickup.

Thinkoftheidlespeed!

Turn theair screws inpairsall theway in then turnoutuntil theengine runs smoothly,retaintheidlespeedsettingbyfasteningthelimiterscrewontheairpipe-otherwisetheenginewillonlystartwithdifficulty.


Correctfuellevelinthefuelbowl.

Remove the air horn and lay the lower index fingeron the edgeof the float bowl,Thefingertipmustgetwetwhendoingthis-otherwise,youwillsearchforeverforthedefect.

Yourguardsmanintheengineistheenginespeedgovernor,

HehelpsyouwhentheTigerneedsbetterpickup.He warns you, should you be driving carelessly, not watching the oil pressuregauge.Hechecksyourtemperwhenyouracetheengine.

Because,upto1900rpm,youarerunningononlyfourcarburetors,thoseofthefirststage.Thefirststageformstheforwardpartofthecarburetorstwobarrels.Itiseasilyidentifiedbythelimiteronthethrottlevalve.

If theenginespeedis increasedover1900rpm,thesecondstageisopenedbymeansofthe centrifugal governor and oil pressure. The second stage is used for engine speedsbetween1900and2800rpm.

Theycloseagainassoonas2800rpmareexceeded.

If the engine has insufficient oil pressure, a bypasswill prevent higher engine speeds -

yourailingTigermustonlybedrivenintotherepairshop.

Jet-limerick:

…Thewrongidlejetwilltakeitstoll,remember,numbersixtyfiveisyourfriend!Forthefirst stage, to learn you should strive one-five-zero, two-thirty-five: For the secondrememberwithoutthinking:two-twenty-fiveandtwo-hundred!

1. mainjets(size235-225)2. idleairjets(size150-200)3. emulsiontubes4. mainventuri(size38-40)5. centeratomizer6. floatbowl7. airhorn8. throttlevalves

Moral:Whentheenginejerksandhisses,

it’sthecarburetor,withoutdoubt.


C.DriveTrain

Motto:Powerwillonlycomeofappliedforce,

whendirectedproperly.

Theslidinggeartransmissionisathoroughbredracehorse.Itchangesitspacewithsteadyandnaturalswiftnessafterverylittlepressureisapplied.Youmustcareforitbythebookandkeep the linkagesproperly adjusted.Otherwise itwill buck like a full bloodwhosereinsarewrongandwhoseleashisnotproperlyhung.


Therefore,Transmission:

1. Checktheoillevel,frequently.Cleantheoilfilter.2. Turnthewingnutbyhandtotherightuntiltheclutchisreleasedafterafreetravel

ofonly6mm.Makeagaugefromatwigforthe6mmmeasurement.3. Adjust the limiter on the foot-operated lever, so that the wingnut still travels

upwards.4. Theconnecting lever to the relayboxmustbe seatedwithoutplayonce the foot-

operatedclutchleverhastraveledthroughitsfreeplayof6mm.(Seemeasurement#2).

5. Adjust the lever on the accelerator shaft so that the enginewill reachmaximumspeedwhentheacceleratorlinkageismovedtothewide-openthrottlepositionbyhand.

6. Thelinkageontheselectorlevermustreleasesecurelyforeachgear.7. Lubricate the linkagesandkeep them frombinding, so that theymay swiftlyand

securelyreturntothedisengagedposition.8. Theremustalwaysbesomeplayinthecablestothesteeringrods.9. Cleanthesteeringvalve,whensteeringtroubleisencountered.Thesealingsurfaces

mustbecleanedofanydustparticlesoncethevalveplateispressedin.10. Retighten the mounting bolts for the sliding gear transmission. -Otherwise you

cannotshiftgears.

Driveshafts:Tightenthenutsfasteningthedriveshaftflangesfrequently.-Otherwisethedriveshaftswillcomeapart.


Thefrictionsurfaceonthebrakeitselfcannotbereplaced.Itisgluedon,notriveted.Youmust change the entire disc including the friction surface. To do so: Loosen theintermediate shaft and lever, remove the brake from the brake carrier, and loosen thescrews on the lid together with the brake housing. Readjust them often with a specialwrench (21E 2799U 15) and replace the radial seal as soon as oil enters through thebrakeretainer.-Otherwisetheyheatupandproducesmoke.

Auxiliary transmission (steering gear), check the seals. If oil is being discharged, theymustbereplacedimmediately.

WhenyourTiger is traveling33km/hour, ithas the same thrustasyourarmorpiercingshell#40flyingatthespeedof3300km/hour.

Ifyousteponthebrakethisthrustmustbeabsorbedbythefrictionsurfaceofthebrakedisc.TheTigerstopsaftertravelingadistanceof12meters.

Ifthegrenadehits,thearmorplatemustabsorbthewholeimpact,even20cmofsteeldonotoffersufficientresistance.Abrakingdistanceof20cmisnotenough.

Therefore, the friction surface on the brake must sustain what 20 cm of armor platecannot.Thinkofthateverytimeyouusethebrakes.

Therefore:Afreeplayof13mmmustbeadjustedonthebrake.Withthebrakeloose,you

caninsertafeelergaugeintotheinspectioncavity.Ifthefreeplayisabovespecificationsyoumustreadjustthelinkagebyonefurtherhole.


D.RunningGear

Motto:Onethinks,upondiscoveringabrokentrack:

Ishouldhavechecked,nowwemustslinkback.

Tensionofthetracksisextremelyimportant!Ontop,thetrackrunstothefrontwithtwicethevehiclespeed,going45km/hour,that’s90!Ifyoudonotproperlypreloadthetrackitwillslamontothedrivewheelswithaforceof18tonswhensteeringorbraking.Thetrackshouldhangfourfingers’widthoverthetopofthefirstrolleradjacenttothedrivewheel.When adjusting the preload check the limiter stops and do not overtension them, -Otherwisetheenginemustberemoved.

Checkboltsandnutsonthedrivewheel,alsoontherollersandtheguidewheel.Retightenas necessary. Take care not to damage the sheet-metal locks or replace the locks. -Otherwise,thewheelsflyoffbythemselves!

In the winter time all the rollers must turn freely. Thaw them with a blow torch, -Otherwise,youlosetherubberrims.

Check for loose or broken rubber rims, unlocked bolts, fractured roller discs, brokentorsion bars and trailing arms. Exchange them on time. - Otherwise the faults willmultiply!

Torsionbarsarethejointsof theTiger.Youmustnot injuretheirpolishedsurface.Withthemit’sthesameasaloveaffair.Ifthereisasmallfracture,itsoonfallsapart.Donotthrowanytoolsontothem,dragheavyorsharp-edgedobjectsontheirsurfaceorsteponthemwithstuddedboots.-Otherwiseyouneedtogointotheshop.

Allterraintrack

Toinstalltheall-terraintrack:

Completelyremovepaint,rust,dirtandicefromtheflanges.Applyaverythincoatofgrease.Installtherollers.Tightentheboltsinacriss-crosspatternandsecure.Openthetransporttrackundertheguidewheelononeside.Movethetankforwarduntilthetrackisoffthewheels.Layouttheall-terraintrackinfrontofthetank.Drivethetankforwarduntiltheendofthetrackisclosetothefirstroller.Tiearopearoundthedrivewheelthreefold.Hooktheropeintothetrack.Blocktheotherdrivewheelusingthesteeringlever.Pullthetrackontotherollers.Lockthetracklinksandputtensiononit.

Theothersideisinstalledinthesamemanner.

Thetransporttrackisinstalledinthesamemannerastheall-terraintrack.Inthiswaytherollerscanberemovedeasily,becausetheyhangfreely.

Boltsandtracklinksarereplacedwiththeweaklinkunderthedrivewheelortheguidewheel.

Newlinksmustnotbereplacedclose together,butdistributedevenlyover the lengthofthetrack.

Change the sprockets on the drivewheels as soon as the forward edgeof the teeth haswornoff.


Thisisnotacentipede;it’saTigerfromunderneath.

Thisisanassessmentofthetasks,wrenchesandspecialtoolsinvolvedinordertochangearoller,adrivewheel,aguidewheeloraflange.

Moral:Whenit’sdarklikeastheinsideofacow,

coldwetanddirty,fullofslime,

Jacksandwinchesstuckintheground

hammerandwrenchesnowheretobefound

Whenbarsbreak,crankarmsdrag

threerollersmissing,fiveofthemsnag,

Ifonlythemakerwashere!


DefensiveDriving

Motto:TheTigeriseasytoguidebyathinkingman.

26turnsaminuteinthethreequarterstepisthatofafinegentlemandancingthewaltz.At this pace themusicmelts in your ear andharmonizeswith the regularityofmotion.Goingslowerisboring,but ifyouturntoofastyouwillgetdizzyandyourpartnerwillmeltfromalltheheat.

2600rotationsperminuteinthefourcycleiswhattheTigerloves.Atthisspeedhewillperformbestforthefuelconsumed.Yourinstinct,yourearsandyourtachometerwilltellyouwhenyouhavebroughtyourpartneruptotheperfectheat.

Donotraceherover3000rpmever,otherwiseshewilloverheat.Thewaterboils,theoilceasestolubricate,thebearings,pistonsandvalvesburnandfreeze-thedanceisover…

Thereforedrivewithyourhead,notwithyourbehind!

Constantlycheckthespeed(1)coolanttemperature(2)andoilpressure(3)Findthebestwaytogobutholdthedirection,Approachcautiouslybutkeeponmoving,Checkwhatisaheadbutscrutinisethegauges.Reportontheintercombutlistentoengineandtransmission.

Onthemove

Turnthecannontothe6o’clockpositionandfastenitdown.

Buildingsandwalls

Donotberunover!TherubblelooksbetterintheweeklymovietonenewsthanonthetailendofyourTiger.Theblowerwillsuckinallthedirtanddust,theradiatorgetsimmersedindustandnolongerfunctions.Theengineoverheatsandfails.

Tarp,leaves,rubble,luggage

Mustnotlayontheblowercoverordisturbthecannonwhenrotatingtheturret.


Morass,swamps

Avoiddarkareasandhighgrass.Prefer tomakelongdetours.Investigatethegroundonfoot.Takeanothermanpiggybackandstandononeleg.Ifthegroundsupportsyou,itwillsupportthetank.Gothroughswiftly,donotsteerorchangegears.Ifyougetstuck,donotdigyourselfinbyattemptingtogetout.AnotherTigerwillpullyouout.Anchorthecable,hookintothetracksandpullyourselfout.

Logdam

Thedammust be3.5meters inwidth and the logsmust be at least 15 cm indiameter.Otherwisetheywillbreakorworkloosewhenpassingoverthedam.

Rivers

Asolidriverbedandfirmriverbanksarenecessary.Whereother tankswadethroughthewater,theTigercangotoo.Turnofftheengineandprepareforunder-waterdriving.Closethesumpvent,turnonthebilgepump.

Bridges

Investigateonfoot.Prefertoford.Stopinfrontofthebridge.PositiontheTigersoitcancrosswithout theneed tosteer.Select lowgear,donotchangegears,donotstop,driveslowerthanwalkingpace.Accelerateonlyafter5metersofhavingcrossedthebridge.

Ditchesandcraters

Approachheadon,avoidwetareas.

Woodedareas

TheTigerwillsmashdowntreesupto80cmindiameterusingtheedgeofthefrontplate.If the clearance between trees is too narrow, drive in a zig-zag pattern, with one siderunningfree.

Mines

Stayonthetracks,bumpbackontracks,donotsteer,andeliminateminesifpossible.

Snow

Newdrysnowisnoreasonforconcernbelow70cminheight.Compactedsnoworsleetonlyuptothelevelofgroundclearance-50cm.

Ice

Throwchainlinkinfrontofthetrack,useinertia,donotsteer,approachedgesorditcheswithonetrack.Usingtwigsorsandfortractionmakeslittlesense.


Thisisyourfavoritechair.Youneedtoknowyourwayaroundhere,soYou’llfindalltheleversandswitcheseveninthedarkestofnights, likeathomethelightswitch,thedoorhandleor…wellyouknowwhat.

Driver’slookoutshield

Mustbekeptmovable! In thewintertimeandwhenunder attack it can sometimes jam.Loosenthefourcountersunkscrewsintheframe.Removethelidandturnthefixturesfarenoughtotheleft,untilthereisenoughplayintheadjustmentknobs.

Onegearisalwaysengaged.Ifthatoneissuitabletostartout.Youwillnotneedtochangetheselector.

Noneed toreduceenginespeedoruse theclutch.1or2gearscanbeskippedonce thetransmissioniswarmedup.Watchthetachometer!

Noneedtousetheclutch,noneedtodouble-clutchorspeeduptheengine.1to2gearscanbeskippedoncethetransmissioniswarmedup.Watchthetachometer!

Tostartout:

1st-4thgear(5th-8thgearimpossible)

4.Depressclutchpedal

5.Directionalleverforward

6.Selectorto1-4detentEngagetheselector

7.Accelerate,slowlyengagetheclutch.

Upshift:

8gears

SelectorindetentEngageselectorlever

Downshift:

8.SelectorindetentAdjustthebrakeleverwithfeel,engagetheselector.


Inturns

9. Shift downbefore the turn. Pull in by the larger or smaller radius according to feel.Using any given gear, awide or a narrow turn can bemade. The smaller the turn, thelowerthegearmustbeengaged.Ifitdoesn’tworkout,brakelever,changegears.

Turningonthespot

Shiftdowntofirstthroughthirdgear,depresstheclutch,pullleftorright.Pushthelargebuttononthetransmissionhousing.

Stopping

Shiftdowntofirstthroughfourthgear,brakelever,depressclutch,directionalleverto“0”,engageclutch.

Backingup,4gears

Depress clutch, reverse directional lever, selector lever to detent.Engage selector lever.Accelerateengineandslowlyengagetheclutch.

The directional lever cannot bemoved to “0” or reverse as long as a gear above #4 isengaged.Ifyoustoppedwhilein5ththrough8thgear-depresstheclutch-shiftdown.

Reverseisonlypossiblein1stthrough4thgear.

Ordertoshoot

Depress clutch, apply hand brake lever. Try out position 10 1/2 and 1 1/2 o’clock andmemorize.Commanderandgunnergivedirectionsviaintercom.

“Inposition”

Engageselector lever insecondgear.Thepositionof the threeshaftsand therespectivegearcanbenotedontheplaqueonthetransmissionhousing.

“Breakfaaast”

Pullright,or…

“Lunch”

Pullleft

(See“Dailymeals”)

(See“Spotting“)

Lookout-estimatedistance-report-lookout.

Emergencyshift

Directional lever to “0” Use a wrench to change gears Depress the clutch, Directionalleverforward.Accelerate,engagetheclutch.

Moral:Aswithallthingswhicharenotcompulsory,

drivingisapleasure.


EngineShutoff

CarbonicAcid(CO2)isrefreshing.

What sparkles in lemonade, foams in beer, tingles in champagne, is carbonic acid. Itrejuvenates,smellssourandtastesgreat,aseveryoneknowsitwillgetyoudrunk.

Carbonmonoxide(CO)isdeadly.

Theexhaustgasescontaincarbonmonoxideapartfromcarbondioxide(CO2),theformerbeingaprofoundlyevilsubstance.Youdonotseeit,youdonottasteit,youdonotsmellit.Youwillslowlybecometired, thenfallunconscious,pantforafewminutesandthendropdead!

SparkyInnocentrestshere,hediedoftragicatmosphere

InhisTigeritwascoldloandbehold….

Soheletitrunwarmbutthesmokewasnotforlornsinceatarpagainsttheraincoveredthepipewhenceitcame,sothefumesdlowlycreptto

Innocentwhojustslept.

Fivemoretimeshe’dbreathe,tillupwardshissouldidleave.

Surelyifstillawakethetarpaulinofftheexhausthe’dtake.


Sometimesithappensrealfast:

Aleakintheexhaustductcausedcarbonmonoxidetoaccumulateinthesump,youthinknoevilandpush thestarterbutton in themorning,and it starts rightup, thewhole tankthatis!Atinysparkfromalooselyinsulatedwireblowsupthewholevehicle.

Ventilationistheonlymeansofprotectionagainstit.Carbonmonoxideisheavierthanairandslowlysettlesinlowerareas.Youmustusethatconditiontoyouradvantage!

Therefore:

When turningoff the engine, openboth sidesof the engine cover, open the sumpvent,openthelookout,openwindows,doors,closebothfuelcocks.Removeignitionkey.Iftheengine does not shut off – accelerate to wide open throttle position and turn themainbatteryswitchto“0”.-OtherwisetheTigerbursts!

Inthewintertimedonotstoponthebarrenground.Laytwigs,brushwork,logs,straworfences underneath. Remove dirt,mud and ice between the rollers.Move the tank a bitevery two hours.A sudden change betweenwarmweather (thawing) and coldweather(freezing)isespeciallydangerous.-Otherwiseitwillfreezeinplace!

Thintheoil,see“6xCheckOil”,andremovethebatteries.Ifstoppedforalongerperiodoftime,see“Power”.Engagethegearyouintendtousewhenstartingoutlateron.Acold

transmissioncannotbeshiftedthroughthegearrange.Clampdowntheclutchpedalsotheclutchisdisengagedanddoesnotfreezeontotheflywheel,-Otherwiseyoucannotstartoutlater!

Moral:TheTigerdoesnotlikeitsownodour,

muchliketheLandserdoesn’tcareforhiseither!


FieldRecovery

Motto:Withcare,thoughtandlogic-recoveryissoonaccomplished.

Justasyouwouldhelpyourcomrade,nomatterwhat,Youmusttakecareofyourfriendofsteeltooandtakehimhomewhenhebreaksdown.IfneedbeanotherTigercanhelpyouout,butitisbettertoavoidthatavenue.Itisbettertoskipanyfurtherattemptstogetoutonyourown.Youtormenttheengineanddriveline,anditisnogoodanyway.

Instead:

Reportandlettheexpertstalk!Inthemeantime,prepareforrecovery,payingattentiontothefollowing:

Gustav:

Freesupthetracksoropensthemtochecktherunninggear…sothatresistancetotowingiseliminated,

Removes thesteeringgearboxshaftandreplaces thebolts…sothat the transmission isdisabled,butthebrakeswork.

HulsensackeandPiepmatz:

Removeobstaclesinfrontofthetracksandhull…sothattherecoveryeffortwillbeless

difficult.

SpeedyQuickthinker:

has checked for anchor points for the tow tractor and prepares the appropriate tools:breakerbars,towbars,hooks,ropesandwinches…incasetherecoverywillbedoneusingwinches.

Don’tfiddlearoundandwastetime,oryou’llbereprimanded!

Inform the commander of the recovery team on damages to the tank and avenues forrecoveryrightaway.Andtheneveryonelendsahand!Oncethevehicleisfreeitwillbetowedinatandemtrain.Bealertasawatchdogwhencrossingbridges,fordingrivers,orpassingnarrowroadways.Keepincontactwiththetowingtractors,makeanextraeffortgivingdirections,otherwiseyourcomradeswillbebroadsidedor thetankendsupstuckonceagain.

Moral:Recoveryisfullofdifficulty,yetisanecessity.


LoadingforTransport

Motto:EvenGeneralGuderiansometimestakesthetrain!

Loading a tank onto the train is smooth and quick business if you have preparedeverythingproperly:

Applytherailcar(SSyms)brakeandsupporttheoverhangateachendoftherailroadcar-OtherwiseyourTigerendsupontherails.

Install the transport tracksandstowaway theaccessory rollers,butmakesure the trackcoverisliftedup,soitwillnotendangerrailroadtraffic.WhenloadingtheTigerprefertouse head ramps, lay out both all terrain tracks side by side, drive theTiger over these,fastenthetracksonthefrontandpullthemontotherailcarinthismanner.Theremainingendsarefoldedinward.Oncethetankisontherailcar,donotforgettoapplythebrakesandchuckthetracksateachend.

Whilemoving by train, frequently check:whether brake is firmly applied;whether thewoodenchucksarestillnaileddown;whetherthetankisstillcenteredontherailcar.

Moral:Loadingontothetrain,fortheoldhandsischildplay!


RadioOperator

“RadioOperatorthedecrypter”

Yoursetreachesfartherthanthevoice,theear,theeye.Ittravelsoverdistancesfasterthanatankoraprojectile.Theresponsibilityofwhetheritturnsintoapowerfulanddangerousweaponorintoameantraitorisinyourhands.


Theradioapparatus

Motto:Oftentheproperradiobroadcast

willdiverttheattacktothebetter,atlast!

Therightwavelengthandthepropervolumeareoftendecisiveforyourfuture.Inturn,aridiculousmishap,suchasawrong,adjustment,amissingconnectionora loosecontactcanruineverything.Bewiredup.

Always:

1. Plugthewirestothetransformerandtotheantennaintotheirpropersockets.2. Checkthatallswitchesareinthe“off”positionwhentheapparatusisnotinuse.3. Checktheconnectionsfromthebattery,(+on+,-on-)overconnectorbox23in

the base plate, and from the transformer to the apparatus for tight contact. Payattentiontoloosewiresandinsulation.

Beforeusingtheapparatus:

Connectallwiresasshownonthediagram.

Tooperatethereceiver:

Adjust-2-forhighvolume

Check-4-whetherthescaleislit.

And-5-forburningcontrollight

Adjust-6-to“0”

Turn-7-ontheorderedfrequencyandlock.

Adjust-8-for“faraway”

Turn-6-tomaximumvolume

Adjust-8-to“near”ifvolumeistoohigh.

Turn-2-backifitisstilltooloud.

Tooperatethetransmitter:

Adjust-2-toposition“Tn”

Check-4-ifthescaleislit.

And-5-forburninglight.

Turn-7-tooperatingfrequency.

Push-9

Turn-10-until11pointstothefarrightofthescale.

Does-11-oscillatewhenyouspeakintothemicrophone?

Adjust-2-to“Tgsounding”ifyouwanttousetheMorsecode

Afteroperation:

2Turntheswitchto“0”.

1andstickthewiresintotheirsockets.

Moral:Heplugshiswiringfortwofrequencies.


Intercom

Motto:Radioandtelephoneweremadetobetterhearthetone!

This is the intercomcontrolboxwith its two switches.Using theupper switchyoucanobtaindifferent settings for the intercom.The lower switchmaybe set eitherway.Thereceiveristurnedon,thetransmitterisnot.Ifyouhavenoreceiver,hookthe5-wirecablefrom,thetransformertotheintercomcontrolbox.

1.Firstoption:“Intercom”

Tank commander! You can listen and speak without pushing your button. You mustthereforebeespeciallycareful,aseverythingyousaywillbeheard. Ifyouwish touttermaledictions or talk to the infantryman, you either have to remove the microphone orunplug themicrophonewire,orhave the radiooperator turnoff thewholeapparatus. Ifyouwanttotalktotheradiomanyoumustpushyourbutton.

GunnerandDriver!Youareconstantlylisteningin.Ifyouwanttospeak,youmustpushthebutton.

Radiooperator!Youcanonlytalktothecommanderafterpushingyourbutton.

2.Secondoption:“BroadcastandIntercom”

Radiooperator! Ifyouconstantlywant tobeconnected to the intercom, turn theupperswitchtotheleft,position“BroadcastandIntercom”.Likethecommanderyouthenheareverythingandcanspeakwithoutpushingyourbutton.

The four speakers of the intercom are shown as circles, transmitting and receiving isdenotedbyarrows.Ifthearrowgoesthroughasquarethenthebuttonmustbepushedonthemicrophoneinordertotalk.

Moral:Communicationontheintercomworks,aswithayoungwoman!


Intercom

Motto:Thebroadcastwouldbebeyonddescription

withafemaleperformingtheencryption!

Here2x2optionsarepossibleasthelowerswitchisnowpartofthesetting.Fornow,wewillleaveitsetontheright,on:

A.“CommanderandRadiooperator,Receiver1and2”

1.Firstoption,“Intercom”

Radioman!You can send and receive by turning the operatingmode switch to “Tn” or“reception”whilethecommander,gunneranddrivertalkontheintercomundisturbed.

Shouldthecommanderwanttoheartheincomingbroadcastorifhewantstosendoutamessage, then either you or him need to push the button. You will then hear what iscominginorbeingtransmitted.Inthemeantimethecommanderisdisconnectedfromtheintercom.

Theintercomisdenotedtogetherwithbroadcastmodein theaboveillustrations.Ontopintercom is to the left and above the dotted line, the radio operator being in broadcastmode.

Above,intercomistotherightandabovethedottedline,onlybetweengunneranddriver.


In the illustrations, intercom is denoted as previously. On top only the radio op. is inbroadcast mode. In the center one message is denoted by thick, another by thin lines,intercomisabovetotherightofthedottedline.

Above,thicklinesdenotemessagetoradioop.,theothersmessagetothecrew.

2.Secondoption:“BroadcastandIntercom”

If the whole crew is supposed to receive, switch to the left, position “Broadcast andIntercom”.

All fourcrewmembersarenowinterconnected,all forcannowsend.Gunneranddrivermustpushtheirbuttonstodoso.

Nowspecialcareistobetakentoshutup!

B.“Commanderreceive1,Radioop.Receive2”

1.Firstoption:

Theupperswitchtotheright,on“intercom”mode.

InvehicleswithtypeFu2andFu5apparatusyoumustlistentobothreceivers,thatdoesnotrequireaPh.D.either.

Butiftwomessagesarrivesimultaneously,thenpushthebuttonquicklyandturnthelowerswitchtotheleft,on“Commanderreceive1,Radioop.Receive2”.

In that case you only keep receiverNo.2,while receiverNo.1 goes to the commander,or…

2.Secondoption:

Forthewholecrew,iftheupperswitchisturnedtothelefton“IntercomandBroadcast”.

Moral:Therefore,thinkfastandactquick,

orwhereyounowalightningboltwillsit.


Loader

“LoaderHulsensacktheindefatigable”

60tonsofsteeland700horsepowerserveonlyonepurpose,tosetinmotionandprotecttheweaponry youoperate. If you fail, all of thatwill be in vain. If you prove yourselfcompetent,amultitudeofenemytonnageandhorsepowerwillbedestroyedwithyouraid.


Motto:Oftenonecannotreallyfireasshewillnotasonedesires.

DONOTunwraptooearly!

DONOTstandupbutlovinglylayonablanket.

DONOTusethepackagingmaterialforheating,turnitbackin,

DONOTletmoisture,dirt,sunlightorfrosttouchit!

DONOTtossordentlikethebricklayers.

Shellswithfracturesordents-turnthemout!

Shellswithmarredrotatingband-turnthemout!

Shellswithleakingexplosive-turnthemout!

Shellswithoutbaseplateorcrimping-turnthemout!

Caution!!!

Inspect,clean,donotlubricate!

Handtightenlooseprimingscrews!

Primingscrewsmustnotprotrude

Tightennosefusebyhand!

Straightenoutlooseandrotatingprojectiles!

Ammunitionwithpercussionprimerwillcauseashortcircuit!

Attention!

Insertshellstightlyintotheirmountingbrackets!

Rearrangestorageontime!

Whenloadingdonotspoiltherotatingband!

Anti-tankgrenade#39isblackwithwhitetip!

Anti-tankgrenadeA’40isblack!

HL-grenadeisgrey!

Highexplosiveshellisyellow!

Onlyadjustdelayusingawrench!

Afterunloading,setbackonO.V.,otherwiseitwillfail!

Turnindudsandusedshells!

Moral:Whetherblond,black,turninggrey,orwhite,

careforherlikeforyourbride.Hertemperyouwillcometoappreciate,atthetouchofafingershe’llcatchfire.


Theversatilecannon

Motto:Ajaminthebarrel-thankGod,itdoesn’thappenoften.

Beforehand…

Checkyour circuitry, care for the ammunition, clean the lock, rotate/actuate allmovingparts,cleanandremovealltheoilfromthebarrelbeforeshooting.Applyoilliberallyafterusewhenthebarrelisagainwarmtothetouch.-Otherwisethecannonwillnotshootatall!

Attention…

Remove the muzzle cover, also the disposable one, when covered with ice. Removecamouflageandbrushworkawayfromthemuzzle.Lookthroughthebarrelduringapauseinfiring.Shineinsidewithaflashlightatnight.Removefragmentsandresidue.Unloadahotbarrelduringapauseinfiring.-Otherwisethecannonwillshoottotheside.

Donotshoot,

Ifthemuzzlebrakeislooseorshotoff-itworkslikeafunnelandhelpstoabsorb70%oftherecoil.

Iftherecoilbrakelosesoil-itworkslikeashockabsorberandabsorbs25%oftherecoil.

If thepneumatic recuperator leaksairordoesnot function. Itworks likeadoorclosinglinkandabsorbs5%ofthecannon’srecoil.

Iftherecoilmarkersignals“pauseinfiring”.Itmustbeshiftedforwardaftereveryshot.

Ifthecotterpinontheoperatingleverisloseormissing-Otherwisethecannonwillshootbackwards.

Then again,with experiencedmarksmen and generally anyway - the cannonwill shootforward!

Moral:Onlywithregretthetankmanwilladmit,

insteadofhittinghetookahit!


SlowResponse

Motto:The8.8israpidlyfiredbutsomeofthemneverlight.

JammingatChamber

Cause:Corrosionordirtonshell

Remedy:Reload.

JammingatPrimingscrew

Cause:Useless(canberecessed)

Remedy:Newprimingscrew.

JammingatStriker

Cause:Tooshort,dullorbroken

Remedy:Newstriker.

JammingatBridge

Cause:Brokenspring

Remedy:Newbridge.

JammingatBlock

Cause:Notreachedbythebridge

Remedy:Pushcannonforward,refillairto55at,(44Loil)

JammingatSocketonpushbutton

Cause:Loosewireconnection

Remedy:Repairsocketandplug.

JammingatSignallamps

Cause:Youcanfire,evenwithlampisburntorhasfallenout

Remedy:Installanewlamp,bendthespringasneeded.

JammingatOilfuse

Cause:Recoilbrakeisleakingoil(contains5.1Litresofoil)

Remedy:Checkseal,tightenscrews,fillupoil.

JammingatBoschtypeplug

Cause:Wirepinched,plugisnotfullyinserted.

Remedy:Checksocketandplug,newwire,bendspring.

Jammingat15Amp.fuse

Cause:Firstfindtheshortorpinchedwire.

Remedy:Obtainnewfusefromdriver.

Jammingat40Amp.Fuse

Cause:Anti-aircraftammunition,chafedwire

Remedy:Replacepercussionprimerwithelectricigniter.

JammingatBatteries

Cause:Looseclampsordirtybatteries

Remedy:Clean,tightenclamps,applygrease.

Solutionformalfunctionsupto15Ampfuse

Symptom-Lamponthetriggerdoesnotburn,signallampdoesburn!

Remedy:Switchtoemergencybatteryonemergencyswitch.

SolutionformalfunctionsuptoBoschtypeplug

Symptom-Lamponthetriggersignallampdoesnotlight.

Remedy:Insertwireintosocketforturretlights,pullthroughwiththeloaderfuse.

Check:Unloadcannon,hold triggerpulled, lay test lightwithoneend toground, (baremetal),withtheotherendonthewire,(insulationremoved).

Becareful!Donotcauseashortcircuit!Checkthewiringtowardsthecannonuntilthetestlightnolongerlightsup.Themalfunctionislocatedshortlybeforethatpoint!

Attention!Iftheoilfusehasturnedpoweroff,shootingmustnotoccur.


5CuresforJamming

Motto:Whenitcomestofirethepoorlymachinegunwilljam!

Bullets:

With dents or fractures, rust or deformation …throw out! Install only German madeammunition straight out of the package, do not use suspicious Russian ammunitiondroppedbyair(explosiveammunition).Checkeverybullet,clean,donotlubricate.

Belts:

Withpocketsthatweresteppedon,arebentorcorroded…throwthemout!Withbrokenorbentclaws…throwthemout!Withlinkstornofforsteppedon…throwthemout!Withwornofflinkconnectors…throwthemout!Doitliketheskiers!Dipthebeltsintoboilingkerosene,shakeoffwell!

Thatwilllastforanaveragecampaign.Installthebeltsproperly,theclawmustsitinitsgroovesnugly.Assemblewithcare,thestudmustbecenteredintheopening.

Machinegun:

Assembleproperly.Checkthelengthoftherecoilspring(forwardtocenterinsert).Checkthelengthofthefiringpinstring,threeturnsoverendofbolt.Thefiringpinnutmustsnapaudibly.Donotinsertthebeltfeedthewrongway.

Oil:

Applyoilonlyonmovingpartsandlockingcams.Usehighsulfuroilorevenbetter,someengine oil. Remove the oil from the barrel and locking cams, - otherwise you’ll haveinhibitions.

Installation:

Proceedsothatthemachinegunisnotdistorted.Themountingforkmustfitoverthepinsonthehousingwithoutbinding.Adjustthetriggerlinkagewithlocknut.Themachinegunmustbesetforcontinuousfire.Movethecockingslideforward,sothatthetangdoesnotbreak.Emptythedeflectorbag.

…Butbeforeinstallation:


…Layyourhandoveryourheartandaskfivequestions:

Question#1:

Isthebarrelbent?Doesthecounterrecoilmechanismoperate?

Check#1:

Cockthemachinegun,removetheflashdamper.Thebarrelmustbeeasilypushedtothestudusingjustonefinger,butreboundimmediately.

Question#2:

Doesthemachinegunoperateincontinuousfiremode?

Check#2:

Kickthetrigger,pullthelockandletitsnapforward.Itmustcatchonlywhenreleasingthetrigger,andimmediately.

Question#3:

Doesthelockoperatefreely?

Check#3:

Removethebaseplatewithlockingspring.Thelockmustbemovabletogetherwiththe

lockingslidewithouteffort.

Question#4:

Doesthelockengagecompletely?

Check#4:

Let the lock snap forward, open the lid. Themating surface of the lower lock housingmustbeevenwiththeedgeofthelowerhalfofthefeedmechanism.

Question#5:

Doestheprocessofdelivery,deflection,extractionandejectionworkproperly?

Check#5:

Insert a fewcaseswithprojectileson top, let the lock snap forwardandpull back.Thecasemustbeejectedsharply.

New!Swiftreadinesstofire:

Whenloadingthelockisleftinforwardposition!Youcantakeyourtimeloading.Ifthesafetystopfails,noshotcanbefired!

Do not close the lidwith the use of force. If youwant to shoot you only need to loadthrough.

Moral:Checkbesidesthebelt,

doesthesprayerworkaswell?


AMules’sBarometer

Motto:Amule’stailwilltell,whetherit’swetout,windy,orhotandthick.Watchingthemachinegun’sbehaviour,thegunnerfindsthejam!

Ifthetailisdryanddoesnotwiggle-niceweather

Ifthetailisdrybutwiggles-windy

Ifthetailiswetbutdoesnotwiggle-rain

Ifthetailiswetandwiggles-storm

Ifthetailisnowheretobeseen-fog

Justaseasily,youcandeterminewhattheproblemiswithyourmachinegunwhenitjams:

Payattention!

Removethefootfromthetrigger,ontherightside,movethecockingslideback,whileatthesametimechecking:

1. Positionofthelock?2. Whatisbeingejected?3. Whatisinthewayofthelock?

Secureontheleft,ontheright,removethelidandcheck.

Andnowlookat….


TheMachineGunBarometer

LOCKPOSITIONFORWARD:

Whatisejected:cartridge,dud.Whatjams:failure.

Immediateremedy:continuefire.Rootcause:4Wear

Whatisejected:cartridge,intact.Whatjams:striker.

Immediateremedy:exchangelockRootcause:Fatigue/4Wear

Whatisejected:nothing.Whatjams:beltbinds.

Immediateremedy:pullbeltthroughRootcause:2Sloppiness

Whatisejected:nothing.Whatjams:Ejectorrod.

Immediateremedy:exchangelocksRootcause:3Fatigue/4Wear

Whatisejected:nothing.Whatjams:carrier.

Immediateremedy:pullonbeltRootcause:3Fatigue/4Wear

ALMOSTFORWARD

Whatisejected:cartridge,intactWhatjams:distortedgun.

Immediateremedy:loosenclawRootcause:2Sloppiness

Whatisejected:cartridge,intactWhatjams:lockingcatch

Immediateremedy:exchangebarrelRootcause:1Dirt

Whatisejected:nothing.Whatjams:cartridgedented

Immediateremedy:exchangebarrelRootcause:2Sloppiness

CENTER

Whatisthecartridgedoing?

Cartridgejams,barrelfreeWhatjams:improperload

Immediateremedy:continuefireRootcause:2Sloppiness

Cartridgejams,barrelfreeWhatjams:ejectorrod

Immediateremedy:exchangelockRootcause:3Fatigue/4Wear

Cartridgejams,caseinbarrelWhatjams:deflectorbag

Immediateremedy:emptybagRootcause:2Sloppiness

Cartridgejams,caseinbarrelWhatjams:extractor

Immediateremedy:exchangelockRootcause:4Wear

Cartridgejams,caseinbarrelWhatjams:Chamber

Immediateremedy:exchangebarrelRootcause:1Dirt

Cartridgejams,splitcaseinbarrelWhatjams:loosestrikernut

Immediateremedy:exchangelock/barrelRootcause:2Sloppiness

Cartridgejams,splitcaseinbarrelWhatjams:boltstop

Immediateremedy:exchangebarrelRootcause:4Wear

CasejamscartridgeinbarrelWhatjams:ejector

Immediateremedy:exchangelockRootcause:4Wear

ALMOSTBACK

Whatisthecartridgedoing?

CartridgenotejectedWhatjams:bentpocket


CartridgenotejectedWhatjams:connector


CartridgenotejectedWhatjams:locktravel

Immediateremedy:cleanRootcause:1Dirt

CartridgenotejectedWhatjams:bentejector

Immediateremedy:exchangelockRootcause:2Sloppiness

CartridgetravelWhatjams:belttravel


CartridgetravelWhatjams:feed,upperpart-continuefire

Rootcause:3Fatigue/4Wear

ALLTHEWAYBACK

Caughtafter1st.shot:Whatjams:Linkageshort

Immediateremedy:pulloffbyhandRootcause:2Sloppiness

Lockdoesnotstayinplace(ifitistostop,holdthebelt)Whatjams:linkagebinds

Immediateremedy:pulloffbyhandRootcause:2Sloppiness

Lockdoesnotstayinplace(ifitistostop,holdthebelt)Whatjams:triggerdirty

Immediateremedy:reloadoftenRootcause:1Dirt

Lockdoesnotstayinplace(ifitistostop,holdthebelt)Whatjams:wearontrigger

Immediateremedy:getanothermachinegunRootcause:4Wear

Rootcause:

YOURFAULT

1.Dirt!Clean,removeoil.Applyoilandgraphite.

2.Sloppiness!Reloadthebelt,Straightenout,readjust

NOTYOURFAULT

3.Fatigue!Saggingspringsthesprings.

4.Fractureandwear!Newpartfromsparepartsbinorordinanceshop

Moral:Yousee,iftheshotsdon’tgoastheycame,

usuallyit’syouwhoistoblame.


MO-FÜ-FA-LA-BA(mnemonic)

Motto:Llleft–slllow,rrright–rraapid!

Exterior:

MO-tor(engine)coverclosed,engagelock

FÜ-nker(radiooperator’s)hatchclosed

FA-hrer(driver’s)hatchclosed

LA-ampen(lights)removed

BA-hn(clear)tracks

Interior:

Gunner,disengagelock

Driver,startengine

1.Loader,engagerotatinggearllleft–slllow,rrright–swwwift!

2.Radioop.Selectorleveron“turret”

3.Loader,Emergencyleverontransmissionupwards

4.Gunner,Rotate,bysteppingonpedal.

Reeear–leeeft,frooont–riiight!

Gunner,aimusingelevatingandtraversingmechanism.

Driver,accelerate,whenithastohappenquickly.

Moral:Reeear–Leeeft,frooont–riiight!


Turrettrouble

Motto:Stillathome,forsometherewent

theturretandtheirheadoutofdetent.

TURRETCANNOTBEROTATEDBYFOOT

Cause:Clutchstuck

Remedy:5Leaveenginerunning,knockclutchloose!

Cause:Clutchlinkagetooshortortoolong

Remedy:6Loosennutonclutchlinkageandadjustfork!

Cause:Linkagejumpedoutofballpivot

Remedy:7Connectballpivotandsecure!

Cause:Centershaftdislodgedontopofslipringconnector

Remedy:8Removebellhousingandengagecentershaftdogs!

Cause:Nooilpressure

Remedy:Refilltoproperlevel!

Cause:Pedaloffhinges

Remedy:9Installlinkage,newcotterpin

TURRETHANGSUPAT4OR8O’CLOCKPOSITION

Cause:Turrethanginguponopenenginecover

Remedy:Usinga ropeattached to thecannon,pull to12o’clockposition,closeenginecover!

TURRETSWINGSONLYTOTHERIGHTWHENOPERATEDBYFOOT

Cause:Springunderpedalistoolong

Remedy:4Adjustspringorsetpedalinhorizontalposition!

TURRET SWINGS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS LEFT OR RIGHT, WHENOPERATEDBYFOOT

Cause:Pedallinkagetooshortortoolong

Remedy:9Shortenorlengthenpedallinkage!

TURRETSWINGSWITHOUTINTERRUPTION

Cause:Clutchandlinkagebinding

Remedy:6Turnoffengineandfreeuplinkage!

Cause:Compressionspringstopnotseatedright

Remedy:5Removedriveshaftatflange,unscrewthelocknut,pullofftheclutch,donotdamagetheneedlebearing,insertspringstopstraight,installclutch.

EMERGENCYLEVERDOESNOTFUNCTION

Cause:Emergencyleveristurningwithshaft,pinshearedoff

Remedy:3Installnewpintosecureemergencylever!

Moral:Withsenseweswivelelegant–whohasnonelaboursbyhand.


Gunner

“Holzaugetheinfallible”

Aimingashot intodeadcenter isamatterofart,butnotblackmagic. Inorder toshootbetterthanyouropponent.Youhavebeengiventhesharperweaponandthesharpermind.Usingthe8.8Youcanshootoffamosquito’srightcaninetooth.

Hereyoulearnhow:


Motto:Youwon’tlearntoaimorshoot,

ifyouhaven’teatenyourwayupthisbook!

Hülsensack had received a gigantic cake from his bride Elvira on the occasion of hisbirthday.Thecakehadadiameterof2kilometers.

ThiscakewastobesharedwitheverymaninthedivisionsoHülsensackcutitinto6400pieces.

Thosewereverystrangepiecesofcake.Ifyoustartedeatingatthetip,therewashardlyanythingbecauseitwassothin.Atthebackitbecamemuchwider,goingupto1meterinwidthattheouterfringe.Eachpieceofcakewas1000mlong.

Elvirawouldhavelikedtobakeacakewhereeachpiecewouldhavebeen2000mlong,butthefieldpostdeclinedsubmissiontotheunit.Thosewouldhavebeen2mwideattheend.

Youcaneasilyfigureoutthewidthforsuchapieceofcake,ifyouonlyknowthedistancefromyourmouth:

For1000m,itis1mwideFor2000m,itis2mwide

For800m,itis0.8mwide,andsoon…

Thebrightestwillsaythewidthisalways1/1000oronethousandthofthedistancefromyourmouth.

Suchapieceofcakeiscalledanotch!

4notchforinstanceisaswideas4piecesofcakesidebyside.Lookout!Thatiswherethereticulesinyourscopearelocated!


TheNotch

Motto:Areyouwiserbyonenotch?Don’treadfurtherifnot!

The tipsof each setof reticules are exactly fournotchapart. Ifyoubearover aheadofthem,itisthesameasifyoulookedalongtheedgesofyourpieceofcake.Soifthereisahouse2000mdistant,whichfitsrightbetweenthetipsoftworeticules.Youknow:

“Lookathere”!

Thegapbetweentwotipsis4notch

Onenotchat2000mis2mwide

4notchx2=8m

Thehouseis8mwide

Isn’tthatakiller?

Question:

1 tank is500mdistant, it reachesacross3gapsbetween reticule tips.Howwide is thetank?

Youcalculate:

3gapsat4notcheach=12notch

1notchat500mis0.5m

12notchx0.5=6m.

Answer:Thetankis6mwide.

Youcancalculate theheightof the target in the samemanner, ifyouknow:Thecenterreticuleis4notchhigh,thesidereticulesareeach2notchhigh.Youmustrememberthiswell.Youneeditconstantlywhenusingthescope.

Question:

Howtallisthetank?

Youfigure:

Assumeitis3timesastallasaminorreticule,

3times2notch,thatis…Youtakeitfromhere.

Therealsmartonesknowthatsuchascale isalsofoundin thesightsofbinocularsandmaybeusedinthesamemanner!Butitisalsoinyourthumb!Holditfarawayanditisexactly40notchwide.Onejumpofthethumbmeasures100notch.(Closeoneeye,thentheother,whilelookingalongthesameedgeofyourthumb).Thatwayyoudeterminethetargetsizeanddistanceinbetweentoanaccuracyof5notch,stunningeveryone!Tryit!Soifyouknowthedistance.Youcancalculatethesizeofthetarget!


Spotting

Motto:Yoursweetheartseesintoyoureyes,

whenspottingweseparatecloseanddistant,verywise.

Estimatingadistanceexactly-cannotbedone.

“Measuring”islearnedbymany-

Adjustingtherangecorrectly-mustbelearnedbyall!

Whenestimatingadistanceof1200morlessyoumustlearntobeoffbynomorethan200mupordown.If500misthecorrectdistance,thenyourestimatemustbebetween300mand700m.Thatreallyisnotmuchofachallenge.Above1200mestimatingturnsintoguesswork.

Estimatecloserby!

FordarktargetsIfit’sdrearyandcloudyInwindyandfoggyairAgainstadarkbackgroundIfthesunorreflectionshityoureye.

EstimateFartheraway!

ForlightertargetsInfreshandsunnyweatherInclearairwithoutwindAgainstalightbackgroundWiththesunlightacrosstheplainThroughthescopeifyoucannotseewhatisbetweenyouandyourtarget.

Estimatetwice:

1. ThetargetissurelycloserthanXm(e.g.900m)2. ThetargetissurelyfartherawaythanYm(500m)

Taketheaverageofthetwoestimates,inthiscase700m.

Distancecanonlybeestimatedby thedriveror thecommander,since theyhaveaclearlineofsight.Itcannotbedonewellthroughthescopebecause

1. thescopemagnifies21/2fold,and2. youcannotpossiblyestimatewithoneeye.

Closeoneeyeandletacomradeholdhisfinger1/2minfrontofYou.Thentrytoquicklygrabitwithyourindexfinger.

Attention:donotuseyourfingeranddonotlookwithbotheyesbeforehand.However,thegunner and the commander can “measure”using the scope and theoptics.Youwillnowlearntodothat.


Ifyouhavethetime,doitlikethis:

THETANKCOMMANDER

Measuresorestimateshisdistance,see“measuring”

THEDRIVER

(Heneedsalittlelonger)reportshisdistance-see“spotting”

THETANKCOMMANDER

Calculatestheaverage-seegrade1inpreschool

THEGUNNER

Inthemeantimehavingmeasuredorestimatedforhimselfreportshisdistance.See“Ordertoshoot”

THEGUNNER

(Distanceisnotthecorrectrange)adjuststhecorrectrange-see“BellyButtonRule”

Youalwayshavethetime!

If youmiss itwill take far longer, costmore ammunition,yougive awayyourpositionbeforeyouractiontakesanyeffect.

3times2eyesseemorethantwo-Youestimate+/-100,

3times,thecommandermustcalculate-hegetsmoremoney

3times,reportsandordersareexchanged-thatisthepurposeoftheintercom.

Practicedoesitall!

Attention!Thecorrectdistanceisnotthecorrectrange.

Moral:Closer-foggy,drearydark,mist,moving,againstthesun

Further-bright,withthesun,clear,plain


Measuring

Motto:Evenartistsmeasureasestimatingbyeyeisnotreliable.

If thepainterwants to accuratelymeasure a linehewill compare the sizeof thepencilwithhismodel.Youcomparethesizeofthereticulewiththetarget!Becauseifyouknowthesizeofyourtarget.Youcanusethenotchtofigureouthowfarawayitis.

Lookout:

TheRussiantanksareall3mwide.Assumethatitisatadistancethatletsitcover11/2gapsbetweenthetipsofreticules.Thenyousay:

Lookathere!11/5gapsat4notcheach=6notch

6notch=3m

1notch=3:6=0.5m

0.5mx1000=500m

Ifthetankispositionedatanangle,youcannotcalculateusinglengthorwidth.Youuseheight.Letusassumethat theopticsdisplayapictureasshownintheillustration.Thenyoufigure:

3minorreticules2notchhigh=6notch

6notch=3m,etc

Throughthescopegraduationlookslikethis:

Problem:Calculatethedistanceofthistruck

Afewmeasurements:

Attention!Thecorrectdistanceisnotthecorrectrange!

Moral:Insteadofmeasuringhowfaroffmeasurebymeters

anddividethemetersbythenotchyoudividetimes1000.


SevenGoodies

Motto:Saveammunition,avoidwaste-

awagonfullisenoughforthe“Ritterkreuz”!

Pistol:throughthehatchatguestsontherear.

Sub.-M.G.:throughthehatchintoditchesandnestsinobstructedareas.

Pineapples:throughthehatchintoholesandathiddentargets.

Smokeshells:incaseoffire,jamming,neededfortacticalretreat,ifthingsgetdifficult.

M.G.,front:asfaras200matman,horseandwagon.

M.G.,turret:asfaras400matman,horseandwagon,(fartherifseveralpresent),setfiretobuildings,helptheinfantrybynailingtheenemyontheground.

Cannon:HighExplosiveshell:

(Nodelay)Generatesshrapnel20mtoeachsideand10mforward.Therefore,better tomiss to the side than to the rear of the target. Tried and tested against anti-tank guns,howitzers,massedinfantrytargets,nests.Destroysarmor,wheels,tracks,lookouts.

(Delay)Amine,ifdeliveredvertically:Intrudesanddetonateswoodenbunkers,buildings,

shelters,forestandjuveniletanks.Incinerateseverythingandoverturnsvehicles.

(Ricochet)Upon impactafter shallow trajectory itwillbouncebackupoff firmgroundanddetonate 50m further away at a height of 4 - 8m inmidair.Use against invisiblepositionswhichcannotbefiredonotherwise.

Armor-piercingshell,#39:Crackstanksandtrenchesasfaras2000m.

Armor-piercingshell,#40:Cracksheaviesttanksasfaras1500m(deviation).Useonlywhen#39doesnotpenetrate.Attention!Thereismorethrustbehindit!For600to1000myoumustdecreasetherangeby100m,for1100mto1500malwaysby200m.

HL-shell: Against heaviest tanks as far as 1000 m (substantial deviation). Blastsenormousholes,buttravelsslowly.Thereforetherangemustalwaysbeincreasedby1/4compared to the rule. (For instance not 600m but 750m). Do not use if camouflage,brushwork,netsareinfrontofthetarget.Otherwiseitwilldetonatetooearly!

Attention:Thecorrectdistanceisnotthecorrectrange

Moral:Shootless,hitmore,staytight,

anddelight“ReichsministerSpeer”!


Elviragetsshot

Motto:Manytargetsappearincalculableasthegirlisunpredictable!

Thecorrectdistanceisnotthecorrectrange.

ThemenoftheTIGERdidn’twanttobelieveiteither.HülsensacketheIndefatigablehadobtainedacircusbanner2mhighwiththeprettyElviraonitandpostedit500mawayasatarget.Thattheywantedtoplaster,everyonetakingashotatElvira.

DriverGustavtookrangeat475,letElvirasitonthemainreticule,took1/2mtotheleft,likeyou’resupposedto,andfellshort-byexactly25m.

Piepmatztheradiooperatorusedrange500andhittheworld-famoustoes,-precisely.

ThenHülsensacketheIndefatigablewentin,theloader,(havingbeentrainedinthethirdrank),mightilyspatintohishands,tookrange700,tookadeepbreathandhitthetrigger-boom-theshotwentoff,rightthroughthemuchadornedbellybutton.

GunnerRichtschutzeHolzaugetheInfallibleshookhisheadandsaidthatwithranged700theshotshouldhavegoneoverthetopofit.Nowhewentforitall,tookrange1000andhitthehead.

CommanderSpeedyQuickthinkertook1100andwentoverit.Withthatrangethemagic

hadended!

Range25mshort,nohit!Range50mmtoofar,directhit!!!!!

Thelaymanmarvels,theexpertjustlookson!

Moral:Therightestimatesometimesdoesn’tgivethehityouneed!


Theloaderalwayshits

Motto:TheoldPanzermannwillalwaysstriveforahit.

Thecannonshootspointblank.Theshotthereforegoesuptotherangeadjustedbutnofurther.

Ifyouknowtheexactdistanceandfirewithrangethesameasdistance,thenyouwillhitthepointofaim.Butyouneverknowtheexactdistance.Ifyourguessisshortby25m,thenyouwillhitthedirt25mbeforethetarget,justlikedriverOscardid.

The 8.8’s trajectory is amazingly flat. So you need to elevate the barrel only a little toshootmuchfarther.Youwillthenstillhityourtargetclosebywithadistantrange,ifthetargetisonlytallenough.Forinstance,usingrange1000youwillhitalltargetswithin0and1000m,iftheyare2mhigh.Isn’tthatwonderful?

However,shootingatElvirausingrange1000isstillnotonthesafeside,becauseifshewereonlyabitshorter,theshotwouldgooverhead,asitdidwithCommanderSpeedy.

Thereareseveralusablerangesforonetarget!Thesmallestofthemisthedistance,allotherslieabovethat.YoucanhitElvirawith6differentranges.

500-600-700-800-900-1000.

Do not adjust range equal to distance! Because if you are short by 25 m in yourestimate.Youwillmissby25m.Do it like the loader,bemoderate, thenyou’llhit thecenterofthetarget,thebellybutton.

Inestimatingthedistancehecanaffordaglitchof200meitherway,andhewillstillhit.TheLoaderalwayshits,becausehecan’tbeoffbymoreinestimatingadistance.

Moral:Theoldfoxeswilladjusttheopticsfurthertheyestimate!


TheLoader’sBellyButtonRule

Thatistheonlythingyoudonotneedtoremember.

A.IfElviraweretwiceastall,thentwiceasmanyrangescouldbeused.Bellybuttonrangewouldthenbe1000.Youcanbeoffeitherwayby500m!

B.Ifthetargetisverysmall,asforinstancethetoes,thenonlyonerange(500)willdo,theexactdistance:Anti-tankpositions,tanksbehindahill,trenches,weakspotsontanks,as for instance the turret (so that the shot will hit vertically), must be fought in thismanner.Yourestimatemustnotbeoff.

C.IfElviramovesfurtheraway,theneverfewerrangeswillsuffice.

D.Intheendthereisonlyonecourselefttotake:Rangeequalsdistance,ifthetargetisverysmall,orifitonlyappearssmallbecauseitisfaraway,thenthenumberofuseablerangesisalsosmallsincethetargetisonlyafewornotevenonenotchtall.Onlysmallerrorsinestimatingarepermitted.

Ifthetargetislargeorifitlookslargebecauseitiscloseby,thenumberofuseablerangesisalsolarge.Largeerrorsarepermitted.


HowdoIfindthecorrectrange?

1. Estimatethedistance.2. Estimatetheheightofhalfthetarget,(bellybutton),intermsofnotchbycomparison

withthereticule(ortaketheheightoftheentiretargetanddivideitbytwo).3. Halfthetargetinnotchtimes100meters,addthattothedistance,thatgivesyouthe

bellybuttonrangeandyouwillhitthebellybutton.

ByhowmuchcanIbeoffintheestimate?

Notch by 100 meters, is how far you may be over or under in estimating the correctdistanceandstillhit.

Example:

1. Lessthan600mmorethan400m,average=500m.2. Targetheightis4notchbellybuttonthusat2notch3. Permissible error in estimate 2 times 100 m = 200 m, therefore all estimates

between500m+200m=700m,500m-200m.=300mareapplicable.

Moral:Thereticulecomparetothebellybuttonwhereyoustare,

tothedistanceyouaddnotchby100,notsobad,

100mtimesthenotchishowfaryoucandeviate.


SensibleUseofOrdnance

Motto:JustasMaxSchmelingsaveshisright,

youmustsavetheshellsforthefight.

Alwaysholdbelowthetarget,takeaimfromlowdown.

Attention!

Thecannonalwaysfires1/2m,themachinegun1mtotheside.Becausethecannonispositioned1/2m,themachinegun1mtotherightoftheoptics.

Thereforealwaysaimthecannon1/2m,themachinegun1mtotheleft!

Under1200m

Youcan’tpossiblymiss,whencorrectlyusingthebellybuttonrule.

Over1200m

Most of the time you have to adjust range equal to distance. Since you estimated veryaccuratelyyouwillfiretoocloseortoofar.Thenyouadjusttherange,becauseitwasoff,evenifonlyby50or25m.Donotalterthepointofaim,asthatmakeslessofadifferenceover1200m.

Onlyiftheshotmissestotheleftortotheright,areyoupermittedtochangethepointofaimsideways.Ifthatisover2notch,thenusetheminorreticuletoholdthetarget.

Ifthefirstshotisnotahit,youeithermadeamistakeinestimatingoryoudidnotproperlyadjusttheweapon.

Youareatfault,notthecannon.

Upto2000mthe8.8willfirepointblank.Onlyiffiringasfaras3000m,oneofthreeshots will miss. At a distance of 4000 m only every forth shot will produce a hit.(deviation.)

Therefore,alwaysconsider,whethershootingovergreatdistancesisworthit.

Aftereverysubstantialfiringsequence-

Elevate the barrel,Open the lock, let it cool and air out. In thewintertime remove themuzzlecover.

Wetthegroundinfrontofthemuzzle,otherwisefiringtheweaponwillgeneratedust.

Inthewintertime,camouflagethatspot,asitwillturnblack.

Moral:Usethesunfromthebackandthewindfromtheside,

firefromstationary.


Knifeorfork?

Motto:Whetherknifeorforkisusedontheplatter,

youhavetoeatit,that’swhatmatters!

Someeatwithafork,othersuseaknife.Youmustbeabletouseboth!

Over 1200 m it doesn’t always work out right away, especially when using explosiveshells.Nowthecannonmustcometoyouraid.Itwillshootascaleforyouinthefield,whichyoucanlayontoyourtargetjustlikeayardstick.

Payattention:

Firstly always fire one shot with the range 100m less than the distance you guessed.Surelythatonewillfallshort.

Ifyoucanseetheterrainbehindthetarget,thenuseafork:

Forthesecondshot,add400m.

Itwillgobehindthetarget.Betweenbothlocationsofimpacttherenowliesanaccuratelymeasured distance of 400 m. You must divide it into four equal parts. And now thedistanceinmetersfromthefirstshottothetargetcanbemeasuredaccurately.

Thethirdshotmustberightontarget!

Ifyoucanonlyseetheterraininfrontofthetarget,thenuseaknife:

For thesecondshot,youcanaddonlysomuch.The locationof impactmust stillbe infrontofthetarget.Againyouhaveadistancebetweenbothlocationsofimpactwhichcanbeusedtomeasurehowfaryouareshortofthetargetinmeters.Eatingwithaknifeisnotthateasy.Thethirdorfourthshotmustberightontarget!

Inthisinstanceyoumustadd300mtothefirstshot.

Inthisinstanceyoumustadd100mtothesecondshot.

Moral:Uptotwelvebyonehundredfirebybuttonrule,

overgreaterdistancesknifeorforkapplywithcool.


TheLead

Motto:Easytokillyourenemy,ifyougettheleadright.

The five men of the Tiger had requisitioned some cherries while the leave-train hadstopped.Theybegan to spit the stonesat the telegraphpolesadjacent to the track.Thatworkedok.Thetrainslowlystartedtoroll.Atfirsttheystillmanagedtohitthepoles,butallofthesuddentheyallmissed.

Everyonewasshocked.Then, the loadercurledhis tongue into thebarrelofahowitzer,closedoneeye,andwiththeotherheaimedagooddistanceinfrontofatelegraphpole,pressedrealhard,and-boom-theshotwentoff.Rightonthetelegraphpole.Thefasterthetrainwent,thefurtheraheadheaimedinfrontofapole.

Ifyourtargetiscloserthan200m-aimatit!

Ifanenemywantstocrossyourlineofsightatadistancebetween200mand1200m-leadaheadofhim!

Becauseifyouaimexactlyathim,theenemywillhavegoneafewmetersfurtherinthetimeyourshelltakestogetthere.Itwillnothittheplacewhereheis,butwherehewas!

First,youmustestimatehowfastheisgoing:

Slow10km-Average20km-Fast30km

andthentakealeadwiththemainreticule:

forarmor-piercingshells39/40:Slow3-Average6-Fast9notchforhigh-explosiveshells:Slow4-Average8-Fast12notch

Example:Truckispassingstraightacrossataveragespeed.

“Machinegun20shots-10o’clock–600-truck-takelead8notch”!

Alwaysuse theminor reticule that fixes the target.That iswhat theyare there for.Andalwaysletitrunintothemainreticule.Ifheisnotgoingstraightacrossbutcomingatyouatanangle,thenyoutakehalfthelead.

Example:Tankisapproachingatanangletravelingataveragespeed.

“Anti-tank39-1o’clock-600-tank-takelead3notch!”

Ifyourtargetisfartherawaythan1200m-stop!

Youwillwastetoomuchammunitiononmovingtargets.

Theleadmeasurementsareeasilyrememberedby…

Moral:9and6and3-fortanksusewe,12and8and4-

onlyforexplosive,nochore.


Centering

Motto:Ifit’sbyahair’sbreadth,

withouttheopticsmeansyou’llstillmiss!

Whenonthemovealwaysfastendownyourgun.Still,theywilldeviateduetovibration.Adjustthemyourself,thenyouknowyourweapon!

Firstthecannon:Todothisyouneedapieceofthreadandelectricaltapeorgrease.

1. Attachacrosshairsacrossthemuzzle.2. Removethefiringpin.3. Holdontoadistanttargetthroughthebarrel.

Thentherightscope:youwillneedasquareheadwrenchfortheoptics.

1. Adjusttoobtainacorrectfocus.2. Adjusttherangeforthecannonto0.3. Removetheprotectorcapsonthehead-pieceoftheoptics.4. Centrethemainreticulesidewaysonthetarget,5. Centrethemainreticuleupordownonthetarget.

Thentheleftscope:Youwillneedasquareheadwrenchfortheoptics.

1. Adjusttherangeforthecannonto1000m.2. Aimontothetargetwiththerightscope.3. Turnthereticuletotheleft.4. Adjusttocorrectfocusontheleft.5. Adjusttheeyegapuntilbothsightsfallintoone.6. Adjusttheauxiliaryreticulesidewaysonthetarget.7. Adjusttheauxiliaryreticuleupordownonthetarget.

Theemergencyrangeisnowfixedat1000m.HoldingontoatargetYoucanuseittohitanyobjectthatis2mhighatadistancebetween0and1000m.Over1000myoumustgointothetarget,orletthetargetvanish.

Intheend,theturret-machinegun:Youwillneedaperforatedcase.Theloaderalwayscarriesonewithhim.

1. Removethebaseplate,takethelockout,insertthecaseintothebarrel.2. Adjustthemachinegunrangetothemarkbetween200and300m.3. Usingtherightscopetakeaimatthetargetoverthemainreticule.4. Centerthemachinegunthroughtheperforatedbaseplateandthemuzzleontothe

target.5. Checkbyshootingatthetarget.

Machinegun-front:Checkbyshootingatthetarget.

Moral:Regularlycentreyourcannonandyou’llfirewithsuccess!


TankCommander

“TANKCOMMANDERSPEEDYQUICKTHINKER”

Onlyyourclarityofthought,yourassuredorderwillgivelifetothePanzer,directiontospeed,decisiveimpacttotheprojectile.Youholdahandfulloftrumpcards,nowlearntoplaythegame.


OrdertoShoot

Motto:Frompasttimesuntiltoday,theordertoshootissequenced.

1. Angletemusketinfront.2. Bracewithleftfoot3. Takeoutcartridge4. Powderintobarrel5. Pulloutramrod6. Braceramrodagainstchest7. Ramhome1-2-38. Takewaddingoutofpocket9. Holdwaddinginmouth10. Biteoffwadding11. Insertintobarrel12. Ramhome13. Pushin1-2-314. Cockweapont15. Suspendtheweapon16. Cleanouttheventhole

17. Closepan18. Takeoutpowderhorn19. Powderinthepan20. Returnpowderhorninplace21. Grimace22. Cocktheweapon23. Point24. Aimwell25. Givefire26. Shortprayer27. Fire

Inthewarof1618-1648,27commandswerenecessarytofireoneshot.Thatiswhyittook so long. On top of that, the order to shoot was handled differently in variousregiments.Someofthemusednofewerthan90commands!

Makeitshort!Compressyourorderintooneshortsequenceconsistingof8commands!


Motto:27maintasksstillremain-asshowninthischart

notcountingtheminorones!Practicedoesitall!

Tank commander,Gunner, Loader, Driver, Radio operator: All are on the lookout,suddenlyoneofthemspotssomething…

Driver:Reportsdistance“Contact”

Commander:Estimate,average“Contact”

Commander:Average“Contact”

Gunner:Reportsdistance“Contact”,“measuring”

Commander:1.SelectWeapon/ammo“7goodies”

Gunner:1.Removetiedown“MO-FÜ-FA-LA-BA”

Loader:1.load“Bride”,“cannon”

Driver:1.Stop“Driving”,“Dailymeals”

Commander:2.Turretposition“Dailymeals”

Gunner:2.RotateTurret“MO-FÜ-FA-LA-BA”

Loader:2.Selectgearemergencyleverup

Driver:2.Accelerate“MO-FÜ-FA-LA-BA”

Radio:2.Selectorlevertoturretpos.“MO-FÜ-FA-LA-BA”

Commander:3.Distance“Contact”,“Measuring”

Gunner:3.Adjustrange,“BellyButtonrule”

Commander:4.Target“GoetzOutreach”“Reticule”

Gunner:4.Aim“Fire”

Commander:5.Lead,“Lead”

Gunner:5.Takelead,“Lead”

Commander:Checksauxiliarytarget

Gunner:6.Reportsauxiliarytarget

Loader:6.Release

Commander:Waitforrightmoment

Gunner:Carewithtrigger

Loader:7.reportsready

Commander:8.Orders:Fire

Gunner:8.letsoff

Allwatcheffectoftheshot,“Fire”

Wordsinquotationmarksrefertotherespectivechapters.


DailyMeals

Motto:Notjustthesoldieriskeptalivemeals,butalsothePanzer.

Yourtankis

12cmthickattheturretplate

10cmthickatthefrontplate

8cmthickatthesideandrearplates

No-oneelseis!

Butyouyourselfcanmakeiteventhicker!

Whenmothercuts thesausagestraight, then thatwillyieldoneslice justaswideas thesausageisthick.Butifshecutsatanangle,thentheslicegetstwiceaswide!

Wewantmoresausagenow!

Ifyouletsomeonefireatyourtankstraighton,thenitis10cmthickandwillsustainallcalibersuptoandincluding75mm.Butifyoustandatanangle,thenitis13cmthick.

Ashotthathitsatananglepenetratesmuchless,thanonethathitsheadon.Therefore13cmthickplateshitatananglegivestheequivalentprotectionofarmorthatis18cmthick

againstashotfiredheadon.(Ifyouwanttocutthesausageatanangleyouneedasharperknife) Your armor placed at an angle is therefore in reality as strong as 18 cm andwithstandsallcalibersuptoandincluding152mm

Thenyoucannotbepenetratedatall!

Yousee,justturningyourtankfrom12to1o’clockmakesitthickerby2cm.Inordertopenetratethese2cmyouradversaryhastocome1000mcloser.

1cmofarmorweighsthesameasafiringrangeof500m!

Ifyoustandatananglethishastheeffectofplacingyouradversary4kmfartherdistant,inonefellswoop.Fromtherehecanfireallhewants.

Hereyoucan read all thepositions andcorrespondingarmor strength…and this showsyoureffectivearmorprotection.


Thebestpositionstowardstheenemyareat

101/2,11/2,41/2and71/2o’clock

Accordingtotherespectivehourstheyarecalledmeals.

Tomakecommunicationeasier,thesecondsyllableisalwaysstretchedout-(breakfaaast)-

TheyareeasytolearnwhencomparedtotheX-mark.

Driver!

Whentakingpositionalwaysveertotheleftorright,untiltheenemystandsatbreakfastorlunch.(Tryoutthedirectionandmemorize).

Gunner!

Fightdangeroustargetsfromthedirectionofmealsatalltimes.(Readpositionofturretontheclockandcorrectthedriver).

Tank-Commander!

Approachdangerousenemyatanangle.Order45°angleposition,sothattheenemyfacesindirectionofthemeals.(Readpositionoftargetontheclock,correctthedriver).

Moral:Atmealtime-evenwitha15.2-youmightgetascratchortwo.

Youradversaryhasnothingbutfrustration,it’sacakewalkforyou.


TheCloverleaf

Motto:Ifenemymovesinsideinthiscloverleaf,youmaybeindanger.

AtwhatdistancedoesaT-347,62enlong-barrelpenetratemyarmor?

Fromdirection12o’clockunder500m.Fromdirection121/2o’clockunder300m.Fromdirection1o’clockIamsafe.Fromdirection“Lunch”Iaminthesafestposition.Fromdirection2o’clockunder500m.Fromdirection21/2o’clockunder1300m.Fromdirection3o’clockunder1500m.Fromdirection31/2o’clockunder1300m.Fromdirection4o’clockunder500m.Fromdirection“Coffee”,Iamsafe,andsoon.

Iftheenemyislocatedinsidethecloverleaf,Iwillbepenetrated.Ifhestaysoutside,Iwillbesafe.

At“mealtime”theTigercannotbepenetrated.

Menof theTiger! It is inyourownhands,whether theTiger issafeornot.Enjoyyourmeals!

Should the enemy actually encroach inside the cloverleaf, don’twet your pants right away.Instead,turntheTIGERtowards“mealtime”.Immediatelytheotherguyisoutsideofitagain. If twoare firingatyousimultaneously, turnoneonto“mealtime”andblast theotherone.

WelookattheTigerfromupabove

Layourwatcharoundit

Andchartthesedistances.

Ifdoneforallhours,thelinesconnectingthecharteddotsyieldacloverleaf.


Foranopponentwithalongercannon,thecloverleafislarger.

Forenemyweaponrywhichcanonlypenetrateless,itonlyhasthreeleaves,becausethefrontisthensafeatanydistance.

Onlyonenumber iswhat you need tomemorize for each enemy tank, Then youwillknowtheexactsizeofyourcloverleaf!

FortheT-34witha7.62long-barrelitis…

1500m is the lengthof the three long leaves! (because theTiger isequally thickon thesideandarrears).Always1000mshorterthanthelongerleavesistheshortone.

500m(becausetheTIGERis2cmthickerinfront).

Thereallysmartonescanalsocalculatehowfartheymaylet theenemyapproachthemforpositions2,4,5,1,8and10o’clock,andnotbepenetrated.

1000mThisdistanceisalsoshorterthanthelargeleaves,(becauseinthatlocationthetankis2cmthicker)

Thereallyextrasmartoneswilldothesamefor11and1o’clockThedistanceis1000mshorterthanthesmallerleaf,(becausetheTigeris2cmthickerinthatlocationthanitisinfront).

Moral:Shouldoneofthembeinyourcloverleaf,

thenthrowhimoutwithadance.


TheReticuleGap

Motto:Theaverageonewillshootalot,

themastershootsbychartandplot.

Theartistcompareshismodelwithhiswork!Ifthesculpturefitsrightinbetweenthetwotipsofthegauge,thenheknowsthathehasthecorrectmeasurement.

The tanker compares the enemy to the reticule! If the T-34, seen from the front, fitsexactlyinbetweentworeticules,thenhehasthecorrectmeasurementtofireat.Youwillthenknow:

1. Thatyouwillpenetratehim,and2. Whichdistancethatis.

Through side and rear you can crack all enemy tanks under 2000 m. That is easy toremember.

Allofthemhaveathickerfront.Inthatcaseyoumustgocloser,orletthemgetcloser,fortheT-34 that is800m.Thisdistance isdifferent forall tanks.Study thechartonarmorlocation supplied with the manual. The reticule-gap will tell you when you are closeenoughtoshoot.FortheT-34itis43,forinstance.

4=reticule-gap,front:

TheT-34mustbe4notchwide,sothatyoumaykillhimheadon.(Hehastofitbetweentworeticules).Heisthen800mdistant.

3=reticule-gap,side:

TheT-34must be3 notchwide, so that you canpenetrate the side.He is then2000mdistant.

Reticule-gap,rear:isalwayshalfofreticule-gap,side,inthiscase11/2notch.Heisthen2000mdistant.

Forreallysmartones:

Ifanenemytankturns“side”tohisown“mealtime”,thenhistargetsizewillbeenlargedby 10% at themost. This error of 10% is included. Youmust then shoot at the turretcenter,sothatyourshotwillhitvertically.

Moral:Thereticule-gapwillshowyouthatyoucancrackhimandwhen.


“Wanted”

Motto:Thisreferenceyoumustrememberyourbride’spictureandnumber.

EverykidknowstheSpitfireandtheHE111.

Everyyoungstercan tell aFordV-8 fromanOpelKapitaenat500mdistance.TheoldfoxesrecognizeaDKW-250byitssound.

Surelythenyoumustbeabletolearnthedifferencesbetweeneachenemytankandlearntorecognisethem!Immediatelysitdownandstudythetankidentificationchartsuppliedwiththismanual.

Memorisetheappearanceandthefollowing5typicalfeatures:

T34:15-8-43

KW1:9-4-84

ChurchillIII:7-15-24

Lee:8-20-13

Sherman:8-8-43

Youwillthenmasterthetank-duelwitheachoftheenemiesinyoursleep.

T-34Type

15:Clover-leafIwillbepenetratedsideandrearcloserthan1500m.Frontalways1000mless,inthiscaseonfrom500m,neverat“mealtime”

8:DistanceIpenetratefrontat800msideandrearat2000mforalltanks.

4:Reticule-gap,front4notchiswidthofT-34at800m.

3:Reticule-gap,side3notchiswidthofT-34at2000mrearisalwayshalfofreticule-gap,sideinthiscase11/2notch

Moral:Oftenthesamenumberisfatalorfabulous.

Doyoustandtoloseorgain?Onewillriseandonewillfall.


GoetzOutreachesIvan

Motto:Hewhoreachesfarthereasilycanknocktheotheroneintheface!

Youholdtheenemyatadistancewithyourironfistandknockhimoutwithouthimbeingabletoevennibbleonyou.

Youarefurtherawayfromtheopponentthanheisfromyou!

TheGoetzOutreachisthespacebetweenyourcloverleafandyourmaximumrange.

Payattention!

YoucankilltheT-34headonat800m.TheT-34cankillyouonlystartingat500m.

GoetzOutreach:Between500mand800myoucankillhimbuthecannotkillyou.Youmusttrytobeinthatrangeforbattle!

Ifyoustandat“mealtime”,youcannotpossiblylosethisround!

Youtakemoreweightandmorerangeintothering.Youalwaysbeathim!

Isn’tthatakillerthing?

The 5 charts suppliedwith themanual lay out your potential opponents in a tank-duel.They contain cloverleaf, reticule-gap, character reference and Goetz Outreach for your

mostdangerousenemies.Lookat themforhowever long it takes tomemorize them,sothatyouwillknowtheentirechapterassoonastheirdescriptionisonyourlips.Justthesame,asyoudowiththepictureinyourshirt-pocket,whenthinkingof“her”.

Moral:It’sthemoralofthestoryIcanhityou,

butyoucan’thitme


Foreveryshell,thatyoufireoff

Yourfatherhaspaid100RMintaxes,yourmotherworkedoneweekinthefactory.Thetrainshadtotravel10,000km.

Thinkofthateachtimeyouwanttofire!

Explosiveshellsontotargetsnotpositivelyidentifiedorontotargetsthatcanbedestroyedwiththemachinegunareacriminalwaste.

Anti-tankgrenadesfiredatuselessrange,attanksalreadydamaged,orpoorlyaimedonlychiseloffsomesteel!

MenoftheTiger!

Save!Makegooduseofthethickarmor!Beresolute!It’scheapertooverrunthantofirethe machine gun! The Machine gun is cheaper than cannon! Return the cases andpackagingmaterial.

TheTigerguzzlesdownthefuelbythecan.

Everylitrehastobehauledfrom3000kmaway:

MenoftheTiger!

Save!BestingywitheveryLitre!Don’tlettheenginerunneedlessly!Areyousurewhenthenextfuelrationwillarrive?

All included the Tiger costs 800,000 RM and 300,000 man-hours to produce. 30,000peoplehavetogiveawholeweekspayand6000menhavetoworkawholeweek,sothatyouwillgetoneTiger.Theyallworkforyou.

MenoftheTiger!

Considerwhatyouholdinyourgrasp!Keepitingoodshape!Theyarestealingthetanks!Grabthemwherethethievesarefound!


Suppliedwiththismanualare:

1. TankidentificationchartRussia2. Armorlocationchart8.8KwK363. Anti-GoetzT-34

KV1

ChurchillIII

Lee

Sherman

-Chapter35-

TankIdentificationLightArmouredVehicles

SOVIETARMOREDVEHICLE:T60

Weight:5.5t

Armor:Hullandsuperstructure

Bow-20mm/Driver’sside-20mm/Side-15mm

Rear-10-13mm/Roof-10mm/Floor-7-10mm

Armor:Turret

Shield-15mm/Front-15mm/Side-15mm

Rear-15mm/Roof-7mm

Weaponry:120mmmechanizedcannon,1machinegun.

Crew:2

Dimensions:4.00mlong,2.35mwide,1.80mhigh

Allterraincapability:Ascends0.55m,crosses1.40m,

Groundclearance:0.30m

Range:Road615km,terrain315km

Speed:44km/h

Features:Uses the same runninggear anddrive line as theT40 anddiffers from it inappearanceonlyin theshapeof theupperarmorcaseandthemissingpropellerdrive intherear.

Use: Light armored vehicle for battle reconnaissance, usually comprise the (3.) lightcompanyofanarmoreddetachment

Evaluation:Verysmallandlightarmoredvehicleofmostrecentproduction,(usedsinceNov.1941),weakarmor,minimalcombatuse.Hasmechanicallimitations.


Weight:9.2t


Bow-45mm/Driver’sfront-35mm/Side-16mm

Rear-25mm/Roof-10mm/Floor-10mm

Armor:Turret


Rear-35mm/Roof-10mm

Weaponry:145mmmechanizedcannon,L/46,1machinegun,1machinepistol.

Crew:2

Dimensions:4.29mlong,2.33mwide,2mhigh

Allterraincapability:Ascends0.65m,crosses1.80m,fords0.90m


Speed:45km/h

Indentifying features: Outer appearance similar to the T 60, but longer and moreimposingstance.Has5rollersandasharplyprotrudingmantletforcylindricalmount.

Use: Light armored vehicle for battle reconnaissance, usually comprise the (3.) lightcompanyofanarmored,detachment.

Evaluation: Light armored vehicle of most recent production.(In use since summer of1942)


(SeriesdenominationT27A,smallarmoredvehicle,“tankette”,armoredtractor)

Weight:1.7upto2.7t

Armor:4upto10mm

Weaponry:1machinegun

Crew:2


Allterraincapability:ascends0.50m,crosses1.30m,fords0.70m



Speed:40km/h

Indentifyingfeatures:Low,boxlikearmoredvehicle,appearsalmostaswideaslong.

Use: Originally intended as armored reconnaissance vehicle it was soon proven to beuselessandisnow-usuallyunarmed-usedonlyasanarmoredartillerytractor.

Evaluation:Uselessasanarmoredvehicle.Onlylimiteduseasatractor(weakmotor).

SOVIET3AND5TONAMPHIBIOUSARMOREDVEHICLES:T37,T38ANDT40

Indentifyingfeatures:Low,flat,boxlikeconstruction.Propellerdriveintherear.

Use:Lightarmoredvehicleforcombatreconnaissanceandattackwithinfantry.Alsoused

commonlywhenthecrossingofriversisnotexpected.

IntermsofoverallbattleformationamphibiousarmoredvehiclesweredeployedinlargenumberswithintheSoviet-Russianarmoredforce.

Evaluation:Weakarmorandweaponry,onlylimitedcombatuse,easytodefeat.InlightofthefewexistingbridgesintheEast,thisvehicle’samphibiouscapabilitycanproveanadvantage.T37andT38areobsoletepre-wardesigns.

T37andT38

Weight:3.2t

Armor:turret.Bow,Armorcase10mm,otherwise4to6mm

Weaponry:1machinegun(T38occasionallyhasheavierweapons)

Crew:2




T40

Weight:5.5t

Armor:10-14mm,turret,bow,armorcaseotherwise6mm

Weaponry:1extraheavymachinegun,1machinegun

Crew:2




Allterraincapability:ascends0.60m,crosses1.70m,floats

Speed:onland45km/h,inthewater5-10km/h


SeriesDenomination:T26A,T26B,T26C

Variousturretshapes:LeftSeriesA(2turrets),centreSeriesB,rightSeriesC

Weight:9.5t

Armor:Bowanddriver’sfront-16mm,Turret-16mm,Side-16mm,Rear-16mm

Weaponry:145mmmechanizedcannon,2-3machineguns

Crew:3





Speed:30km/h

Indentifyingfeatures:RearofturretonversionsBandCcantileversfarout.Lowtypeofconstruction,descendingtowardstherear.

Use: Formerly a common light Soviet-Russian armored vehicle used in attack (inconjunctionwithinfantry).Afterheavylossesinthesummerof1941itisonlyrarelyseen.

Evaluation:Weak armor.Goodweaponry.Weak engine, slow speed.Obsolete pre-wardesignthatiseasytodefeat.Furtherproductionlikelyceased.

T26Bwithflamethrowingdevice.OntheleftisVersion1whichismorecommonthanVersion2ontheright.

SOVIETFLAMETHROWERARMOREDVEHICLE:

T26BWITHFLAMETHROWINGDEVICE

Weaponry:Flamethrowingdevice(400litersofflameoil),1machinegun.

Crew:3

Indentifying features: Wide box-shaped container on the front of the turret with twoopenings,oneforthemachinegun,onefortheflamebucket.

Use: Light armored vehicle for attack with infantry support, especially onto fortifiedpositions. In terms of battle formations intended for use in larger numbers, yet use iscomparativelyrare.

Evaluation:Characteristicssameaslightarmoredvehicle.T26,limitedtacticalvalue.

BT7.

SOVIETARMOREDVEHICLE:

CHRISTIEARMOREDVEHICLEBT1-7

(VariousSeries)

“BT”-Bystrochodnitank:afastarmoredvehicle

Weight:12.2upto13.7t(variesbyseries)

Armor:Bowanddriver’sfront-13-22mm,Turret-15mm,Side-13mm,Rear-13mm

Weaponry:145mmmechanizedcannononwheels70km/h,1machinegun.(Somehaveadditionalmachinegun in rearof turret -BT7 sometimeshas short76.2mmmotorizedcannon)

Crew:3


Allterraincapability:ascends0.75m,crosses2.10m,fords1m


Range:ontracks430km,onwheels570km

Speed:ontracks50km/h

Indentifying features: Large roadwheels (Christie system), flat construction, pointedtowards the front (shape of turret changed frequently). The BT 7 armored vehicleequipped with the 7.62 cm motorized cannon is very similar in appearance to thesomewhatwiderandheavilyarmoredT34.ItisoftenconfusedwiththeT34.DifferencestotheT34seethere.

Use:Lightarmoredvehicleonwheels(rare)for tacticalandoperationalreconnaissance.Ontracks(almostalways),usedforattackwithinfantrysupport.WasusedintheSoviet-Russian tank corps in large numbers, togetherwith theT 26 originally about 3/4 of allarmoredvehicles.Onlyrarelyseennow.

Evaluation:Fast,lightarmoredvehiclewithgoodpickup,howeverarmorisinsufficient.Productionlikelyceased.

USARMOREDVEHICLE:M3GENERALSTUART

Light armoredVvehicleofAmericanorigin, theuseofwhichcanbecountedon in theSoviet-Russiantheatreofwar


Bow(cast)-50mm/Driver’sfront-38mm/Side-25mm


Armor:Turret

Shield(cast)-43mm/Front-55mm/Side-32mm

Rear-32mm/Roof-12mm

Weight:13t

Weaponry:137mmmechanizedcannon

Crew:4




Range:160km

Speed:56km/h

Indentifying features: Short, high construction. The front drive wheel is star shaped.

Threedifferentturretshapes:

a)round,withoutcommander’scupolaelevated

b)roundwithcommander’scupolaelevated

c)angular,withcommander’scupolaelevated

Guardfortracksonthesideonlyonversionforthetropics.

Use:Lightarmoredvehiclefortacticalandoperationalreconnaissance.

Evaluation:Fast,lightandagilearmoredvehiclewithgoodpickup.Alotofwearonthetracks.mediumarmouredvehicles

MediumArmouredVehicles


SeriesDenomination:T34A,T34B,T34Bwithcastturret

Forthenewestversion,thedriver’sfrontistobereinforcedtoastrengthof100mm.

Weight:26.3t

Armor:T34A

Hullandsuperstructure

Bow-45mm/Driver’sfront-45mm/Side-40-45mm

Rear-40mm/Roof-18-22mm/Floor-14mm

Turret

Shield-45+25mm/Front-45mm/Side-45mm

Rear-40-45mm/Roof-16mm

Armor:T34B


Bow-45mm/Driver’sfront-45+15mm/Side-45mm


Turret

Shield-45+25mm/Front-45+17mm/Side-45+17mm

Rear-45mm/Roof-16mm

Armor:T34Bwithcastturret


Bow-45mm/Driver’sfront-45+15mm/Side-45mm


Turret

Shield-45+25mm/Front-60-70mm/Side-60-70mm

Rear-60-70mm/Floor-20mm

Weaponry:1motorizedcannon7.62cm,2machineguns


Crew:4



Range:Road450km,Terrain260km

Speed:50km/h

Indentifying features: Flat construction, angled bow, Christie-running gear (roadwheels).Leadvehicleswithlonger76.2mmmechanizedcannonL/41.5,allothervehiclesequippedwithshortermechanizedcannonL/30.5.

Features that are different on T 34 as opposed to BT 7, which has a similarappearance:

T34

Bowplate:Roundedges,upperbowplate includingdriver’sfrontatshallowangle(30˚inclinefromhorizontal)

Armorcase:Angledsurfaces

Turretshape:Roundedges,angledshape

Runninggear:5roadwheels

BT7

Bow-plate:Sharpedges,steep,separatefromdriver’sfront.

Armorcase:Steepsurfaces

Turretshape:Steepside,sharpedges

Runninggear:4roadwheels

Ingeneral,theT34hasamoreimposingandstreamlinedappearance.

Use:Mostimportantarmoredvehicleforarmoredattack.

Evaluation: By far the best and most practical Soviet-Russian armored vehicle. Fast,agile,verypowerfulweaponryandstrongarmor.Mostdifficult tocombatofallSoviet-Russiandesigns,duetoitsverybeneficialconstruction(inclinefromhorizontalis30˚at

bow-plate,40˚-45˚atrearplate,50˚atarmorcasesides).

USARMOREDVEHICLE:M4GENERALSHERMAN

Weight:circa31t


Bow-55mm/Driver’sfront-65mm/Side-26-39mm

Rear-26-60mm/Roof-13-26mm/Floor-14-18mm

Armor:Turret


Rear-85mm/Roof-30mm

Weaponry:175mmmechanizedcannon,1machineguninrotatingturret,1anti-aircraftmachinegun,1machineguninbow

Crew:5




Range:Roadsurface300km,terrain160km

Speed:36km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Stockyappearance,roundedoffdesignonallsides.

Use:MostimportantUSAarmoredvehicleforarmoredattackandinfantrysupport.

Evaluation:MostpracticalUSAarmoredvehicle.Fast,agile,heavyarmorandpowerfulweaponry.

USARMOREDVEHICLE:M3GENERALLEEI,GENERALLEE

Weight:28t



Rear-26-38mm/Roof-14mm/Floor-14-18mm

Armor:Turret

Shield-55mm/Front-88mm/Side-50-60mm

Rear-50mm/Roof-30mm

Weaponry: 1 75mm mechanized cannon L/31 mounted in bay on one side, 1 37mmmechanizedcannonL/56.6+1machineguninrotatingturret,1anti-aircraftmachinegunmountedinrotatingturret-top,2machinegunsfixedinbow.

Crew:7




Range:Roadsurface300km,Terrain160km

Speed:0.38m

“General Lee II” has cast upper part of armor case. Specifications same as “Lee I”.Chassis and superstructure the same as armored vehicle M 3 “General lee I”. Turretwithoutrotatingtopandcantileveredrear.“GeneralGrantII”hasacastupperarmorcase.Specificationssameas“LeeI”,butlower,2.75mhigh.

Identifying features: Elevated constructionwith bay-like bumpout on the side. Strongweaponry.Thefrontdrivewheelhasastar-likeshape.

30-TONARMOREDVEHICLEM3(CANADIAN)

AnotherversionoftheM3manufacturedinCanadaisthearmoredvehicle“Ram”.It ismanufacturedofcastarmorandfeaturesnosidebump-out.

Weaponry: “Ram I” 1 40mmmechanized cannon L/52, 2 machine guns, “Ram II” 157mmmechanizedcannonL/45,2machineguns

USARMOREDVEHICLE:M3“GENERALGRANTI”

Use:Armoredvehicleforarmoredattackandinfantrysupport.

Evaluation:Comparativelyfastandmaneuverablearmoredvehiclewithhighfirepower

The armored vehicle M 3’s chassis is also used as a self-propelled assault gun with105mmcalibercannon.

ENGLISHARMOREDPURSUITVEHICLE:MkII“MATILDA”

Weight:26t


Bow-75-80mm/Driver’sfront-80mm/Side-65-70mm


Armor:Turret

Shield-80mm/Front-75-80mm/Side-77mm

Rear-70mm/Floor-20mm

Weaponry:MatildaIIIC.S.(closesupport)176.2mechanizedcannon.L/26.5,1machinegun, 2 smokepistols.Matilda I, II, III - 1 40iinmmechanized cannonL/52, 1machinegun,2smokepistols

Crew:4




Range:Roadsurface100km.Terrain60km

Speed:23km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Angled sides on turret, round edges (cast steel), strong armor onrunninggearwithlarge;cavities(serviceopenings).

Use:Armoredvehicleforinfantrysupportinanattack.

Evaluation:Heavilyarmoredandespeciallydifficulttocombatfromtheside.Tacticallyslowandcumbersome.Notsuitableforoperationaluse.

Englisharmoredpursuitvehicle:

MkIII“VALENTINE”

Weight:16t



Rear-16-60mm/Roof-10-30mm/Floor-8-20mm

Armor:Turret


Rear-45-60mm/Floor-16-20mm

Weaponry:140mmmechanizedcannonL/52,1machinegun,1smokepistol

Crew:3




Range:Roadsurface150km,terrain103km

Speed:circa30km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Roundturretwithverticalsides,running-geararmor(asopposedtoMkII)ismissing.

Use:SameasMarkII

Evaluation:LighterthanMkII,butfasterandmoremaneuverable.

SOVIETARMOREDVEHICLE:30-TONT28

Weight:28to32t

ArmorT28:

Bowanddriver’sfront-30mm/Turrets-23mm

Side-20+7mm/Rear-20mm

Weaponry:176.2mmmechanizedcannon(L/16.5orL/24),3machineguns,(somehaveadditionalrearmachinegunandanti-aircraftmachinegun).

ArmorT28(reinforced):

Bowanddriver’sfront-38-52mm/Turrets-53mm

Side-48+7mm/Rear-52mm

Crew:6


Allterraincapability:ascends0.90m,crosses3m,fords0.80m


Range:180km

Speed:35km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Noticeablylarge(longerthanKVII52t),3turrets=1mainturretwithmechanizedcannon,2sideturretswithmachineguns,armoredrunninggear.

Use:TheT28wasthemainmediumpre-war-tankforsupportoflightarmoredvehiclesinanattack.

Evaluation:Obsoletedesignwithnumerousmechanicaldefects,(downtime).Slowanddifficulttomaneuver.Comparativelyweakarmorforitssize,easytocombat.Nolongerinproduction. Already mainly used only as an armored artillery tractor.Soviet 44-TonArmoredvehicleKVI

HeavyArmouredVehicles

SOVIET44-TONARMOREDVEHICLEKVI

Seriesdenomination:KWIA,KWIB,KWIC,KWIS,KW8

(“KV”=KlimVoroschilov)

Misleadingclassification:“52tKV”

Weight:43.5t

ArmorKVIA




Turret

Shield-60+25mm/Front-75+25mm/Side-75mm

Rear-75mm/Roof-35mm

ArmorKVIIB(reinforced)


Bow-75+25-35mm/Driver’sfront75+25-35mm

Side-75,sometimes75+35mm/Rear-75mm

Roof-35mm/Floor-35mm

Turret

Shield-100mm/Front-75+35mm/Side-75+30mm

Rear-75mm/Roof-35mm

Armor:KVIC


Bow-75+25-35mm/Driver’sfront-75+25-35mm

Side-90mm,sometimes90+40mm/Rear-75mm

Roof-40mm

Turret(cast)

Shield-105mm(rolledsteel)/Front-120mm

Side-120mm/Rear-120mm

Roof-40mm

Weaponry:176.2mmmechanizedcannonL/30.2,2to3machineguns

Crew:5


Allterraincapability:Ascends0.90m,Crosses2.80m,Cords1.45m



Speed:35km/h

TheKVIS is anewversionof this armoredvehicle, featuring reinforcedarmor, andamotorizedcannon7.62cmL/41.5.

TheKV8armoredvehicleisequippedwithaflamethrowerandamotorizedcannon4.5cmaswellas4machineguns.

Identifying features: Comparatively small for its size, sleek shape, rear of turretcantilevers far out, (as opposed toKV II 52 t).Additional armorboltedonto turret andchassisasidentifiedbylargehexbolts.Armorweldedoninplacesofweaponryimpact,onlyvisiblefromupclose.

Use:Armoredvehicleusedforfiresupport inanarmoredattack.Deploymentsimilar tothatofaself-propelledassaultgun.

Evaluation:Armoredvehiclewithheavyarmorandweaponrylittleoperationaluse.Mayforce results in the course of trench-warfare. Especially versionB andC is difficult tocombat.

USARMOREDVEHICLE:60-TONM1“DREADNOUGHT”

Weight:circa57t

Crew:6–7

Dimensions:circa7.00mlong,circa3.10mwide,circa3.35mhigh.

Allterraincapability:ascendscirca1.50m,crosses3.30m,fords1.20m

Groundclearance:circa0.50m

Range:220km

Speed:ca.30km/h

Armor:75-200mm

Weaponry: 1105mm longmechanizedcannon in turret,237mmmechanizedcannons,L/56.5indriver’sfront,2sidemachinegunsand2machineguns

Identifyingfeatures:Stretchedoutvehiclewitharmoredrunninggear.

Use:Heavyarmoredvehicleforbreakthroughandinfantrysupportduringanattack.

Evaluation:Heavyarmoranddifficulttocombat.

SOVIETARMOREDVEHICLE:KVII

(“KV”with15.2cmmotorizedhowitzer)

Erroneouslynamed“58t”,“64t”,“58t”,“64t”,“70t”,etc.

Weight:52t

Crew:6–7

Dimensions:6.80mlong,(incl.weapon7.20m),3.35mwide,3.30mhigh.

Allterraincapability:ascends0.90m,crosses2.80m,fords1.45m.(Canonlypassoverbridgesofhighweightrating)



Speed:30km/h

Armor:

Bowanddriver’sfront-75mm/Turret,rolledsteel-75mm

Side-75mm/Rear-75mm

Weaponry: 1 152Mm mechanized howitzer, 1-2 machine guns. Sometimes additionalmachineguninrear.

Identifyingfeatures:Steep,cube-shapedturretcase,highoverallheight,heavyweaponry(howitzer!)Tankchassis,hullandrunninggeararethesameasKV144t.

Use: Heavy armored vehicle used for fire support in an armored attack. Deploymentsimilartothatofaself-propelledassaultgun.Nowonlyrarelyseen.

Evaluation:Heavyarmor.Very substantial firepower,however limitedmaneuverability.Usefulintrenchwarfare.EvenaccordingtoSoviet-Russianevaluationtheover-burdenedchassiswasnotsatisfactory.

SOVIETHEAVYARMOREDVEHICLE:45TONARMOREDVEHICLET35

T35A(TP,BS,SII,MII,T32oldermodel,AVT35A-B-Cdifferentversions)

Weight:45t

Armor:

Bowanddriver’sfront-30mm/Turrets-20-25mm

Side-23+11mm/Rear-22-27mm

Weaponry:176.2mmmechanizedcannonL/16.5orL/24,245mmmechanizedcannon,6-7machineguns.

Crew:5

Dimensions:9.60mlong,3.20mwide,3.50high



Range:Road150km

Speed:30km/h

SOVIETHEAVYARMOREDVEHICLE:T35C

Weight:45t

Armor:upto60mm

Weaponry: 1 76.2mmmechanized cannon, 1 45mmmechanized cannon, 2-3machineguns

Crew:6




Range:Road150km

Speed:30km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Productionvarieswidely.Numberofturretvariesbyseries.

T35A:5turrets,(1main,4sideturrets).

T35C:2turrets,somehavearmoredrunninggear.

Use:Heavyarmoredvehicleforarmoredattackwithinfantrysupport.

Evaluation:Obsoletedesign,big,cumbersome,limitedmaneuverability.EspeciallytheT35Ahas littlecombatuse inspiteof itsnumberof turrets.Bothversionsareno longermadeandwillonlyrarelybeseen.

ENGLISHHEAVYINFANTRY-ARMOREDVEHICLE

ARMOREDPURSUITVEHICLE40-TONMkIV“CHURCHILLI/II”

Weight:approximately38t


Bow-38-75mmm/Driver’sfront-88+14-some88+88mm

Side-14+38upto14+64mm/Rear-28-50mm

Floor-16mm/Top-16-20mm

Armor:Turret

Shield-100m/Front-100mm/Side-100mm

Rear-100mm/Roof-40-50mm

Weaponry:ChurchillI-Inturret:140mmmechanizedcannonL752,1machinegun,1anti-aircraftmachinegun,1smokepistol.Indriver’sfront:176.2mmmechanizedcannonL/26.5,2machinepistols

Weaponry:ChurchillII-Inturret:sameasChurchillI.Indriver’sfront:1machinegun,1flamethrower,fixed,2machinepistols

Crew:5

Dimensions:ChurchillI7.10mlong.ChurchillII,7.60mlong,3.25mwide,2.65mhigh.

Allterraincapability:ascends1.13m,crosses2.80m,fordsupto2.40m


DrivingRange:Road260km.Terrain80km

Speed:26km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Flat,stretchedconstruction.Unprotectedrunninggear.Roundedoffshapeofturret

Use:Heavyarmoredvehicleusedforinfantrysupportduringanattack.

Evaluation:Heavyarmoranddifficult tocombat.Slowtacticaleffectandcumbersome.Notsuitableforoperationaluse.

Englishheavyinfantry-armoredvehicle

ARMOREDPURSUITVEHICLE40tMkIV“CHURCHILLIII”

Weight:approximately38t


Bow-38-75mm/Driver’sfront88+14-some88+88mm

Side-14+38upto14+64mm/Rear-28-50mm

Roof-16-20mm/Floor-16mm

Turret

Shield-55mm/Front-88mm/Side-75-88mm

Rear-75mm/Roof-20mm

Weaponry:ChurchillIII-Inturret:157mmmechanizedcannonL/45,1machinegun,1anti-aircraft-machine gun, 1 smoke pistol. In driver’s front: 1machine gun, 2machinepistols

Crew:5


Allterraincapability:ascends1.13m,crosses2.80m,fords2.40m.



Speed:26km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Flat,stretchedoutdesign.Unprotectedrunninggear.Angularshapeofturret.

Use:Heavyarmoredvehicleusedforinfantrysupportduringanattack.

Evaluation:Heavyarmoranddifficult tocombat.Slowtacticaleffectandcumbersome.Notsuitableforoperationaluse.

-Chapter36-

OlderDesignsOnlyRarelyExpectedToBeSeen

ARMOREDRECONNAISSANCEVEHICLES

Arm.Rec.veh.“BA”(Bronieford)

Arm.Rec.Veh.“BA”(Ford)

“BA”Bronieford

Vehicleweight:1.7to2.1t

Armor:5to6mm

Weaponry:1machinegun

Crew:3



Allterraincapability:limited

Drivingrange:320km(roadsurface)

Vehiclespeed:50km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Two-axlerunninggear,shortedgedshape.

Evaluation:Obsoleteversion,inferiorarmorandweaponry.

“BA”(Bronieford)

“BA”Ford

Vehicleweight:5t

Armor:7to13mm

Weaponry:1motorizedcannon4,5cm,2machineguns

Crew:4



Allterraincapability:limited

Drivingrange:320km(roadsurface)

Vehiclespeed:50km/h

Identifyingfeatures:Three-axle runninggear,edgedshape. (Turretonneweditionofconicalshapeandroundedoff.)

Use:Lightormediumarmoredreconnaissancevehicle,respectively.Usedfortacticalandoperationalreconnaissancebymechanizedunits.

Evaluation: Improved version. Reconnaissance vehicle with combat capability, doeshoweverexhibitnumerousmechanicalshortcomings.

“BA”(Ford)

-Chapter37-

ForOfficialUseOnly!

Donotletfallinenemyhands!(Defenceagainstarmoredvehiclesdifficulttocombat)

ARMORPENETRATIONCHART

8.8cm“KwK”36

Issued:2/15/43

Fundamentalsonprocedureofshootingagainstarmoredvehiclesdifficulttocombat

1.Maintaincoldbloodedness:Strivetoobtainsuitabledistancetodetect“weakspots”andfacilitateeffectivedestruction!

2.Combatenemy tanks fromhiddenpositionandunexpecteddirection! Inopen terrain,attack enemy tanks “over the corner” of own tank (highest possible protection by thegivenarmor).

3.Inspiteofcarefulaimforeachindividualshot,maintainhighfiringfrequency!

4.Alertinspectionofprojectileimpact!Noteveryhitisalwaysimmediatelydestructive.

5.Strive toobtain favorable angleof impact!Highest impact is obtainedwhen front orside are fully visible, the least when traveling at an angle (45°). For round or curvedturrets,alwaysholdatcenterofturret.

6.Selectthecorrectgradeofammunition!Considerthedatainthischart.

Solidcore shells,useonlyup toadistanceof2000mand thenonly if regularpiercing-piercingshellsorHDshellsturnouttohavenoeffect.

Explosive shells - ignitorposition“withoutdelay”– cancausedisablingcircumstances,(settingon fire),destructiveeffect forhitting the frontof the turret justabove the turretringorunderthecantileveredrearoftheturretbymeansofliftingordivertinginstalledpositionofturretonarmoredvehiclesT34AandB,alsoforhittingthefrontoftheturretontheMKIIunderneaththecannon.Thesehitsontheturrethoweverarerare.

7.Inthisarmorpenetrationchartthefollowingsymbolsmean:

Ammunition:

AT=88mmpiercing-piercingshellKwk36

HD=88mmHeavyDutyshellKwK36

SC=88mm#40solidcoresellKwK36

EG=88mmminsertedexplosivecartridge

Effect:

Black=Destructiveeffect

Hatched=Disablingordestructiveeffect

White=Noeffect

TheweakspotsofarmoredvehicleswhichcanbefiredatsuccessfullyaremarkedwithIndicatinglinesconnectedtotheabbreviationsofthepropergradeofammunition.

Figures inmeters next to the abbreviations for grade of ammunition indicate the upperlimitofthedistanceatwhichasuccessfulpenetrationofthearmorcanbecountedon.ForHD-grenadesnodistancesweregiven,astheseprojectilescanpenetratealloutlinedblackareasuptoadistanceof2000m.Thecombatdistancehowever,willinmostcasesbefarshorter,whentakingintoaccountthesizeofthetargetandthesurroundingcircumstances,(enemyimpact,vision,etc.).

For details on the effect of different grades of ammunition, study the text part of thismanual,(H.Dv.469/3b).

MediumarmoredvehicleT34A

Thedataforthisarmoredvehiclehasbeendeterminedthroughcalculation.Itistoserveasapreliminaryguideline.

MediumarmoredvehicleT34B(reinforced)


HeavyarmoredvehicleKVIA


HeavyarmoredvehicleKVII


HeavyarmoredvehicleKV1C(reinforced)


MediumarmoredvehicleMkII


MediumarmoredvehicleMkIII(Valentine)


HeavyarmoredvehicleMkIV(ChurchillIII)

Thedataforthisarmoredvehiclehasbeendeterminedthroughcalculation.Itistoserveasapreliminaryguideline.ThefiguresarealsovalidforthetypeIandIIChurchillequippedwithcastturrets.

MediumarmoredvehicleM3(GeneralLee)


MediumarmoredvehicleM4(GeneralSherman)


MoreFromCodaBooksMost Coda books are edited and endorsed by Emmy Award winning film maker andmilitary historian Bob Carruthers, producer of Discovery Channel’s Line of Fire andWeaponsofWarandBBC’sBothSidesoftheLine.Longexperienceandstrongeditorialcontrolgivesthemilitaryhistoryenthusiasttheabilitytobuywithconfidence.

TheseriesadvisorisDavidMcWhinnie,produceroftheacclaimedBattlefieldseriesforDiscoveryChannel.DavidandBobhaveco-producedbooksandfilmswithawidevarietyoftheUK’sleadinghistoriansincludingProfessorJohnEricksonandDrDavidChandler.

Wherepossible thebooksdrawon rareprimarysources togive themilitaryenthusiastnewinsightsintoafascinatingsubject.

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Tigers at War - Bob Carruthers

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