SdKfz 182 Panzer VIB Tiger II / King Tiger

SdKfz 182 Panzer VIB Tiger II / King Tiger History

Of all the main battle tanks used in World War II, the German "Tiger II" (or "Konigstiger") had the best combination of armor protection, firepower and mobility. Despite her outstanding prowess, she was ultimately limited by the deterioration of Germany's war effort in the final months of the conflict.

As a result, it was produced in small numbers and underpowered due to its size, and the mechanical issues were never fully resolved.

Planning for the future

Even when the Tiger heavy tank was put into production, the German authorities tried to improve armor protection and penetration and made new requirements for an updated heavy tank design. Part of the plan was to predict future Soviet tank developments to avoid surprises for the German Army with the introduction of the T-34 medium and KV-1 heavy tank series.

Hitler ordered such a development to the Army Weapons Office in August 1942, calling for frontal protection including a 150mm "ballistic" design with an 8.8cm (88mm) main gun.

Henschel and MAN

Henschel and MAN were selected to develop the next generation of German heavy tanks. Both are proven contenders, with the former addressing similar issues during the development of its Tiger tank, while the latter offering an impressive range of Panthers.

Essentially, the next version will be the culmination of two excellent tank lines, producing an excellent fighting machine for the German army. Also Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, who was close to Hitler, was asked to submit designs.

Porsche inevitably joins

Porsche quickly responded with a 150mm-armed design based on its earlier failed Tiger bid, the VK4501(P) prototype, which was rejected by Henschel's earlier submission (which became the real Tiger). The German Armament Ministry rejected the Porsche design again, mainly because the 152mm gun used in the armament was still the legendary German "88" L/71 KwK 43 - 8.8cm gun, as the Flak 41 anti-aircraft system, And was trained as an artillery tank killer for field use, and then installed on the original Tiger's tank for the first time.

Porsche offered a modified design (Porsche Typ 180) that had an "88" in a turret built by Wegmann specifically for the Porsche tank, but the choice of a complex petrol-electric transmission system made it a thing of the past because of the large amount of copper required Talent manufacturing - a scarce resource in wartime Germany. Porsche was so confident in choosing its design that its assembly line has already started mass-producing Wegmann turrets for its new tanks.

Submission from MAN and Henschel

MAN delivered its own prototype VK4502 (MAN), but this would become the "Panther II", the successor to the original Panther in service at the time. However, the Panther II never finished the war until production of the new machine began. At this point, competitor Henschel delivered their VK4502(H) prototype, which was rejected but resulted in a modified VK4503(H).

Due to the changing situation in Germany, the requirements were changed and updated, and the plan was severely delayed. With the success of the new Panther heavy tank series on the battlefield, aspects of what made it a successful design were quickly incorporated into the new heavy tank program. Initially, it was envisaged that the new tank would rely heavily on the design of the original Tiger tank. The VK4503(H) design was completed in October 1943 and was fitted with Henschel's exclusive Krupp turret assembly.

The Henschel template was eventually chosen to succeed Tiger as "Tiger II", effectively making the original Tiger "Tiger I". The newer version received the official designation PzKpfW VI Tiger II Ausf. B (SdKfz 182) and started production at the Henschel factory in Kassel in December 1943 - the same year as the Tiger I and continued until 19453 month, the war ended in May. The first 50 (three prototypes and 47 production models) Tiger II tanks were produced with the original Porsche-Wegmann turrets, which were then switched to versions made by Henschel-Krupp. By the end of 1944, production had reached a rate of 20 per month, although an optimistic figure of 145 had been envisaged.

However, peak production never exceeded 85 units per month.

Tiger II Production

Between 474 and 485 Tiger IIs were eventually completed (sources vary), a total due to the complexity of the tank design and the lack of production parts available. As the war noose around Berlin closed, the factory was soon overwhelmed by Allied forces and production came to a halt. The Tiger II and Panther were the only two German turret tanks to survive production until the end of the war.

Regardless, each Tiger II can complete two Panther tanks. To offset mounting losses at the end of the war, production of the Panther tank received special attention, with Tiger II production being reduced to just 25 in March 1945.

Production Changes

Early production Tiger IIs were fitted with a telescoping snorkel to facilitate wading, but this novel feature was eventually removed in future production forms. In April 1944, the "C-Hook" unit was installed on the front hull, and turret guards were installed for enhanced protection - the latter update required a redesign of the engine bay grille. The area of ??the glacis plate near the radio operator's machine gun has been slightly reworked, including a noticeable notch. The gunner's sight, originally a twin-barrel TZF 9b/1 part, not a single-barrel TZF 9d sight.

The commander now receives a weather vane at his position. The barrel was also redesigned from a one-piece tapered cylinder to a two-piece stepped unit. The drive sprocket has been redesigned to show only nine teeth instead of the original eighteen.

The chain link links have been redesigned to fit snugly on the flex parts of the original to minimize chain bounce off the drive sprocket. The Tiger II was factory painted in three colors in August 1944, and the Commander's cupola is now bolted instead of welded. In January 1945, a new unified color scheme was introduced. The chain was changed from a dual-link design to a single-link design, bringing back the original 18-pin drive sprocket.

Before the Tiger II facility was occupied by the Americans, very few Tiger IIs were produced with a single chain track arrangement.

Tiger II in battle

The Tiger II first fought against the Soviet Red Army on the Eastern Front in May 1944. The Tiger II was not used against Allied forces in the West until August 1944, following the successful landing in Normandy in June. These Tiger IIs actually saw combat in Normandy. After experiencing the new enemy tank, the Allies dubbed the behemoth "Konigstiger" and "Konigstiger".

Germans call them "Konigstiger" (also called "Konigstiger").

Tiger II Journey

Visually, the Tiger II is more in line with the Panther tank design than the original Tiger. It featured similarly sloping armor not commonly seen in the Face Tiger. The car consists of five people: driver, radio operator, commander, loader and gunner. The driver is on the left front of the hull, the radio operator is on his right.

The gunner is on the left front of the turret, the commander is behind the turret, and the loader is on the right side of the turret. The main gun divided the turret spacing into equal halves. The turret is powered and mounted by the "88" (88mm/8.8cm/3.46in in KwK 43) extended barrel version of the original Tiger. The sides and stern are strongly sloping.

The hull also leans badly, especially along the glacier slab. The armor is thick, especially the front hull. Defense is provided by a 7.92mm machine in the bow (operated by a radio operator) and a 7.92mm machine coaxially mounted on the turret.

Like other tanks in the arena, the Tiger II crew uses standard AP (Armor Piercing) shells against enemy tanks, while HE (High Explosive) shells are used against infantry builds and fortifications. Ships typically carry 84x88mm projectiles, while 5,850x7.92mm ammunition is available.

Hull, turret and engine

The hull parts are made of fully welded steel construction, 150mm thick at the glacis plates. Likewise, the turret assembly is made of welded steel and provides up to 100mm of armor protection. This engine - the same Maybach HL 230 P30 12-cylinder petrol engine found in later Panther tanks - is usually installed in the rear compartment.

This proved to be a burden on heavier tanks, as it significantly reduced the power-to-weight ratio of the system and created a heavier beast than the lighter Panther. This directly affects the overall maneuverability of the Tiger II series and proves to be detrimental to the smooth moving front end.

The engine gives this big machine a top speed of 24 mph on the road and 11 mph on the road. 75 miles on paved roads and 50 miles off-road. The Maybach powerplant is said to use up to 400 gallons of gasoline per 100 miles.

Tiger II Chain

Like the Panther and Tiger before it, the Tiger uses an overlapping wheel and wide track arrangement. This is a tried and tested method of transferring the vehicle's enormous weight to more ground space and allowing the tank to (probably) travel on softer terrain like dirt or snow (however, this smooth pass is not always guaranteed). Wider tracks were a tried and true commodity on the Soviet T-34 (as were the big wheels), and American tank crews quickly found their limitations when maneuvering their thin-tracked M4 Shermans on similar terrain sex. Such overlapping wheels quickly proved problematic during the winter on the Soviet front, where mud, rocks and snow would only freeze overnight. This required the crews to clear their wheels before departure - it is worth noting that Soviet troops were also keen to launch attacks at critical moments in the morning.

The chain drive sprocket is mounted on the front, while the chain idler is mounted on the rear. The armored "skirt" protected the part of the hull above the wheels.

Tiger II firepower advantage

In practice, the inherent strengths and limitations of the Tiger II quickly became apparent, it was well armored and could withstand a direct hit from all Allied tank guns. Her upgraded 88mm main gun - coupled with excellent German optics and a well-trained crew - ensures the Tiger II has a true "pre-emptive" capability in terms of range and firepower.

Allied tanks must be within range of the main battery to use firepower, and even then, it would take several Allied tanks to destroy a Tiger II.

Tiger II Limitations

The huge size and weight, combined with the weak engine, made it impossible to move the core components on the battlefield. Her engines proved unreliable, as the weight of her components caused tension and stress during her short tenure, and fuel shortages resulted in many Tiger IIs being abandoned by the crew.

Spare parts were a logistical nightmare as Allied airstrikes and subsequent ground offensives were destroying Germany's war infrastructure. In fact, more Tiger IIs died in surrender than in actual combat attacks.

Regardless, Tiger II has created a fabulous reputation for those Allied tankers who were "lucky" to meet her.

Tiger Hunting Tank Destroyer

The Tiger II family line has grown with the arrival of the Jagdtiger B using the same chassis. Equipped with a 128mm main gun, this beast is intended as a dedicated tank destroyer. Mounted in a fixed structure, the gun provides limited traverse, requiring the tank to be turned towards the enemy to perform its full effect.

However, only about 48 of these pieces were made at the end of the war.

Specification

Basic