Tiger I

Tiger Ausf. E
Early Tiger I captured near Tunis
Specifications
Mass	57 tonnes
Length	6.3 m
Width	3.7 m
Height	3.0 m
Crew	5

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Aus. E Tiger I () was a heavy tank of World War II, developed by Nazi Germany.

Originally developed as under the name Pzkw VI Ausf. H the tank was redesigned as Ausf. E (Ausführung Ger. "version") in March 1943. The tank was also known as the Mark VI-E, Panzer VI-E, PzKpfw VI-E or Sd.Kfz. 181 (Sonderkraftfahrzeug 181), although in general it was commonly known as the Tiger I or simply the Tiger.

The Tiger I was in use from late 1942 until the German surrender in 1945. It was given its nickname by Ferdinand Porsche. The design served as the basis for other armoured vehicles, including the Tiger II, or King Tiger tank, and the Sturmtiger self-propelled gun.

The Tiger's crew training manual, the Tigerfibel, became a souvenir item after WWII.

Design

The Tiger differed from earlier German tanks principally in its design philosophy. The German tanks that preceeded the Tiger balanced mobility, protection, and firepower. They were sometimes outgunned by their opponents, but greatly superior German tactics offset this disadvantage.

The Tiger I represented a new approach that emphasized firepower and armor at the expense of mobility. Design studies for a new heavy tank had been started in the late 1930s, without any production planning. The real impetus for the Tiger was provided by the quality of the Soviet T-34. Although the general design and layout were broadly similar to the previous medium tank, the Panzer IV, the Tiger weighed more than twice as much. This was due to its substantially thicker armor, the larger main gun, and the consequently greater volume of fuel and ammunition storage, larger engine, and more solidly-built transmission and suspension. The Tiger I had front armor up to 102 mm thick, as opposed to the 80 mm front armor of contemporary models of the Panzer IV, with 80 mm on the sides and back. The armor, especially in the front, was very effective at stopping anti-tank rounds of most WWII tank guns at common engagement distances. At closer ranges and on the sides, the tank was more vulnerable. Its roof armor was 25 mm or 40 mm thick, similar to most medium tanks of the day.

Armor plates were mostly flat, with interlocking construction. The weld joints were also of high quality, being stepped and welded rather than riveted. A petrol engine in the rear drove front sprockets, which were mounted quite low on the vehicle. The suspension used torsion bars, similar to the Panzer III. The turret had a full circular floor basket with 157 cm headroom. The gun breech and firing mechanism were derived from the famous German "88" dual purpose flak gun. The 88 mm Kwk 36 L/56 gun was the variant chosen for the Tiger and was, along with the Tiger II's 88 mm Kwk 43 L/71, one of the most effective and feared tank guns of WW2. The Tiger's gun had a very flat trajectory and extremely accurate Zeiss TZF 9b sights. In British war-time firing trials, five successive hits were scored on a 16"x18" target at a range of 1,200 yards. Tigers were reported to have knocked out enemy tanks at ranges greater than a mile (1,600 m), although most WW2 engagements were fought at much closer range.

But the size of the Tiger forced the introduction of new and complex technologies, providing the engineers with a series of technical challenges which were never entirely surmounted. The eleven-ton turret had a hydraulic motor powered by mechanical drive from the engine; even so, a full rotation took about a minute. The tank had triple interleaving road wheels, giving a better cross country ride, but also making maintenance more difficult. The steel and rubber wheels were mounted on sixteen independent interleaved torsion bar axles, leading on one side and trailing on the other. The interleaving wheels gave a relatively soft and stable ride for such a large vehicle. This complex system had a number of drawbacks; one was that the wheels could become packed with mud or snow that could then freeze. The Soviets discovered this and on occasion timed their attacks in the early morning, when the Tigers were more likely to be immobilized.

The tracks were an unprecedented 725 mm wide. To meet rail-freight size restrictions, the outer row of wheels had to be removed, and narrower 520 mm tracks installed.

The tank was regarded as too heavy for most bridges, so it was designed to ford four-metre deep water. This required unusual mechanisms for ventilation and cooling. Even so, submersion was not a matter of just driving into the water; perhaps 30 minutes of preparation was required. The turret and gun had to be locked in the forward position so they could be sealed.

Another new feature was the hydraulically-controlled pre-selector gearbox and semiautomatic transmission. The extreme weight of the tank also meant a new steering system. Instead of the clutch-and-brake designs of lighter vehicles, a variation on the British Merritt-Brown single radius system was used. The Tiger's steering system was of twin radius type, meaning that two different, fixed radii of turn could be achieved at each gear, the smallest radius on the first gear was four meters. Since the vehicle had an eight-speed gearbox, it thus had sixteen different radii of turn. If a smaller radius was needed, the tank could be turned by using brakes. The steering system was ahead of its time—most modern tanks have some kind of a multi radius steering system.

However, the tank's automotive features left much to be desired. When used to tow an immobilized Tiger, the engine often became over heated and sometimes resulted in an engine breakdown or fire. The low-mounted sprocket limited the obstacle-clearing height. The tracks also had a bad tendency to override the sprocket, resulting in immobilization. If a track overrode and jammed two Tigers were normally needed to tow the tank. The jammed track was also a big problem itself, since due to high tension, it was often impossible to disintegrate the track by removing the track pins. It was sometimes simply blown apart with an explosive charge. The standard German Famo recovery tractor could not tow the tank; up to three tractors were usually needed to tow one Tiger.

The engine was initially a 590 hp (440 kW) twenty-one litre Maybach petrol design, which was found to be underpowered; this was soon upgraded to a 23.88 litre HL 230 P45.

The internal layout was typical of German tanks. Forward was an open crew compartment, with the driver and radio-operator seated at the front, either side of the gearbox. Behind them the turret floor was surrounded by panels forming a continuous level surface. This helped the loader to retrieve the ammunition, which was stowed in both sponsons. Two men were seated in the turret; the gunner to the left of the gun, and the commander behind him. The loader had the luxury of a folding seat in the turret. The rear of the tank held an engine room flanked by two floodable rear compartments each containing a fuel tank, radiator, and fans.

Although the Tiger I was one of the most heavily armed and armoured tanks of WWII, a formidable opponent of Allied tankers, the design was conservative and had some serious drawbacks. The flat, non-sloped armor plates were unsophisticated in comparison to the sloped armor of the Soviet T-34, requiring a massive increase in weight to provide for sufficient protection. The tank's weight put severe stress on the suspension, while the complex wheel design put a severe strain on field maintenance. The sophisticated transmission system was also prone to breakdowns.

A major problem with the Tiger was its very high production cost. During the Second World War over 40,000 American Sherman and 58,000 Soviet T-34s were produced, compared to 1,350 Tiger I and 500 Tiger II tanks. The German designs were expensive in terms of time, raw materials and reichsmarks, the Tiger I costing over twice as much as a contemporary Panzer IV and four times that of a Stug. III assault gun. [1]

Design history

Henschel & Sohn began development of the Tiger in spring of 1937. After various side-tracks, in 1941 Henschel and three other companies (Porsche, MAN, and Daimler-Benz) submitted designs for a 35-ton tank with a 75 mm main gun. The emergence of the Soviet T-34 rendered these designs nearly obsolete; according to Henschel designer Erwin Adlers "There was great consternation when it was discovered that the Soviet tanks were superior to anything available to the Wehrmacht". An immediate weight increase to 45 tons and an increase in gun calibre to 88 mm was ordered. The due date for new prototypes was set for April 20, 1942, Adolf Hitler's birthday. With the limited design time, the existing lighter designs were used as the basis for the new tank. This increased weight caused much stress on the various components of the tank and considerably reduced reliability. Unlike the Panther tank, the design did not incorporate any of the innovations of the T-34: the deflection benefits of sloping armor were absent but the thickness and weight of the Tiger's armour more than made up for its lack of sloping armour.

Porsche and Henschel submitted prototype designs and they were compared at Rastenburg before Hitler. The Henschel design was accepted but was fitted with the turret from the Porsche design. Production of the Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E began in August 1942. At the same time, ninety of the Porsche version were also ordered. These were not used but the hulls were converted into the Panzerjäger Tiger (P), also known as Ferdinand, and after Hitler's orders of February 1 and 27, 1944, Elefant.

The Tiger was essentially still at the prototype stage when first hurried into service, and therefore changes, both small and large, were made throughout the production run. A redesigned turret with a lower, safer cupola was the most significant change. To cut costs, the submersion capability was dropped. An external air-filtration system was dropped.

Production history

Production of the Tiger I began in August 1942, and 1,355 were built by August 1944 when production ceased. Production started at a rate of 25 per month and peaked in April 1944 at 104 per month. Strength peaked at 671 on July 1, 1944. Generally speaking, it took about twice as long to build a PzKpfw VI than another German tank of the period. When the improved Tiger II Ausf B began production in January 1944, the Tiger I was soon phased out.

Combat history

File:GD Tiger1.jpg

A Tiger I of the 10./III.Abteilung of the "Großdeutschland" Panzer Regiment. Karachev, 1943.

Tigers were capable of destroying their most common opponents, the T-34, Sherman, or Churchill IV at ranges exceeding 1,600 m. In contrast, the T-34's 76.2mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, but could achieve a side penetration at approximately 500 meters firing the BR-350P APCR ammunition. The T-34-85 could penetrate the Tiger frontally at almost 1,000 meters and from the side at over 1,000 meters. The IS-2 could destroy the Tiger at ranges exceeding 1,000 meters from any aspect.

The M4 Sherman's 75mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, and needed to be within 500 meters to achieve a side penetration. The British 17-pounder, if firing its APDS round, could penetrate frontally at over 1,500 meters. The US 76mm gun, if firing the most common APCBC ammunition, could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, and needed to be within 1,000 meters to get a side kill. However, if the 76mm was firing HVAP ammunition (usually in short supply), frontal penetrations are possible at 1,000 meters.

As range decreases in combat, all guns can penetrate more armor (with the exception of HEAT ammunition, which was rare in WW2). The great penetrating power of the Tiger's gun meant that it could destroy many of its opponents at ranges at which they could not respond. In open terrain this was a major tactical advantage. Opposing tanks were often forced to maneuver to a flank in order to kill a Tiger.

The Tiger was first used in action in September 1942 near Leningrad. Under pressure from Hitler the tank was put into action months earlier than planned and many early models proved to be mechanically fragile. In its first action on September 23, 1942, many of the first Tigers broke down. Others were knocked out by dug-in Soviet anti-tank guns. One tank was captured largely intact, which gave the Soviets a chance to study the tank and prepare a response.

In the Tiger's first actions in North Africa, the tank was able to dominate Allied tanks in the wide-open terrain. However, mechanical failures meant that there were rarely more than a few in action. In a replay of the Leningrad experience, at least one Tiger was knocked out by towed British six-pounder antitank guns. The two experiences simply demonstrated that "wonder weapons" are no substitute for sound tactics.

The tank's extreme weight limited the bridges it could cross and made drive-throughs of buildings which may have basements risky. Another weakness was the slow traverse of the hydraulically-operated turret traverse mechanism. The turret could also be traversed manually, but this option was rarely used, except probably for a fix of a few mils.

The Tiger was slower than the majority of other tanks in World War Two, but low speed was typical for heavy tanks and Infantry-support tanks. The Tiger's top road speed of 38 km/h compares to 37 km/h for its most comparable opponent, the IS-2. Both were substantially slower than most medium tanks. The Tiger had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger units frequently entered combat understrength due to breakdowns. It was rare for any Tiger unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due to breakdown. It also had poor radius of action. Surprisingly for a heavy tank, it had a lower ground pressure bearing than many smaller tanks, the most notable exception being the Soviet T-34.

The Tiger's armor and firepower, however, was feared by all its opponents. In the tactical defense, its poor mobility was less of an issue. An accepted Allied tactic was to engage the Tiger as a group, one attracting the attention of the Tiger crew while the others attacked the sides or rear of the vehicle. Since the ammunition and fuel were stored in the sponsons, a side penetration often resulted in a kill. This was, however, a risky tactic, and often resulted in the loss of several Allied vehicles. It took a great deal of tactical skill to eliminate Tiger units.

Tigers were usually employed in separate heavy tank battalions under Army command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counterattacks. A few favored divisions, such as the Grossdeutchland or some of the low-numbered Waffen-SS divisions had a handful of Tigers. The Tiger is particularly associated with the name of SS-Haupsturmführer Michael Wittmann of schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 101, who was one of the most successful tank commanders of World War II. He worked his way up, commanding various vehicles, finally a Tiger I. In one day he destroyed over two dozen allied vehicles including several tanks, and single-handedly held up an entire advance until his tank was knocked out and abandoned at Villers-Bocage. Ultimately, Wittmann's Tiger was destroyed by a Typhoon ground-attack plane.

Other Tiger aces, with over 100 kills each were: Johannes Bolter with 139+ Kills, Otto Carius with 150+ Kills, Kurt Knispel with 168 Kills, and Michael Wittman with 138 Kills.

The captured Tiger of 1943

In May 1943, a Tiger of the Afrika Korps (turret number 131) was captured after a fight with Churchill tanks in Tunisia. It was repaired and displayed in Tunisia before being sent to England for a thorough inspection. The western Allies, however, did little to prepare for combat against the Tiger despite their assessment that the newly-encountered German tank was superior to their own. This conclusion was partly based on the correct estimate that the Tiger would be produced in relatively small numbers. It was also based on the doctrine of the United States Army, which did not place emphasis on tank-versus-tank combat, relying instead in the use of tank destroyers.

On September 25th, 1951, the captured tank was officially handed over to the Bovington Tank Museum at Bovington Camp in the UK, by the British Ministry of Supply. In June 1990, preparations were made for restoring the Tiger to running order. In December of 2003, Tiger 131 returned to the museum with a fully operational engine after extensive restoration by the Army Base Repair Organization.

The Soviet response

The Tiger had in part been a response to Soviet heavy tanks, namely the KV-1, as well as the medium T-34 which had some notable successes against lighter German tanks of the time.

The first Tigers were sent to the Eastern Front in December 1942, and a tank captured in January 1943 forced the Soviets to respond. Until the appearance of the Tiger, the Soviet focus had been on production numbers; needed quality improvements were foregone since they would disrupt production. The Soviet response took several forms. The crash development of a 152-mm self-propelled gun was ordered. The SU-152 went from design concept to field trials in a record twenty-five days, and an understrength regiment of guns was sent to the battlefield at Kursk in May. Also, the Soviet heavy tank program was renewed, resulting in the Iosef Stalin tank with a 122 mm gun in early 1944. The improved ISU-152 and ISU-122 self-propelled guns were developed on the IS-2 chassis. The T-34 was given a new three-man turret and 85 mm gun by early 1944. Finally, new towed 85mm and 100mm antitank guns were provided. All of these new weapons systems were incremental developments of existing chasses or guns, and thus could be produced in great quantity.

The greatest challenge presented by Soviet tanks was their massive production rates compared to the meagre production of German heavy designs—only 1,350 Tigers and fewer than 500 Tiger IIs were built. By comparison, alongside the 58,000 T-34s produced there were 4,600 KV-1s and over 3,500 IS-2s. In total over 66,000 medium and heavy Soviet tanks to 1,850 Tigers.

An oft-quoted statistic for weapons systems is the kill ratio. Against the Soviet and western Allied production numbers, even a 10:1 kill ratio would not have been sufficient for the Tigers. Some Tiger units exceeded the 10:1 kill ratio, including 13.Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland (16.67:1), schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 (12.82:1) and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (13.08:1). These numbers must be set against the opportunity cost of building the expensive Tiger. Every Tiger built, for example, cost as much as four Sturmgeschutz III assault guns. One measure of cost-effectiveness, therefore, would be whether the Tiger's kill ratio was four times as high as the Sturmgeschutz III.

Notes

1. Although 1,350 is a common figure, World War II magazine reported the figure of 1,355 in their January 1994 edition (p.16). Jentz gives in his Die deutsche Panzertruppe (1999), the result of the most detailed investigation of the primary sources ever undertaken, a revised number of 1,347, including the prototype. Other sources suggest 1, 500.
2. Among other variants of the Tiger, a compact, armored self-propelled rocket projector, today commonly known as Sturmtiger, was built. Another variant, given the name "Bergetiger" post-war was a recovery vehicle. It was fitted with a winch capable of lifting only two tonnes.

External links

• Detailed information about every aspect of the Tiger I at the Tiger I Information Center
• Information about the Pz.Kpfw.Tiger Ausf.E at Panzerworld
• AFV Database
• Virtual Tiger I E under construction
• Account of the restoration of Tiger 131 by the Bovington Tank Museum
• The Armor Site, Tiger Battalions
• Article, "New German Heavy Tank" from U.S. Intelligence Bulletin, June 1943
• Tiger1.info: technical details
• Part-translated 'Tigerfibel' introductory crew manual