The difference between Tiger and King Tiger is that they are two completely different heavy tanks in appearance and performance. The TIGER-1 weighs 56 tons and has a box-shaped body structure, and the armor angles of the body are mostly vertical; while the King Tiger weighs 68 tons and has a diamond-shaped body, except that the lower armor on both sides of the body is placed vertically. ?The armor in other parts has a certain inclination angle. ?Moreover, the thickness of the main armor on the front of the vehicle is also different between the two. The Tiger-1 has 100 mm vertical and homogeneous steel armor, while the King Tiger has 150 mm steel armor with a 60-degree inclination. The turret of the Tiger-1 is nearly circular, while the Tiger King is nearly trapezoidal. In terms of firepower, although both are equipped with 88mm powerful anti-tank guns, they are not the same model (I don’t remember the specific model), but the 88mm gun of King Tiger is better than that of Tiger-1 It is more powerful (the Soviet army used the captured King Tiger 88 gun to conduct a shooting test on the King Tiger, and actually penetrated the King Tiger's turret from front to back at a distance of 300 meters. You must know that the thickness of the front armor of the King Tiger's turret is 180 meters mm, and the armor thickness at the back is also 80 mm. It is conceivable that the Allied tanks and armored vehicles are simply unable to withstand its fatal blow in front of the 88 gun.) Although the King Tiger has better firepower and armor thickness than the Tiger-1 is better, but the fragile power system and traveling system are the King Tiger's Achilles' heel: the 68-ton King Tiger uses the same power unit as the 45-ton Leopard. As a result, in order to drive the King Tiger's heavy body, its power system had to be overloaded, resulting in frequent failures. The excessive weight also overwhelmed the walking system, and suspension breakage and track breakage became commonplace. Therefore, most of the King Tigers lost in the battle were abandoned by the members due to mechanical failure. ?In addition, due to the lack of metals such as manganese in the later stages of the war, the armor toughness of the King Tiger was much worse than that of the Tiger-1. As a result, the overall defense of the King Tiger with thicker armor was not as good as that of the Tiger. -1 is good, some people think that for the same attack, the Tiger King that Tiger-1 can resist cannot. (The loading of heavy armor makes the vehicle overweight and loses maneuverability, but the defense has not been substantially improved. The King Tiger gains more than it loses here.) In addition, the number of production units of the two is also different. The Tiger-1 was from 1943 to 1945. More than 1,400 units were produced in 1944, while more than 500 King Tigers were produced in 1944 and 1945. The Tiger-1 first appeared on the Leningrad battlefield in the autumn of 1942. Only 4 early-stage Tiger-1s participated in an offensive operation on the outskirts of Leningrad. However, the harsh terrain environment caused 3 of them to be destroyed. The vehicle was destroyed by the Soviet army. What really made the Tiger-1 show off was the Battle of Tunisia in North Africa in early 1943. During the battle, the tank unit of the German Afrika Korps severely damaged the U.S. 1st Armored Division. A Tiger-1 destroyed one at a distance of 3,000 meters. The marching Sherman, although the well-trained German tank troops are the main factor, also reflects the powerful power of the 88-gun mounted on the Tiger-1. The Tiger-1's most glorious achievement was that on June 17, 1944, a single tank created by Michel Wittmann in the French town of Bocage destroyed 27 British tanks and Dozens of half-track trucks and dozens of anti-tank guns were recorded. The King Tiger first appeared on the battlefield in the Soviet Union, and lost its first battle (I can’t remember the specific battle). Although the King Tiger also achieved a lot of achievements afterwards, it was never as famous as the Tiger-1.
The Tiger heavy tank (Panzerkampfwagen?VI?Ausf.?E?Tiger?I), also known as the "Tiger I" tank, is a heavy tank built by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Tiger I tank entered service with the German Army from 1942 until Germany's defeat and surrender in 1945.
Main performance
Weight: 55 tons (early); 57 tons (later) turret weight: 11 tons Tiger side view
Crew: 5 people (commander, gun Chief, driver, loader, radio operator)? Engine: Maybach? HL? 210? P45-12? 600hp (early)? Maybach? HL? 230? P45-12? 700hp (later) power? 700 horsepower? thrust-to-weight ratio ?13HP/ton? Speed: 38 kilometers per hour (highway)/15~21 kilometers (off-road) Maximum speed: 45 kilometers per hour Travel range: 110-160 kilometers (highway) 80km (off-road) Fuel consumption per 100 kilometers: highway ?450L? Off-road? 650L? Fuel tank capacity? 540L? Trench width? 2.3m obstacle clearance height? 0.79m grade? 35°? Overall length: 8.45m? Gun barrel pointing forward? 8.451m? Gun barrel pointing rearward? 8.379 m? Body length without gun barrel? 6.280m? Height: 2.86m? Height of central axis of gun? 2.195m? Height from ground to chassis? 0.470m? Height of turret with commander's tower? 1.200m? Width: 3.4- 3.7m? Vehicle body width when using combat crawlers? 3.560m? Vehicle body width to outer wheel disc? 2.822m? Combat crawler width? 0.725m (attached: Vehicle body width when using transport crawlers? 3.230 meters)? Weapons: 88mm? KwK? 36?L/56 cannon (electric firing)?2?X?7.92?MG34 (early)?3?X?7.92?MG34 (rear)?6? ? Artillery elevation angle: elevation angle? +18°~-9°? Artillery rotation direction: rotation direction? 360°? Ammunition: 88mm - 87 rounds? 7.92mm - 4500-5700 rounds? Armor: (57-ton type) ? Turret front? 102 mm? 9 degrees? PP7182? Nickel-chromium-manganese-molybdenum rolled steel (completely obscured by the mantlet)? Turret sides? 82 mm? 0 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel? Turret back? 82 mm? 0 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel? Turret top? 40 mm? 90 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese Rolled steel? The front of the car body? 102 mm? 9 degrees? PP7182? Nickel chromium manganese molybdenum rolled steel? The front center of the car body? 63 mm? 80 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel? The lower body of the car? 102 mm? -25 degrees? PP7182? Nickel chromium manganese molybdenum rolled steel (sometimes with additional tracks)? Upper body side? 82 mm? 0 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel? Lower body side? 63 mm ?0 degree? Steel type E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel (hidden by the road wheel)? Rear part of the car body? 82 mm? - 15 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel? Front top of the car body? 40 mm? 90 degrees? E22? Nickel chromium manganese rolled steel? The rear top of the car body? 25 mm? 90 degrees? E32? Chromium manganese rolled steel? The bottom of the car body? 25 mm? 90 degrees? E32? Chromium manganese rolled steel? Main Gun penetration: (shooting at an angle of 30 degrees)? 50% probability of penetration? High quality target plate? Ammunition? 100m? 500m? 1000m? 1500m? 2000m? Pzgr39 armor-piercing bullet? 120mm? 110mm? 100mm? 91mm? 84mm ? Pzgr40 armor-piercing projectile? 171mm? 156mm? 138mm? 123mm? 110mm? Radio equipment: ultrashort wave Fu.2 receiver? Ultrashort wave Fu.5 transmitter and receiver? Scope: T.Z.F.9b scope?
In In January 1943, Germany planned to build a new heavy tank to replace the "Tiger" heavy tank. The German Army Ordnance Directorate tasked Porsche, Henschel and MAN companies to start development.
Subsequently, these three companies proposed 4 solutions and made prototypes, namely Porsche's VK4502 (P), Henschel's VK4502 (H) and improved VK4503 (H), MAN's VK4502 (MAN). Finally, the German Army Ordnance Bureau selected Henschel's VK4503 (H) plan, and mass production began in December 1943. It was named the "Tiger King" (or "Tiger" 2) heavy tank? "Tiger" A total of 489 "King" tanks were produced from December 1943 to March 1945.
Performance Parameters
Number of passengers - 5? Weight - 69.8 tons Volume? Length: 10.29m (body length: 7.3m): 3.75m, Height: 3.09m, height above the ground: 0.49m? Armor: Body: upper front armor: 150mm/50°? lower front armor: 100mm/50°, spherical machine gun mount is 100mm spherical, side armor and rear armor 80mm/ 21°, bottom and top armor? 28mm?. ? Turret (Henschel): Front armor? 180mm/9°, side and rear armor? 80mm, top armor? 42mm. ? Turret (Porsche): Front armor? 100mm/curved? Side armor and rear armor 80mm/21°, top armor 42mm? (*) Some King Tiger tanks are coated with cement antimagnetic armor, cement antimagnetic armor (Zimmerit) for defense Armor-piercing projectiles (APCBC/APCR) and high-explosive armor-piercing projectiles (HEAT) have little effect, and their impact on defense is basically negligible. ?Weapons?-?Tiger I: 56 times caliber KwK?36L/56 88mm tank gun? Tiger II: 1?x?88mm main gun--?Model: 8.8cm?KwK?43?L/71?( 72-84 rounds), 2 x MG 34 kal. 7.92mm machine gun (5850 rounds). A few are equipped with the 75mm main gun of the Panther tank. Maximum speed: 41 km/h (theoretical speed) Off-road speed: 18 km/h (theoretical speed) Patrol radius: 170 km, off-road radius: 120 km Engine: Maybach HL230P30 V-12 Water-cooled gasoline engine? Fuel consumption? - 750 gallons/100 kilometers? Obstacle crossing ability? - 30-degree slope, 0.85 meter vertical obstacle, 1.9 meter deep water, 2.5m wide trench? Ground pressure? -?1.02?kg/cm2? Turret: The later model is hydraulically driven, rotating once in 19 to 77 seconds, and retains manual rotation operation.
Tiger 1
Tiger King
If you don’t understand anymore, I will be scared,,,,,,,
Started research and development in the spring of 1937< /p>
Development began in the spring of 1937, and the development process went through many twists and turns. By 1941, Henschel and three other competitors (Porsche, MAN, and Daimler-Benz) each submitted a tank design of about 35 tons equipped with a 75mm gun. ? The Tiger P-type tank designed by Porsche Company. However, after summarizing the threats encountered by the Charles series and Saint-Salmon tanks during the French operation, the German army discovered that the 88mm anti-aircraft gun of the ground air defense force had attacked more than 20 people in an illegal operation. The British and French tanks returned with a heavy defeat, and in 1938 Congress strongly requested that the 88mm gun be installed on the new tanks. The birth of the Soviet T-34 tank declared the necessity and urgency of these designs. According to Erwin Adler, a Henschel designer: "Military experts were deeply shocked. They found that there was no tank in the German armored forces that could match the T-34." As a result, customization standards immediately increased, This includes an increase in vehicle weight to 45 tons and is equipped with an 88mm gun. The prototype of the new tank had to be unveiled on April 20, 1942, Adolf Hitler's birthday. Due to limited development time, the original lighter chassis design was retained. The increased weight causes some components to bear greater pressure, thus reducing the vehicle's reliability and stability. Unlike the Panther tank, the Tiger tank did not draw on the design experience of the T-34 tank at all: the advantages of sloped armor in preventing penetration. However, using thick, high-quality direct-facing armor, the performance in actual combat is not inferior.
On May 26, 1941
Hitler asked Porsche (POR.) and Henschel (HEN.) to provide heavy tank designs. At that time, Krupp was responsible for designing the turret for their project. HEN.'s design is based on the early VK3001(H) and VK3601(H) designs, while POR.'s is based on the early VK3001(P) design. None of these early designs made it into production, but they provided designers with a wealth of valuable experience. Initially, Krupp designed the turret for the Porsche VK4501(P), and the design was modified and adopted for the Henschel VK4501(H). In mid-1941, Henschel decided to produce two prototype tanks, the VK4501 (H1) and VK4501 (H2). The H1 type is equipped with an 88mm KwK36L/56 gun and is equipped with a turret designed by Krupp for the VK4501(P). The H2 type was equipped with a 75mm KwK42L/70 gun and installed a newly designed turret - at that time, there were only wooden models. At the end of 1941, Henschel decided to concentrate its efforts on developing the H1. April 17, 1942
Both companies produced their prototypes. On April 19, both HEN. and POE. prototypes were delivered to a station near Rastenburg (the location of Hitler's command headquarters - Wolf's Lair), and then traveled 11 kilometers to Rastenburg. Despite frequent accidents along the way, Porsche and Henschel submitted the prototype on time and conducted comparative tests in Rastenburg before meeting Hitler. A compromise was eventually adopted, with Henschel's basic architecture being adopted and a Porsche turret being installed. On April 20, 1942, Hitler's birthday, both prototypes appeared in front of him at the Wolf's Lair in East Prussia. In July 1942, at the tank school in BERKA, both tanks began further testing. During testing, the Porsche prototype was eliminated due to frequent breakdowns, while the Henschel prototype was very successful. In the same month, Henschel's VK4501(H) was finalized, named "Panzerkampfwagen?Ⅵ?Ausf.?E", also known as "Tiger?I" and mass production began. The Tiger tank was officially named Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E (Type VI tank, E modification). Mass production began in August 1942. However, the military also ordered 90 Porsche-designed hulls with fixed fighting compartments and converted them into tank destroyers, which are often called "Ferdinand tank destroyers". After the Kursk battle, the remaining Ferdinands The South Tank Destroyer underwent detailed modifications and was equipped with a front machine gun. It was officially renamed the "Elephant Tank Destroyer" on February 27, 1944. Among them, the 654th Heavy Destroyer Tank Brigade also received a modified Elephant tank destroyer. This vehicle changed the fixed fighting room into the movable turret of the Tiger tank. It is equivalent to re-creating a Porsche Tiger. It is estimated that this is the only A practical Porsche Tiger. However, according to the later interview biography "The Forgotten Soldier", a German-French mixed-race soldier-a Saar soldier serving in the Grossdeutschland Division once recalled that his unit had received support from more than 20 Porsche Tigers: they were in the air The sound of the engines of hot cars on the field makes you feel as if you are in a huge racing field. The Tiger tank was rushed into actual combat on the production line. In fact, the initial product was full of loopholes. Therefore, all changes, big and small, are completed directly in the production process. The most significant change was that later models lowered the turret and provided a safer and easier-to-escape cockpit for the crew. To reduce costs, the waterproofing capability and air purification/conditioning system were eliminated.
Tiger I production began in August 1942 and ended in August 1944 after 1,355 units were produced. Production started with an average of 25 vehicles per month, which increased to 104 vehicles per month in April 1944. Growth peaked at 671 vehicles on July 1, 1944. (Due to British bombers bombing German arsenals around the clock, the production of Tiger tanks dropped by more than half) Generally speaking, it took two production periods (early and late models) to produce the Tiger I (PzKpfw ?Ⅵ) Same as German tanks of the same period. When the IS-2 tank appeared on the battlefield, the Tiger had no advantage, and the Tiger II (Tiger II Ausf B) began production in January 1944, and the Tiger I was gradually phased out.
The Allied Air Force's heavy bombing of the German arsenal "Tiger I" has only two official models - E type and H type, but during the production process, improvements are always being made. The firing window on the turret of early production models was changed to an escape hatch (which could also be used to load ammunition) in mid-production models; the armor of the window covers of the early gunner's two viewing windows was strengthened in mid-production, and in later models It was changed to one again; the two early headlights were reduced to only one in the later period. The engine of the later-produced "Tiger I" was also replaced. "Tiger I" is equipped with two types of tracks: narrow tracks, used for transportation; wide tracks, used on the battlefield. In order to facilitate the transportation of "Tiger" tanks and speed up loading and unloading, a special train for it was also produced. From July 1942 to the end of August 1944, only 1,355 Tiger I tanks were produced.
In the Normandy landings, the legend of the Tiger heavy tank reached its peak. Captain Michel Wittmann drove the Tiger tank to eat up 25 British tanks, including the Cromwell tank. There were also Firefly tanks equipped with advanced 17-pound guns and APCR shells that were ahead of their time. They also destroyed 28 half-track vehicles and trucks. At the same time, Karius also killed more than 20 Soviet tanks, including the advanced IS2 heavy tanks, in a battle on the Eastern Front (in the small village of Marinovo). However, at that time, these Soviet tanks were in the empty field of the town. As the vehicle warmed up, the Soviet vehicle crew had no idea about the German Northern Land Division that had just been repelled. He actually happened to encounter the support of a Tiger squad, and there were actually three of the top five German Tiger aces in this squad. Due to excellent tactics, two Tiger tanks that entered the village for reconnaissance destroyed 8 Stalin 2 tanks that were still hot in less than two minutes. Here you can learn about the reloading speed of Tiger tank shells from the side.
Although the Tiger made great military exploits for Nazi Germany, it was eventually replaced by the "Tiger II". The Tiger tank is the symbol of the feared German tank of World War II. In April 1944, the monthly production of "Tiger I" reached its highest level, with 104 units produced. The "Tiger I" was equipped with some independent heavy tank units, and it remained in service until the end of the war. On August 29, 1942, "Tiger I" appeared for the first time in the 1st Company of the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion in Leningrad. In December 1942, near Tunisia in North Africa, the "Tiger I" tanks of the 501st Heavy Tank Battalion participated in the battle. In April and May 1945, he participated in the defense of Berlin. Although the war is over, the Tiger tank is still formidable - if you painted it on the wall, it would scare away the Allied recruits in World War II, which is enough to show its "high status" in people's hearts.
The most mobile heavy tank. The design concept of the Tiger tank is different from that of most German tanks in the early years. Previous designs emphasized the balance of mobility, protection and firepower. Although the firepower and protection of early German tanks were often inferior to those of other opponents, the tactical advantages offset these disadvantages. The design of the Tiger I tank showed a different design concept, focusing on firepower and armor at the expense of mobility. But in fact, the mobility of the Tiger I has not been improved, but is the same as the previous III and IV (the Tiger uses a larger and more advanced engine and transmission system), that is, it still has the mobility of a German medium tank. Although not as good as medium tanks such as the M4 and T-34 (including the heavy Pershing tank later in the war, which was reclassified as a medium tank during the Korean War), the Tiger is the most maneuverable heavy tank in history.
The weight is more than twice that of the No. Ⅳ tank
The development of the Tiger heavy tank had begun as early as 1937, but it was not formulated at that time because there was no need for this aspect. Specific production plan. What really stimulated the emergence of the Tiger was Germany's wars in Western Europe and North Africa. The 88mm gun showed great power in anti-tank applications, so the Germans tried to configure a tank carrier for it. Although the general design and appearance are similar to the Panzer IV tank (medium tank), the Tiger I tank is more than twice the weight of the Panzer IV tank. The increase in weight comes from thicker armor, large-caliber artillery, and inevitable The resulting huge fuel and ammunition storage space, larger engines, and stronger transmission and suspension systems.
The thickness can withstand most artillery shells at normal combat distances
The front armor of the Tiger I tank is 100 mm thick, and the gun mantlet directly in front of the turret is 100~120 mm thick. The Panzer IV tank of the same period had only 50 mm of armor in front of the body and 40 mm of armor in front of the turret, while the Tiger I tank also had 82 mm of armor on the sides and back. This thickness can withstand most artillery shells at normal combat distances, especially anti-tank shells from the front. The Tiger can withstand large-caliber artillery shells falling from long distances. Most of the armor of the Tiger I tank is vertically connected to other structures, and adopts the form of snap connection, so that it obtains good structural performance. Welding (rather than riveting) is used between the armor blocks that snap together at the same time. The quality of the welds is very high, but the welded body and turret also greatly increase the weight of the Tiger.
Can wade water up to four meters deep
The Tiger I tank was too heavy for most bridges, so it was designed to wade water up to four meters deep. ? Rear view - smoke is emitted while driving which requires special mechanisms for ventilation and cooling. The dive requires 30 minutes to prepare. The turret and gun must be secured in the forward position and sealed. And a large breathing tube needs to be raised high at the rear of the tank. Only the early 495 Tiger I tanks were equipped with diving systems, and all later Tiger I tanks could only wade two meters of water.
The engine system of the Tiger I tank
Two convection compartments are placed on both sides. Each compartment has a fuel tank, cooling fins, and cooling fans. The engine was originally designed to use a 21-liter 12-cylinder Maybach HL210P45 gasoline engine with 650 hp (actual measurement: 641 hp, 478 kW). Although it was a good engine, the power it provided was not enough for use, and this was quickly upgraded. To HL230P4523, it has 700 horsepower (actually measured 690 horses, 515 kilowatts). The engine is an in-line cylinder with an angle between cylinders of about 60°. The inertial starter is placed on the right side and can also be driven by a chain through the hole in the rear of the tank. The engine can be hoisted through the hatch on the roof.
The gasoline engine is under the rear and connected to the gearbox in the front. The 11-ton turret is driven by a hydraulic drive system powered by the engine. Even so, it still takes 45 seconds to rotate once. The suspension system uses sixteen sets of torsion bars. In order to save space, one side of the road wheel swing arm is forward and the other side is rearward. Each road wheel swing arm is equipped with three road wheels to provide a better ride. The road wheels are 800 mm in diameter and are staggered. To remove the inner road wheel that has lost its rubber tire (which often happens), several outer road wheels must be removed at the same time. This complex system has certain disadvantages. The gap between the road wheels cannot move due to snow or frozen mud. During the Soviet attack in the early morning, they accidentally discovered that the Tiger might be immobile at this time. After that, new all-steel road wheels were designed, with rubber tires made in-house, eventually completely replacing the old road wheels. The tracks of the Tiger tank are 725 mm wide (unprecedented). When the rail transport is limited in size, the outer road wheels must be removed and the narrower 520 mm tracks need to be replaced. Even an excellent tank crew must change them in 20 minutes.
The internal layout has obvious German tank characteristics
In the front is an open crew compartment, with the driver and radio operator sitting on either side of the front gearbox. Behind them the floor area formed a continuous flat surface around the base of the turret, which helped the loader inspect ammunition placed in the compartment above the tracks. Two people sit in the turret. The shooter is on the left side of the gun and behind the commander. The loader sits on a folding seat. The height from the turret floor to the roof is only 157 centimeters. To summarize, the internal layout of the Tiger is – driver’s compartment, gunner/radio operator’s compartment, combat compartment (turret) and engine compartment. The driver's compartment and the gunner/radio operator's compartment are actually one compartment, separated by the transmission and final drive unit. The driver controls the steering of the tank via the steering wheel, which controls the hydraulic steering system. To prevent malfunctions, two manual steering levers were installed. The steering lever controls the steering brake and also acts as a "handbrake".
The Tiger tank uses an 88mm caliber electric percussion gun
KwK36L/56 (L/56 means the barrel length is 56 times the caliber), developed and produced by Krupp , the turret has a rounded bottom.
The main gun's support and firing mechanism were developed from Germany's famous 88 anti-aircraft gun. Its Flak? 18? L/56 derivative is used as the main gun of the Tiger I tank. The 88mm Kwk43L/71 main gun of the Tiger II tank is also from This series of anti-aircraft guns. It was one of the most lethal tank guns during World War II. It is equipped with an extremely accurate Carl Zeiss TFZ?9b? sight with amazing accuracy. The gun can be loaded with three types of ammunition: PzGr.39? ballistic armor-piercing blasting ammunition, PzGr.40 sub-caliber tungsten core armor-piercing ammunition and HI.? Gr.39 high explosive bomb (HEAT). The shells fired from the Tiger I's main gun can fly in a very straight trajectory. During a test firing, the tank opened fire at a distance of 1,200 yards, and five consecutive rounds landed on a 16-inch × 18-inch target. The Tiger I tank also hit enemy tanks at a distance of more than 1 mile (about 1,600 meters), but this was not very effective because the battle distance in World War II was much closer than one mile. In the early stages of the war, the Tiger could effectively penetrate the frontal armor of Allied tanks at combat range. However, in the later stages of World War II, the Soviet IS-2, the U.S. Army's M26 "Pershing" and the Sherman Big Mac tanks were put into the battlefield. The conventional tanks were unable to deal with some Allied tanks and could not effectively attack them from a distance of 1,000 meters. The picture below shows the penetration depth of the Tiger tank's main gun. ?
Other new features
The Tiger tank uses a hydraulically controlled variable speed gearbox and a semi-automatic transmission system. The increased weight of the tank meant that a new control system was required, and a derivative of the British Merritt Brown single-gear system was used by designers to replace the clutch and brake designs of light vehicles. The control system of the Tiger tank is a double helical gear type. There are two different and fixed axes twisting each other through different helical gears. It is equipped with an eight-speed gearbox and has 16 types of helical gear operations. When necessary, minimum radius rotation is achieved by unilateral braking. The Tiger's controls were easy to use for its era. However, the Tiger tank's mobile performance still needs to be improved. When a Tiger was towing a broken down Tiger, the engine often overheated, which sometimes resulted in engine failure or fire. For these reasons the Tiger was prohibited from towing another broken down Tiger. If the track failed, it was often necessary for two Tiger tanks to pull one. Faulty tracks are also a big problem for the tank itself. Because the tracks are highly taut, the tracks cannot be dismantled simply by removing the track pins. Sometimes explosives are even used to blow up several sections. A single German Sdkfz9 Famo half-track trailer cannot tow a Tiger tank. It needs to be increased to three Sdkfz9 Famo half-track trailers to tow a Tiger tank.
The Tiger is equipped with two types of tracks, 520 mm narrow tracks (used during marching) and 720 mm wide tracks (used in combat Tiger). For rail transport, the outer road wheels were removed from each axle and transport tracks were installed. This allowed the Tiger tank to be mounted on a railcar and dismounted. This work is mainly carried out in areas with railway access, but is not often carried out during field transportation. And the Germans built railroad flatcars to make transporting and unloading the Tigers faster. An experienced tank crew was able to replace the tracks in half an hour. The remaining time is to complete the work of removing and installing the outer wheels and side fenders, folding and unfolding the outer parts and rear fenders, etc. The Tiger tank is a famous heavy tank in World War II. The Allied Forces A powerful opponent of tanks, the main advantages of this heavy tank are the powerful artillery and strong defensive capabilities of this heavy tank. Therefore, in World War II, the "Tiger" heavy tanks were like a group of steel behemoths, with flames spraying from the barrels, marching majestically
Its main disadvantage is that it consumes too much fuel and has difficulty in supplying. In the logistics transportation line Faced with the devastating blows of the former Soviet Red Army and the harsh combat environment, many "Tiger" heavy tanks turned into a pile of scrap metal. At the same time, the weight of the tank is tightly pressed on the suspension system, making later maintenance difficult. No matter how durable the suspension system is, it cannot be used in this way. In addition, its production cost was very high. The design of the Tiger tank was very expensive in terms of time, raw materials and construction costs (Deutsche Mark). The cost of the Tiger I tank was equivalent to twice that of the Panzer IV tank and four times that of the Panzer III assault gun at the time. Equivalent to three times that of a T-34 tank and twice that of an IS-2 (Stalin-2) tank.
It should be noted that Germany's military production had to build a large number of submarines and local air defense forces due to the late general mobilization (started in February 1943), and it could not devote all its power to the production of the army and frontline air force like the Soviet Union (Soviet T- The largest producer of 34 tanks, the 183 Tank Factory in Underground Tagil, produced locomotives before the war, and during the war almost all railway equipment in the Soviet Union came from aid). Therefore, it is wrong to simply attribute the low tank production compared to the Soviet Union to design. Edit this combat evaluation
Established the myth of invincibility
During the war, the "Tiger I" destroyed a large number of enemy tanks and other equipment, establishing an invincible image in the hearts of its opponents. The myth left a powerful and profound impression. The 88mm gun equipped on the "Tiger I" is extremely powerful, making it a dangerous opponent for all Allied tanks. Its thick armor makes it almost indestructible. The maximum effective range of the 88mm? L56 should be about 2000 meters, between 1200-1600 meters. At this time, the ballistic trajectory of the 88mm? L56 is very straight and has a high probability of killing.
However, the Tiger I tank also has a flaw. The biggest flaw in protection is its engine roof armor located at the rear of the body (rather than the rumored "rear armor"), which is only made of 25mm Made of hollow steel plate. Therefore, the top armor of the Tiger tanks produced in early 1944 was thickened to 40mm. In terms of mobility, the weight of the Tiger I tank limits its ability to pass through bridges and roads. This shortcoming is particularly obvious in soft and muddy geological areas with poor infrastructure, such as the Soviet Union. The disadvantage in terms of firepower is that its hydraulically operated turret mechanism rotates relatively slowly (it takes 45 seconds to rotate 360 ??degrees). Most of the time, German drivers need to use the simultaneous rotation of the hull and turret to speed up target switching in different directions. The turret can also be rotated manually. Except for fine-tuning the angle, such an action is rarely done on the battlefield.
The Tiger tank can penetrate the frontal armor of the early Stalin 2 tank within 500 meters, or the turret front of the late Stalin 2 tank at 1,000 meters, or the front of the Churchill tank (including Churchill IV). It can destroy most opponents head-on at a longer distance, such as T-34 tanks and M4 Sherman tanks.
Although people think that the King Tiger (Tiger 2) is the successor and replacement of the Tiger 1, in fact the King Tiger and the Tiger 1 are two completely different heavy tanks. The original intention of the design of the King Tiger was to consider installing a tank gun with high power and high reliability. Based on the 88 mm L56 caliber tank gun of Tiger 1, the Germans developed a more powerful 88 mm L71 caliber tank gun. Tank gun. The design of the King Tiger tank was ultimately carried out by two companies in Germany: Henschel Company in Kassel, Germany (a city in eastern Germany) and Bohr Company in Stuttgart, Germany (a city in southwestern Germany, the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg) Porsche (Porsche) Company came to compete. Both companies have come up with two design solutions.