As range gets smaller in combat, all guns can penetrate additional armor (with the exception of HEAT ammunition, which was rare in World War 2). The great penetrating power of the Tiger tank’s 88mm 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 make a flanking attack in order to knock out a Tiger.The Tiger tank was first used in action in September 1942 near Leningrad. Under pressure from Hitler, the panzer was put into action months earlier than planned and many early models proved to be mechanically fragile. In its first action on 23 September 1942, many of the first Tiger tanks broke down. Others were taken out by dug-in Red Army anti-tank guns. One panzer was captured largely intact, which gave the Red Army a chance to study the tank and prepare a response.In the Tiger tank’s beginning actions in North Africa, the panzer was able to master Allied tanks in the open

terrain. Notwithstanding, mechanical failures meant that there were rarely more than a few in action. In a replay of the Leningrad experience, at least one Tiger tank was knocked out by towed British six-pounder antitank guns.The panzer’s extreme weight limited the bridges it could cross and made drive-throughs of buildings, which may have had basements, hazardous. Another weakness was the slow traverse of the hydraulically-operated turret. The turret could as well be passed over manually, but this choice was seldom used.Early Tiger tanks had a top speed of about 45 km/h over optimal terrain.

This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. Crews were told to not exceed 2600RPM due to reliability problems of the early Maybach engines at their maximum 3000RPM output. To combat this, the Tiger’s top speed was reduced to about 38km/h through the installation of an engine governor, capping the RPM of the Maybach HL 230 to 2600rpm (HL 210s were used on early models). Despite being slower than medium tanks of the time, which averaged a top speed of about 45 km/h, the Tiger still had a very respectable speed for a tank of its size and weight, being nearly twice as heavy as a Sherman tank or Soviet T-34 tank. The Tiger tank had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger tank units frequently entered combat understrength due to breakdowns. It was rare for any Tiger tank unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due to breakdown. The tank also had poor radius of action (distance a combat vehicle can travel and return, in normal battle conditions, without refueling). Due to its very wide tracks, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure bearing than many smaller tanks, the most notable exception being the Red Army T-34 tank. The Tiger tank’s armor and firepower, however, were feared by all its opponents. In tactical defense, its poor mobility was less of an issue. Whereas Panthers were the more serious threat to Allied tanks, Tigers had a bigger psychological effect on opposing crews, causing a “Tiger phobia”. Allied tankers would sometimes evade rather than confront a Tiger, even a tank that only looked like one, such as the Panzer IV with turret skirts applied. In the Normandy campaign, it could take four to five Shermans to knock out a single Tiger tank by maneuvering to its weaker flank or rear armour; the Red Army T-34s fared similarly against the German panzers, as had the German Panzer III earlier against the Soviet heavy tanks. An accepted Allied tactic was to engage the Tiger tank en masse, one attracting the attention of the Panzerkampfwagen VI 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 a risky tactic, and often resulted in the loss of several Allied vehicles. It took a great deal of tactical skill to eliminate a PzKpfw VI.

KONIGSTIGER TIGER II

Tiger II is the common name of a German  heavy tank of the Second World War. The official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, often shortened to Tiger B,  with the ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182.  It is also known under the informal name Königstiger  (the German name for the “Bengal tiger”), often translated by the Americans as King Tiger, and by the British as Royal Tiger.

The model  followed the same concept as the Tiger I, but was intended to be even more dreaded. The Tiger II combined the massive armor of the Tiger I with the sloped armor of the Panther. The panzer weighed roughly seventy metric tons, was protected by 100 to 180 mm (3.9 to 7.1 in) of frontal armor, and was fitted with the 8.8 cm Kampfwagenkanone 43 L/71 gun. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turret less tank destroyer.

Development of a heavy panzer structure  had been initiated in 1937; the initial structure  contract was awarded to Henschel. Another contract followed in 1939, and was given to Porsche.  Both prototype series used the same turret structure  from Krupp; the main differences were in the hull, transmission, suspension and automotive features.

The Henschel version used a conventional hull style  with sloped armor resembling the layout of the Panther tank. It had a rear mounted engine and used nine steel-tired overlapping road wheels with internal springing per side, mounted on transverse torsion bars, in a similar manner to the original Tiger. To simplify upkeep, yet, the wheels were overlapping rather than interleaved as in the Tiger I.

The Porsche hull model s included a rear-mounted turret and a mid-mounted engine. The suspension was the same as on the Jagdpanzer Elefant. This had six road wheels per side mounted in paired bogies sprung with short longitudinal torsion bars that were integral to the wheel pair; this saved internal space and facilitated repairs. One Porsche version had a gasoline-electric hybrid power system; two separate drive trains in series, one per side of the panzer, each consisting of a hybrid drive train; gasoline engine – electric generator – electric motor – drive sprocket. This method of propulsion had been attempted before on the Tiger (P) (later Elefant prototypes) and in some U.S. style s, but had never been put into development. The Porsche suspension were later used on a few of the later Jagdtiger tank hunters. Another proposal was to use hydraulic drives. Dr. Porsche’s unorthodox model s gathered little favor.

Henschel won the contract, and all Tiger IIs were produced by the firm.  Two turret design s were used in fabrication vehicles. The initial layout  is sometimes misleadingly called the “Porsche” turret due to the belief that it was layout ed by Porsche for their prototype; in fact it was the initial Krupp design  for both prototypes. This turret had a rounded front and steeply sloped sides, with a difficult-to-manufacture curved bulge on the turret’s left side to accommodate the commander’s cupola. Fifty early turrets were mounted to Henschel’s hull and used in action. The more common “development” turret, sometimes called the “Henschel” turret, was simplified with a significantly thicker flat face, no shot trap (created by the curved face of the initial-type turret), less-steeply sloped sides, and no bulge for the commander’s cupola.
The turrets were model ed to mount the 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 gun. Combined with the Turmzielfernrohr 9d (TZF 9d—turret telescopic sight) monocular sight (which all but a few early Tiger II’s used), it was a very accurate and deadly weapon. During practice, the estimated probability of a first round hit on a 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high, 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide target only dropped below 100 percent beyond 1,000 m (0.62 mi), to 95–97 percent at 1,500 metres (0.93 mi) and 85–87 percent at 2,000 m (1.2 mi), depending on ammunition type. Recorded combat performance was lower, but still over 80 percent at 1,000 m, in the 60s at 1,500 m and the 40s at 2,000 m. Penetration of armored plate inclined at 30 degrees was 202 and 132 mm (8.0 and 5.2 in) at 100 and 2,000 m (0.062 and 1.2 mi) respectively for the Panzergranate 39/43 projectile (PzGr—armor-piercing shot and shell), and 238 and 153 mm (9.4 and 6.0 in) for the PzGr. 40/44 projectile between the same ranges. The Sprenggranate 43 (SpGr) high-explosive round was available for soft targets, or the Hohlgranate or Hohlgeschoss 39 (HlGr—HEAT or High explosive anti-tank warhead) round, which had 90 mm (3.5 in) penetration at any range, could be used as a dual-purpose munition versus soft or armored targets.

High speed turret traverse was provided by a hydraulic motor linked to the main engine; a full rotation could be achieved in nineteen seconds at engine idle, and inside ten seconds at the maximum allowable engine speed. Motor traverse was used to quickly get the target within the field of view of the gun sights, but fine adjustments of traverse and elevation were achieved with the gunner’s hand wheels. If power was lost, the turret could be slowly traversed by hand, assisted by the loader who had an additional wheel.
Like all German tanks, it had a gasoline  engine; in this case the same 700 PS  (690 hp, 515 kW) V-12 Maybach HL 230 P30 which powered the much lighter Panther  and Tiger I tanks. The Tiger II was under-powered, like many other heavy tanks of World War Two, and consumed a lot of fuel, which was in short supply for the Germans. The transmission was the Maybach OLVAR EG 40 12 16 Model B, giving eight forward gears and four reverse, which drove the steering gear. This was the Henschel L 801, a double radius design  which proved susceptible to failure. Transverse torsion bar suspension supported the hull, and nine overlapped 800 mm (31 in) diameter road wheels with rubber cushions and steel tyres rode inside the tracks on each side.

Like the Tiger I, each panzer was issued with two sets of tracks: a normal “battle track” and a narrower “transport” version used during rail transport. The transport tracks reduced the overall width of the load and could be used to drive the tank short distances on firm ground. The crew were expected to change to normal battle tracks as soon as the tank was unloaded. Ground pressure was 0.76 kg/cm2 (10.8 psi).

Panzerbefehlswagen variants

Two command versions of the Tiger 2, Panzerbefehlswagen (Pz.Bef.Wg. Tiger Ausf. B) were planned to be manufactured. These carried only 63 rounds of 8.8 cm ammunition to provide room to accommodate the extra radios and equipment. The Sd.Kfz. 267 was to have used FuG 8 and FuG 5 radio sets, with the most notable external changes being a 2 metre long rod antenna mounted on the turret roof and a Sternantenna D (“Star antenna D”), mounted on an insulated base (the 104mm Antennenfuss Nr. 1) which was protected by a large armoured cylinder. This equipment was located on the rear decking in a position originally used for deep-wading equipment. The Sd.Kfz. 268 used FuG 7 and FuG 5 radios with a 2 metre rod antenna mounted on the turret roof and a 1.4 metre rod antenna mounted on the rear deck.

he Tiger II was developed late in the war and made in relatively small numbers – 1,500 Tiger IIs were ordered, but the manufacturing was severely disrupted by Allied bombing.  Among others, five raids between 22 September and 7 October 1944 destroyed 95 percent of the floor area of the Henschel plant. It is estimated that this caused the loss in production of some 657 Tiger IIs.  Only 492 units were produced: 1 in 1943, 379 in 1944, and 112 in 1945. Full manufacturing ran from mid-1944 to the end of the war.

The Tiger II served as a basis for one fabrication variant, the Jagdtiger, and a proposed Grille 17/21/30/42 self-propelled mount for heavy guns that never reached manufacture.
The heavy armor and powerful long-range gun gave the Tiger II an advantage against all opposing Western Allied and Soviet tanks attempting to engage it from head on. This was especially true on the Western Front, where neither the British nor U.S. forces had brought heavy tanks into service. Only two weapons were available on the western front that were capable of penetrating the Konigstiger from the front. The British 17 pdr anti-tank gun using APDS shot was theoretically capable of penetrating the front of the Tiger II’s turret and nose (lower front hull) at 1,100 and 1,200 yd (1,000 and 1,100 m) respectively. The other gun capable of penetrating it from the front was the American M1 90mm cannon when firing HVAP rounds. Flanking maneuvers were used against the Konigstiger to attempt a shot at the thinner side and rear armor, giving a tactical advantage to the Tiger 2 in most engagements.  Moreover, the main armament of the Konigstiger was capable of knocking out any Allied tank frontally at ranges exceeding 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi), beyond the effective range of Allied tank guns.
Red Army wartime testing

During August 1944, a number of Tiger II panzers were captured by the Russians near Sandomierz and were soon moved to their testing grounds at Kubinka. The Russian team gave the opinion that the tests revealed the tanks to be severely defective; the transmission and suspension broke down very frequently and the engine was prone to overheating and consequential failure. Additionally, the Red Armys opinion was of deficiencies in the armor after firing many anti-tank rounds at the same target. Not only did they report that the metal was of shoddy quality (a problem not particular to the Konigstiger—as the war progressed, the Germans found it harder and harder to obtain the alloys needed for high-quality steel), but the welding was also, despite “careful workmanship”, extremely poor. As a result, even when shells did not penetrate the armor, there was a large amount of spalling, and the armor plating cracked at the welds when struck by multiple heavy shells, rendering the panzer inoperable.
There were two main mechanical reasons for the initial unreliability of the Tiger II, leaking seals and gaskets, and the overburdened drivetrain which was originally intended for a lighter vehicle.  The double radius steering gear was particularly prone to failure.  Lack of crew training could amplify this problem; drivers originally given only limited training on other tanks were often sent directly to operational units already on their way to the front.

The 501st Heavy Tank Battalion arrived on the Eastern Front with only 8 out of 45 panzers operational, mostly with drivetrain failures. The first five Tiger 2′s delivered to the Panzer-Lehr-Division broke down and were destroyed to prevent capture, without seeing combat.

Reliability was improved over time with the continuous introduction of modified seals, gaskets and drive train components, driver training, and sufficient maintenance. Statistics from 15 March 1945 compare the availability of Konigstigers with respect to other tanks: 62 percent of Panzer IVs, 59 percent of Tiger 2s and 48 percent of Panthers were operational by this period of the war.

Overall, the Tiger II was a formidable panzer in spite of its problems. Its 88 mm armament could knockout most Allied armor far outside their effective ranges. Also, notwithstanding its reliability problems, the Tiger II was remarkably agile for such a heavy vehicle. Contemporary German records indicate that its mobility was as good as or better than most German or Allied tanks.
The first combat use of the Konigstiger was by the 1st company of the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion  opposing Operation Atlantic between Troarn and Demouville on 18 July 1944; losses were two from combat, plus the company commander’s tank which became irrecoverably trapped after falling into a bomb crater made during Operation Goodwood.

On the Eastern Front, it was first used on 12 August 1944 by the 501st Heavy Tank Battalion resisting the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive. It attacked the Russian bridgehead over the Vistula River near Baranów Sandomierski. On the road to Ogledów, three Tiger 2s were destroyed in an ambush by a few T-34-85s. Because these tanks suffered ammunition explosions which caused many crew fatalities, main gun rounds were no longer allowed to be stowed within the turret, reducing capacity to 68. Up to fourteen Tiger 2s of the 501st were lost in the area between 12 and 13 August when confronted by the Red Army T-34-85 and IS-2 in inconvenient sandy terrain.
A large panzer with sloped frontal armor and a flat faced turret, by a column of marching soldiers wearing overcoats and helmets, in a wide city street. A large building to the rear shows the scars of battle.
A Tiger II of the 503rd Heavy Tank Battalion and Hungarian troops in a battle scarred street in Buda’s Castle district, October 1944

 

On 15 October 1944 Tiger IIs of the 503rd Heavy tank Battalion played a crucial role during Operation Panzerfaust, supporting Otto Skorzeny’s troops in taking the Hungarian capital of Budapest, which ensured that the country remained with the Axis until the end of the war. The 503rd then took part in the Battle of Debrecen. The 503rd remained in the Hungarian theater of operations for 166 days, during which it accounted for at least 121 Red Army tanks, 244 anti-tank guns and artillery pieces, five aircraft and a train. This was at the loss of 25 Tiger IIs; ten were knocked out by Soviet troops and burned out, two were sent back to Vienna for a factory overhaul, while thirteen were blown up by their crews for various reasons, usually to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Kurt Knispel, the highest scoring panzer ace of all time (162 enemy AFVs destroyed), also served with the 503rd, and was killed in action on 29 April 1945 in his Tiger II.

The Tiger 2 was also present at the Ardennes Offensive of December 1944, the Russian Vistula–Oder and East Prussian Offensives in January 1945, the German Lake Balaton Offensive in Hungary in March 1945, the Battle of the Seelow Heights in April 1945, and finally the Battle of Berlin at the end of the war.

The 503rd SS Heavy panzer Battalion scored approximately 500 kills in the period from January to April 1945 on the Eastern Front for the loss of 45 King Tigers (most of which were abandoned and destroyed by their own crews after mechanical breakdowns or for lack of fuel.