Panzer VI (Tiger I)

The Panzer VI, Tiger I, was a German heavy tank in service with the Wehrmacht between 1942 and 1945. It was the most iconic and the most lethal tank of World War II. Ironically, it had quickly been designed using components that had already been tested. Although it was not agile and fast, it was equipped with the most deadly anti-tank gun of this armed conflict; the 8.8-cm KwK 36 L/56, which was accurate at 2,000 m (2 km) and had the highest muzzle velocity, with 930 m/s (meters per second). It was fitted with the thickest and most effective armor. By late 1944, a total of 1,350 Panzer VI tanks had been built.

The Tiger I had been conceived in the Summer of 1941 by Porsche KG's engineers and there was no hurry for it to enter mass production. However, when the Germans encountered the Soviet T-34 in December 1941, during the Battle of Moscow, at the end of Operation Barbarossa, they realized they had to accelerate the development and production of the Tiger I as the new Russian tank was superior to what they had on the battlefield at that moment, which was the Panzer IV Ausf A, B, C, and D. Thus, Porsche and Henschel each built their own prototype based on the original design; it was the Panzerkampfwagen VI, Ausf A and B. However, it was Henschel prototype that would be selected for mass production in August 1942. The first batch of Tiger I tanks was delivered to the German Army in September 1942, under the designation PzKpfw VI, Ausf E, inventory: SdKfz 181.

For its time, the Tiger I was an outstanding tank, with a powerful gun and strong armor. It took between 10 and 15 M4 Shermans to destroy one Panzer VI on an open battlefield. However, the German tank could be put out of action in an urban battle when attacked from behind or from the sides at close range, with reliable anti-tank weapons. Although it was an efficient killing machine, it had a complicated mechanics and it was very expensive to build. One of its major drawbacks was its overlapping roadwheels and suspension system. These would sometimes get stuck with mud and stones. In this regard, the T-34, with a simple yet effective mechanics, was superior to the German tank.

Specifications

Type: heavy tank

Weight: 55 tons

Hull Length: 6.20 m (20 feet, 4 inches)

Full Length: 8.24 m (27 feet)

Width: 3.73 m (12 feet, 3 inches)

Height: 2.86 m (9 feet, 3 inches)

Power Plant: one 700-HP, Maybach HL-230 P-45, 12-cylinder, gasoline piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 38 km/h (24 mph), on road

Range: 100 km (62 miles)

Gradient: 60 degrees

Crew: 5