Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II

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Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B "Tiger II"
Tiger II with Henschel tower

Tiger II with Henschel tower
General properties
crew 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
length 10.28 m
width 3.75 m
height 3.09 m
Dimensions 69.7 t
Unit price 321,500 Reichsmarks
Armor and armament
Armor 25-185 mm
Main armament 8.8 cm KwK 43 L / 71
Secondary armament * 2 × 7.92mm MG 34
  • 1 × Fla-MG
agility
drive V12
gasoline engine Maybach HL 230 P 30 700 hp (515 kW)
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 38 km / h
Power / weight 10 hp / t
Range 170 km

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B Tiger II (Sd.Kfz. 182) was the heaviest German battle tank in World War II . Contrary to its name, it was not an improved version of the VI Tiger armored car , but a largely new design. The main difference between the two types was the shape of the armor: The Tiger II - like the Panther  - was inclined throughout , while the Tiger I, with its partially vertical armor, was more similar to the older German tanks. Developed as a reaction to the Soviet T-34 from the summer of 1942, 492 units were built by the end of the war, with production temporarily overlapping with that of the earlier Tiger variant.

The unofficial term “King Tiger” , also used by German propaganda , was often translated by Western Allied soldiers as “Royal Tiger” or “King Tiger”. The propaganda even claimed that the name was invented by the war opponents.

history

development

Based on the experience with the T-34 in the autumn of 1941 ( Russian campaign ), the German Army Armed Forces Office was ready to accept designs for armored combat vehicles that were larger and in every respect better than all Allied tanks of the time. After a tender specification from the Army Weapons Office from August 1942, Porsche KG in Stuttgart and Henschel & Sohn in Kassel began the preparatory work. During the construction, the changed situation in the theaters of war was taken into account and therefore the emphasis was placed on good defensive capabilities, with better armament and better protection given priority over high speed. The Heereswaffenamt finally decided on the Henschel design VK 4503 (H), because the VK 4502 (P) tank designed by Porsche had an overly complicated electric drive. The Tiger II was officially ordered in January 1943; a prototype was only delivered in October 1943. The reason for this delay was the attempt by the German engineers to standardize parts, production and maintenance of the new Tiger II tank and the already planned Panther II as much as possible.

The prototypes were tested at the test center for motor vehicles (Verskraft) in Kummersdorf .

Serial production

Tiger II with Henschel tower and Zimmerit painting, Budapest 1944
Tiger II with Henschel Tower in the Musée des Blindés

Between December 1943 and March 1945 a total of 485 or 489 Tiger II armored vehicles were produced by Henschel and Wegmann in Kassel (factory documents name 487 units). A monthly production rate of 140 units was planned, but these numbers were never close; the highest production rate was 94 units in August 1944. For a while, the Tiger II was built by Henschel parallel to the Tiger I, and from August 1944 production was completely switched to the new model.

The tower of both the Henschel design and the rejected Porsche design had been developed by Krupp . The narrow tower of the Henschel design was not yet ready for production at the beginning of the tub manufacture; therefore, the already finished Porsche towers had to be used and the first fifty copies of the Tiger II received this tower. All others received the Schmalturm designed for Henschel, also known as the production tower. Compared to the Porsche tower with its many rounded armor plates, the Henschel tower was easier and therefore cheaper to manufacture. In addition, there was no longer any danger that - as with the Porsche tower - bullets ricocheting off the fascia would penetrate the comparatively thin driver's roof armor.

Production figures of the Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II
month Nov. 43 Dec. 43 Jan. 44 Feb. 44 March 44 Apr. 44 May 44 Jun. 44 Jul. 44 Aug. 44 Sep 44 Oct. 44 Nov. 44 Dec. 44 Jan. 45 Feb. 45 March 45 All in all
number of pieces 1 0 5 5 6th 6th 15th 32 45 94 63 26th 26th 56 40 42 30th 492

The only derivative of the Tiger II was the Jagdtiger Jagdpanzer VI .

commitment

Tiger II with the rounded Porsche tower
Bengal tigers lined up in a row

The Panzerkampfwagen Tiger II was mainly due to the heavy tank divisions delivered, already with the Tiger I were equipped. The first unit equipped with Tigern II, however, was the Panzer-Lehr-Division . In the tank training regiment she had five Tiger IIs in the subordinate tank company ( Funklenk ) 316. These were used to combat the Allied landings in Normandy. On June 27, 1944, the newly equipped heavy tank division 503 with 33 Tigers I and 12 Tigers II was relocated to the Western Front, where it was used from July 11, 1944. From June to July 1944, the heavy Panzer Division 501 was gradually withdrawn from the eastern front for re-equipment and, on August 6, 1944, placed under the Northern Ukraine Army Group with 45 Tigers II . At the end of July, both the 3rd / Heavy Panzer Division 503 and the 1st / Heavy SS Panzer Division 101 were pulled out of the western front, each equipped with 14 Tigers II and relocated again at the beginning of August. On July 7th, during the defense against the Soviet offensive, Operation Bagration , the heavy tank division 505, which had been reduced to 15 Tiger I, was withdrawn from the eastern front near Molodetschno and transferred to the Ohrdruf military training area. There it was equipped with 45 Tigers II and on September 9th it was used again on the Eastern Front near Nasielsk . Heavy Panzer Division 506 was equipped with 45 Tigers II in Paderborn and then used against the Allies near Arnhem . Heavy Panzer Division 503, coming from the western front, was completely equipped with Tigers II in mid-September at the Sennelager military training area . At the same time, the heavy SS Panzer Division 101 was completely equipped with Tigern II and relocated back to the Western Front. During the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, 86 Tiger IIs were used, two of which were shot down by the British and three were abandoned by their crews. In 1945 the heavy Panzer Departments 507 and 509 and the heavy SS Panzer Departments 502 (renamed 102) and 503 (renamed 103) were fully equipped with Tigern II. On March 31, 1945, the last 13 Tiger IIs produced by Henschel were divided between the 3rd / heavy tank division 510 and 511. After that, a few Tiger IIs of the reserve army were used in so-called alarm units, with the tanks being transported by train to the combat locations.

Design analysis

Opponent comparison

The Tiger II was the pinnacle of German tank development during World War II , with the shape being based on the Panther . Compared to the Tiger I , both the dimensions and the armor thickness and thus the weight increased. The result was a vehicle that was hardly vulnerable from the front, but was relatively slow due to its large mass of almost 70 t. In the absence of alternatives, the engine of the Panther and Tiger had to be used. The 8.8 cm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 43 L / 71 was one of the best tank cannons of its time and gave the "King Tiger" tremendous firepower. All enemy tanks could be destroyed head-on at distances of up to 3000 m; there are even a few reports of T-34s being shot down at a combat range of around 4,000 meters. Only the Soviet IS-3 would have been equivalent in terms of armor and armament - but about 20 t lighter and therefore more maneuverable - but it was no longer used on the European battlefield. In terms of armament, but not armor, the M26 Pershing and the IS-2 Model 1944 were roughly equivalent. The table below shows the distance at which the 39/43 tank shell was able to penetrate the armor of various enemy models. However, it must be taken into account that these are theoretical values, as tank duels usually took place at a shorter distance due to the lack of a field of fire .

Distance from which a King Tiger could theoretically destroy the following tanks
Target tank Sherman Cromwell Churchill T 34/85 IS 2
Cannon mantlet 2600 m 3500+ m 3500+ m 2800 m 1800 m
Tower in front 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 2300 m
Front tub 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500 m 2600 m 2600 m
Tower on the side 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3400 m
Side tub 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m
Rear tower 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 1800 m
Rear tub 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 3500+ m 2500 m

The reinforced and, above all, favorably tapered armor of the Tiger II could only be penetrated from close range with the best enemy tank guns, but it often broke and splintered due to the poor quality of the material. The tank destroyers SU-100 and ISU-122 as well as the heavy tank IS-2 could be dangerous to the Tiger II if they got close enough (from 1500 to 1000 m distance penetration of the front armor of the tower, from 600 to 500 m distance penetration the front armor of the hull). The Tiger II was significantly more endangered when the enemy could shoot at the side armor by outmaneuvering or from ambush.

Weaknesses of the Tiger II

  • Inferior armor: Due to the lack of molybdenum in the German war economy, vanadium was used instead in the alloy of the armor steel of the Tiger II , which significantly reduced the toughness of the steel. In spite of the nominally stronger armor than the Tiger I, hits often resulted in breaks in the armor and dangerous secondary fragmentation in the interior.
  • Heavy: Many bridges were impassable and defective tanks could often not be recovered.
  • Extremely high fuel consumption increasingly became a limiting factor towards the end of the war, because the tanks with empty tanks stopped and had to be abandoned.
  • Low speed: In modern warfare of movement , the Tiger II could not follow fast advancing formations or (more often at the end of the war) withdraw in time.
  • Poor turret drive : if the tank was at an angle, it was often not possible to turn the turret because its drive was too weak.
  • Insufficient motorization and cooling.
  • A gearbox that is too weak for the weight and a chassis that is too weak. There were numerous chassis and transmission damage, which often could not be repaired under the conditions of the declining economy.

technology

ammunition

Tiger II with ammunition in the German Tank Museum Munster

The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II could carry 80 (Porsche turret) or 78 (Henschel turret) bullets for the main armament. Usually 50% tank shells and 50% HE shells were armed. For the machine guns there were 4800 rounds (32 belt bags with 150 rounds each) in the tank.

Ammunition and penetration performance of the KwK 43 L / 71
Ammunition nomenclature 39/43 tank shell 40/43 tank shell
Bullet weight 10.2 kg 7.3 kg
Muzzle velocity 1000 m / s 1130 m / s
Penetration performance of the KwK (combat vehicle cannon) at a 30 ° angle of impact
100 meters 202 mm 237 mm
500 meters 185 mm 217 mm
1000 meters 165 mm 197 mm
1500 meters 148 mm 170 mm
2000 meters 132 mm 152 mm

Technical specifications

Tiger II with Porsche turret
Technical data of the Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II
General properties
Combat weight 69.7 t (with Porsche tower 68.5 t)
Weight tub 52 t (27.7 t without everything)
Weight Henschel Tower 13.5 t (8 t without everything)
Ground pressure 1.02 kg / cm²; with loading chain: 1.23 kg / cm²
Length over all with cannon / without cannon 10.28 m / 7.38 m
Cannon protrusion in front 2.90 m
Width (with terrain chains) 3.75 m
height 3.09 m
Ground clearance 50 cm
Chain width of the battle chain 80 cm (chain weight: 2.8-3.5 t)
Chain width of the loading chain 66 cm (chain weight: 1.5 t)
Armament
Main armament 8.8 cm KwK 43 L / 71
Pipe weight 1.6 t
Barrel length with muzzle brake 6.60 m (without: 6.28 m)
Elevation field −8 ° to + 15 °
Maximum range 9350 m at 15 ° elevation
Target means TZF 9b 1 (Porsche TZF 9 d)
Secondary armament 1 × 7.92 mm MG 34 in the bow
1 × 7.92 mm MG 34 coaxial in the turret
1 × Fla-MG on the tower roof
Mileage
engine Maybach HL 230 P 30
Displacement 23 l
Bore / stroke 130/145 mm
High performance 700 hp (515 kW) at 3000 rpm
Weight related performance 10 hp / t
Speed ​​limit road 38 km / h
Top speed terrain 17 km / h
Fuel supply 860 l
Range road / terrain 170 km / 120 km
transmission semi-automatic Maybach-Olvar preselector
with eight forward and four reverse gears
steering Two-wheel superimposed steering gear
smallest turning circle 2.08 m
suspension Torsion bars
Climbing ability 85 cm
Climbing ability up to 35 °
Wading ability 160 cm
Trench crossing capability 250 cm
Armor
Carrycot / driver's front incline 40 ° 150 mm
Tub bend 40 ° 100 mm
Tub side 90 ° 80 mm
60 ° tub rear 80 mm
Tub ceiling 40 mm
Tub bottom 40 mm
Tower cover 80 mm
Tower front 80 ° 185 mm
Tower side 69 ° 80 mm
Turret tail 70 ° 80 mm
Tower ceiling 12 ° 44 mm
  1. ↑ twelve-cylinder - Otto engine ( V-engine , 60 ° bank angle ), water cooling ,
    carburetor system with four double downdraft gasifiers , two
    Bosch magnetos , dry sump lubrication , oil content 28 liters

Preserved copies

Tiger II of the tank museum Musée des Blindés in Saumur
Tiger II in the Swiss Military Museum Full

Because of technical defects or lack of fuel, many Tiger IIs had to be abandoned or made unusable by their own crews so that they could not be used by the enemy. As a result, only a few Tiger IIs remained in good condition.

  • Musée des Blindés , Saumur / Loire , France: chassis number 280112, (possibly) formerly 1. PzKp, heavy SS-Panzer-division 101. A drivable copy can be seen in the museum. The tank was probably abandoned on August 23, 1944 and was salvaged by the French army in the autumn of that year. It was then stored at AMX in Satory and finally handed over to the museum in 1975.
  • Swiss Military Museum , Full : Chassis number 280215, formerly Heavy Tank Department 506. The tank was given to Switzerland on permanent loan from France after the war. Since autumn 2007 it has been fully restored and made drivable again in an area of ​​the museum that is accessible to visitors. The progress of the work is documented on a specially set up website.
  • Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, Fort Knox , USA: chassis number 280243. Built in September 1944, captured on December 24, 1944 by the SS 501 heavy tank division
  • German Tank Museum , Munster : Chassis number 280101. Formerly SS heavy tank department 501
  • December 44 Museum, La Gleize , Belgium: chassis number 280273. Built in October 1944, shelled and damaged by tanks of the 3rd US Armored Division in La Gleize on December 21, 1944
  • Tank Museum Kubinka , Kubinka , Russia: Vehicle of the heavy tank division 502
  • Defense Academy of the United Kingdom , Shrivenham, England: Vehicle with chassis number 280093 of the heavy SS Panzer Division 501
  • Bovington Tank Museum , Dorset , England: Prototype with Porsche tower

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ↑ That shows the new German newsreel. In:  Oberdonau newspaper. Official daily newspaper of the NSDAP. Gau Oberdonau / Oberdonau newspaper. Daily mail. Official daily newspaper of the NSDAP. Gau Oberdonau , October 16, 1944, p. 3 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / obz
  2. ↑ The strongest tanks in the world. In:  Znaimer Tagblatt and Niederösterreichischer Grenzbote , January 17, 1945, p. 1 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / ztb
  3. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary L. Doyle: Kingtiger Heavy Tank, 1942-45. P. 16.
  4. ^ The Tank Museum : TANK SPOTTER'S GUIDE. Osprey Publishing 2011, ISBN 978-1-84908-222-8 , p. 63 (online)
  5. ↑ Because of the bombs. In:  Neue Warte am Inn , December 20, 1944, p. 1 (online at ANNO ).Template: ANNO / Maintenance / nwi
  6. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz: The German Panzer Troop 1943-1945. P. 276, differences to other sources possible.
  7. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Tiger I & II - Combat and Tactics. P. 126.
  8. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz: Tiger I and II - Combat and Tactics. P. 11.
  9. ↑ For more information on this deficiency see Fritz Petrick: The importance of the raw materials of Northern Europe for the German war economy. In: Robert Bohn et al. (Ed.): Neutrality and totalitarian aggression. Northern Europe and the great powers in World War II. Franz Steiner Verlag Stuttgart, 1991, ISBN 978-3-515-05887-2 , p. 290 (online)
  10. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz: The German Panzer Troop 1943-1945. P. 280.
  11. ↑ Thomas L. Jentz: The German Panzer Troop 1943-1945. P. 279.
  12. ↑ King Tiger. In: panther-panzer.de. Retrieved July 4, 2015 .
  13. ↑ Tiger II Ausf. B. Panzerkampfwagen VI (Sd.Kfz. 182). In: waffenhq.de. Retrieved July 4, 2015 .
  14. ↑ Surviving WW2 King Tiger II Ausf. B Heavy Tank. In: Restored Preserved Panzers. Retrieved December 17, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Surviving Tiger Tanks. (PDF; 8.6 MB) In: http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html . November 10, 2019, p. 6 , accessed on December 17, 2019 (English).
  16. ↑ koenigstiger.ch
  17. ↑ www.december44.com (English)