Niemiecki czolg PzKpfw VI TIGER

Niemiecki czolg PzKpfw VI TIGER Papercraft

Work on the creation of a heavy tank began in 1937. Only after the attack on the USSR were the tactical and technical requirements needed for this new war machine met. The tank was designed by the Henschel company, led by Erwin Aders. Production was handled by Henschel and Weggman factories, which made about 450 tanks from July 1942 to August 1943.

The first 495 vehicles included equipment that enabled the crossing of water obstacles up to 4 meters deep. Beginning with the 251st tank, the Maybach HL 230 P30 engine (600 hp) was replaced with a Maybach HL 230 P45 (700 hp). The Tiger was armed with an 88 mm 8,8 cm KwK-36 L/56 gun, which was a tank version of the famous Flak 18/36 anti-aircraft gun. In the spring and summer of 1943, the tank received smoke grenade launchers and mortars for launching anti-personnel mines. The Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger entered service with heavy tank battalions. The tanks were first used in the fall of 1942, on the Leningrad front, in the 502nd heavy tank battalion. In December 1942, in North Africa, Tigers entered service with the 501st battalion.

The first tanks which arrived often broke, owing to the haste with which they were put into mass production. The vehicle was very heavy, with low maneuverability. It consumed 10 liters of fuel every 1 kilometer. A full fuel tank, 567 liters, was enough for only two and a half hours of combat work, which was one of the tank's major drawbacks. But this was all compensated for by the battle machine's simplicity and ease of operation. Tank operators who served in Tigers were constantly praising its transmission and steering. The tank's armor also gave the crew a high chance of surviving battle, even if the tank was disabled. The Tiger Tank was armed with a main 88mm cannon, one 7.92 MG34, and a MG42. The tank weighed in at a total of 60 tonnes, with a crew of 6. The top speed for this tank was 45.4 kmh, or 28.2 mph and it was powered by a Maybach HL230 P45 which held 700 horsepower. The tank was designed in 1941 by Henschel & Son. The total amount of this Tiger variant was around 1,350 tanks.