Tiger I tank (PzKpfw VI)

Our author’s guide to automobile and armored vehicles of the Second World War based on our own archives, old and modern photographs (Third Reich, Nazi Germany and the Allies).

German heavy tank T-VI H “Tiger” 1 (Kubinka tank museum and Patriot Park collection).

German designation: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E (PzKpfw VI Ausf. E), Service name Sd.Kfz. 182, then Sd.Kfz. 181.

According to research by the Soviet and then Russian military in Kubinka and the official catalog of the tank museum: year of release1942, the heavy tank, serial.

Designed by “Henschel” company in 1942 was serially produced from 1942 to 1945.

Tiger I (PzKpfw VI Ausf. E) photo gallery

For lovers of military history and armored vehicles, scale models, artists and researchers, we post below our archive of photographs of the Tiger 1 tank from the museum in Kubinka with details where it was from 1972 to 2016.

The tactical technical characteristics of Tiger I PzKpfw VI Ausf. E) tank:  

• The weight – 56,9 tons, the tank crew – 5 people.
• The overall dimensions  in mm (length x width x height) – 8240 х 3550 х 2880.
• Weapons: 1 cannon the  88 mm caliber, the ammunition – 92 shots,
• 2 machine guns the caliber – 7,92 mm., the ammunition -5700 shots.
• Armor protection; the front and the turret – 100 mm.
• The Engine power — 650 h/p.
• The speed  maximum — 40 km / h, the cruising on higрway — up to 100 km.
• The opportunity of the underwater driving – yes.

T-VI “Tiger” I (PzKpfw VI Ausf. E) tank design features:

The PzKpfw VI chassis — the original. The overall tank  layout is typical for the German tanks during the WW2 (the engine location is in the rear of the chassis, the power train – in the nose).

The Weapons:  88 mm. gun with the hydraulic lift mechanism; the turret rotation by the means of the hydraulic drive

Tank protection:  the case of the welded, the box-section with the vertical front and the  side steel plates; the homogeneous armor  with the chrome nickel molybdenum, the average hardness of the finger are jointed sheets.

The Chassis:  12-cylinder engine  V-type, the carburetor, the liquid cooling;  the lubrication system radiator (the water – oil); the main clutch has nine disks running into a oil, and without shaft the gearbox with synchronization device, is located in one housing with the main clutch and cinematically connected with a planetary rotation mechanism; all torsion bar suspensions are with  hydraulic shock absorbers on the front and the rear balancers.
Location: since 2016 “Tiger 1” was moved from Kubinka tank museum to Patriot Park area.

A little history of the creation of the Tiger tank. The Henschel company fairly won the competition with Porsche thanks to its extensive experience in heavy chassis with staggered rollers. Henschel built two experimental prototypes of the BK30 chassis in 1939. This chassis formed the basis of the Tiger tank (Henschel). During World War II, these prototypes were equipped with powerful 128 mm guns. These heavy self-propelled guns took part in battles, but only one example has survived, which is now in the Kubinka Tank Museum.

128 mm WW2 German Assault Gun (VK30.01) prototype

German medium (?) self-propelled gun SU-128, 1942, (medium semi-closed self-propelled unit), small-serie (as official Kubinka catalog). It was developed in 1942. Produced in small batch series since 1942. It was in service with the army of fascist Germany. Used in the battles of the Second World War.
Heavy anti-tank ACS 12.8 cm. Pz.Sfl V (expert review).

VK30.01 Assault Gun Tactical and technical characteristics:
Weight – 35 tons, Crew – 5 people. The overall dimensions (length x width x height) are 10075 x 3160 x 2700 mm.
Armament, gun – 1 piece, caliber – 128 mm., Ammunition – 18 shots, machine gun – 2 pieces, caliber – 7.92 mm.
Armored protection, forehead and hull – 45 mm. Engine power – 300 horsepower, The maximum speed is 25 km / h.
Cruising range on the highway – 170 km. The depth of water barriers, fordable – 1.2 meters
Design Features: Base – the original.
General layout – the control compartment is located in the front part of the car body, the combat one in the middle, the power one in the stern. Armament – loading is separate. Protection – the body of a welded, semi-closed type, from rolled armor plates with low angles of inclination. Chassis – carburetor engine “Maybach”; caterpillar propulsion unit with checkerboard arrangement; the driving wheels are located in front.

To be continued soon..