Sixth armored battalion. E Tiger I was a heavy tank made in Nazi Germany during World War II. Tiger I tanks entered the German army from 1942 until 1945 when Germany was defeated and surrendered.
1March 1943 Tiger I tank was originally named Pzkw VI Ausf. But later it was redesigned as AUSF. AUSF· oolonger "Version"). This name is as well known as Mark VI-E, Panzer VI-E, PzKpfw VI-E or SD. Kfz.181(sonderkraftfahrzeug181), although people usually only know their names as tiger I or simple tiger. The nickname Tiger was given by ferdinand porsche. The basic design concept of Tiger I also extends to other vehicles, including Tiger II tanks and sturmtiger assault guns.
The teaching model of tiger crew and the manual of tiger tank crew became souvenirs after World War II.
Development history
Tiger tank was developed in the spring of 1937, and the development process has experienced many twists and turns. By 194 1, henschel and three other competitors (Porsche, Mann, Daimler-Benz) respectively submitted a tank design scheme of about 35 tons equipped with 75mm guns. However, the birth of the Soviet T-34 tank declared these designs obsolete. According to elwin Adler, a designer in henschel, "Military experts are deeply shocked. They found that there were no tanks in the German armored forces that could compete with the T-34. " As a result, the customization standards were immediately improved, including increasing the vehicle weight to 45 tons and equipped with 88 mm guns. The prototype of the new tank must be unveiled on April 20th, 1942, Adolf Hitler's birthday. Due to the limited research and development time, the original lightweight chassis design was retained. The increased weight makes some parts bear more pressure, so the reliability and stability of the car are relatively reduced. Unlike the Leopard tank, the Tiger tank did not learn from the design experience of the T-34 tank at all: the advantages of oblique armor in penetration prevention. However, the heavy and excellent visor is not inferior in actual combat.
1941on may 26th, Hitler asked PORSHCE (POR. ) and henschel (hen. ) Provide the design scheme of heavy tanks. At that time, Krupp was responsible for designing turrets for their scheme. The design of hen. Based on the early design of VK300 1(H) and VK360 1(H), and POR. It is an early design based on VK300 1(P)-LEOPARD. These early design schemes have not been put into production, but they have provided a lot of valuable experience for designers. At first, Krupp designed a turret for VK450 1 of POR. After modification, the design was adopted by HEN VK450 1. In the middle of 194 1, HEN decided to manufacture two prototype tanks, VK450 1(H 1) and VK450 1(H2). The H 1 model is equipped with a 88 mmwk 36 l/56 gun, and the turret designed by Krupp for VK450 1(P) is installed. The H2 model was equipped with a 75 mmwk 42 l/70 gun and a newly designed turret-there was only a wooden model at that time. 194 1 at the end, hen. Decided to concentrate on developing model H 1, and produced a prototype on April 1942. April 19, hen samples. And Poe. Go to a station near Tenburg, Dallas, and then drive 1 1 km to Tenburg, Dallas, despite frequent accidents on the way. Porsche and henschel submitted prototype cars and conducted comparative tests in Rastenberg before meeting Hitler. Finally, we compromised, adopted the basic structure of henschel, and replaced it with the turret of Porsche. 1April 20th, 942-On Hitler's birthday, these two prototype cars appeared in front of him in the wolf's den in East Prussia. 1942 In July, at the Tank School in Belka, both tanks began further tests. During the test, the prototype of POR. Be eliminated, and the prototype of the hen. Very successful. In the same month, the hens of VK450 1(H). It was named "Tigers I" and began mass production.
Tiger tank was officially named tank no.6. E(ⅵ armored fighting vehicle, modified e),1mass production began in August, 942. However, the military also ordered that 90 Porsche-designed car bodies with fixed war rooms be converted into tank destroyers, which are commonly known as "Ferdinand tank destroyers". After the Battle of Kursk, the remaining Ferdinand tank destroyers were modified in detail and equipped with front machine guns. On February 27th, it was officially renamed as "Elephant Tank Destroyer", 1944. Among them, the 654 heavy-duty expulsion tank brigade also got a modified elephant tank destroyer, which changed the fixed fighting room into the movable turret of the tiger tank, which is equivalent to reassembling a Porsche Tiger, which is estimated to be the only Porsche Tiger used in actual combat.
Tiger tanks were rushed into actual combat, but the original products were full of loopholes. Therefore, all dimensional changes are directly completed in the production process. The most significant change is that the later models reduced the turret, providing the crew with a safer and easier escape cockpit. In order to reduce the cost, the waterproof ability and air purification/air conditioning system are cancelled.
Tigers I started production in August of 1942, but stopped production in August of 1944 1 355 vehicles. When production started, it averaged 25 vehicles per month, but in April of 1944, it increased to 104 vehicles per month. The peak value of growth is 1, which is 67 1 vehicle on1July, 944/day. Generally speaking, it takes two production periods (prophase and anaphase) to produce the Tiger I(PzKpfw VI), just like German tanks in the same period. When 1944 and 1 started to produce II (Tiger II Ausf B), Tiger I was eliminated.
There are only two official models of "Hupu I"-E model and H model, but in the production process, the improvement has been going on. The shooting window on the turret of the early mass production model was changed to the escape port (which can also be used to upload ammunition) in the medium mass production model; The window cover armor of the early gunner's two windows was strengthened in the middle stage of production and changed to one in the later stage; Only one of the early two headlights was left in the later period. The engine of the "Tiger I" produced in the later stage was also replaced. "Tiger I" is equipped with two kinds of tracks: narrow tracks for transportation; Wide track, used in battlefield. In order to facilitate the transportation of "Tiger" tanks and speed up the loading and unloading, a special train was also made for them.
From July 1942 to the end of August 1944, only 1 355 Tiger I tanks were produced. During the invasion of Normandy, a captain drove a tiger tank and killed a British tank. Although the tiger style made great contributions to Nazi Germany, it was eventually replaced by the "tiger style II". Tiger tank is the symbol of the formidable German tank in World War II. 1April, 944, the monthly output of "Tiger I" was the highest, producing 105 vehicles. "Tiger One" was equipped to some independent heavy tank units and served until the end of the war. On August 29th, 1942, "Tiger I" first appeared in No.502 heavy tank battalion company in Leningrad. 1942 65438+February, near Tunisia, North Africa, the Tiger I tanks of 50 1 Heavy Tank Battalion participated in the war. 1April and May, 945, participated in the defence of Berlin. Although the war is over, the tiger tank is still daunting-if you draw it on the wall, it will scare away the allied veterans of World War II, enough to see his "lofty position" in people's minds.
design feature
The design concept of tiger tanks is different from most tanks in Germany in the early years. Prior to this, the design emphasized the balance of maneuverability, protection and firepower. Although Germany's early tank firepower is often inferior to other opponents, its tactical advantages offset these disadvantages. The design of Tiger I tank presents different design concepts, paying attention to firepower and armor at the expense of maneuverability. But in fact, the mobility of Tiger I has not improved. Like the previous III and IV, it still has the mobility of German medium-sized tanks. Although it is not as good as M4 and T-34, it is the most mobile heavy tank in the world. The design of heavy tanks began in the late 1960s+0930s, but there was no planned production. What really stimulated the emergence of Tiger I was the T-34 against the Soviet Union. Although the overall design and appearance are similar to those of Type IV tanks (medium tanks), the weight of Tiger Type I tanks is twice that of Type IV tanks. The increase in weight comes from thicker armor and large-caliber artillery, as well as the inevitable huge storage space for fuel and ammunition, larger engines and stronger transmission and suspension systems.
The armor thickness at the front of Tiger I tank body is 102 mm, and the armor thickness at the front of turret is 135 mm. In contrast, the thickness of the front of the No.4 tank is only 80 mm, the thickness of the front of the turret is 57 mm, and the armor sides and back of the Tiger I tank are also 82 mm thick. This thickness can resist most artillery shells, especially anti-tank shells from the front. Under normal engagement distance, it is almost impossible to penetrate the turret of Tiger I tank from the front because the front of its 135mm gun shield overlaps with the turret of 102mm. At the same time, the roof of Tiger I tank also has 25-40 mm thick armor, which is thicker than the top of heavy tanks in any country at that time, and similar to the side of most medium-sized tanks (for example, the side of III and IV tanks is 30mm armor, and the side of M4 Sherman tank is 38mm armor), which can resist the long-distance falling of large-caliber shells. Most of the armor of Tiger I tank is vertically connected with other structures, and it adopts the form of bite connection to obtain good structural performance. At the same time, the occluded armor block is welded (not riveted), and the weld quality is very high.
Tiger I tank is too heavy for most bridges, so it is designed to wade four meters deep. This requires special ventilation and cooling mechanisms. Diving takes 30 minutes to prepare. Turrets and guns must be fixed in the front position and sealed. A big breathing tube needs to be lifted high behind the tank. Only the original 495 Tiger Type I tank was equipped with diving system, and all the later Tiger Type I tanks could only wade two meters.
There is a cabin at the back of Tiger I tank, and two convection cabins are placed on both sides. Each compartment has an oil tank, fins and a cooling fan. The engine was originally designed with a 2 1 liter 12 cylinder Maibakh HL2 10 P45 gasoline engine with 650 horsepower (measured as 64 1 horsepower, 478kW). Although it was a good engine, it provided insufficient power, and it was quickly upgraded to HL230 P45 23. The 23-liter 700-horsepower (measured) engine was an in-line cylinder, and the angle between the cylinders was about 60. The inertia starter is placed on the right side, or it can be driven from the hole at the back of the tank through a chain, and the engine can be hoisted through the hatch on the roof.
The gasoline engine is under the rear of the car and connected to the front gearbox. 1 1 ton turret is driven by hydraulic drive system powered by engine. Even so, it takes one minute to rotate once. 16 sets of torsion bars are used in the suspension system. In order to save space, one side of the swing arm of the load-bearing wheel is forward and the other side is backward. Each swing arm of the load-bearing wheel is equipped with three load-bearing wheels to provide better riding performance. The bearing wheels are 800 mm in diameter and staggered. In order to remove the load-bearing wheels with inner rubber tires, which often happens, several outer load-bearing wheels must be removed at the same time. This complex system has some shortcomings. Due to snow or frozen soil, the gap between the load wheels cannot be moved. When the Soviet Union attacked in the early hours of the morning, it happened that the tiger was probably in an immovable state at this time. A new all-steel bearing wheel was designed, in which rubber tires were made, and finally it was completely replaced. The track is 725mm wide (unprecedented). When the size of rail transportation is limited, the outer load wheels must be removed, and the narrow 520 mm track needs to be replaced, even for excellent tank passengers, it needs to be replaced every 20 minutes.
The internal layout is the characteristic of German tanks. The front is an open passenger compartment, and the driver and the operator sit on both sides of the front gearbox respectively. Behind them, the floor area is surrounded by the turret floor, forming a continuous plane. This helps the loader to check the ammunition placed in the compartment above the track. Two people sit in the turret, the shooter is on the left side of the gun, and the commander is behind him. The loader has a folded seat in the turret, and the height from the bottom plate of the turret to the roof is 157 cm.
Tiger tank uses 88 mm caliber to shock KwK 36 L/56(L/56 means that the barrel length is 56 times the caliber), which is developed and produced by Krupp Company. The turret has a round floor. The supporting and launching mechanism of the main gun is developed from the famous 88 anti-aircraft gun in Germany, and its 88mm 36 L/56 derivative is used as the main gun of Tiger I tank, and the 88mm Kwk 43 L/7 1 main gun of Tiger II tank is also from this anti-aircraft gun. It was one of several tank guns with the highest killing efficiency during World War II. It is equipped with an extremely accurate Zeiss TFZ 9b sight with amazing accuracy. The gun can carry three kinds of ammunition: PzGr.39 ballistic armor-piercing explosive, PzGr.40 caliber tungsten core armor-piercing explosive and HI. Group 39 High explosives (heat). The shells fired by Tiger No.1 main gun can fly in a very straight trajectory. In a test shot, the tank fired at a distance of 65,438+0,200 yards, and five bullets landed on the target of 65,438+06 inches × 65,438+08 inches. Tiger I tanks also hit enemy tanks at a distance greater than 1 mile (about 1600 meters), but the effect was not too great, because the war distance of World War II was much closer than one mile.
Other new functions are hydraulically controlled variable speed gearbox and semi-automatic transmission system. The extreme weight of the tank also means that a new control system is needed to replace the clutch and brake design of light vehicles, and the derived British Mei Lite Brown single gear system is used. The control system of Tiger Tank is double helical gear type, that is to say, there are two different and fixed shafts, which are twisted by different helical gears. The tank is equipped with an eight-speed gearbox, so there are sixteen kinds of helical gears in operation. If necessary, the minimum radius rotation shall be carried out by one-side brake. Tiger control system was easy to use at that time. However, the mobility of tiger tanks still needs to be improved. When a tiger tank tows a broken-down tiger tank, the engine often overheats, which sometimes leads to engine failure or fire. For these reasons, the Tiger Tank was forbidden to tow another Tiger Tank that broke down. If the track is broken, two tiger tanks are often needed to pull one. The broken track is also a big problem of the tank itself. Because of the high tension of the track, it is often impossible to remove the track only by removing the track bolts, and sometimes it is even necessary to blast several sections with explosives. A single German Sdkfz9 Famo semi-tracked trailer cannot tow a tiger tank, so three Sdkfz9 Famo semi-tracked trailers are needed to tow a tiger tank.
Although Tiger I tank was a fully armed and armored tank in World War II, it was a powerful opponent of allied tanks, but its design was too conservative and had some serious shortcomings. The flat steel plate surface is obviously not designed with reference to the T-34 inclined steel plate, and it needs strong and enhanced weight to provide adequate protection. The weight of the tank is tightly pressed on the suspension system, which is difficult to maintain, even the durable suspension system is difficult to bear.
One of the main problems of tiger tank is that its production cost is very high. Compared with 40,000 American M4 Sherman tanks and 58,000 Soviet T-34 series tanks produced during World War II, compared with 1.355 Tiger I tanks and 500 Tiger II tanks. German design is expensive in time, raw materials and cost (Deutschmark). The cost of Tiger I tank is twice that of IV tank and four times that of III assault gun.
Operational evaluation
"Tiger No.1" destroyed a large number of enemy tanks and other equipment in the war, established an invincible myth in the hearts of opponents, and left a deep impression on people as a big country. "Tiger I" is equipped with a powerful 88 mm gun, which makes it a dangerous opponent of all allied tanks, and its heavy armor makes it almost indestructible. 1In July, 944, the Tiger Tank of No.3 Company of 506 Heavy Tank Regiment destroyed the T-34 Tank at a distance of 3,900m m ... The biggest disadvantage of Tiger I is the rear protection and engine-it needs continuous work, otherwise it will be difficult to start once it is turned off. The weight of tiger tanks limits the bridges that can be crossed. Another disadvantage is that the turret operated by hydraulic pressure rotates very slowly, so the turret can be rotated manually, which is rarely done on the battlefield except for fine angle adjustment.
Tiger tanks can effectively destroy most opponents within 1600 meters, such as T-34, M4 Sherman tank or Churchill tank (including Churchill IV). However, the T-34 of the 76.2mmF-34 tank gun cannot penetrate the front armor of the Tiger at any distance, and 100 m ~200 m can penetrate the side of the Tiger I tank. However, if HVAP(BR-350P armor-piercing projectile) is used, it can penetrate the side at a medium distance (about 600-700 meters). The Allied 6-pound gun (caliber 57 mm) can penetrate the tiger's side armor with ordinary bullets at a distance of 700 meters, which is more powerful than the Soviet 76 mm gun. The APBC armor-piercing projectile of the T-34-85 85mm gun can only penetrate the front of the body of the Tiger I tank at 800m, and the front of the turret of the Tiger I tank at 500m m. The shield of the Tiger I tank cannot penetrate at zero distance. However, using HVAP(BR365P armor-piercing projectile), it is estimated that it can penetrate1200m tiger I head armor and 600m gun shield armor. The 75mm gun of M4 Sherman tank can only penetrate the side armor of Tiger I tank in the range of 200m ~ 300m, and cannot penetrate the front at zero distance. The 76mm gun of M4 Sherman tank can theoretically penetrate the armor of Tiger I tank at 600m and the side of Tiger I tank at 1300m. Theoretically, if HVAP ammunition is fired (often in short supply), it may even penetrate the tiger's head around 1200m. However, the article "Death Trap-M4 Tank" written by American soldiers pointed out that M4/76 could not penetrate the front of Tiger I at normal distance, and there was no record that M4 tank penetrated the front of Tiger I tank at a distance of 273 meters. Stalin -2' s 122 mm gun is about 1500 meters in theory. No matter where it hits, it is possible to destroy the tiger tank with one shot. The 17 pound gun equipped by the British army for Sherman firefly can theoretically penetrate the tiger front at 1500 meters when launching ordinary armor-piercing projectile APCBC. If the APDS bomb is launched, it can theoretically penetrate the front armor of the tiger at a distance of about 2500 meters. However, due to the serious decline in the long-range accuracy of APDS in Britain, there is no actual record of destroying the gun I at a long distance. In order to destroy the tiger tank, the opponent's tank is sometimes forced to attack sideways to get the chance to destroy the tiger tank.
People often mention tiger tanks:
SS-Haupsturmführer (rank name) Michael Whitman (belonging to 10 1 SS tank unit) was praised by later generations as one of the most outstanding tank commanders in World War II and was called a legend. He started at the grassroots level and commanded various vehicles until he became a full-time Tiger tank commander. 1A week after the Normandy landing on June 6th, 944, the 2nd Company of the1kloc-0/Independent Heavy Tank Battalion led by Wei Teman joined forces with the British in Bokaki village. At that time, Wei Teman destroyed more than 24 allied military vehicles, including many British main battle tanks, until the night of fighting in Bokaki village, Wei Teman's Tiger was destroyed by the British.
Otto carius, the 2nd platoon leader of the 502nd Tiger Heavy Chariot Battalion of the National Defence Forces Army, is recognized as the tank commander who broke the king most in German chariots during World War II. 1On July 22nd, 944, two Tiger chariots under the command of Kalius destroyed 20 Soviet tanks including JS 1 heavy tanks in 20 minutes. Total number of individual broken chariots: about 170, and defense guns 130, most of which were obtained on the eastern front.
main performance
Weight: 56 tons (early); 57 tons (later period)
Crew: 5 people
Engine: Maibakh HL 2 10 P45- 12 600 HP (early stage) and Maibakh HL 230 P45- 12 700 HP (late stage).
Speed: 38km (highway)/10-20km (off-road)
Trip:140km
Total length: 8.45 meters
Height: 2.93m.
Width: 3.4-3.7m.
Weapons: 88mm KwK 36L/56 2 X 7.92 MG34 (early) 3 X 7.92 MG34 (rear) 6 X NbK39 90mm high-explosive grenade launcher (S-ray).
Ammunition: 88mm——92 rounds, 7.92mm-4,500-5,700-5,700 rounds.
Armor: (57 tons type)
Gun shield135mm 0 degree
Front of turret 102mm 9 degrees (completely blocked by gun shield).
Turret side 82 mm 0 degree
Turret rear 82 mm 0 degree
Top of turret 40mm 90 degrees
Car body front 102mm 9 degrees.
Under the car head 102mm-25 degrees.
Body side 82 mm 0 degree
63mm 0 degree under the side of the car body (blocked by the load wheel)
82mm- 15 degrees at the rear of the car body.
The front top of the car body is 40mm and 90 degrees.
25 mm 90 degrees at the top of the rear of the car body.
Underbody 25 mm 90 degrees.
Main gun penetration: 50% probability to penetrate high-quality targets.
Ammunition100500m1000m1500m 2000m
Pzgr39 armor-piercing projectile120mm10mm100mm91mm84mm.
Pzgr40 armor-piercing projectile171mm156mm138mm123mm10mm.
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Tiger II tank
1943+ 10 In October, Germany plans to manufacture a new type of heavy tank to replace the "Tiger" heavy tank. German Army Ordnance Bureau instructed Porsche, henschel and Mann to start research and development. Subsequently, three companies put forward four schemes and made prototypes, namely, Porsche VK4502(P), henschel VK4502(H), improved VK4503(H) and Man VK4502(MAN). Finally, the German Army Ordnance Bureau chose the VK4503(H) scheme of henschel Company. "Tiger King" tanks produced 489 vehicles from1943 65438+February to1945 March.
The "Tiger King" heavy tank uses many parts of the "Tiger" 1 and "Leopard" tanks. At the same time, it also embodies many new technical features. First of all, it adopts two new turrets, one is made by henschel (Krupp) and the other is made by porsche (Vegheman). The "Tiger King" tank was equipped with a KwK 43/L7 1 88mm cannon, which was the most powerful artillery in German tanks during World War II. Its barrel length is 6.3m, which can directly penetrate the main armor of American M4 "Sherman" tank at a distance of 2000m. The types of bombs used are armor-piercing projectiles, armor-piercing projectiles and grenades, not just "Sherman". In the late period of 1944, Krupp had planned to replace all the "Tiger King" tanks with more powerful 105mm caliber KwK L/68 guns, but it was not realized in the end. The body and turret of the "Tiger King" tank are welded with steel armor, which has a good bulletproof appearance. The front armor thickness is much higher than that of Tiger 1 tank. For the allied forces, it has become a very difficult tank, and only some artillery can pose a threat to it at close range. But the "Tiger King" tank, like other German heavy tanks, has weak maneuverability. Because of its heavy overall weight, low unit power and frequent mobile equipment problems, this has become the fatal weak link of the "Tiger King" tank.
1944 In May, Tiger King tanks first fought near Minsk, and then in Poland in July. Tiger king tanks from two companies of 503 Tank Battalion also participated in the Normandy campaign. Due to technical reasons, these two companies suffered a devastating blow. Before the end of August, 1944, the two companies' Tiger King Tanks. Since then, the "Tiger King" tank has participated in many battles on the eastern and western fronts until the Berlin campaign of 1945 in April and May. Although the mobility is not good, in the hands of some experienced tanks, "Tiger King" is a very powerful tank with strong firepower and superior protection. However, due to the small number of "Tiger King" tanks and the short time to participate in the war, it did not have a great impact on the final outcome of World War II.