page 3
page 3
| It was intended to use the Tiger as a heavy infantry or assault gun, and Tiger battalions were organised as independent units under GHQ troops into Heavy Tank Battalions (Schwere Panzer Abteilungen, sPzAbt). Armored divisions engaged in a major operation would receive an allotment of Tigers to spearhead an attack, but due to the Tiger's lack of manoeuvrability and relatively low speed, it was always considered necessary to employ lighter tanks in supporting platoons on the flank. Normally PzKpfw IIIs or IVs fulfilled this function. It was later decided to include Tigers in the basic organisation of armored divisions, but due to attrition which depleted the number of Tigers serviceable at any one time, it was only possible with Waffen-SS armored divisions. These divisions were among the first to receive Tigers, which went into service with famous divisions as the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte AH and the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich". |
| However, the Tiger's debut was not very sensational. Hitler was impatient to make use of the formidable weapon as soon as possible in September 1942, against the opinion of senior staff officers who favoured building up Tiger strength during the winter, and perfecting tactics and training for a mass Tiger offensive in Russia in the spring of 1943. Therefore, in the earliest Tiger action of the war, on 23 september 1942 on the Russian front, the employment of these formidable and sinister-looking vehicles was restricted to such limited numbers that resolute action by anti-tank gunners taking full advantage of the situation was more than enough to counter their impact. Four Tigers of Major Richard Marker's 1/sPzAbt 502 were committed along narrow forest tracks bordered by close coniferous trees, and were unable to give each other mutual fire support when Russian anti-tank gunners aimed for the vulnerable tracks. The Tigers forced to a halt, the battle-hardened Russian gunners sent round after round at the frontal armor, however, they did not succeed in effecting a penetration. The German crews had escaped but returned after dark, recovering three of the tanks (the fourth was immovable and blown apart). |
On the Wolchov, east of Leningrad, Tigers are used for defensive fighting against the Red Army. Besides the Tiger a destroyed Russian T-34/76, nicknamed "Micky Mouse" because of its two typical turret hatches. |
Changing a broken torsion bar was heavy mechanical work while many road wheels had to be removed |
| On 12 January 1943, the Russians launched operation Iskra, intended to break the siege of Leningrad. The next day 1s/PzAbt 502, numbering 4 Tigers and 8 PzKpfw IIIs, had to assist the 96th Infantry Division which was attacked by 24 T-34s and T-60s. In a temperature of 28oC below zero, the Tigers were sent to the infantry's relieve, quickly destroying half the Russian tanks and chasing the rest back to their own lines. By the time spring arrived, the company had been credited with 163 kills, including T-34s and KVs. |
| The British first encountered the Tiger in February 1943, near Pont du Fahs in Tunesia. Having received advance warning of the impending attack, the British anti-tank gunners were concealed with their 6-pounders with instructions to hold their fire until signalled. Two Tigers, flanked by nine PzKpfw IIIs and PzKpfw IVs, advanced with artillery support and were not engaged until the range had closed to 500 yards on each flank. Fire from the 6-pounder anti-tank battery knocked out both Tigers. |
| Although the Tiger had been conceiced as a powerful assault weapon, the changing tide of war in 1943/1944 meant that Tigers were more and more used in a defensive role, in which they were very successful. The Italian landscape was particularly suitable for the type of long-range defensive shooting in which the Tiger possessed a distinct advantage over its Allied counterparts, because it possessed not simply better weapons but also first-rate optical gunsights. On 22 June 1944, a single Tiger platoon of sPzAbt 504 stopped a Fifth Army attack dead in its tracks near Parolla, destroying 11 of the 23 Shermans which were leading the assault. The 12 survivors were abandoned by their crew and captured by the Germans by a counter-attack. Tiger's epitaph was written in France in 1944 where it finally proved its best not in attack but in defence; a Tiger which picked its spot and waited for the enemy to blunder onto it could execute enormous destruction. |
A Tiger passes one of his victims, a Russian T34 |
| There were three Tiger tank variants:
The Panzerbefehlswagen (command tank), which was designated PzBefWg Tiger Ausf. E. This version was the normal fighting tank adapted for the fitting of additional wireless equipment. The Tiger armored recovery vehicle, designated BergepanzerTiger Ausf. E. This was not more than a towing vehicle for assisting crippled or otherwise malfunctioning Tigers back to an area where repairs could be effected. The adaption involved the removal of the main armament, sealing of the mantlet, fixing the turret in traverse position and fitting a winch to the turret rear with a wide rope guide on the front. No lifting gear was provided. The 38cm. Raketenwerfer 61 auf Sturmmörser Tiger. Also known as Sturmtiger or Sturmpanzer VI, this weapon was developed to requirements from the German army engaged in the heavy street fightings at Stalingrad and other similar places in Russia. The fighting troops had requested a self-propelled 21cm howitzer capable of following up the advancing troops and able to engage difficult targets with high angle fire. When development work was started no suitable gun of 21cm was available, and it was proposed to use the 38cm rocket projector (raketenwerfer 61 L/54) that had been developed as an anti-submarine weapon for the German navy. Limited production began in August 1944, a total of 18 Tigers being converted. |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| The hull of the Sturmtiger was similar to that of the Tiger Ausf. E but a fixed turret was superimposed on the hull with a single plate extending upwards from the rear edge of the standard Tiger glacis plate and sloped at 45 degrees to the vertical. The sides extended upwards at 20 degrees, and the rear plate started at the forward edge of the engine compartment top and was sloped at 10 degrees. The rocket projector which was breech loaded, was mounted offset to the right of the centre. A hand operated ammunition stowage crane was mounted at the off side of the superstructure rear plate; this was used to lift the rockets from the supply vehicle and lower them through the roof ammunition hatch. There were stowage arrangements for 12 rockets inside the vehicle, and the roof inside the compartment was fitted with overhead rails to assist loading. |
| Back to Tiger page I |
