How does a tiger tank work? Tank Tiger

The equipment that participated in World War II on both sides of the front is sometimes more recognizable and “canonical” than even its participants. A clear confirmation of this is our PPSh submachine gun and German Tiger tanks. Their “popularity” on the Eastern Front was such that our soldiers saw T-6s in almost every second enemy tank.

How did it all start?

By 1942, the German headquarters finally realized that the “blitzkrieg” did not work out, but the tendency for positional delay was clearly visible. In addition, Russian T-34 tanks made it possible to effectively fight German units equipped with T-3 and T-4. Knowing full well what a tank strike was and what its role in the war was, the Germans decided to develop a completely new heavy tank.

To be fair, we note that work on the project had been going on since 1937, but only in the 40s did the military’s requirements take on more specific outlines. Employees of two companies worked on the heavy tank project: Henschel and Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche was Hitler's favorite, and therefore made one unfortunate mistake, in a hurry... However, we will talk about this later.

First prototypes

Already in 1941, Wehrmacht enterprises offered two prototypes “to the public”: VK 3001 (H) and VK 3001 (P). But in May of the same year, the military proposed updated requirements for heavy tanks, as a result of which the projects had to be seriously revised.

It was then that the first documents appeared on the VK 4501 product, from which the German heavy tank “Tiger” traces its ancestry. Competitors were required to provide the first samples by May-June 1942. The amount of work was catastrophically large, since the Germans had to virtually construct both platforms from scratch. In the spring of 1942, both prototypes, equipped with Friedrich Krupp AG turrets, were brought to the Wolf's Lair to demonstrate the new technology to the Fuhrer on his birthday.

Winner of the competition

It turned out that both machines have significant shortcomings. Thus, Porsche was so “carried away” by the idea of ​​​​creating an “electric” tank that its prototype, being very heavy, could hardly turn 90°. Not everything was going well for Henschel either: his tank, with great difficulty, was able to accelerate to the required 45 km/h, but at the same time its engine got so hot that there was a real threat of fire. But it was this tank that won.

The reasons are simple: classic design and lighter chassis. The Porsche tank was so complex and required so much scarce copper for production that even Hitler was inclined to refuse his favorite engineer. The selection committee completely agreed with him. It was the German Tiger tanks from the Henschel company that became the recognized “canon”.

About haste and its consequences

It should be noted here that Porsche himself, even before the start of the tests, was so confident in his success that he ordered production to begin without waiting for the acceptance results. By the spring of 1942, exactly 90 finished chassis were already in the plant’s workshops. After failing the tests, it was necessary to decide what to do with them. A solution was found - the powerful chassis was used to create the Ferdinand self-propelled guns.

This self-propelled gun became no less famous than if we compared it with the T-6. The “forehead” of this monster could not be penetrated by almost anything, even direct fire and from a distance of only 400-500 meters. It is not surprising that the crews of the Soviet Fedya tanks were openly afraid and respected. However, the infantry did not agree with them: the Ferdinand did not have a front-facing machine gun, and therefore many of the 90 vehicles were destroyed by magnetic mines and anti-tank charges, “carefully” placed directly under the tracks.

Serial production and modifications

At the end of August of the same year, the tank went into production. Oddly enough, but during the same period tests continued intensively new technology. The sample first demonstrated to Hitler by that time had already covered 960 km along the roads of the test sites. It turned out that on rough terrain the car could accelerate to 18 km/h, and it burned up to 430 liters of fuel per 100 km. So the German Tiger tank, the characteristics of which are given in the article, caused a lot of problems for supply services due to its gluttony.

Production and improvement of the design proceeded in unison. Many have been changed external elements, including spare parts boxes. At the same time, small mortars, specially designed for “S” type mines, began to be installed around the perimeter of the tower. The latter was intended to destroy enemy infantry and was very insidious: when fired from the barrel, it exploded at a low altitude, densely covering the space around the tank with small metal balls. In addition, separate NbK 39 smoke grenade launchers (90 mm caliber) were provided specifically to camouflage the vehicle on the battlefield.

Transportation problems

It is important to note that the German Tiger tanks were the first vehicles to be serially equipped with underwater driving equipment. This was due to the large mass of the T-6, which did not allow it to be transported over most bridges. But in practice this equipment was practically not used.

Its quality was excellent, since even during testing the tank spent more than two hours in a deep pool without any problems (with the engine running), but the complexity of installation and the need for engineering preparation of the area made the use of the system unprofitable. The tankers themselves believed that the German T-VI Tiger heavy tank would simply get stuck in a more or less muddy bottom, so they tried not to take risks, using more “standard” methods of crossing rivers.

It is also interesting because two types of tracks were developed for this machine: narrow 520 mm and wide 725 mm. The former were used to transport tanks on standard railway platforms and, if possible, to move under their own power on paved roads. The second type of tracks was combat; it was used in all other cases. What was the design of the German Tiger tank?

Design Features

The design of the new car itself was classic, with a rear-mounted MTO. The entire front part was occupied by the control department. It was there that the workplaces of the driver and radio operator were located, who simultaneously performed the duties of a gunner, operating a course machine gun.

The middle part of the tank was given over to the fighting compartment. A turret with a cannon and a machine gun was installed on top, and there were also workplaces for the commander, gunner and loader. The fighting compartment also housed the entire tank's ammunition.

Armament

The main weapon was the KwK 36 cannon, 88 mm caliber. It was developed on the basis of the notorious Akht-Akht anti-aircraft gun of the same caliber, which back in 1941 confidently knocked out all Allied tanks from almost all distances. The length of the gun barrel is 4928 mm, including 5316 mm. It was the latter that was a valuable discovery of German engineers, as it made it possible to reduce the recoil energy to an acceptable level. The auxiliary weapon was a 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun.

The frontal machine gun, which, as we have already said, was controlled by the radio operator, was located in the front plate. Note that on the commander's cupola, subject to the use of a special mount, it was possible to place another MG-34/42, which in this case was used as an anti-aircraft weapon. It should be noted here that this measure was forced and was often used by the Germans in Europe.

In general, not a single German heavy tank could withstand the aircraft. T-IV, "Tiger" - all of them were easy prey for Allied aircraft. Our situation was completely different, since until 1944 the USSR simply did not have a sufficient number of attack aircraft to attack heavy German equipment.

The rotation of the tower was carried out by a hydraulic rotating device, the power of which was 4 kW. Power was taken from the gearbox, for which a separate transmission mechanism was used. The mechanism was extremely efficient: at maximum speed, the turret rotated 360 degrees in just a minute.

If for some reason the engine was turned off, but it was necessary to turn the turret, tankers could use a manual turning device. Its disadvantage, in addition to the high load on the crew, was the fact that at the slightest tilt of the barrel, turning was impossible.

Power point

It should be noted that German tanks of the Second World War (Tiger is no exception), despite their “gasoline” nature, did not receive the fame of “lighters”. This was due precisely to the reasonable location of the gas tanks.

The car was powered by two Maybach HL 210P30 engines with 650 hp. or Maybach HL 230P45 with 700 hp (which were installed starting with the 251st Tiger). Engines are V-shaped, four-stroke, 12-cylinder. Note that it had exactly the same engine, but one. The engine was cooled by two liquid radiators. In addition, separate fans were installed on both sides of the engine to improve the cooling process. In addition, separate airflow for the generator and exhaust manifolds was provided.

Unlike domestic tanks, only high-grade gasoline with an octane number of at least 74 could be used for refueling. Four gas tanks located in the MTO held 534 liters of fuel. When driving on solid roads for a hundred kilometers, 270 liters of gasoline were consumed, and when crossing off-road conditions, the consumption immediately increased to 480 liters.

Thus, the technical characteristics of the Tiger tank (German) did not imply its long “independent” marches. If only there was a minimal opportunity, the Germans tried to bring him closer to the battlefield on trains. It worked out much cheaper this way.

Chassis characteristics

There were 24 road wheels on each side, which were not only arranged in a checkerboard pattern, but also stood in four rows at once! Rubber tires were used on the road wheels; on others they were steel, but an additional internal shock absorption system was used. Note that the German T-6 Tiger tank had a very significant drawback, which could not be eliminated: due to the extremely high load, the track roller tires wore out very quickly.

Starting from approximately the 800th car, steel tires and internal shock absorption began to be installed on all rollers. To simplify and reduce the cost of the design, external single rollers were also excluded from the project. By the way, how much did the German Tiger tank cost the Wehrmacht? The model of the early 1943 model was estimated, according to various sources, in the range from 600 thousand to 950 thousand Reichsmarks.

A steering wheel similar to a motorcycle steering wheel was used for control: due to the use of a hydraulic drive, a tank weighing 56 tons was easily controlled with one hand. You could literally change gear with two fingers. By the way, the gearbox of this tank was the legitimate pride of the designers: robotic (!), four gears forward, two in reverse.

Unlike our tanks, where the driver could only be a very experienced person, on whose professionalism the life of the entire crew often depended, almost any infantryman who had previously driven at least a motorcycle could take the helm of the Tiger. Because of this, by the way, the position of the Tiger driver was not considered something special, while the T-34 driver was almost more important than the tank commander.

Armor protection

The body is box-shaped, its elements were assembled into a tenon and welded. Rolled armor plates, with chromium and molybdenum additives, cemented. Many historians criticize the “boxy” nature of the Tiger, but, firstly, the already expensive car could have been simplified at least somewhat. Secondly, and even more importantly, until 1944 there was not a single Allied tank on the battlefield that could hit the T-6 head-on. Well, unless it's point blank.

So the German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger" at the time of its creation was a very protected vehicle. Actually, this is why the Wehrmacht tankers loved him. By the way, how soviet weapons penetrated the German Tiger tank? More precisely, what weapon?

The frontal armor had a thickness of 100 mm, the side and rear - 82 mm. Some military historians believe that due to the “chopped” shape of the hull, our ZIS-3 76 mm caliber could successfully fight the “Tiger”, but there are several subtleties here:

• Firstly, a head-on defeat was more or less guaranteed only from 500 meters, but low-quality armor-piercing shells often did not penetrate the high-quality armor of the first “Tigers” even at point-blank range.
• Secondly, and even more importantly, the 45 mm caliber “colonel gun” was widespread on the battlefield, which in principle did not take the T-6 head-on. Even if it hit the side, penetration could only be guaranteed from 50 meters away, and even then it’s not a fact.
• The F-34 cannon of the T-34-76 tank also did not shine, and even the use of sub-caliber “coils” did little to correct the situation. The fact is that even this gun could reliably take on the side of the Tiger only from 400-500 meters. And even then, provided that the “reel” was of high quality, which was not always the case.

Since Soviet weapons did not always penetrate the German Tiger tank, the tank crews were given a simple order: to fire armor-piercing weapons only when there was a 100% chance of hitting. This way it was possible to reduce the consumption of scarce and very expensive goods. So the Soviet gun could knock out the T-6 only if several conditions coincided:

• Short distance.
• Good angle.
• A high-quality projectile.

So, until the more or less massive appearance of the T-34-85 in 1944 and the saturation of the troops with the SU-85/100/122 self-propelled guns and the SU/ISU 152 “hunters”, the “Tigers” were very dangerous opponents of our soldiers.

Characteristics of combat use

How highly the German T-6 Tiger tank was valued by the Wehrmacht command is evidenced by the fact that a new tactical unit of troops was created specifically for these vehicles - a heavy tank battalion. Moreover, it was a separate, autonomous unit that had the right to independent actions. Typically, of the 14 battalions created, initially one operated in Italy, one in Africa, and the remaining 12 in the USSR. This gives an idea of ​​the ferocity of the fighting on the Eastern Front.

In August 1942, the “Tigers” were “tested” near Mga, where our artillerymen knocked out from two to three vehicles participating in the test (there were six in total), and in 1943 our soldiers managed to capture the first T-6 in almost perfect condition. Immediately, shelling tests were carried out on the German Tiger tank, which gave disappointing conclusions: the T-34 tank could no longer fight on an equal footing with the new Nazi equipment, and the power of the standard 45-mm regimental anti-tank gun was generally not enough to penetrate the armor.

It is believed that the most widespread use of Tigers in the USSR took place during the Battle of Kursk. It was planned that 285 vehicles of this type would be used, but in reality the Wehrmacht fielded 246 T-6s.

As for Europe, by the time the Allies landed there were three heavy tanks s battalion, equipped with 102 Tigers. It is noteworthy that by March 1945 there were about 185 tanks of this type on the move in the world. In total, approximately 1,200 of them were produced. Today all over the world there is one running German Tiger tank. Photos of this tank, which is located at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, regularly appear in the media.

Why did “fear of tigers” develop?

The high efficiency of using these tanks is largely due to excellent controllability and comfortable working conditions for the crew. Until 1944, there was not a single Allied tank on the battlefield that could fight the Tiger on equal terms. Many of our tankers died when the Germans hit their vehicles from a distance of 1.5-1.7 km. Cases when T-6s were knocked out in small numbers are very rare.

The death of the German ace Wittmann is an example of this. His tank, breaking through the Shermans, was eventually finished off at pistol range. For every destroyed Tiger there were 6-7 burned-out T-34s, and the Americans’ statistics with their tanks were even sadder. Of course, the “thirty-four” is a machine of a completely different class, but it was the one that in most cases opposed the T-6. This once again confirms the heroism and dedication of our tank crews.

The main disadvantages of the machine

The main disadvantage was its high weight and width, which made it impossible to transport the tank on conventional railway platforms without prior preparation. As for comparing the angular armor of the Tiger and Panther with rational viewing angles, in practice the T-6 still turned out to be a more formidable opponent for Soviet and allied tanks due to more rational armor. The T-5 had a very well protected frontal projection, but the sides and rear were practically bare.

What’s much worse is that the power of even two engines was not enough to move such a heavy vehicle over rough terrain. On marshy soils it is simply an elm. The Americans even developed special tactics fight against the “Tigers”: they forced the Germans to transfer heavy battalions from one sector of the front to another, as a result of which after a couple of weeks half of the T-6s (at least) were under repair.

Despite all the shortcomings, the German Tiger tank, a photo of which is in the article, was a very formidable combat vehicle. Perhaps, from an economic point of view, it was not cheap, but the tankers themselves, including ours, who tested captured equipment, rated this “cat” very highly.

German tank appeared in 1942 T VI "Tiger""was the most powerful enemy on the battlefield until the end of the Second World War. Large and slow-moving, and unreliable due to the complexity of the design. But when the PzKpfw VI Tiger tank entered battle, its armor and gun made it a serious opponent. Powerful and well-armed war machines.

German tank tiger T VI

The combination of powerful armor and superior firepower meant that when making the right choice position and with an experienced crew, the Tiger was almost invulnerable.
The development of the concept of the Tiger tank dates back to 1937, when the technical specifications for a new heavy tank were issued by the German Ministry of Armament to the companies Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN and Porsche. At this stage it was seen as a heavy tank capable of breaching defenses such as the Maginot Line.

Destroyed German Tiger T VI tank

Work on the project was suspended when the T-III and T-IV tanks proved their superiority in Europe, but work resumed in May 1941 on a 45-ton tank armed with a modified 88 mm anti-aircraft gun. The appearance of our T34 and KV tanks on the battlefield convinced the Wehrmacht of the need for a heavy tank with armor of the greatest possible thickness. With the intervention of the Fuhrer, the structure became larger and heavier. Prototypes of the Pz Kpfw VI were ready for display in Rothenburg in East Prussia for the Fuhrer's birthday on April 20. Henschel and Porsche separately presented cars that were later equipped with an integrated diesel-electric drive. The Henschel design was considered more practical and economical to manufacture, although 90 Porsche chassis were converted into tank destroyers. They are now known as "Elephants" or "Ferdinands".

Tiger tank in Africa Tunisia

The entire journey from project to production of the Tiger took less than three years. In 1942, the German Tiger tank T VI T-6 began to enter service with the troops. A total of 1,354 tanks were produced; each tiger cost the German treasury about 1 million Reichsmarks, which is several times more expensive than our T-34/85 tank.
Michael Wittmann (SS) was the most successful tank ace war, he and his crew destroyed more than 100 enemy tanks on the Eastern Front. Combat use German tank tiger T VI T-6 here .

German tank T VI captured near Leningrad

The main armament of the tank was the 88-mm KwK-36 L/56 cannon, converted from an anti-tank version of the excellent "eighty-eighth" anti-aircraft gun. It was the most powerful anti-tank gun ever used in any army, capable of hitting 112 mm armor from a distance of 1400 m. The Tiger had 92 rounds for the main gun, stowed in the hull bunker, turret racks and wherever else it could be found. was within reach. The Tiger's 88mm gun was superior in direct range and penetration to almost any other tank gun, with the exception of the gun of the hybrid Anglo-American Sherman tank, but very few of these were produced.

The range of tanks hitting each other diagram

German tank tiger T VI T-6 photo penetrated the frontal armor of the Cromwell tank from any distance of 2500 m.
The 75-mm cannon of the Cromwell tank did not penetrate the Tiger's armor at any distance.

Cromwell tank speed jump

• The Tiger penetrated the frontal armor of the Sherman M4A2 tank from a distance of 1800 m.
• Sherman" with a short-barreled 76-mm cannon did not penetrate the Tiger's armor from any distance.
• The Tiger hit the M4A4 Sherman tank from a distance of 1800 m.
• An M4A4 with a 76 mm cannon must approach 700 m to penetrate the front armor of a German T VI tank.
• "Tiger T VI"pierced the frontal armor of the Sherman Firefly from a distance of 1800 m.
• The Sherman Firefly (M4), armed with a British 17-foot anti-tank gun, could penetrate the frontal armor of a Tiger from a distance of 1,750 m.
• Tiger struck soviet tank T-34/85 from a distance of 1400 m.
• The T-34 tank with an 85-mm cannon only had a chance of hitting the Tiger from a distance of less than 500 m.
  Coordinated work of the crew is the key to success.
  Crew tasks. The tank commander led and found targets, the gunner determined the position of the targets; the loader selected the projectile according to the chosen target. The well-organized work of the crew did German tank tiger T VI T-6 photo dominator on the battlefield.

Soviet tank crews inspect a damaged Tigr TVI tank

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS PzKpfw VI Aust E "Tiger"

• Crew: five people Weight: 55,000 kg
• Dimensions: Length (including weapons) 8.24 m; body length 6.2 m; width 3.73 m; height 2.86 m; the width of the combat tracks is 71.5 cm; width of transport tracks 51.5 cm
• Armor protection: 100 mm thick frontal armor on the turret and hull; on the sides of the turret - 80 mm armor; on the side walls of the hull - 60-80 mm armor; upper and lower armor - 25 mm
• Power point: Maybach HL 230 45 12-cylinder petrol engine with a power of 522 kW (700 hp)
• Specifications:
• maximum speed on the road 45 km/h; normal maximum speed 38 km/h; maximum speed over rough terrain 18 km/h; the maximum range on the road was 195 km, but in combat conditions it rarely exceeded 100 km;
• ford depth - 1.2 m; maximum steepness of the climb - 60%; the height of the vertical obstacle to be overcome is 0.79 m, the trench is 1.8 m

The explosion tore off the turret of the Tiger T6 tank

Main weapons:

• KwK-36/56 88 mm gun with 92 rounds
• Type of projectiles: armor-piercing projectiles, armor-piercing tungsten core projectiles, cumulative projectiles
• Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s (high-explosive projectile); 773 m/sec (armor-piercing projectile); 930 m/sec (armor-piercing projectile with tungsten core)
  Effective firing range:
• 3000 m for an armor-piercing projectile and 5000 m for a high-explosive projectile
• Penetrating ability:
• 171 mm armor at close range and 110 mm at a distance of 2000 m when using an armor-piercing projectile with a tungsten core
• Additional weapons:
• One 7.92-mm MG-34 machine gun, coaxial with the gun, and one MG-34 machine gun, movably mounted in the front hull plate.
  Here =>> Combat use of the German tiger tank T VI T-6.

The middle of 1942 was marked by the entry into the battle arena of a new formidable player - the heavy German tank Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger. This machine takes into account all realities modern combat, became a formidable opponent for all enemy tanks and not only for them. Equipping it with an 88-mm anti-aircraft gun allowed it to fight even low-flying aircraft.

The history of the development of this tank goes back to the end of the First World War. In the mid-20s, precisely on the basis of the experience of military operations for ground forces secret requirements were developed for a heavy tank weighing 20 tons. This machine was supposed to have a speed twice as high as the standard speed for similar equipment of that time: 40 km/h. Moreover, the tank had to be able to swim and overcome ditches 2 meters wide.

These requirements resulted in the development of a whole family of tank prototypes under the general name Grosstraktor, developed by three companies at once - Daimler-Benz, Krup, Rheinmetall-Borsig. The resulting tanks had no combat value, since in the absence of armor steel they were made from boiler iron. The global crisis that happened put an end to further developments. Starting in 1933, work on heavy tanks resumed, and this allowed the industry to develop a certain potential for them, although there was no single concept until the summer of 1941.

By the beginning of the Eastern Campaign in Germany, work was already in full swing on the VK3001 project, a 30-ton class tank. However, by 1942 it became clear that these developments also did not correspond to the current moment. The new project of the 40-ton VK4501 Tiger tank came out on top. general concept which was being worked on back in May 1941.
The designers of NibelungenwcrkeAG and Henschel set to work, using all their experience accumulated over previous years. They decided to equip the tank with an 88-mm KwK-36 gun. Calculations showed that the new vehicle should have a mass of at least 45 tons.

For the new tank, the Krupp company used its earlier developments on turrets that were never built. The designers only increased their size to accommodate the more massive weapon. It is interesting that the chief designer of NibelungenwcrkeAG, Ferdinand Porsche, had not yet started work on the Tiger, and in July 1941 had already ordered 90 turrets for the designed vehicle.

Work on the tank at the development companies went on day and night. Everyone wanted to make the first samples for Hitler's birthday - April 20, 1942. They made it in time. On April 17, both prototypes were ready to be sent to field tests.
On April 19, both vehicles arrived in East Prussia, where difficult tests awaited them. The first of these was unloading from platforms. They were removed by a railway crane, and the Porsche tank immediately got stuck in the mud, from which it was pulled out by the same crane. Its chassis was very complex and simply not suitable for such a heavy tank. The complexity of the design also let down, which brought many problems to the repairmen. Henschel’s development was not a gift either, but still, it was simpler and more reliable.

Tests before Hitler did not reveal a clear favorite. Both cars had a lot of shortcomings that needed to be addressed. Hitler, however, was inclined to give the palm to the Porsche car. However, the next tests of the vehicles, carried out in May near Eisenach, led to the final result: Porsche’s development is unsuitable for the tank, and the work of the Henschel company is taken as a basis. After tests from official documents The designation VK4501 disappeared. Now this program has another one - Tigerprogramm.

The very first participation in the battles showed that the German army received a worthy vehicle. Not a single Red Army anti-tank gun could penetrate its thick armor. Not a single tank could approach the Tiger within actual fire range. Soviet KV-1 heavy tanks immediately became obsolete.

Fights on Kursk Bulge once again demonstrated the advantages of the Tiger, but the cost of these machines and the complexity of production simply went through the roof. German industry could not make them sufficiently for tank troops Wehrmacht quantities. The number of cars produced gradually increased. Their production peaked in April and May 1944, when 104 and 100 vehicles were produced, respectively. However, already in August the factories produced the last 6 Tiger tanks.

To somehow compensate them relatively small quantity In the army, heavy tank battalions were turned by the command into a kind of “fire brigades”. They tried to use their power to plug the gaps in the defense, which became more and more numerous after the Battle of Kursk. And yet, until the very end of hostilities, these tanks continued to remain real killing machines. The ratio of their victories to their own losses was 8:1. No other tanks of World War II could achieve such results. The crews of these particular vehicles achieved the most impressive victories over the enemy, although, of course, the number of enemy tanks they destroyed should be treated with a certain degree of criticism. Not all of their victories were real.

“We will be winners thanks to our Tiger”

Adolf Hitler before the Battle of Kursk.

Large and slow-moving, the crews cursed Tiger tank for unreliability. But when he went into battle, the Tiger's armor and cannon made him almost invulnerable.

The tank's high complexity, unreliability and low durability meant that it lost its advantage over wide areas. Although in situations where strength was important in combat, he was nearly invulnerable and could fire at very long ranges; in July 1944, a tank from the 506th heavy tank battalion hit a Soviet T-34 tank at a range of about 4 km.

Individual tank commanders had huge personal accounts of destroyed tanks: Michael Wittmann (SS) was the most successful tank ace of the war, he and his crew destroyed more than 100 enemy tanks on the Eastern Front. He followed on the heels of such masters as Chief Lieutenant Otto Carius.

Tiger Armor

The Tiger's enormous advantages consisted of good crew protection and the excellent striking power of its gun. The thick, flat-plate armor lacked the good ballistic shape found in other designs of the time, such as the Panther or the Soviet T-34 tank. But with armor thickness increased from 63 to 102 mm on the hull and from 82 to 100 mm on the turret of the Ausf H model (raised to 110 mm on the Ausf E), the Tiger hardly needed it.

Tiger cannon eight-eight

The main armament of the tank was the 88 mm KwK-36 L156 cannon, converted from an anti-tank version of the excellent "eighty-eighth" anti-aircraft gun. It was the most powerful anti-tank gun ever used in any army, capable of hitting 112 mm armor from a distance of 1400 m. The Tiger carried 92 rounds to the main gun, stowed in the hull bunker, turret racks and anywhere else it could reach with your hand.

Muzzle brake: The Tifa KwK L/56 gun was equipped with a muzzle brake, which reduced the recoil force when firing an anti-tank projectile traveling at a speed of 1000 m/sec.
For self-defense against infantry, the tank was equipped with two 7.92 mm M-634 machine guns: one coaxial with the main gun, and the other mounted in the front hull.

Tank tracks

The Tiger needed tracks 72.5 cm wide to distribute the load on the soil. Its width exceeded the standard railway gauge, so to transport the tank, the external road wheels were replaced and narrower 52 cm tracks were installed.

Ride comfort was good - the intermediate road wheels helped distribute the considerable weight evenly,
The torsion bar suspension made the ride smooth even on uneven surfaces. However, if the internal road wheel was damaged by a mine explosion, repairing the tank in the field became a serious problem. In the East, dirt freezing between the rollers could completely immobilize the tank overnight.

The Tiger weighed about 60 tons, but its wide tracks gave it the ability to move in the dirtiest and most snowy places, which could be found in Russia.

Disadvantages of the Tiger tank

Despite its magnificent power, the Tiger had several disadvantages. The turret traverse mechanism was too slow, which meant that the fast-moving (and brave) enemy tank crew could maneuver at close range in front or behind the tank. The Tiger's slowness and limited mobility meant that it certainly did not have an advantage in maneuverable combat.

Tigers were complex machines. needing experienced crews and support personnel capable of working in field conditions. As a result, the Tigers, often stuck in a swamp or out of action, were destroyed: heavy weight the tank made it impossible to load it onto standard recovery vehicles.

Production and modifications of the Tiger tank

The Tigers' production has never been high. Initially, 12 vehicles were assembled every month, but from November 1942 their production was increased to 25 units per month.

The tank underwent various modifications during its two years of production, early models had smoke grenade launchers and pistol embrasures on the sides of the turret, which were removed on later models.

Tanks intended for Africa and Russia were equipped with air dust filters. Ultimately, 1,355 Tiger tanks were assembled. The last operational Tigers were used to defend central Berlin in April 1945.

There were several variants of the Tiger tank: about 80 tanks were assembled as command vehicles ("Befehlswagen"), with an additional radio transmitter that allowed commanders to improve control of their vehicles. Some refurbished variants were improved without much need - the standard Wehrmacht recovery vehicle SdKfz 9, an 18-ton half-track towing vehicle.

Technical characteristics of the Tiger tank

Crew: five people

Weight: 55,000 kg

Dimensions: Length (including weapons) 8.24 m; body length 6.2 m; width 3.73 m; height 2.86 m; the width of the combat tracks is 71.5 cm; width of transport tracks 51.5 cm

Armor protection: 100 mm thick frontal armor on the turret and hull; on the sides of the turret - 80 mm armor; on the side walls of the hull - 60-80 mm armor: upper and lower armor - 25 mm.

Power point: One 12-cylinder gasoline engine Maybach HL 230 45 with a power of 522 kW (700 hp)

Specifications: maximum road speed 45 km/h; normal maximum speed 38 km/h; maximum speed over rough terrain 18 km/h; the maximum range on the road was 195 km, but in combat conditions it rarely exceeded 100 km; ford depth - 1.2 m; maximum steepness of the climb - 60%; the height of the vertical obstacle to be overcome is 0.79 m, the trench is 1.8 m.

Main weapons: One 88 mm KwK-36/56 cannon with 92 rounds. Type of projectiles: armor-piercing projectiles, armor-piercing projectiles with tungsten cores, cumulative projectiles. Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s (high-explosive projectile); 773 m/sec (armor-piercing projectile); 930 m/sec (armor-piercing projectile with a tungsten core).
Effective firing range: 3000 m for an armor-piercing projectile and 5000 m for a high-explosive projectile. Penetration: 171 mm armor at close range and 110 mm at a distance of 2000 m when using an armor-piercing projectile with a tungsten core.

Additional weapons: One 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun. coaxial with a gun, and one MG-34 machine gun, movably mounted in the frontal plate of the hull.

Background

Developed in 1942 in response to the appearance on the Eastern Front Russian tanks The KV-1 and T-34, "Tiger I" (German: Panzerkampfwagen VI), it was decided to equip with an 88 mm cannon as the main armament.

The choice of the developers fell on the anti-aircraft 88-mm Flak 36, which served as a prototype for the creation of a tank gun.

And to understand why the anti-aircraft gun served as the basis for the creation of a tank gun, you need to go back to the times civil war in Spain 1936-39

To help the Spanish nationalists, the German authorities sent a military contingent known as the "Condor Legion", which consisted mainly of Luftwaffe personnel and was equipped with the new 88 mm Flak 18 anti-aircraft guns (predecessor of the Flak 36). From the beginning of 1937, "Flak" artillery was used more and more in battlefields where its accuracy, rapid fire and range were most suitable. This eventually led to the use of Flak in the last great offensive of the Spanish War, in Catalonia, in the following proportions: 7% against air targets and 93% against ground targets from total number shots fired from guns. It was at this time that the Germans saw the future potential of the 88 mm gun as an anti-tank gun.

Tank gun

To install a heavy anti-aircraft gun with strong recoil in the Tiger turret, a tank version of the gun was installed muzzle brake, which significantly reduced the magnitude of the rollback. Also, to improve the ballistic characteristics of the gun, the barrel length was increased from 53 calibers to 56. The horizontal sliding bolt used on anti-aircraft guns, was replaced with a vertical one, and the mechanical trigger with an electric one, as was customary for all German tanks during the war.

The tank gun received the designation KwK 36 L/56 (German: Kampfwagenkanone 36). It was attached to the front of the cradle to a massive cast gun mantlet. The mask, in turn, had pins and rotated in a vertical plane along with the gun.

Structurally, the gun included: a barrel with a casing; two-chamber muzzle brake; breech with locking mechanism; cradle; hydraulic retractor and hydropneumatic retractor; crew protective frame with a tray for spent cartridges attached to it.

Trunk

The barrel had a fastening casing located in the place of the highest gas pressure (a section approximately 2.6 meters long from the breech). The casing, dressed with interference, created compressive stresses in the barrel, and itself experienced tensile stresses. As a result, the inner and outer layers of the barrel metal more evenly absorbed the stresses created by the pressure of the powder gases when fired, which made it possible to increase the maximum pressure in the barrel.

A retaining ring was installed at the end of the casing.

The overall length of the gun (from the muzzle brake to the breech) is 5316 mm. Barrel length - 56 calibers, i.e. L=88*56=4930 mm. Thanks to the increased barrel length, the shells received high initial speed, which provided them with a very flat flight path and greater armor penetration. The barrel was rifled to give rotation to the projectile and launch it along a more accurate trajectory. There were a total of 32 helical riflings, turned to the right side, with a depth of 1.5 mm, a width of 3.6 mm and a distance of 5.04 mm from each other. The length of the rifled part of the barrel is 4093 mm.

The KwK 36 L/56 turned out to be a very powerful and accurate gun. German authorities thoroughly tested the accuracy of the 8.8 cm gun. The dimensions of the target in the tests were 2.5 m wide and 2 m high. The shooting took place from fixed distances, for example, the Pzgr 39 projectile hit the target with 100% accuracy at 1000 m, at 2000 m the accuracy decreased to 87% and to 53% at 3000 m. However, these impressive figures must be regarded as taken in a controlled "test" environment. With deviations introduced by barrel wear, quality of ammunition and human errors, the percentage of accuracy drops significantly by long distances and accuracy will undoubtedly be reduced in combat environments where there are additional factors such as terrain, atmosphere and complex circumstances operating in combat.

There is no doubt that the cannon gave the Tiger an advantage on the battlefield. It could hit most enemy tanks, at ranges beyond which the enemy could fire back effectively.

A total of 1,514 guns were assembled and accepted by inspectors from the Army Weapons Office (German: Heereswaffenamt, abbr. HWA). The guns were produced by two main assembly companies: DHHV (short for Dortmund-Horder Huttenverein AG) and Wolf Buchau. Each barrel cost 18,000 Reichsmarks.

The guns were marked with a mark on the cut of the breech. In the lower left corner they put the year of manufacture (two digits) and the manufacturer's code. DHHV had the code "amp" and Wolf Buchau "cxp" (author's guess). In the lower right corner was the serial number of the gun, consisting of the letter R (short for German Rohr - gun) and numbers. Under the number in small print was indicated the number of the contract with the manufacturer, consisting directly of two letters FL (abbreviated from German: Fertig Lieterant - Completed Delivery), serial number and manufacturer code.

Below is a photo of the breech of the Tiger 131. As you can see, the gun of this machine was produced in 1942 (number “42”) by DHHV (code “amp”) under contract number 79 and has the serial number R179. The stamp line "S: M: 79 FL amp" presumably indicated another contract marking.

As is known, a total of 1354 Tigers were produced, which means that only 160 “spare” barrels remained. Barrel life was estimated at 6,000 rounds and depended on the type of shells used, which wore out the barrel and made the gun slightly less accurate. For this reason, it was unlikely that most tanks would have their barrels changed during their service life.

Muzzle brake

To reduce recoil and facilitate the operation of recoil devices, the KwK 36 was equipped with a large two-chamber muzzle brake. The muzzle braking system works by trapping the expanding gases that escape the barrel after the projectile has ejected. The gases push the barrel forward from the tank and thereby counteract some of the recoil force. Tigerfibel stated that the muzzle brake fitted to the Tiger reduced recoil by 70%, and warned that the gun should not be fired if the brake was shot off or damaged.

The muzzle brake was screwed to the end of the barrel and secured with a locking ring.

Some changes were made to the muzzle brake during production, so it's worth knowing that there were also early and late versions of it.

Balancer and locking device

A heavy muzzle brake on a long barrel shifted the center of mass of the gun towards the barrel, which led to an imbalance of the gun relative to the trunnions of the gun mantlet. To eliminate this problem, on early versions of the tank, the gun was balanced by a heavy spring located in a tube along the starboard side of the turret and attached to the gun mantlet through a system of levers.

On later versions, the balancer was placed at the rear of the turret with a slight vertical tilt behind the commander's seat. Now the balancer connected the protective frame of the crew and the floor of the turret basket.

When the gun was not in use, it was secured with a lock located under the turret ceiling above the breech. In the stowed position, the lock-clamp clung to the studs on the sides of the breech, thereby protecting the structural elements from unwanted stress and eliminating possible movements of the barrel. The design of the castle changed during production cycle Tiger, as crews complained about the time it took to release and activate the gun.

It should be recalled that the tiger had to stop in order to make an accurate shot. Firing on the move from an unstabilized gun was extremely inaccurate and led to a waste of ammunition.

Cradle

The cradle was intended to accommodate the barrel and recoil devices. It was attached to the gun mantlet with its front part.

The recoiler and knurler, in turn, were attached to the sides of the cradle. The barrel passed through the central pipe of the cradle and rested on two brass guide rings pressed into it.

When fired, the barrel rolled back, sliding along the rings, and was slowed down by recoil devices.

Knurl

The hydropneumatic knurler was charged with gas and liquid in direct contact and absorbed 5% of the recoil force. The liquid cylinder was located at the bottom of the outer gas cylinder. The center lines of both cylinders are parallel. The liquid cylinder was completely filled with a solution of glycerin and water, and the rest of the mechanism was filled with nitrogen to the proper pressure.

The knurl works as follows. After recoil, the knurling rod and piston stop in the rear position, and the liquid is transferred from the liquid cylinder to the gas cylinder. The gas is compressed as the volume of the cylinder decreases, thereby reducing the recoil energy. While the knurl absorbs some of the recoil energy, the recoil pad absorbs the rest of the recoil energy and further adjusts the length of the recoil. When coasting driving force is the expanding gas tending to return the liquid back to the liquid cylinder, thereby activating the knurling piston. The forward force is dampened by the recoil brake. After several shots, the gas and liquid emulsify. This condition, however, does not change the pressure-volume relationship, and the liquid is still effective for use, provided the chamber is sufficiently sealed.

The piston rod is made hollow to eliminate the vacuum that would be caused in the sealed cylinder. This passage allows air to escape from the rear of the piston head.

Recoiler

The recoil brake was completely filled with brake fluid and absorbed 25% of the recoil force.

It consists of a coaxially located outer cylinder, a spindle with a moderator and a rod with a piston. The cylinder is filled with liquid at atmospheric pressure. The spindle is connected to the cylinder motionlessly.

During recoil, the piston and spindle control the stroke of the breech. As the weapon recoils, some of the fluid is forced out through the annular gap between the piston head and the spindle. Another part of the liquid passes through the moderator valve and fills the increasing cavity of the rod behind the moderator. The compressed fluid, flowing through the narrowing channel, takes away most of the recoil force and gradually brings the gun to a complete stop. Part of the recoil force is also absorbed by the increase in nitrogen pressure in the knurl. Next, the rolling action is activated by expanding nitrogen in the knurling device. The brake fluid that is now at the front of the piston head flows back through the ring gap. The rod with the piston slides back, and the spindle with the moderator penetrates deeper into the rod, displacing liquid from it. The valve closes, the liquid is pumped and exits through the grooves in the stem and holes in the moderator. The rolling force is thus reduced and the gun comes to a resting state without impact. Below, for a better understanding, is a general diagram of a similar design of a taktnik not from the Tiger.

Crew protective frame with shell tray, recoil indicator

A protective frame was attached to the rear of the cradle, protecting the crew from being hit by the breech when the gun rolled back.

Under the frame there was a canvas tray for spent cartridges.

A barrel recoil indicator was installed on the frame. It was a reminder of the brake fluid contained in gun hydraulics. During the rollback, the breech of the gun moved the pointer. The gun could move back up to 620 mm, but during normal operation of the recoil devices, the rollback was 580 mm, as evidenced by the inscription “Feuerpause” (German: Ceasefire) above the corresponding mark.

Breech

The breech had a square cross-section with a side of 320 mm. A vertically sliding wedge bolt slid into a bored rectangular hole in the breech, which absorbed the recoil from the barrel and bolt. Parts of the bolt mechanism and the rods of the recoil devices were attached to the breech.

Drive mechanism

The drive mechanism that opened and closed the bolt consisted of a drive rod, opening and closing coil springs, a separating plate, a trigger lever, and the left and right parts of the housing.

The springs were inserted into the left and right housings. A separating plate was installed between the housings. The assembled housing was placed on the drive rod. Next, the rod was inserted into the breech, passing through it, while the mechanism body was located to the right of the breech. On the other side of the drive rod, a slide was attached (the left side of the breech). When rolling back, the link engaged with the track; when rolling up, it moved along the track, initiating the operation of the automation.

The drive rod also passed through the trigger lever, which in turn engaged with a hole in the right side of the bolt. It was through the trigger lever that the forces from the springs were transmitted to the bolt to close and open it.

The left side of the drive mechanism housing had a handle designed to open the shutter in manual mode. When the bolt mechanism is set to manual mode, the spring is disengaged from the actuator and the bolt can be opened and closed without the action of the spring.

Bolt mechanism

The bolt mechanism had a vertically sliding wedge gate and semi-automatic control. In semi-automatic mode, after firing, the empty cartridge case was automatically ejected from the chamber, while the bolt remained open, ready to load the next round. The bolt was held open by the ejector, contrary to the action of the closing spring. When loading the projectile, the protruding rim of the cartridge case hit the ejector, it was triggered, and allowed the bolt to close.

The ejector consisted of two vertical rectangular rods connected by a common horizontal axis. On top of the rods there were hooks that held the bolt in the open position. At the bottom of the rods there were protrusions designed to trigger the ejector when the shutter was opened. The bolt, moving down, hit the protrusions, thereby turning the ejector at a small angle, and it, in turn, knocked the cartridge case out of the chamber. After the bolt was fully opened and the cartridge was removed, the upper hooks of the ejector engaged with the bolt and held it in the open position.

Mode switch

The switch for semi-automatic and manual modes was located on the right side of the breech and had two positions.

To enable manual mode, you had to move the switch to the “Sicher” position, which means “Safe” in German. In manual mode, the loader could open and close the shutter himself. This mode was used primarily to open the bolt when loading the first shot. In addition, the electric trigger did not work in manual mode, that is, one might say, the gun was on safety. For semi-automatic mode, the switch was moved to the “Feuer”, “Fire” position. In this mode, after the shot, the shutter automatically opened and the cartridge case was thrown into the tray. Thus, after the automatic operation, the gun was immediately ready to load and fire the next shot.

Electric escapement

The KwK 36, like all Wehrmacht tanks, was equipped with an electric trigger. This means that the ignition of the ignition bushing occurred due to heating when flowing through it. electric current. Electric ignition, compared to impact ignition (used on the Flak 18/36), has a shorter response time and makes it possible to fire a shot at any time at the request of the shooter by pressing just one button.

As can be seen from the circuit diagram, there were two emergency switches that opened the circuit in the event of improper operation of the recoil devices. The switches eliminated the possibility of firing a shot that would damage the gun. The first switch was electrical; it opened the circuit if, after firing, the gun did not return to its original position. The second is hydraulic, which opens the circuit when the pressure on the knurl decreases (the author’s assumption).

The shot was carried out by the gunner by pressing the release lever (which had the shape of an arc) located behind the gun's vertical aiming flywheel. As a result of pressing the lever, the electric trigger current circuit, powered by a 12-volt battery, was closed.