- Chapter 8 -
The 88mm ammunition carried by the Tiger I was exceptionally bulky and an ingenious array of stowage solutions were incorporated which allowed the tank to accommodate up to 100, and sometimes more, of these space consuming rounds.
The Tiger I differed from earlier German tanks principally in its design philosophy. Its predecessors all sought balance mobility, armour and firepower, and as a result were being outgunned by their opponents. The Tiger I represented a brand new approach which emphasised firepower and armour at the expense of mobility. Nonetheless the new heavy tank was surprisingly sprightly and was not that much slower than the best of its opponents. However, with over 50 metric tons dead weight, suspensions, gearboxes and other vital items had clearly reached their design limits and as a result Tiger I breakdowns were infuriatingly frequent.
Design studies for a new heavy tank had actually been started in 1937, but had stalled long before production planning stage was reached. Renewed impetus for the Tiger was provided by the discovery of outstanding battlefield qualities of the Soviet T-34 encountered in 1941. Although the general design and layout were broadly similar to the previous medium tank, the Panzer IV, the Tiger weighed more than twice as much. This was due to its substantially thicker armour, the larger main gun, greater volume of fuel and ammunition storage, larger engine, and more solidly-built transmission and suspension. Unfortunately for the Panzerwaffe not all of the lessons from the T-34 were absorbed. Sloping angular armour deflects most shots away from the vehicle and can therefore afford to be thinner and lighter. The Armour plates on the Tiger were mostly flat, with interlocking construction however the armour joints were of high quality, being stepped and welded rather than riveted which overcame one of the main disadvantages of riveted construction found in many allied tanks of the early war period.
The nominal armour of the Tiger at its thickest point on the gun mantlet was 200mm and an unprecedented 120mm thick on most of the mantlet. The Tiger I had frontal hull armour 100mm (3.9in) thick and frontal turret armour of 120mm (4.7in), as opposed to the 80mm (3.1in) frontal hull and 50mm (2 in) frontal turret armour of contemporary models of the Panzer IV. It also had 60mm (2.4in) thick hull side plates and 80mm armour on the side superstructure and rear, turret sides and rear was 80mm. The top and bottom armour was 25mm (1in) thick; from March 1944, the turret roof was thickened to 40mm (1.6in).
The gun’s breech and firing mechanism were derived from the famous German “88” dual purpose flak gun, the Flugabwehr-kanone. The 88mm Kampfwagonkanone 36 L/56 gun was the variant developed for the Tiger and was the most effective and feared tank guns of World War II. The Tiger’s gun had a very flat trajectory and extremely accurate Leitz Turmzielfernrohr TZF 9b sights (later replaced by the monocular TZF 9c). In British wartime firing trials, five successive hits were scored on a 16 by 18 inch (410 by 460mm) target at a range of 1,200 yards (1,100m). Tigers were reported to have knocked out enemy tanks at ranges greater than 2.5 miles (4,000m), although most World War II engagements were fought at much shorter ranges.
Ammunition types :
i) 8.8 cm KwK 36# Ammunition (General Issue)
ii) PzGr.39 (Armour Piercing Capped Ballistic Cap)
iii) PzGr.40 (Armour Piercing Composite Rigid)
iv) Hl. Gr.39 (High Explosive Anti-Tank)
v) Sch Sprgr. Patr. L/4.5 (Incendiary Shrapnel)
THE CONTEMPORARY VIEW NO. 6
ATTACK AGAINST GERMAN HEAVY TANK Pz. Kw. 6
The following report by an observer on the Tunisian front furnishes some comments as a guide to training in antitank action against this tank.
It appears that the first of these tanks to be destroyed in this theatre were accounted for by British 6-pounders (57mm). An account of this action, as reported by a British Army Officer, follows:
“The emplaced 6-pounders opened fire at an initial range of 680 yards. The first rounds hit the upper side of the tank at very acute angles and merely nicked the armour. As the tank moved nearer, it turned in such a manner that the third and fourth shots gouged out scallops of armour, the fifth shot went almost through and the next three rounds penetrated completely and stopped the tank. The first complete penetration was at a range of 800 yards, at an angle of impact of 30 degrees from normal, through homogeneous armour 82mm (approximately 3 1/3 inches) thick. Ammunition used was the 57mm semi-AP solid shot.
“One element of this action contains an important lesson that should be brought to the attention of all AT elements and particularly tank destroyer units.”
(a) “The British gunners did not open until the enemy tank was well within effective range.”
(b) “In addition to opening fire with the primary weapon - the 57mm - the AT unit also opened with intense light machine-gun fire which forced the tank to button up and in effect blinded him. His vision apparently became confused and he was actually traversing his gun away from the AT guns when he was knocked out for good.
(c) “Once they opened fire, the British gunners really poured it on and knocked out one more heavy tank and six Pz. Kw. 3s. Also, for good measure, one armoured car.”
The conclusions to be drawn from this action, according to the British officer quoted, are:
(a) “The unobstructed vision of the gunner in a tank destroyer gives him a very real advantage over his opponent squinting through the periscope or narrow vision slits of a tank.
(b) “The tank destroyer unit must force the enemy tank to ‘button up’ by intense fire from every weapon he has, including machine-guns, tommy guns, and rifles.”
The size and weight of a tank such as the Pz. Kw. 6 present many problems. It has been indicated from unofficial enemy sources that extensive reconnaissance of terrain, bridges, etc., was necessary before operations with this tank could be undertaken. Bridges have to be reinforced in many cases, and soil conditions must be good for its effective operation. It can therefore be assumed that its field of operation is limited.
Reports so far indicate that the use of this tank is chiefly to support other armoured units, including employment as mobile artillery. As a support tank it is always in rear of lighter units. In one reported skirmish in Tunisia, the lighter units formed the spear-head; as soon as enemy tanks were decoyed into range the lighter tanks fanned out, leaving the heavier tanks in the rear to engage the enemy units.
The Pz. Kw. 6 is now considered a standard German tank. Present production figures are believed to be at a maximum of 800 per month.
A tank commander confers with supporting infantry from the Waffen-SS. This shot was taken in the summer of 1943.