Tiger Heat: German Panzers on the Eastern Front

They could see the bridge in the distance it was a steel girder bridge with a wooden platform. The tank column stopped short of the bridge and halted for a few minutes, to undertake some checks before crossing over. They undertook checks on the running gear, surrounded by exhaust smoke and the swirls of fog. Max looked at the slackened track length, the worn link pins and the distortion to the drive wheel that had resulted from hitting a large tree in the forest. The Tiger could not take much more punishment but if the stuck with flatter terrain the track should hold together fine. Max had a quick discussion with Klaus. “Ja, die Titel werden nur um zusammen zu halten.” “Ja, ja,” said Klaus. All the crews mounted back up and moved towards the bridge.

The Tank column finally made it to the bridge. The steel girders looked strong enough to take a Tiger. This theory could only be put into practice by driving a Tiger over it. The bridge showed signs of small arms fire damage but no other damage after a quick inspection by Max and Hans, another tank commander. They mounted up and Max swung his tank to the right before heading over the bridge. The bridge grumbled slightly as the first Tiger went across, followed by the second and the third. As the third Tiger was very nearly across a loud crack almost like an explosion went off just behind the third Tiger. The steel girders had torn away from the connecting rivets. The bridge behind the Tiger collapsed into a heap of twisted metal. The third Tiger stood still for a matter of moments before the hull started to rise in the air and slipped backwards. There was nothing the crew could do as it slipped backwards into the cold and fast flowing river. The tank was a total loss, but thankfully the hatches on the tank burst open and the crew scrambled out and up the tank that was now half submerged and the barrel of the 88 resting on the final part of the bridge, which was still standing. The crew of the Tiger were spread about amongst the remaining Tigers with the driver sitting on the floor of Max’s tank. The fourth Tiger was now stranded on the other side of the river and would need to find another way to get across the river. There was not much Max could do put wish them all the best and continue. At least the fog would offer some cover for the lone Tiger. The lone tiger and its crew carried on down the side of the river seeing if it could find a way to cross and catch up with the rest of the column. However, by following the river the Tiger was taken further away from the column and towards an advancing group of T-34s.

The commander saw the origin of the shot, though, and called it out to the gunner. In a group of trees, where the fog had lifted. There was the unmistakable outline of a T-34 tank. The Tiger driver slowed and halted to give them firing stability. The gunner got a good aim on the T-34 before firing at the T-34. The shell hit the T-34, hitting its frontal plate and causing a plume of dark smoke to emit from the hole. Then, just up from the T-34, another two T-34s appeared. They moved to the right and seemed reluctant to engage. The Tigers 88mm gun made short work of two T-34s firing several rounds into both targets. Bits of metal were shaved off the turret as the Tiger’s round impacted on the turret. The T-34 turned to the right, before rolling over black smoke belching out of its exhausts. Another round hit the gun mantle with such force that it knocked the top surface of the turret completely off, exposing the commander who had been killed instantly when the shell had hit the tank. Another T-34 continued to advance towards them, they fired another round that went straight through the frontal armour and killed the entire crew inside in an instant. They Tiger was running low on ammunition as well as options.

As the Tiger moved up towards a line of trees, it was unaware of the T-34 lurking in the trees. Its 76-mm barrel bearing down on the Tiger. The T-34 managed to get a shot off as the first shell hit the Tiger, on the rear, near the tracks and the idler wheel. It was a high explosive (HE) round letting out a bright white flash as it exploded…

CHAPTER THREE – Tiger

World War 2 saw many technologies make some rapid progress. Aircraft design made an almost amazing leap from the bi-plane to the dawn of the jet engine. There is no doubt that German engineering skills produced designs years ahead of their time. In some cases, this knowledge such as the V-2 missile and swept wings of the Me-262 would aid the post war military design.