Tiger Heat: German Panzers on the Eastern Front

PzKw VI Ausfuhrung H, although it became known as the Tiger after being name as such by Ferdinand Porsche. Even though the Tiger I has a number of technical problems which combined to reduce its operational efficiency. It performed very well on the Eastern Front and in Tunisia. Comparatively few, however were used in North Africa as a result of air and submarine attacks Axis supply convoys. The Tigers frontal armour proved highly effective at stopping rounds from most anti-tank guns. The Tiger could knock out its most common opponents the T-34, Sherman and Churchill IV at ranges exceeding 2000 metres. The T-34 could not penetrate a Tigers frontal armour from any range. Although could penetrate a Tigers side armour at much closer ranges. This meant Shermans would attack a Tiger in fours and at close range to get a shot into either the side or the rear of the tanks. In the latter stages of World War Two aircraft with rockets became a deadlier foe. The Tiger I was phased out from January 1944 with the introduction of the Tiger II with a total of 1355 Tigers having been produced. It is still a highly regarded Tank and some ways was slightly ahead of its time. It had a top speed of 23 mph on flat ground or roads and was powered by a single Maybach HL230P45 V-12 petrol engine producing 700hp. It weighed 57 tons.

PANZRKAMPFWAGEN VI TIGER II – The Tiger II combined the heavy armour of the Tiger I with the slopped armour of the Panther. It was a completely different tank to the Tiger I. Being first used in action in Normandy in July 1944 before being used on the Eastern Front the following month. The Tiger II also called the king Tiger was the most powerful tank to be deployed anywhere during World War Two. Together with the Panther formed a German spearhead for the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. The offensive though petered out due to a lack of fuel and many Tigers ended up being abandoned.

Despite its success in combat the Tiger continued to experience many problems. The overlapping suspension was one, which could easily become clogged with mud. During the Russian winter this mud would freeze and would need to be chipped away before the tank could move. The Tiger II chassis was used as the basis for the JagTiger B which was armed with a 128mm gun. With a range of 105 miles the King Tiger had an improved range over the Tiger I’s 70 miles. It had a top speed of 22 mph on fat ground or road. It was powered by a Maybach HL230P30 V-12 petrol engine producing 700 hp. It weighed 70 tons with the production turret.

IS-1 – The IS-1 was developed from the KV series of tanks to combat German tanks such as the Tiger and Panther. Its design was named the KV-13. Marshal Kliment had fallen out of political favour, however, and so the name was changed to Iosif (Joseph) Stalin instead. The first batch used for evaluation were called the IS-85. The IS made use of the 85mm gun of the KV-85, but production models were fitted with the long 122mm gun. This had greater penetrating power and also enough strength to blow off a tanks turret even if it failed to penetrate the armour. This modification led the tank to be called the IS-2. The first IS-2s appeared in 1944. A further variant the IS-3 retained the 122mm gun but had a much more rounded and redesigned turret. The IS tank was used to spearhead the final assault on Berlin in April 1945, their power and protection enabling them to break through enemy defence barriers. The IS-1 was powered by a V-2 IS 12 cylinder 550hp diesel engine. It had a top speed of 25 mph and a range of 155 miles. It weighed 45.3 tons. Without a doubt a great tank but with shortcomings like so many World War Two tanks. Engine development was certainly one factor with heavy tanks from all sides often being underpowered.

GLOSSARY

Bazooka – The Bazooka is a man-portable recoilless rocket antitank weapon, mainly used by the US Army. Also referred to as the “Stovepipe”, the bazooka was amongst the first-generation of rocket propelled anti-tank weapons used in infantry combat. In World War Two the M1 and starting with the invasion of Sicily the M1A1. Both had a range of 400 feet and an effective range of 150 feet.

Focke Wulf FW-190 – The FW-190 was a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Powered by a twin-row BMW 801 radial engine that powered most operational versions enabled the Fw 190 to lift larger loads than the Bf 109, allowing its use as a day fighter, fighter-bomber, ground-attack aircraft and, to a lesser degree, night fighter.