Tiger Heat: German Panzers on the Eastern Front

The crews quickly completed their maintenance even though it was not adequate. Max wanted to get the Tigers into a better position than they were now. Out in a wide-open space they could be subject to air attack. The Russian Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, often bursting through the low cloud cover to bomb or strafe ground units. They were built in such numbers (42,330) the Ilyushin became the single most produced military aircraft design in aviation history. Thanks to the heavy armour protection, the Il-2 could take a great deal of punishment and proved difficult for both ground and aircraft fire to shoot down. It was reported that one Ilyushin had received more than 600 direct hits and having all its control surfaces completely shredded as well as numerous holes in its main armour and other structural damage. However, still managed to return home safely. The biggest issue with the Ilyushin was its accuracy, which was never really addressed until the end of the war. The German tank crews would much rather have an Ilyushin over them than a P-47. Especially the ones equipped with an early version of Napalm used later in WWII after the Normandy landings. This thick and oily liquid could seep into any ventilation duct or small crevice. When a salvo of these rockets hit, you would see a line of expanding fire emanating from the oily liquid that seemed to grow in intensity. It burnt very hot and could quickly cause a tank to be engulfed in a fierce blaze. Giving little chance of escape for the crew who were essentially cooked inside their tank if they did not suffer from asphyxia first.

The crews mounted up and began moving across the wide opening avoiding large holes and damaged artillery pieces. It was not that long before they were back into the relative safety of the forest. The tank tracks and transmission made some strange noises indicating that they were getting worn. Tigers were never designed to drive on long journeys. The engine and transmission only lasted around 600 miles before needing to be completely replaced. They had to be moved by rail from one operational area to the next.

Back inside their tanks, the crews felt slightly warmer being just a couple of degrees below freezing. A ceramic heater which took heat from the engine was the only warmth for the crews. It continued to provide heat for the tank for about an hour after the engine had been switched off. The temperature inside the tank would plummet overnight to well below freezing. The cold was a real problem for both men and machines. Adding to the difficulties of fighting on the Eastern Front during the winter months. The column continued back into the forest avoiding large holes caused by artillery shells and aerial bombardment for another two hours before finally emerging almost on top of a river. The river looked too deep for the tanks to forge and the only alternative was to follow the riverbank. This would require careful driving as it could be all too easy to slip into the river and more than likely the tank ending up on its side or worse still upside down. The terrain also meant no let up on the tired tanks, already battle worn. Max scoured the map and saw a bridge not that far away. The problem was that the map did not show if the bridge could take the weight of a Tiger rumbling over it.

The column of Tigers headed off once again along the riverbank encased in heavy snow. It was slow going, simply to avoid obstacles and the narrow gap between the edge of the river and a gully almost running alongside the thin ledge at the side of the river. As they set off down the riverbank a thick fog started to form, further adding to the difficulty of seeing ahead. The upside of the fog was that it would also aid in concealing the Tigers from Soviet ground and air forces.

The tanks engines roared as they struggled through some thick snowdrifts pushing vast mountains of snow aside as they ploughed through. This did nothing to aid in fuel consumption. To help balance out fuel consumption the lead tank was changed over with the other tanks following. The tracks on the tanks were getting more and more tired. It had been nothing more than sheer luck that a track had not broken or a transmission failure. All the crews could do was be as gentle as possible with their tanks and gently nurse them where they could get some much needed maintenance and fuel their tanks being three quarters empty. More fuel was used on rough terrain than on flat ground or even a road. On normal flat terrain, a Tiger did around 0.4 miles per gallon. This meant the 534-litre tank could travel around 50 miles before needing to be refuelled.