Koenigstiger

Advantages: super-heavy armor protection, heavy fire power (far superior to any tank fielded by the Allies) on vast ranges

By the end of 1942 the german High Command put request for a modified Tiger heavy tank which would include sloped armor and the mighty 88mm L71,2. With a muzzle speed of about 1,000 m/s this weapon was able to pierce a 185mm thick sloped plate by 30º on a distance of 500 metres with standard armor piercing rounds: it was sufficient to take out the latest IS tanks while remaining out of enemy counterfire. Henschel proposed a modified Tiger I with sloped front armor but after Hitler requested a 150mm thick front plate and the L71 gun (which could not be mounted in the standard Tiger I turret), efforts were directed in other directions.

Both Porsche and Heschel proposed their prototypes. Porsche VK 4502(P) was proposed in two configurations, one with a rear mounted turret and another with a forward mount: it was equipped with a electrically moved turret, a Porsche "trademark" sunspensions and two twin petrol-electric engines, each one operating an electrical generator which propulsed each track. Henschel's VK 4503(H) prototypes was instead equipped with a more conventional center mounted turret (to reduce the overlapping gun barrel) and, most importantly, shared many components with the proposed (and never realized) Panther II and then late Panthers.

Due to shortage of copper, complexity of Porsche's system and poor reliability Henschel model was preferred and standardized as the 'PzKpfw VI Ausf. B Tiger II' (Sd.Kfz. 182). Krupp factories had to manufacture turrets for both models but some previous accordances with the Porsche firm took to the realization of fifty turrets thought for the Porsche tank. While they were easily modified for fitting on the Henschel chassis, their low and sloped profile presented a dangerous shot trap in the curved 100 mm thick front. New turrets were more heavily armored with a redesigned shape and were easier (and cheaper) to manufacture while affording better protection to the crew.

During the 1943 the project proceeded slowly due to necessity for the already said coordinating and standardazing the components with the programmed (and never realized) Panther II. At the end of 1943 the Tiger II tank was in production and first tanks begun to be issued to training units. Dr Aders, lead of Henschel's tank department design stated that the ill-attempt of coordination with the Panther II delayed the Tiger H3 (Henschel Tiger II) by three months. In addition the same Panther II never realized.

When the development of the Tiger I heavy tank was still on its way there was a request laid from Adolf Hitler himself, trough the Army Weapons Office, for the heavy panzer to mount the long FlaK 41 (L/74) gun. Krupp, which was charged for the turret design, stated that this was not possible because Porsche, which the turret was being manufactured for, requested it to mount the shorter Flak 36 (L/56). Because of the decisive delay a new turret design may have caused the whole project was shifted for the successive Tiger variant. With Tiger II project started, a development of the Rheinmetall-Borsig FlaK 41 was possible and pressed on. Krupp won the contract issued by the Wa pruef 4 (the gun designing office) and the gun's designation became officially 8.8 cm KwK 43 (L/71) on 29 January 1943.

The only similarities between Rheinmetall-Borsig FlaK 41 and Krupp's KwK 43 were in their performances: they could archieve close to the same penetration when the same shell was fired with the same initial muzzle speed. All other features were different. Because it had to be mounted in a tank, the KwK 43 had shorter (but fatters) recoilling cylinders to fit inside the turret, had muzzle brake to retard recoil, had an air blast to evacuate fumes from the gun directly and chambered a shorter (but fatter) cartidge case for easier loading inside a turret.

Table - The ability of the 8.8 cm KwK 43 against a plate sloped of 30 degrees from the vertical

	Pzgr. 39/43	Pzgr. 40/43	Gr. 39/3 HL
Shell weight (Kgs)	10.2	7.3	7.65
Muzzle velocity (m/s)	1,000	1,130	600
Range
100 m	202 mm	238 mm	90 mm
500 m	185 mm	217 mm	90 mm
1000 m	165 mm	193 mm	90 mm
1500 m	148 mm	171 mm	90 mm
2000 m	132 mm	153 mm	90 mm

Pzgr. 39/43 is APCBC round (Armor Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped with explosice filler and tracer). Lesser penetration but blast effect for extensive damage when penetration is archieved.
Pzgr. 40/43 is APCR round (Armor Piercing Composite Rigid): high velocity, sub-calibre, tungsten core. Grater penetration but no blasting effect (decreased target damage)
Gr. 39/3 HL is HEAT round (High Explosive Anti-Tank). Lesser penetration and far lesser precision but it may be used against a mixture of targets.
Spgr. is HE round (High Explosive). For use against soft targets only. Normal load was 50 percent Spgr and remnants being Pzgr. 39/43. A few Pzgr. 40/43 may also be carried for use against enemy's heaviest. Of course, battlefield conditions make these values only indicative.

While first versions V1 and V2 were monobloc the third trial gun, V3, was already been fabricated using the monobloc sectional design. This permitted to extend gun's life and did the manufacturing simpler with no performance drop. In addition field substitutions became simpler as well.

Along with the exceptional anti-armor capabilities, the 88mm L71 was also a precise gun capable of first shot hittings. Of course such a gun was flanked by advanced optics devices to permit this. The Monocular Turmzielfernohr 9d (sighting periscope) was used and replaced the binocular version mounted on some of the early Porsche Tigers, which had the other opening being covered by an armored plug.

By Heer orders these heavy tanks were to fullfill the complements of the schwerePanzerAbteilungen (s.Pz.Abt.), both Heer and SS, with an authorized strength of 45 tanks with 3 command tanks and three companies with other 14 tanks each. A company was organized in a command section with two Tigers and three platoons with 4 tanks each. The command tanks were modified Tiger IIs (Panzerbefehlswagen Tiger (Sd.Kfz. 267 und 268) Ausf. B) which traded some of their internal stowage ammunition room for extra radio equipment.

The s.Pz.Abt. 503 was the first operational unit to receive Tiger IIs in late May 1944 but received only 12 while the other companies were equipped with 33 Tiger Is. This was due to both Allied bombings and need of time for perfectioning the automotive system which proved to be unreliable and need several fixes: they had to be near to the factories for technical support. Then the others (s.Pz.Abt. 503, 506, 507 and some units of the s.Pz.Abt. 510 and 511 and the s.SS.Pz.Abt. 501) followed, all of them fought with their brand new tanks in the Western front. The s.Pz.Abt. 501, 503, 505, 509 and s.SS.Pz.Abt. 501, 502, 503 saw also or only fought in the Eastern front.

Five early tanks were issued to the Panzer Kompanie 316 (Funklenk) attached to the Panzer Lehr division for training purposes, where they were then destroyed by the same crews without taking part to any engagement because of their bad state of maintenaince.

The s.Pz.Abt. 503 was the first unit equipped with these tanks to fight against the Allies in Normandy, first engaging the enemy July 11th 1944. The savage fight consumed the unit in a way that when it was retired from the frontline in September it had only two operational tanks. By October the unit had its full complement of tanks and was shipped in Budapest to avoid the Hungarian government to defectionate. By 5 April 1945 it reported having 13 operational Tigers and 18 in repairs.

The 1st Kompanie of the sSs.Pz.Abt. 101 (then 501) was re-equipped with 12 Tiger IIs after the whole battalion lost 15 tanks. They also were lost in following retreats. The whole battalion was then retreated and after some complicated actions managed to have its full complement of 45 Tigers ready for the Ardennes. After this, the unit was transferred to the Eastern front with I SS-Panzerkorps, where by 17 March had 9 operational tanks: they were handed over to the s.Pz.Abt. 505 while the unit departed to rest and refit in Germany in April 1st.

The s.Pz.Abt. 506 was also recalled from the Eastern front for rest and refit and by mid September it was ready with its full complement of Tigers: it immedetely took part in Arnhem battle. After this it was moved southward to prevent the city of Achen and its important weaponry industries to fall in American hands. It fought in the area until the end of October and by November its 3rd Kompanie could account the destruction of 222 tanks, 189 anti-tank guns, 24 guns and 32 trucks.

The s.SS.Pz.Abt. 501 was also fully reconstituted with Tiger IIs and was then planned to fit the third company with Jagdtigers when Hitler ordered that no Jagdtiger had to be enlisted in Tiger units. Only 34 Tigers were at disposal but for the Ardennes offensive its ranks were completed by other 11 tanks confinscated to the last minute to the s.Pz.Abt. 509.

The s.Pz.Abt. 507 was ordered to return to Germany on February 1945 and received 21 Tiger IIs by March 31st, some belonging to 510 and 511 battalions. It partecipated to the defence of the local area. The other minor units directly picked up their tanks in the factories and partecipated to the defence of Kassel while many others were assembled in the rush of war for defending local areas, such as the Panzer Kompanie of the Kummersdorf proving ground.

The units on the Eastern front deserved a similar fate. The s.Pz.Abt. 501 was the first unit equipped with Tiger IIs to be sent eastward. Because having been virtually destroyed in the fights which took the destruction of Army Group Center, it was retired to rest and refit at the troop training center in Ohrdruf. By August 7th 1944 it was attached to Army Group South-Ukraine and was then overwhelmed in the Russian Winter offensive. On 11 February 1945 it was ordered to be disbanded to create the s.Pz.Jg.Abt. 512 (heavy tank destroyer battalion 512).

The s.Pz.Abt. 505 had a similar history as the 501. It had some mechanical troubles with its Tigers but after receiving the replacements it was sent on the front at Nasielsk on 11 September. By 4 April 1945 it reported to have 12 tanks at all. The s.Pz.Abt. 509 after having passed some of its tanks the the s.SS.Pz.Abt. 501 experimented further delays in its reconstitution but by 12 January 1945 it was in Hungary to re-engage. By April 5th it still had 17 tanks (some belonged to sSs.Pz.Abt. 501).

The s.SS.Pz.Abt. 103, then 503, unusually remained in the training facilities for over a year, issued with some Tiger Is. By October 1944 it had 39 (instead of 45) tanks and was sent to the East, attached to Heeres Gruppe Weichsel. By mid April it had 12 tanks, of which ten operational.

The s.SS.Pz.Abt. 502 had its Tigers later due to shortages in shipments. Finally by 6th March the tanks were fully consigned and unit marched to joi Army Group Center in the mid of the month. The 503 had its first engagement at Sachsendorf on 22 March. By 27 April it had 5 tanks remaining.

When the Tiger II was being produced the time cosuming complexity of the previous heavy tank was much reduced: still the new design consumed a huge amount of raw materials. In all these months, relentless attempts to get better performances and simplify production were carried on. They interested in the most part internal fittings, dictated by combat and living experiences, so are more difficult to note. The true obstacles were always the bombings: they caused the loss in production of at least 657 Tiger IIs (940 planned against 283 produced) in September 1944-March 1945 period. Henschel ceased all tank production by the end of March. One may not be surprised if only a few units received replacements while the others were literally left to fall in pieces.

Operational history of the Tiger IIs is problematic: while this heavy tank was the optimum on the paper, things on the battlefield went in different way from what the Germans hoped. The 88mm L71 KwK 43 tank gun, joined by the excellent optics, was able to pierce any enemy tank on long ranges; front armor was able to whithstand any enemy anti-tank gun, large battle tracks permitted the tank to offer a ground pressure of only 0.74 Kg/cm² (when the tracks sunk of 20 cm in the ground), speed of a remarkable maximum of 41.5 Kmh and a cruising one of 38 Kmh on roads and 15-20Kmh on open terrains.

The turret rotation speed was even more stunning, capable of turning by its hydraulic gearing system (connected and depending from the engine) of 360 degrees in 19 seconds (with the engine at 2,000 rpm) for fine adjustments and in less than ten seconds at the fastest speed (engine at 3,000 rpm, difficult to archieve because of engine's overheating). The lowest speed for a full turn was 70 seconds: low speed was used (and needed) for long range aiming/shooting (the ideal role for the Tiger).

Reliability continuosly improved: a March 1945 German report stated that the operational ratio of the tank in frontline units was 59 percent of the strength, second only to the Panzer IV with 62 percent and much better than Panther at only 48 percent. This is against some common ideas which want the Tiger II as a big, slow and unreliable monster. Many faults were overexploited by inexperienced drivers but with mature drivers and the needed pauses for restoring and maintenaince reliability greatly increased.

Its capabilities of negotiating obstacles were comparable to or better than that of the other German or Allied tanks. Improvements also took the Tiger to had to mount an integrated range-finder but the production of the modified turret, which had to start in July 1945, never took place because the end of the war.

The true enemy were, as always, the planes. Air attacks knocked out tanks in the factories, in the battlefield and disrupted supplies of fuel and spare parts making the tanks uncapable to exploit their abilities. Many were abandoned due to poor mechanical conditions, lacks of fuel and ammos. When they were put on the battlefield they proved to be more than worthy opponents. Also a single tank was able to stop an Allied armored thrust and impose an significative delay to the Allied formations. If properly supported they could be reverted in counterattacks. A situation very similar to the 1941, were the heavy KVs proved themselves against the Panzerdivisionen ...

"My name is Mike Veres and I, too, am a fan of the King Tiger. Yes, it was an awesome tank, and I am writing this to put your mind at ease as to whether or not it was a "paper tiger."

"Six years ago, I worked with an older gentleman named Jon Klaus. He was a WW-2 vet who had had first-hand experience against the King Tiger, having then been in command of an M4 Sherman. One day, at lunch, he and I started talking about things in general, and we ended up on the topic of AFVs. He mentioned how he really hated/respected the Tiger tank. As our conversation continued, I asked him to draw what the tank he called a "Tiger" looked like. I wanted to verify his story, plus find out just what tank it possibly could have been, since a lot of WW-2 vets call anything big with a long gun a 'Tiger'.

"The vehicle was burned into his memory. What he drew was indeed the outline of the Tiger II, not the Panther or Tiger I. His story goes like this:

"His and two other Shermans came upon this Tiger in a very large break in a forest. The range he estimated from memory to be around 700 yards at first encounter. The Shermans opened fire. Two shells hit the glacis plate of the Tiger and bounced off. The Tiger returned fire and blew up the M4 to Jon's left. The two remaining M4s started to retreat for cover, firing as they went. None of their shells hit the Tiger. The Tiger fired again, and Jon's other platoon mate got its turret blown off, but Jon's M4 made it to cover.

"Later, two more "Easy-8" M4s showed up, along with three M10s. One Easy-8 tried to flank the Tiger under cover, but was caught by German infantry antitank weapons. Then the Americans decided to rush the Tiger with superior numbers: after the gunfire died down, one Easy-8 and all three M10s had been destroyed by this solitary Tiger.

"Jon told me that he had counted 18 shell marks on the front surfaces of the Tiger, which eventually retreated to just inside the first row of trees at the other end of the opening of the forest.

"What arrived next Jon described as a "Tiger killer." When I asked him for specifics, all he could remember was that it looked like an M10 but with a longer barrel; my assumption has been that this was an M36 tank destroyer. Jon said that the "Tiger killer" took two shots at the Tiger: one missed and the second hit the front plate in a "shower of sparks." The Tiger then returned fire and put a shell through the M36's glacis plate, blowing it up.

"Jon said the men around him were totally in awe of this German tank and its crew. He still did not understand why he did not die that day like the rest of the guys in the other tanks. He kept telling me how he had never been scared like he was that day. When I asked him what became of this Tiger, he said he did not know for sure, as he had heard only rumors -- he was ordered to pull back while they brought up more "Tiger killers". The rumors he heard said that the Tiger was either destroyed by an air attack (likely) or taken out by another M10 (less likely, unless it got real close)..."

After the failed attempts in the Ardennes the Tiger returned in the in the East: in October 1944 the s.Pz.Abt. 503 was in Hungary to help the Hungarian fascists of the Arrowed Cross in their coup against the Hungarian government which planned to leave the war. Advancing Soviet armies enetered in Hungary and by February Budapest was surrounded and cut off. Operation Konrad was commanded to link up with the German-Hungarian defenders and heavy fights exploded in the following battles. After initial success, Soviets literally submerged the attackers with fresh armies in enveloping manouvre. While the Tigers took an heavy price of the enemy tank units they were decimated.

The history so pointed in a strange way: we see Tiger units moving from a front to another, from France to Russia, from Russia to Poland, from France to Hungary than back in France and then returning in the East. All of these movements were carried out by trains with the German transport system on the point to collapse by bombings. Tigers were destroyed in rail stations, abandoned because the survival were needed somewhere else or burnt by their crews to prevent capture. Again others were cannibalized for spare parts. Those few tanks which managed to reach the battlefield in good conditions wrote the legend of the invincible King Tiger.

As German well established practice the Tiger II chassis was used for mounting a greater caliber gun, in case the 128mm L55 PaK 80 in a heavily armored fixed super-structure with 250mm front and 80mm sides and rear thicknesses: the Jagdtiger (Sd.Kfz. 186). In October 1943 the wooden mockup was presented to the Fuhrer and following order for 150 vehicles was emitted but by the end of the war only 77 had been built. Some of them were completed with the same Jagdpanther's 88mm gun because of production difficulties. Minor modifications included some of the Jagdtiger being completed with Porsche's running gear.

The scarce number of Jagdtiger permitted the formation of only two schwere panzer Jaeger Abteilungen (heavy tank destroyers battalions), the s.Pz.Jg.Abt. 653 and 512. The latter, formed in Summer 1944, concurred to the defence of Budapest in late 1944-early 1945 and then saw fights in both Eastern and Western fronts, around the Remagen bridgehead; the former, created in early 1945, was a little more than an weak company which fought along the Rhine river, defending the important industrial centers of the Ruhr.

In all 469 Tiger IIs were manufactured: 442 "normals" and 20 Befehls (command). Over these the additional 77 Jagdtigers may be added.

PzKpfw VI Ausf. B Tiger II

Koenigstiger (1944-45)

Tiger 2 with Henschel turret armor scheme (Photo by Valera Potapov)

Pzgr. 39/43 is APCBC round (Armor Piercing Capped Ballistic Capped with explosice filler and tracer). Lesser penetration but blast effect for extensive damage when penetration is archieved.

Pzgr. 40/43 is APCR round (Armor Piercing Composite Rigid): high velocity, sub-calibre, tungsten core. Grater penetration but no blasting effect (decreased target damage)

Gr. 39/3 HL is HEAT round (High Explosive Anti-Tank). Lesser penetration and far lesser precision but it may be used against a mixture of targets.

Spgr. is HE round (High Explosive). For use against soft targets only. Normal load was 50 percent Spgr and remnants being Pzgr. 39/43. A few Pzgr. 40/43 may also be carried for use against enemy's heaviest. Of course, battlefield conditions make these values only indicative.

Tiger IIs (Porsche turrets) of the Panzer Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 on firing practice, May 1944

Training time hits happened more often because lacking the stress of combat.

The newly refit s.Pz.Abt. 503 prepare to leave for Hungary, October 1944

Tankers of the s.Pz.Abt. 501 repaint their new Tiger II, East front, July 1944. (Photo by Herr Oberst)

On October 12th 1944 the s.Pz.Abt. 503 is shipped to Hungary to supportthe local Fascists in their coup. This is Tiger 200, the 2nd Company's commander tank.

A Tiger II belonging to the s.Pz.Abt. 503 knocked out by air-strikes in Normandy, July 1944

US troops inspect an abandoned Jagdtiger, 1945 (Photo by Herr Oberst)

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