The technique that participated in World War II on both sides of the front is sometimes more recognizable and “canonical” than even its participants. A vivid confirmation of this is our PPSh submachine gun and German Tiger tanks. Their “popularity” on the Eastern Front was such that almost every second enemy tank our soldiers saw was the T-6.
How it all began?
By 1942, the German headquarters finally realized that the “lightning war” did not work, but the tendency of positional protraction was clearly visible. In addition, Russian T-34 tanks made it possible to effectively deal with German units equipped with T-3 and T-4. Knowing full well what a tank strike was and what its role was in the war, the Germans decided to develop an entirely new heavy tank.
In fairness, we note that work on the project has been going on since 1937, but only in the 40s did the demands of the military take on more specific outlines. Employees of two companies at once worked on the heavy tank project: Henschel and Porsche. Ferdinand Porsche was Hitler's favorite, and therefore made one annoying mistake, hurrying up a lot ... However, we’ll talk about that again.
First prototypes
Already in 1941, enterprises of the Wehrmacht proposed “to the public's court” two prototypes: VK 3001 (H) and VK 3001 (P). But in May of that year, the military proposed updated requirements for heavy tanks, as a result of which the projects had to be seriously revised.
It was then that the first documents on the VK 4501 product appeared, from which the German Tiger heavy tank leads its pedigree. Competitors were required to provide the first samples by May-June 1942. The number of works was disastrously large, since the Germans had to design both platforms practically anew. In the spring of 1942, both prototypes equipped with Friedrich Krupp AG towers were brought to the Wolf's Lair in order to demonstrate the Fuhrer new technology on his birthday.
Match winner
It turned out that both cars have significant disadvantages. So, Porsche was so "carried away" by the idea of ​​creating an "electric" tank that its prototype, being very heavy, could hardly turn 90 °. Henschel was not doing well either: his tank, with great difficulties, could accelerate to the required 45 km / h, but at the same time its engine warmed up so that a real fire threat arose. But still this tank won.
The reasons are simple: classic design and lighter chassis. The Porsche tank was so complex and required such a quantity of scarce copper for production that even Hitler was inclined to refuse his beloved engineer. The admissions committee quite agreed with him. It was the German Tiger tanks from the Henschel company that became the recognized "canon."
About haste and its consequences
It should be noted here that even before the start of the tests, Porsche was so sure of his success that he ordered the production to start without waiting for the acceptance results. By the spring of 1942, exactly 90 ready-made chassis were already in the shops of the plant. After the failure in the tests, it was necessary to decide what to do with them. There was a solution - a powerful chassis was used to create the self-propelled gun "Ferdinand".
This self-propelled gun became no less famous than if you compared it with the T-6. The "forehead" of this monster did not break through almost anything, even direct fire and from a distance of only 400-500 meters. It is not surprising that the crews of the Soviet Fedyu tanks were frankly afraid and respected. However, the infantry did not agree with them: the Ferdinand did not have a machine gun, and therefore many of the 90 vehicles were destroyed by magnetic mines and anti-tank charges, “carefully” laid right under the tracks.
Series production and refinement
In late August of that year, the tank went into production. Oddly enough, but in the same period, tests of new equipment were intensively continued. By the time the specimen first demonstrated to Hitler had already managed to pass along the roads of 960 km landfills by that time It turned out that on rough terrain the car could accelerate to 18 km / h, while fuel was burned up to 430 liters per 100 km. So the German tank "Tiger", the characteristics of which are given in the article, because of its voracity, caused a lot of problems to the supply services.
Production and improvement of the design went in a single bundle. Many external elements have been changed, including spare parts boxes. Then around the perimeter of the tower began to put small mortars, specially designed for smoke bombs and mines of type "S". The latter was intended to destroy the enemy infantry and was very insidious: being released from the barrel, it exploded at a low height, densely filling the space around the tank with small metal balls. In addition, specially for masking the machine on the battlefield, separate NbK 39 smoke grenade launchers (90 mm caliber) were provided.
Transportation problems
It is important to note that the German Tiger tanks were the first vehicles in the history of tank building that were serially equipped with equipment for underwater driving. This was due to the large mass of the T-6, which did not allow it to be transported on most bridges. But in practice, this equipment was practically not used.
Its quality was at its best, since even during testing, the tank spent more than two hours (with the engine running) in a deep pool without any problems, but the complexity of installation and the need for engineering preparation of the terrain made the use of the system unprofitable. The tankers themselves believed that the German T-VI Tiger heavy tank would simply get stuck in a more or less muddy bottom, so they tried not to take risks using more “standard” methods of crossing rivers.
It is also interesting because two types of tracks were developed for this machine at once: narrow 520 mm and wide 725 mm. The former were used to transport tanks on standard railway platforms and, if possible, to move on their own along paved roads. The second type of track was combat, it was used in all other cases. What was the structure of the German Tiger tank?
Design features
The very design of the new car was a classic, with a rear MTO. The entire front part was occupied by the management department. It was there that the workplaces of the driver and radio operator were located, who simultaneously fulfilled the duties of a shooter, controlling a machine gun.
The middle part of the tank was given over to the fighting compartment. A tower with a cannon and a machine gun was installed on top, there were also jobs for the commander, gunner and loader. Also in the fighting compartment housed the entire ammunition of the tank.
Armament
The main weapon was a KwK 36 gun of 88 mm caliber. It was developed on the basis of the infamous anti-aircraft gun "aht-aht" of the same caliber, which back in 1941 confidently knocked out all the allied tanks from almost all distances. The length of the gun barrel is 4928 mm, taking into account the muzzle brake - 5316 mm. It was the latter that was a valuable find by German engineers, as it allowed to reduce the recoil energy to an acceptable level. Auxiliary armament was a 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun.
The course machine gun, which, as we already said, was controlled by the radio operator, was located in the front sheet. Note that on the commander’s turret, subject to the use of a special mount, it was possible to place another MG-34/42, which in this case was used as anti-aircraft weapons. It should be noted here that this measure was forced and was often used by the Germans in Europe.
In general, not a single German heavy tank could resist the aircraft. T-IV, "Tiger" - all of them were easy prey to the Allied aircraft. Our situation was completely different, since until 1944 the USSR simply did not have enough attack aircraft to attack heavy German equipment.
The turret was rotated by a hydraulic rotary device with a power of 4 kW. Power was taken from the gearbox, for which a separate gear mechanism was used. The mechanism was extremely effective: at maximum speed, the tower rotated 360 degrees in just a minute.
If for some reason the engine was turned off, but it was necessary to turn the tower, the tankers could use a manual rotary device. Its disadvantage, in addition to the high load on the crew, was the fact that with the slightest tilt of the barrel, turning was impossible.
Power point
MTO contained both a power plant and a full supply of fuel. This German Tiger tanks favorably differed from our vehicles, in which the fuel supply was located directly in the fighting compartment. In addition, the MTO was separated from other compartments by a solid partition, which minimized the risk for the crew in direct contact with the engine compartment.
It should be noted that the German tanks of World War II (the "Tiger" is no exception), despite their "gasoline", did not receive the fame of "lighters". This was due precisely to a reasonable arrangement of gas tanks.
The engine was driven by two Maybach HL 210P30 engines in 650 hp. or Maybach HL 230P45 in 700 hp (which were installed starting from the 251st "Tiger"). Motors are V-shaped, four-stroke, 12-cylinder. Note that the Panther tank had exactly the same engine, but one. The engine was cooled by two liquid radiators. In addition, separate fans were installed on both sides of the engine to improve the cooling process. In addition, a separate blower was provided for the generator and exhaust manifolds.
Unlike domestic tanks, only high-grade gasoline with an octane rating of at least 74 could be used for refueling. Four gas tanks placed in the MTO contained 534 liters of fuel. When driving on solid dirt roads for a hundred kilometers, 270 liters of gasoline were spent, and when crossing off-road, the consumption increased immediately to 480 liters.
Thus, the technical characteristics of the Tiger (German) tank did not imply its lengthy "independent" marches. If there was only minimal opportunity, the Germans tried to drive him closer to the battlefield on the trains. It turned out much cheaper.
Undercarriage Specifications
There were 24 road wheels on each side, which were not only staggered, but also stood in four rows at once! On the road wheels, rubber bandages were used, on the others they were steel, but an additional system of internal depreciation was used. Note that the German T-6 Tiger tank had a very significant drawback, which could not be eliminated: because of the extremely high load, the tires of the track rollers wore out very quickly.
Starting from about the 800th car, steel bandages and internal cushioning were put on all rollers. To simplify and reduce the cost of the design, single outdoor rollers were also excluded from the project. By the way, how much did the German Tiger tank cost the Wehrmacht at all? The model model of the beginning of 1943 was evaluated, according to various sources, in the range from 600 thousand to 950 thousand Reichsmarks.
A steering wheel similar to a motorcycle steering wheel was used for control: through the use of a hydraulic drive, a tank weighing 56 tons was easily controlled by the effort of one hand. It was possible to switch gear literally with two fingers. By the way, the checkpoint of this tank was the legitimate pride of the designers: robotic (!), Four forward gears, two reverse gears.
Unlike our tanks, where only a very experienced person could be a mechanic, and the life of the entire crew often depended on their professionalism, almost any infantryman who at least controlled at least a motorcycle could sit at the helm of the Tiger. Because of this, by the way, the position of the Tiger mechanic’s driver was not considered something special, while the T-34 driver was almost more important than the tank commander.
Armor protection
The case is box-shaped, its elements were assembled “in a thorn” and welded. Armor plates rolled, with chromium and molybdenum additives, cemented. Many historians criticize the “box” of the Tiger, but, firstly, the already expensive car could be simplified at least a little. Secondly, and even more importantly, until 1944 there were no allied tanks on the battlefield that could hit the T-6 in the frontal projection. Well, if not point blank.
So the German heavy tank T-VI "Tiger" at the time of creation was a very protected machine. Actually, for this he was loved by Wehrmacht tankers. By the way, how did Soviet weapons break through the German Tiger tank? More precisely, what kind of weapon?
What Soviet gun pierced the "Tiger"
Frontal armor had a thickness of 100 mm, board and feed - 82 mm. Some military historians believe that due to the “chopped” forms of the hull, the ZIS-3 76 mm caliber could successfully fight the Tiger, but there are a few subtleties:
- Firstly, a defeat was more or less guaranteed on the forehead unless from 500 meters, but low-quality armor-piercing shells often did not penetrate the high-quality armor of the first Tigers even at point blank range.
- Secondly, and even more importantly, a “regiment” of 45 mm caliber was widely spread on the battlefield, which, in principle, was not taken by the T-6 forehead. Even when hit on board, penetration could only be guaranteed from 50 meters, and even that is not a fact.
- The F-34 cannon of the T-34-76 also did not shine, and even the use of sub-caliber "coils" did not fix the situation very well. The fact is that even the sub-caliber projectile of this gun reliably took the board of the Tiger from only 400-500 meters. And even that - provided that the “coil” was of high quality, which did not always happen.
Since Soviet weapons did not always penetrate the German Tiger tank, tankers were given a simple order: shoot armor-piercing only when there is a 100% chance of being hit. So it was possible to reduce the consumption of scarce and very expensive
tungsten carbide. So the Soviet gun could knock out the T-6 only if several conditions coincided:
- Short distance.
- Good angle.
- High-quality shell.
So, until the more or less massive appearance of the T-34-85 in 1944 and the saturation of the troops with the self-propelled guns SU-85/100/122 and the "St. John's Wort" SU / ISU 152 "Tigers" were very dangerous opponents of our soldiers.
Combat performance
The fact that the German T-6 Tiger tank was highly valued by the Wehrmacht command is evidenced by at least the fact that a new tactical unit of troops was created specifically for these vehicles - a heavy tank battalion. Moreover, it was a separate, autonomous part, which had the right to independent actions. Characteristically, of the 14 battalions created, initially one operated in Italy, one in Africa, and the remaining 12 in the USSR. This gives an idea of ​​the fierce fighting on the Eastern Front.
In August 1942, the Tigers were “tested” near Mgoy, where our gunners shot down from two to three participating vehicles (there were six in total), and in 1943 our soldiers managed to capture the first T-6 in almost perfect condition. Immediately, shelling tests of the German Tiger tank were carried out, which gave disappointing conclusions: the T-34 tank could no longer compete with the new Nazi equipment, and the standard 45-mm anti-tank regiment’s power was not enough to break through the armor.
It is believed that the most widespread use of the Tigers in the USSR took place during the Battle of Kursk. It was planned that 285 vehicles of this type would be involved, but in reality the Wehrmacht put up 246 T-6s.
As for Europe, by the time the Allies landed, there were three heavy tank battalions equipped with 102 Tigers. It is noteworthy that by March 1945 in the world there were about 185 tanks of this type on the go. In total, about 1,200 were produced. Today around the world there is one running German tank "Tiger". Photos of this tank, which is located on the Aberdeen Proving Ground, regularly appear in the media.
Why did tiger fear develop?
The high efficiency of the use of these tanks is largely due to the excellent controllability and comfortable working conditions of the crew. Until 1944, there was not a single Allied tank on the battlefield that could fight on equal terms with the Tiger. Many of our tankers died when the Germans hit their vehicles from a distance of 1.5-1.7 km. Cases when the T-6 were knocked out by a small number are very rare.
The death of the German ace Wittmann is an example. His tank, breaking through the Shermans, was finally finished off from a pistol shot. For one wrecked Tiger, there were 6-7 burnt T-34s, while the Americans had even sadder statistics with their tanks. Of course, the “thirty four” is a car of a completely different class, but it was she who in most cases opposed the T-6. This once again confirms the heroism and dedication of our tankers.
The main disadvantages of the machine
The main disadvantage was the high mass and width, which made it impossible to transport the tank on conventional railway platforms without prior preparation. As for the comparison of the angular armor of the Tiger and Panther with rational viewing angles, in practice the T-6 turned out to be a more formidable opponent for Soviet and Allied tanks due to a more rational reservation. The T-5 had a very well-protected frontal projection, but the sides and stern were almost bare.
Worse, even the power of two engines was not enough for the movement of such a heavy vehicle over rough terrain. On marshy soils, it’s just an elm. The Americans even developed special tactics for the fight against the Tigers: they forced the Germans to transfer heavy battalions from one sector of the front to another, as a result of which, after a couple of weeks, half of the T-6 (at least) were under repair.
Despite all the shortcomings, the German Tiger tank, whose photo is in the article, was a very formidable fighting vehicle. Perhaps, from an economic point of view, it was not cheap, but the tankers themselves, including ours, who had tested the captured equipment, rated this “cat” very highly.