-
Model :
German WW2 Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf E heavy tank with fictitious unit markings. Client desired a Tiger akin to 1950-1970s era Hollywood depictions, hence vehicle has multiple misnomer markings. Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E Sd. Kfz. 181 - www.achtungpanzer.com/tiger.htm
-
German word for Tiger is pronounced Tee-Geh, rather than American-English Ty-Ger. Model built Straight-out-of-Box with some minor detailing. TAMIYA German Panzer Grey acrylic was used for overall scheme, black paint wash and light grey dry-brush enamel paints used for surface detailing. Uwe Militaria Paint Wash - UweMilitaria.org/Technique/wea2Wash.html
-
Inset 1 : assembled Tiger column in  open steppe deployed for Operation Citadel : German offensive against Soviet salient around Kursk-Ukraine region, Summer 1943. Note wide tracks spread out Tiger's weight on cross-country terrain. Battle of Kursk - zhukov.mitsi.com/Kursk.htm
-
Front glacis has 3 tactical markings. Left : white Shield-Key-Wreath insignia is 1st-SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler". Middle : yellow prowling tiger insignia denotes Schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 (abbreviated sPzAbt 501) which was a Heer Tiger unit deployed to Tunisia - North Africa in 1943. Right : white parallelogram with red bar and number 9 indicates Schwere Panzer Abteilung 504 (sPzAbt 504), which was also a Heer Tiger unit deployed to Tunisia - North Africa in 1943. Heer is German word for Army, while Wehrmacht refers to WW2-era German combined branches of Army, Navy, Air Force, Waffen-SS. Wehrmacht - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wehrmacht
- Rollover : Tiger tank has box-like superstructure with thick frontal and side armor, designed as primary Durchbruchwagen (breakthrough vehicle) in Panzerkeil (German Armor Wedge) formations. Nevertheless, when Germans invaded Soviet Union in 1941, they captured Soviet T-34 tanks and was thoroughly impressed by its ballistic qualities. It was too late to incorporate these features into the Tiger, but was integrated into Panzerkampfwagen V Panther tank designs. Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Sd. Kfz. 171 - www.achtungpanzer.com/pz4.htm
-
Note German acronym Sd.Kfz. refers to Sonderkraftfahrzeug (special vehicle transport), or any type of wheeled -  halftracked - tracked vehicles built for specifically for military use. During WW2, Germans incorporated unarmored civilian vehicles into its mechanized forces, hence these vehicle adoptions had Kfz. designation to denote its civilian origin. SdKfz Made in Britain - sdkfz.com
-
In real life, Tiger tank turret is asymmetric with larger bulge on gunner side, rather than symmetrical design displayed by model. Rationale for asymmetry was than gun loader required more space to man-handle ejected shell casing and insert artillery rounds. As with all WW2 medium and heavy German tanks, they carried combination of Armor-Piercing and High-Explosive rounds. German Tiger Tank - www.worldwar2aces.com/tiger-tank/
-
Inset 2 : smoked by Tiger, Soviet T-34 tank burns in foreground as Tiger passed its prey on left. Almost all WW2 German tanks had commander copula : armored prisms enabled commander to recon 360-degree battelfield from within vehicle. Soviet tank commanders had to open hatch, stick their head out, do a 360-degree recon, and quickly close hatch before drawing enemy fire. Tanks ! Armor Warfare Prior to 1946 - mailer.fsu.edu/~akirk/tanks/
- Inset 3 : despite Tiger's daunting appearance, superior tactics and gunnery are crucial assets especially in
 close ranges. Photo above shows men of US 34th Infantry Division inspecting Tiger #221 after being knocked out in street battle on 1 July 1944 by Sherman tanks of US 752nd Tank Battalion - B Company - 3rd Platoon at city of Cecina-Italy. Two hits penetrated Tiger, one on left engine and second below front glacis plate. Resulting internal fires caused suspension to collapsed, hence its sunken chassis appearance. 752nd Tank Battalion in the Battle for Cecina - www.752ndtank.com/cecina.html
|
