Developed by Henschel company in 1942, first combat action took place on Leningrad front in August 1942.
The tank was famous for its powerful armour and 'square' look. Its wheels are placed in a checkered pattern to optimize ground pressure and provide additional protection for the hull sides, but this made the chassis repair complicated and often lead to a loss of a damaged tank.
The tank could be equipped with six mortars mounted on the turret and designed to shoot smoke grenades at a distance of about 80 meters.
The main trump card of this machine was its powerful 88-mm long barelled gun KwK 36 developed on the base of the anti-air gun Flak 18/36. This weapon allowed Tigers to destroy enemy tanks at large distances - their firepower was unmatched on the battlefield until IS-2 heavy tanks appeared.
Because of its advanced and complex design, Tigers were very expensive to produce (800 000 Reichsmarks, about two times more of the most other tanks of that time).
Total 1354 Tiger tanks were produced since August 1942 till August 1944.
Unladen weight: 57000 kg.
Length: 8.5 m.
Width: 3.7 m.
Height: 2.9 m.
Clearance: 470 mm.
Engine Maybach HL 210 P30 (petrol).
Maximum power: 650 HP at 3000 RPM.
Maximum RPM: 3000 RPM.
8 speeds gearbox.
Maximum road speed:
1-st: 2.8 kph.
2-st: 4.2 kph.
3-st: 6.1 kph.
4-st: 9.1 kph.
5-st: 14.0 kph.
6-st: 20.8 kph.
7-st: 30.1 kph.
8-st: 45.0 kph.
Reverse 1-st: 3.7 kph.
Reverse 2-st: 5.5 kph.
Reverse 3-st: 8.1 kph.
Reverse 4-st: 12.0 kph.
Maximum offroad speed: 25 kph.
Fluids:
Internal fuel tanks capacity: 530 l.
Engine oil system capacity: 30 l.
Summer engine coolant: 120 l. of 40% glysantin
Winter engine coolant: 120 l. of 60% glysantin
Endurance range: 140 km.
Maximum oil consumption: 4 l/h.
Hull armour:
Upper front: 102 mm rolled armour.
Middle front: 102 mm rolled armour.
Lower front: 102 mm rolled armour.
Bottom front: 63 mm rolled armour.
Upper sides: 82 mm rolled armour.
Lower sides: 63 mm rolled armour.
Upper rear: 82 mm rolled armour.
Lower rear: 63 mm rolled armour.
Roof: 26 mm rolled armour.
Roof grates: 25 mm cast armour.
Bottom: 26 mm rolled armour.
Bottom above tracks: 26 mm rolled armour.
Turret armour:
Upper front: 102 mm rolled armour.
Lower front: 90 mm rolled armour.
Sides: 82 mm rolled armour.
Rear: 82 mm rolled armour.
Roof: 26 mm rolled armour.
Cupola: 75 mm cast armour.
Gun mantlet: 100 mm cast armour.
Main gun: rifled, 8,8 cm KwK 36 L/56.
Barrel length: 53.3.
Elevation: +11°..-4°.
Ammo: up to 92 rounds.
Usable rate of fire: 7 rounds per minute.
Turret drive: hydraulic, 60 seconds per rotation.
Gun ammunition:
8,8 cm Pzgr. 39 armour piercing high explosive (APHE): 10.16 kg, 800 m/s, 129 mm at 500 m.
8,8 cm Pzgr. 40 armour piercing composite rigid (APCR): 7.3 kg, 930 m/s, 201 mm point blank.
8,8 cm Gr. 39 HL high explosive anti-tank (HEAT): 7.65 kg, 600 m/s, 90 mm.
8,8 cm Sprgr L/4,5 high explosive (HE): 9.0 kg, 820 m/s, 900 g explosives.
Machineguns: 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr MG 34.
Bullet mass: 11.5 g.
Muzzle velocity: 855 m/s.
Armour penetration at 100 m: 11 mm.
Rate of fire: 900 rounds per minute.
Coaxial: 21 belts, 150 rounds per belt (3150 rounds).
Bow: +-15°/+20°..-10°, 15 belts, 150 rounds per belt (2250 rounds).
Gunsights:
Tzf 9b gunner binocular scope-sight, field of view 26°.
KZF 2 machinegunner scope-sight, field of view 18°.
Radio equipment:
VHF Fu 5 transceiver with additional Fu 2 receiver.
4 intercom terminals.
High-Explosive Shells
8,8 cm Sprgr L/4,5
Good against soft, unarmored or lightly armored targets.
Mass 9.0 kg, explosives mass 900 g.
Direct hit armour penetration 24 mm, effective damage distance for light vehicles 3 m.
When fired from a 8,8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun:
Muzzle velocity 820 m/s.
500 m: velocity 771 m/s, drop -2.0 m.
1000 m: velocity 723 m/s, drop -8.1 m.
2000 m: velocity 629 m/s, drop -35.5 m.
High Explosive Anti-Tank Shells
8,8 cm Gr. 39 HL
HEAT shells armed with high-explosive shaped charge warhead.
Their armour piercing capability doesn't decrease with range, but accuracy does because of the lower projectile velocity and similar kinetic projectiles usually have a higher armour piercing capability up close.
Mass 7.65 kg, explosives mass 640 g, armour penetration 90 mm.
When fired from a 8,8 cm KwK 36 L/56:
Muzzle velocity: 600 m/s.
500 m: velocity 476 m/s, drop -4.1 m.
1000 m: velocity 369 m/s, drop -19.4 m.
2000 m: velocity 273 m/s, drop -114.6 m.
Smoke Mortars
Installation of 6 external single-shot smoke mortars.
Schnellnebelkerze 39 (Nb K S 39) smoke grenade
Range: 80 m
Smoking time: 3 min
Armour Piercing High Explosive Shells
8,8 cm Pzgr. 39
Shells armed with bursting charge warhead.
Good against armoured targets. In case of penetration do more damage inside the target than solid AP shells, but HE filling can detonate prematurely (for instance, when used against spaced armour plates).
Mass 10.16 kg, explosives mass 64 g.
When fired from a 8,8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun:
Muzzle velocity 800 m/s, armour penetration at point blank range 140 mm.
500 m: armour penetration 129 mm, velocity 756 m/s, drop -2.2 m.
1000 m: armour penetration 119 mm, velocity 713 m/s, drop -8.6 m.
2000 m: armour penetration 100 mm, velocity 631 m/s, drop -36.3 m.
Sub-Caliber Armour Piercing Shells
8,8 cm Pzgr. 40
Shells armed with sub-caliber armour-piercing projectile. Good against heavily armoured targets at short ranges.
8,8 cm Pzgr. 40 is a composite round - hard (tungsten alloy) penetrator inside a body made from a softer steel (for obturation inside a gun barrel).
Mass: 7.3 kg, penetrator calibre 37 mm.
When fired from a 8,8 cm KwK 36 L/56 gun:
Muzzle velocity 930 m/s, armour penetration at point blank range 201 mm.
500 m: armour penetration 179 mm, velocity 858 m/s, drop -1.7 m.
1000 m: armour penetration 159 mm, velocity: 791 m/s, drop -6.6 m.
2000 m: armour penetration 126 mm, velocity: 670 m/s, drop -29.1 m.