Tiger I

The Tiger I was perhaps the most famous tank of WWII. Officially named Panzerkampfwagen VI (Tiger), this heavy and powerful tank created a fear among Allies called “Tigerphobia”. Tiger tank could engage and destroy enemy tanks with its 8,8 cm KwK 36 gun, even before they could saw it. The Tiger had no sloped armor, but was thick enough to ricochet enemy weapons at a normal combat ranges. Reports of war said that an average of eight Sherman were necessary to engage and knock-out a Tiger, from which six never come back… and in the Eastern Front sometimes the presence of only a Tiger caused the enemy withdraw… and many times other tanks as the Panzer IV with “Schurzen” were taken as Tigers causing the same effect into enemy. Only with mass attacks of T-34 surpassing German lines or with air bombing support, as in the West Front occurred, Allies could destroy this formidable tanks. This was the case in Normandy, near to St. Lô, were the Panzer Lehr Division was wiped-out by a carpet-bombing air attack of…1500 bombers!!!

During the course of the war, the Tiger I saw combat in all fronts, despite only 1.347 were built, and contrary to what is believed, was very manoeuvrable for its weight and size, even superior to the Sherman in muddy terrain. But not all was perfect in this tank, as many other war machines had several mechanical troubles in its early versions and reliability  problems.

Some German Panzer-Aces found in this tank its perfect partner as a war machine, as Michael Wittman did. Perhaps his most spectacular action occurred at Villers Bocage, Normandy. Witmann and his tanks destroyed in succession an entire British column of 25 tanks, 14 half-tracks and 14 bren-gun carriers in a single tank skirmish…But “Brits” did not forget and Witmann was later killed in action in an ambush by several concealed Sherman Firefly tanks, armed with 17 pdr.’s, a gun that finally could pierce the armor of the Tiger. Also a famous "Tiger-Ace" was Lt. Otto Carius, with more than 150 "kills" . He survived the war and started a pharmacy shop called "Der Tiger Apotheke"...Today in 2011 he is still considered as one of the greatest tank commanders of the war. Another Panzer Ace was Will Fey, he scored a high number of victories in Normandy, survived the war and served in the Bundeswehr.

Will Fey and his Tiger I nº 134, another Panzer "Ace" from Normandy  Battlefield

Tiger I (Panzerkampfwagen VI) Porsche Prototype