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The '''Tiger I''' ({{IPA|de|ˈtiːɡɐ|lang|De-Tiger-pronunciation.ogg}}) was a [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[heavy tank]] of [[World War II]] that began operational duty in 1942 in [[North African Campaign|Africa]] and in the [[Soviet Union]], usually in independent [[German heavy tank battalion|heavy tank battalions]]. It gave the [[German Army (1935–1945)|German Army]] its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the [[8.8 cm KwK 36|{{cvt|8.8|cm|in}} KwK 36]] gun (derived from the [[8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41|8.8 cm Flak 36]], the famous "eighty-eight" feared by Allied troops). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944.{{sfn|Trewhitt |1999|p=26}} After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the [[Tiger II]].
While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time,{{sfn|Bishop|2002|p=9}} it has also been called [[Overengineering|overengineered]],{{sfn|Tucker-Jones|2012|p=7}} using expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods. In the early period, the Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns. It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable.{{sfn|Drabkin |Sheremet |2006|p=43}} It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilisation when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved ''Schachtellaufwerk''-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by the ministry for armament and ammunition by 7 August 1941,{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1997|p= 13}} and the [[Roman numeral]] was added after the Tiger II entered production. It was classified with [[Sonderkraftfahrzeug|ordnance inventory designation]] ''Sd.Kfz. 182''. The tank was later re-designated as ''
Today, only nine Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. {{as of|2021}}, [[Tiger 131]] (captured during the [[North African campaign]]) at the UK's [[Bovington Tank Museum|Tank Museum]] is the only example restored to running order.
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Combat experience against the French [[SOMUA S35]] [[cavalry tank]] and [[Char B1]] heavy tank, and the British [[Matilda II]] [[infantry tank]]s during the [[Battle of France]] in June 1940 showed that the German Army needed better armed and armoured tanks.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|pp=12–13}}
On 26 May 1941, Henschel and Ferdinand Porsche were asked to submit designs for a 45-tonne heavy tank, to be ready by June 1942.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=13}} [[Porsche]] worked on an updated version of their [[VK 30.01 (P)]] Leopard tank prototype while Henschel worked on an improved VK 36.01 (H) tank. Henschel built two prototypes: a [[VK 45.01 (H)]] H1 with an 8.8 cm L/56 cannon, and a VK 45.01 (H) H2 with a 7.5 cm L/70 cannon.
===Final designs===
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<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Tiger Tank Diagram.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Schematic layout of Tiger H1]] -->
Porsche and Henschel submitted prototype designs, each making use of the Krupp-designed turret. They were demonstrated at [[Rastenburg]] in front of Hitler. The Henschel design was accepted, mainly because the Porsche [[VK 4501 (P)]] prototype design used a troubled [[Petrol–electric transmission|petrol-electric transmission system]] which needed large quantities of [[copper]] for the manufacture of its electrical drivetrain components, a strategic war material of which Germany had limited supplies with acceptable electrical properties for such uses.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|p=6}} Production of the ''Panzerkampfwagen'' VI ''Ausf.'' H began in August 1942. Expecting an order for his tank, Porsche built 100 chassis. After the contract was awarded to Henschel, they were used for a new turretless, [[casemate]]-style [[tank destroyer]]; 91 hulls were converted into the [[Elefant|''Panzerjäger'' Tiger (P)]] in early 1943.
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In 1943, Japan bought several specimens of German tank designs for study. A single Tiger I was apparently purchased, along with a Panther and two Panzer IIIs, but only the Panzer IIIs were actually delivered.{{sfn|Zaloga|2007|p=17}} The undelivered Tiger was loaned to the German Wehrmacht by the Japanese government.
[[File:Czołg niemiecki PzKpfw VI "Tiger" w greckim miasteczku (2-600).jpg|thumb|upright|Tiger I Ausf. H1 covered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste in Greece, 1944.]]
Many modifications were introduced during the production run to improve automotive performance, firepower and protection. Simplification of the design was implemented, along with cuts due to raw material shortages. In 1942 alone, at least six revisions were made, starting with the removal of the ''Vorpanzer'' (frontal armour shield) from the pre-production models in April. In May, mudguards bolted onto the side of the pre-production run were added, while removable mudguards saw full incorporation in September. Smoke discharge canisters, three on each side of the turret, were added in August 1942. In later years, similar changes and updates were added, such as the addition of [[Zimmerit]] (a non-magnetic anti-mine coating), in late 1943.<ref>[http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzerkampfwagen-vi-tiger-ausf-e-sd-kfz-181.htm Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E Sd. Kfz. 181] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703171026/http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzerkampfwagen-vi-tiger-ausf-e-sd-kfz-181.htm |date=3 July 2009 }} ''achtungpanzer.com''</ref>{{sfn|Crawford|2000|p=41}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|p=12}} Due to slow production rates at the factories, incorporation of the new modifications could take several months.
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When engaging targets, Tiger crews were encouraged to angle the hull to the 10:30 or 1:30 [[clock position]] (45 degrees) relative to the target, an orientation referred to as the ''Mahlzeit Stellung''.{{efn|This roughly translates as "meal position", using 10:30 for breakfast time and 1:30 for lunch.<!-- Why would panzertruppen commonly wait until 10:30 and 1:30 for breakfast and lunch? Any source to explain this? -->}} This would maximize the effective front hull armour to 180 mm and side hull to 140 mm, making the Tiger impervious to any Allied gun up to 152 mm.<ref>{{cite book |title=Tigerfibel |date=1943 |pages=84–85 |url=https://archive.org/details/tigerfibel}}</ref>{{sfn|Bird|Livingston|2001|p=83}} The Tiger's lack of slope for its armour made angling the hull by manual means simple and effective, and unlike the lighter [[Panzer IV]] and [[Panther tank]]s, the Tiger's thick side armour gave a degree of confidence of immunity from flank attacks.{{cn|date=June 2024}} The tank was also immune to Soviet [[anti-tank rifle]] fire to the sides and rear. Its large calibre 8.8 cm provided superior fragmentation and high explosive content over the [[7.5 cm KwK 42]] gun. Therefore, comparing the Tiger with the Panther, for supporting the infantry and destroying fortifications, the Tiger offered superior firepower.{{cn|date=June 2024}}
{{blockquote| The destruction of an antitank gun was often accepted as nothing special by lay people and soldiers from other branches. Only the destruction of other tanks counted as a success. On the other hand, antitank guns counted twice as much to the experienced tanker. They were much more dangerous to us. The antitank cannon waited in ambush, well camouflaged, and magnificently set up in the terrain. Because of that, it was very difficult to identify. It was also very difficult to hit because of its low height. Usually, we didn't make out the antitank guns until they had fired the first shot. We were often hit right away, if the antitank crew was on top of things, because we had run into a wall of antitank guns. It was then advisable to keep as cool as possible and take care of the enemy, before the second aimed shot was fired. |author=[[Otto Carius]] (translated by Robert J. Edwards) |title=Tigers in the Mud{{sfn|Carius|2003|p=118}} }}
===First actions===
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Eager to make use of the powerful new weapon, Hitler ordered the vehicle be pressed into service months earlier than had been planned.{{sfn|Guderian|1952|p=280}} A platoon of four Tigers went into action on 23 September 1942 near [[Siege of Leningrad|Leningrad]].{{sfn|Showalter|2013|p=48}} Operating in swampy, forested terrain, their movement was largely confined to roads and tracks, making defence against them far easier. Many of these early models were plagued by problems with the transmission, which had difficulty handling the great weight of the vehicle if pushed too hard. It took time for drivers to learn how to avoid overtaxing the engine and transmission, and many broke down. The most significant event from this engagement was that one of the Tigers became stuck in swampy ground and had to be abandoned. Captured largely intact, it enabled the Soviets to study the design and prepare countermeasures.{{sfn|Glantz|2005|p=201}}{{sfn|Speer|1995|pp=335–336}}
[[File:Niemiecki czołg "Tiger" na ulicy Bolzano (2-2098).jpg|thumb|right|Tiger I tank on the streets of [[Bolzano]] Italy, September 1943]]
The [[503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion]] was deployed to the [[Don Front]] in the autumn of 1942, but arrived too late to participate in [[Operation Winter Storm]], the attempt to relieve Stalingrad. It was subsequently engaged in heavy defensive fighting in the [[Rostov-on-Don]] and adjacent sectors in January and February 1943.
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===Later actions===
In July 1943, two heavy tank battalions (503rd and 505th) took part in [[Operation Citadel]], including the [[Battle of Kursk]], with one battalion each on the northern (505th) and southern (503rd) flanks of the Kursk [[Salient (military)|salient]] the operation was designed to encircle.
On 11 April 1945, a Tiger I destroyed three M4 Sherman tanks and an [[armored car (military)|armoured car]] advancing on a road{{where|date=July 2023}}.{{sfn|Schneider|2005}} On 12 April, a Tiger I (F02) destroyed two Comet tanks, one half-track and one scout car.{{sfn|Schneider|2005}} This Tiger I was destroyed by a Comet tank of A Squadron of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment on the next day without infantry support.{{sfn|Schneider|2005}}
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===Mobility and reliability <span class="anchor" id="Mobility"></span>===
{{Panzer operational levels}}
[[File:Punkt obsługi niemieckich czołgów na froncie pod Nettuno - Anzio (2-2177).jpg|thumb|left|A camouflaged Tiger I and several other vehicles at a field repair point during the Anzio-Nettuno operation in 1943.]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-024-3536-28, Kreta, Panzer VI (Tiger I), Reparatur.jpg|thumb|A Tiger undergoing engine repairs]]
The tank's weight significantly limited its use of bridges. For this reason, the Tiger was built with water
Early Tigers had a top speed of about {{convert|45|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} over optimal terrain. This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. An engine governor was subsequently installed, capping the engine at 2,600 rpm and the Tiger's maximum speed to about {{convert|38|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. Tiger crews report that typical march speed off-road was {{cvt|10|km/h|mph}}.{{sfn|Lochmann|Rubbel|2000|p=22}} However, medium tanks of the time, such as the Sherman or T-34, had on average a top speed of about {{convert|45|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. Thus, despite the Tiger being nearly twice as heavy, its speed was comparatively respectable.{{sfn|Carruthers|2013}} With the tank's very wide tracks, a design feature borrowed from the Soviet T-34, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure than many smaller tanks, such as the M4 Sherman.
The first production series Tiger Fgst Nr 250001 with Motor Nr 46052 was only run-in for {{cvt|25|km|mi}} by Henschel before being sent to Kummersdorf for testing. During a test drive on 28 May 1942, with only 52 km on the odometer, a blockage occurred in the steering gear. This Tiger quickly went through the original and two replacement engines (Motor Nr 46051 from July
The ''sPzAbt 501'' noted in Combat Report No.6 dated 3 May 1943:
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The British had observed the gradual increase in German AFV armour and firepower since 1940 and had anticipated the need for more powerful anti-tank guns. Work on the 76.2 mm calibre [[Ordnance QF 17 pounder]] had begun in late 1940 and in 1942 100 early-production guns were rushed to North Africa to help counter the new Tiger threat. The gun carriage had not yet been developed, and the guns were mounted on the carriages of [[Ordnance QF 25 pounder|25-pounder gun-howitzers]] and were known by the code name "Pheasant".
Efforts were hastened to get [[cruiser tank]]s armed with 17-pounder guns into operation. The [[Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger]] (A30) was already at the prototype stage in 1942,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=David Boyd |url=http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75:17-pounder-anti-tank-gun&catid=40:anti-tank&Itemid=58 |title=The 17 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun |website=WWIIEquipment.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004041316/http://www.wwiiequipment.com/17pounder.aspx |archive-date=4 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> but this tank had relatively weaker armor with a front hull thickness of 64 mm. In the end, it was produced and deployed in limited numbers (around 200 were ordered in 1943), though crews liked it for its high speed. The extemporised [[Sherman Firefly]], armed with the 17-pounder, proved to be an excellent anti-tank weapon, but the gun lacked general
===Soviet response===
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Initially, the Soviets responded to the Tiger I by restarting production of the [[57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2)|57 mm ZiS-2]] anti-tank gun (production was stopped in 1941 in favour of cheaper and more versatile alternatives – e.g. the [[ZiS-3]] – as the gun's performance was excessive for early German armour). The ZiS-2 had better armour penetration than the 76 mm [[F-34 tank gun]] used by most Red Army tanks, or the ZiS-3 76 mm divisional cannon, but was still inadequate against Tigers. A small number of T-34s were again fitted with a tank version of the ZiS-2, the ZiS-4, but it could not fire an adequate high-explosive round, making it an unsuitable tank gun.
Firing trials of the new [[85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)|85 mm D-5T]] also had proved disappointing. Several captured German Tiger I tanks were shipped to Chelyabinsk, where they were subjected to 85 mm fire from various angles. The 85 mm gun could not reliably penetrate the Tiger I's armour except at ranges within the lethal envelope of the Tiger I's own 88 mm gun.{{sfn|Zaloga|1994|pages=6–7}} It was still initially used on the [[SU-85]] self-propelled gun (based on a T-34 chassis) from August 1943. The production of KV heavy tanks armed with the 85 mm D-5T in an IS-85 turret was also started. There was a short production run of 148 KV-85 tanks, which were sent to the front beginning in September 1943 with production ending by December 1943.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boldyrev|first1=Eugeni|date=18 September 2001 |title=KV-85 Heavy Tank |url=http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/25-kv-85.html |website=The Russian Battlefield |access-date=20 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120955/http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/25-kv-85.html |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> By early 1944, the T-34/85 appeared; this up-gunned T-34 matched the SU-85's firepower, but with the advantage of mounting the gun in a turret. It also matched the firepower of the heavier IS-85 tank in a more cost
In May 1943, the Red Army deployed the [[SU-152]], which was replaced in 1944 by the [[ISU-152]]. Both these self-propelled guns mounted the large [[152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20)|152 mm howitzer-gun]]. The SU-152 was intended to be a close-support gun for use against German fortifications rather than armour; however, it shared with the later fielded ISU-152 the nickname ''Zveroboy'' ("beast killer") for its rare ability to knock out German heavy tanks.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}{{Original research inline|date=November 2022}} The 152 mm armour-piercing shells weighed over {{convert|45|kg|lb|0}} and could penetrate a Tiger's frontal armour from about {{convert|1000|m|yd|-2}}. Its high-explosive rounds would destroy anything that was attached to the outside of the tank, and had a knack for immobilizing any tank it hit.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}} The sheer force of the shell meant that at certain points it could knock off the turrets of the Tiger series. However, the size and weight of the ammunition meant both vehicles had a low rate of fire.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}}{{Vague|date=March 2024}}
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On 21 April 1943, a Tiger I of the 504th [[German heavy tank battalion]], with [[Tiger 131|turret number 131]], was captured on a hill called Djebel Djaffa in Tunisia. A [[Ordnance QF 6 pounder|6-pounder]] solid shot from a Churchill tank of the British [[48th Royal Tank Regiment]] hit the Tiger's gun barrel and ricocheted into its turret ring, jamming its traverse and wounding the commander. The crew bailed out and the tank was captured.{{efn|The conservators have kept the damage caused by the ricochet unpainted; it can be observed at the Bovington Tank museum.}}{{sfn|Carruthers|2000}}{{Page needed|date=September 2010}} After repairs, the tank was sent to England for a thorough inspection.
The captured tank was officially handed over to the [[Bovington Tank Museum]] by the British [[Ministry of Supply (UK)|Ministry of Supply]] on 25 September 1951. In June 1990, the tank was removed from display at the museum and work began on its restoration. This was carried out both by the museum and the [[Army Base Repair Organisation]] and involved an almost complete disassembly of the tank. The Maybach HL230 engine from the museum's Tiger II was installed (the Tiger's original Maybach HL210 had been sectioned for display<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal41.htm |title=Why We Are Using The HL230 Engine |website=Our Tiger – Tiger 131 |publisher=The Tank Museum |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518093207/http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal41.htm |archive-date=2016-05-18}}</ref>), along with a modern fire-suppressant system in the engine compartment. In December 2003, Tiger 131 returned to the museum, restored and in running condition. This Tiger was used in the film [[Fury (2014 film)|''Fury'']], the first time an original, fully mechanically operable Tiger I has appeared in a movie since World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24987676 |title='Last' WW2 Tiger tank to be used in Brad Pitt film |publisher=BBC News |date=18 November 2013}}</ref> The fire suppression system was removed as it interfered with engine maintenance and was too obtrusive.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tank Museum David Willey – podcast 194|website=We have ways of making you talk|date=8 October 2020|url=https://wehavewayspod.com/ep-194-tiger-tank/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925235959/https://wehavewayspod.com/ep-194-tiger-tank/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=25 September 2021|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>
===Others===
Given the low number of just over 1,300 Tiger Is produced during World War II, very few survived the war and the subsequent post-war scrapping drives. According to the memoirs of the veterans of the Kubinka training ground, dozens of captured Tigers were used in the USSR as the targets in the 50s, and then were sent to the Stalingrad plant for smelting.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=WW2 Relic Hunting (Eastern front) |url=https://paris33.org/guide/ww2-relic-hunting/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=WW1 - WW2 battlefields Eastern Front |language=en-US}}</ref> The Tiger, preserved in the Lenino-Snegiri Museum, was used as a target at the Nakhabino engineering range and survived. Many large components have been salvaged over the years, but the discovery of a more or less and generally complete vehicle has so far eluded armour enthusiasts and tank collectors. In addition to Tiger 131, nine other Tiger I tanks survive:
* [[Musée des Blindés]] in [[Saumur]], [[France]]. Indoor exhibit in good condition. Mid-production (1944) version with overlapping 'steel'-type roadwheels adopted from the Tiger II and fitted with the narrow transport tracks. This Tiger was part of the 2nd company of the [[SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 102]] which fought in the [[Cauville]] sector and was later abandoned by her crew after a mechanical breakdown. She was recommissioned as ''Colmar'' with the 2nd squadron of the Free French [[6th Cuirassier Regiment (France)|6th Cuirassier Regiment]] and joined the new unit in fighting all the way back to Germany.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} In late 2023, the museum initiated a crowdfunding campaign<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aidez le Tigre à rugir de nouveau!|url=https://fr.ulule.com/restauration-tigre-1/ |website=Ulele |language=fr}}</ref> to restore it to running status. As the crowdfunding campaign was successful, the tank is now, as of early 2024, under restoration by the museum and is expected to return to running status soon.<ref>{{Cite web |title= open heart tiger: Restoration and Evolving Exhibition|url=https://www.museedesblindes.fr/en/news-the-museum-of-armored-de-Saumur/item/tiger-with-open-heart |website=Musée des Blindés|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240304182952/https://www.museedesblindes.fr/en/news-the-museum-of-armored-de-Saumur/item/tiger-with-open-heart|archive-date=2024-03-04}}</ref>
* [[Vimoutiers]] in [[Normandy]], France. The renowned "[[Vimoutiers Tiger tank]]". Abandoned and then destroyed (to prevent enemy capture) by its German crew in August 1944. An outdoor monument in poor condition due to the effect of time and the elements (many original parts such as hatches and both rear exhaust pipes missing).{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
* [[Kubinka Tank Museum]] in [[Moscow]], [[Russia]]. In good condition; displayed as an indoor exhibit (although the outermost row of four roadwheels
* Military-Historical Museum of Lenino-Snegiri in Russia. In very bad condition; displayed outdoors. This tank was a former Nakhabino firing-range target in and has been badly shot-at and cut up (damage
* Tiger 712
* Mr Hoebig, a private collector – Long Island, New York, United States. The "
*"Hoebig Second Tiger". Put together from a Russian scrapped chassis and various other found parts. This is non-running late model Tiger, the second built by Hoebig, construction starting in 2012. It was first displayed at Militracks in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PanzerPlaceEU |date=2023-05-18 |title=Militracks Mystery Tiger: What We Know {{!}} PanzerPlace |url=https://panzerplace.eu/militracks-mystery-tiger-what-we-know/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>
*[[Australian Armour and Artillery Museum]]. This Tiger, restored in 2021, is an externally complete Tiger using battlefield relics and a proportionally small amount of replica plate/components, similar to the Hoebig Tigers and Wheatcroft Tigers{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
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