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About the German Tiger I Early Production
It was the end of 1942 when a German heavy tank with extra thick armor and a powerful main gun first appeared on the North African front. The new tank, long-desired by the German soldiers who had hard-fought battles against the allies, became known as the Tiger I Ausf. E. Development of the Tiger I began at the end of May 1941. The German Army Weapons Branch ordered the Henschel firm to vie with Porsche in producing a prototype. The first prototypes underwent trials on April 1942. The result of these and subsequent trial showed the superiority of the Henschel vehicle to the Porsche's, and thus production orders were placed for it. The Henschel's prototype had thick armor of 100mm at the front and 80mm on both sides, and the main gun was the then most potent, the 8.8cm KwK 36 L/56. The powerplant was Maybach's HL 210 P45, yielding 650 horsepower. Mass production started already in August 1942 with little alteration from the prototype. Starting from November 1942, air pre-cleaners were added on the rear hull plate. The mantlet was partly strengthened and "S" mine dischargers were fitted on five mounting points around the hull roof beginning from December. Moreover, a loader's periscope was fitted from January 1943. The Tiger I produced from November 1942 to July 1943 featured these modifications, are referred to as the early production. About 200 units of these early production versions were produced.
The fact that the Tiger I packed a 56 caliber, 88mm cannon that could penetrate a 138mm steel board from a range of 1,500 meters, was a frightening reality for the Allied Forces. Also intimidating was the reality that the armor plating of the Tiger was 100mm thick in the front and 80mm thick on the sides, compared to the M4 Sherman's frontal armor of only 51mm and side armor of only 38mm. The German Tiger I was first developed in May 1941 and went into mass production in August 1942. Like most machines of war, it was necessity that brought about its existence. In the early stages of the conflict, Germany was unleashing their Blitzkrieg (Lightning Warfare) Attack and attaining near domination of the European continent. However, in June 1941, on the brink of invading Russia, German tank divisions encountered an unexpectedly powerful enemy- the T34 Medium Tanks and KV-1 heavy tanks of the Russian Army. Although the initial design of the Tiger I was started before the appearance of the T-34 and KV-1, its developmental course was later modified and accelerated to defeat these rival tanks. Partway through early-production, alterations were made to reinforce the gunner's sight and change the form of the tank's air cleaners. The Tiger I was deployed to both the African and Russian fronts and eventually came to make up almost all of Germany's major tank divisions during World War II.
The Ultimate Tank on Display and In Motion
A display model taken from the hit item, Tamiya's 1/16 Radio Control Tiger I, which replicated the actual tank's movement and sound. "A big tank deserves a big model," once quoted a famous modeler. In the case of the Tamiya's latest motorized display model of the early production Tiger I, 1/16 scale means a 530mm long model that reflects the sheer power of the actual tank. This display model abounds in detail with its openable driver's hatch, gun mantlet, and exhaust covers. Two tank commander figures included (one for Russian front, one for North African front). Four sets of decals included (two for Russian front, two for North African front). The small motor lets you see all the power and detail in motion.
The Ultimate Tank on Display and In Motion
A display model taken from the hit item, Tamiya's 1/16 Radio Control Tiger I, which replicated the actual tank's movement and sound. "A big tank deserves a big model," once quoted a famous modeler. In the case of the Tamiya's latest motorized display model of the early production Tiger I, 1/16 scale means a 530mm long model that reflects the sheer power of the actual tank. This display model abounds in detail with its openable driver's hatch, gun mantlet, and exhaust covers. Two tank commander figures included (one for Russian front, one for North African front). Four sets of decals included (two for Russian front, two for North African front). The small motor lets you see all the power and detail in motion.
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