The German Waffenamt issued an order to design the VK4501(H) (as the PzKpfw VI Ausf. E was then known) in May 1941, just one month prior to the commencement of Operation Barbarossa. Interestingly, Henschel und Sohn of Kassel was charged with building the heavily armored chassis while Krupp, by far the largest munitionwerks in Germany, was given the task of developing the turret. The PzKpfw VI Ausfuhrung E (type E) was one of the first German tanks to feature a torsion bar with eight interleaved wheels, which was designed to support the weight of the mammoth 57-ton tank. The Ausf. E mounted a huge 8.8cm KwK36 L/56 cannon and featured two MG34 machine guns for close support against enemy infantry. By war's end, 1,354 vehicles had been produced, some rolling off the Wegmann assembly line.

The Tiger differed from earlier German tanks principally in its design philosophy. Its predecessors balanced mobility, armor and firepower and were sometimes outgunned by their opponents.

While heavy, this tank was not slower than the best of its opponents. However, at over 50 tonnes dead weight, the suspension, gearboxes, and other such items had clearly reached their design limits and breakdowns were frequent if regular maintenance was not undertaken.

Although the general design and layout were broadly similar to the previous medium tank, the Panzer IV, the Tiger weighed more than twice as much. This was due to its substantially thicker armor, the larger main gun, greater volume of fuel and ammunition storage, larger engine, and a more solidly built transmission and suspension.

This particular 1:72 scale late production Tiger I Ausf. E heavy tank was commanded by SS-Oberscharfuhrer Heinrich Ernst, who was attached to 1./schwere SS Panzerabteilung 101, then deployed to Normandy, France, during the summer of 1944. Note: Comes with track links attached to the turret that are not shown in these images. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Width: 2-1/4-inches
Length: 4-1/2-inches

Release Date: December 2023

Historical Account: "Cast Unto Abaddon" - Following its return from the Eastern Front the 13th (Heavy) Company saw a number of radical changes as it was provided with newer 'late production' Tigers and increased to battalion strength. The battalion was divided into three companies, each of which consisted of three platoons of four Tigers; in addition to these dozen vehicles each company was also assigned two command vehicles, with further tanks being assigned to the battalion commander, his adjutant and signals officer.

In total, the number of Tigers in the battalion totaled forty-five, almost doubling the armored strength of the 13th Company. The new formation was designated the 101st (Heavy) SS Panzer Battalion.

The turret numbering system was also revised -- the battalion commander, adjutant and signals officer were assigned 007, 008 and 009 respectively, while the company commanders and HQ squad leaders were assigned vehicles numbered 05 and 04 prefixed by the single number of the relevant company (e.g. 104 for the HQ Squad Leader of the 1st Company, 305 for the Commmander of the 3rd Company).

Each regular vehicle was given a three-figure turret number -- the first signified the company, the second the platoon, and the third the individual vehicle number -- for example the third tank of the third platoon of the third company was designated Nr. 333, while the fourth vehicle of the third platoon of the second company was assigned the number 234. The lead tank for each platoon was given the vehicle number 1 -- do the lead vehicle of the 3rd platoon of the 1st Company would have been 131.