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.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. H1 heavy tank with zimmerit antimagentic mine paste that was attached to the schwere Panzerabteilung 509 during 1944. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: July 2006

Historical Account: Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509 (abbreviated s.Pz.Abt. 509) was a German heavy panzer abteilung equipped with Tiger I and later Tiger II Knigstiger tanks. The 509th saw action on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. As with other German heavy tank battalions, it was never assigned to a single corps; but shuffled around as needed.

The 509th was ordered formed on September 9th, 1943, taking most of its personnel from Panzer-Regiment 204 of the disbanded 22.Panzer-Division, although some sources claim March 1943. The battalion was initially issued with forty-five Tiger Is. It was committed to action in Ukraine as a part of Army Group South. Reaching the Front in October 1943, the 509th saw action near Kirovograd and Krivoi Rog, falling back as a part of the overall withdrawal of the front. In early November, the third company was detached and attached to the 2. SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich.

In early 1944, the 509th was involved in the Second Battle of Kiev and was heavily engaged in fighting for the city. After the defeat at Kiev, the detachment saw action at Pavlova during the withdrawal. In late May, the exhausted and severely depleted 509th was pulled back for refitting. After receiving a full complement of Tiger 1s, the detachment was sent back to the front on June 1st, 1944.

On June 22nd, 1944, the Soviets launched Operation Bagration, and the 509th, attached to Army Group Centre, was in their line of advance. The 509th saw heavy fighting at Novosselki, Shitomir and Chelmik. On September 8th, 1944, the detachment lost sixteen Tigers in under 24 hours near Kielce, Poland.