The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausfuhrung H1 (Tiger H1) is the first (early-production) variant of the Tiger I heavy tank family, designed and built by Henschel and used by the German Army during World War II. It offered the German Army its first armored fighting vehicle equipped with the 88 mm Kampfwagenkanone (KwK) 36 tank gun, developed from the 88 mm Flugabwehrkanone (FlaK) 36 anti-aircraft gun. Henschel and Ferdinand Porsche were ordered on May 26th, 1941, to submit proposals for a 45-ton heavy tank that would be available by June 1942. Porsche developed an improved version of its VK 30.01 (P) prototype (which was originally intended to compete for the Panther contract), while Henschel developed two prototypes: the VK 45.01 (H) H1 with an 8.8 cm KwK36 L/56 tank gun and the VK 45.01 (H) H2 with a 7.5 cm KwK42 L/70 tank gun. The Henschel VK 45.01 (H) H1 prototype was accepted after evaluation, primarily because the Porsche VK 45.01 (P) prototype design used a petrol-electric transmission system that required large amounts of copper for the manufacture of its electrical drive train components, a strategic war material of which Germany had limited supplies.

Early Tiger H1s with the Krupp-designed turret featured a high commander cupola. Later in the war, the design was modified, resulting in the Tiger E, which had a new dome-shaped cast-armor commander's cupola and a ring installed on the commander's cupola to accommodate the mounting of an anti-aircraft light machine gun. There are additionally five S-Mine dischargers on the hull-roof, three on the left side and two on the right. Two Feifel air cleaner units designed for dusty environments are located on the hull's back. Between August 1942 and August 1944, a total of 1,347 units were constructed. The Tiger I was phased out of production after August 1944 in favor of the Tiger II.

This particular 1:72 scale replica of a German Tiger Ausf. H1 heavy tank has been slathered with a layer of zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste and was attached to schwere Panzerabteilung 502, which fought at Kurland on the Eastern Front during 1944. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: July 2006

Historical Account: "Under the Guise of Neptune" - On July 23rd, 1942, Hitler had ordered the first company of Tigers to be formed quickly and sent to the front at Leningrad. The first unit to receive Henschel-Tigers was the 1. Kompanie of schwere Panzer Abteilung 502, with four arriving on August 19th and 20th. These Tigers, accompanied by four PzKpfw III Ausf N, motored to the front and went into combat on August 29th, 1942. Two of the four Tigers were still operational at the end of the day and the other two were recovered and repaired.

On September 21st, 1942, the Tigers and PzKpfw IIIs were sent into action again, with the loss of one Tiger and two PzKpfw IIIs. This action resulted in the first Tiger that was permanently lost. Having become hopelessly mired, the Tiger was subsequently filled with explosives and destroyed on November 25th, 1942.

The rest of the company arrived at the front on November 25th with five Tigers, nine PzKpfw IIIs (50mm KwK L/60), and five PzKpfw III Ausf N. Seven more Tigers arrived at the front in February 1943 to replace losses. Ordered to upgrade to the new organization, the 1.Kompanie received seven more Tigers in June 1943, to fill their complement of 14 Tigers.

Having been outfitted in December with nine Tigers and ten PzKpfw III Ausf N, the 2.Kompanie was attached to sPzAbt 503 and on February 10th, 1943, the 2.Kompanie of the 502nd was renamed 3.Kompanie/sPzAbt 503 and became a permanent part of the 503rd. On April 1st, 1943, a new 2.Kompanie and a 3.Kompanie were formed for the 502nd and to fill these two companies and the Stab (headquarters), 31 Tigers were shipped from the ordnance depot between May 19th-26th, 1943. The 1.Kompanie was joined by the Stab at the front, 1. and 2.Kompanien in early July 1943, bringing the unit strength to 45 Tigers. They received 32 replacements in January, and a further 20 in February 1944, bringing the total strength of the sPzAbt 502 up to 71 Tigers on February 29th, 1944, although only 24 were operational.

The 502nd was renamed as schwere Panzer Abteilung 511 on January 5th, 1945. The last 13 Tiger IIs produced by Henschel were picked up directly from the factory on March 31st, 1945, by the crews of the 3.Kompanie/Tiger Abt. 510 and 3.Kompanie/Tiger Abt. 511. On March 31st, they reported that each company possessed eight Tiger IIs. Of these 12 were brand new productions from Henschel along with three older Tiger IIs from the Waffenamt at Senneläger and one older Tiger II from the Waffenamt at Northeim. On April 1st, 1945, they engaged in combat with seven Tigers per company in Kassel, reporting that three further Tiger IIs had been lost due to bomb damage. The battalion continued the struggle on the Eastern Front until the end of the War. (courtesy: Tiger Battalions)