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.

This particular 1:72 scale Tiger I heavy tank has been slathered with a layer of zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste and was attached to the 3./schwere Panzerabteilung 509, then fighting on the Eastern Front during 1944. Sold Out!

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

Release Date: June 2009

Historical Account: Schwere Panzer Abteilung 509 was formed in September 1943 from a cadre of soldiers drawn from the 22.Panzer Division. It fought on the eastern front, seeing action at Kirovograd, Kiev and Pavlova. Thereafter, it was attached to the 2.SS Panzer Division 'Das Reich' in November 1943.

The unit was refitted with Tiger II (Koningstiger) tanks in December 1944/ January 1945 before being attached to IV SS Panzerkorps and sent to Hungary. It saw action in Hungary and Austria before surrendering to the Americans at the end of the war with no surviving tanks on its roster.