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.

Dragon Armor's Item No. 60291 represents one of Gruppe Fehrmann's Tiger Is, vehicle number 'F05'. It has been modeled precisely with all appropriate features for such a hybrid Tiger. A rough camouflage scheme of green has been hastily painted over the gray base, which provides this model with a unique appearance. This Dragon Armor model captures the sense of desperation and doom facing Germany as the Allies penetrated the Fatherland, and it makes a fine complement to the previously issued Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger I. Sold Out!

Historical Account:
Length: 4-1/2-inches
Width: 2-1/4-inches

Release Date: April 2008

Historical Account: "The End Draws Nigh" - As WWII grated inexorably towards an inevitable conclusion, Germany desperately tried to slow the incoming tide with forces like Gruppe Fehrmann, an ad hoc collection of six Tigers and five Panthers. This formation was under the command of Oberleutnant Fehrmann, and was formed in the spring of 1945. Their Tiger I tanks were a collection of hybrid vehicles exhibiting features such as steel wheels on Early Production hulls. These vehicles emanated from the Lehr School at Fallingbostel and were hastily thrown into the fray. The Tigers were Dunkelgrau in color, but were oversprayed in green and brown to add some semblance of camouflage.