Tiger 1 Heavy Tank Part 4

Part 4

 Hitler ordered the Tank  to have the 8.8 Flak 41 in the Turrett already designed for the VK 45.01 but Porsche sent a telegram  in 1941 that only the  that only the 8.8 cm KwK L/56  could be fitted. a decision
was made to complete the first 100 VK 45.01 with the Krupp design Turret with the  8.8 KwK L/56 instead of the Flak 41 which is the more effective gun as order by Hitler.

Krupp received a contract to to fabricate the armoured componets for 100 Hulls and Turrets for the VK 45.01. and to assemble the turrets for operational condition and ship them for mounting at Fahrgestelle
assembled at Nibelungenwerk..

                                                                     

                                         Early Trails of the VK 45.01 Chassis under Test

                                                              More Trails

                                               Tiger 1 demo for German officers

                                      

The first 8 Turrets had lower sides and a flat roof the rest of the 92 turrets had the higher sides

and slanted roof typical of the tiger 1

Models etc

I thought ill take a very short break from The Tiger post but will go back to it.
I have been very busy at work so been very tired so lots of early Nights.

For my birthday back in February my best friends The Angry Lurker & Sweetness got me a 28mm

Cromwell MK IV from Warlord Games and a 28mm Churchill MK VII also from Warlord Games.

                                                               

                                              My 28mm Cromwell MK IV Resin

                                               My 28mm Cromwell MK IV Resin

                                            My 28mm Churhill MK VII Resin

                                               My 28mm Churhill MK VII Resin

I have put them together just need to be transported to The Angry Lurker, where I will Paint them but under his watchful eye I just lack confidence. I have my work station which is where I put my kits together. I find putting together model kits very relaxing.

                                                                 

                                                       My Work Station

My main aim is to get all British Tanks in 1.35 scale and 28mm as well. I know I am doing a post on the German Tiger 1 but it is iconic so I had to get the 1.35 kit which is pictured on a previous post unpainted. I am about to start putting together a Tamiya 1.35 scale British Matilda MK II tank.

                                               Matilda MK II plastic kit 1.35 scale

                                             Matilda MK II plastic kit 1.35 scale

I needed something to transport my models to The Angry Lurkers Man cave Fran was kind enough to give me a Games workshop case.

                                                          The Case

I also needed to get some foam to pad the case out with which to protect my models when in transit.

I went on line and found a company called KR Multi-Case I ordered a 108mm deep pick & pluck

which means I can pluck out small bricks of foam to fit any size model in cost me £13 which isn't to bad.

                                                           

                                                KR Multi-case foam

I will also put pictures up of the painted models when completed. My next post will go back to the story of the German Tiger 1 

                                      

   

  

Tiger 1 Heavy Tank Part 3

Part 3
     
   Krupp s proposal was accepted by Nibelung-werk who on the 13 May 1941 placed a urgent order.
The most important meeting which influenced the development of Heavy Panzer was with Hitler on the 26th May 1941.  After looking at the plans etc Hitler said the development of both designs be speeded up so six of each would be ready from Dr Porsche and Henschel by the summer of 1942. They wanted the frontal Armour
to be 100mm thick 60mm was for the side Armour. An 8.8 cm KwK was to used for the Porsche design.to be upgraded to the same as a 8.8 cm flak 41



                                         

                                                                       8.8 cm Flak 41

the effectiveness of the 8.8 cm KwK and the Armour piercing round was the be increased so that

100mm thick armour could be penetrated at a range of1500m

Tiger 1 Heavy Tank Part 2

Part 2

The Heeres Waffenamt (Invention & Testing office set up in 1919) were not giving to Hitlers demands for development of heavy Panzers, so Dr Porsche was commission to develop independently a 45 ton Panzerkampfwagen.

                                                     

                                                     Dr Porsche I believe died in 1951                       

                       

On the 12 November 1940 to help Nibelungenwerk was awarded an order by the Wa Pruf 6

( Design officer for Panzers in the Heeres Waffenamt) to put together the Trail production series

of the PanzerKampwagen. Porshe had started development without stating which gun to use as its main armament. Krupp had the Monopoly on Tank guns  to stop another firm from getting in on the action,

Dr Muller from Krupp ask for a teaming agreement with Porsche. He offered 8.8 cm KwK L/56 

this gun was based on the same tube and ammo as a 8.8 cm Flak 18 L/56

                                                                      

                                                             8.8 cm KwK l/56 Gun

In 1941 the 8.8 cm KwK L/56 was selected  at the same time a priced order to Nibelungenwerk for six turrets 80mm frontal and 60mm side armour complete with the gun at a cost of 110.000 Reichsmarks

and three armoured hulls in Porsche design at a cost of 75.000 Reichsmarks and a full-scale wooden model

of the Turret for 5,000 Reichsmarks.

.

                                                       

Tiger 1 Heavy Tank Part 1

Part 1

if you ask anyone to name a Tank from world war 2  they would probably say a Tiger Tank.
The idea for the Tiger Tank was made in 1941 after the German experience against British Tanks and anti tank guns and also after the German invasion of Russia The Russian T-34 and KW tanks first appeared.


                                                                     

                                                           Tiger 1 Heavy Tank

More then any other tanks it was the British tanks that worried the Germans and British anti tank guns.

A meeting with Hitler in 1941 a design for a heavy Panzer was urgent, the design for the Tiger 1 was surprising  fast. using bits and pieces and designs from other previous tested ideas and from early heavy Panzers.The chassis was made for 30 to 36-ton class of Panzers DW class from Hen-schel & Sohn Gmbh Kassel. The Gun and Turret was designed by F.Krupp AG Essen for the 45 ton Panzer Conceived by Dr ing h.c.f Porsche KG Struttgart.

About year ago my best friends The Angry Lurker and his partner sweetness (called by me because she isn't) they got me a 1.35 scale Tiger 1 Tamiya model which at long last has been put together by myself.

                                                   

                                                               The Tiger 1 kit

    

.                                                                Side View

Front View

Back View

As you can tell I havent painted it yet just need to sort out a carry case so I can transport it to the Angry lurkers man cave where I will paint it under the watchful eye of a expert 

   

                                               

    

WW1 German Panzers Part 12

Part 12

The Germans had started a massive offensive called operation Michael which they wanted to use the tanks,
but they only had two units ready, Abteilung 1 which had A7V tanks and Abteilung 2 which had five capture
Mark IV females.

March 21st 1918 after a heavy barrage the tank attack begun Abteilung 1 had 4 tanks due to poor visibility
two A7Vs became trapped the commanded halted the attack. after heavy artillery fire (Gas) from the British.
the three remaining A7Vs helped the German infantry but one broke down but the two left made a sudden showing to the British shocked the British

                                                            Operation Michael 1918

Artist Picture operation Michael

April 24th  1918 on the outskirts of the town of Villers-Bretonneux A7V  Gruppe Skopnik came out of the fog fighting its way through the town against the British defenders. Gruppe Uihlein  was successful. in its advance.

the Tanks came out of the fog but one A7V was hit by british guns but one A7V Called Nixe headed towards the village but because of the din inside an A7V the crew didnt know they was under attack from three British Tanks a Mark IV male and two females the British male was commanded by 2nd Lt Mitchell,

as soon as the Nixe saw the Mark IV they engaged with its 57mm gun the Mark IV stopped the Nixe  

thought the British tank was knocked out but it had stopped so the gunner could get better aim the two females was knocked out by the A7V  but the male mark IV fired as the Nixe retreated hitting the bow near the gun killing the gunner and injuring 5 crew this battle was a stalemate but will go down in history as the first ever tank battle.

Today there is only one A7V left 506 Mephisto  which was recovered by the Australians and is on display in Brisbane.

                                     The Last and only A7V left 506 Mephisto

                                                         

                                                   

                                                       

 

WW1 German Panzers Part 11

The first working British Tank capture by the Germans was a mark IV female which was collected by a special German recovery team in no mans land . This is when the Germans over run the British salient at Cambrai.
A special recovery team was made up from  the Army Motor Vehicle park 2 (AKP2) they were called the

Tankberggungsstelle (Tank Recovery Command Cambrai) there sole aim is to get as many British tanks as possible over 50 Tanks was recovered from Cambrai  battlefield but many were damaged.

   

                                    A capture British tank put into German service

Ten Tanks was restored and formed two tank units. Abteilungen 11 and 12 each unit had two male tanks

and 3 Females. the German maxim-Nordfeldt 57mm QF gun could easy be adapted to fit British  tanks

but not the German MG08 so the lewis Machine guns were retained.

                                                          

                                                               A German MG08 machine gun 

                                                A WW1 German MG08 machine gun

                                     

A British Lewis machine gun

                                                  Lewis machine gun clip