Book Review of
Tiger I & Tiger II Tanks
German Army & Waffen-SS
Normandy Campaign 1944
Author Dennis Oliver
Pen & Sword Books Tank Series
ISBN: 9781526771636
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $22.95
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: $22.95
HISTORY:
The Tiger I, a German heavy tank of World War II, operated from 1942 in Africa and Europe, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It was designated Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf H during development, but was changed to Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E during production.
The Tiger I gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (derived from the 8.8 cm Flak 36). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favor of the Tiger II.
While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it has also been called over-engineered, using expensive materials and labor-intensive production methods. The Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was limited in range by its high fuel consumption.
It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilization when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid.
This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Roman numeral was added after the later Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally 'Armored Combat Wagon/Vehicle VI version H', abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted Henschel as the designer/manufacturer.
It was classified with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 181.
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, often shortened to Tiger B. The ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 182.[7] (Sd.Kfz. 267 and 268 for command vehicles) It is also known under the informal name Königstiger (the German name for the Bengal tiger), often translated literally as Royal Tiger, or somewhat incorrectly as King Tiger by Allied soldiers.
The Tiger II was the successor to the Tiger I, combining the latter's thick armour with the armour sloping used on the Panther medium tank. The tank weighed almost 70 tonnes, and was protected by 100 to 185 mm (3.9 to 7.3 in) of armour to the front.
It was armed with the long barrelled 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 anti-tank cannon. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless Jagdpanzer anti-tank vehicle.
The Tiger II was issued to heavy tank battalions of the Army and the Waffen-SS. It was first used in combat by 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 11 July 1944; on the Eastern Front. The first unit to be outfitted with the Tiger II was the 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion, which by 1 September 1944 listed 25 Tiger IIs operational.
Today, only seven Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. As of 2020, Tiger 131 (captured during the North African Campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Book Co. Ltd. Is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 64 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo at the top of a Tamiya brand 1/35th scale Tiger I in a wave pattern of tan, dark-green and red brown, covered in Zimmerit anti-mine paste and with a red turret no, 213 outlined in white. It is by modeler Lester Plaskitt.
Across the center there is 3 black and white wartime photos. The first one is of a Tiger I mid-production variant. The second one is a Tiger I and the third one is a Tiger II.
At the bottom of the cover there is a color side view illustration of a Tiger I of the Schwere SS 316th Panzer Abteilung 101.
The back cover shows:
At the top a black and white wartime photo of Tiger II tanks of 1 Kompanie, Schwere Panzer Abteilung in training at Mailly-le-Camp in Eastern France.
The second picture is a color photo of Dragon 1/35th scale late production Befehls Tiger kit built, but not painted.
The third picture is a color photo of the figures that accompany French modeler Patrick Lapalu’s 1/72nd scale Revell kit of the Tiger II.
The fourth picture is a color side view illustration of a late production Tiger I in a wave pattern camouflage of tan, dark-green and red brown, with red turret no. 213 of 2nd Kompanie, Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503.
The book contains 61 black and white wartime photos. Fifteen are of the walk-around type, showing Tiger exteriors.
There are 3 maps, 7 data charts, 2 5-view line-drawings of the Tiger I and 3 5-view line-drawings of the Tiger II included.
Also included in the book are 20 color 5-view illustrations, showing 13 of the Tiger E (including 3 unit insignias) and 7 of the Tiger B.
The section that shows built up models shows:
13 color photos of Tamiya’s 1/35th scale Tiger I, built by modeler Lester Plaskitt.
3 color photos of Revell’s 1/72nd scale Tiger II, built by modeler Patrick Lapalu.
7 color photos of parts from Revell & Dragon’s 1/72nd scale Tiger I, by modeler Steve Shrimpton.
6 color photos of AFV Club’s 1/48th scale Tiger I, built by modeler Glenn.
18 color photos of a scratch-built 1/35th Tiger I, using 3 Aber brand PE sets, by modeler Naomasa Dairuku.
In the section showing what kits are available there is:
2 color photos showing Tamiya’s 1/48th scale Tiger I, the box art & built up.
A color photo of Dragon 1/35th scale Tiger I mid-production, built up, but not painted.
3 color photos of Trumpeter/Hobby Boss 1/16th scale Tiger I mid-production.
3 color photos of Rye Models’ 1/35th scale Tiger II late-production. The box art and built up, but not painted.
4 color photos of Takom 1/35th scale King Tiger.
3 color photos of Meng Models 1/35th scale Tiger II built up.
3 color photos of Hauler’s 1/48th scale accessory kit for Tamiya’s Tiger II.
3 color photos of Model Artisan Mori’s 1/35th scale accessory sets for the Tiger I & Tiger II.
3 color photos of R.B. Model’s turned aluminum & brass gun barrels in 1/72nd, 1/38th & 1/35th scales.
3 color photos of Eduard’s, Panzer Art’s, E.T Model’s, Voyager’s, Griffon’s and Royal Models 1/35th scale Tiger accessories.
6 color photos of Aber’s 1/35th scale Tiger accessories.
4 color photos of Rocham’s 1/35th scale Tiger accessories.
3 color photos showing several companies track sets.
On the last page of the book there are 15 black and white cover arts of other books in Pen & Swords Tank Craft Series:
Tiger I & Tiger II Tanks (this book), Sherman Tanks, Panther Tanks, Churchill Tanks, Panzer IV Tanks, Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer, Centurion, Sherman Tanks, Tiger I and II vol. 2, T-54/55, Tank Destroyer Achilles, Panzer I & II, The Jeep, M2/M3 and Bren Gun Carrier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dennis Oliver is the author of over 20 books on WWII armoured vehicles, including “Tiger I & II”, “German Army & Waffen –SS” “Normandy Campaign 1944”,”Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer”, “German Army, Western Europe 1944-1945”, “ German Army & Waffen-SS, the Last Battles in the west, 1945.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning to build a kit of a Tiger I or Tiger II, and also to military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Books for this review sample.
All Pen & Sword book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The Tiger I, a German heavy tank of World War II, operated from 1942 in Africa and Europe, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It was designated Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf H during development, but was changed to Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf E during production.
The Tiger I gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (derived from the 8.8 cm Flak 36). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favor of the Tiger II.
While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it has also been called over-engineered, using expensive materials and labor-intensive production methods. The Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was limited in range by its high fuel consumption.
It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilization when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid.
This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by Ferdinand Porsche, and the Roman numeral was added after the later Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally 'Armored Combat Wagon/Vehicle VI version H', abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted Henschel as the designer/manufacturer.
It was classified with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 181.
The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, often shortened to Tiger B. The ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 182.[7] (Sd.Kfz. 267 and 268 for command vehicles) It is also known under the informal name Königstiger (the German name for the Bengal tiger), often translated literally as Royal Tiger, or somewhat incorrectly as King Tiger by Allied soldiers.
The Tiger II was the successor to the Tiger I, combining the latter's thick armour with the armour sloping used on the Panther medium tank. The tank weighed almost 70 tonnes, and was protected by 100 to 185 mm (3.9 to 7.3 in) of armour to the front.
It was armed with the long barrelled 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 anti-tank cannon. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless Jagdpanzer anti-tank vehicle.
The Tiger II was issued to heavy tank battalions of the Army and the Waffen-SS. It was first used in combat by 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 11 July 1944; on the Eastern Front. The first unit to be outfitted with the Tiger II was the 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion, which by 1 September 1944 listed 25 Tiger IIs operational.
Today, only seven Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. As of 2020, Tiger 131 (captured during the North African Campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Book Co. Ltd. Is based in the UK.
This book is soft-cover of 64 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo at the top of a Tamiya brand 1/35th scale Tiger I in a wave pattern of tan, dark-green and red brown, covered in Zimmerit anti-mine paste and with a red turret no, 213 outlined in white. It is by modeler Lester Plaskitt.
Across the center there is 3 black and white wartime photos. The first one is of a Tiger I mid-production variant. The second one is a Tiger I and the third one is a Tiger II.
At the bottom of the cover there is a color side view illustration of a Tiger I of the Schwere SS 316th Panzer Abteilung 101.
The back cover shows:
At the top a black and white wartime photo of Tiger II tanks of 1 Kompanie, Schwere Panzer Abteilung in training at Mailly-le-Camp in Eastern France.
The second picture is a color photo of Dragon 1/35th scale late production Befehls Tiger kit built, but not painted.
The third picture is a color photo of the figures that accompany French modeler Patrick Lapalu’s 1/72nd scale Revell kit of the Tiger II.
The fourth picture is a color side view illustration of a late production Tiger I in a wave pattern camouflage of tan, dark-green and red brown, with red turret no. 213 of 2nd Kompanie, Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503.
The book contains 61 black and white wartime photos. Fifteen are of the walk-around type, showing Tiger exteriors.
There are 3 maps, 7 data charts, 2 5-view line-drawings of the Tiger I and 3 5-view line-drawings of the Tiger II included.
Also included in the book are 20 color 5-view illustrations, showing 13 of the Tiger E (including 3 unit insignias) and 7 of the Tiger B.
The section that shows built up models shows:
13 color photos of Tamiya’s 1/35th scale Tiger I, built by modeler Lester Plaskitt.
3 color photos of Revell’s 1/72nd scale Tiger II, built by modeler Patrick Lapalu.
7 color photos of parts from Revell & Dragon’s 1/72nd scale Tiger I, by modeler Steve Shrimpton.
6 color photos of AFV Club’s 1/48th scale Tiger I, built by modeler Glenn.
18 color photos of a scratch-built 1/35th Tiger I, using 3 Aber brand PE sets, by modeler Naomasa Dairuku.
In the section showing what kits are available there is:
2 color photos showing Tamiya’s 1/48th scale Tiger I, the box art & built up.
A color photo of Dragon 1/35th scale Tiger I mid-production, built up, but not painted.
3 color photos of Trumpeter/Hobby Boss 1/16th scale Tiger I mid-production.
3 color photos of Rye Models’ 1/35th scale Tiger II late-production. The box art and built up, but not painted.
4 color photos of Takom 1/35th scale King Tiger.
3 color photos of Meng Models 1/35th scale Tiger II built up.
3 color photos of Hauler’s 1/48th scale accessory kit for Tamiya’s Tiger II.
3 color photos of Model Artisan Mori’s 1/35th scale accessory sets for the Tiger I & Tiger II.
3 color photos of R.B. Model’s turned aluminum & brass gun barrels in 1/72nd, 1/38th & 1/35th scales.
3 color photos of Eduard’s, Panzer Art’s, E.T Model’s, Voyager’s, Griffon’s and Royal Models 1/35th scale Tiger accessories.
6 color photos of Aber’s 1/35th scale Tiger accessories.
4 color photos of Rocham’s 1/35th scale Tiger accessories.
3 color photos showing several companies track sets.
On the last page of the book there are 15 black and white cover arts of other books in Pen & Swords Tank Craft Series:
Tiger I & Tiger II Tanks (this book), Sherman Tanks, Panther Tanks, Churchill Tanks, Panzer IV Tanks, Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer, Centurion, Sherman Tanks, Tiger I and II vol. 2, T-54/55, Tank Destroyer Achilles, Panzer I & II, The Jeep, M2/M3 and Bren Gun Carrier.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dennis Oliver is the author of over 20 books on WWII armoured vehicles, including “Tiger I & II”, “German Army & Waffen –SS” “Normandy Campaign 1944”,”Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer”, “German Army, Western Europe 1944-1945”, “ German Army & Waffen-SS, the Last Battles in the west, 1945.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning to build a kit of a Tiger I or Tiger II, and also to military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Books for this review sample.
All Pen & Sword book titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.