Book Review of Tiger I
German Army Heavy Tank, Eastern Front, 1942
Author: Dennis Oliver
Pen & Sword Books Ltd., Tank Craft Series
ISBN; 9781399018081
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN; 9781399018081
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It 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 labour-intensive production methods. In the early period Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was in general 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 lack of mobilization 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 Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally "armoured combat 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.
Today, only seven Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. As of 2021, Tiger 131 (captured during the North African Campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1942–1945
Wars: World War II
Designer: Erwin Aders, Henschel & Son
Designed: 1938–1941
Manufacturer: Henschel
Unit cost: 250,700 RM
Produced: 1942–1944
No. built: 1,347
Mass: 54 tonnes (60 short tons), 57 tonnes (63 short tons) (Ausf. E) (Combat weight)
Length: 6.316 m (20 ft 8.7 in), 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in) gun forward
Width: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Armour: 25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in)
Main armament: 1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 with 92 AP and HE rounds
Secondary armament: 2× 7.92 mm MG34 with 4,500 rounds, 4,800 rounds (Ausf. E)
Engine: Maybach HL230 P45 V-12 of 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight: 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Ground clearance: 0.47 m (1 ft 7 in)
Fuel capacity:v540 liters
Operational range: Road: 195 km (121 mi), Cross country: 110 km (68 mi)
Maximum speed:v45.4 km/h (28.2 mph) on roads,20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) cross country
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books Ltd. is based in the UK.
This book is of soft-cover of 65 pages in 8” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of the Adres Mora brand 1/35th Scale Tiger I kit made up (more about this later). Over 3 black and white war time photos of Tiger I and crewmen. At the bottom there is a color side profile illustration of a Tiger I that is overall Panzer-gray with few spots of winter white-wash, white outlined number 111 on the sides of the turret and a skeletal white German cross on the sides of the hull.
The back cover of the book shows another black and white wartime photo of a Tiger I and crew. Over a color photo of a Tamiya Brand 1/35th Scale Tiger I kit made up with PE parts on it, but un-painted and a color photo of an unknown brand 1/35th Scale Tiger I in overall Panzer Gray with white no. 331 on the sides of the turret and German cross on the sides of the hull.
At the bottom there is a color side profile of a Tiger 1 in overall earth-yellow, with a white outlines of a small letter S, followed by 40.
The book contains 39 black and white wartime photos of Tiger I’s, 2 maps, a chart of the makeup of 6 Tiger units, showing the tanks in each as black silhouettes, with data lists too,
There are 20 color side-view profiles of Tiger I’s, in Panzer-gray overall or with winter-white wash coatings and ones in earth-yellow.
This book, like other books in the series from Pen & Sword, contains a modeler’s section.
Shown is an Andrea Mora 1/35th scale Tiger I model built by a Venezuelan modeler. Eight color walk around type photos are shown of it.
A Rye Field 1/35th scale Tiger I by modeler Konstantino. Twenty color walk around type photos shown.
A Dragon brand 1/35th scale Tiger I by modeler Naomasa Dairaku. Eighteen color walk-round photos shown.
A Zvezda 1/72nd scale Tiger I by modeler Theodoros Kalamatas. Eight color walk around type photos shown.
There are several box arts of Tiger I kits by various companies shown and a listing of all the model companies that make Tiger I kits or accessories.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Ltd, Books for this review sample, All Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that operated beginning in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It 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 labour-intensive production methods. In the early period Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns and was in general 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 lack of mobilization 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 Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (literally "armoured combat 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.
Today, only seven Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. As of 2021, Tiger 131 (captured during the North African Campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Type: Heavy tank
Place of origin: Germany
In service: 1942–1945
Wars: World War II
Designer: Erwin Aders, Henschel & Son
Designed: 1938–1941
Manufacturer: Henschel
Unit cost: 250,700 RM
Produced: 1942–1944
No. built: 1,347
Mass: 54 tonnes (60 short tons), 57 tonnes (63 short tons) (Ausf. E) (Combat weight)
Length: 6.316 m (20 ft 8.7 in), 8.45 m (27 ft 9 in) gun forward
Width: 3.56 m (11 ft 8 in)
Height: 3.00 m (9 ft 10 in)
Crew: 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
Armour: 25–120 mm (0.98–4.72 in)
Main armament: 1× 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 with 92 AP and HE rounds
Secondary armament: 2× 7.92 mm MG34 with 4,500 rounds, 4,800 rounds (Ausf. E)
Engine: Maybach HL230 P45 V-12 of 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight: 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
Suspension: Torsion bar
Ground clearance: 0.47 m (1 ft 7 in)
Fuel capacity:v540 liters
Operational range: Road: 195 km (121 mi), Cross country: 110 km (68 mi)
Maximum speed:v45.4 km/h (28.2 mph) on roads,20–25 km/h (12–16 mph) cross country
THE BOOK:
Pen & Sword Books Ltd. is based in the UK.
This book is of soft-cover of 65 pages in 8” x 11 ½” page format.
The cover art shows a color photo of the Adres Mora brand 1/35th Scale Tiger I kit made up (more about this later). Over 3 black and white war time photos of Tiger I and crewmen. At the bottom there is a color side profile illustration of a Tiger I that is overall Panzer-gray with few spots of winter white-wash, white outlined number 111 on the sides of the turret and a skeletal white German cross on the sides of the hull.
The back cover of the book shows another black and white wartime photo of a Tiger I and crew. Over a color photo of a Tamiya Brand 1/35th Scale Tiger I kit made up with PE parts on it, but un-painted and a color photo of an unknown brand 1/35th Scale Tiger I in overall Panzer Gray with white no. 331 on the sides of the turret and German cross on the sides of the hull.
At the bottom there is a color side profile of a Tiger 1 in overall earth-yellow, with a white outlines of a small letter S, followed by 40.
The book contains 39 black and white wartime photos of Tiger I’s, 2 maps, a chart of the makeup of 6 Tiger units, showing the tanks in each as black silhouettes, with data lists too,
There are 20 color side-view profiles of Tiger I’s, in Panzer-gray overall or with winter-white wash coatings and ones in earth-yellow.
This book, like other books in the series from Pen & Sword, contains a modeler’s section.
Shown is an Andrea Mora 1/35th scale Tiger I model built by a Venezuelan modeler. Eight color walk around type photos are shown of it.
A Rye Field 1/35th scale Tiger I by modeler Konstantino. Twenty color walk around type photos shown.
A Dragon brand 1/35th scale Tiger I by modeler Naomasa Dairaku. Eighteen color walk-round photos shown.
A Zvezda 1/72nd scale Tiger I by modeler Theodoros Kalamatas. Eight color walk around type photos shown.
There are several box arts of Tiger I kits by various companies shown and a listing of all the model companies that make Tiger I kits or accessories.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers, the N. American distributor of Pen & Sword Ltd, Books for this review sample, All Pen & Sword titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
There is a paper postcard in the book, to mail to Casemate for more info on Pen & Sword books.
Neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a Tiger kit and to military historians alike.
Neat book. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a Tiger kit and to military historians alike.
Highly recommended.