Tiger II Walk-Around
Externally, the Tiger II shared more in line with the design of the Panther tank that the original Tiger. She fielded similar sloped armor facings that were not common with the straight-faced Tiger Is. The vehicle was crewed by five personnel made up of the driver, radio operator, commander, loader and gunner. The driver was situated in the left front of the hull with the radio operator to his right. The gunner was at the front left of the turret with the commander behind and the loader to the right of the turret. The main gun split the turret spacing into two equal halves. The turret was powered and mounted a longer-barrel version of the "88" (88mm / 8.8cm / 3.46in KwK 43) as found on the original Tiger. Sides and rear were heavily sloped. The hull was equally heavily sloped especially along the glacis plate. Armor was thick, particularly along the front hull. Defense was handled by a 7.92mm machine in the bow (operated by the radioman) and a 7.92mm coaxially fitted to the turret. Like other tanks in the arena, the Tiger II crew was issued standard AP (Armor Piercing) rounds for use against enemy tanks and HE (High-Explosive) rounds for use against infantry concentrations and fortifications. 84 x 88mm projectiles were generally carried aboard while 5,850 x 7.92mm ammunition was supplied.
The Hull, Turret and Engine
The hull component was generated from all-welded steel construction and showcased a thickness of 150mm at the glacis plate. Likewise, the turret assembly was also of welded steel and delivered up to 100mm of armor protection. The engine - the same Maybach HL 230 P30 12-cylinder gasoline engine as found on later production Panther tanks - was conventionally fitted to a rear compartment. This proved a liability for the heavier tank for it substantially lowered the power-to-weight ratio of the system, creating a more plodding beast than the lighter Panther was. This directly affected overall mobility for the Tiger II line and proved a detriment to a fluid, mobile front. The engine supplied the massive machine a top speed of 24 miles on road and 11 miles off road. Range was 75 miles on paved surfaces and 50 miles cross country. It was said that the Maybach powerplant used up to 400 gallons of gasoline for every 100 miles of travel.
Tiger II Tracks
Like the Panther and Tiger before it, the Tiger utilized an arrangement of overlapping road wheels with a wide set of tracks. This was a proven method to help displace the immense weight of the vehicle across more ground area and allow the tank to (conceivably) pass over softer terrains such as mud or snow (such uneventful passage was not always guaranteed however). Wider tracks were a proven commodity with the Soviet T-34 (as were large road wheels) and American tank crews soon learned of their own limitations when operating their thinly-tracked M4 Shermans across similar terrain. Such overlapping road wheels soon proved problematic in the winters of the Soviet front where there were prone to collecting mud, stones and snow only to freeze overnight. This then required crews to free their road wheels before moving out for the day - of note is that the Soviet Army was also keen in launching their attacks during this critical morning hour. The track drive sprocket was mounted at the front while the track idler was at the rear. An armor "skirt" protected the portion of the hull just above the road wheels.
Tiger II Firepower Advantage
In practice, the inherent strengths and limitations of the Tiger II soon shown through. She was extremely well armored, capable of withstanding direct hits from any Allied tank gun. Her improved 88mm main gun - coupled with excellent German optics and a trained crew - ensured that the Tiger II held the advantage in range and firepower for a true "shoot first" capability. Allied tanks had to approach within the range of her main gun to apply their brand of firepower and even then, multiple Allied tanks were required to destroy a single Tiger II.
Tiger II Limitations
The sheer size and weight coupled with an underpowered engine led to a less-than-mobile battlefield centerpiece. Her engines proved unreliable as the weight of her components added strain and stress during the length of her short tenure and fuel shortages added to many-a-Tiger II being abandoned by the crew. Spares were a logistical nightmare to come by for the German war infrastructure was taken apart by the Allied air campaign and subsequent ground advances. In effect, more Tiger IIs were lost to abandonment than to actual combat attacks. Regardless, the Tiger II developed a mythical reputation for the Allied tankers "lucky" enough to come across her.
The Jagdtiger Tank Destroyer
The Tiger II family line grew with the arrival of the Jagdtiger B which utilized the same chassis. This beast was armed with a 128mm main gun and intended as a dedicated tank destroyer. The gun was fitted into a fixed superstructure that offered only limited traverse and required the tank to be turned in the direction of the enemy for full effectiveness. However, only 48 or so of these creations were produced before the end of the war.
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