View source for Engineering:Tiger I

{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Short description|German WWII heavy tank}}
{{Use British English|date= May 2013}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = ''Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E''
| image              = Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-299-1805-16, Nordfrankreich, Panzer VI (Tiger I).2.jpg
| image_size         = 300
| alt                = 
| caption            = Tiger I in northern France, March 1944
| type               = [[Engineering:Heavy tank|Heavy tank]]
| origin             = [[Place:Nazi Germany|Nazi Germany]]
<!-- Type selection -->
| is_ranged          = 
| is_bladed          = 
| is_explosive       = 
| is_artillery       = 
| is_vehicle         = Yes
| is_missile         = 
| is_UK              = yes <!-- for variety of English used in article, not national origin of vehicle -->
<!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1942–1945
| used_by            = See ''Operators''
| wars               = [[Social:World War II|World War II]]
<!-- Production history -->
| designer           = Erwin Aders<br />Henschel & Son
| design_date        = 1938–1941
| manufacturer       = Henschel
| unit_cost          = {{Reichsmark|250,700|link=yes}}{{sfn|Zetterling|2000|p=61}}{{efn|Without weapons, optics, or radio. {{Reichsmark|299,800}} combat ready.}}<ref>Armored Champion: The Top Tanks of World War II p. 39.</ref>{{efn|Firstly produced Tigers price was {{Reichsmark|800.000}}.}}
| production_date    = 1942–1944
| number             = 1,347{{efn|Although 1,350 is a common figure, ''World War II'' magazine reported the figure of 1,355 in their January 1994 edition (p.16). Jentz gives a revised number of 1,347, including the prototype, following investigation of the primary sources.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=11–13}}}}
| variants           = 
<!-- General specifications -->
| spec_label         = RfRuK VK 4501H Ausf.E, Blatt: G-330
| weight             = {{convert|54|t|ST}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p=177}}<br />{{convert|57|t|ST}} (Ausf. E){{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p=179}} (Combat weight){{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=20}}
| length             = {{convert|6.316|m|ftin|abbr= on}}<br />{{convert|8.45|m|ftin|abbr=on}} gun forward
| part_length        = 
| width              = {{convert|3.56|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| height             = {{convert|3.00|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| diameter           = 
| crew               = 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
| passengers         = 
<!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
| armour             = {{convert|25|–|120|mm|abbr= on}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=8, 16}}{{sfn|Hart|2007|p=17}}
| primary_armament   = 1× 8.8&nbsp;cm KwK 36 L/56<br />92 [[Engineering:Armor-piercing shell|AP]] and HE rounds
| secondary_armament = 2× 7.92&nbsp;mm MG 34<br />4,500 rounds<br />4,800 rounds (Ausf. E){{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p=182}}
| engine             = [[Company:Maybach|Maybach]] [[Engineering:Maybach HL230|HL230 P45]] V-12 petrol engine
| engine_power       = 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
| pw_ratio           = 13 PS (9.5 kW) / tonne
| payload_capacity   = 
| transmission       = Maybach Olvar Typ OG 40 12 16 (8 forward and 4 reverse){{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=27–28}}
| suspension         = Torsion bar
| clearance          = {{convert|0.47|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| fuel_capacity      = 540 liters
| vehicle_range      = Road: {{convert|195|km|mi|abbr= on}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p= 179}}<br />Cross country: {{convert|110|km|mi|abbr= on}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p= 179}}
| speed              = {{convert|45.4|km/h|mph|abbr= on}} on roads{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p= 181}}{{efn|Sustained road speed was  {{convert|40|km/h|mph|abbr= on}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p= 179}}}}<br /> {{convert|20|–|25|km/h|mph|abbr= on}} cross country{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p= 179}}
| guidance           = 
| steering           = 
}}

The '''Tiger I''' ({{IPA|de|ˈtiːɡɐ|lang|De-Tiger-pronunciation.ogg}}) was a [[Place:Nazi Germany|German]] [[Engineering:Heavy tank|heavy tank]] of [[Social:World War II|World War II]] that began operational duty in 1942 in Africa and in the [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]], usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the [[8.8&nbsp;cm KwK 36|{{cvt|8.8|cm|in}} KwK 36]] gun (derived from the 8.8&nbsp;cm Flak 36, the famous "eighty-eight" feared by Allied troops). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944.{{sfn|Trewhitt |1999|p=26}} After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the [[Engineering:Tiger II|Tiger II]].

While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time,{{sfn|Bishop|2002|p=9}} it has also been criticized for being [[Engineering:Overengineering|overengineered]],{{sfn|Tucker-Jones|2012|p=7}} and for using expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods. In the early period, the Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns. It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable.{{sfn|Drabkin |Sheremet |2006|p=43}} It was difficult to transport and vulnerable to immobilisation when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved ''Schachtellaufwerk''-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid. 

The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by the ministry for armament and ammunition by 7 August 1941,{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1997|p= 13}} and the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II entered production. It was classified with ordnance inventory designation ''Sd.Kfz.&nbsp;182''. The tank was later re-designated as '''Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung E''' (abbreviated as '''Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. E''') in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation '''''Sd.Kfz.&nbsp;181'''''.

Today, only nine Tiger I tanks survive in museums and private collections worldwide. {{as of|2021}}, [[Engineering:Tiger 131|Tiger 131]] (captured during the North African campaign) at the UK's Tank Museum is the only example restored to running order.

==Design history==
===Earlier designs===
Henschel & Sohn began the development of a large tank design in January 1937 when the ''Waffenamt'' requested Henschel to develop a ''Durchbruchwagen'' ("breakthrough vehicle") in the 30–33 tonne range.{{sfn|White|1986|pp=69–70}} Only one prototype hull was ever built, and it was never fitted with a turret. The ''Durchbruchwagen'' I's general shape and suspension resembled the [[Engineering:Panzer III|Panzer III]], while the turret resembled the early Panzer IV C turret with the short-barrelled {{cvt|7.5|cm|in}} L/24 cannon.

Before ''Durchbruchwagen'' I was completed, a request was issued for a heavier 30-tonne class vehicle with thicker armour, the ''Durchbruchwagen'' II, which would have had {{cvt|50|mm|in}} of frontal armour and mounted a [[Engineering:Panzer IV|Panzer IV]] turret with a short-barrelled (24 calibres long) 7.5&nbsp;cm KwK 37 gun. The overall weight would have been 36&nbsp;tonnes. Only one hull was built, and no turret was fitted. Further development of the ''Durchbruchwagen'' was dropped in 1938 in favour of the larger and better-armoured [[Engineering:VK 30.01 (H)|VK 30.01 (H)]] and VK 36.01 (H) designs.{{efn|''VK'' from the German ''Voll Ketten'' meaning "fully tracked"; ''H'' for Henschel}} Both the ''Durchbruchwagen'' I and II prototype hulls were used as test vehicles until 1941. 
===Further attempts===

The [[Engineering:VK 30.01 (H)|VK 30.01 (H)]] medium tank<ref>{{cite web |title=VK30.01(H) (Panzerkampfwagen VI) |url=http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_VK3001H.html |website=historyofwar.org |access-date=16 January 2025}}</ref> and the VK 36.01 (H) heavy tank<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fJidAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA55 |title=Tiger |author=Thomas Anderson |publisher=Osprey |year=2013 |isbn=9781780962016 |page=55 }}</ref> designs pioneered the use of the complex ''Schachtellaufwerk'' track suspension system of torsion bar-sprung, overlapped and interleaved main road wheels for tank use. This concept was already standard on German half-tracks such as the Sd. Kfz. 7. The VK 30.01 (H) was intended to mount a low-velocity 7.5&nbsp;cm L/24 infantry support gun, a 7.5&nbsp;cm L/40 dual-purpose anti-tank gun, or a {{cvt|10.5|cm|in}} L/28 field gun in a Krupp turret. Overall weight was to be 33&nbsp;tonnes. The armour was designed to be {{cvt|50|mm|in}} on frontal surfaces and {{cvt|30|mm|in}} on the side surfaces. Four prototype hulls were completed for testing. Two of these were later modified to build the "Sturer Emil" ({{cvt|12.8|cm|in}} ''Selbstfahrlafette'' L/61) self-propelled anti-tank gun.

The VK 36.01 (H) was intended to weigh 40&nbsp;tonnes, with {{cvt|100|mm|in}} of armour on front surfaces, {{cvt|80|mm|in}} on turret sides and {{cvt|60|mm|in}} on the hull sides. The VK 36.01 (H) was intended to carry a 7.5&nbsp;cm L/24, a 7.5&nbsp;cm L/43, or a 7.5&nbsp;cm L/70, or a 12.8&nbsp;cm L/28 cannon in a Krupp turret that looked similar to an enlarged Panzer IV Ausf. C turret. The hull for one prototype was built, followed later by five more. The six turrets built were never fitted and were used as part of the [[Earth:Atlantic Wall|Atlantic Wall]]. The VK 36.01 (H) project was discontinued in early 1942 in favour of the VK 45.01 project.

===Further improvements===
Combat experience against the French [[Engineering:SOMUA S35|SOMUA S35]] cavalry tank and Char B1 heavy tank, and the British [[Engineering:Matilda II|Matilda II]] [[Engineering:Infantry tank|infantry tank]]s during the Battle of France in June 1940 showed that the German Army needed better armed and armoured tanks.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|pp=12–13}}

On 26 May 1941, Henschel and Ferdinand Porsche were asked to submit designs for a 45-tonne heavy tank, to be ready by June 1942.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=13}} [[Company:Porsche|Porsche]] worked on an updated version of their VK 30.01 (P) Leopard tank prototype while Henschel worked on an improved VK 36.01 (H) tank. Henschel built two prototypes: a VK 45.01 (H) H1 with an 8.8&nbsp;cm L/56 cannon, and a VK 45.01 (H) H2 with a 7.5&nbsp;cm L/70 cannon.

===Final designs===
On 22 June 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]]. The Germans encountered large numbers of Soviet [[Engineering:T-34|T-34]] medium and KV-1 heavy tanks.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=14}} According to Henschel designer Erwin Aders, "There was great consternation when it was discovered that the Soviet tanks were superior to anything available to the Heer."{{sfn|Carruthers|2013|loc=chapt. "Design features"}}

Weight increase to 45&nbsp;tonnes and an increase in gun calibre to {{cvt|8.8|cm|in}} were ordered for it on 26 May 1941.<ref>Jenzt, Thomas L.; Doyle, Hilary L.: Germany's Tiger Tanks: Vk45.02 to Tiger II, 1997, page 10</ref> The due date for the new prototypes was set for 20 April 1942, [[Biography:Adolf Hitler|Adolf Hitler]]'s 53rd birthday. Unlike the Panther tank, the designs did not incorporate [[Engineering:Sloped armour|sloped armour]].

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Tiger Tank Diagram.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Schematic layout of Tiger H1]] -->
Porsche and Henschel submitted prototype designs, each making use of the Krupp-designed turret. They were demonstrated at Rastenburg in front of Hitler. The Henschel design was accepted, mainly because the Porsche VK 4501 (P) prototype design used a troubled [[Engineering:Petrol–electric transmission|petrol-electric transmission system]] which needed large quantities of [[Chemistry:Copper|copper]] for the manufacture of its electrical drivetrain components, a strategic war material of which Germany had limited supplies with acceptable electrical properties for such uses.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|p=6}} Production of the ''Panzerkampfwagen'' VI ''Ausf.'' H began in August 1942. Expecting an order for his tank, Porsche built 100 chassis. After the contract was awarded to Henschel, they were used for a new turretless, [[Engineering:Casemate|casemate]]-style [[Engineering:Tank destroyer|tank destroyer]]; 91 hulls were converted into the ''Panzerjäger'' Tiger (P) in early 1943.

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-278-0873-24, Russland, Panzersoldat (Oberleutnant Knauth -).jpg|thumb|upright|Early Tiger with tall cupola]]
The Tiger was still at the prototype stage when it was first hurried into service, and therefore changes both large and small were made throughout the production run. A redesigned turret with a lower cupola was the most significant change. The river-fording submersion capability and an external air-filtration system were dropped to cut costs.<ref>[https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/germany/panzer-vi_tiger.php#:~:text=The%20rush%20to%20get,to%20become%20a%20legend. Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf.E (Sd.Kfz.181) Tiger I]. Retrieved 8/28/2025. Published 4/20/2019. Andrew Hill. </ref>

==Design==
The Tiger differed from earlier [[Engineering:Tanks in the German Army|German tanks]] principally in its design philosophy. Its predecessors balanced mobility, [[Engineering:Vehicle armour|armour]] and [[Engineering:Firepower|firepower]] and were sometimes outgunned by their opponents.

While heavy, this tank was not slower than the best of its opponents. Although the general design and layout were broadly similar to the [[Engineering:Panzer IV|Panzer IV]] medium tank, the Tiger weighed more than twice as much. This was due to its substantially thicker armour, the larger [[Engineering:Tank gun|main gun]], greater volume of fuel and ammunition storage, larger engine, and a more solidly built transmission and suspension.

===Armour===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-299-1805-10, Nordfrankreich, Panzer VI (Tiger I).jpg|thumb|The Tiger I's [[Engineering:Vehicle armour|armour]] was up to 200&nbsp;mm on the gun mantlet.<!--- This tank is assigned to the ''schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung'' 101 operating in northern France in 1944.-->]]

The Tiger I had frontal hull armour {{convert|100|mm|abbr=on}} thick, frontal [[Engineering:Gun turret|turret]] of 100&nbsp;mm and gun mantlet with a varying thickness of {{convert|120|to|200|mm|abbr=on}}.<ref name="id3486.securedata.net">{{cite web|publisher=Fabio Prado |url=http://id3486.securedata.net/fprado/armorsite/tiger1.htm |title=Pzkpfw VI Tiger I |website=The Armor Site! |access-date=2010-04-30}}</ref> The Tiger had {{convert|60|mm|abbr=on|adj=on}} thick hull side plates and {{cvt|80|mm|in}} armour on the side superstructure/sponsons, while turret sides and rear were 80&nbsp;mm. The top and bottom armour was {{convert|25|mm|0|abbr=on}} thick; from March 1944, the turret roof was thickened to {{convert|40|mm|abbr=on}}.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=8, 16}} Armour plates were mostly flat, with interlocking construction. This flat construction encouraged angling the Tiger hull roughly 30-45° when firing in order to increase effective thickness.

===Gun===
[[File:Turmzielfernrohr 9c.jpg|thumb|''Turmzielfernrohr'' TZF 9c gun sight]]
The 56-calibre long 8.8&nbsp;cm KwK 36 was chosen for the Tiger. A combination of a flat trajectory from the high muzzle velocity and precision from the Leitz ''Turmzielfernrohr'' TZF 9b sight (later replaced by the [[Astronomy:Monocular|monocular]] TZF 9c) made it very accurate. In British wartime firing trials, five successive hits were scored on a {{convert|16|by|18|in|abbr=on}} target at a range of {{convert|1200|yd}}.{{sfn|Carruthers|2013|loc=chapt. "Design features"}} Compared with the other contemporary German tank guns, the 8.8&nbsp;cm KwK 36 had superior penetration to the 7.5&nbsp;cm KwK 40 on the Sturmgeschütz III and [[Engineering:Panzer IV|Panzer IV]] but inferior to the 7.5&nbsp;cm KwK 42 on the Panther tank{{sfn|Bird|Livingston|2001|p=61}} under ranges of 2,500 metres. At greater ranges, the 8.8&nbsp;cm KwK 36 was superior in penetration and accuracy. British trials found the gun took from 6 to 16 seconds to reload varying on turret position and consequently which storage bin was being used.<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=British Army |url=http://archive.org/details/WO2911003MotionStudiesOfGermanTanks  |series=British Military Operational Research Report No. 61 |title= Study No 11 Motion Studies Of German Tanks|date=December 1947 |id=WO 291 1003}}</ref>
<!----[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J14931, Bei Belgorod, Panzer VI (Tiger I), Aufmunitionieren.jpg|thumb|Loading ammunition]]-->

The ammunition for the Tiger had electrically fired primers. Four types of ammunition were available but not all were fully available; the PzGr 40 shell used tungsten, which was in short supply as the war progressed.

*''PzGr. 39'' (armour-piercing, capped, ballistic cap)
*''PzGr.'' 40 (armour-piercing, composite rigid)
*''Hl. Gr.'' 39 (high explosive anti-tank)
*''sch. Sprgr. Patr.'' L/4.5 (incendiary shrapnel)

===Engine and drive===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-022-2936-27, Russland, Panzer VI (Tiger I), Wartung.jpg|thumb|upright|Crew working on the engine through the hatch on the rear hull roof]]
The rear of the tank held an engine compartment flanked by two separate rear compartments each containing a fuel tank and radiator. The Germans had not developed an adequate diesel engine, so a petrol (gasoline) powerplant had to be used instead. The original engine used was a {{cvt|21.35|l|in3}} 12-cylinder [[Company:Maybach|Maybach]] [[Engineering:List of WWII Maybach engines|HL210 P45]] developing {{cvt|485|kW|hp}} at 3,000&nbsp;rpm and a top speed of {{cvt|38|kph|mph}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=panzer {{!}} German tank {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/panzer |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> It was found to be underpowered for the vehicle from the 251st Tiger onwards. It was replaced by the upgraded [[Engineering:Maybach HL230|HL 230]] P45, a {{cvt|23.095|l|in3|0}} engine developing {{cvt|521|kW|hp}} at 3,000&nbsp;rpm.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=41}} The main difference between these engines was that the original Maybach HL 210 used an aluminium engine block while the Maybach HL 230 used a cast-iron engine block. The cast-iron block allowed for larger cylinders (and thus, greater displacement) which increased the power output to {{cvt|521|kW|hp}}. The engine was in V-form, with two cylinder banks set at 60&nbsp;degrees. An [[Engineering:Aircraft engine starting#Inertia starter|inertia starter]] was mounted on its right side, driven via chain gears through a port in the rear wall. The engine could be lifted out through a hatch on the rear hull roof. In comparison to other V12 and various vee-form gasoline engines used for tanks, the eventual HL 230 engine was nearly {{cvt|4|l|in3}} smaller in displacement than the Allied British [[Engineering:Rolls-Royce Meteor|Rolls-Royce Meteor]] V12 AFV power plant, itself adapted from the RR Merlin but de-rated to {{cvt|448|kW|hp}} power output; and the American Ford-designed precursor V12 to its [[Engineering:Ford GAA engine|Ford GAA]] V-8 AFV engine of 18 litre displacement, which in its original V12 form would have had the same {{cvt|27|l|in3}} displacement as the Meteor.

The 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion (''sPzAbt 501'') reported in May 1943:
{{blockquote|…Regarding the overheating engines, the HL 210 engine caused no troubles during the recent time. All occurring breakdowns resulted from the low quality of driver training. In several cases engine failures have to be put down to the missing remote engine thermometer. Five engines have reached more than 3,000&nbsp;km without essential failures. A good driver is essential for the successful deployment of the Tiger, he must have a good technical training and has to keep his nerve in critical situations…{{sfn|Anderson|2017|pp=56-57}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panzer-elmito.org/tanques/tiger_i/informes/tiger_i_03_05_1943_D.html |title=Technischer Bericht über den Einsatz des 'Tigers' in Tunesien (Panzer-Abteilung 501, 03.05.1943) |publisher=Panzer-elmito.org |accessdate=2022-03-18}}</ref> }}

The engine drove the front sprockets through a drivetrain connecting to a transmission in the front portion of the lower hull; the front sprockets had to be mounted relatively low as a result. The Krupp-designed 11-tonne turret had a hydraulic motor whose pump was powered by mechanical drive from the engine. A full rotation took about a minute.

Another new feature was the Maybach-Olvar [[Physics:Hydraulic machinery|hydraulically controlled]] semi-automatic pre-selector gearbox. The extreme weight of the tank also required a new steering system. Germany's Argus Motoren, where Hermann Klaue had invented a ring brake<ref>[https://patents.google.com/patent/US2323052 Disk brake for use in motor cars, airplanes, and the like] US Patent 2323052 A</ref> in 1940, supplied them for the [[Engineering:Arado Ar 96|Arado Ar 96]]<ref>[http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waffen/Ar96.htm Arado Ar 96], ''Lexikon der Wehrmacht''.</ref> and also supplied the {{cvt|55|cm|in}} disc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alanhamby.com/transmission.shtml |title=Transmission & Steering |website=Tiger I Information Center}}</ref> Klaue was acknowledged in the patent application that he had improved, it can even be traced back to British designs dating to 1904. It is unclear whether Klaue's patent ring brake was used in the Tiger brake design.

The clutch-and-brake system, typical for lighter vehicles, was retained only for emergencies. Normally, steering depended on a double [[Engineering:Differential (mechanical device)|differential]], Henschel's development of the British Merritt-Brown system{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=44}} first encountered in the [[Engineering:Churchill tank|Churchill tank]]. The vehicle had an eight-speed gearbox, and the steering offered two fixed radii of turns on each gear, thus the Tiger had sixteen different radii of turn. In first gear, at a speed of a few km/h, the minimal turning radius was {{convert|3.44|m|ftin|abbr=on}}. In neutral gear, the tracks could be turned in opposite directions, so the Tiger I pivoted in place.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=46}} There was a steering wheel instead of either a tiller – or, as most tanks had at that time, twin braking levers – making the Tiger I's steering system easy to use, and ahead of its time.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=44}}

Powered turret traverse was provided by the variable speed Boehringer-Sturm L4 hydraulic motor, which was driven from the main engine by a secondary drive shaft. On early production versions of the Tiger maximum turret traverse was limited to 6&nbsp;degrees per second, whilst on later versions a selectable high speed traverse gear was added. Thus, the turret could be rotated 360&nbsp;degrees at up to 6&nbsp;degrees per second in low gear independent of engine rpm (same as on early production versions), or up to 19&nbsp;degrees per second with the high-speed setting and engine at 2,000&nbsp;rpm, and at over 36&nbsp;degrees per second at the maximum allowable engine speed of 3,000&nbsp;rpm. The direction and speed of traverse was controlled by the gunner through foot pedals, the speed of traverse corresponding to the level of depression the gunner applied to the foot pedal. This system allowed for very precise control of powered traverse, a light touch on the pedal resulting in a minimum traverse speed of 0.1&nbsp;degrees per second (360&nbsp;degrees in 60&nbsp;minutes), unlike in most other tanks of the time (e.g., the US M4 Sherman or Soviet T-34) this allowed for fine laying of the gun without the gunner needing to use his traverse handwheel.{{sfn|Carius|2003|p=23}}

===Suspension===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3965-28, Panzerfabrik in Deutschland.jpg|thumb|left|Clear view of the Tiger I's ''Schachtellaufwerk'' overlapping and interleaved road wheels during production]]
The suspension used sixteen torsion bars, with eight suspension arms per side. To save space, the swing arms were leading on one side and trailing on the other side; this is called an H suspension<ref>{{Cite web |title=Torsion bars |url=https://tiger1.info/EN/Torsion-bars.html |access-date=2022-10-21 |website=Tiger 1 info |language=en-GB}}</ref> setup. There were three road wheels (one of them double, closest to the track's centre) on each arm, in a so-called ''Schachtellaufwerk'' overlapping and interleaved arrangement, similar to that pioneered on German half-tracked military vehicles of the pre-World War II era, with the Tiger I being the first all-tracked German AFV built in quantity to use such a road wheel arrangement. The wheels had a diameter of {{convert|800|mm|abbr=on}} in the ''Schachtellaufwerk'' arrangement for the Tiger I's suspension, providing a high uniform distribution of the load onto the track, at the cost of increased maintenance. 
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-310-0899-15, Italien, Panzer VI (Tiger I), Reparatur.jpg|thumb|Wheel and track maintenance in muddy conditions]]

Removing an inner wheel that had lost its solid rubber tire (a common occurrence) required the removal of up to nine other wheels first. During the rainy period that brought on the autumn ''[[Earth:Rasputitsa|rasputitsa]]'' mud season and onwards into the winter conditions on the Eastern front, the roadwheels of a ''Schachtellaufwerk''-equipped vehicle could also become packed with mud or snow that could then freeze. Presumably, German engineers, based on the experience of the half-tracks, felt that the improvement in off-road performance, track and wheel life, mobility with wheels missing or damaged, plus additional protection from enemy fire was worth the maintenance difficulties of a complex system vulnerable to mud and ice. This approach was carried on, in various forms, to the Panther and the non-interleaved wheel design for the [[Engineering:Tiger II|Tiger II]]. Eventually, a new 80&nbsp;cm diameter 'steel' wheel design with an internally sprung steel-rim tire was substituted. As these new wheels could carry more weight, the outermost wheel on each suspension arm was removed. The same wheels would also be used on the Tiger II.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Tiger Wheels |date=30 November 2017 |url=https://tankmuseum.org/article/tiger-wheels}}</ref>
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1972-064-61, Kassel, Verladen eines Panzer VI "Tiger I".jpg|thumb|right|Tiger at the [[Henschel & Son#World War II|Henschel plant]] is loaded onto a special rail car. The outer road wheels have been removed and narrow tracks put in place to decrease vehicle width, allowing it to fit within the [[Engineering:Loading gauge|loading gauge]] of the German rail network.]]
To support the considerable weight of the Tiger, the tracks were {{cvt|725|mm|in}} wide. To meet [[Engineering:Loading gauge|rail-freight size restrictions]], narrower {{convert|520|mm|abbr=on}} wide 'transport' tracks (''Verladeketten'') could be installed.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p=36}}{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=44}}{{sfn|Wilbeck|2004|p=}} For Tigers equipped with rubber-tired wheels, this also required the outermost roadwheel on each axle (16 total) to be removed.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|2000|p=35}}<ref name=":0" /> The track replacement and wheel removal took 30&nbsp;minutes for each side of the tank.{{sfn|Anderson|2013|p=69}} However, in service, Tigers were frequently transported by rail with their combat tracks fitted, as long as the train crew knew there were no narrow tunnels or other obstructions on the route that would prevent an oversized load from passing, despite this practice being strictly forbidden.{{sfn|Anderson|2013|p=71}}

===Fording system===
The Tiger tank's combat weight of 56&nbsp;tons was often too heavy for small bridges which had 35&nbsp;ton weight limits, so it was designed to ford bodies of water up to {{cvt|15|ft|m|order=flip|0}} deep.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=20}} This required unusual mechanisms for ventilation and cooling when underwater. At least 30&nbsp;minutes of set-up time was required, with the turret and gun being locked in the forward position, and a large snorkel tube raised at the rear. An inflatable doughnut-shaped ring sealed the turret ring. The two rear compartments (each containing a fuel tank, radiator and fans) were floodable. However, this ability was found to be of limited practical value for its high cost and was removed from production lines in August 1943.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=20}}{{sfn|Forty|2009|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LsxJHQFbPSgC&pg=PA51 51]}} As a result, only the first 495 units were fitted with this deep fording system;{{sfn|Forty|2009|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LsxJHQFbPSgC&pg=PA51 51]}} all later models were capable of fording water only two metres deep.{{citation needed|date=February 2019} 
===Crew compartment===
The internal layout was typical of German tanks. Forward was an open crew compartment, with the driver and radio-operator seated at the front on either side of the gearbox. Behind them the turret floor was surrounded by panels forming a continuous level surface. This helped the loader to retrieve the ammunition, which was mostly stowed above the tracks. Three men were seated in the turret; the loader to the right of the gun facing to the rear, the gunner to the left of the gun, and the commander behind him. There was also a folding seat on the right for the loader. The turret had a full circular floor and {{cvt|157|cm|in}} headroom.  Early versions of the Tiger I's turret included two pistol ports; however, one of these was replaced with a loader escape hatch and the other was removed from later designs.{{sfn|Green|Brown|2008|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=S1gbrYELbT4C&pg=PA88 88]}}

Post-war testing by the Allies found the tank to be uncomfortable and spartan. For example, the gunner suffered from clumsy controls and a cramped area.<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=British Army |url=http://archive.org/details/WO2911003MotionStudiesOfGermanTanks |title=WO 291 1003 Motion Studies Of German Tanks |date=December 1947}}</ref> This was in contrast to German crews who found them to be spacious and comfortable.{{sfn|Forty|2009|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LsxJHQFbPSgC&pg=PA107 108]}}

===Cost===
A substantial problem with the Tiger was that its production required considerable resources in terms of manpower and material, which led to it being expensive: the Tiger I cost over twice as much as a Panzer IV and four times as much as a StuG III assault gun.<ref>[http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzer-statistics.htm Panzer Statistics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108093434/http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzer-statistics.htm |date=8 January 2018 }} ''achtungpanzer.com''</ref> Partly because of their high cost, only 1,347 Tiger I and 492 Tiger II tanks were produced.{{sfn|Jentz|1996|p=288}} The closest counterpart to the Tiger from the [[United States]] was the [[Engineering:M26 Pershing|M26 Pershing]] (around 200 deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) during the war{{sfn|Hunnicutt|1971}} ) and the IS-2 from the USSR (about 3,800 built during the conflict).

From a technical point of view, it was better than its contemporaries.{{sfn|Zaloga|2015|p=204}} Despite the low number produced, shortages in qualified crew and the considerable fuel consumption in the face of ever shrinking resources, Tigers (including Tiger IIs) destroyed at least 10,300 enemy tanks and 11,380 anti-tank guns and artillery pieces for the loss of 1,725 Tigers{{clarify|date=July 2023|reason=Tiger Is and IIs combined?}} (including large numbers of operational and strategic losses, i.e. abandoned, broken down, etc.).{{sfn|Askey|2017|p=103}}

==Production history==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3965-05, Panzerfabrik in Deutschland.jpg|thumb|upright|left|{{center|Installing the turret}}]]
Production of the Tiger I began in August 1942 at the factory of Henschel und Sohn in Kassel,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alanhamby.com/factory1.shtml|title=The Henschel Tiger Factory|website=alanbamby.com|access-date=12 November 2018}}</ref> initially at a rate of 25 per month and peaking in April 1944 at 104 per month. An official document of the time stated that the first Tiger I was completed on 4 August. 1,355 had been built by August 1944, when production ceased. Deployed Tiger I's peaked at 671 on 1 July 1944.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|p=13}} It took about twice as long to build a Tiger I as another German tank of the period. When the improved Tiger II began production in January 1944, the Tiger I was soon phased out.

In 1943, Japan bought several specimens of German tank designs for study. A single Tiger I was apparently purchased, along with a Panther and two Panzer IIIs, but only the Panzer IIIs were actually delivered.{{sfn|Zaloga|2007|p=17}} The undelivered Tiger was loaned to the German Wehrmacht by the Japanese government.

[[File:Czołg niemiecki PzKpfw VI "Tiger" w greckim miasteczku (2-600).jpg|thumb|upright|Tiger I Ausf. H1 covered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic mine paste in Greece, 1944.]]
Many modifications were introduced during the production run to improve automotive performance, firepower and protection. Simplification of the design was implemented, along with cuts due to raw material shortages. In 1942 alone, at least six revisions were made, starting with the removal of the ''Vorpanzer'' (frontal armour shield) from the pre-production models in April. In May, mudguards bolted onto the side of the pre-production run were added, while removable mudguards saw full incorporation in September. Smoke discharge canisters, three on each side of the turret, were added in August 1942. In later years, similar changes and updates were added, such as the addition of [[Engineering:Zimmerit|Zimmerit]] (a non-magnetic anti-mine coating), in late 1943.<ref>[http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzerkampfwagen-vi-tiger-ausf-e-sd-kfz-181.htm Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E Sd. Kfz. 181] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703171026/http://www.achtungpanzer.com/panzerkampfwagen-vi-tiger-ausf-e-sd-kfz-181.htm |date=3 July 2009 }} ''achtungpanzer.com''</ref>{{sfn|Crawford|2000|p=41}}{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|p=12}} Due to slow production rates at the factories, incorporation of the new modifications could take several months.

The humorous and somewhat racy crew manual, the ''Tigerfibel'', was the first of its kind for the German Army and its success resulted in more unorthodox manuals that attempted to emulate its style.

==Variants==

Among other variants of the Tiger, a heavily armoured [[Engineering:Casemate#Armoured vehicles|casemate]] self-propelled rocket projector, today commonly known as the ''Sturmtiger'', was built, which mounted a {{cvt|38|cm|in}} rocket launcher.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lonesentry.com/ordnance/sturmmorser-38-cm-rocket-tiger-chassis.html|title=Sturmmörser: 38&nbsp;cm Rocket Projector on Tiger E Chassis « Catalog of Enemy Ordnance|website=lonesentry.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-09-03|archive-date=22 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822041157/http://www.lonesentry.com/ordnance/sturmmorser-38-cm-rocket-tiger-chassis.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> A tank recovery version of the Porsche Tiger I ([[Engineering:Bergetiger|Bergetiger]]), and one Porsche Tiger I, was issued to the 654th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion, which was equipped with the Ferdinand/Elefant.
In Italy, a demolition carrier version of the Tiger I without a main gun was built by maintenance crews in an effort to find a way to clear minefields. It is often misidentified as a ''BergeTiger'' recovery vehicle. As many as three may have been built. It carried a demolition charge on a small crane on the turret in place of the main gun. It was to move up to a minefield and drop the charge, back away, and then set the charge off to clear the minefield. There is no verification of any being used in combat.

Another variant was the Fahrschulpanzer VI Tiger tanks (driving school Tiger tanks). These tanks were Tigers with modified engines to run on either compressed Towngas gas (Stadtgas System) or [[Chemistry:Wood gas|wood gas]] (Holzgas System). This was due to shortages in fuel supply. They used a mixture of turreted and turretless hulls. They were used to train Tiger tank crews, and were not used in combat.

==Designations==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3965-34, Panzerfabrik in Deutschland.jpg|thumb|Tigers under construction. This hull rests on a jig (1944)]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3965-21, Panzerfabrik in Deutschland.jpg|thumb|Assembly facility; the vehicles are fitted with the narrower transport tracks (1943)]]
<!---[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-635-3965-35, Panzerfabrik in Deutschland.jpg|thumb|Tigers being built(1944)]]--->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: middle;"
|-
|+Designations of Tiger I{{cn|date=June 2024}}
! Designation !! Reference !! Date
|-
! colspan="3" style="text-align: left;" | Prototypes
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| VK 45.01
| Henschel
| 28 July 1941
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Pz.Kpfw.'' VI ''Ausf.'' H1 (VK 4501)
| ''Wa Prüf'' 6{{efn|''Waffenamt Prüfwesen'' 6 – Panzer and Motorized Equipment Branch of the ''Heereswaffenamt'' (Army Weapons Department)}}
| 21 October 1941
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| VK 4501 (H)
| ''Wa J Rue'' (''WuG'' 6){{efn|''Wa J Ru-WuG 6—Panzerkraftwagen und Zugkraftwagenabteilung'' ("Tanks and Tractors Branch") of the ''Amtsgruppe fur Industrielle Rüstung—Waffen und Gerät'' ("Group for Weapons and Equipment Manufacture")}}
| 5 January 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Tiger H1 (VK 4501 – ''Aufbau fur'' 8,8&nbsp;cm ''Kw.K.Krupp-Turm'')
| ''Wa Prüf'' 6
| February 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|''Pz.Kpfw.'' VI (VK 4501/H ''Ausf.'' H1 (Tiger))
| ''Wa Prüf'' 6
| 2 March 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Pz.Kpfw.'' "Tiger" H
| Wa J Rue (WuG 6)
| 20 June 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Pz.Kpfw. VI<br />VK 4501 (H)<br />Tiger (H) Krupp-''Turm mit'' 8.8&nbsp;cm ''Kw.K.'' L/56 ''fur Ausf.'' H1
| ''Wa Prüf'' 6
| 1 July 1942
|-
! colspan="3" style="text-align: left;" | Production
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Panzerkampfwagen'' VI H (''Sd.Kfz.'' 182)
| ''KStN'' 1150d<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/KStN/KStN_1150d_15.8.1942.pdf |title=Table of Organisation, KStN 1150d |access-date=28 March 2010 |archive-date=9 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309073404/http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/KStN/KStN_1150d_15.8.1942.pdf |url-status=dead |website=sturmpanzer.net }}</ref>
| 15 August 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| Tiger I
| ''Wa Prüf'' 6
| 15 October 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Pz.Kpfw.'' VI H ''Ausf.'' H1 (Tiger H1)
| –
| 1 December 1942
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Panzerkampfwagen'' VI H ''Ausf.'' H1<br />''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf.'' E
| D656/21+ (Tank manual)
| March 1943
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Pz.Kpfw.'' Tiger (8,8&nbsp;cm L/56) (''Sd.Kfz.'' 181)
| ''KStN'' 1176e<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/KStN/KStN_1176e_1.11.1943.pdf |title=Table of Organisation, KStN 1176e |access-date=28 March 2010 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215612/http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/KStN/KStN_1176e_1.11.1943.pdf |url-status=dead |website=sturmpanzer.net }}</ref>
| 5 March 1943
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf.'' E (Sd.Kfz. 181)<br />''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf.'' E
| D656/22 (Tank manual)
| 7 September 1944
|}
Hitler's order, dated 27 February 1944, abolished the designation ''Panzerkampfwagen VI'' and ratified ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf.'' E, which was the official designation until the end of the war.<ref name="id3486.securedata.net" /> For common use it was frequently shortened to ''Tiger''.
{{clear}}<!-- The clr tag prevents the picture from running into the next section. Please keep it at the bottom of this section. -->

==Combat history==
===Gun and armour performance===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-022-2935-24, Russland, Treffer an Panzer VI (Tiger I).jpg|thumb|German soldiers inspect a non-penetrating hit to the Tiger's armour.]]

A report prepared by the ''Waffenamt-Prüfwesen'' 1 gave the calculated probability of perforation at range, on which various adversaries would be defeated reliably at a side angle of 30&nbsp;degrees to the incoming round.

The ''Wa Prüf'' report estimated that the Tiger's 88&nbsp;mm gun would be capable of penetrating the differential case of an American [[Engineering:M4 Sherman|M4 Sherman]] from {{convert|2100|m|mi|abbr=on}} and the turret front from {{convert|1800|m|mi|abbr=on}}, but the Tiger's 88&nbsp;mm gun would not penetrate the upper glacis plate at any range assuming a side angle of 30&nbsp;degrees. The M4 Sherman's 75&nbsp;mm gun would not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, and needed to be within {{cvt|100|m|ft|sigfig=1}} to achieve a side penetration against the 80&nbsp;mm upper hull superstructure. The Sherman's upgraded [[Engineering:76 mm gun M1|76&nbsp;mm gun]] might penetrate the Tiger's driver's front plate from {{cvt|600|m|ft}}, the nose from {{cvt|400|m|ft}} and the turret front from {{cvt|700|m|ft}}.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=19–20}} The M3 90&nbsp;mm cannon used as a towed anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun, and later mounted in the M36 tank destroyer and finally the late-war [[Engineering:M26 Pershing|M26 Pershing]], could penetrate the Tiger's front plate at a range of 1,000 m using standard ammunition, and from beyond {{cvt|2,000|m|ft}} when using HVAP.<ref>{{cite web |title=USA Guns 90mm calibre |website= gva.freeweb.hu |url=http://gva.freeweb.hu/weapons/usa_guns7.html |access-date=2010-04-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117182005/http://gva.freeweb.hu/weapons/usa_guns7.html |archive-date=17 January 2010 }}</ref> 
Soviet ground trial testing conducted in May 1943 determined that the 8.8&nbsp;cm KwK 36 gun could pierce the T-34/76 frontal beam nose from {{cvt|1500|m|ft}}, and the front hull from 1500&nbsp;m. A hit to the driver's hatch would force it to collapse inwards and break apart.{{sfn|Baryatinsky|2008|pp=29–30}}{{sfn|Kolomiets|2013|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=vS_CAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA92 92]}}{{Efn|The data used here is from the Soviet Military Intelligence Service. With the capture of an intact Tiger at Lake Ladoga the Soviets obtained data regarding the Tiger's technical and tactical capabilities. By test firing the 8.8&nbsp;cm gun against a T-34 hull, data was obtained that led to several improvements of the T-34 and development of the IS II as a new breakthrough tank. By increasing the thickness of the armour and mounting it with a very heavy 122 mm gun, the Soviet IS II became a very difficult tank to deal with.}} According to the Wa Prüf 1 report, the Soviet T-34-85's upper glacis and turret front armour would be defeated between {{convert|100|and|1400|m|mi|abbr=on}} at a side angle of 30 deg, while the T-34's 85&nbsp;mm gun was estimated to penetrate the front of a Tiger between {{convert|200|and|500|m|ft|abbr=on}} at a side angle of 30&nbsp;degrees to the incoming round.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=19–20}} Soviet testing showed that the 85&nbsp;mm gun could penetrate the front of a Tiger from {{convert|1000|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} with no side angle{{sfn|Bird|Livingston|2001|p={{page needed|date=January 2021}}}}

At a side impact angle of 30&nbsp;degrees the 120&nbsp;mm hull armour of the Soviet IS-2 model 1943 would be defeated between {{convert|100|and|300|m|ft|abbr=on}} at the driver's front plate and nose.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=19–20}} The IS-2's 122&nbsp;mm gun could penetrate the Tiger's front armour from between {{convert|1500|and|2500|m|mi|abbr=on}}, depending on the impact angle.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=19–20}}  However, according to Steven Zaloga, the IS-2 and Tiger I could each knock the other out in normal combat distances below 1,000 m.{{sfn|Zaloga|1994|p=12}} At longer ranges, the performance of each respective tank against each other was dependent on the crew and the combat situation.{{sfn|Zaloga|1994|p=13}}

The British [[Engineering:Churchill tank|Churchill Mk IV]] was vulnerable to the Tiger from the front at between {{convert|1100|and|1700|m|ft|abbr=on}} at a 30&nbsp;degrees side angle, its strongest point being the nose and its weakest the turret. According to an STT document dated April 1944, it was estimated that the British 76.2&nbsp;mm 17-pounder  (used as an anti-tank gun, on the Sherman Firefly tank, and self-propelled guns) firing its normal [[Engineering:APCBC|APCBC]] ammunition, would penetrate the turret front and driver's visor plate of the Tiger out to {{convert|1900|yd|m}}.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|pp=19–20}}

When engaging targets, Tiger crews were encouraged to angle the hull to the 10:30 or 1:30 [[Clock position|clock position]] (45&nbsp;degrees) relative to the target, an orientation referred to as the ''Mahlzeit Stellung''.{{efn|This roughly translates as "meal position", using 10:30 for breakfast time and 1:30 for lunch.<!-- Why would panzertruppen commonly wait until 10:30 and 1:30 for breakfast and lunch?  Any source to explain this? -->}} This would maximize the effective front hull armour to 180&nbsp;mm and side hull to 140&nbsp;mm, making the Tiger impervious to any Allied gun up to 152&nbsp;mm.<ref>{{cite book |title=Tigerfibel |date=1943 |pages=84–85 |url=https://archive.org/details/tigerfibel}}</ref>{{sfn|Bird|Livingston|2001|p=83}} The Tiger's lack of slope for its armour made angling the hull by manual means simple and effective, and unlike the lighter [[Engineering:Panzer IV|Panzer IV]] and Panther tanks, the Tiger's thick side armour gave a degree of confidence of immunity from flank attacks.{{cn|date=June 2024}} The tank was also immune to Soviet anti-tank rifle fire to the sides and rear. Its large calibre 8.8&nbsp;cm provided superior fragmentation and high explosive content over the 7.5&nbsp;cm KwK 42 gun. Therefore, comparing the Tiger with the Panther, for supporting the infantry and destroying fortifications, the Tiger offered superior firepower.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

{{blockquote| The destruction of an antitank gun was often accepted as nothing special by lay people and soldiers from other branches. Only the destruction of other tanks counted as a success. On the other hand, antitank guns counted twice as much to the experienced tanker. They were much more dangerous to us. The antitank cannon waited in ambush, well camouflaged, and magnificently set up in the terrain. Because of that, it was very difficult to identify. It was also very difficult to hit because of its low height. Usually, we didn't make out the antitank guns until they had fired the first shot. We were often hit right away, if the antitank crew was on top of things, because we had run into a wall of antitank guns. It was then advisable to keep as cool as possible and take care of the enemy, before the second aimed shot was fired. |author=Otto Carius (translated by Robert J. Edwards) |title=Tigers in the Mud{{sfn|Carius|2003|p=118}} }}

===First actions===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-554-0872-35, Tunesien, Panzer VI (Tiger I).jpg|thumb|left|A Tiger I deployed to supplement the [[Afrika Korps]] operating in Tunisia, January 1943]]
Eager to make use of the powerful new weapon, Hitler ordered the vehicle be pressed into service months earlier than had been planned.{{sfn|Guderian|1952|p=280}} A platoon of four Tigers went into action on 23 September 1942 near Leningrad.{{sfn|Showalter|2013|p=48}} Operating in swampy, forested terrain, their movement was largely confined to roads and tracks, making defence against them far easier. Many of these early models were plagued by problems with the transmission, which had difficulty handling the great weight of the vehicle if pushed too hard. It took time for drivers to learn how to avoid overtaxing the engine and transmission, and many broke down. The most significant event from this engagement was that one of the Tigers became stuck in swampy ground and had to be abandoned. Captured largely intact, it enabled the Soviets to study the design and prepare countermeasures.{{sfn|Glantz|2005|p=201}}{{sfn|Speer|1995|pp=335–336}}

[[File:Niemiecki czołg "Tiger" na ulicy Bolzano (2-2098).jpg|thumb|right|Tiger I tank on the streets of [[Bolzano]] Italy, September 1943]]
The 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion was deployed to the Don Front in the autumn of 1942, but arrived too late to participate in Operation Winter Storm, the attempt to relieve Stalingrad. It was subsequently engaged in heavy defensive fighting in the Rostov-on-Don and adjacent sectors in January and February 1943.

In the North African Campaign, the Tiger I first saw action during the Tunisian Campaign on 1 December 1942 east of Tebourba, when three Tigers attacked an olive grove {{cvt|5|km|mi}} west of Djedeida.{{sfn|Jentz|1996|p=13}} The thick olive grove made visibility very limited and enemy tanks were engaged at close range. The Tigers were hit by a number of [[Engineering:M3 Lee|M3 Lee]] tanks firing at a range of {{convert|80|to|100|m|ft}}. Two of the Lees were knocked out in this action, while the Tiger tanks provided effective protection from enemy fire, which greatly increased the crews' trust in the quality of the armour.{{sfn|Jentz|1996|p=13}} The first loss to an Allied gun was on 20 January 1943 near Robaa,{{sfn|Schneider|2004|p=43}} when a battery of the British 72nd Anti-Tank Regiment knocked out a Tiger with their 6-pounder (57 mm) anti-tank guns. Seven Tigers were immobilised by mines during the failed attack on Béja during Operation Ochsenkopf at the end of February.{{sfn|Schneider|2004|p=44}}

===Later actions===

In July 1943, two heavy tank battalions (503rd and 505th) took part in Operation Citadel, including the Battle of Kursk, with one battalion each on the northern (505th) and southern (503rd) flanks of the Kursk [[Social:Salient (military)|salient]] the operation was designed to encircle. Although the Tiger often proved dominating, when it saw action, the operation ultimately failed and the Germans were again put on the defensive. The resulting withdrawal led to the loss of many broken-down Tigers which had to be abandoned, with battalions unable to perform required maintenance or repairs.{{sfn|Forty|2009|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=LsxJHQFbPSgC&pg=PA51 47–50]}}

On 11 April 1945, a Tiger I destroyed three M4 Sherman tanks and an [[Engineering:Armored car (military)|armoured car]] advancing on a road{{where|date=July 2023}}.{{sfn|Schneider|2005}} On 12 April, a Tiger I (F02) destroyed two Comet tanks, one half-track and one scout car.{{sfn|Schneider|2005}} This Tiger I was destroyed by a Comet tank of A Squadron of the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment on the next day without infantry support.{{sfn|Schneider|2005}}

===Mobility and reliability <span class="anchor" id="Mobility"></span>===
{{Panzer operational levels}}
[[File:Punkt obsługi niemieckich czołgów na froncie pod Nettuno - Anzio (2-2177).jpg|thumb|left|A camouflaged Tiger I and several other vehicles at a field repair point during the Anzio-Nettuno operation in 1943.]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-024-3536-28, Kreta, Panzer VI (Tiger I), Reparatur.jpg|thumb|A Tiger undergoing engine repairs]]
The tank's weight significantly limited its use of bridges. For this reason, the Tiger was built with water-tight hatches and a [[Engineering:Submarine snorkel|snorkel]] device that allowed it to [[Earth:Ford (crossing)|ford]] water obstacles four metres deep. The tank's weight also made driving through buildings risky, as the presence of a cellar could result in a sudden drop. Due to reliability problems with the Maybach HL 210 TRM P45, which was delivered within the first production batch of 250 Tigers, performance for its maximum power output at high gear ratio could not be fulfilled.<ref name="alanhamby.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.alanhamby.com/maybach.shtml |title=The Maybach Engine |work=Tiger I Information Center}}</ref> Though the Maybach engines had a maximum of 3,000&nbsp;rpm, crews were told in the ''Tigerfibel'' not to exceed 2,600&nbsp;rpm. The engine limitation was alleviated only by the adoption of the Maybach HL 230.<ref name="alanhamby.com"/> The turret could also be traversed manually, but this option was rarely used, except when the engine was turned off or sometimes for very small adjustments.{{sfn|Carruthers|2013}}

Early Tigers had a top speed of about {{convert|45|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} over optimal terrain. This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. An engine governor was subsequently installed, capping the engine at 2,600&nbsp;rpm and the Tiger's maximum speed to about {{convert|38|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. Tiger crews report that typical march speed off-road was {{cvt|10|km/h|mph}}.{{sfn|Lochmann|Rubbel|2000|p=22}} However, medium tanks of the time, such as the Sherman or T-34, had on average a top speed of about {{convert|45|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}. Thus, despite the Tiger being nearly twice as heavy, its speed was comparatively respectable.{{sfn|Carruthers|2013}} With the tank's very wide tracks, a design feature borrowed from the Soviet T-34, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure than many smaller tanks, such as the M4 Sherman.

The first production series Tiger Fgst Nr 250001 with Motor Nr 46052 was only run-in for {{cvt|25|km|mi}} by Henschel before being sent to Kummersdorf for testing. During a test drive on 28 May 1942, with only 52&nbsp;km on the odometer, a blockage occurred in the steering gear. This Tiger quickly went through the original and two replacement engines (Motor Nr 46051 from July 1st to 3rd, Motor Nr 46065 from 6 to 8 July) and was fitted with a fourth motor, Nr 46066, after 13 July. By 3 August 1942, this Tiger had covered a total of {{cvt|1046|km|mi}} by 31 March 1943 a total of {{cvt|5623|km|mi}} and by 31 July 1943 a total of {{cvt|7736|km|mi}}.These figures clearly demonstrate that once the Tiger had overcome its teething troubles, it could withstand a lot of purposefully administered abuse during test programmes.{{sfn|Jentz|Doyle|1993|p= 18}}

The ''sPzAbt 501'' noted in Combat Report No.6 dated 3 May 1943:

{{blockquote|Regarding the overheating engines, the HL 210 engine caused no troubles during the recent time. All occurring breakdowns resulted from the low quality of driver training. In several cases engine failures have to be put down to the missing remote engine thermometer. Five engines have reached more than {{cvt|3000|km|mi}} without essential failures. A good driver is essential for the successful deployment of the Tiger, he must have a good technical training and has to keep his nerve in critical situations…{{sfn|Anderson|2017|p=56}} <ref>{{Cite web | title=Technischer Bericht über den Einsatz des "Tigers" in Tunisien Nr. 6 |date=3 May 1943 |lang=de |page=2 | url=https://www.panzer-elmito.org/tanques/tiger_i/documentos/Tiger-I_s_Pz_Abt_501_002.jpg | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104083111/https://www.panzer-elmito.org/tanques/tiger_i/documentos/Tiger-I_s_Pz_Abt_501_002.jpg | archive-date=2022-01-04}}</ref>}}

{{blockquote|…The most remarkable aspect of the recent combat was that the Tiger could still be deployed after covering a {{cvt|400|km|mi}} run… This proved that the Tiger can easily keep pace with lighter tanks. Nobody expected this.{{sfn|Anderson|2017|p=61}}<ref>{{Cite web | title=Technischer Bericht über den Einsatz des "Tigers" in Tunisien Nr. 6 |date=3 May 1943 |lang=de  |page=1 | url=https://www.panzer-elmito.org/tanques/tiger_i/documentos/Tiger-I_s_Pz_Abt_501_001.jpg | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104083111/https://www.panzer-elmito.org/tanques/tiger_i/documentos/Tiger-I_s_Pz_Abt_501_001.jpg | archive-date=2022-01-04}}</ref> }}

The ''13.(Tiger) Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland'' reported on their experience in employing the Tiger from 7 to 19 March 1943:

{{blockquote|With the exception of known childhood diseases, the Pz.Kpfw. VI has proven itself to be good. Already, it can be said that its reliability is superior to the Pz.Kpfw.III and IV. When routine care and maintenance are accomplished (that means one day for maintenance for three days in action), even the way it is now, the Tiger can achieve exceptional success.{{sfn|Jentz|1996|p=39}} }}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-022-2926-11A, Russland, Abschleppen eines Tiger I.jpg|thumb|Tiger I towed by two [[Sd.Kfz. 9]]]]
Tiger I tanks needed a high degree of support. It required two or sometimes three of the standard German Sd.Kfz. 9 ''Famo'' heavy recovery half-track tractors to tow it. Tiger crews often resorted to using another Tiger to tow the damaged vehicle, but this was not recommended as it often caused overheating and engine breakdown. The low-mounted sprocket limited the obstacle clearance height. The tracks also had a tendency to override the rear sprocket, resulting in immobilisation. If a track overrode and jammed, two Tigers were normally needed to tow the tank. The jammed track was also a big problem itself, since due to high tension, it was often impossible to split the track by removing the track pins. The track sometimes had to be blown apart with a small explosive charge.

The average reliability of the Tiger tank in the second half of 1943 was similar to that of the Panther, 36%, compared to the 48% of the [[Engineering:Panzer IV|Panzer IV]] and the 65% of the StuG III.{{sfn|Zaloga|2015|p=202}} From May 1944 to March 1945, the reliability of the Tiger tank was comparable to the Panzer IV. With an average of 70%, the Tiger's operational availability on the Western Front, was better than 62% of Panthers. On the Eastern Front, 65% of Tigers were operationally available, compared to the 71% of Panzer IVs and 65% of Panthers.{{sfn|Fletcher|2011|p=139}}{{sfn|Jentz|1996|pp=202, 230}}

===Tactical organization===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-022-2935-18A, Russland, getarnter Panzer VI "Tiger I".jpg|thumb|right|A Tiger I camouflaged in a static defensive position]]

Tigers were usually employed in separate heavy tank battalions (''schwere Panzer-Abteilung'') under army command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counter-attacks. A few favoured divisions, such as the ''Grossdeutschland'', and the 1st SS ''Leibstandarte'' Adolf Hitler, 2nd SS ''Das Reich'', and 3rd SS ''Totenkopf'' Panzergrenadier Divisions at Kursk, had a Tiger company in their tank regiments. The ''Grossdeutschland'' Division had its Tiger company increased to a battalion as the III Panzer Battalion of the Panzer Regiment ''Grossdeutschland''. 3rd SS ''Totenkopf'' retained its Tiger I company through the entire war. 1st SS and 2nd SS had their Tiger companies taken away and incorporated into the 101st SS Tiger Battalion, which was part of 1st SS Panzer Corps.{{sfn|Wilbeck|2004|pp=25, 99}}

The Tiger was originally designed to be an offensive breakthrough weapon, but by the time it went into action, the military situation had changed dramatically, and its main use was on the defensive, as a mobile anti-tank and infantry gun support weapon.{{sfn|Wilbeck|2004|pp=25, 99}} Tactically, this also meant moving the Tiger units constantly to parry breakthroughs, causing excessive mechanical wear. As a result, Tiger battalions rarely entered combat at full strength.

==Allied response==
===British response===
[[File:M26 Killer.jpg|thumb|Tiger I that knocked out the first [[Engineering:M26 Pershing|M26 Pershing]] in combat. It then backed into a pile of rubble and became stuck, leading to the crew abandoning it.]]
The British had observed the gradual increase in German AFV armour and firepower since 1940 and had anticipated the need for more powerful anti-tank guns. Work on the 76.2&nbsp;mm calibre Ordnance QF 17 pounder had begun in late 1940 and in 1942 100 early-production guns were rushed to North Africa to help counter the new Tiger threat. The gun carriage had not yet been developed, and the guns were mounted on the carriages of 25-pounder gun-howitzers and were known by the code name "Pheasant".

Efforts were hastened to get [[Engineering:Cruiser tank|cruiser tank]]s armed with 17-pounder guns into operation. The Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger (A30) was already at the prototype stage in 1942,<ref>{{cite web |publisher=David Boyd |url=http://www.wwiiequipment.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75:17-pounder-anti-tank-gun&catid=40:anti-tank&Itemid=58 |title=The 17 Pounder Anti-Tank Gun |website=WWIIEquipment.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004041316/http://www.wwiiequipment.com/17pounder.aspx |archive-date=4 October 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> but this tank had relatively weaker armor with a front hull thickness of 64&nbsp;mm. In the end, it was produced and deployed in limited numbers (around 200 were ordered in 1943), though crews liked it for its high speed. The extemporised Sherman Firefly, armed with the 17-pounder, proved to be an excellent anti-tank weapon, but the gun lacked general-purpose capability until later in the war. Fireflies were successfully used against Tigers; in one engagement, a single Firefly destroyed three Tigers in 12 minutes with five rounds.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tout |first=Ken |title=A Fine Night for Tanks: The Road to Falaise |publisher=Sutton |location=Stroud |year=2002 |isbn=0-7509-3189-2}}</ref> Sherman Fireflies were deployed one per troop of four 75mm armed standard Shermans. The Germans learned to target Fireflies, so the gun barrel of the Firefly was painted to disguise its length, resembling the M3 75mm gun. This was partially effective.{{Sfn|Hart|2007|p=65}} Over 2,000 Fireflies were built during the war. Five different 17-pounder-armed British designs saw combat during the war: the Challenger, the A34 Comet (using the related QF 77mm HV), the Sherman Firefly, the 17pdr SP Achilles (up-gunned M10 GMC), and the 17pdr SP Archer self-propelled gun, while one more, the A41 Centurion, was about to enter service as the European war ended. In 1944 the British introduced an [[Engineering:Armour-piercing discarding sabot|APDS]] round for the 17-pounder, which increased penetration performance considerably.

===Soviet response===
[[File:Zhukov at the Tiger tank.jpg|thumb|left|Marshal [[Georgy Zhukov]] inspecting a Tiger captured by the Red Army in 1943]]
The first Tiger tank was captured by Soviet troops in January 1943 on the Volkhov Front.<ref>В. К. Кедров. О захвате войсками Волховского фронта в январе 1943 г. экспериментального образца тяжелого танка «Тигр» № 1 // «Военно-исторический журнал», № 10, 1971. стр.124</ref>

Initially, the Soviets responded to the Tiger I by restarting production of the [[Engineering:57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2)|57&nbsp;mm ZiS-2]] anti-tank gun (production was stopped in 1941 in favour of cheaper and more versatile alternatives – e.g. the ZiS-3 – as the gun's performance was excessive for early German armour). The ZiS-2 had better armour penetration than the 76&nbsp;mm F-34 tank gun used by most Red Army tanks, or the ZiS-3 76&nbsp;mm divisional cannon, but was still inadequate against Tigers. A small number of T-34s were again fitted with a tank version of the ZiS-2, the ZiS-4, but it could not fire an adequate high-explosive round, making it an unsuitable tank gun.

Firing trials of the new 85 mm D-5T also had proved disappointing. Several captured German Tiger I tanks were shipped to Chelyabinsk, where they were subjected to 85&nbsp;mm fire from various angles. The 85&nbsp;mm gun could not reliably penetrate the Tiger I's armour except at ranges within the lethal envelope of the Tiger I's own 88&nbsp;mm gun.{{sfn|Zaloga|1994|pages=6–7}} It was still initially used on the [[Engineering:SU-85|SU-85]] self-propelled gun (based on a T-34 chassis) from August 1943. The production of KV heavy tanks armed with the 85&nbsp;mm D-5T in an IS-85 turret was also started. There was a short production run of 148 KV-85 tanks, which were sent to the front beginning in September 1943 with production ending by December 1943.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boldyrev|first1=Eugeni|date=18 September 2001 |title=KV-85 Heavy Tank |url=http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/25-kv-85.html |website=The Russian Battlefield |access-date=20 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120955/http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/25-kv-85.html |archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> By early 1944, the T-34/85 appeared; this up-gunned T-34 matched the SU-85's firepower, but with the advantage of mounting the gun in a turret. It also matched the firepower of the heavier IS-85 tank in a more cost-effective package, resulting in a repetition of the events which heralded the decline of KV-1 production. The IS was subsequently rearmed with the 122&nbsp;mm D-25T, which with BR–471 AP rounds was capable of punching through the Tiger's armour from 1,200 m,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Potapov |first1=Valeri |title=Development History of the JS-1/JS-2 |website=The Russian Battlefield |url=http://www.battlefield.ru/is2_1.html |access-date=21 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050907211847/http://www.battlefield.ru/is2_1.html |archive-date=7 September 2005 }}</ref> and with the improved BR–471B APHEBC rounds at over 2,000 m.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.battlefield.ru/tank-armament/79-specification-and-armor-penetration.html |last=Potapov |first=Valeri |date=19 September 2011 |title=Specification and Armor Penetration of the Soviet Tank Guns |website=The Russian Battlefield |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702162033/http://english.battlefield.ru/tank-armament/79-specification-and-armor-penetration.html |archive-date=2016-07-02}}</ref>{{efn|The Br-471B projectile was ordered in early 1945, but arrived too late to be issued for combat in Europe.{{sfn|Higgins|2012|p=26}} }} The redundant SU-85 was replaced by the [[Engineering:SU-100|SU-100]], mounting a 100&nbsp;mm [[Engineering:D-10 tank gun|D-10 tank gun]], that could penetrate 149&nbsp;mm of vertical armour plate at 1,000 m.{{sfn|Zaloga|1994|p=225}}

In May 1943, the Red Army deployed the [[Engineering:SU-152|SU-152]], which was replaced in 1944 by the [[Engineering:ISU-152|ISU-152]]. Both these self-propelled guns mounted the large 152&nbsp;mm howitzer-gun. The SU-152 was intended to be a close-support gun for use against German fortifications rather than armour; however, it shared with the later fielded ISU-152 the nickname ''Zveroboy'' ("beast killer") for its rare ability to knock out German heavy tanks. {{Original research inline|date=November 2022}} The 152&nbsp;mm armour-piercing shells weighed over {{convert|45|kg|lb|0}} and could penetrate a Tiger's frontal armour from about {{convert|1000|m|yd|-2}}. Its high-explosive rounds would destroy anything that was attached to the outside of the tank, and had a knack for immobilizing any tank it hit.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022} hat at certain points it could knock off the turrets of the Tiger series. However, the size and weight of the ammunition meant both vehicles had a low rate of fire.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}} 
===US response===
[[File:TigerITankTunis.jpg|thumb|Tiger 712 captured by US forces in [[Tunis]], 1943.]]
The US Army hesitated to place 76&nbsp;mm M1 guns in action even when they were already available, as combat through early 1944 indicated that the 75&nbsp;mm M3 was more than adequate for handling the German tank threat.{{sfn|Zaloga|2003|p=13}} This conclusion was partly based on the correct estimate that Tigers would be encountered in relatively small numbers, and on the assumption that anti-tank gun-fire (as in Tunisia and Sicily) rather than tanks could knock them out.{{sfn|Zaloga|2003|p=14}} But as early as 1942, the US was already planning and testing the rearming of the M4 Sherman with the 76mm gun, expecting to encounter heavier German armor later in the war.

==Operators==
*{{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}} – main operator
*{{flag|Kingdom of Hungary (1920–46)|name=Hungary}} – 13-15 examples given by Germany{{sfn|Kliment|Bernád|2007|p={{page needed|date=January 2021}}|ps=. (n.b.- The source mentions that perhaps 15 vehicles had been delivered but only 13 are accounted for in the Hungarian Army sources.)}} in 1944 to the First Hungarian Army fighting under German command on the Eastern Front. A lack of repair capabilities led to the destruction of most of the tanks. 3 damaged Tigers were sent back to Germany.{{sfn|Mujzer|2018}}
Captured:
*{{flag|France|1794}} – used captured Tigers in the Saint Nazaire salient and the Allied offensive into Germany<ref>{{cite web |title=CHAR TIGER I E |website=chars-francais.net |url=http://www.chars-francais.net/2015/index.php/engins-blindes/chars?task=view&id=52}}</ref>
*{{flagcountry|Kingdom of Romania}} – two (lacking fuel) captured in August 1944 after King Michael's Coup, but were immediately confiscated by the Soviets.{{sfn|Axworthy|1995|p=221}}

==Surviving vehicles==
===Running===
{{Main|Engineering:Tiger 131}}

[[File:Tiger 131 (7527948486).jpg|thumb|[[Engineering:Tiger 131|Tiger 131]], Bovington Tank Museum, United Kingdom]]

On 21 April 1943, a Tiger I of the 504th German heavy tank battalion, with [[Engineering:Tiger 131|turret number 131]], was captured on a hill called Djebel Djaffa in Tunisia. A 6-pounder solid shot from a Churchill tank of the British 48th Royal Tank Regiment hit the Tiger's gun barrel and ricocheted into its turret ring, jamming its traverse and wounding the commander. The crew bailed out and the tank was captured.{{efn|The conservators have kept the damage caused by the ricochet unpainted; it can be observed at the Bovington Tank museum.}}{{sfn|Carruthers|2000}} After repairs, the tank was sent to England for a thorough inspection.

The captured tank was officially handed over to the Bovington Tank Museum by the British Ministry of Supply on 25 September 1951. In June 1990, the tank was removed from display at the museum and work began on its restoration. This was carried out both by the museum and the Army Base Repair Organisation and involved an almost complete disassembly of the tank. The Maybach HL230 engine from the museum's Tiger II was installed (the Tiger's original Maybach HL210 had been sectioned for display<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal41.htm |title=Why We Are Using The HL230 Engine |website=Our Tiger – Tiger 131 |publisher=The Tank Museum |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518093207/http://www.tiger-tank.com/secure/journal41.htm |archive-date=2016-05-18}}</ref>), along with a modern fire-suppressant system in the engine compartment. In December 2003, Tiger 131 returned to the museum, restored and in running condition. This Tiger was used in the film ''Fury'', the first time an original, fully mechanically operable Tiger I has appeared in a movie since World War II.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-24987676 |title='Last' WW2 Tiger tank to be used in Brad Pitt film |publisher=BBC News |date=18 November 2013}}</ref> The fire suppression system was removed as it interfered with engine maintenance and was too obtrusive.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tank Museum David Willey – podcast 194|website=We have ways of making you talk|date=8 October 2020|url=https://wehavewayspod.com/ep-194-tiger-tank/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925235959/https://wehavewayspod.com/ep-194-tiger-tank/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=25 September 2021|access-date=27 January 2022}}</ref>

===Others===
Given the low number of just over 1,300 Tiger Is produced during World War II, very few survived the war and the subsequent post-war scrapping drives. According to the memoirs of the veterans of the Kubinka training ground, dozens of captured Tigers were used in the USSR as targets in the 50s, and then were sent to the Stalingrad plant for smelting.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=WW2 Relic Hunting (Eastern front) |url=https://paris33.org/guide/ww2-relic-hunting/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=WW1 - WW2 battlefields Eastern Front |language=en-US}}</ref> The Tiger, preserved in the Lenino-Snegiri Museum, was used as a target at the Nakhabino engineering range and survived. Many large components have been salvaged over the years, but the discovery of a more or less and generally complete vehicle has so far eluded armour enthusiasts and tank collectors. In addition to Tiger 131, nine other Tiger I tanks survive:

* Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France. Indoor exhibit in good condition. Mid-production (1944) version with overlapping 'steel'-type roadwheels adopted from the Tiger II and fitted with the narrow transport tracks. This Tiger was part of the 2nd company of the SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 102 which fought in the Cauville sector and was later abandoned by her crew after a mechanical breakdown. She was recommissioned as ''Colmar'' with the 2nd squadron of the Free French 6th Cuirassier Regiment and joined the new unit in fighting all the way back to Germany. In late 2023, the museum initiated a crowdfunding campaign<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aidez le Tigre à rugir de nouveau!|url=https://fr.ulule.com/restauration-tigre-1/ |website=Ulele |language=fr}}</ref> to restore it to running status. As the crowdfunding campaign was successful, the tank is now, as of early 2024, under restoration by the museum and is expected to return to running status soon.<ref>{{Cite web |title= open heart tiger: Restoration and Evolving Exhibition|url=https://www.museedesblindes.fr/en/news-the-museum-of-armored-de-Saumur/item/tiger-with-open-heart |website=Musée des Blindés|language=en |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240304182952/https://www.museedesblindes.fr/en/news-the-museum-of-armored-de-Saumur/item/tiger-with-open-heart|archive-date=2024-03-04}}</ref>
* Kubinka Tank Museum in [[Place:Moscow|Moscow]], Russia. In good condition; displayed as an indoor exhibit (although the outermost row of four roadwheels is missing on this vehicle).
* Tiger 712 (hull number 250031) of the 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion was captured in North Africa in May 1943 and is a part of the United States Army Armor & Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, Georgia. In good condition; formerly displayed outdoors, it has since been moved indoors. This vehicle had its left turret and upper-hull sides partially cutaway in 1946 for instructional and display purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection |url=https://twitter.com/ArmorCollection/status/1432434940399001607 |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=Twitter |language=en}}</ref>
* Mr Hoebig, a private collector – Long Island, New York, United States. The "Hoebig Tiger" (marked as 231) is a Tiger reconstructed by Hoebig from various components sourced from the Trun Scrapyard in Normandy,<ref>{{cite web|title=Un char Tigre Allemand reconstruit avec des pièces de la poche de Falaise-Chambois|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/normandie/alencon-61000/un-char-tigre-allemand-reconstruit-avec-des-pieces-de-la-poche-de-falaise-chambois-142108|work=Ouest-France.fr|date=15 March 2013 }}</ref> with the wheels and gun coming from Kurland (in Latvia). Prior to December 2016, it was on display at the German Panzer Museum in Munster.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.panzermuseum-munster.de/home/aktuelles/detail/article/die-schwerste-katze-aller-zeiten.html |title=Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster: Die schwerste Katze aller Zeiten<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=5 March 2013 |archive-date=12 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130312040908/http://www.panzermuseum-munster.de/home/aktuelles/detail/article/die-schwerste-katze-aller-zeiten.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 
*"Hoebig Second Tiger". Put together from a Russian scrapped chassis and various other found parts. This is non-running late model Tiger, the second built by Hoebig, construction starting in 2012. It was first displayed at Militracks in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PanzerPlaceEU |date=2023-05-18 |title=Militracks Mystery Tiger: What We Know {{!}} PanzerPlace |url=https://panzerplace.eu/militracks-mystery-tiger-what-we-know/ |access-date=2023-05-19 |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
<gallery mode="packed">
File:TigerI Saumur.jpg|Tiger ''Colmar'' in the ''Musée des Blindés'' in Saumur, France
File:Vimoutiers (Orne-France) - Char Tigre allemand b.jpg|The [[Engineering:Vimoutiers Tiger tank|Vimoutiers Tiger tank]] in Vimoutiers in Normandy, France
File:Pz.Kpfw. Vl Ausf.H in Snegiri.JPG|Badly damaged Tiger on display in the Lenino-Snegiri Military-Historical Museum, Russia
File:Pz.Kpfw VI in the Kubinka Museum.jpg|In Kubinka Tank Museum, Russia
File:Tiger I 29 April 2023 US Armor Cav Coll.jpg|Tiger 712 on display at the U.S. Army Armor & Cavalry Collection, Fort Moore, Georgia, showing the cutaway sections of the left hull and turret.
</gallery>

==Tanks of comparable role, performance and era==
* Soviet KV-1 and [[Engineering:IS tank family|IS-2]]
* American [[Engineering:M26 Pershing|M26 Pershing]] and [[Engineering:M4 Sherman variants|M4A3E2 Sherman assault tank]]
* British [[Engineering:Churchill tank|Churchill tank]]

==See also==
* [[Engineering:List of WWII Maybach engines|List of WWII Maybach engines]]
*''[[Engineering:Grosstraktor|Grosstraktor]]''

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
===Citations===
{{reflist | colwidth = 25em }}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin|60em}}
* {{cite book |last=Agte |first=Patrick |year=2006 |title=Michael Wittmann and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte in WWII |volume=1 |publisher=Stackpole Books |location=Mechanicsburg, PA |isbn=978-0-8117-3334-2}}
* {{cite book | first = Thomas | last = Anderson | title=Tiger | year = 2013 | publisher=Osprey Publishing | isbn=978-1-78096-201-6 }}
* {{cite book | first = Thomas | last = Anderson | title=Tiger | year = 2017 | publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-47282-204-8 }}
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* {{cite book|last1=Axworthy |first1=Mark |last2=Scafeș |first2=Cornel |last3=Craciuniou |first3=Cristian |ref={{harvid|Axworthy|1995}}|title=Third Axis, Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War, 1941-45 |place=London |publisher=Arms and Armour Press |date=1995 |isbn=1-85409-267-7}}
* {{cite book | last = Baryatinsky | first = Mikhail | title = The T-34 in Combat | year = 2008 | publisher = Jauza, Moscow | isbn = 978-5-699-26709-5 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Bird |first1=Lorrin Rexford |last2=Livingston |first2=Robert D. |year=2001 |title=World War II Ballistics – Armor and Gunnery |location=Albany, NY |publisher=Overmatch Press |oclc=71143143}}
* {{cite book | last = Bishop | first = Chris | title = The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II | year = 2002 | publisher = Metrobooks | location = London | chapter = 1 |isbn = 1-58663-762-2 }}
* {{cite book | last = Carius | first = Otto | year = 2003 | translator-last= Edwards | translator-first=Robert J. | title = Tigers in the Mud – The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander Otto Carius | publisher = Stackpole Books | isbn = 978-0-8117-2911-6 }}
* {{cite book |last = Carruthers | first = Bob | title = German Tanks at War | publisher = Cassell | location = London | year = 2000 | isbn = 978-0-304-35394-1 }}
* {{cite book | last = Carruthers | first = Bob | year = 2013 | title=Tiger I in Combat | publisher=Coda Books Ltd. | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xppl3sDQWtkC&q=slow+traverse+of+the+hydraulically-operated&pg=PT59 | isbn= 978-1-78159-129-1 }}
* {{cite book |last=Crawford |first=John |date=2000 |title=Kia Kaha: New Zealand in the Second World War |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Auckland |isbn=978-0-19558-438-7}}
* {{cite book | last1 = Drabkin | first1 = Artem | last2 = Sheremet | first2 = Oleg | year = 2006 | title = T-34 in action. | location = Barnsley (S-Y) | publisher = Pen & Sword Military | isbn = 1-84415-243-X }}
* {{cite book | last=Fletcher | first=David | year=2011 |title=Tiger Tank: Owners' Workshop Manual | publisher=Haynes Publishing | isbn=978-0-7603-4078-3 }}
* {{cite book | last=Forty | first=George | year=2004 |title=Villers Bocage. Battle Zone Normandy | publisher=Sutton Publishing | isbn=0-7509-3012-8 }}
* {{cite book |last=Forty |first=George |year=2009 |title=Tiger Tank Battalions in World War II |publisher=Zenith Imprint |isbn=978-1616732622 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LsxJHQFbPSgC}}
* {{cite book | last=Glantz| first=David |year=2005 |title=Colossus Reborn : the Red Army at War : 1941–1943 |location=Lawrence |publisher=University of Kansas Press |isbn=0-7006-1353-6 }}
* {{cite book | last1 = Green | first1 = Michael | last2 = Brown | first2 = James D. | title = Tiger Tanks at War | location = St. Paul, MN | publisher = Zenith Press | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-0-7603-3112-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1gbrYELbT4C}}
* {{cite book |last=Guderian |first=Heinz |title=Panzer Leader |location=New York |publisher=Da Capo Press |year=1952 |edition=Reissue edition, 2001 }}
* {{cite book | last = Hart | first = Stephen | year = 2007 | title = Sherman Firefly vs Tiger: Normandy 1944 | publisher = Osprey Publishing | location = Reading | isbn = 978-1-84603-150-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Higgins |first=David R. |year=2012 |title=King Tiger Vs IS-2: Operation Solstice 1945 |location=Oxford |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-84908-863-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Hunnicutt |first=Richard Pearce |year=1971 |title=Pershing: A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series |location=Navato, CA |publisher=Presidio Press |isbn=0-98219-070-0 }}
* {{cite book | last = Jentz | first = Thomas | year = 1996 | title = Panzertruppen 2: The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943–1945 | publisher = Schiffer | isbn = 978-0-7643-0080-6 }}
* {{cite book | last1 = Jentz | first1 = Tom | year = 1993 | last2 = Doyle | first2=Hilary | others = illustrated by Peter Sarson | title = Tiger 1 Heavy Tank 1942–45 | publisher = Osprey | isbn = 978-1-85532-337-7 }}
* {{cite book | last = Jentz | first = Tom | year = 1997 | author2 = Doyle, Hilary | title = Germany's Tiger Tanks: Tiger I & II : Combat Tactics | publisher = Schiffer Publishing | isbn = 978-0-7643-0225-1 }}
* {{cite book | last1 = Jentz | first1 = Tom | year = 2000 | last2 = Doyle | first2=Hilary | title = Germany's Tiger tanks D.W. to Tiger 1 | publisher = Schiffer | isbn = 978-0-76431-038-6 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Kliment |first1= C. K. |last2=Bernád |first2=D. |year=2007 |title=Maďarská armáda 1919–1945 |location=Praha : Ares |publisher=Naše vojsko |isbn=978-8-0861-5850-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Kolomiets |first=Maxim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vS_CAgAAQBAJ |script-title=ru:"Тигры" на Огненной Дуге |trans-title=Tiger Tierra del Arc |publisher=KM Strategy |date=2013 |isbn=978-5-699-65932-6 |language=ru |title="Тигры" на Огненной Дуге }}
* {{cite book | last1 = Lochmann | first1 = Franz-Wilhelm | year = 2000 | first2 = Alfred |last2=Rubbel| title = Combat History of German Tiger Tank Battalion 503 | publisher = Stackpole Books | location = Mechanicsburg, PA | isbn = 978-0-8117-3484-4 }}
* {{Cite journal|last=Mujzer|first=Péter|date=2018|title=A 2. páncéloshadosztály hadműveletei Galíciában, 1944-ben II. rész|journal=Haditechnika|volume=52|issue=3|pages=2–6 |doi=10.23713/HT.52.1.01 |url=http://real.mtak.hu/74650|url-access=subscription|doi-access=free}}
* {{cite book | last = Perrett | first = Bryan | year = 1999 | title = Panzerkampfwagen IV medium tank : 1936–1945 | publisher = Osprey | location = Oxford, United Kingdom | isbn = 978-1-85532-843-3 }}
* {{cite book |last=Pirker |first=Peter |year=2012 |title=Suberversion deutscher Herrschaft. Der britische Geheimdienst SOE und Österreich |series=Zeitgeschichte im Kontext |volume=6 |location=Göttingen |publisher=V & R Unipress |isbn=978-3-8623-4990-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Schneider |first=Wolfgang |year=2004 |title=Tigers in Combat I |publisher=Stackpole Books |edition=2nd |orig-year=First published 2000 by J.J. Fedorowicz; Winnipeg, Canada |location=Mechanicsburg, PA |isbn=0-8117-3171-5}}
* {{cite book |last=Schneider |first=Wolfgang |year=2005 |title=Tigers in Combat II |publisher=Stackpole Books |orig-year=originally published 1998 by J.J. Fedorowicz; Winnipeg, Canada |location=Mechanicsburg, PA |isbn=0-8117-3203-7}}
* {{cite book | last=Showalter | first=Dennis E | year=2013 | title=Armor and Blood : the Battle of Kursk, the turning point of World War II | location=New York | publisher=Random House }}
* {{cite book |last=Speer |first=Albert |date=1995 |title=Inside the Third Reich |publisher=Weidenfeld & Nicolson |location=London |isbn=978-1-84212-735-3}}
* {{cite book | last1 = Spielberger |first1= Walter |last2= Doyle |first2= Hilary |date=2007 |title=Tigers I and II and their variants |location = Pennsylvania |publisher= Schiffer Publishing Ltd |isbn=978-0-7643-2780-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Trewhitt |first=Philip A. |date=1999 |title=Armored Fighting Vehicles |publisher=Barnes & Noble |isbn=978-0-76071-260-3}}
* {{cite book | last=Tucker-Jones | first=Anthony | title=Tiger I and Tiger II|year=2012|publisher=Pen & Sword Military | location=Barnsley | chapter=Introduction | isbn=978-1-78159-030-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=White |first=B. T. |year=1986 |title=German Tanks and Armoured Vehicles, 1914–1945 |location=London |publisher=Ian Allan |oclc=1004801202}}
* {{cite book |last=Wilbeck |first=Christopher |year=2004 |title=Sledgehammers: Strengths and Flaws of Tiger Tank Battalions in World War II |publisher=The Aberjona Press |location=Bedford, PA |isbn=978-0-9717650-2-3}}
* {{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven | title = IS-2 Heavy Tank 1944–73 | date= 1994 | publisher = Osprey | isbn= 978-1-85532-396-4 }}
* {{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven | year = 2003 | title = M4 (76mm) Medium Tank 1943–65 | publisher = Osprey | isbn = 1-84176-542-2 |series=New Vanguard }}
* {{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven | year = 2005 | title = US Anti-Tank Artillery 1941–45 | publisher = Osprey | isbn = 1-84176-690-9 |series=New Vanguard }}
* {{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven | year = 2007 | title = Japanese Tanks 1939–45 | publisher = Osprey | isbn = 978-1-84603-091-8 |series=New Vanguard }}
* {{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven | year = 2015 | title = Armored Champion: The Top Tanks of World War II |location = Mechanicsburg, PA | publisher = Stackpole Books |isbn = 978-0-8117-1437-2 }}
* {{cite book | last = Zetterling | first = Niklas | year = 2000 | title = Kursk 1943: a statistical analysis | publisher = Frank Cass | location = London | isbn = 978-0-7146-5052-4 }}
* {{cite book | last1 = Jentz | first1 = Thomas | last2 = Doyle | first2 = Hilary. | year = 1997 | title = Panzerkampfwagen VI P (SD. Kfz. 181) | publisher =  Darlington Productions | isbn = 1-89284-803-1 }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.tiger-tank.com Bovington Tank Museum Tiger and Restoration]
* [http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html Tiger I Information Center] – Comprehensive website about the Tiger I
* [http://www.lonesentry.com/tigerheavytank/ Article, "New German Heavy Tank" from U.S. Intelligence Bulletin, June 1943]
* [http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Tigers.pdf Tiger survivors] – PDF, Surviving Tiger Tanks
* [http://www.lonesentry.com/tm_tigertank/index.html Tiger and Tiger II sections from Handbook on German Military Forces]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/nazi_germany/panzer-vi_tiger.php Tiger I encyclopedia]
* [https://tiger1.info/EN/Torsion-bars.html Tiger 1 Torsion bar]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur9speTY0Tw SS Tiger Tank Fought the Germans! France 1945]

{{WWIIGermanAFVs}}
{{WWII tanks|style=wide}}

[[Category:History of the tank]]

{{Sourceattribution|Tiger I}}