Pz.Kpfw VI (Sd.Kfz.181) Tiger is a German heavy tank of the Second World War, one of the most famous combat vehicles of that time. The idea of creating a heavy tank was with the command of the German Panzerwaffe from the beginning of the war, but the first attempts in the form of the centuries-old Neubaufahrzeuge tank were unsuccessful. In 1939 and 1940, they were carried out without results, but after the clash with the T-34 and KW-1 on the Eastern Front, work on a new heavy tank accelerated. On April 20, 1942, the prototype of the new tank, designated VK 4501 (H), underwent field trials in the presence of Adolf Hitler and was soon put into mass production. The first serial versions received the designation Pz.Kpfw VI Ausf.H1 (later Ausf.E). In the production process, in 1942-1945, the tank was systematically modified, for example, by adding Feifell dust filters, different placement of headlights, modernization of optical equipment, changing the commander's tower, etc. A drive was provided. 12-cylinder Maybach HL230 P45 carburetor engine with a capacity of 700 hp. The Pz.Kpfw VI tank, although it did not have the frontal design of the T-34 or Pantera, was a heavily armored vehicle (frontal armor up to 120 mm) armed with a very effective KwK 36 L / 56 88 mm gun. , which earned a reputation as the most effective tank of World War II. It was a machine much better than the Allied M4 or Churchill and the Soviet T-34/76. It could also easily fight the IS-2 or M-26, surpassing them in the effectiveness of the main armament. On the other hand, the Pz.Kpfw VI had some disadvantages - firstly, it was extremely time-consuming to manufacture and had a very complex suspension. In the late period of the war, the quality of the "Tiger" armor also deteriorated, which was a consequence of the German economy's lack of access to molybdenum deposits. Despite these shortcomings, the Tiger proved to be a very effective weapon on the battlefield. He fought successfully in Tunisia, on the Kursk arc, in Normandy and on the Eastern Front. Technical data: length (with barrel): 8.45 m, width: 3.7 m, height: 2.93 m, engine power: 700 km, weight: 56.9 t, range (on the highway): 100 km , maximum speed (on the track) ) Speed: 38 km/h, armament: 1 88-mm KwK 36 L / 56 gun, 3 7.92-mm MG 34 machine guns.
