Tiger I

The Tiger I was a German heavy tank introduced in 1942, armed with an 88 mm gun and protected by thick armor. Its firepower and armor came with high weight, mechanical complexity, and demanding maintenance.

8.8 cm KwK 36: The Tiger I’s 88 mm tank gun, adapted from the German 8.8 cm Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun. This gun gave the Tiger I its ability to engage tanks at long range.
VK 36.01 (H): A Henschel prototype heavy tank developed in Germany before the Tiger I. Its development informed the design path that produced the production Tiger.
Schwere Panzerabteilung: A German heavy tank battalion, the formation type that operated Tiger tanks in World War II. These specialized units concentrated Tigers where commanders expected heavy fighting.
German armored warfare: The organization, equipment, and tactics used by Germany’s armored forces in war. Tiger I units depended on broader German systems for crews, recovery, and supply.
Tank armor: Protective material and structure fitted to armored fighting vehicles to resist weapons and battlefield hazards. The Tiger I’s thick armor shaped its weight and battlefield role.
Henschel: A German engineering and manufacturing company that developed and produced the Tiger I. Henschel’s design won the competition to build Germany’s new heavy tank.
Battle of Kursk: A major 1943 battle on the Eastern Front, fought around the Kursk salient. Tiger I tanks fought there in large numbers during a major German offensive.
Tank recovery vehicle: An armored vehicle designed to recover disabled or immobilized tanks from the battlefield. Tiger I breakdowns and heavy weight often required specialized recovery equipment.
Maybach HL230: A German V-12 gasoline engine used in later Tiger I tanks and several other German armored vehicles. Its power had to move a tank whose mass strained the drivetrain.
Porsche Tiger: The unsuccessful Porsche-designed Tiger prototype, of which a small number of hulls were converted into Ferdinand tank destroyers. It was the competing design rejected in favor of Henschel’s Tiger.

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