Lone Sentry: TM-E 30-451 Handbook on German Military Forces: Heavy Tanks: Armored Vehicles: Weapons

CHAPTER VII. WEAPONS

Section VI. ARMORED VEHICLES

4. Heavy Tanks

a. Pz. Kpfw. PANTHER. (1) General. In this tank, probably the most successful they have produced, the Germans have departed from their customary lines and sought inspiration in the design of the Russian T34. The tank weighs about 50 short tons, and the effectiveness of its armor is enhanced by the fact that most of the plates are sloping. It has powerful armament, and has a high-powered engine which gives it a maximum speed of about 30 miles per hour. Internally the Panther is arranged in the standard German manner, with the driver's compartment in front, the fighting compartment in the center section, and the engine at the rear.

The Panther's design employs the double torsion-bar suspension. There are eight double, interleaved, large Christie-type bogie wheels. Each set of bogie wheels is mounted on a radius arm on the projecting end of a torsion bar which is coupled in series to a second one lying parallel to it. This ingenious device has the effect of doubling the length of the torsion bars.

The Panther first was met in action on the Russian front in the summer of 1943. Originally designated Pz. Kpfw. V, its nickname, Panther, was, adopted as its official nomenclature in February 1944. The latest version to appear is the Model G. The principal reasons for the success of the Panther are its relatively high speed, maneuverability, dangerous armament, and good protection.

Variants of the Panther tank which have been identified are the commander's version, the wrecker tank (Bergepanther), and the self-propelled gun Jagdpanther, which consists of the 8.8 cm Pak 43/3 or 4 on the Panther chassis.

(2) Specifications.

Model G

Specification number   . . . . .   Sd. Kfz. 171.

Weight in action   . . . . .   50 short tons (approximately).

Crew   . . . . .   5 men.

Armor,

Front glacis plate   . . . . .   80 mm at 55°.

Front nose plate   . . . . .   60 mm at 35°.

Rear plate   . . . . .   40 mm at 30°. (undercut)

Hull sides   . . . . .   40 mm vertical.

Superstructure sides   . . . . .   50 mm at 30°.

Turret front   . . . . .   110 mm at 10°.

Turret sides   . . . . .   45 mm at 25°.

Turret rear   . . . . .   45 mm at 28°.

Armament (coaxially mounted in turret)   . . . . .   One 7.5 cm Kw.K. 42 (L/70) and one M.G. 34.

In hull   . . . . .   One M.G. 34.

Dimensions, Length (excluding gun)   . . . . .   21 feet 11 1/2 inches.

Width   . . . . .   10 feet 9 1/2 inches.

Height   . . . . .   9 feet 4 inches.

Gun overhang   . . . . .   6 feet 5 inches.

Ground clearance   . . . . .   1 foot 7 1/2 inches.

Performance,

Trench crossing   . . . . .   10 feet.

Step   . . . . .   3 feet.

Gradient   . . . . .   30°.

Fording   . . . . .   6 feet (Some submersible to 13 feet).

Road speed   . . . . .   20 miles per hour.

Cross-country speed   . . . . .   15 miles per hour.

Maximum speed   . . . . .   35 miles per hour.

Range on roads   . . . . .   124 miles.

Range cross-country   . . . . .   62 miles.

Engine, Type   . . . . .   Maybach HL 230 P30.

Cylinders   . . . . .   V-12

Fuel   . . . . .   Gasoline.

Fuel capacity   . . . . .   193 gallons.

Fuel consumption (per 100 miles)

On roads   . . . . .   149 gallons.

Cross-country   . . . . .   298 gallons.

BHP   . . . . .   690 HP at 3,000 rpm.

Capacity   . . . . .   23 liters (1,403 cubic inches).

Transmission: Maybach synchromesh sliding-dog type; manually operated, giving seven forward speeds, one reverse.

Suspension: Eight load-carrying axles each carrying two large disced rubber-tired bogie wheels, interleaved. Twin torsion-bar suspension.

b. Pz. Kpfw. TIGER. (1) General. This tank, originally the Pz. Kpfw. VI, first was encountered by the Russians in the last half of 1942, and by the Western Allies in Tunisia early in 1943. Its colloquial name, Tiger, was adopted officially in February 1944. The current version is Model E.

Unlike the Panther, the Tiger is designed on familiar German lines, but all the dimensions are increased. The main armament is the 8.8 cm Kw.K. 36, which is essentially the 8.8 cm Flak 36 adapted for turret mounting. The mounting of such a heavy gun has raised considerable problems of rigidity, and consequently the hull is constructed of large plates entirely welded together. The superstructure is made up in one unit, and welded to the hull. The turret wall is made from a single large piece of armor, 82 mm thick, bent into a horseshoe shape. Further, all the armor plates are interlocked, in addition to being welded. The armor of the Tiger, at the time of its appearance, was the thickest ever to be fitted on any German tank, the front vertical plate being 102 mm thick and the hull sides 62 mm.

The suspension, which employs interleaved, Christie-type bogie wheels with a very wide track, is reasonably simple and is an effective solution of the suspension problem for such a large and heavy vehicle.

The Tiger engine requires very skilled driving and maintenance to get the best performance, and in the hands of insufficiently trained crews mechanical troubles are apt to appear. This characteristic has been the tank's principal disadvantage.

(2) Specifications.

Model E

Specification number   . . . . .   Sd. Kfz. 181

Weight in action   . . . . .   62.75 short tons.

Crew   . . . . .   5 men.

Armor, Front nose plate   . . . . .   102 mm at 20°.

Front glacis plate   . . . . .   62 mm at 80°.

Lower nose plate   . . . . .   62 mm at 60°.

Driver's front plate   . . . . .   102 mm at 10°.

Hull sides   . . . . .   62 mm vertical.

Superstructure sides   . . . . .   82 mm vertical.

Rear plate   . . . . .   82 mm at 20° (undercut).

Turret front   . . . . .   100 mm at 0° to 11°.

Turret sides and rear   . . . . .   82 mm vertical.

Armament (coaxially mounted in turret)   . . . . .   One 8.8 cm Kw.K. 36 (L/56). One M.G. 34.

In hull   . . . . .   One M.G. 34.

Dimensions, Length (excluding gun)   . . . . .   20 feet 8 1/2 inches.

Width with wide combat tracks   . . . . .   12 feet 3 inches

Width with narrow transport track   . . . . .   10 feet 4 inches.

Height   . . . . .   9 feet 4 3/4 inches.

Gun overhang   . . . . .   7 feet 1/2 inch.

Ground clearance   . . . . .   1 foot 5 inches.

Performance, Trench crossing   . . . . .   10 feet.

Step   . . . . .   2 feet 6 inches.

Gradient   . . . . .   30°.

Fording   . . . . .   Submersible to 13 feet.

Road speed   . . . . .   5 miles per hour.

Cross-country speed   . . . . .   5 to 10 miles per hour.

Maximum speed   . . . . .   25 miles per hour.

Range on roads   . . . . .   87 miles.

Range cross-country   . . . . .   53 miles.

Engine, Type   . . . . .   Maybach HL 230 P45.

Cylinders   . . . . .   V-12.

BHP   . . . . .   690 HP at 3,000 rpm.

Fuel   . . . . .   Gasoline.

Fuel capacity   . . . . .   150 gallons (approximately).

Transmission: Maybach-Olvar preselective gearbox, hydraulically operated with eight forward speeds and four reverse.

Suspension: Front driving sprocket and rear idler. Eight load-carrying axles each with three large bogie wheels. Bogie wheels are interleaved. Torsion-bar suspension, one torsion bar per axle.

c. Pz. Kpfw. TIGER, MODEL B (KING TIGER). (1) General. This tank is a development of the Tiger along the lines of the Panther and with a new main armament, the 8.8 cm Kw.K. 43 (L/71). The armor is as thick as that of the Tiger—in some parts thicker—and the improved design and the slope given to the majority of the plates (as in the Panther) give the tank vastly improved protection.

The King Tiger is a tank designed essentially for defensive warfare or for breaking through strong lines of defense. It is unsuitable for rapid maneuver and highly mobile warfare because of its great weight and low speed. To accommodate the gun the turret has been made unusually long in proportion to the total length of the tank. When "buttoned up" the tank is extremely blind, and this is one of its weakest points.

Since the King Tiger first appeared in August 1944 in Normandy, modifications have been made in the turret to eliminate the excessive plate-bending involved in the original construction. The King Tiger virtually is invulnerable to frontal attack, but the flanks, which are less well protected, can be penetrated by Allied antitank weapons at most normal combat ranges.

(2) Specifications.

Model B

Specification number   . . . . .   Sd. Kfz. 182

Weight in action   . . . . .   75 tons.

Crew   . . . . .   5 men.

Armor

Front glacis plate   . . . . .   150 mm at 50°.

Lower nose plate   . . . . .   100mm at 50°.

Hull sides   . . . . .   80 mm vertical.

Superstructure sides   . . . . .   80 mm at 20°.

Rear plate   . . . . .   80 mm at 25°.

Turret front   . . . . .   180 mm at 10°.

Turret sides and rear   . . . . .   80 mm at 20°.

Armament (coaxially mounted in turret)   . . . . .   One 8.8 cm Kw.K. 43 (L/71) and one M.G. 34.

In hull   . . . . .   One M.G. 34.

Dimensions, Length (excluding gun)   . . . . .   23 feet 10 inches.

Width   . . . . .   11 feet 11 1/2 inches.

Height   . . . . .   10 feet 2 inches.

Gun overhang   . . . . .   8 feet 10 inches.

Ground clearance,

Front   . . . . .   1 foot 7 inches.

Rear   . . . . .   1 foot 8 inches.

Performance,

Road speed   . . . . .   24 miles per hour.

Cross-country   . . . . .   9 to 10 miles per hour.

Maximum speed   . . . . .   26 miles per hour.

Range on roads   . . . . .   106 miles.

Range cross-country   . . . . .   74 miles.

Engine, Type   . . . . .   Maybach HL 230 P30.

Cylinders   . . . . .   V-12.

Fuel   . . . . .   229 gallons.

Fuel consumption (per 100 miles)

On roads   . . . . .   213 gallons.

Cross-country   . . . . .   300 gallons

BHP   . . . . .   590 HP at 2,600 rpm.

Transmission: Maybach-Olvar preselector type gearbox. hydraulically operated; eight forward speeds, four reverse.

Suspension: Nine load-carrying axles each side, each carrying twin over-lapping bogie wheels. Single torsion-bar suspension. Front driving sprocket rear idler.

TM-E 30-451 Handbook on German Military Forces		LoneSentry.com