“..this book is highly recommended: it's not just another Tiger book, it's a volume that deserves to be on everyone's bookshelf.” –Military Modelcraft International
One of the most feared weapons of World War II, the Tiger tank was a beast of a machine which dominated the battlefields of Europe with its astonishing size, speed and firepower. It continues to fascinate more than 70 years after it was first designed, and a comprehensive, illustrated history such as this is long overdue. Revealing its design and development history, Thomas Anderson draws upon original German archival material to tell the story of the birth of the Tiger.
He then analyzes its success on the battlefield and the many modifications and variants that also came into play. Illustrated throughout with rare photographs and drawings, many of which have never been published in English before, this is a unique history of easily the most famous tank ever produced.
Table of Contents
Introduction Chapter 1: The origins of the Panzerwaffe Chapter 2: Design and development: From the prototype to the final model detailing the VK 3001(H), VK 3001(P), VK 4501 (P) and finally the VK 3601(H) which was selected and placed into production by Henschel Chapter 3: Tiger 1 (SdKfz 181) in service on the battlefield Chapter 4: Tiger Variants – The Sturmmorser, ‘in field’ modifications of Tiger tanks, Demolition/Mine-clearance Tigers and the Bergepanzer Chapter 5: Development of the Tiger 2 (SdKfz 182) KonigsTiger Chapter 6: The Tiger 2 in service on the battlefield Chapter 7: The Tiger 2 Variant the Jagdpanzer IV (SdKfz 186) Jagdtiger Chapter 8: Mechanical Details: engines, gearboxes, transmission, tracks Chapter 9: Armour, Armament and Ammunition Chapter 10: Interior details Chapter 11: Restoration of a Tiger Chapter 12: Panzer Divisions and Battalions equipped and deployed with Tiger tanks Appendices: Full specifications and production data, location and condition of preserved Tigers, Tiger Aces (Wittman, Knispel, Schroif, Carius and Bolter), Panzerwaffe badges
Author Biography
A German national, Thomas Anderson is a specialist in the German Armoured Fighting Vehicle of World War II. He has spent decades trawling the archives throughout Germany and the rest of Europe to discover little known facts and never previously published photographs of the might of the Blitzkrieg. A modeller, he regularly contributes to popular modelling and historical magazines across the globe including Military Modelcraft International (UK), Steel Art (Italy), Historia Militar (Spain) and Batailles & Blindes (France) as well as many others. He has previously published a three-volume history of Sturmartillerie/Sturmgeschutz in German which is due for release in English in the next year. This is his first book for Osprey Publishing.