Elefant

Specification Crew : 6 Engine power : 2 x 300 hp Combat weight :65,000 kg (143,325 lb) Max speed : road 30 km/h (18.63 mph) Length : 8.14 m (26.70 ft) Range : 150 km (93.15 miles) Width : 3.38 M (11.09 ft) Main gun : 88 mm(3.47 in) Height : 2.97 m (9.75 ft) Armour : 30 mm (1.18 in) to 200 mm (7.89 in)

The Tiger was Henschel company product,but there was a rival design from Porsche,the Tiger.It was rejected due to its complex drive system in which two Panzer IV engines provided power to an electrical transmission for the final drives.The Tiger would have remained at the prototype stage had not Hitler requested an assault tank armed with an 88 mm(3.47 in)gun for the Eastern Front.The Porsche design was therefore completed with a heavily armored superstructure at the rear.It was given several names,including Elefant and Ferdinand.90 were produced in April and May 1943 and rushed east for the opening of the Kursk offensive that July.The Elefants went into action on the first day and were a disaster.They had no machine guns for self defence and Russian infantry were able to disable them with anti-tank grenades,mines and petrol bombs.The 88 mm gun was awkward to aim.Their drive systems also gave trouble,survivors were returned to the factory and overhauled ther were also provided with machine guns in the front hull.Five became recovery vehicles.Thereafter the Elefant served mainly in Italy where they proved to be formidable opponents when employed defensively but the local roads could not support their weight and many were eventually destroyed by their own crews.