The Tank Museum
Back to previous page.

The History of the Tiger Tank - page 3.

Late in May 1941 Hitler reviewed the project. He required both Henschel and Porsche to have designs ready for production by the summer of 1942 and Porsche was instructed to examine his design and see if it could be adapted to mount the 88mm Flak 41 since this would meet the original performance specification
The first prototype of VK4501(P) was completed by April 1942 and demonstrated to Hitler on his birthday. It mounted the original L/56 gun as did a further nine, completed up to October 1942.

By then, comparative trials between the Henschel and Porsche prototypes revealed that the former had a much better performance so it was selected for production. The 90 remaining Porsche hulls were completed as the celebrated Ferdinand self-propelled gun.
Prototype VK4501(P) completed by April 1942.
Click to find out how to purchase this photo.
Tank Museum photo No. 2400/E/3
The name Tiger first used March 1942
Click to find out how to purchase this photo.
Tank Museum photo No. 2400/F/5
The name Tiger seems to have been coined around March 1942 and the matter of design was considered by a Tiger Commission in October.

It was this Commission which selected the Henschel version for further development. Henschel had been working on a revised design, to carry an 88mm gun, since May 1941.
One unusual feature was the proposal to mount an armoured screen, 100mm thick, across the front of the tank to protect the tracks and drive sprockets.

The additional weight, created by this and other changes, was permitted when it was agreed that this tank should be made capable of wading rivers.

Click to find out how to purchase this photo.
Tank Museum photo No. 0593/A/1
To continue to the next page of the History of Tiger Tanks, follow this link .

Return to first page of History.     Back to the Tiger Tank home page.

© 1999 : The Tank Museum