The
Tiger I is a
German heavy tank of
World War II deployed from 1942 in
Africa and
Europe, usually in independent
heavy tank battalions. Its final designation was
Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E often shortened to
Tiger. The Tiger I gave the
German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the
8.8 cm KwK 36 gun (not to be confused with the
8.8 cm Flak 36). 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the
Tiger II.
While the Tiger I has been called an outstanding design for its time, it was
over-engineered, using expensive materials and labour-intensive production methods. The Tiger was prone to certain types of track failures and breakdowns, and was limited in range by its high fuel consumption. It was expensive to maintain, but generally mechanically reliable. It was difficult to transport, and vulnerable to immobilisation when mud, ice, and snow froze between its overlapping and interleaved
Schachtellaufwerk-pattern road wheels, often jamming them solid. This was a problem on the Eastern Front in the muddy
rasputitsa season and during periods of extreme cold.
The tank was given its nickname "Tiger" by
Ferdinand Porsche, and the
Roman numeral was added after the later Tiger II entered production. The initial designation was
Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (‘‘
Panzer VI version H’’, abbreviated
PzKpfw VI Ausf. H) where 'H' denoted
Henschel as the designer/manufacturer. It was classified with
ordnance inventory designation Sd.Kfz. 182. The tank was later re-designated as
PzKpfw VI Ausf. E in March 1943, with ordnance inventory designation
Sd.Kfz. 181.
Read more
https://console.worldoftanks.com/en/encyclopedia/vehicles/germany/G04_PzVI_Tiger_I/