The Tiger I (official name: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. E ; archival designation: Sd.Kfz. 181 ) is a German heavy tank and one of the most famous, effective and well-known armoured vehicles of all time. It is generally considered to be well balanced in terms of armour, armament and mobility despite its high maintenance costs and saw action on the European battlefields of World War II. In the anime, it appears in a flashback in Episode 5 and is first seen in Episode 6 .

Henschel & Sohn began developing a large tank design in January 1937 when the Waffenamt asked Henschel to develop a Durchbruchwagen (“penetrator”) with a displacement of 30–33 tons. Only one prototype hull was ever built and it was never fitted with a turret. The general shape and suspension of the Durchbruchwagen I were quite similar to the Panzer III, while the turret resembled the early Panzer IV Ausf.C turret with the short-barreled 7.5cm L/24 gun.

Before the completion of the Durchbruchwagen I , a requirement for a heavier tank with a displacement of over 30 tonnes and thicker armour was issued; this resulted in the Durchbruchwagen II , which had 50 mm (2 in) thick frontal armour and mounted a Panzer IV turret with a short-barreled 7.5 cm L/24 gun. Its total weight was 36 tonnes. Only one hull was built and no turret was installed. Further development of the Durchbruchwagen was abandoned in 1938 in favour of the larger and better armoured VK 30.01 (H) and VK 36.01 (H) designs. Both the Durchbruchwagen I and II prototype hulls were used as test vehicles until 1941.

Facing formidable Soviet tanks of the time such as the T-34 or even the KV-1 (whose armor could not be penetrated by anything other than the 88mm FlaK 18 gun) during Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941 led to an urgent need for better armored and more powerful tanks.

The Tiger (weighing around 50 tonnes) was almost twice as large as the earlier Panzer IV . Despite its very thick armour, including on the sides and sometimes at the rear (up to 120mm around the gun hull) combined with an effective 8.8cm KwK 36 gun (a tank gun variant of the famous 8.8cm FlaK), it was remarkably uncrowded, thanks to its powerful Maybach HL210 engine (later changed to the Panther’s HL230 in July 1943). To support such a heavy load, a torsion bar suspension with the wheels arranged in a special and popular Schachtellaufwerk (overlapping road wheels) design, with very wide tracks to reduce pressure from the ground; a lesson learned from the Soviets. The Ausf.E had three main models. The earliest model can be identified by two headlights at the front of the tank hull and a drum-type commander’s cupola. The second model can be identified by a single headlight between the machine gun and driver’s visor and a simpler commander’s cupola. The latest and final model has a different Schachtellaufwerk arrangement and has steel road wheels in place of the rubber-tired wheels on earlier models.

Despite its strength and resilience, the Tiger was also a troublesome tank: its weight meant it could not cross most bridges, its turret was cramped and, although it was better than its rival, the failed Porsche, it suffered from reliability problems throughout its existence. Tiger units rarely completed a road campaign without several tanks breaking down. The road tracks and wheels proved difficult to maintain, especially in harsh climates (they were prone to getting stuck in mud and freezing), and recovery on the battlefield was difficult. More importantly, as the war dragged on, its price (in money and resources) became very high, costing four times as much as the more effective StuG III .

Operation history

Despite this, and despite the fact that the first tanks were sent to the front line too early (near Leningrad, in September 1942), the Tiger soon distinguished itself on all the battlefields it fought. Often used in separate heavy tank battalions, it proved impenetrable to most Allied weapons (of its time) in any position other than the blind spot; only later guns such as the OQF 17-pounder, the M3 90mm gun and the D-25T 125mm gun ever reliably defeated its frontal armour. The Tiger was also capable of destroying virtually all enemy tanks at extreme range. There are reports of Tigers knocking out enemy tanks at ranges of up to 4km (2.5 miles), a feat made possible by its excellent sights. Tanks that formed the backbone of Allied armored forces, such as the American M4 Sherman or the Russian T-34 , often had to resort to flanking tactics to overcome these formidable foes, at the cost of some, if not most, of their forces.

Japan Appraisal Tiger

In 1943, Japan asked their embassy in Germany to inspect the new tanks that Germany was building. The man assigned to command this team was General Oshima Hiroshi . In 1943, Hiroshi spent a large part of his time conducting personal tests and trials in Siversky (Leningrad Oblast) with the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion. While there, he and his team were able to get a firm grasp of the capabilities of the Panzer VI Tiger. By Hiroshi’s standards, the vehicle was an excellent improvement and he wanted it to be purchased for use. The company was then ordered to transfer all documentation on the tank to the Japanese Empire. A disassembled Tiger was sent to Bordeaux (France) on October 14, 1943, for transport to Japan by submarine. However, the vehicle was never delivered and the Japanese were never able to produce their own Tigers. This cost up to 645,000 German Marks (~8.5 billion VND) to ship to Japan, while the original price was 300,000 German Marks (~4 billion VND).

In Girls und Panzer

Anime

Kuromorimine operates several Tiger I tanks, one of which is Maho ‘s command tank, a January/February 1943 model Tiger with the recognizable round exhaust covers and Feifel sand filters of the first model. When Miho was still a Kuromorimine student, she also commanded a Tiger I. The tank Maho commands is based on the Tiger 212, a tank that historians believe was commanded by the Black Baron Michael Wittman . Maho’s tank can be considered the “final boss” in the chronological order of the series, although it is not technically the strongest tank, which is the Maus , also owned by Kuromorimine Girls’ Academy .

With only one tank in Ooarai’s arsenal that had comparable armament and defense capabilities (that being Team Leopon-san ‘s Tiger (P) , the Tiger I’s technical advantage was largely offset by Ooarai’s use of bold and unconventional tactics as well as superior maneuverability; thus, Kuromorimine was unable to take advantage of their superior armament, although the protection served them well.

In the final duel between the Nishizumi sisters, the superior maneuverability of the Panzer IV Ausf.H allowed the Ankou Team to use a decisive “all or nothing” tactic to get behind the Tiger, its only vulnerable point, and knock it out with a blindside shot. This strategy, while effective at the last minute, was extremely risky: only one shot could penetrate the Panzer IV from the front. A side shot might have also proven effective, although such a shot had been deflected harmlessly.

Little Army 2

During the events of Little Army Chapter 2, the Tiger I was the first tank owned by the Bellwall Academy Sensha-dō team, under the leadership of Emi Nakasuga . The Tiger I was restored by Yuzumoto Hitomi and first saw action against the Kashiwaba Sisters in a race. It had its first real battle against Kureouji Grona West Academy, where it suffered several mechanical failures, particularly its tracks, but ultimately emerged victorious, taking out the A43 Infantry Tank “Black Prince” leading the opposing team.

During the Anniversary Cup, it first saw action against Gilbert High School.

Side information

• The color scheme of Maho’s Tiger may be a reference to Tiger 131, the only Tiger I in working condition and the most famous tank in the Tank Museum at Bovington Camp (UK). It was used in the film Fury (2014). Additionally, the turret number 212 is red, like 131, although it is placed near the front of the turret and has a white border around each number.
• Tiger was operated by many famous “aces”, some of whom survived World War II like Otto Carius and some of whom became legends like Kurt Knispel or Michael Wittman.
• The Tiger commanded by Nishizumi Maho, Tiger 212, had the same turret number as one commanded by the Waffen SS (German) Ace, Michael Wittmann, at Villers-Bocage. In a fierce engagement, he destroyed an entire Panzer Company, 15 tanks, and several Artillery and Anti-Tank Guns in 15 minutes. After the battle, he was personally awarded the prestigious “Knight’s Cross” by none other than the Führer . During the battle, there were several opportunities to instantly kill the “Black Baron” with a single shot, but they were all missed because although the Cromwell tank was nearby, it had no gunner inside. Fortunately, the “Black Baron” did not notice it.
  • The last Tiger I that Wittman commanded was Tiger 007 and was last seen near the town of Saint-Aignan-de-Cramesnil (Normandie, France) duringOperation Totalize , where he was killed in action by either Joe Ekins ‘ Sherman Firefly or another Firefly from the Sherbrooke Rifle Regiment of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade.
• The Tiger commanded by Nishizumi Miho in the most recent tournament was Tiger 217, which shares the same turret number as a Wehrmacht (German) ace, Otto Carius, who commanded the Battle of Malinava and destroyed 17 tanks (including the new IS-2) with Albert Kerscher. Over his career, he became one of the top aces with 150 enemy tanks to his kill list. He is also famous for commanding a Jagdtiger late in the war and his postwar memoir: Tigers in the Mud: The Combat Career of German Panzer Commander Otto Carius .
• This tank was operated by Maho in every match of the 63rd Tournament , Miho in the final match of the 62nd Tournament, and Nakasuga Emi in the Anniversary Cup.
• The Tiger I was one of the few tanks, along with the Tiger II, B1 Bis and BT-42, to possess a steering wheel.
• On December 10, 1943, Otto Carius’ Tiger gunner was annoyed by the sound of Russian fighter jets bouncing off his tank, so he was given permission by his commander to return fire. On his second attempt, he hit the plane (probably an IL-2M) in the wing and brought it down.