German King Tiger Tank

The German King Tiger Tank was introduced in early 1944 and was the most powerful tank during world war 2. With its powerful 88mm gun and an almost impenetrable front armor, it was one of the most feared weapons of world war 2. Up to the end of the war, the allies had not introduce any effective means to counter the threat.

German heavy tank development began as early as 1937 with the German Armaments Ministry issuing a specification for a new heavy tank to Daimler-Benz, Henschel, MAN and Porsche. The project however was ignored as the Panzer III and IV had so far proved effective tanks and served well  in combat. It was not until spring 1941 that the project was revived after Hitler was impressed with heavy allied tanks, such as the French Char B1 and British Matilda 1 during the campaign in the west.

 

At a meeting with Hitler on 26th May, 1941, the planning for the development of a new heavy tank begun. During that meeting, Hitler ordered for the creation of heavy Panzers which were to have an increased effectiveness to penetrate enemy tanks; possess heavier armor than was previously achieved; and attain a maximum speed of at least 40km/h. These key decisions led to the development of a new heavy tank, the Tiger 1 tank and ultimately the King Tiger. However, no clearly defined objectives or action plans were laid out for the succession of the Tiger 1 tank until January 1943 when the order was given for a new design which was to replace the existing Tiger 1.

 

Although the designation implies that the Tiger II is a succession of the Tiger 1, it is in effect a completely different tank. The first design consideration for the new tank was the selection of a more effective main gun. As with the Tiger tank, it was to mount an 88mm anti tank gun but the main gun on the Tiger II was far more powerful than that on the Tiger 1. For the development of the chassis, two firms were contracted to come up with the designs namely Henschel and Sohn of Kassel and Porsche of Stuttgart. Both firms Henschel and Porsche were responsible for only the chassis and automotive designs. Turret design was awarded to another firm Krupp of Essen.

The main gun specification of the King Tiger was to be a variation of the 88mm anti-aircraft gun. Although the 88mm was initially designed for an anti aircraft role, it proved to be an excellent tank killer. Originally, the intention was to mount an 88mm Flak 41 into a turret for the Porsche VK4501 (P) chassis. The turret had been originally designed by Krupp to hold the 56 caliber 88mm KwK 36 gun of the Tiger 1. After much experimentation and debate, it was decided in early 1943 that it was not possible to mount the 88mm Flak 41. Krupp had then been contracted to design a new turret that could mount their own version of a 71 caliber 88mm Kwk 43 gun that could fit in both the chassis for Henschel and Porsche.

The 88mm gun with the designation KwK 36 and KwK 43 indicated the model number year 36 and 43. The Tiger II with the model 43 has a length of 71 calibers (71 times 88mm) as compared with 56 calibers of the Tiger 1 with model 36. The length of the barrel itself is over 20 feet long while the rounds weighed almost 20kgs. It is in effect a much more powerful gun than the Tiger 1.

The King Tiger’s 88mm main gun has a muzzle velocity of 1000m per second when firing armor piercing rounds. It was highly accurate and able to penetrate 150mm of armor at distances exceeding 2200m. Since the flight time of an armor piercing round at a range of 2200m is about 2.2 seconds or less, accuracy and correction of fire against moving targets is more important than with older anti tank guns. This made this heavy predator ideally suited to open terrain where it could engage enemy tanks at long range before the opponent’s weapons were even in range.

For the chassis, much has been learnt from the sloped armor design of the Russian T-34. As with the Panther, the King Tiger was to have sloped and interlocked front and side armor. The front armor was 150mm thick and the side was 80mm thick. Both firms Henschel and Porsche submitted their own designs.

Porsche designed the VK4502 (P) chassis which was built on the previous VK4501 (P) design of the Tiger 1. The codename VK was for Volkettenfahrzeuge or "fully tracked experimental vehicle", 45 means a 45 ton class and 01 represents the first model. The VK4502 (P) chassis had a similar outlook with the Tiger 1, sharing many similarities such as the suspension and automotive parts. Two designs were submitted, the first one having its turret mounted centrally and the second had the turret mounted towards the rear with the engine in front. However, it used copper for the electric transmission which Germany was in shortage of. This design was rejected and did not enter production.

Henschel designed the VK4503 (H) chassis which was very similar in appearance to the Panther. The front armor was 150mm thick and sloped at an angle of 50 degrees. The side was 80mm thick sloped at 25 degrees. As with all German tanks at that time, it had a ball mounted MG34 fitted on the right front side of the hull. The suspension consisted of torsion bars with nine sets of overlapping steel rimmed wheels on each side. The tracks were 2 feet 8 1/2 inches wide, weighing 2.5 tons. Henschel’s design was accepted and destined to enter mass production.

Krupp had designed the turrets to fit both the Porsche and Henschel chassis. The initial design called P-2 Turm (or commonly known as Porsche turret) mounted a single piece (monobloc) barrel of the 88mm and had a curved mantlet in the front. The front armor was 100 mm thick, the sides were 88mm thick sloped at 60 degrees and the top armor was 40mm thick. It had space to carry 16 rounds of ammunition in the turret. However, the curved mantlet in the front acted as a shot trap by deflecting incoming shots downwards towards the roof of the hull. A new design was ordered to fix this but as an interim measure, it was decided to go ahead with the production of 50 units with this turret. This was commonly referred to as Porsche turret. The new design called Serien Turm, or commonly known as Henschel or Production turret was to retain the many features of the Porsche turret and was to be adopted for mass production. Henschel turret had the front curved mantlet replaced with one 180mm thick armor plate sloped at 81 degrees. The sides were altered to slope at 69 degrees and it could carry an additional 6 six rounds or 22 rounds of ammunition in the turret. The full combat weight was 68,500kg when fitted with the Porsche turret and 69,800kg with the Henschel turret.

8.8cm Raketenwerfer 43 - Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher

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It was given to infantry to bolster their anti-tank capability. The weapon was fired from a small two-wheeled gun carriage which fired a rocket-propelled, fin-stabilized grenade with a shaped charge warhead, similar to the grenade of the Panzerschreck but not the same. Approximately 3,000 units were completed from 1943 to 1945. It was made in much smaller numbers than either the Panzerschreck, which was based on the American Bazooka, or the Panzerfaust, which was a disposable recoilless rifle firing an anti-tank grenade. This is partly because it was realized that a simple hollow tube with an ignition device was all that was needed to launch the 88 mm rocket, rather than an elaborate miniature artillery piece with carriage and breech. Due to the carriage and better sights, the accuracy was better, and the range more than double that of the Panzerschreck. 

Specifications for the
8.8cm Raketenwerfer 43 (Puppchen)
Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher

Country of Origin: Nazi Germany
Manufacturer: State Arsenals - Nazi Germany
Initial Year of Service: 1943

Overall Length: 2972 mm (117.01 in)
Barrel Length: 1,486.00 mm (58.50 in)
Weight (Empty): 315.26 lb (143.00 kg)

Caliber: 88mm (8.8cm)
Action: Ignition System
Feed: Single-Shot; Reusable
Muzzle Velocity: 460 ft/sec (140 m/sec)
Range: 1,150 ft (351 m; 383 yds)
Sights: Iron

Variants:
8.8cm Raketenwerfer 43 ("Puupchen") - Base Series Designation.

88 Flak Gun / Anti Tank Gun

German experiences with Soviet heavy tanks have resulted in the production of some very powerful guns. Among these is the Model 1943 88-mm gun. This improved 88 has a very high muzzle velocity, which enables gunners to lay on and hit even distant moving targets with considerable ease. In fact, the trajectory followed by the projectile is so flat that, with certain sights, the gunner can make his own elevation calculations up to a range of 3,700 yards for high-explosive projectiles and 4,400 yards for armor-piercing projectiles. A trajectory as flat as this naturally means that gunners can open fire on tanks and other armored vehicles without preliminary registration. The rise of the shell in its flight seldom will be greater than the height of a tank. 

  

Besides being used as a direct-laid gun, the variations of the Model 1943 can also fire either time-fuzed or percussion 20.68-pound, high-explosive shells as far as 16,570 yards.

The verified armor-penetration capabilities of the Model 43 88's are remarkable. With the newer type of 22.4-pound capped armor-piercing shell (with ballistic cap to provide streamlining), the following can be achieved:

Range			Penetration
	(shell hitting at right angles to the armor)
1,000 yards			7.87 inches
2,000 yards			6.61 inches
2,500 yards			6.02 inches

The Model 43 88's have certain drawbacks, however. While raising the muzzle velocity, the Germans have tried to keep down the weight of the gun. The result is a light tube with a considerably reduced safety factor. Therefore, German gun crews have been warned not to use high-velocity ammunition in Model 1943 tubes which have fired as many as 500 rounds. To preserve the gun tube against erosion, they may fire high-explosive shell with a low-velocity propellant rated at 1,080 feet per second. This ammunition gives a maximum range of only 7,765 yards. 

Thus far the Model 43 88's have appeared in the new Royal Tiger tank; in the "Elephant" (formerly called the "Ferdinand"), the "Rhinoceros" (formerly called the "Hornet"), and Panzerjäger Panther tank destroyers; and on two towed carriages (the Pak 43 and the Pak 43/41). Of these, the heavily-armored "Elephant" chassis has been found to be too cumbersome and mechanically unreliable. The "Rhinoceros" chassis is too slow; its armor is open on top, and provides protection only against shell splinters and caliber .30 bullets. The Pak 43/41 ground mount also appears to be unsatisfactory. Its conventional split-trail artillery carriage must be so heavy (9,660 pounds) that the complete piece weighs almost as much as the 12,300-pound 150-mm medium gun-howitzer s.F.H. 18. Such a weight precludes manhandling, and is a great handicap in getting the gun trained on a target which appears from an angle not covered by the carriage's 60-degree traverse.

What makes Erwin Rommel a military 'great'?

Rommel is well respected for his tactical skill on the battlefield. Given open terrain and the ability to manuver, Rommel was a highly successful commander who was able to outmanuver or overcome the strengths of his enemies in specific instances. Much of this was also shaped by his willingness to put himself in the front lines.
In the Battle of France, his columns were attacked by British tanks near the town Arras. The heavily armored British Matildas were too well protected for the standard German anti-tank guns of the time. To break the British attack, Rommel established a gun line of 88mm Flak batteries which could take out the Matildas. In addition, his division moved with such speed and seemed to come out of nowhere in the battle seemed would earn the division the nickname "Ghost Division," though I cannot be sure who came up with the nickname. Some sources I have would give the origin to Germans because they couldn't get in contact with Rommel and didn't know where he was, and some other sources would say the French/British because he seemed to arrive where he was unexpected to arrive from.
His best campaign was in Africa, where he with a largely Italian force would drive the British from Benghazi, Libya to El Alamien Egypt. Here, with his skills in manuver was able to outflank and inflict heavy casualties on an enemy force that outnumbered him greatly and generally had more high quality troops available to them than were available to Rommel. In Tunisia, he would also rout American units in the Battle of Kasserine Pass and achieved such a victory that he could have broken Eisenhower's entire army in one fell swoop and prolong the African campaign by months.
Following Africa, Rommel was in relative obscuraty in Northern Italy and was partially responsible for disarming the Italian military after the surrender to the Allies in 1943. He would soon find himself back in France, this time to put forth the defense of the Atlantic Wall. Here, Rommel found himself increasingly at odds with other generals under his command and above him in the chain of command (some of this also occured in Africa, but not to the same degree as it was here). Rommel took the position that it would be best that Germany's tanks be placed close to the beaches so that they could hit the Allies while they were disorganized and getting off the landing craft. For, if they were allowed a toehold, the Western Allies' strengths of air power and logistics would easily defeat the Germans. However, his commander here, Gerd von Rundstedt was largely comming from the Eastern Front where Germany managed to maintain some semblence of air power and manuver up until 1943. Rundstedt argued that Germany's tanks would be better served in the interior to counter attack any possible penetration by the Allies. Hitler ultimately agreed with Rundstedt, and Rommel was left to improvise. His solution was to request mines by the millions, which the Reich couldn't provide him... and ultimately when the Allies did land in Normandy, Rundstedt's earlier victories and the Reich's inability to supply him proved Rommel's predictions right. The Allies gained a toehold and then used superior logistics and air power to outlast the Germans in Normandy. In this sense, Rommel accurately predicted how the Allies would win.
As such, Rommel's skills as a tactician were among the best in World War II. This is also not taking into account his career as a junior officer in WWI, which also included some heroic efforts. These efforts won him respect for his skills alone.
However, the respect and "honor" that has been given him doesn't come from his skills alone. His legacy, has largely been built on the fact that Rommel was not member of the Nazi Party and that there have been plenty of incidents that would create the image of an "honorable man" serving a dishonorable system. Rommel would disobey direct orders with regard to Hitler's favorite "no retreat" command. After El Alamien had gone so bad for him, Hitler gave the command as he always did, but Rommel ordered the retreat anyway to try and save the lives of his men. This action would actually set up the Battle of Kasserine Pass due to Rommel's assessment of Montgomery's caution and that it would prevent Monty from rushing to keep pressure on Rommel.
At other times in the African campaign, Hitler had issued orders that demanded the immediate execution of any commandos or Jews taken in Allied uniform. Most sources I've seen say that Rommel deliberately disobeyed these orders.
The biggest evidence of this comes from repeated incidents of criticizing the Fuhrer. Towards the end of the African campaign or while he was in Northern Italy, Rommel is famously quoted as saying that Hitler was living in some sort of "cuckoo land." The clinching factor in this argument comes from supposed connections between Rommel and the Valkyrie plot by Stauffenberg to kill Hitler. Rommel had no knowledge of the plot and wasn't actually a member of the plot, but two men that were implicated Rommel. One of them was also a member of Rommel's staff and had made the implication after being tortured by the SS. Hitler then gave Rommel a choice. He had the option of standing trial, for which he would certainly be found guilty, and his wife and son would also be executed for treason, or he could commit suicide via poison, and Rommel's family would be spared. Rommel took the poison to save his wife and son, which has created the image of an honorable man. The reason for Rommel's death that the Nazi's gave was ultimately that he had succumbed to wounds sustained in an allied air attack on his car on July 17, 1944.
These incidents created the image of an honorable warrior that fought not for Hitler but for Germany.
However, it would also bear to mind various criticisms of Rommel...
While Rommel was a great tactician, he probably was not that great a strategist. He was expressly ordered by Kesselring and by some Italian superiors not to cross into Egypt following the capture of Tobruk. Rommel ignored these orders and advanced into Egypt where he was soon facing a situation at El Alamien where his tactics of going around the flank wouldn't work. In that sense, Rommel set up his own defeat at El Alamein.
In addition, Rommel also mistakenly believed that the main Allied landings on D-Day would be at the Pas Du Calias, because the region would provide the best spot for Allied air cover. This largely left progress in the Normandy sector lacking and would help enable the Allies to win there. Rommel would be quick to realize that Normandy was the real landing zone, but the fact that he guessed wrong can not be denied. In fact, Rommel was not even at his HQ when the Allies attacked. He had gone back to Germany for either his wedding anniversery or his wife's birthday.
In addition, close examination of his political stances, while he wasn't pro-Nazi, he wasn't exactly anti-Nazi either. He has been described as apolitical, which I would agree with, but by being so, it could also mean that while he didn't agree with the Nazis, it was clear that he wasn't going to take a direct stand against them. The fact that he was not part of the Stauffenberg plot is clear of this aspect as well.
However, these things have not totally tarnished Rommel's record or removed his tactical skills.