|
Posted on 03/02/2004 12:00:32 AM PST by SAMWolf
|
|
 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
|
| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
|
|
Tiger I  The most famous German battle tank, the Tiger generated an aura of invincibility giving it a psychological advantage of great value. This reputation was justified by events such as the action in which SS-Obersturmführer Wittmann, commanding a Tiger on the Villers Bocage road in Normandy on 13 June 1944, destroyed 25 half-tracks and tanks, effectively blocking the road and halting the advance of a complete armoured division. At that time the British and Americans called every German panzer a "Tiger", although most of them were PzKpfw IV. Few would claim it as the best tank of all time, but it showed the way to the Panther and Tiger II which went a long way towards making up in firepower and effectiveness for the numerical deficiency in armor with which the German army had to face the Allied forces in the closing stages of WWII.  Henschel's VK3601 prototype The Tiger tank originated from developments started in 1937, when Henschel were instructed to design and construct a 30- to 33-ton tank prototype as possible successor to the PzKpfw IV. The new vehicle was known as the DW1 (Durchbrüchwagen, breakthrough vehicle). However, after one chassis with interleaved road wheel suspension had been built, trials were suspended to allow work to be carried out on a further design for a 65-ton tank, the VK6501. The VK6501 was itself a further development of the original PzKpfw VI NbFz. This project was cancelled to resume development of the DW 1. The improved model, the DW2, weighed 32 tons, accommodated a crew of five, and had to be armed with the short 75mm gun. Trials were carried out until 1941, when Henschel, Porsche, MAN and Daimler-Benz were invited to submit designs for a new vehicle in the same class and weight as the DW2.  Porsche's VK4501 prototype at Rastenburg The Henschel version (VK3001H) was a continued development of the DW2, which superstructure resembled that of the PzKpfw IV, and had seven interleaved road wheels. It was planned to mount the 75mm L/48 gun in this vehicle, but the appearance of the Russian T-34 with its 76mm gun made the vehicle already obsolete and development was discontinued. The Porsche version (VK3001P) was a turretless prototype with several new features such as petrol-electric drive. With the order for the VK3001 an additional order has been placed for a 36-ton tank, the VK3601, which specifications included a powerful, high velocity gun, heavy armor and a maximum speed of at least 40 km/h. These specifications had been personally proposed by Hitler, who was impressed by the French "Char B1 bis" and the British Matilda I. Experimentel work on both the VK3001 and VK3601 was stopped when a further order for a 45-ton tank was received in May 1941. Designated VK4501, the intended vehicle was to mount a tank version of the 88mm gun, and the prototype should be ready in time for Hitler's birthday on 20 April 1942, when a demonstration was to be staged.   The early production Tiger I ausf. H with 'Feifel' air cleaning system at rear Henschel decided to incorporate the best features of their VK3001H and VK3601H project into the new design as time was limited, while Porsche incorporated as many as possible of the design features from their VK3001P model. The demonstration of the two competing prototypes, the VK4501H and VK4501P, took place before Hitler at Rastenburg, when the Henschel design was considered to be superior. The new vehicle was designated PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf. E. The Tiger was subsequently in production for two years, from August 1942 until August 1944, and in this period a total of 1350 vehicles were delivered out of 1376 ordered, indicative of the fact that the Tiger was conceived primarily as a fighting machine and not as a mass-production machine. Ninety Porsche Tigers were also ordered, partly as safeguard against delays or failure of the Henschel Tiger, of which the chassis was eventually used as basis for the heavy tank destroyer Ferdinand/Elefant. These vehicles made their unsuccessful battle debut in the Kursk tank battle.   Tiger with the old cupola....Tiger with the new cupola with rotating hatch The Tiger I was the first German combat tank to be fitted with overlapping road wheel suspension, arranged with triple overlapping and interleaved wheels of a steel disc type with solid rubber tyres. The overlapping wheel system was adopted for optimum weight distribution. There were eight independently sprung torsion bar axles on each side, with the right hand axles trailed aft and the left hand axles led forward in order to carry all axles inside the hull. This resulted in an extremely soft and stable ride for a tank of this weight and size. Two types of track were used, one 725mm in wide was fitted for combat conditions, and a narrower one of 520mm in wide for travel and transportation. When the narrow tracks were fitted the outer wheels were removed from each suspension unit.   Tigers in northern Russia (winter 1943-1944) and in Normandy along the 'Carpet Bomber Alley' Through this type of suspension gave a superior ride, it also had its drawbacks, one being that the interleaved wheels were liable to become packed with mud and snow during winter fighting, and if ignored until frozen this could jam the wheels. The Russians discovered this and took advantage by timing their attacks for dawn, when the vehicles were likely to have become immobilised during the night's frost. Very late production Tigers had steel disc type wheels with resilient internal rubber spring rims of the type fitted to the Tiger II. In these Tigers, the outside run of wheels was omitted, reducing both the icing-up problem and the overheating problem of the axle bearing.  A Tiger tank with a rough white winter scheme (winter 1943-1944) The Tiger was technically the most sophisticated and best engineered vehicle of its time. The hull was divided in four compartments: the forward two housed the driver and hull gunner/radio-operator, the centre was the fighting compartment, and the engine compartment was at the rear. The driver sat on the left and steered by means of a wheel which acted hydraulically on the differential steering unit. Emergency steering was provided for by two steering levers on either side of the driver operating disc brakes. A visor was provided for the driver and was opened by a sliding shutter worked from a handwheel. Fixed episcopes were provided in both the driver's and radio-operator's escape hatches. The gearbox separated the two forward compartments, with the radio-operator seated on the right. He had a standard MG34 in a ball mounting in the front vertical plate, and had his radio sets mounted on a shelf to the operator's left.  The Tiger I crossing a devastated battlefield, in full killer-hunting action. Note the BT 7, in the background, destroyed. A second Tiger follows just behind.These Tigers are from sPzAbt.502. The Tiger's centre fighting compartment had a floor suspended from the turret by three steel tubes and rotated with the turret. The breech mechanism of the 88mm gun reached almost to the inside rear turret wall, dividing the turret into two. Like the hull, the turret was a simple structure; the sides and rear were formed from a single 82mm thick plate curved horseshoe fashion. The front was joined by two 100mm thick rectangular bars, and the upper and lower edges of the turret sides converged towards the front to allow for movement of the mantlet. The turret roof was a single shaped 26mm thick plate, bent slightly forward of the centre line to match the sides at the front. External turret fittings were three 90mm smoke generators on either side towards the front and two stowage bins either side of the centre line at the rear. Two types of cupola were fitted to the Tiger; the original type had five vision slits and was of plain cylindrical appearance, while the later type had seven episcopes and had a less prominent hatch which swung out to the side.  Changing a broken torsion bar was heavy mechanical work while many road wheels had to be removed In order to simplify assembly and allow the use of heavy armor plate, flat sections were used throughout the hull. Hull and superstructure were welded, in contrast to previous tanks were a bolted joint was used between hull and superstructure. The front and rear superstructure was in one unit and interlocking stepped joints, secured by welding, were used in construction of both the lower hull and superstructure. The top front plate of the hull covered the full width of the vehicle and permitted a turret ring to be fitted width enough to accomodate the 88mm gun. The Tigers used in North Africa, and in Russia in summer, were fitted with the feifel air cleaner system. This was attached to the rear of the hull and linked to the engine over the engine cover plate. The tropical Tigers were known as the Tiger (Tp), but the feifel air system was soon discontinued to simplify production. The first production Tiger's were equipped for a totally submerged wading with Snorkel breathing, but this proved an expensive luxury and was discarded. 
|
http://www.conleyprecision.com/
1/4 Scale 23 "T" Bucket
Powder painted steel frame - Oil filled shocks - Stainless steel exhaust - Wire wheels (front) - Hallibrand style rear wheels with knockoffs - Operating headlights - leather interior and carpet - Windshield - Aluminum firewall - Stainless steal dropped front axle and multi-leaf springs.
Base Price: $4,596.00 (less engine)
Ready-To-Run car start at: $12,495.00
1/4 Scale COBRA
Quick change four link rearend - Four wheel hydraulic disc brakes with dual master cylinder - Custom ball joints with grease fittings-Replica Hallibrand wheels with Goodyear style tires and knock-offs - Oil filled shocks - Stainless steel exhaust- Leather interior- Burled walnut dash with simulated gauges -Fiberglass body (non finished)- Completely assembled chassis.
Base Price: $5,895.00 (less engine)
Ready-to-run car start at: $13,995.00
I got a phone call a bit ago. A guy wants to meet me for lunch tomorrow to make a job offer in person. Maybe a toy or two will get further up the priority ladder.
LOL, I should've thought about it.
This is one atypical encounter:
Tankers also get pretty good at telling the types of other tanks, especially in the dark, from the sound of tracks and engines. At the very least, a *theirs or ours* working knowledge is helpful, but sometimes the old hands get overconfident and cocky.
That was the case with one Tiger crew knocked out by a British M3 Stuart, known to the Brits as the *Honey.* This particular crew had soldiered across the Western Desert with the Eighth Army, up the Italian penunsula, and into Austria, all in the same vehicle, so they too knew what they were doing.
And when a German Tiger I commander working a crossroads roadblock heard what he recognized as a light tank with a 37mm popgun, he made sure his crew was alert, but wasn't overly concerned. Until the Stuart/Honey came crashing out of the brush, and fired a round directly into the turret from the American M1 bazooka wired under the 37mm gun. A few seconds later, the commander let fly with another bazooka round from his position in the drivers hatch.
Scratch one overconfident Tiger....
*Chrysler Hemi* and *dirt cheap* do NOT belong on the same page, or in the same post.
But I know where there's an old Chrysler Fire Power that might be had right....
Not full size, but A Hemi Engine has been mentioned. functional guns would be nice. ;-)
I think full size is do-able. Cutting back on the armor thickness, particularly the turret weight, can reduce the overall weight to 25 tons or so. And if a Hemi can't be rigged up for an engine, I know of a source for mogas Ford GAF 500 HP engines out of Pershings. And should that fail, there's always an M2 Bradley powerplant, right in that approxinmate range.
Right now, tracks is the kicker. If something close can be found, it's at least a possibility.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
