Tiger ausf. E : Turret position indicator

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Turret position indicator

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Until early 1944, all Tigers had a turret position indicator. It allowed the tank commander to see how his turret was aimed relative to the vehicle's hull. With this information, he could give the driver correct instructions.

Early position indicator

There was one kind of indicator in turrets with the high cupola, and another in turrets with the low cupola. This article discusses the first kind. On the turret ring there was a small black gearbox, shown here. A shaft ran down from it, carrying a gear wheel that engaged with the toothed ring bolted to the hull top.

Early position indicator

This photograph shows the gear box and gear wheel. Notice that there's an oil-filling tap on the shaft. Normally a coaming would cover the large toothed ring completely, but in this photo you can see that a portion of it is removed. The coaming had a protruding cowl to cover this gear wheel.

Early position indicator

A shaft ran up from the gearbox. (This example is covered in years' worth of museum dust.)

Early position indicator

The shaft drove a ring in the top of the cupola.

Early position indicator

The toothed indicator ring is shown here. It was carried on three bearings; on of them is shown at the right. A small pointer was fixed to the cupola roof above the center of the forward vision block; this is shown at the left. It pointed to numbers painted on the rotating ring. With this the commander could read off his position. (In this photo, a leather head pad is missing.)

[1] Survey of Tiger 250122, at Bovington museum, by David Byrden

[2] Tiger Turret Manual

 
 

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