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Description
This is a Tiger of the "Das Reich" division in early 1943, during the battles around Kharkiv. The turret number "801" signifies that the tank belongs to the staff section of the 8th company, which was the Tiger company of "Das Reich". The tank is parked in a garage along with other Tigers of the company. There is another photo of Tiger "801" in the garage.
Staff Tigers are normally Befehlstiger, but this is obviously a normal tank (it has a turret MG and no supports for the mast antenna). The cleanliness of the wheels, and the fact that the tank is in "transport" configuration, suggests that it has very recently arrived at the front. Tigers of this company detrained at Kharkiv's main railway station.
An unusual feature of this tank is the sprocket wheel, whose ribs are aligned with its bolts. It is one of the first handful of sprockets to be manufactured.
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