Description
This was a Mid Tiger from October 1943, with S-mine gear, a single headlight on the left side, the final layout of track cable, cleated tracks, and a turret wall that was drilled for a pistol port but then sealed up at the factory.
The tank was built as a Befehlstiger (Command Tiger) and was therefore stored at the Henschel factory for weeks. Following the bombing of the factory, it was converted to be a Borgward controller. It therefore had its Fu 5 antenna on the left side plus a smaller antenna on the turret's right wall, a perhaps unique configuration. Around the end of the year it was issued to the 508 battalion who went to Italy.
Early in 1944 this Tiger suffered battle damage, including hits to the turret rear and a fire. It's not clear what the damage was, but the fire was probably contained in a side compartment, because the tank was now considered unusable and yet could still drive. The battalion workshop converted it to be a "demolition charge layer", according to their journal, but photographs show that they also added recovery equipment. We have no further information from the German side.
In May 1944 the Allies found this Tiger abandoned in the Anzio region, apparently due to engine trouble. Several photos of the wreck were taken over a long period, while it was gradually stripped of parts. These photographs are the only record of the tank's added equipment.
The gun was removed. The Zimmerit was mostly gone from the turret walls, due to the fire. Most of the spare track hangers were removed. The hull had towing hitches added on front and back. A crane and winch were added to the turret. The crane is obviously inadequate for vehicle recovery, so we can believe that it is for charge laying as stated. It's not clear whether the turret could be turned after the tank was damaged; photos show it pointing directly to the rear.
Photos
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