Thread: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger (P) VK4501(P) / Porsche Typ 101

For the chassis, Henschel and Porsche had produced their own designs. Porsche was more advanced than Henschel as they had independently embarked on a new heavy tank project beginning in the autumn of 1940, even before the official order was given for a new heavy tank. Porsche designed a totally new chassis codenamed VK4501 (P). The codename VK was for Volkettenfahrzeuge or "fully tracked experimental vehicle", 45 means a 45 ton class and 01 represents the first model. The new VK4501 (P) chassis had 100mm of frontal armor, 80mm side and rear armor, 25mm top armor and 20mm bottom armor. It utilized an advanced power drive train system which used both a combination of petrol and electric to power the tracks. The engine was a two 10 cylinder, 15 litre, air-cooled Porsche Typ 101/1 delivering 320hp at 2400 rpm. These engines did not power the tank's drive train directly. Instead it was linked to an electric generator which then supplied electricity to two electric motors. These electric motors would then power the drive train.

This concept of an electrically powered tank would have greatly conserved fuel and while technologically advanced, was too new and untested and very prone to breakdowns. Furthermore the electrical system used copper, a vital resource Germany was in short supply of. Weighing in at full combat weight of 59 tons, it could achieve a top speed of 35km/h. Designated Tiger (P) or Tiger P1, the Porsche Tiger had its turret mounted ahead in the front section of the hull.

On September 1941, an order was placed for 100 turrets and hulls for the VK4501 (P). On April 1942, the first prototype of Tiger (P) was completed, in time for a demonstration on Hitler's birthday. However Tiger (P) encountered serious complications and manufacturing had been suspended many times. On October 1942, the Tiger commission met to evaluate which of the Tiger (P) or Tiger (H) would be selected for mass production.
Henschel was working on a VK3601 (H) project when the order was received for new heavy tank design on May 1941. The VK3601 (H) was designed to carry the 75mm KwK 42 L/70 tapered bore gun and before the new order was given, Henschel did not intend to mount the 88mm gun. On September 1941, it was then decided that it is not possible to mount an 88mm gun on the VK3601 (H) chassis. Furthermore, Hitler had ordered that the Krupp designed turret for Porsche's VK4501 (P) chassis with the 88mm KwK L/56 was to be fitted to Henschel's Tiger. These restrictions left Henschel with no other option but to design a new VK4501 (H) chassis.

Known as Tiger (H), Henschel utilized as much already available components from previous heavy panzer designs. The VK4501 (H) was created by redesigning the hull of the VK3601 chassis. The chassis had 100mm frontal armor, 80mm side superstructure, 60mm side hull, 80mm rear armor and 25mm top and bottom armor. The turret was originally designed by Krupp for Tiger (P), but was modified and used by Tiger (H). For the engine, it utilized a 12 cylinder Maybach HL 210 P45, delivering 650horsepower at 3000rpm. The transmission was an 8 speed Maybach Olvar 40 12 16 designed to provide a maximum speed of 45km/h. As was usual with German tanks during that time, it was equipped with a ball mounted machine gun fitted on the front right side of the hull. Weighing in at full combat weight of 57 tons, Tiger (H) could carry up to 92 rounds of main gun ammunition and up to 5700 rounds of 7.92mm MG34 rounds.
The first prototype of Tiger (H) was completed on April 1942, in time for a demonstration on Hitler's birthday. The first Tiger (H) known as Versuchsserie Tiger Nr. V1 was fitted with a new feature called the Vorpanzer, which was a frontal shield which could be lowered to protect the tracks and drive sprocket. This feature was quickly discontinued and having been fitted only on the first Tiger (H). By July 1942, both Tiger (P) and Tiger (H) were being tested at the firing grounds at Berka, Germany. The Tiger (H) proved superior and was approved for mass production. The production for Tiger (P) was discontinued. Of the original 100 Tiger (P) ordered, only 10 had been assembled by October 1942 (chassis Nr 150001 through 150010). The remaining 90 turrets were converted for mounting with Tiger (H). 90 hulls were converted to the Ferdinand Panzer-Jager (tank destroyer), named after its designer Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. This Panzer-Jager was later renamed to Elephant. Of the 10 assembled Tiger (P), three were converted to Bergefahrzeuge (recovery vehicles), another three were converted to Raumpanzer Tiger (debris clearance vehicle) and the last four were retained for further testing (Nr 150004, 150005, 150013 and 150014). Only one (Nr 150013) saw action as a command tank on the Eastern front.