The Panzerkampfwagen VI
Ausf. B Konigstiger (King Tiger, Pzkw VI-B, Royal Tiger,
SdKfz 182, Sonderkraftfahrzeug 182, Tiger II), is a
German tank, of World War II, which was derived from the
Pzkw VI Tiger I. This combat vehicle weighed 68 tons, was
protected by 185mm of frontal armor, and was armed with
the 88mm KwK 43 L71.
The K?nigstigers were sent directly from factories into
combat. As a result of the abandonment of post-production
testing and preliminary trials; these tanks had numerous
technical issues. Notably, the steering control would
break down under the stress of the vehicle's weight. In
addition, not only were the engines prone to overheating
and failure, but they were also considered to be
extremely fuel inefficient. Explained Henschel &
Son's chief designer Erwin Adlers, "The breakdowns
can be attributed to the fact that the Tiger II had to go
straight into series production without the benefit of
test results."
Notable Konigstiger Commanders
SS Untersturmfuhrer Fred Carpaneto
| Specification number | . . . . | Sd. Kfz. 182 |
| Weight in action | . . . . | 75 tons. |
| Crew | . . . . | 5 men. |
| Armor | ||
| Front glacis plate | . . . . | 150 mm at 50?. |
| Lower nose plate | . . . . | 100mm at 50?. |
| Hull sides | . . . . | 80 mm vertical. |
| Superstructure sides | . . . . | 80 mm at 20?. |
| Rear plate | . . . . | 80 mm at 25?. |
| Turret front | . . . . | 180 mm at 10?. |
| Turret sides and rear | . . . . | 80 mm at 20?. |
| Armament (coaxially | ||
| mounted in turret) | . . . . | One 8.8 cm Kw.K. 43 |
| (L/71) and one M.G. 34. | ||
| In hull | . . . . | One M.G. 34. |
| Dimensions, Length | . . . . | 23 feet 10 inches. |
| (excluding gun) | ||
| Width | . . . . | 11 feet 11 1/2 inches. |
| Height | . . . . | 10 feet 2 inches. |
| Gun overhang | . . . . | 8 feet 10 inches. |
| Ground clearance, | ||
| Front | . . . . | 1 foot 7 inches. |
| Rear | . . . . | 1 foot 8 inches. |
| Performance, | ||
| Road speed | . . . . | 24 miles per hour. |
| Cross-country | ||
| speed | . . . . | 9 to 10 miles per hour. |
| Maximum speed | . . . . | 26 miles per hour. |
| Range on roads | . . . . | 106 miles. |
| Range cross-country | . . . . | 74 miles. |
| Engine, Type | . . . . | Maybach HL 230 P30. |
| Cylinders | . . . . | V-12. |
| Fuel | . . . . | 229 gallons. |
| Fuel consumption | ||
| (per 100 miles) | ||
| On roads | . . . . | 213 gallons. |
| Cross-country | . . . . | 300 gallons |
| BHP | . . . . | 590 HP at 2,600 rpm. |
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