"Tiger sighting" Topic

OK, I'm walking home from the supermarket (didn't bring phone with camera today, sorry), on Chestnut Street at McCarter Hwy (NJ 21), south of downtown Newark, north of the port, airport, and Turnpike interchange.

Going by, southbound on 21, was a 'bulldozer carrier' loaded with a Panzerkampfwagon VI – Tiger I. Was painted prodominantly olive-drab, '231' on turret in white outlined in black. Followed with 'Oversize Load' warning pickup and Newark police car. Gobsmacked was I

Anyone with more info on this ?

Newark is known for car theft.

Was it this?

link

Was painted prodominantly olive-drab, '231' on turret in white outlined in black.

Neither the paint scheme nor the description of the colors used for numbering sound typical for a Tiger tank.

Tigers' base colors were either grey or base yellow (dunkelgelb). Green and/or brown (dark red really) were added later.

The turret numbers are mostly red or black outlined in white, with fewer examples of clear outlined in white or black, solid red, solid black or blue outlined in white.

Salutations, gentlefolk!

Deephorse: Might have been, wouldn't bet that it wasn't.

28mm Fanatik: If 'twas actual product of 3rd Reich, might well have been repainted sometime in intervening 75 years…

Saw this 'AFV on trailer' pass at 4 in the afternoon, and while it was 90 F and 90% humidity, am certain 'twas not a mirage ;-)

might well have been repainted sometime in intervening 75 years…

True, but if it's a Tiger (or more likely a replica), one can reasonably assume that it would not be given an ahistorical or unrepresentative paint scheme. Why on earth would anyone repaint what passes for a Tiger in olive drab? The only German tank painted in OD that I know of was the ersatz M10 Panther during BotB.

Without seeing a photo we may never solve this "mystery of the OD Tiger."

28mm Fanatic, please click on Deephorse's link. He seems to have a perfectly valid explanation right down to the number.

I am aware that the turret number of the Tiger replica shown in Deephorse's link is 231 and matches the one seen by JAFD26, but it's red outlined in white and not white outlined in black. The paint scheme also doesn't match his description of it being mostly olive drab, being a variation of the standard three-tone 'Normandy" camouflage, with as much reddish brown swatches as green.

It could be the same tank if his observation was a tad off I suppose.

Salutations yet again !

After rehydration, dinner, and nap in aircond space, realized I'd picked up card at H'Con for The Military Vehicle Preservation Association, 44th Annual Int'l Military Vehicle Show and Convention, in York, Pa, Aug 7-11.

MVPA.org/York for info

So mayhaps that's where it's headed, and should anyone be going there, let us know if you see a Tiger matching the description.

Salutations !

Checked website of MVPA. Their _2019_ convention is in York, Pa – this years is going on in Lexington, Ky.

Dropped note to their contact Email – hq@mvpa.org – asked if they had any info.

I'm going to call it a night. Pleasant dreams, y'all!

While searching for info, i came across this event in Westchester county NY, I have never heard of it before. Anybody else?
link

The only German tank painted in OD that I know of was the ersatz M10 Panther during BotB.

Flicking through the colour profiles in my various Tiger books I have found 4 that were either entirely or almost entirely green. One from s.Pz.Abt. 502 in September 1942, being green on a panzer grey base. One from s.Pz.Abt. (Fkl) dated November 1944, and two from Kompanie Fehrmann in April 1945.

If 'twas actual product of 3rd Reich, might well have been repainted sometime in intervening 75 years…

I agree … And could it have been a "Vis-Mod", like the Tiger Is in Kelly's Heroes, BoB, SPR, etc. ? Like in deephorse's post. I know the Tiger Is in Kelly's Heroes were "Vis-Mods" built on T-34 chassis/hulls.

I know on 17 Aug.2018, there is a large D-Day Reenactment in the small beachfront town of Conneaut, OH, along Lake Erie. Last year they has some German "Vis-Mods", e.g. Pz IV Assault Gun IIRC, on a FV432 hull. Plus a number of real M4s, etc. …

I hope to see a Vis-Mod of a Tiger or better yet a real Tiger I there this year !

How many real Tiger Is are there in the U.S.? Cant't be that many and shouldn't be difficult to account for them all one would have thought.

Maybe the off colours are because someone intends to film it in black and white.

I know there was at least one at the Proving Grounds at Ft. Belvoir, Maryland. But it was not functional at the time I saw it, @ '77(??). And I'm sure it's still around, not sure where in the US Army it was moved, etc.?

Hello, Legion 4. The Aberdeen Proving Ground museum closed in 2010, and the armor was to move to Fort Lee, Virginia. The Tiger may have been moved to another US Fort.

Sad commentary here:

link

Aberdeen, MD, is north of Baltimore, almost to the Susquehanna River. Fort Belvoir is below Washington, as I remember, and I don't remember any armor.

GdeP

GdeP is correct. Everything went from APG to Ft. Lee, Va (just south of Richmond). link Unfortunately when they moved to there, there was no there there. So it was scattered to the four winds. For safe keeping.
Since this was done at the behest of our government within the last ten years (this forum's time limit on political discourse) I am prohibited from commenting further.

So is that the only real Tiger I in the U.S.?

Sad commentary here:

Sad indeed. I visited APG once some years ago and had a good look over what was there. Fortunately here in Europe we seem to be doing better at Bovington, Munster and Saumur, even Kubinka is better. Investment does help. The money spent on restoring the Tiger to running condition has paid off for Bovington. It is an enormous crowd puller. Every time it is out for a run the museum is heaving.

Thank U GdeP, it was a long time ago, so I mixed up Belvoir and Aberdeen out.

I was very sorry to hear that they closed up APG. And I had heard that they move all the armor there elsewhere.

Thank U too W/Sailor for that intel. Hopefully they are all in a "safe" place(s) and not scrapped, etc.

Since this was done at the behest of our government within the last ten years (this forum's time limit on political discourse) I am prohibited from commenting further.

Yes, I understand and yes I feel the same as you do.
We all know what happens when we, but more importantly when our leaders forget/ignore history …

So is that the only real Tiger I in the U.S.?

That may well be ? I have heard of no others …

That being said, one of the local fireworks makers in town has an M3 Stuart next to their parking lot under a tent for all to see. And she appears to be in good condition. But I don't know if she still runs …

I worked in consulting, on the road, for 35 year – until 2001 – and recall staying one night near Aberdeen. I visited the next day, late 1990's, and was told these vehicles were often – or all – special one-of-a-kind production. For instance, their Panzer IV was equipped with a fireplace at the rear to burn coal or wood, no gasoline engine.

I also remember seeing a M3A1 "Honey" in British bronze green, in front of the Veterans of Foreign War (or American Legion) post in Bath, New York. Like finding an old friend!

GdeP

Photo of tank in NJ
link

History of the 'Tiger'
link

GdeP, I love to see some of the vehicles, guns, etc., that you find in front of some VFWs, American Legions, etc. I've seen an AH1 Cobra, Shermans, AT Guns, FA, etc. Right up the road here, there is a USN Twin 40mm AAA gun & radar in front of little War museum, in Canfield OH.

mkenny – Great pics !

Tiger sighting solved then?

Yesterday I drove past another local VFW that has two 20mm AA guns in front painted all gray.

My local VFW has a 105mm airborne howitzer in front of it in standard OD green.

VFW?

Veterans of Foreign War …

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is an American war veterans organization headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The Veterans of Foreign Wars was established by James C. Putnam on September 29, 1899, in Columbus, Ohio. The organization's membership consists of veterans who, as soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and coast guardsmen served the United States in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign soil or in hostile waters.