 Editor in Chief Bill   | 27 Aug 2021 4:44 p.m. PST |
You were asked – TMP link Was the Famous German Tiger Tank Really That Great?52% said "the Tiger tank was pretty good"
20% said "the Tiger tank was OK"
11% said "the Tiger tank was awesome" |
Frederick  | 27 Aug 2021 7:38 p.m. PST |
Agree it was pretty good (as attested to by lots of T-34 and Sherman jockies) – but no single weapon, no matter how good, was going to fix the hole the Germans dug themselves into |
| Wolfhag | 27 Aug 2021 10:52 p.m. PST |
I wasn't in the survey but I'd say, "No" as it failed as a breakthrough tank but it's not the Tiger's fault. In a breakthrough it would have been used for a short period and then taken back for repairs and refitting. This would have overcome most of its shortcomings. Wolfhag |
| John the OFM | 27 Aug 2021 11:19 p.m. PST |
When they show up, they're fine. |
| TacticalPainter01 | 28 Aug 2021 1:28 a.m. PST |
When they show up, they're fine. That's right, just ask Michael Whittmann…… 😉
|
| Thresher01 | 28 Aug 2021 1:44 a.m. PST |
I imagine that Tiger save Wittmann and his crew on numerous occasions. |
| Andy ONeill | 28 Aug 2021 3:24 a.m. PST |
You could just as well say ask wittman's opponents at villers bocage. |
| mkenny | 28 Aug 2021 9:09 a.m. PST |
You could just as well say ask wittman's opponents at villers bocage. All they would tell you is that the attack by the Tigers into Villers was a failure. |
| Ed Mohrmann | 28 Aug 2021 3:29 p.m. PST |
The Tigers suffered from over-engineering, mostly.
Precision machines in an environment not conducive to
such. T-34 OTOH…. |
| Marcus Brutus | 28 Aug 2021 8:46 p.m. PST |
The Germans would have done better if they had taken all the energy and resources that went into the PzV and PzVI programs and repurposed it to producing more PzIVs and Stugs. |
| Costanzo1 | 29 Aug 2021 10:52 a.m. PST |
The right tank for Germany. |
| Thresher01 | 29 Aug 2021 8:28 p.m. PST |
I don't think it was over-engineered. Under-produced, but not excessively over-engineered. That is especially true when one sees the quantity of some weapons built in the last 12 – 18 months of the war by the Germans, when they finally shifted over to serious production. I will note that the USA and Russia followed suit in creating heavy tanks of similar capability (M26, JS-II, and JS-III) in order to combat them. They wouldn't have done that if they didn't think they were needed. |
| Mark 1 | 30 Aug 2021 11:43 p.m. PST |
I will note that the USA and Russia followed suit in creating heavy tanks of similar capability (M26, JS-II, and JS-III) in order to combat them. Not exactly. The Soviets created IS-2 and -3 to have breakthrough tanks. They did want them to be able to face Tigers, but that was about 6 places down on a top-5 items priority list. If they had developed the IS tanks to fight tigers they would not have given them 122mm guns. They tested other guns (most notably their 100mm gun), but went with the 122mm in large part because of it's greatly superior HE punch. This belies the role of the tanks -- there were LOTS of dug in Germans all around the front, and very FEW Tiger tanks about. -Mark
(aka: Mk 1) |
| 14th NJ Vol | 02 Sep 2021 4:03 p.m. PST |
In a defensive roll it was tough. However could the Tiger had made the breakout of Normandy like the Sherman did? |
| mkenny | 02 Sep 2021 6:21 p.m. PST |
The 122mm gun was not the first choice for the IS but it was available in numbers and combat tested. The practical decision was made to run with what they had rather than wait until a better solution arrived. |
