Nazi Germany’s Tiger Tank Seemed to Have it All. So Why Did it Fail?
These tanks were scary and hard to kill. But they also tended to break down and weren t mass-produced enough to really matter.
Here s What You Need to Remember:
Nazi Germany s Tiger is arguably the most famous tank of World War II. With its thick armor and devastating 88-millimeter gun, the Mark VI or
Tiger I soon earned a devastating reputation on the battlefield.
This first appeared earlier and is being reposted due to reader interest.
Designed as a breakthrough tank for breaching enemy defenses, and allocated to a handful of special heavy tank battalions, the sixty-ton Tiger I seemed to have it all: firepower, armor and for an early 1940s vehicle that weighed as much as today s M-1 Abrams, it was fairly agile. With its square, castle-like shape and long cannon, the Tiger I even
High tech and over-engineered.
Key Point: Heavy tanks were deadly but could break down and weren t as reliable or easy to mass produce as other tanks.
Nazi Germany s Tiger is arguably the most famous tank of World War II. With its thick armor and devastating 88-millimeter gun, the Mark VI or
Tiger I soon earned a devastating reputation on the battlefield.
Designed as a breakthrough tank for breaching enemy defenses, and allocated to a handful of special heavy tank battalions, the sixty-ton Tiger I seemed to have it all: firepower, armor and for an early 1940s vehicle that weighed as much as today s M-1 Abrams, it was fairly agile. With its square, castle-like shape and long cannon, the Tiger I even