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The Tiger II or Sdkfz. 182 (Sdkfz. 267 / Sdkfz. 268 for Command vehicles), also known as the King Tiger (officially Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. H/B, P), was delivered to the German Wehrmacht starting in October 1943 and represented one of the most advanced tank designs of World War II. A total of 492 units were produced, with the majority manufactured by Henschel and Krupp. The Tiger II combined the robust armor of its predecessor, the Tiger I, with sloped frontal armor up to 185 mm thick and the powerful 8.8-cm KwK 43 L/71 gun, capable of destroying almost any Allied tank at long range. Weighing 70 tons, with a top speed of 38 km/h (road) and a range of up to 170 km, it was prone to mechanical failures and fuel shortages, limiting its strategic effectiveness.

Tiger II P, Jagdtiger, and Tiger II H at the Bovington Tank Museum (Source)

Development

As early as 1942, it was clear that German tanks such as the Pz IV, Pz III, and the heavy Tiger I were inferior to Allied models such as the Soviet T-34 and IS-2 and the American Sherman Firefly in some crucial areas, particularly in terms of mobility and sloped armour. These tanks could not only be produced in large numbers, but also had tactical advantages.

The development of the Tiger II was driven by the Henschel and Porsche companies. While Porsche’s design was more technically ambitious than the VK.45.01 (P) and VK.45.02 (P), Henschel’s design ultimately prevailed as it was easier to produce. Mass production began in 1944 and a total of 492 vehicles were produced by the end of the war. This comparatively low production figure stood in stark contrast to the tens of thousands of tanks produced by the Allies and highlighted the difficulties involved in producing such a complex vehicle.

The Tiger II was armed with an 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71, a powerful long-barreled gun capable of destroying enemy tanks at ranges of up to 2,000 meters. Its frontal armor was exceptionally thick at up to 185 millimeters and, combined with sloped armor, offered excellent protection from enemy fire; however, tanks such as the IS-2, SU-100, SU-122, and SU-152 were very dangerous to a Tiger II because of their large calibers they could easily destroy the frontal armor if they fired first or if they were not yet destroyed, although the 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 could also penetrate their armor with ease. However, the tank was limited in many ways due to its enormous weight of 70 tons. The 700 hp Maybach HL230 P30 engine struggled to power the tank efficiently, which proved particularly problematic in difficult terrain. The top speed of 38 km/h on the road dropped drastically to around 10–15 km/h off-road, and the limited range of around 120 kilometers on the road was further limited by high fuel consumption.

The Tiger II was not only intended to be a response to the enemy’s technological advances, but also to have a psychological impact. With its impressive size and aggressive design, it was intended to inspire fear and respect. However, despite its superior firepower and armor, the tank was often viewed as a strategic blunder. Its enormous complexity led to mechanical problems, and the logistical demands were almost impossible to manage given Germany’s limited resources towards the end of the war. The production of a single Tiger II was extremely time-consuming and expensive. One vehicle cost around 800,000 Reichsmarks, comparable to the cost of 8 Pz IV H / 16 T-34-85 / 8 M4 Shermans / 10 StuG III or 3 Churchill Mk VII — funds that could have been used to produce other types of tank.

Variants

VK.45.02 (P)

The VK 45.02 (P) was a project developed by Ferdinand Porsche during World War II for the Tiger II heavy tank. Unlike its predecessor, the VK 45.01 (P) (Tiger P), no hull was manufactured or tested. The VK 45.02 (P) adopted some features of the Tiger P such as the chassis which was based on the Tiger P design. The engine of the VK 45.02 (P) was a further development of the engine used in the Tiger P. Another feature is the position of the turret which was moved far to the rear in complete contrast to the Tiger P which had its turret quite far forward. However, even though this plan was not implemented, the project gained importance because the turret intended for this tank with the 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 was nevertheless manufactured and used on the first fifty PZ VI Tiger II tanks and is known as the Tiger II P.

Tiger II P

The Tiger II P was generally the same model as the Tiger II H, but it is noticeable that the turret of the Tiger II P is more curved than that of the Tiger II H. This was because, as mentioned above, the chassis was built by Henschel and the turrets by Krupp. But where did the Porsche turrets on the Tiger II come from? Krupp received an order from Porsche to build 50 Tiger II turrets according to Porsche’s plans (aka the VK.45.03). Porsche received the order because Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of Porsche, firmly believed he would get this order from the Army Ordnance Office. However, the Army Ordnance Office awarded the order to Henschel and not Porsche. However, the turrets of the Tiger II P had already been built by Krupp. In order not to waste resources, the 50 turrets that had already been built were mounted on the first 50 Tiger II H chassis.

Side view of the Tiger P (Source)

Tiger II H /B

The Tiger II H or B was the series version of the Tiger II and was manufactured by Henschel and Krupp. The difference to the P variant is that the Tiger II H or B had a less curved turret armor than the Tiger II P.

Tiger II H during repair (source)

Tiger II 10,5

The Tiger II 10.5 was born out of the idea of installing a powerful 10.5 KwK L/68 in a Henschel turret, which would have had to be enlarged and an additional loader would have been necessary. In the end, this project never left the drawing board.

Jagdtiger

The Jagdtiger was a heavy German tank destroyer in World War II, based on the Tiger II chassis. Weighing 74 tons, it was the heaviest mass-produced armored vehicle of the war. Its main armament was a 12.8 cm PaK 44 L/55, capable of destroying enemy tanks at long ranges. In addition, its frontal armor was up to 200mm thick, making it almost impossible to destroy head-on. Despite its impressive firepower and armor, the Jagdtiger suffered from technical problems such as the vulnerable engine or the maintenance-intensive chassis suspension, which affected its effectiveness on the battlefield.

Famous battles

The Tiger II was deployed on critical fronts throughout the war. From 1944, it fought on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. It posed a significant threat to Allied armor during the Normandy Campaign, although its impact was hampered by Allied air superiority and logistical challenges. It played a crucial role during the Battle of the Bulge (1944/45) and was instrumental in defending key positions in the Battle of Budapest (1945) and the final Battle of Berlin.

The picture shows General Eisenhower looking at a destroyed Tiger II during the Falaise pocket. Especially here you can see the chassis suspension of the Tiger (source)

A German Tiger II crew with their Tiger II during the battle for Budapest on October 15, 1944. Here you can clearly see the Zermit coating which was made of ceramic to protect against haft mines (source)

Famous Commanders

The most famous Tiger II commanders included Otto Carius, known for his tactical brilliance and numerous tank kills, and Kurt Knispel, who had the most confirmed kills in the entire Second World War. Their skills and leadership cemented their status as legends of the German Panzerwehr.

Otto Carius

Otto Carius was born on 27 May 1922 in Zweibrücken and was a first lieutenant in the Wehrmacht with the Panzerwaffe during World War II. At the beginning of his career, Carius was a loader on a 38 (t). Later, when he was promoted to first lieutenant, he became commander of the famous Tiger I tank, where he even achieved a confirmed aerial kill with his 8.8 cm KwK of the Tiger I. From the beginning of 1945, Otto Carius was commander of a company in the 512th Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion, where he commanded a Jagdtiger and was deployed on the Western Front. Otto Carius was probably taken prisoner in the Ruhr Pocket by American forces after Operation Plunder; the exact circumstances and time are unknown.

Otto Carius ultimately survived the Second World War and became a pharmacist in Herschweiler-Petersheim in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, where he founded his own pharmacy and called it the “Tiger Pharmacy” as a reference to the fact that he was a tank ace with the Tiger I. He died on 24 January 2015 in Herschweiler-Pettersheim.

Otto Carius at the age of 22 on an autograph photo in 1944 (source)

Kurt Knispel

Kurt Knispel was born on 20 September 1921 in Salisfeld. Knispel was drafted on 15 May 1940 and was trained on a Pz I until he was transferred to the 3rd Panzer Regiment 29 of the 12th Panzer Division in November 1940, where he served as a loader and gunner in a Pz IV. In 1942, his unit was equipped with the improved Pz IV F2 and assigned to the 13th Panzer Division.

From April, after a long stay in the hospital, Kurt Knispel became commander of a Tiger I during Operation Citadel in Kursk. A year later, in June 1944, Kurt Knispel became commander of a Tiger II at the time of D-Day. Among other things, he and his unit were to use his Tiger to stop the invasion. He and his unit were the 503rd Heavy Panzer Division. In October 1945, he was transferred to Hungary and was refreshed there, where Kurt Knispel was promoted to sergeant and still commanded a Tiger II.

One day after his promotion to sergeant on April 28, 1945, his Tiger II was involved in combat with several Russian T-34s, where shrapnel from a T-34 shell hit Kurt Knispel in the head and the other soldiers of his Tiger II pushed him into a field hospital where he died two hours later. 28 April 1945 in Urbau (Czechoslovakia). Kurt Knispel was the tank commander with 168 confirmed and 30 unconfirmed kills, the tank commander with the most kills in the entire Second World War.

Kurt Knispel (source)

Surviving examples

Today, several surviving Tiger II tanks are displayed in museums worldwide. A particularly famous example is housed at the Musée des Blindés in Saumur, France, where it has been restored to running condition. The Bovington Tank Museum in the UK also features a well-preserved Tiger II, regularly shown in demonstrations. In Germany, a Tiger II is displayed at the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster, while others can be found at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia and in the United States at institutions such as the Fort Benning Armor Museum.

Deutsches Panzer Museum

The Tiger II in the Deutsches Panzer Museum Munster. This Tiger II H was used on the Western Front and belonged to the 1./schwpzAbtgl (Schwerepanzerabteilung/ Heavy Tank Divison) 101. until it was rendered inoperable by its crew and left behind, where it was brought to America by the Allies for testing. When the German Tank Museum was founded, the Tiger II H was donated to the museum. (Source)

Museum de Blindés

The Tiger II from the frech Tank Museum Museum de Blindés in saumur. This example of the Tiger II is the last one in the world that is still operational. It is a combination of several tanks that were manufactured for testing purposes after the war. The turret and part of the mechanics belonged to the command tank 300 of Captain Walter Scherf from the 3rd Company of the Heavy Panzer Division 503. It fought in the Vexin Normand from August 21, 1944. After hard fighting at Fontenay-Saint-Victor, its crew abandoned the tank on August 28, 1944. (Source)

Bovington Tank Museum

The Tiger II H from the Bovington Tank Museum. It was abandoned on 29 or 30 August, possibly at Aux Marais, a commune on the outskirts of Beauvais, about 15 miles to the north-east. It has also long been believed that this tank, possibly after being abandoned, was fired upon by the Sherman under the command of Sergeant Roberts of 4th Troop, A Squadron, 23rd Hussars; it is no longer roadworthy today. (Source)

A rare model is the Tiger II P from the Bovington Tank Museum. The Tiger P in the Bovington Tank Museum is the Tiger II P No.V2, i.e. the second Tiger II P to be built. It was captured by the Allies at Henschel’s test facility in Haustenbeck towards the end of the war and brought to Britain for testing purposes, where it later went to the Panzer Museum. (Source)

Also one of the rare specimens of the Bovington Tank Museum is the Jagdtiger. The Jagdtiger from the Bovington Tank Museum was captured with the Tiger II P at the end of the war on the Henschel test site in Haustenbeck. (Source)

Militär Museum Full

The Tiger II H from the Swiss Tank and Military Museum in Full. striking here is its damaged 8.8cm Cannon. The Tiger II belonged to the SchwpzAbtl (Schwere Panzer Division / Heavy Tank Division) 506, but no further details are known. It is possible that it was abandoned by its crew during the Battle of the Bulge and the barrel was destroyed. This example has also been made roadworthy again with a gradual restoration since 2007. (Source)

U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection

The Tiger II H at the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection. It was captured by the Allies on the Western Front during World War II. After the crew abandoned the Tiger, it was shipped to America after the war. (Source)

Inside of the Tiger II Tower of the Tiger II from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection. The Tiger II is still largely in its original condition and can move under its own power, however some components such as the engine and most of the electronics are not original. Parts of the interior are also missing. (Source)

The drivers Seat of the Tiger II from the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection (Source)

Russia Tank Museum Kubinka

The Tiger II from the Russian Tank Museum Kubinka. It was a command tank and was shot out of action by a Soviet IS-2 on August 1, 1944 and fell into the hands of the Red Army, who took it to Kubinka for tests and later put it in a museum. (Source)

Jagdtiger of the Russian tank museum Kubinka. This Jagdtiger was in use in Austria, where it was damaged by Before the crew could destroy the Jagdtiger itself, the Jagdtiger was captured by the Red Army and later came to the Kubinka Tank Museum. (Source)

Sources

[Wiki DE] Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II / [Wiki EN] Tiger II
[Wiki DE] Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger
[Wiki DE] Panzerjäger Tiger P
[Wiki DE] VK.45.01 (P)
[Wiki EN] VK.45.02 (P)
[Wiki DE] Otto Carius / [Wiki EN] Otto Carius
[Wiki DE] Kurt Knispel
[Wiki DE] T-34
[Wiki DE] Sherman Firefly
[Wiki DE] IS-2
[WELT] Der Riesige deutsche “Königstiger” war ein Irrweg
Deutsches Panzer Museum Munster
Museum De Blindés Saumur
Bovington Tank Museum
Militär Museum Full
Kubinka Tank Museum

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Pz. VI "Tiger II"