Difference between revisions of "Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P"

From War Thunder Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Visual (beta)Wikitext
Line 2: Line 2:
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
−
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_Pz.Bfw.VI(P).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P)''' is a premium Rank IV German heavy tank with a battle rating of 5.7. It was introduced in [[Update_1.45_"Steel_Generals"|Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. The Pz.Bfw. VI (P) is an uparmoured variant of the [[VK 45.01 (P)]], with an extra 100 mm of armour bolted onto the front plate. It costs 6,090 [[:Category:Economy#Golden_Eagles|Golden Eagles]]
 +
 
 +
Unlike the [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1| Henschel Tiger]], and most other tanks, it is powered by a rather unusal combination of 2 Hybrid gasoline-electric engines. This brings some unusual handling characteristics to play. For example, because it is driven by the electric engine, it can go backwards just as fast as forward! So it has one of the highest reverse speed in the game now. On the other hand, its top speed in both directions is limited (only 31 kph, and it feels like it could go faster without the limit). It is also a little heavier than the Henschel, has narrower tracks, and its engine output is lower. Soft terrain isn't a friend of this vehicle.
 +
 
 +
The hull it uses is similiar to the Henschel, it has the same 102 mm of front armour, and 82 mm of side and rear armour, only with different shapes. However, additional 102mm armour plates are bolted to the front, making it a total of 204 mm of steel. (Same ammount of hull armour can be found on [[Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Ferdinand|Ferdinand tank destroyer]]!)
 +
 
 +
'''Other notable differences/similarities:'''
 +
*Transmission is mounted at the rear of the vehicle - no more catching fires from frontal shots!
 +
*It uses the same turret and gun as [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1| Tiger H1]], but it can use APCR shells.
 +
*It uses the same hull as [[Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Ferdinand|Ferdinand]] tank destroyer.
 +
*Turret hasn't got an electric drive - its traverse speed is therefore very low.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
−
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
+
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
  
−
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
*Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 102 + 102 mm (8°) ''Front plate'' <br> 62 mm (78°), 102 + 102 mm (30°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 82 mm (46°) ''Lower glacis'' || 82 mm || 82 mm || 26 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 100 mm ''Turret front'' <br> 90 - 200 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 82 mm || 82 mm || 26 mm
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Cupola || 80 mm || 26 mm
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
*Lower side hull is only 62 mm thick so watch out.
 +
*An additional 26 mm of armour is bolted in front of the machine gun port on the hull.
 +
*Turret front covered by gun mantlet has variable thickness depending on exact place, ranging from 90 to 200 mm of armour.
 +
*Driver's viewport is actually far from being a weakspot, it still counts as part of 200 mm of front armour + 40 mm.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="2" | 60.0 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 33 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|31 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|684
 +
|842
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|469
 +
|530
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|11.40
 +
|14.03
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|7.82
 +
|8.83
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
−
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 +
{{main|KwK 36 (88 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[KwK 36 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK 36]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 80 || -8°/+16° || ±180° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 4.50 || 6.20 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 4.50 || 5.30 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 9.60 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 165 || 162 || 151 || 138 || 126 || 116
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr || HE || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13 || 13
 +
|-
 +
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT ||  110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 220 || 219 || 200 || 179 || 160 || 143
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 773 || 10 || 0.8 || 28 || 108.8 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr || HE || 820 || 11 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 935 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 600 || 7.6 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 1100 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 1000 || 7.3 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
* '''PzGr 39''' <br>You should stick with this type of shell as it's the best. It will do incredible damage to any tank you encounter, except SPAA, AA guns, or AI artillery. You may struggle with some heavier tanks like the IS-1, IS-2, or American heavy tanks at long ranges, but well placed shots from close range or sides will do the job; all other medium and light tanks will be history as soon as this shell make a contact with them. This shell, however, will almost always over-penetrate all but the most armoured SPAA vehicles, so it is best to use HE or machine gun fire.
 +
* '''Hl.Gr. 39''' <br>The heat shell is best avoided as it deals less damage than the APBC Shell and has a much lower muzzle-velocity, meaning that you have to aim ridiculously high for sniping. It also offers less penetration than APBC at all ranges.
 +
* '''PzGr 40''' <br>As the APCR round for the gun, this will give you the greater edge needed to take out heavily protected tanks.
 +
* '''Sprgr. 39''' <br>The HE shell is completely ineffective against all but SPAA or the AI artillery on the Kursk and Ash River maps, and the machine gun mounted on the Tiger has proven quite capable of dealing with these. Keep a small supply of this shell on hand if you plan to flank the enemy and take out their SPAA or artillery, but avoid them for everything else.
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
−
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
+
[[File:Ammoracks_Pz.Bfw.VI(P).png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] of the Pz.Bfw.VI (P).]]
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''80''' || 67&nbsp;''(+13)'' || 53&nbsp;''(+27)'' || 40&nbsp;''(+40)'' || 27&nbsp;''(+53)'' || 14&nbsp;''(+66)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+79)'' || style="text-align:left" | Yes
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
Left side empty: 40&nbsp;(+40)
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
−
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
 +
{{main|MG 34 (7.92 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[MG 34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG 34]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 1,800 (150) || 900 || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
−
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
With this tank, a calm and patient player will be able to rip apart lots of enemies, before being knocked out. The Tiger P can easily survive a duel with other Henschel Tigers, because its hull armour is much stronger, and they use the same turret, that is rather hard to be penned by Short 8.8cm guns they use.
 +
 
 +
One of the flaws of its armour design is that it cannot be effectively angled AT ALL. Because of its front hull cheeks, that are only 82 mm thick, even the slightest angling makes them very vulnerable to all guns, and to make matters even worse, ammunition is stored right behind them on both sides (unless one carries less ammunition).
 +
 
 +
Gameplay is very similiar to the [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger Ausf. E| Tiger E]]. You should avoid direct close range confrontations (although the Porsche can hold its ground a lot better there), where its weakspots can be targetted, or you can be flanked easily, and rather use its excellent accurate gun to outshoot your opponents from afar, while using the terrain and various obstacles as cover (Hulldown maneuver). You should also refrain yourself from angling your armour, as opposed to Box-shaped Henschel Tigers, because of the vulnerable front hull cheeks and much thinner side armour. 204 mm of front hull armour can defeat a lot of shells even completely unangled, and even more at high distance.
 +
 
 +
You should also remember about your high reverse speed (31 kph!), if the situation is becoming dire, you can always try to retreat from it by reversing, while still facing your opponents with 200 mm of front armour and your dangerous gun!
 +
 
 +
Lastly, remember that your BR is quite high, and you can meet opponents that are almost invulnerable to your gun from the front (even when using APCR), and/or can still kill you with 1 well aimed shot.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
−
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
−
 
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
−
*
+
* Strong 200 mm (100 + 100) frontal armour.
−
 
+
* Low chance of fire from front shots thanks to the rear mounted transmission.
 +
* Accurate gun for long ranges.
 +
* Has APCR ammunition.
 +
* Reverse is just as fast as forward drive.
 +
* Premium vehicle - Earns much more Silver Lion/RPs per battle.
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
−
*
+
* Huge, exposed sides due to vehicle length and front hull cheeks are prominent weak points.
 +
* Small weak spot on the hull - the machine gun port.
 +
* Often not enough penetration against higher BR vehicles it faces.
 +
* Mobility and top speed is average, turning the tank bleeds speed quickly.
 +
* Slow turret traverse.
 +
* Gun mantlet presents a big weakness due to some flat areas.
 +
* The 204 mm of frontal armour will not stand against high-powered rounds.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
−
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
In 1942, a program to submit a heavy tank design weighing 45 tons mounting the 88 mm KwK 36 cannon derived from the successful 88 mm FlaK gun was launched on May 21. Two companies, Henschel and Porsche were contracted to design the tank hull that could mount the turret designed by Krupp.
 +
 
 +
Porsche's development for this project was to upgrade their existing  VK 30.01 (P) medium tank design, adapting parts from the tank into their new heavy tank. This heavy tank designed by Porsche was designated the '''[[VK 4501 P|VK 45.01 (P)]]''' and was powered by twin air-cooled gasoline Porsche Type 101/1 engines that were in the rear of the tank. Each engine drives a separate generator on each side of the tank that would then each power one of the two electric motors for each track. This design resulted in the tank being prone to breakdown due to complexity, high-maintenance, and deficiency in copper quality available for use.
 +
 
 +
The vehicle was displayed to Hitler on his birthday on April 20, 1942 alongside the Henschel version VK 45.01 (H). Unlike the Henschel variant, which had the turret mounted mid-hull, the Porsche version had the turret mounted far forward on the hull in order to make space for its rear engines and drive system. The tank was then evaluated by a technical commission headed by Albert Speer and it was found that the Henschel design was superior to the Porsche design as it was more mobile, more reliable, and easier to enter production. The Henschel version was accepted into service by the German Wehrmacht and was designated the [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1|Tiger I]], while the Porsche variant was sidelined. Only five VK 45.01 (P) were produced before its rejection.
 +
 
 +
===Usage===
 +
Before even the evaluations began, Porsche was so confident that their design would be chosen that one hundred chassis of the VK 45.01 (P) was already produced. With the Henschel version chosen, the chassis were no longer needed to be made into a tank format, but it would be a waste to simply scrap them. These chassis were converted into casemate structures that could mount the new 88 mm Pak 43 cannon, which was longer and more powerful than the KwK 36 on the Tiger I. This would be called the ''[[Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Ferdinand|Ferdinand]]'' tank destroyer, later redesignated as the ''Elefant''. Three VK 45.01 (P) was also converted into recovery vehicles designated the ''Bergepanzer Tiger(P)''.
 +
 
 +
Out of the five VK 45.01 (P) produced from its development to its rejection, only one saw service in World War II. The tank had the chassis number 150013 and was converted into a command tank, thus was designated the '''Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P)'''. As a command tank, the tank would have much more radios than usual to allow for command communication between tank units and headquarters. Another feature on the Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P) was that an extra 100 mm of armour was welded onto the front hull armour, bringing the original 100 mm hull armour to 200 mm effective in thickness. The tank was used by Hauptmann Grillenberg in turret number 003 and the tank saw service on the Eastern Front with the Ferdinand units, serving in Tank Destroyer Battalion 653. It was deployed in April 1944, but was then lost in July of the same year.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
−
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!--''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''-->
 +
[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23pzbfw_vi_p '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the Pz.Bfw. VI (P) from live.warthunder.com.]
 +
===Sights===
 +
* [https://live.warthunder.com/post/675135/en/ RideR2's Realistic gunsight (TZF4a, TZF 5a/b/d/e/f/f2, TZF 9b/b1/c/d, TZF 12/a) for Pzkpfw II, Pzkpfw III, Pzkpfw IV, Pzkpfw V, Pzkpfw VI]
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
Line 51: Line 284:
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany heavy tanks}}
 +
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Revision as of 16:19, 7 November 2018

Rank VI USA | Premium | Golden Eagles
A-10A Thunderbolt (Early)
Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P
germ_panzerbefelhswagen_vi_p.png
Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P
Germany flag.png Germany
IV Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.7 5.7 5.7
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:6 090 Specs-Card-Eagle.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P.jpg


The Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P) is a premium Rank IV German heavy tank with a battle rating of 5.7. It was introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". The Pz.Bfw. VI (P) is an uparmoured variant of the VK 45.01 (P), with an extra 100 mm of armour bolted onto the front plate. It costs 6,090 Golden Eagles

Unlike the Henschel Tiger, and most other tanks, it is powered by a rather unusal combination of 2 Hybrid gasoline-electric engines. This brings some unusual handling characteristics to play. For example, because it is driven by the electric engine, it can go backwards just as fast as forward! So it has one of the highest reverse speed in the game now. On the other hand, its top speed in both directions is limited (only 31 kph, and it feels like it could go faster without the limit). It is also a little heavier than the Henschel, has narrower tracks, and its engine output is lower. Soft terrain isn't a friend of this vehicle.

The hull it uses is similiar to the Henschel, it has the same 102 mm of front armour, and 82 mm of side and rear armour, only with different shapes. However, additional 102mm armour plates are bolted to the front, making it a total of 204 mm of steel. (Same ammount of hull armour can be found on Ferdinand tank destroyer!)

Other notable differences/similarities:

  • Transmission is mounted at the rear of the vehicle - no more catching fires from frontal shots!
  • It uses the same turret and gun as Tiger H1, but it can use APCR shells.
  • It uses the same hull as Ferdinand tank destroyer.
  • Turret hasn't got an electric drive - its traverse speed is therefore very low.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 102 + 102 mm (8°) Front plate
62 mm (78°), 102 + 102 mm (30°) Front glacis
82 mm (46°) Lower glacis 		82 mm 82 mm 26 mm
Turret 100 mm Turret front
90 - 200 mm Gun mantlet 		82 mm 82 mm 26 mm
Armour Sides Roof
Cupola 80 mm 26 mm

Notes:

  • Lower side hull is only 62 mm thick so watch out.
  • An additional 26 mm of armour is bolted in front of the machine gun port on the hull.
  • Turret front covered by gun mantlet has variable thickness depending on exact place, ranging from 90 to 200 mm of armour.
  • Driver's viewport is actually far from being a weakspot, it still counts as part of 200 mm of front armour + 40 mm.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
60.0 N/A 33 (AB)
31 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 684 842
Realistic/Simulator 469 530
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 11.40 14.03
Realistic/Simulator 7.82 8.83

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: KwK 36 (88 mm)
88 mm KwK 36
Capacity Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance 		Stabilizer
80 -8°/+16° ±180° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 4.50 6.20 __.__ __.__ __.__
Realistic 4.50 5.30 __.__ __.__ __.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
9.60 __.__ __.__ __.__
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr 39 APCBC 165 162 151 138 126 116
Sprgr HE 13 13 13 13 13 13
Hl.Gr 39 HEAT 110 110 110 110 110 110
PzGr 40 APCR 220 219 200 179 160 143
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
in m/s 		Projectile
Mass in kg 		Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent): 		Normalization At 30°
from horizontal: 		Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
PzGr 39 APCBC 773 10 0.8 28 108.8 +4° 48° 63° 71°
Sprgr HE 820 11 0.1 0.5 935 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Hl.Gr 39 HEAT 600 7.6 0.0 0.3 1100 +0° 62° 69° 73°
PzGr 40 APCR 1000 7.3 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
  • PzGr 39
    You should stick with this type of shell as it's the best. It will do incredible damage to any tank you encounter, except SPAA, AA guns, or AI artillery. You may struggle with some heavier tanks like the IS-1, IS-2, or American heavy tanks at long ranges, but well placed shots from close range or sides will do the job; all other medium and light tanks will be history as soon as this shell make a contact with them. This shell, however, will almost always over-penetrate all but the most armoured SPAA vehicles, so it is best to use HE or machine gun fire.
  • Hl.Gr. 39
    The heat shell is best avoided as it deals less damage than the APBC Shell and has a much lower muzzle-velocity, meaning that you have to aim ridiculously high for sniping. It also offers less penetration than APBC at all ranges.
  • PzGr 40
    As the APCR round for the gun, this will give you the greater edge needed to take out heavily protected tanks.
  • Sprgr. 39
    The HE shell is completely ineffective against all but SPAA or the AI artillery on the Kursk and Ash River maps, and the machine gun mounted on the Tiger has proven quite capable of dealing with these. Keep a small supply of this shell on hand if you plan to flank the enemy and take out their SPAA or artillery, but avoid them for everything else.
Ammo racks
Ammo racks of the Pz.Bfw.VI (P).
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		6th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
80 67 (+13) 53 (+27) 40 (+40) 27 (+53) 14 (+66) 1 (+79) Yes

Left side empty: 40 (+40)

Machine guns

Main article: MG 34 (7.92 mm)
7.92 mm MG 34
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute) 		Vertical
guidance 		Horizontal
guidance
1,800 (150) 900 N/A N/A

Usage in the battles

With this tank, a calm and patient player will be able to rip apart lots of enemies, before being knocked out. The Tiger P can easily survive a duel with other Henschel Tigers, because its hull armour is much stronger, and they use the same turret, that is rather hard to be penned by Short 8.8cm guns they use.

One of the flaws of its armour design is that it cannot be effectively angled AT ALL. Because of its front hull cheeks, that are only 82 mm thick, even the slightest angling makes them very vulnerable to all guns, and to make matters even worse, ammunition is stored right behind them on both sides (unless one carries less ammunition).

Gameplay is very similiar to the Tiger E. You should avoid direct close range confrontations (although the Porsche can hold its ground a lot better there), where its weakspots can be targetted, or you can be flanked easily, and rather use its excellent accurate gun to outshoot your opponents from afar, while using the terrain and various obstacles as cover (Hulldown maneuver). You should also refrain yourself from angling your armour, as opposed to Box-shaped Henschel Tigers, because of the vulnerable front hull cheeks and much thinner side armour. 204 mm of front hull armour can defeat a lot of shells even completely unangled, and even more at high distance.

You should also remember about your high reverse speed (31 kph!), if the situation is becoming dire, you can always try to retreat from it by reversing, while still facing your opponents with 200 mm of front armour and your dangerous gun!

Lastly, remember that your BR is quite high, and you can meet opponents that are almost invulnerable to your gun from the front (even when using APCR), and/or can still kill you with 1 well aimed shot.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Strong 200 mm (100 + 100) frontal armour.
  • Low chance of fire from front shots thanks to the rear mounted transmission.
  • Accurate gun for long ranges.
  • Has APCR ammunition.
  • Reverse is just as fast as forward drive.
  • Premium vehicle - Earns much more Silver Lion/RPs per battle.

Cons:

  • Huge, exposed sides due to vehicle length and front hull cheeks are prominent weak points.
  • Small weak spot on the hull - the machine gun port.
  • Often not enough penetration against higher BR vehicles it faces.
  • Mobility and top speed is average, turning the tank bleeds speed quickly.
  • Slow turret traverse.
  • Gun mantlet presents a big weakness due to some flat areas.
  • The 204 mm of frontal armour will not stand against high-powered rounds.

History

Development

In 1942, a program to submit a heavy tank design weighing 45 tons mounting the 88 mm KwK 36 cannon derived from the successful 88 mm FlaK gun was launched on May 21. Two companies, Henschel and Porsche were contracted to design the tank hull that could mount the turret designed by Krupp.

Porsche's development for this project was to upgrade their existing VK 30.01 (P) medium tank design, adapting parts from the tank into their new heavy tank. This heavy tank designed by Porsche was designated the VK 45.01 (P) and was powered by twin air-cooled gasoline Porsche Type 101/1 engines that were in the rear of the tank. Each engine drives a separate generator on each side of the tank that would then each power one of the two electric motors for each track. This design resulted in the tank being prone to breakdown due to complexity, high-maintenance, and deficiency in copper quality available for use.

The vehicle was displayed to Hitler on his birthday on April 20, 1942 alongside the Henschel version VK 45.01 (H). Unlike the Henschel variant, which had the turret mounted mid-hull, the Porsche version had the turret mounted far forward on the hull in order to make space for its rear engines and drive system. The tank was then evaluated by a technical commission headed by Albert Speer and it was found that the Henschel design was superior to the Porsche design as it was more mobile, more reliable, and easier to enter production. The Henschel version was accepted into service by the German Wehrmacht and was designated the Tiger I, while the Porsche variant was sidelined. Only five VK 45.01 (P) were produced before its rejection.

Usage

Before even the evaluations began, Porsche was so confident that their design would be chosen that one hundred chassis of the VK 45.01 (P) was already produced. With the Henschel version chosen, the chassis were no longer needed to be made into a tank format, but it would be a waste to simply scrap them. These chassis were converted into casemate structures that could mount the new 88 mm Pak 43 cannon, which was longer and more powerful than the KwK 36 on the Tiger I. This would be called the Ferdinand tank destroyer, later redesignated as the Elefant. Three VK 45.01 (P) was also converted into recovery vehicles designated the Bergepanzer Tiger(P).

Out of the five VK 45.01 (P) produced from its development to its rejection, only one saw service in World War II. The tank had the chassis number 150013 and was converted into a command tank, thus was designated the Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P). As a command tank, the tank would have much more radios than usual to allow for command communication between tank units and headquarters. Another feature on the Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P) was that an extra 100 mm of armour was welded onto the front hull armour, bringing the original 100 mm hull armour to 200 mm effective in thickness. The tank was used by Hauptmann Grillenberg in turret number 003 and the tank saw service on the Eastern Front with the Ferdinand units, serving in Tank Destroyer Battalion 653. It was deployed in April 1944, but was then lost in July of the same year.

Media

Skins and camouflages for the Pz.Bfw. VI (P) from live.warthunder.com.

Sights

Read also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

ETC.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Germany heavy tanks
Tiger 1 (Henschel)  Tiger H1 · Tiger E · ␠Tiger
Tiger 1 (Porsche)  VK 45.01 (P) · Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P
Tiger 2  Tiger II (P) · Tiger II (H) · Tiger II (H) Sla.16 · Tiger II (10.5 cm Kw.K)
Super heavy tanks  Maus · E-100
Trophies 
Great Britain  ▀Pz.Kpfw. Churchill
USSR  ▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r)

Germany premium ground vehicles
Light tanks  Pz.II C (DAK) · Pz.Sfl.Ic · Pz.Sp.Wg.P204(f) KwK · Sd.Kfz. 140/1 · Sd.Kfz.234/1 · Ru 251 · SPz 12-3 LGS · TAM 2IP
Medium tanks  Nb.Fz. · Pz.III N · Pz.Bef.Wg.IV J · ▀M4 748 (a) · ▀T 34 747 (r) · Ersatz M10
  mKPz M47 G · Turm III · Leopard A1A1 (L/44) · Leopard 2 (PzBtl 123) · Leopard 2A4M
Heavy tanks  ▀Pz.Kpfw. Churchill · ▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r)
  VK 45.01 (P) · ␠Tiger · Pz.Bef.Wg.VI P · Tiger II (H) Sla.16
Tank destroyers  Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
  Brummbär · Panzer IV/70(A) · VFW · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1 · Elefant · 38 cm Sturmmörser

Retrieved from "https://wiki.warthunder.com/index.php?title=Pz.Bef.Wg.VI_P&oldid=8203"