Difference between revisions of "VK 45.01 (P)"

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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
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<!--''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.''-->
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<!--In the description, the first part should 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 a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.-->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg |420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was first revealed during the dev server (v1.44) period before the release of [[Update_1.45_"Steel_Generals"|Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. When the update was released, the tank was not made available. In [http://warthunder.com/en/news/3485/current 2015], it was a reward for completing the "Christmas/New Year" quests in the [https://warthunder.com/en/news/3489--en Winter Holiday marathon]. In July 2016, it was available again as a reward in [http://warthunder.com/en/news/3804-esport-the-summer-maneuvers-battle-of-kursk-en "Battle of Kursk" tournament] during "Summer Maneuvers".
  
−
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}.
+
The '''VK 4501 P''', like the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]], is a heavy tank with a great gun for long range firing. It has the same amount of armour and the same gun as the Tiger H1 (Though it does not have access to the Pzgr. shell). Size-wise, the VK 4501 P is slightly longer and slightly narrower than the Tiger H1. Despite the similarities, the VK 4501 P is often called a "worse tiger". When played right however, this is not so at all. The main weakness of the VK 4501 P is that it has hull cheeks on the front of its hull. Attempting to angle your armour will only allow the enemy to shoot these weak points, which they can easily pen as they have the same armour values as the side armour. In other words, if fighting an enemy, you should either take cover or turn the front of your hull directly towards them. Because the hull cheeks are angled compared to the front armour, if the enemy is your hull is facing directly towards the enemy the hull cheeks will have more effective armour than your frontal armour, so they are not a weak point when the tank is ''not'' angled. The turret traverse speed is also slow, slower than that of the Tiger H1, meaning it's better to snipe.
 +
 
 +
But what the VK 4501 P lacks in effective armour and turret traverse speed it makes up for reverse speed and a few other advantages. Firstly, the transmission is harder to hit since it's mounted in the rear- you will be harder to immobilize. Secondly, the turret is placed at the front of the vehicle, so it doesn't need to expose as much of the tank when peeking out of cover to shoot an enemy. These two advantages go great with its next, and biggest advantage: its phenomenal reverse speed.Strangely enough, even though it's a heavy tank, the VK 4501 P has one of the fastest reverse speeds in game, tied with the [[Pz.Bfw.VI (P)|Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P)]], but the [[Ru 251|Spähpanzer Ru 251]] holds the current title for the best reverse speed in War Thunder. Because of this attribute, the VK is better for Peek-a-Boo tactics (behind cover, over-extend and shoot, go back in cover to reload). than the Tiger H1. Whereas the Tiger H1 can angle and take more shots, the VK 4501 P is much better at shooting from and retreating into cover, essentially meaning it doesn't have to take those shots in the first place.
  
 
== 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 helpful for survival in combat?''-->
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<!--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 helpful for survival in combat?
 +
 
 +
If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.-->
 
The VK 45.01 (P) has 102 mm of frontal armour and 82 mm of armour on the cheeks of the hull and sides of the hull. The lower front plate also has 82mm of armour. The engine and transmission are all located at the rear of the tank so most frontal shots won't damage them, however, all the ammo is stowed right behind the thinner pieces of armour on the cheeks of the hull. At {{Battle-rating|1}}, a majority of Soviet and American tanks can pen this spot and cause ammo explosions. The crew are spaced out but a centre of mass shots with APHE shells will knock out the entire crew.
 
The VK 45.01 (P) has 102 mm of frontal armour and 82 mm of armour on the cheeks of the hull and sides of the hull. The lower front plate also has 82mm of armour. The engine and transmission are all located at the rear of the tank so most frontal shots won't damage them, however, all the ammo is stowed right behind the thinner pieces of armour on the cheeks of the hull. At {{Battle-rating|1}}, a majority of Soviet and American tanks can pen this spot and cause ammo explosions. The crew are spaced out but a centre of mass shots with APHE shells will knock out the entire crew.
 +
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
*Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 102 mm (9°) ''Front plate'' <br> 62 mm (78°), 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:'''
 +
*Turret front covered by gun mantlet has variable thickness depending on exact place, ranging from 90 to 200 mm of armour.
 +
*The side of the hull where the suspension lies is only 62 mm thick compared to the top area, so beware of this glaring weak point.
 +
*The rear of the hull and turret has some tracks attached that provides an extra 30 mm of armour protection.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
−
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backwards.''
+
<!--Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.-->
 +
{| 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" | 57.0 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 43 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|39 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|800
 +
|985
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|548
 +
|620
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|14.03
 +
|17.28
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|9.61
 +
|10.88
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{main|KwK 36 (88 mm)}}
 
{{main|KwK 36 (88 mm)}}
  
−
=== Additional armament ===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
−
''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.''
+
|-
 +
! 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'' || 6.47 || 8.96 || __.__ || __.__ || 12.80
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 4.76 || 5.60 || __.__ || __.__ || 8.00
 +
|-
 +
! 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.
 +
|-
 +
| 9.62 || __.__ || __.__ || 7.40
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== 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 || 159 || 157 || 147 || 134 || 123 || 113
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr || HE || 13 || 13 || 12 || 11 || 11 || 11
 +
|-
 +
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110 || 110
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| 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 || 10.20 || 0.8 || 28 || 108.8 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr || HE || 820 || 9.00 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 698 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
| Hl.Gr 39 || HEAT || 600 || 7.64 || 0.0 || 0.3 || 1,100 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 +
[[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 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 instead 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).''
  
 
=== 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".''-->
+
<!--Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".-->
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
−
* Petrol-Electric engine offers fast reverse and forward speed.
+
* Petrol-electric engine and transmission offers fast reverse and forward speed
 
* Very powerful 88mm gun
 
* Very powerful 88mm gun
−
* Decent frontal armour
+
* Decent frontal turret and hull armmour
 +
* Able to neutral steering
 +
* Weighs slightly less than the Tiger H1
 +
* Better turret placement than the Tiger H1, you expose less of your tank when pulling out of cover to snipe targets to your side
 +
* Transmission is mounted in the rear, making the vehicle harder to immobilize when hit in the front
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
Line 40: Line 228:
 
* Slower turret rotation speed compared to Tiger I's
 
* Slower turret rotation speed compared to Tiger I's
 
* Less ammo than Tiger I's
 
* Less ammo than Tiger I's
−
* Thin hull cheek armor
+
* Thin hull cheek armour
 
* No anti-air machine gun
 
* No anti-air machine gun
 
* Longer hull compared to Tiger I's
 
* Longer hull compared to Tiger I's
 +
* Ammo racks offer great targets around the fighting compartment
 +
* Low maneuverability, susceptible to being outflanked by more quicker adversaries
  
 
== 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 long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).-->
 +
===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 H1|Tiger I]], while the Porsche variant was sidelined. Only five VK 45.01 (P) were created during the trials 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 case mate 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|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 ''[[Pz.Bfw.VI (P)|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.''
+
<!--Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.-->
 +
[https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23vk4501p '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the VK 4501 P from live.warthunder.com.]
  
−
== Read also ==
+
===Sights===
−
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
* [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]
  
 +
===Videos===
 +
{{Youtube-gallery|nUunOPIdOEE|Dev server footage end 2014}}
 +
 +
== See 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''-->
 +
* [[Pz.Bfw.VI (P)]]: Premium, up-armoured command tank variant.
  
−
''ETC.''
+
== External links ==
−
 
 
−
== Sources ==
 
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
−
 
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 +
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany heavy tanks}}
 +
{{Germany premium ground vehicles}}

Revision as of 16:01, 15 May 2019

Rank VII | Premium | Golden Eagles
Challenger DS Pack
VK 45.01 (P)
germ_pzkpfw_vi_tiger_p.png
VK 45.01 (P)
Germany flag.png Germany
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.3 5.3 5.3
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:Bundle or Gift
Show in game

Description

GarageImage VK 45.01 (P).jpg


The VK 45.01 (P) is a premium rank III German heavy tank with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was first revealed during the dev server (v1.44) period before the release of Update 1.45 "Steel Generals". When the update was released, the tank was not made available. In 2015, it was a reward for completing the "Christmas/New Year" quests in the Winter Holiday marathon. In July 2016, it was available again as a reward in "Battle of Kursk" tournament during "Summer Maneuvers".

The VK 4501 P, like the Tiger I, is a heavy tank with a great gun for long range firing. It has the same amount of armour and the same gun as the Tiger H1 (Though it does not have access to the Pzgr. shell). Size-wise, the VK 4501 P is slightly longer and slightly narrower than the Tiger H1. Despite the similarities, the VK 4501 P is often called a "worse tiger". When played right however, this is not so at all. The main weakness of the VK 4501 P is that it has hull cheeks on the front of its hull. Attempting to angle your armour will only allow the enemy to shoot these weak points, which they can easily pen as they have the same armour values as the side armour. In other words, if fighting an enemy, you should either take cover or turn the front of your hull directly towards them. Because the hull cheeks are angled compared to the front armour, if the enemy is your hull is facing directly towards the enemy the hull cheeks will have more effective armour than your frontal armour, so they are not a weak point when the tank is not angled. The turret traverse speed is also slow, slower than that of the Tiger H1, meaning it's better to snipe.

But what the VK 4501 P lacks in effective armour and turret traverse speed it makes up for reverse speed and a few other advantages. Firstly, the transmission is harder to hit since it's mounted in the rear- you will be harder to immobilize. Secondly, the turret is placed at the front of the vehicle, so it doesn't need to expose as much of the tank when peeking out of cover to shoot an enemy. These two advantages go great with its next, and biggest advantage: its phenomenal reverse speed.Strangely enough, even though it's a heavy tank, the VK 4501 P has one of the fastest reverse speeds in game, tied with the Panzerbefehlswagen VI (P), but the Spähpanzer Ru 251 holds the current title for the best reverse speed in War Thunder. Because of this attribute, the VK is better for Peek-a-Boo tactics (behind cover, over-extend and shoot, go back in cover to reload). than the Tiger H1. Whereas the Tiger H1 can angle and take more shots, the VK 4501 P is much better at shooting from and retreating into cover, essentially meaning it doesn't have to take those shots in the first place.

General info

Survivability and armour

The VK 45.01 (P) has 102 mm of frontal armour and 82 mm of armour on the cheeks of the hull and sides of the hull. The lower front plate also has 82mm of armour. The engine and transmission are all located at the rear of the tank so most frontal shots won't damage them, however, all the ammo is stowed right behind the thinner pieces of armour on the cheeks of the hull. At with a battle rating of 5.3 (AB/RB/SB), a majority of Soviet and American tanks can pen this spot and cause ammo explosions. The crew are spaced out but a centre of mass shots with APHE shells will knock out the entire crew.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Cupola)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 102 mm (9°) Front plate
62 mm (78°), 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:

  • Turret front covered by gun mantlet has variable thickness depending on exact place, ranging from 90 to 200 mm of armour.
  • The side of the hull where the suspension lies is only 62 mm thick compared to the top area, so beware of this glaring weak point.
  • The rear of the hull and turret has some tracks attached that provides an extra 30 mm of armour protection.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons) 		Max speed (km/h)
57.0 N/A 43 (AB)
39 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 800 985
Realistic/Simulator 548 620
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 14.03 17.28
Realistic/Simulator 9.61 10.88

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 6.47 8.96 __.__ __.__ 12.80
Realistic 4.76 5.60 __.__ __.__ 8.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
9.62 __.__ __.__ 7.40
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr 39 APCBC 159 157 147 134 123 113
Sprgr HE 13 13 12 11 11 11
Hl.Gr 39 HEAT 110 110 110 110 110 110
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 10.20 0.8 28 108.8 +4° 48° 63° 71°
Sprgr HE 820 9.00 0.1 0.5 698 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Hl.Gr 39 HEAT 600 7.64 0.0 0.3 1,100 +0° 62° 69° 73°
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 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 instead 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).

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Petrol-electric engine and transmission offers fast reverse and forward speed
  • Very powerful 88mm gun
  • Decent frontal turret and hull armmour
  • Able to neutral steering
  • Weighs slightly less than the Tiger H1
  • Better turret placement than the Tiger H1, you expose less of your tank when pulling out of cover to snipe targets to your side
  • Transmission is mounted in the rear, making the vehicle harder to immobilize when hit in the front

Cons:

  • Slower turret rotation speed compared to Tiger I's
  • Less ammo than Tiger I's
  • Thin hull cheek armour
  • No anti-air machine gun
  • Longer hull compared to Tiger I's
  • Ammo racks offer great targets around the fighting compartment
  • Low maneuverability, susceptible to being outflanked by more quicker adversaries

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 created during the trials 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 case mate 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 VK 4501 P from live.warthunder.com.

Sights

Videos

Dev server footage end 2014

See also

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • encyclopedia page on the tank;
  • 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

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