Ferdinand

Ferdinand

JPz 4-5

Jagdtiger

Ferdinand

JPz 4-5

Jagdtiger

Germany

IV Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.0	6.7	6.7

Class:

Tank destroyer

Research:63 000

Purchase:200 000

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Description

The Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Ferdinand is a rank IV German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 7.0 (AB) and 6.7 (RB/SB). This vehicle was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41.

General info

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?

If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.

Mobility

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.

Armaments

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 flexibility 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: {{main|Name of the weapon}}. 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.

Additional armament

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.

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.

Usage in battles

Even though the Ferdinand is a heavy tank, it can rapidly drive backwards, which allows it to reposition more quickly than Red Army TD's like the SU-152 and ISU-152.

Its natural role is as a long-range sniper thanks to its excellent firing range and frontal armour of more than 200 mm. Due to the frontal armour, this tank destroyer should always face the enemy.

In a team the Ferdinand acts as a heavy sniper, taking out enemies from afar while being almost immune to any tank shells. However don't get too close to front-lines, since an enemy tank could slip behind you and the Ferdinand would be in real danger.

Another possibility is as a front line brawler, once most of the enemies have been cleared out. While it is not recommended, with flanking support of tour allies, you can venture the Ferdinance further into enemy lines and take out everything that comes your way, but still watching for light tanks.

The most dangerous enemies of the Ferdinand are medium tanks and light tanks which can slip behind the Ferdinance since the back armour is weak. The Ferdinand has bad manoeuvrability and turning around is very slow.

IS-2 heavy tanks are a real threat to Ferdinand, as well as TD's of the same tier when firing sideways. Always face your armour frontally and take cover when possible.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• The armour is 200 mm thick on the front of the tank very few tanks can penetrate it
• Powerful 88 mm Pak gun with two loaders makes it able to destroy multiple targets in a short time
• Thanks to the transmission, Ferdinand can go backward as fast as it can go forward
• The transmission is in the back of the tank
• Good natural steering
• Good optics for sniping
• 6 crew members make it difficult for opponents to knock it out
• The Ferdinand can fire over high obstacles without a problem

Cons:

• The tank loses speed and momentum when turning
• The hull's thin cheek armour's effectiveness decreases when angling
• The front armour is not angled
• Slow due to its heavy weight

History

In May of 1941, Hitler launched the Tiger project and the manufacturer "Porsche" submitted an original design first as a blueprint and then followed up with a prototype, the VK 45.01(P). This prototype was built at the Nibelungenwerk factory in Sankt Valentin, Austria. At the same time Henschel, another competitor for the project went against Porsche and was also designing a blueprint and prototype. Eventually, Henschel went on to develop the well-known "Tiger" main battle tank. In April 1942 Hitler personally was presented with an official trial version of the tank.

Throughout the competition, both companies strove to provide a superior product, however, it was the Henschel prototype which was superior in reliability and won the contest. Porsche had made some rather unfortunate technical choices which ultimately provoked severe breakdowns of their prototype's engine, causing the Henschel design to be favoured especially because it was a more conventional design.

Ultimately, by July 1941, 100 chassis of the Porsche VK 45.01(P) had already been produced, and could not be equipped with Krupp's Tiger turret, therefore they were still put to good use and were converted to SPG's.

By late 1942 there was an official need for solid tanks destroyers and these 100 chassis were transformed into heavy tank hunters and armed with the latest version of the 88 mm anti-tank gun the L/71 or also known as the StuK 43/1 as it still was under development.

The Tiger had a short barrel 88 mm, the KwK 36 L/56 while the Ferdinand had the long-barrelled version.

According to official trials, the maximum effective range was between 4,500 m to 5,000 m. No USSR tank could match its range and power.

The Ferdinand was so named because of the CEO of Porsche at that times name was Ferdy.

Media

Skin and Camouflages for the Ferdinand in Warthunder Live.

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;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Wikipedia] Elefant