Tiger 1 Early & Mid

[Spartantracks]

Hi all this might sound a bit daft but is there anyone that has detailed pics of differences between an Early & Mid Tiger 1 ? Thanks Andy

[jarndice]

Andy officially there was only an Early and a late Tiger 1,
The Tiger 1 Mid is a concept borne of our hobby,
Please don't misunderstand me,
The German Army did fit Tiger 1 late parts to Tiger 1 early Tanks but these were invariably unofficial field modifications using available parts usually in forward workshops.
As you surely realise spare parts were in short supply and the workshops which could be thousands of Kms from the factory did not always have the "Correct Part" but if it did have a part that would do the job (The technical term is BODGE ) that is what went on instead,
The alterations were made by the workshop and there were no official titles signifying the changes that were carried out
It means a Tiger 1 that has parts from either version as were available in workshops at the time,
There was no specific type with unique features. some would have late wheels or some other mod but there was no such thing as a Tiger 1 Mid.
From our point of view it means you can get away with murder and fit whatever is in your spare parts box

[Jofaur86]

Attached link for info
http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html
http://www.tankzone.co.uk/pages/ww2_prodmod_t1.htm
if can help?

[Jofaur86]

http://worldwartwo.free.fr/Materiel/cha ... igre1.html
http://www.amm34.com/p/59/doc-doc-panze ... fe-tiger-i
Desoled in French
http://www.wardrawings.be/WW2/Files/1-V ... uction.htm

I advise you to read this excellent book on Le Tigre I, available in English
/www.amazon.fr/Char-Tigre-Panzerkampfwag ... 2726896596

[jarndice]

Jofaur, Alan Hanby's reference is a source I constantly use and as a list of changes by date of the removal or fitting of different parts to a Tiger 1 it is without peer BUT it in no way alters the fact that the Nomenclature of the Tiger 1 by the German Armed Forces does not include the "TIGER 1 MID",
You just confuse matters by telling Andy (Spartan tracks) the dates of these alterations which is not what was asked.

[Jofaur86]

Sorry ?? personally, did I learn something? indeed always heard of beginning, middle, and end of production? on other forums? now I only have small knowledge? and certainly did not understand our friend's question? I apologize for my mistake and ignorance. Have a good day.

[tomhugill]

Andy officially there was only an Early and a late Tiger 1,
The Tiger 1 Mid is a concept borne of our hobby,
Please don't misunderstand me,
The German Army did fit Tiger 1 late parts to Tiger 1 early Tanks but these were invariably unofficial field modifications using available parts usually in forward workshops.
As you surely realise spare parts were in short supply and the workshops which could be thousands of Kms from the factory did not always have the "Correct Part" but if it did have a part that would do the job (The technical term is BODGE ) that is what went on instead,
The alterations were made by the workshop and there were no official titles signifying the changes that were carried out
It means a Tiger 1 that has parts from either version as were available in workshops at the time,
There was no specific type with unique features. some would have late wheels or some other mod but there was no such thing as a Tiger 1 Mid.
From our point of view it means you can get away with murder and fit whatever is in your spare parts box

That's not really true, there were changes to the tiger specification throughout its lifetime. All the early mid and late designations have come after the fact.

Tigers with the features we associate to be mid production (zim, later cupola, cleated tracks, no air filters, single bosch headlight, revised too placement) were all applied in the factory and were not field mods.

[jarndice]

Alan Hanby's site lists most of the fixtures and fittings by month and year that were either scheduled to be removed or fitted throughout the Tiger 1s service life but that does not alter the fact that there was no such thing as the Tiger 1 "MID" in the German Armed Forces or the SS Schwere battalions and neither does it alter the fact that the routine modification programme was at the mercy of a stretched logistics service leaving forward workshops to make the best use of what was available in any particular theatre of war.
Obviously new tanks were delivered with all the latest updates but conversely older Tiger 1s often retained those parts scheduled for removal long after the due date hence the overlap in early and late model Tigers which prompts the hobby term "MID".

[Jnewboy]

For me its always been the copula, when it changes- that's mid, when they give up on the air filters, go to just one light, some zim coating, fuel shortages and outnumbered 30/1 by allied tanks, that's late.