Late tiger 1,smoke dischargers ?

[tiger tiger]

hi all, im modding a heng long tiger 1 early edition to make into a late production model. Did late model tigers have the smoke dispensers fitted ? . I think ive done most of the changes needed apart from the road wheels to all steel wheels no rubber rims. but really not sure about the smoke dispensers. help ! thanks.

[jarndice]

Hi, You have pretty much free rein on this particular fitting, in Normandy for instance Tigers in the same battalion some had them some did not in Russia you would get complete units with and they were a common fitment but there were some without. If you are building a particular Tiger a little research will give you your answer, sorry I cannot be more helpful but as the war progressed just about every thing to do with Armour suffered shortages and Field workshops put on a Tiger whatever was to hand, which allows the modeller to do pretty much what they like. And later on the application of zimmerit stopped so you can rightfully build your Tiger without it. If you scroll down to Reference Camo Patterns and click on Tiger 1, as you scroll down the various camo schemes of early middle and late Tigers you will see that right through the War in all theatres of operation some had them and others did not. shaun

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Sorry to disagree jarndice - but I don't see any steel wheeled Tiger 1s with turret mounted smoke dischargers. Neither did they have any on the hull top.

What they DID have - along with reinforced turret roof and the Tiger II loaders hatch - was the close defence discharger on the turret roof just behind the loaders hatch (pretty much where the old fan used to be).

This was essentially a small mortar with 360 degree rotation which could fire fragmentation grenades and - I believe - smoke.

Hope this helps!

[Wildboar44]

Hi tiger tiger......

One thing I have discovered in tracing the evolution of the Tiger 1 is that there are many superb detailed technical books written
on the subject . Whilst the detailed changed in almost all of them are correct , the one frustrating fact I have learnt is that not
all agree on the Chronological timing of these changes . There are many disparities as to the actual date within a few months of
when certain changes came into effect . Tom Jenz and Hilary Doyle together with Wolfgang Schneider I feel have written some of
the most accurate accounts of the Tiger 1, an extract of their information reads as follows :-

December 1942 Hull mounting plates added to hull ( No launchers ) Retro fitted in field
January 1943 Launchers fitted at factory
October / November 1943 Smoke Launchers and mounting plates discontinued

January 1944 a " Nahverteidigungswaffe" ( Close defence weapon ) specified for the turret roof ( Not fitted till March 44 due to shortages )

February 1944 Starting with Tiger nr 250822 " the first adoption of the steel road wheels introduced that we all recognise as the "Late tiger"

I have over 350 photo's of the Tiger 1 from the Bundesarchiv web site and I cant recall seeing a late Tiger 1 with smoke launchers so far ,
so IMHO opinion I would feel it unlikely that you would see them on a Late Tiger 1, BUT field modifications were very common on
vehicles belonging to units, and bottom line is I guess If you like them on your particular Tiger then that's ok .


On the subject of the close defence weapon here is a picture , you can see the Escape Hatch in the background

[tanks_for_the_memory]

That's the Saumur Tiger I believe? Nice shot. I'll get around to posting some more of my shots soon - but none of the interior alas.

Quite agree about field mods, but these were usually to add later features - and as Wildboar rightly points out the triple smoke dischargers were discontinued whilst the tank still had rubber tyres: too vulnerable to being set off by small arms fire / shrapnel and suffocating the crew I read somewhere

[Johnf]

Never seen them on a late tiger in any photo. Better sticking to the norm.

[scalawag]

Hi
This site might be helpful. I use it a lot. It has a page detailing when changes in production occurred.

http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html

[tiger tiger]

thanks for all the helpful info guys much appreciated

[tiger tiger]

Thanks for all the helpful info guys it is much appreciated.

[jarndice]

Tiger,Tiger, I hate to admit it but having asked, read and viewed all the sources I can think of, It comes down to the simple fact that I was writing through that place from where the Sun never shines, I apologise to you and thank other members of the Forum for putting things right. Oh well onward and upward. shaun