Tiger Tank storage in wartime.

[BamaCoop]

I find many pictures with Sherman and Panzer crews storing extra gear outside the tank. I find very few pictures of Tiger crews doing this. I would assume that this is due to the Tiger having “enough” space. But are there pictures of either wartime of model Tigers with gear on the hull?

[General Jumbo01]

Not sure, but could it be something to do with their role. Sherman's, smaller panzers were used predominantly in troop support roles whereas the Tiger was used to spearhead breakthroughs against enemy strongholds/attacks. In support roles tanks often carried general supplies to assist the troops.

[General Jumbo01]

Finger trouble - been a long day

[Tiger6]

By the time the German army was deploying the Tiger in numbers, they were retreating. If you are retreating into your own supply lines, you don't need to carry as much gear. I think if you were to look at the other German tanks working with them, they would also be similarly spartan in their on board goodies.

The US supply system was heavily industrialised with plentiful supply of prepackaged rations and other niceties that could be piled on the side of a vehicle, and a transport network to get those supplies to the front line units. - I heard tell that Logistics was something the German Generals looked down the end of their noses at. If you aren't being issued much, you don't have a whole lot to stow

Creature comforts such as canvas Pup tents big enough for the crew were issued with the US tanks, from memory the German and Russian crews were not as well off in that regard? I certainly don't recall seeing massive amounts of stuff being piled on Russian tanks either - but then most of the pictures you see are probably posed properganda shots so that might be the reason?