Tiger 1 tow cables and engine deck grilles.

[Rob59]

Hi John!
I always thought those very early ones, like my #100, didn‘t have the grills onto the engine deck.
There are not a lot of detailed pics from those Initial Tigers.
But on youtube there‘s a video of a guy who has build one, and he explains it all.
He also mentions the seam weld on the upper hull which goes from front-rear in the middle of the hull (or from rear-front, depending from which side you look haha).
I made that weld on my Ini-Tiger too. I even contacted that Australian War Museum about this weld! They always restore tanks, also shown on YT.

[John Glover]

Hi Rob .I have leant so much with researching these initial tigers .The weld seam would have made production a lot easier so my next thing to research. Thanks. With regards to the wire mesh screens I have always thought that the Germans who were very clever were not going to leave it to chance that a well lobbed cheap grenade could take out such a expensive tank. One of Hitlers first wonder weapons' .There were fuel tanks located on either side of the hull under the front ventilation deck grates. I realize that through production they installed internal wooden covers over the tanks to try to absorb any hot shrapnel setting the tanks on fire. Probably made of a hard wood not pine which was more resistant to heat. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, well those photos make two thousand words and is not rumor or here say. The prototype Tigers didn't but Initial Tigers had engine deck grills. Regards John.