My Memory is going

[Dogberry]

On the front cover of the Jentz and Doyle D.W. to Tiger 1 Book there is a photo of a Tiger 1.

I have glanced at the photo a hundred times right before I delve into some details of a tank build.
I have never really studied it. It appears to be a FrankinTiger, late chassis early turret etc.

Can anybody refresh my memory about how it came into being, a dim and distant memory tells me it was a Tiger put together by the Americans after the war from other captured Tigers to make a working Tiger.

[TankDriver]

The "hybrid" Tiger I became more common toward the war's end, as Germany used every spare vehicle & part they could find.
Here's a photo of "F01" which met an unlucky end (see link below for more about it)... caption written by the Tank Museum at Bovington:

"A German Tiger I knocked out near the River Aller in northern Germany in April 1945.
This Tiger has the older, tall commander’s cupola, telling us it was built before July 1943. However the original road wheels have been exchanged for the newer, steel-rimmed wheels introduced in February 1944.
This photograph was taken by Reg House, a member of 3rd Royal Tank Regiment."

For a TON of info on this type (& other AFVs) check out this website
http://axisafvs.blogspot.com/2015/04/pz ... ybrid.html

"Tigergruppe of Lt. Fehrmann had 'hybrid' (early/late) Tiger Is (their callsigns prefixed with "F" for Fehrmann). All up there were 6 Tiger Is in "TG Fehrmann", basically rebuilt Zimmeritted Earlies with steel wheels ("TIC 2" p.404 and "GP"25 p.120), and 5 Panthers equipped with IR in KG Schulze (GP/AFVN)."

[Exhibitedbrute]

Is that zimmerit I see on that turret. But not on the hull?

[dingobattler]

Is that zimmerit I see on that turret. But not on the hull?

great pick up - you're right.

You get really weird combinations like this all the time with German tanks, because their assembly system is LIFO. They probably ran out of the newer style turrets so they mated an older turret to a newer hull.

The octopus King Tiger at Kassel is similar - it has the 18-tooth sprocket with individual track links, but its turret hangers are the old style 9 tooth dual link ones.

[MrChef]

On the front cover of the Jentz and Doyle D.W. to Tiger 1 Book there is a photo of a Tiger 1.

I have glanced at the photo a hundred times right before I delve into some details of a tank build.
I have never really studied it. It appears to be a FrankinTiger, late chassis early turret etc.

Can anybody refresh my memory about how it came into being, a dim and distant memory tells me it was a Tiger put together by the Americans after the war from other captured Tigers to make a working Tiger.

This is truly an interesting specimen.

So lets examine some details

1. Late Steel wheels
2. Scalloped lower hull extensions at the shackles, a late model trait
3. Twin periscope holes above the drivers visor, a very early feature
4. Two headlights on the upper hull, an early feature
5. Early reinforced Mantlet over the Gunners sights, looks the same as the famous Tiki (late 42-early 43)
6. Seems to be missing turret bin/Rommel bin.
7.Tracks seem to be early but are worn so much as to not show early features or the late ice cleats
8. The Glacis seems to have the provisions for the snow shovel
9.Track cable looks like the Ausf. H1 version

Definitely interesting. I wish there were more and clearer pictures to see different features.

If I get the gumption I'll post up to identify it in a Tiger group I'm in, David Byrden would surely know.

[MrChef]

Is that zimmerit I see on that turret. But not on the hull?

Yes we can tell they were early turrets with Zimmerit applied later since Zimmerit began being applied after the new commanders copula was adopted and the later turrets with Zimmerit omitted the pistol port or had just a conical plug.

And stated there-
"All up there were 6 Tiger Is in "TG Fehrmann", basically rebuilt Zimmeritted Earlies with steel wheels ("TIC 2" p.404 and "GP"25 p.120), and 5 Panthers equipped with IR in KG Schulze (GP/AFVN)."

[MrChef]

On the front cover of the Jentz and Doyle D.W. to Tiger 1 Book there is a photo of a Tiger 1.

I have glanced at the photo a hundred times right before I delve into some details of a tank build.
I have never really studied it. It appears to be a FrankinTiger, late chassis early turret etc.

Can anybody refresh my memory about how it came into being, a dim and distant memory tells me it was a Tiger put together by the Americans after the war from other captured Tigers to make a working Tiger.

Annnnnd here is the answer in the caption under the picture in the book on the top of Page 165. The tank was taken by the Germans for testing the cutouts in the lower hull for the tow shackles and the late metal road wheels.-



Here is a link to the Tiger Tank References shared on this forum and a link to the PDF of the book-

viewtopic.php?t=34436

https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-conte ... 0Doyle.pdf

[TankDriver]

Thanks for the links & enlargement, Mr Chef... now it's easy to see that the tracks are the later style as well

[jarndice]

If my failing memory is correct I believe Herman built a very late hybrid Tiger 1.

[MrChef]

If my failing memory is correct I believe Herman built a very late hybrid Tiger 1.

Yes he built a Fehrmann Gruppe Tiger-
viewtopic.php?t=23856