Thread: Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant

SdKfz 184 Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant

With the cancellation of Porsche's Tiger tank in favour of the Henschel design, 90 available chassis were converted to self propelled guns, utilising the 88 mm Stuk 43/2L/71 cannon as primary armament. Despite the excellence of this weapon as a 'tank-killer', the combination of the vehicle’s weight, lack of close-in weaponry and the unreliability of its unique electric transmission made the Elefant next to useless operationally.

SdKfz 184 Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant

• TYPE: Self-propelled anti-tank gun
• CREW: Commander, gunner, two loaders, radio operator and driver
• ENGINES: Two Maybach HL l20 TRM water-cooled petrol engines with a combined output of 530 bhp
• WEIGHT: 71.7 tons (65,046 kg)
• DIMENSIONS: Overall length 26ft8in (8,13m) Height 9ft 10in (2.99m) Width 11 ft 1 in (3.35 m)
• ARMAMENT: One 88 mm Stuk 43/2L/71 cannon plus personal self-defence weapons for the crew
• PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed across country 6 mph (10 km/h) Wading depth 4 ft (1.2 m) Range across country 55 miles (88 km)

Whatever disadvantages Germany's AFVs might have had, armament was not one of them. The Panther's KwK 42 could penetrate 140 mm armour plating at 1,000 m while the Tiger's KwK 36 could take on 100mm plate at 1,800m. While not equipped with quite as long ranging guns as the German vehicles, Soviet tanks such as the T-34 made up for this with agility and the use of flank attacks on enemy AFVs.