Monday, 27 June 2016

Tiger Manual

"
Translated from German.
Supreme Command of the Land Forces
4300/43 Secret
October 30th, 1943

Combat training instruction #14
Usage of PzKpfw VI Tiger tanks

Rules were composed based on summarized experience of units that used the PzKpfw VI Tiger tank in recent battles.

1. Vulnerability of the tank

The frequently displayed opinion about the invulnerability of the PzKpfw VI is a mistake, and often leads to improper use of the Tiger tank, which causes excessive losses.


The PzKpfw VI can be penetrated by the Russian long barreled 76.2 mm gun at a favourable angle from the following distances:
  • From the front at 500 meters.
  • From the side and rear at 1500 meters.
According to Russian data, the Tiger can be penetrated by:

Weapon
Ammunition
Front
Side
Rear
45 mm gun mod. 37
Subcaliber
-
200 m
200 m
45 mm gun mod. 42
Subcaliber
-
500 m
500 m
57 mm gun
Subcaliber
500 m


Armour piercing
-
600 m
600 m
76 mm AA gun
Subcaliber
700 m


Armour piercing

500 m
500 m
76 mm gun
Subcaliber
100 m
700 m
700 m
85 mm AA gun
Armour piercing
-
1000 m
1000 m
122 mm gun
Armour piercing
1000 m
1500 m
1500 m
152 mm gun-howitzer
Armour piercing
500 m
1000 m
1000 m


Even massed fire from all weapons (including light infantry weapons) can reduce the combat value of a Tiger, even if in most cases the thick armour is not penetrated, vulnerable parts can be damaged (suspension, gun, turret, optic sights).

2. Concentration in the direction of the main attack

The rule to use tanks in massed formations applies to the Tiger as well. A Tiger attack only had chances of success if all Tigers are concentrated in the direction of the main attack and all guns, especially artillery, support the attack. Spreading Tigers out over a large area reduces available technical support, which is especially valuable for such a complicated and technically sensitive fighting vehicles. A battalion of Tigers only has one repair company and one battalion for recovery of trophies.

3. Cooperation with infantry

It is important to take the following factors into account when using Tigers:

  • Thanks to its powerful gun and thick armour, the Tiger should be used to suppress tanks and AT guns, and only used to suppress infantry as an exception. Its power is focused in its gun, which can suppress tanks from a range up to 2000 meters.
    The conclusion is that Tigers support infantry by fighting enemy tanks and AT guns from a long range. Tigers must aim to engage from a range of over 1000 meters.
  • The Tiger weighs a lot and has a high ground pressure. Thorough preliminary reconnaissance of terrain is important. The use of Tigers on terrain that has not been scouted out is usually ineffective and leads to loss of valuable vehicles.
    Reconnaissance must be performed regarding crossings over water hazards, bridges, and paths through swamps.
    The rule to calculate if a Tiger can cross terrain is as follows: check if a soldier with an extra load can stand on one foot and does not sink into the ground.
  • Tigers cannot hide from enemy observation. According to experience, the Russians destroy individual Tigers with massed fire from all weapons.
    Advancing infantry must keep a certain distance away from the Tigers so it does not suffer from fire aimed at the Tiger.
  • Tigers fire from prepared positions, determined by terrain. Positions should be well camoulflaged. For long range guns, it is immaterial if the position is 100 meters closer or 100 meters further from the target.
    Tigers must have freedom to select a firing position according to terrain. They don't have to be bound to the infantry. While the Tiger stands still, the infantry must move forward under its protection. When the Tiger is moving up, infantry supports it with fire from its weapons.
  • The Tiger is invulnerable to mines. Mostly they deal insignificant damage that can only be exacerbated by enemy fire. Tigers that are immobilized are very hard to tow into cover due to their heavy weight. 
  • The commander's cupola on the left side reduces visibility to the right and creates a dead zone, creating a danger of being knocked out from close range. Every Bolshevik that destroys a Tiger in close combat is mentioned in an operative summary of his unit.
    It is unreasonable to send one Tiger into combat. Tiger tanks must cooperate with infantry and other tanks to protect them from tank destroyer teams.

Carefully study all proposals and suggestions from masters of their weapons, the Tiger commanders, about the use of the PzKpfw VI.

Signed for: Zeitzler
Confirmed accurate: General Staff Colonel Zerbel

Translated by: Captain Eskina
January 28th, 1944"

CAMD RF 500-12480-137

7 comments:

  1. Notice that the ranges given in the german document are calculations based upon german projectile quality. They are correct against german type of 76.2mm Pzgr39 APCBC ammunition, not for soviet soft steel, uncapped AP ammunition.

    The 76.2mm PzGr 39 was specially manufactured for captured soviet 76.2mm guns to be used in MARDER TD and T34 tank guns. This projectile, fitted with an armour piercing cap, a ballistic cap and deep nose hardening made from steel with somehow higher alloy content and corresponding hardenability was so superior to captured soviet 76.2mm AP ammunition that the Army command re-issued the PzGr39 intead of captured stock of soviet ammunition.

    It was capable to perforate 125mm RHA (95-105kg/mm^2) at 0° or 107mm RHA at 30° obliquity and close range. At 1.5km range, it could till penetrate the TIGER I´s side as mentioned in the document.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This document claims its table to be based on "Russian data" though...?

      Delete
    2. No. Only the tabulation is. The textual reference of 76.2mm capable to perforate TIGER side at 1500m and TIGER front from 500m is a direct reference to soviet 76.2mm firing german Pzgr.39 ammunition.

      Delete
  2. I noticed a vast difference in the range where the 76mm Subcaliber shell can penetrate the front and side of the Tiger. 100 meter and 700 meter. That's quite a big gap for 100 mm and 80 mm armor plate, what's the reason for that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Projectile break up. Subcalibre and even normal 76.2mm APCBC shouldn´t have a problem defeating the 100mm front plate but inferior or uncapped projectiles tend to break up, if the stopping shock was sufficiently large, as f.e. at high impact velocities.
      Break up cause the penetrator to spread more of it´s energy over a wider area and also to reduce the energy density of the fragments, in effect greatly enhancing the plate´s ability to resist the impact in the first place.

      High hardness armour -and face hardened armour (harveyeized and KC)- was very effective in causing uncapped AP -and even some types of capped AP to undergo premature break up, particularely at high velocities and low obliquities.

      Designing a projectile which stays intacts during the unimaginable shock of high velocity impact was not a trivial task for the technology of the time.

      Delete
  3. "A battalion of Tigers only has one repair company and one battalion for recovery of trophies."

    Is "trophies" a euphemism for knocked-out Tigers that can't be repaired in the field?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trophy refers to captured enemy equipment.

      Delete