Monday 30 September 2019

Report on King Tigers

"HQ of the Commander of Artillery of the Red Army
1st Department
September 27th, 1944
#671654
Moscow

For the Commander of Artillery of the 2nd Ukrainian Front only

During battles of the 1st Ukrainian Front, it was determined that the enemy is using the new Tiger B "King Tiger" tank in infantry-tank counterattacks. Interrogations of prisoners and study of captured  Tiger B vehicles shows that this type of tank has the following characteristics:
  • Mass: 68 tons
  • Length:
    • With gun: 10.4 meters
    • Without gun: 7.5 meters
  • Width: 3.75 meters
  • Height with turret: 3.07 meters
  • Primary track width: 800 mm
  • Secondary track width: 660 mm
  • Clearance (front): 490 mm
  • Clearance (rear): 510 mm
  • Rear and side armour: 80 mm
  • Front armour: 180 mm
  • Roof armour: 40 mm
  • Armament: one 88 mm gun, two machineguns, one spare machinegun
  • Ammunition carried: 48 rounds

Tactical use of Tiger B tanks

An attacking group of 15-20 medium tanks is supported by a Tiger B superheavy tank. 

Superheavy Tiger B tanks are used in the first echelon of the attack or on the flanks of attacking infantry and tanks. The Tiger B tank opens fire at a short range (300-400 meters) when our artillery fires on the medium tanks, thus protecting them. Tiger B tanks attack anti-tank batteries frontally. When under fire, the tank retreats backwards, without exposing its thin sides.

The enemy has not used superheavy tanks in large concentrations. Prisoners report that Tiger B superheavy tanks are combined into battalions of 45 tanks each and are used to reinforce tank divisions as a means of suppressing and defeating anti-tank batteries.

Our methods of combat against the Tiger B

The most vulnerable parts of the Tiger B are the side, rear, and suspension which are easily penetrated by 57 and 76 mm subcaliber rounds from 600 meters or AP rounds from 400 meters. In order to combat these tanks effectively, you must:
  1. Organize ambushes of individual guns, tanks, or SPGs at a distance of 400-600 meters with the intention of striking a Tiger B in the side.
  2. Reinforce anti-tank artillery with 122 mm and 152 mm guns.
  3. Fire on concentrations of enemy tanks located in pre-battle positions or during marches with heavy massed fire of all artillery calibers up to 200 mm.
  4. Protect anti-tank positions from penetration by enemy infantry with defensive fire.
  5. Install opaque minefields in front of anti-tank positions as well as in between them.
Penetration of the Tiger B tank
Gun
Range
Ammunition
Shots fired
Shots hit
Result
Front hull
75 mm
120 m
Subcaliber
1
1
40 mm deep dent
75 mm
120 m
AP
1
1
50 mm deep dent
85 mm AA
120 m
AP
2
2
55 mm deep dent
Front turret
122 mm mod 1938
100 m
AP
3
3
Three dents: 40, 50, 120 mm
45 mm
100 m
Subcaliber
3
3
Three dents 30 mm deep
76 mm
100 m
Subcaliber
3
3
Three dents 115 mm deep
Hull and turret side
45 mm
300 m
Subcaliber
4
4
Four complete penetrations
57 mm
350 m
Subcaliber
2
2
Two complete penetrations
76 mm
400
Subcaliber
11
11
11 penetrations of them 9 directly in the hull and 2 through the suspension
122 mm mod 1938

AP
4
4
4 penetrations of the side
85 mm
350
AP
3
3
3 penetrations of the side
57 mm
350
HE
2
2
Two 55 mm deep dents in the side
57 mm
350
AP
2
2
Two complete penetrations
Conclusions:

Experience in firing at the Tiger B tank shows that the tank can be reliably penetrated in the side of the hull and turret from 400 meters from all types of weapons using the subcaliber or armour piercing round.

The front armour cannot be penetrated by guns up to the 122 mm howitzer inclusive. It is necessary to use more powerful guns (152 mm gun-howitzer or 122 mm gun) against heavy tanks.

In order to increase effectiveness of combat against the superheavy Tiger B tank and to capitalize on experience against them, the Commander of Artillery of the Red Army orders that:
  1. Preliminary information about the Tiger B and methods of combat against it must be delivered to commanders down to the platoon level inclusive.
  2. Report on all cases of encounters against these tanks or their capture to the Red Army Artillery HQ, including descriptions, diagrams, photos, etc.
  3. Study the tactics of the enemy and the most effective methods of used against them.
Chief of Staff of Artillery of the Red Army, Lieutenant-General Samsonov"

4 comments:

  1. Now I am not sure where that data in the table comes from. The fact that there is not coincidence of the guns that hit the hull and turret front gave me deduction that it was reported after combat. Then there is concentration of that guns from similar distances and 28 penetration from them in the single tank.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is no way that these are from combat. An AA gun that is positioned 120 meters in front of any tank is as good as dead.

      Also there is no reason for the same guns to fie at the hull and the turret in any trials. In Kubinka trials of the Tiger II they are also not the same. For instance the 85 mm gun fires at the front hull but not the turret.

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  2. Did the 122mm mod 1938 howitzer even fire AP shells? I'd assume they are talking about the HEAT shell?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Theoretically, yes. You can fire AP from the A-19 through it, but there is a bit of a caveat: if you use the M-30's propellant charge the penetration is lower than that of the 76 mm gun, if you use the A-19's propellant charge then the pressure is too high and the gun won't last very long. Such rounds were definitely fired from guns with the M-30's ballistics in trials, but I doubt they were ever issued. Like you said, the one on the trial is likely HEAT.

      Delete