| Original caption: “The Tiger, the terror of our enemies. The commander’s high seat in the tank turret ensures a wide overview of the terrain.” The Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I was designed for shock value as much as combat effectiveness. It lived up to its reputation; American, British and Soviet soldiers reported the far less imposing, but similarly shaped, Panzerkampfwagen IV as a Tiger I in the heat of battle due to the psychological stress of the encounter. However, there were only 1,500 Tiger Is built, as opposed to 50,000 M4 Shermans and 50,000 T-34s. The Tiger I had design defects, such as needing to switch between transport and combat tracks before entering battle. The combat tracks couldn’t travel long distances. It also wasn’t a very reliable vehicle, unlike the M4 Sherman. The interleaved wheels meant damage to the suspension was difficult to repair; an M4 Sherman simply replaced the bogie. The M4 Sherman could access the transmission relatively easily compared to the Tiger I, which needed a major overhaul. All of this maintenance limited the appearance of the Tiger I on the battlefield, even though its 1-to-1 effectiveness was terrifying to Allied tankers and infantry. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2223.jpg |
| Image Size | 1.03 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 2112 x 3000 |
| Photographer | Ernst Schwan |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | March 27, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | Bundesarchiv |
| Record Number | 183-J05741 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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