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Forums - Research / WW2 |
This WW2 forum is intended for asking and discussing reference or historical related issues pertaining to WW2 (1939-1945) subjects. |
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| Subject: | Re: King Tiger Porsche |  |
| Date: | Dec 21, 2007 |
| From: | Gerald Owens | |
About half the original run of the "Porsche" turret version were diverted and used for training and evaluation purposes. The first five off the assembly line were given to an evaluation unit in Normandy, which was eventually attached to the Panzer Lehr Division. They were combined with the company of Tiger I tanks used to control B-IV demolition tractors. They had a sad record, as they were totally unreliable (the division actually tried to give them back). They had large, sloppy, hand-painted two digit numbers on the turret sides, and other early features (snorkel covers on the engine deck, no armor ring protecting the turret base, early pattern tracks with 18-tooth drive sprockets, and initially at least, Tiger I type exhaust pipes with the sheet metal shield surrounding it). This version was offered by Cyber Hobby as a limited edition kit last summer.
The rest of the Porsche production run mostly went to the 503rd Schwere Panzer Abteilung in France. These had the late production updates--no snorkel cover, armor ring added for the turret base, new tracks and drive sprockets, and the curved exhaust pipes. Fourteen went to the first company, and later, another twelve went to the third(plus two with the new "production" turret). The third company received their tanks at Mailly le Camp east of Paris in August, 1944, but the Normandy front collapsed before they could get there, and all were lost due to air attacks or fuel shortages. Two broke down at Mailly le Camp, and were left behind. These were recovered during the retreat, and rejoined the outfit at Paderborn, where it was brought up to strength in September. One of these was #314, named "Annaliese." It served with the battalion when it was shipped to Hungary from October onwards (the 503rd was renamed "Feldherrnhalle" later in the year).
The remaining Porsche tanks were released piecemeal as the testing program wound down, so they turn up here and there, sometimes quite late in the war. The 506th battalion received at least two early models in August, 1944, and they served in the Aachen area (and possibly later in the Ardennes). They had snorkel mounts and Tiger I style exhausts and the sheet metal exhaust pipe shields, but had been retrofitted with the standard pattern tracks and nine-tooth drive sprockets, and had the armor ring protecting the turret base installed.
I have never seen a Porsche King Tiger assigned to an SS battalion, though one of the rebuilds may have turned up there. When the SS 101st battalion received their King Tigers in Normandy, the factory had already switched over the new turret. |
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