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Tiger Tank Manual: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausf.e Sdkfz 181 Model
The German Tiger I – officially known as the Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I Auks. E (Skiffs 181) – was probably the most feared battle tank of the Second World War. Its invincibility lay in its main gun and heavy defensive armor. The Tiger’s primary armament was the deadly 88mm Kiwi 36 L/56 gun that was the most powerful anti-tank gun then in use by any army, capable of penetrating 112 mm of armor plate from a range of 1400 meters. The Tiger I also had the toughest armor of any German tank – its frontal armor plate measured 100mm thick. Using the successful approach and format adopted for the Spitfire and Lancaster Manuals, Tiger Tank Manual gives an insight into acquiring, owning and operating one of these awesome fighting vehicles. It also gives an idea through personal recollections of what it was like to command a Tiger in war, and what it felt like to be on the receiving end of its 88mm gun.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published July 15, 2011
About the author
David Fletcher
450 books14 followersDavid Fletcher is a historian at the Tank Museum at Bovington and has written a great number of books on British armour.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 2, 2013
"Tiger Tank Manual: Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger 1 Ausf.E (SdKfz 181) Model (Owner's Workshop Manual)" by David Fletcher, David Wiley and Mike Hayden and published by Zenith Press. The Tank Museum in South Dorset in the United Kingdom (UK) was in a unique position to write a new chapter in the Tank story with its own discoveries on restoring and running Tiger 131, which is the centerpiece of the manual.
"Tiger Tank Manual" is unique as we follow the story of Tiger 131 from April 1943 in Tunisia in North Africa to its arrival in the UK in October 1943 to its renovation and refurbishing thanks to the national Lottery. It is a short work of only 164 pages. "Tiger Tank Manual" gives an amazing insight and inside look into purchasing, owning, and even operating one of the world’s most outstanding engineering feats and fighting vehicles.
The use of personal remembrances of what it was like to operate and command such a vehicle in wartime gives you a "you were there" feeling. The recollections of what it was like to be on the receiving end of the Tiger's 88 mmm gun shared by Lieutenant Gundgin in the Foreword really helps set the book's tone.
The pictures, illustrations, line drawings, statics are amazing. The "Tiger Tank Manual" gives the necessary background on the history and development of the tank. You get the story of Tiger 131 down including forensic and crime scene analysis of the battlefield damage to the tank to include the ammunition used against the tank!
You are given a specular cutaway drawing of the tank from the School of Tank Technology. Note: I am a former US Army Ordnance Corps officer whose military occupational specialty was maintenance. I supported the old US Army M60A2 tank. The detail in "Tiger Tank Manual" rivals any Technical Manual. I cannot over emphasize the quality and variety of the pictures. They left me with the felling I had crawled all over the vehicle as well as I examined every detail inside the tank. They are amazing.
You get a glimpse into the mind of the museum as to why they restored Tiger 131. Again, detail pictures as well as description guides you through the process. Such details as paint selection and viewpoints from volunteers working on the project make you feel part of the project.
The "Tiger tank Manual" includes a chapter on running the tank. The detail given to the start-up procedures and riving the tank makes me want to get in the driver's seat and take it for a test drive.
The detail given to "The May back Engine" may appear to be overkill to some, but the tank enthusiast or automotive engineer will enjoy the examination of the engine and its auxiliaries. Everything from ventilation to the gearbox and transmission as well as the steering and drive shafts (final drive) is covered.
Having supported annual tank gunnery for several years had my curiosity peak in the chapter devoted to firepower. Excellent coverage is given to tank gunnery from the ammunition down to aiming and firing the gun.
The explanation of the deployment and tactics of the Tiger lets you have an understanding of the German's strategy. The book concludes with a nice appendix of the surviving Tigers.
While the book may not be for everyone, any military enthusiast will enjoy the book. Any tanker or former tank crewmember will enjoy the book. I believe it would be a worthwhile addition to any military history library as well as any collection dealing with World War II. Additionally, automotive engineers will find the book simply amazing.
Read and reviewed by: Jimmie A. Kepler February 29, 2012. Note: Jimmie is honorably discharged as a Captain in the ordnance Corps US Army where he served as a maintenance office and supported a tank battalion (2nd Bn 77th Armor 2nd Brigade 9th Infantry Division) in 1978.
"Tiger Tank Manual" is unique as we follow the story of Tiger 131 from April 1943 in Tunisia in North Africa to its arrival in the UK in October 1943 to its renovation and refurbishing thanks to the national Lottery. It is a short work of only 164 pages. "Tiger Tank Manual" gives an amazing insight and inside look into purchasing, owning, and even operating one of the world’s most outstanding engineering feats and fighting vehicles.
The use of personal remembrances of what it was like to operate and command such a vehicle in wartime gives you a "you were there" feeling. The recollections of what it was like to be on the receiving end of the Tiger's 88 mmm gun shared by Lieutenant Gundgin in the Foreword really helps set the book's tone.
The pictures, illustrations, line drawings, statics are amazing. The "Tiger Tank Manual" gives the necessary background on the history and development of the tank. You get the story of Tiger 131 down including forensic and crime scene analysis of the battlefield damage to the tank to include the ammunition used against the tank!
You are given a specular cutaway drawing of the tank from the School of Tank Technology. Note: I am a former US Army Ordnance Corps officer whose military occupational specialty was maintenance. I supported the old US Army M60A2 tank. The detail in "Tiger Tank Manual" rivals any Technical Manual. I cannot over emphasize the quality and variety of the pictures. They left me with the felling I had crawled all over the vehicle as well as I examined every detail inside the tank. They are amazing.
You get a glimpse into the mind of the museum as to why they restored Tiger 131. Again, detail pictures as well as description guides you through the process. Such details as paint selection and viewpoints from volunteers working on the project make you feel part of the project.
The "Tiger tank Manual" includes a chapter on running the tank. The detail given to the start-up procedures and riving the tank makes me want to get in the driver's seat and take it for a test drive.
The detail given to "The May back Engine" may appear to be overkill to some, but the tank enthusiast or automotive engineer will enjoy the examination of the engine and its auxiliaries. Everything from ventilation to the gearbox and transmission as well as the steering and drive shafts (final drive) is covered.
Having supported annual tank gunnery for several years had my curiosity peak in the chapter devoted to firepower. Excellent coverage is given to tank gunnery from the ammunition down to aiming and firing the gun.
The explanation of the deployment and tactics of the Tiger lets you have an understanding of the German's strategy. The book concludes with a nice appendix of the surviving Tigers.
While the book may not be for everyone, any military enthusiast will enjoy the book. Any tanker or former tank crewmember will enjoy the book. I believe it would be a worthwhile addition to any military history library as well as any collection dealing with World War II. Additionally, automotive engineers will find the book simply amazing.
Read and reviewed by: Jimmie A. Kepler February 29, 2012. Note: Jimmie is honorably discharged as a Captain in the ordnance Corps US Army where he served as a maintenance office and supported a tank battalion (2nd Bn 77th Armor 2nd Brigade 9th Infantry Division) in 1978.
February 28, 2017
The Tiger Tank Owners' Workshop Manual, first published in 2011, is one of many novelty manuals published under the Haynes title. The book is concerned mainly with the Tiger I, and most of the book consists of a walkaround of Tiger 131 at the Tank Museum complete with detailed text descriptions. A small portion of the book deals with historical use of the Tiger and the final chapter looks at preserved examples, where a pessimistic contributor expresses doubts about any future increase in the preserved population - surprisingly since a reconstructed example appeared around this time in Germany. I found the book incredibly interesting - there are a few minor inconsistencies, but it does try hard to dispel a lot of myths about the Tiger.
January 14, 2012
The Panzer MkVI Tiger 1 was one of the most feared, if not the most feared, battle tank of World War 2. It is also quite possibly the most famous tank of all time.
Volumes have been written about the Tiger 1. Some of it has been accurate, but much of it simply passes along myths and common misconceptions.
Many modern books about tanks are simply picture books that contain little information of substance, and are often filled with technical errors. So when I ordered this book from Amazon I wasn't expecting much. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised.
This book includes a short history of the development of the Tiger,about which volumes have been written elsewhere and really doesn't need need to be covered in-depth in a book like this. There are plenty of wartime photos, combat anecdotes, and production history. All pretty standard stuff.
But what really sets this book apart are the other features that it includes; numerous interior photos of the crew stations and armament, diagrams, and original German manuals.
Numerous photos and diagrams also document the restoration of a Tiger 1 at a tank museum on England. These are extremely useful views of the powertrain, suspension, and all other aspects of the vehicle.
Most of all though, they are able to provide real-world driving impressions of the restored Tiger.
I was once a tank crewman, having spent 6 years in the USMC operating an M60A1. That was many years ago, but I still enjoy reading and learning about tanks today. If I had a chance to get my hands on and operate any tank in history, including any of the current ones, the Tiger 1 would be it.
If I had to own only 1 book about the Tiger 1, this would be it.
Volumes have been written about the Tiger 1. Some of it has been accurate, but much of it simply passes along myths and common misconceptions.
Many modern books about tanks are simply picture books that contain little information of substance, and are often filled with technical errors. So when I ordered this book from Amazon I wasn't expecting much. When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised.
This book includes a short history of the development of the Tiger,about which volumes have been written elsewhere and really doesn't need need to be covered in-depth in a book like this. There are plenty of wartime photos, combat anecdotes, and production history. All pretty standard stuff.
But what really sets this book apart are the other features that it includes; numerous interior photos of the crew stations and armament, diagrams, and original German manuals.
Numerous photos and diagrams also document the restoration of a Tiger 1 at a tank museum on England. These are extremely useful views of the powertrain, suspension, and all other aspects of the vehicle.
Most of all though, they are able to provide real-world driving impressions of the restored Tiger.
I was once a tank crewman, having spent 6 years in the USMC operating an M60A1. That was many years ago, but I still enjoy reading and learning about tanks today. If I had a chance to get my hands on and operate any tank in history, including any of the current ones, the Tiger 1 would be it.
If I had to own only 1 book about the Tiger 1, this would be it.
January 7, 2015
This book has tons, I repeat, tons of technical data of the famed Panzer VI Tiger. If you do not even know how cars work in full detail, then steer clear from this book. Apart from that, it has very interesting history of the Tiger and it follows closely how the captured Tiger 131 was studied, refurbished, and ultimately ended up in a British museum today.
September 26, 2011
1/3 manual on the Tiger tank, 2/3 the story of salvaging the particular Tiger tank that resides at the Tank Museum.
September 12, 2014
awesome
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews