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Tiger P - 003 Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 Mai '44
🕑 Added 2023-02-03 00:17:54 +0000 UTCThis the only Porsche Tiger (with a turret) used in combat. It's chassis 150 013, a hydraulic Type 102. Only 10 chassis were to be build using the Voith hydraulic drive train, this one was using 2 Simmering motors.
The turret has the serial number 150 014, retrofitted with a escape hatch and built into a command version.
The vehicle was a path-finder stationed at Kummersdorf proofing ground, it was requested by the Rg. 656 (former s.Pz.Jg.Abt. 653) as a recovery vehicle together with the last two Ferdinand retained for R&D. Send out in Mai '44 and lost in the east by end of July.
Several Pictures are known, showing it dusted up, that's what I wanted to catch in the short time available.
A lot stuff about this vehicle is off from what we would expect to find and think we know. That's why it was very interesting to me.
It was a old shelf queen, Dragon 6210, I used a later version of Atak Zimmerit in order to have a escape hatch - Dragon missed that. The build itself was not up to standard, with little I could do about it. Therefore, it went down as a speedy 4-evening project. In future I'll cut down weathering down to a pinwash only. I need space for in the shelf for kits used in designing parts and can't waste time on attempted-only artistic expressions, going for a detailed and clean build instead...
If you want to build one yourself: Dragon #6352 would be the best one. Amusing Hobby 35A051 comes as full interior kit building a electric version, that would be a Type 101 -> that's not what this vehicle was. For tracks I used Friul I had sitting around already rusted. Rear central grill was taken from Amusing Hobby 35A023 - however the orignial mesh is mounted to a frame slightly spaced above the louvre. Dragon's premium kit has this feature displayed.
My main source for this build was Michael Fröhlich, "Der andere Tiger" - I think there is a English version already published or published soon. The work on this vehicle done by Jentz was for sure outstanding and reflecting the knowledge of the time it was written, yet his information is outdated by now and should be taken with a grain of salt.
Video is coming soon.
Till Sunday, release day for the Feb. STLs.
Kai
Comments
A fine job on a very quirky machine.
