Introducing the King Tiger

The King Tiger, Tiger II or Königstiger was the last heavy tank manufactured by Germany during the war. Its official ordnance designation was Sd Kfz 182, but it was also known as Pzkw VI or Panzer VI. A more accurate translation of Königstiger would be Bengal Tiger, however King Tiger has become the accepted translation. Design for a heavy tank had begun before the war. Two competing designs were generated. One from Porsche, the other from Henschel. In the end the production contract went to Henschel, however a few turrets had already been ordered to fit the Porsche design. These were then modified to fit the Henschel chassis, which is the reason why there were two turret types for the King Tiger. Production began in 1944. Less than 500 King Tigers in all were produced during the war, with the first King Tigers seeing action in Normandy and continuing to see action through the end of the war on all fronts. The Tiger II combined the thick armor of the Tiger I with the sloping armor features of the Panther, and despite its weight, it was remarkably agile. That, along with its deadly 88mm high velocity gun, made it a formidable opponent on the battlefield with an approximate kill ratio of 10 to 1. There are anecdotes of a King Tiger taking over 24 hits in one action without being destroyed. Kurt Knispel, the tank ace with the highest score of the war, commanded a Tiger II. Unfortunately, the King Tiger was susceptible to mechanical problems which caused many to be abandoned and blown up to avoid capture. In terms of scale models, we have a few variations. Most of them courtesy of Forces of Valor. New Ray has also produced a couple and even 21Century Toys released its own version before going out of business. Unfortunately I did not get to buy this last one. Anyhow, let's take a look at what we have.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Normandy

This is indeed a heavy tank, and I mean that literally. As usual, the level of detail is all there. The Zimmerit cover, the tank tracks on the turret for extra protection against side shots, the MG ready to fire at any diving P-51s. Forces of Valor released it in multiple color schemes. This one they released as the Normandy model.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Normandy

Yes. This is also a Normandy model. I believe that this one was the first one to be released.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Normandy - II

Here we have it deployed in a prepared position. Most likely somewhere on the Eastern Front.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Germany 1945

A late war version of the King Tiger, possibly like the ones which fought on the Seelow Heights or the defense of Berlin.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Porsche Turret - France

This one shows the King Tiger with the early Porsche turret. Note how its rounded front created a trap for any round hitting it on the bottom half. This time the called this model the France model. I guess it would have been too much to label it Normandy for the third time.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Porsche Turret - II

Here we see it from the front. Possibly advancing towards the Norman battlefields.

Forces of Valor King Tiger - Porsche Turret - III
And full view from the side. Good thing this bridge is made of stone.

New Ray King Tiger

This is one of the few vehicles produced by New Ray. The color scheme is not my favorite, the scale is a bit on the smaller side, and the uniform on the commander also seems out of place, but it does have quite a nice feature. It is battery operated. I believe New Ray has come up with a newer version of the King Tiger in a darker, better looking cammo color scheme.

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Introducing the Panzer III

The Panzer III, aka Sd Kfz 141 or Pz.Kpfw. III, was a German tank designed in the mid-30's as a tank fighter. Equipped with a 37mm anti-tank gun it was adequate against the light allied tanks encountered durig the early war campaings, but it proved outmatched in gun and armor when it went into Russia. The Panzer III was also equipped with a 3-man turret which freed the commander from loading and firing tasks to observe the battlefield and direct the fighting. This was a substantial advantage compared to other early war tanks. Up to 1942, there were multiple variations (Ausführung) of the tank made, from Ausf A to N. Ausf F introduced a 50mm gun but even that was not enough to match the Soviet tanks. Before it was retired, Ausf N actually upgraded the main gun to a low velocity 75mm gun to be used against infantry and 'soft' targets, but this meant that the Panzer III was no longer meant to be used as a tank fighter. Altogether, close to 6000 were built before production stopped in 1943. The Panzer III's chassis was more successful however, becoming the foundation of the Sturmgeschütz III of which close to 9500 were produced, many of them conversions from Panzer IIIs. The Panzer III saw action in Poland, France, the Balkans, North Africa and the Soviet Union. After the Battle of Kursk it was phased out in favor of the Panzer IV and subsequent heavier tanks, with only a few being around by the time the allies invaded Italy and France. In terms of scale models, we have a couple options available to us Courtesy of 21st Century Toys.

21st Century Toys Panzer III - Afrika Korps

This tank was released by 21C Toys after some of the heavier tanks had been issued, so I thought it would be a bit wimpy compared to its predecessors. However I was pleasantly surprised. It is certainly smaller, being true to its scale, but it has sufficiently nice detail making it worthy of one's collection. For instance, you can tell that it belonged to the Afrika Korps because of the insignia with the plam tree on the front of the tank.

21st Century Toys Panzer III - Afrika Korps

Here's another version of the Panzer III from 21C, this time, with a tan color, maybe more in line with what you normally associate with the DAK. I think I actually like this one better than the previous one. Note that this one also has an antenna that folds back down. 

21st Century Toys Panzer III

Here is another version of the Panzer III. Presumably the one that fought on the eastern and western fronts. I find the green color a bit unusual. In the pictures of real vehicles that I have seen, it has always been painted grey, but I trust 21C did their research when they developed this model. In any case, like AK version, it is also a nice reproduction of the original.

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Introducing the Panzer IV

The Panzer IV was a medium tank of the German army in service throughout the entirety if the war, and consequently seeing action on all fronts. Its official name was Sd Kfz 161 or Pz. Kpfw IV. Due to its long service history, it went through multiple adaptations/versions, from Ausführung A to J, with the first models coming out in 1936. The initial model carried a low velocity 75mm gun, meant primarily to fire explosive shells against 'soft' targets in support of infantry, although -by pre-war standards- it did have some reasonable armor piercing capabilities when using armor piercing ammo, which inevitably turned it into a tank fighter when the Panzer Is, IIs, and IIIs proved inferior to some of the allied tanks.The earlier versions of the Panzer IV were a bit unique in that the turret contained a double hatch for the commander, one of them being on the side of the turret. By the time the war began, Ausf D was already in production, with greater speed and some armor improvements. By the end of 1941, Ausf F2 (later G) was upgraded to use a short barreled version of the 75mm PaK 40 high velocity gun which gave it better tank-fighting capabilities. The reason for the short barrel was to be able to accommodate the recoil within the existing turret. Later versions of the Ausf G, were produced a longer 75mm barrel after making adjustments to the turret, which removed the side hatch. Ausf H was further upgraded in terms of armor, with side skirts for the hull and turret being added (they had been prototyped with Ausf G). Finally, Ausf Jwas a 1944 model which saw some simplifications introduced to speed up production and reduce cost, in response to the manufacturing challenges of the late stages of the war. One of those simplifications being that the turret now had to be traversed manually. In total about 9000 Panzer IVs were produced across all models, making it the most popular tank of the German armed forces. In addition to these models, the Panzer IV chassis was found to be very versatile and it was further used for a variety of other vehicles such as self-propelled anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns. As far as production of scale models, both 21C Toys and Forces of Valor have released versions of this panzer. Unfortunately I only have those from FOV as shown below.

Forces of Valor Panzer IV - Ausf F

This is one of my favorite FOV models. The paint job is realy nice with mud splattered where it should be and the rest of the tank seemingly covered in dust. The side hatch with a sitting figure and the short barrel give it a very unique look, and again, the metal feel to it makes you feel you have a real panzer in your hands.

Forces of Valor Panzer IV - Ausf F - Cammo

Here is another variation of the same vehicle. In fact, FOV released this same model in at least one more color scheme with winter cammo paint (or maybe it's just meant to be snow?). Anyhow, the same good things to say about this one as for the previous one, although I do prefer the one above.  

21st Century Toys Panzer IV - Ausf D

21C Toys also released their version of the short-barreled Panzer IV. I bought this one second-hand, as they are no longer in production, and I suspect that the previous owner sprayed it with a greenish paint, because the pictures I've seen of the original show it in a 'purer' grey. In terms of detail it is OK, but not as nice as the one from FOV. For instance, the side hatch does not open. BTW, this vehicle was sold as a kit that you could assemble yourself. I guess it was an attempt by 21C Toys to keep costs down (or achieve greater profits) by letting the customer take care of the assembly.

Forces of Valor Panzer IV - Ausf G

This is also a very interesting vehicle. The side and turret skirts give it a very unique look. The side skirts show some nice leve of detail with dents and bends caused by the fighting. FOV advertised this model as the 'Kursk' version. Note that the side hatch is no longer there, which as explained earlier, had to be removed to make room for the recoild of the longer 75mm gun.

Forces of Valor Panzer IV - Ausf G

This is the same vehicle as above in a different color scheme. FOV does this with many vehicles. A good money-making strategy on their part. They sold it as an 'Easter Front' version. I actually felt that the tan color was better suited for the North African desert and remembering that Panzer IVs were part of Rommel's army, I decided to photograph it in such a setting. It was not until I was checking my facts that I realized that Ausf G was relased right about the time that the Afrika Korps was surrendering in May of '43, so I doubt that any such models ever reached them. But if you are willing to overlook that 'Ausf detail' it look just great next to some AK guys doesn't it?

21st Century Toys Panzer IV Conversion into Ammo Loader/Munitionsschlepper

This is a creation by Scott Schleh, a very talented collector who also does conversions commercially. In this case he took the chassis of a 21C Panzer IV and added an open turret area where shells can be transported, and also a crane that rotates to be able to lift them in and out of of vehicle. I looked up pictures of the real Munitionsschlepper and it does look something like that :-) The main difference is that the base of the crane and its mechanisms were more sophisticated. But good enough for my German troops to load ammo onto 'Loki', 

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Click here to see a post about the Panzer III

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Click here to see a post about the Tiger I which came after it.



Introducing the Tiger I

The Tiger Tank was Germany's first heavy tank of the war. It's also known as Sd Kfz 181 as well as PzKpfw VI Ausf. H (later PzKpfw VI Ausf. E), or Panzer VI for short. The 'I' was added retroactively to the name after the Tiger II (King Tiger) came out. The Tiger tank was designed and built in response to the Soviet Tanks encountered during the invasion of the Soviet Union in the summer of '41, which outgunned and were better armored than the Panzer III's and Panzer IV's. By September of '42 the first Tigers were already being sent into action around Leningrad, but as it was rushed to the front prematurely, it initially suffered from mechanical and reliability problems. Besides the Eastern Front, the Tiger Tank also saw action in North Africa, Italy and the Western Front. Its thick armor, 88mm gun, and decent speed for a heavy tank, made it a formidable opponent, able to destroy enemy tanks at very long ranges, and being very hard to knock out unless the opponent managed to get very close to it and hit it from a vulnerable angle, usually the sides or back. Its good performance in combat enabled multiple Tiget tank commanders to become 'aces' with over 100 kills to their credit. It is said that one Tiger was able to destroy 22 Soviet tanks in a single engagement.
Unfortunately, the Tiger's design was a bit too complex. For instance, due to its weight, it was not able to go over small bridges, so it was designed to ford water up to 4 meters in depth. This meant that it had to be equiped with additional systems for breathing, ventilation, and engine cooling, the hull had to be sealable, and some of the compartments had to be floodable so it would not just float and get dragged downstream. Likewise, it introduced a new design for several rows of overlapping, interleaved wheels which gave it a wider track, better able to distribute its huge weight. All this increased its manufacturing complexity and cost, which resulted in less tan 1500 being manufactured during the war. By mid-1944, it was phased out of production in favor of the Panther and the Tiger II.
Stackpole Books has a two volume narrative of Michael Wittmann's exploits as a Tiger I commander, which provides great insight into the Tiger's development, the operations of a tank battalion, and the Tiger's performance in combat. In terms of Toy Soldier manufacturers, we have a couple good examples courtesy of the usual suspects, 21C and FOV.

21st Century Toys Tiger I

This tank was the first of its kind to be produced. Released about 10 years ago, it is a realistic vehicle, at a good scale, factory-painted, with moving turret, gun, tracks, hatches, and a factory-painted crew for less than 15 dollars. At the time it came out I would be making trips to my local Toys R Us every weekend to try to catch the next shipment as they were flying off the selves. It was the best thing that happened to the hobby in terms of vehicles. After that, many more and even better models followed, but this one (and the half track) are the ones that started it all.

21st Century Toys Tiger I - Afrika Korps

A short time later, 21C Toys released another version of the Tiger I. Essentially the same vehicle in a different color scheme. I preferred the original colors, but I still got three of these to give Rommel's army a heaftier punch.

Forces of Valor Tiger I

A couple years later FOV came into the military vehicle landscape and released their own versions of the Tiger I. Several paint schemes were released. Unfortunately I only got one of them as I already had several of the 21C ones. FOV's Tiger is even better than 21C's. Aside from the fact that is made out of metal, the level of detail and realism is higher. For instance, notice the anti-magnetic Zimmerit paint cover to defend against mines, or the bent fenders above the tracks. Definitely a nice piece of equipment for your collection.

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Click here to see a post about the Panzer III.

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Click here to see a post about the Tiger II.



Introducing the Panther Tank

The Panther Tank, aka Sd Kfz 171, was a medium tank deployed by Germany from mid-1943 onwards. It was designed in 1942 in response to the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks encountered the previous year during Operation Barbarossa, which were a tough match for the Panzer IIIs and Panzer IVs. The Tiger was also built for the same reasons, but it was more difficult and expensive to manufacture and was about 30 tons heavier and slower than the Panther which came in a little under 50 tons. Initially the Panther was designated as Panzer V, but I suppose that because it was released after the Tiger, eventually the V was dropped from the name. The Panther was close to being ready just before the German summer offensive of '43 -what became known as the Battle of Kursk-. The intention was to have another Blitzkrieg type of battle, and with the Germans wanting to have their latest and best tanks play a role in it the offensive was delayed by two months. During this time, the Soviets built several defensive belts, with anti-tank ditches, emplaced anti-tank guns, and they also increased their tank numbers. In the end, the German offensive faltered and of the approximately 200 Panthers that were delivered, most were quickly out of action due to mechanical breakdowns or were knocked out due to the inexperience and insufficient training of the crews. One month after going into action, only 9 remained operational. Eventually the reliability of the tank was improved (although never entirely), however by that time the tide of the war had turned and the German manufacturing industry was already under heavy air attack, which further reduced the number of Panthers as well as the availability of spare parts. So, even though the Panther was a good tank in principle, with a high velocity muzzle firing 75mm projectiles capable of penetrating enemy armor at long ranges, good speed and good frontal armor, it was not enough to turn the tide of the ground war. During the course of the war, over 6000 of them were built, seeing action on both the Eastern and Western fronts, and a few other variations of the vehicle were produced, like the Jagdpanther tank destroyer. As far as Toy Soldier manufacturers go, both Forces of Valor and 21st Century Toys have treated us to some very nice vehicles. Let's take a look.

21st Century Toys Panther Tank

This tank is a nice, good looking model, but it is made entirely out of plastic. I actually have two of these models and one of them already lost its antenna, which broke off going in and out of the shelf. Nonetheless it is a faithful reproduction of the original. One thing to note is the overlapping design of the wheels, first introduced with the Tiger and repeated with the Panther.

Forces of Valor Panther Tank

The FOV Panther comes with the rounded gun mantlet. This was a liability of the design as it allowed shots to be deflected downwards into the hull. Later designs -Ausf G-, like the one from 21C Toys, had a flat mantlet with a 'chin' at the bottom, which would help against this problem. A nice thing about the FOV Panther is that is also comes with two infantry figures who can ride the tank, not to mention that it is actually made out of metal, which is a good thing when it comes to tanks.

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Click here to see a post about the Panzer III.

Click here to see a post about the Panzer IV.

Click here to see a post about the Tiger I.

Click here to see a post about the Tiger II.