Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant
In service 1943 - 1945
Based onFerdinand (upgrade of)
Porsche's losing Tiger hulls rebuilt into a 200 mm-thick tank destroyer that dominated at range and broke down everywhere else.
Built byPorsche, Nibelungenwerk
Development history
When Porsche lost the Tiger contract to Henschel, its ninety-odd petrol-electric hulls were converted into casemate tank destroyers with 200 mm frontal armour and the long 88. At Kursk they killed Soviet armour at ranges beyond reply but bogged in soft ground and were lost in numbers to mechanical failure, mines and infantry - the early vehicles had no machine gun at all. Survivors were rebuilt with commanders' cupolas and MGs and fought in Italy and on the Eastern Front until 1945.
Variants
One canonical record, 2 recorded variants.
Ferdinand
1943Kursk configuration, no hull machine gun or cupola
Elefant
1944Rebuilt with MG34 ball mount, cupola, Zimmerit and wider tracks
Notable actions
- Battle of Kursk
- Anzio
- Eastern Front 1944-45