| Tiger (P) |
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- "This is quite a rare Tank!"
- ―Yukari
- "What's the hold up!? There's only a failed weapon in the way!"
- ―Erika about the Tiger(P)
The VK 45.01 (P), also known as the Tiger (P) or Porsche Tiger, was a German heavy tank prototype. It was designed for five crew members.
History[]
A real life VK 45.01 Tiger (p) during trials
In May 1941, German firms Henschel and Porsche were commissioned to submit designs for a 45-tonne heavy tank, capable of mounting the high velocity 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 anti-tank gun for use against Allied heavy tanks such as France's Char B1 bis and Great Britain's Matilda II. Both tanks were to be fitted with the same turret supplied by weapons manufacturer Krupp.
Henschel and Porsche submitted updated versions of their VK 30.01 (H) and VK 30.01 (P) medium tank prototypes, and adapted parts used on it for their new tank prototypes, designated VK 45.01 (H) and VK 45.01 (P) respectively. These projects were expedited after the start of Operation Barbarossa, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, as there was a need for tanks powerful enough to compete against the heavy Soviet KV tank series.
Both prototypes had identical armaments and protection, but Porsche's prototype was powered by a novel petrol-electric drivetrain. It was made up of twin V-10 air-cooled gasoline engines, which would drive separate generators to power twin electric motors (one for each rear drive sprocket). Unfortunately, the unorthodox powertrain meant it was also unreliable, and was prone to frequent breakdowns. Germany was also unable to obtain sufficient copper to produce these new drivetrains while also maintaining vehicles with similar requirements (such as its successful U-Boat fleet). In trials, the Porsche prototype also proved to be less maneuverable than its competitor from Henschel. As such, the Third Reich dropped Porsche's design in favor of Henschel's design, which would go into mass production as the Pz.Kpfw VI Ausf. E, better known as the Tiger I heavy tank.
Porsche built 10 tanks mounted with the Krupp turrets (towards the front of the vehicle) and the 8.8 cm KwK 36 guns, and 91 chassis. Three more Tiger (P) were built as designated Bergepanzer armored recovery vehicles, and the 91 chassis were converted into Panzerjäger heavy tank destroyers, mounting a new, more powerful 88mm PaK 43/2 anti-tank gun. designated as "Ferdinand" (after its designer Ferdinand Porsche), and later "Elefant". Only one completed Tiger (P), chassis number 150013, saw combat service as a command tank - interestingly enough, for a unit of Elefant tank destroyers.
The original VK 45.01(P)
In animation[]
The Porsche Tiger first appears in Episode 7 of the anime. It was found in the innards of Ooarai's school ship, turning up during the search for Rabbit Team which had gotten lost while searching for lost tanks.
In Episode 10, Ooarai's Automotive Club completes its restoration on the Porsche Tiger. During trials, it demonstrated its unreliability (getting stuck in the mud, and then suffering an engine failure and explosion), but Yukari rose to its defense, praising its thick armour and powerful 88 mm gun - one of the most powerful anti-tank weapons used in WWII. It was christened as "Leopon Team", and assigned to the four automotive crew members who had restored it to its former glory.
Prior to their first match, Leopon Team modified the tank's electric motors to boost their top speed, acceleration, and handling.
For a full breakdown of the Porsche Tiger's combat logs, see the page for Leopon Team.
Ooarai Porsche Tiger stuck during trial
Trivia[]
- Though many sources list the Porsche Tiger as having 200 mm of frontal armor, this is mainly because so few of them were produced, and only one example ever saw combat. In reality, the tank was designed with 100 mm of frontal armor, to compete on even grounds with its rival from Henschel.
- The Porsche Tiger is arguably Ooarai's most powerful tank, as it has the thickest armor (100 mm) and the most powerful main armament (88 mm). It is also one of the toughest tanks in the series, requiring the combined power of five other tanks to disable it in the 63rd National Sensha-do Tournament.
- Besides boosting the power of their Porsche Tiger's electric motors, Leopon Team also added "Stealth" and "VTOL" functions to their tank, as seen in their cockpit. Whether their tank can camouflage itself or fly remains to be seen.
Gallery[]
- Main article: Tiger (P)/Gallery
More about the Tiger (P)[]
| Tanks ☰ | ||
|---|---|---|
| Light Tanks and Tankettes |  7TP •  AMR-35 •  BT-42 •  Crusader •  CV.33 • FT-17 • Harry Hopkins •  M22 Locust • M24 Chaffee • Mark VI •  Panzer II •  Panzer 38(t) • R35 •  T-60 • T-70 • Tetrarch • TK Tankette •  Type 2 Ka-Mi • Type 94 Tankette • Type 95 Ha-Go • Type 97 Te-Ke
| |
| Medium Tanks | Centurion • M3 Lee • M4 Sherman • M13/40 • Matilda II • P26/40 • Panzer III • Panzer IV • Panzer V "Panther" •  Sentinel • SOMUA S35 • T-34 • T-44 • Type 89B • Type 3 Chi-Nu • Type 97 Chi-Ha
| |
| Heavy Tanks | ARL 44 • B1 Bis • Black Prince • Churchill • IS-2 • KV-1 • KV-2 • M26 Pershing • Mark IV • Neubaufahrzeug • Panzer VI "Tiger" • Panzer VI Ausf. B "Tiger II" • Panzer VIII "Maus" • VK45.01 Porsche Tiger
| |
| Tank Destroyers | Elefant • Hetzer • ISU-152 • Jagdpanzer IV • Jagdpanther • Jagdtiger •  Mareșal • Semovente da 75/18 • StuG III • T28 Super-Heavy Tank
| |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | Karl-Gerät 040
| |
| Main Battle Tank | Type 10
| |