German heavy tank PzKpfW VI ausf. B KÖNIGSTIGER (Tiger II) COBI 2540 - World War II

You know that:

• Ferdinad Porsche, a native of Vratislavice nad Nisou, was involved in the development and designed the combined diesel-electric drive.
• However, the standard Henschel solution with a petrol engine went into series production.
• Several stands were equipped with an extremely high quality and advanced optical sight, which allowed shooting accurately even at long range.
• The KwK 43 L/71 gun was able to penetrate 180mm thick armour at a distance of 500 metres.
• The Royal Tigers were first deployed in August 1944 on the Eastern Front.
• Despite being the most powerful tank in World War II, 11 machines were destroyed in combat or stuck in the mud in the first few days.
• The TIGER II tank found its rival only in the Soviet IS-2, or in the Ardennes in the American M26 Pershing tank.
• A total of 492 units were produced.
• Production was so complex and expensive that the German economy simply could not produce more of them.
• On 9 May 1945, when the world was celebrating the end of the war, there was still fighting in Bohemia near Trebon.
• A group of 3 Tigers were trying to break into American captivity and one command Königstiger was stranded in a waterlogged meadow where it became a local attraction for several weeks.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 10,29 m (7,38 m without gun), width 3,76 m, height 3,09 m
• weight 68 500 kg
• 185 mm front armour, 80 mm side armour, 80 mm rear armour
• power plant gasoline 12 cylinder 23.1 l Maybach HL230 P30 engine with 515 kW
• top speed 38 km/h on the road and 15-20 km/h off-road
• fuel tank capacity 860 l
• a range of 170 km on the road and up to 120 km off-road
• main weapon KwK 43L/71 88 mm cannon
• secondary weapon 2x MG 34 machine gun of 7.92 mm calibre
• crew commander + gunner, loader, driver, radio operator