The heavily armored Tiger I became the most famous German tank of World War II. The Tigers were originally intended to counter the heavy tanks of the Russian Front, and were assigned to specially created tank battalions. In 1944 Tiger units were rushed to Normandy and fought in all the major battles of the Western Front. Although they were superior to all the tanks of the Western allies, Tigers in the West faced the added danger of attack from the greatly superior British and American air forces. Each Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS unit equipped with the Tiger I is covered in detail. Each unit's insignia and a representative vehicle with camouflage and markings is shown in color. The operational history of each unit, and in some cases individual vehicles, is described with the aid of 250 black and white photos, most of them never before published.

The Tiger I tank, probably the most famous German armoured vehicle of the Second World War, might have been a war-winning, break-through weapon if it had been produced in sufficient numbers and if it had been introduced earlier on the Eastern Front, before the balance of strength had tipped towards the Soviet Union. At the Battle of Kursk there were not enough Tigers to make a decisive difference and thereafter the Tiger was forced to play a mainly defensive role as the Wehrmacht struggled to withstand the advances of the Red Army. And it is this period in the Tiger tank’s short history that Dennis Oliver concentrates on in this, his third book on the Tiger in the TankCraft series. He uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the tanks and units of the German army’s heavy panzer battalions. A large part of the book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of the Tigers of 1943.

WWII began with a metallic roar as the German Blitzkrieg raced across Europe, spearheaded by the most dreaded weapon of the 20th century: the Panzer. No German tank better represents that thundering power than the infamous Tiger, and Otto Carius was one of the most successful commanders to ever take a Tiger into battle, destroying well over 150 enemy tanks during his incredible career.

The most famous tank of World War II, the Tiger was a monster of a machine that dominated the battlefields of Europe and beyond. Originally conceived in response to the German Army's experience fighting British tanks in western Europe and North Africa, the Tiger cemented its reputation of near invincibility during the savage battles of the Eastern Front. This is a complete illustrated guide to one of the world's most famous fighting vehicles, exploring its history, its strengths and weaknesses and its combat performance as it duelled against the best the Allies had to give. Drawing on a wealth of research, detailed illustrations and contemporary photographs, this book reveals how this remarkable tank became an icon of military history.

The Tiger tank endures today as the greatest legend of the German armored forces of World War II. Jean Restayn's text is backed up by 250 photographs, most of them never published before, and 50 color plates showing markings, insignia and camouflage schemes. Also included is a complete operational history and order of battle for all Eastern Front units, both Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS, who were equipped with the Tiger.

A guide blending the history behind the two World War II German tanks with resources for military vehicle modeling enthusiasts. In spite of the relatively small numbers produced, the Tiger I and Tiger II tanks are arguably the most famous armored fighting vehicles of the Second World War. This book, the first in the TankCraft series, uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the tanks and units of the German Army and Waffen-SS heavy panzer battalions that attempted to hold back the Red Army during 1944. A large part of the book showcases available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of the tanks that fought from the snow-covered fields of Byelorussia and the Ukraine, through the Baltic States, and into Poland and Hungary. “From a technical standpoint the book is a winner. Throw in all of the unit histories and then add the modelling, and it is a superb book on the Tiger I-II tanks. . . . The book is really a showcase of the [modelers] and their builds, and gives the rest of us a shot in the arm to up our game on our next Tiger tank.” —A Wargamers Needful Things

Tiger ! - the very name that Allied troops feared. It came to symbolize the superiority of German tank design. This book has been created as a photo essay showing the best available and rare photographs of Tigers with units at the front. No tank that the Allies fielded in World War II was comparable to this combination of the 88mm gun with massive armor protection. Allied tankers didn't think that they stood a chance of defeating these formidable Tigers. They only hoped that these heavy tanks would breakdown, become immobilized in soft ground, or be damaged by lucky hits on vulnerable points.

"Although much is available about Tiger tanks' technical details and some of the most famous soldiers and units that employed them, until now, there has been little concerning the organization and tactical use of heavy tank battalions across the theaters in which they were employed. [Wilbeck] provides an in-depth look at heavy tank battalions' organizations and tactics, including the tactical doctrine by which these elite units were supposed to fight and case studies to illustrate how they were actually employed on the battlefield"--Page 4 of cover.

“A comprehensive analysis of WWII’s greatest land battle and one of history’s greatest armor engagements.” —Publishers Weekly On July 5, 1943, the greatest land battle in history began when Nazi and Red Army forces clashed near the town of Kursk, on the western border of the Soviet Union. Code named “Operation Citadel,” the German offensive would cut through the bulge in the eastern front that had been created following Germany’s retreat at the Battle of Stalingrad. But the Soviets, well-informed about Germany’s plans through their network of spies, had months to prepare. Two million men supported by six thousand tanks, thirty-five thousand guns, and five thousand aircrafts convened in Kursk for an epic confrontation that was one of the most important military engagements in history, the epitome of “total war.” It was also one of the most bloody, and despite suffering seven times more casualties, the Soviets won a decisive victory that became a turning point in the war. With unprecedented access to the journals and testimonials of the officers, soldiers, political leaders, and citizens who lived through it, The Battle of the Tanks is the definitive account of an epic showdown that changed the course of history. “A stellar account of the Battle of Kursk in 1943.” —Booklist

A fully illustrated guide to the German Tiger I tank and its operations in the field by the renowned expert on WWII armored vehicles. At Hitler’s insistence, the first Tiger I tanks drove into action in Tunisia in December 1942. Despite their lack of reliability and the small number deployed, they quickly gained a fierce reputation. With its heavy armor and 88mm gun, the Tiger I outclassed all the Allied tanks then in service. Beyond their deployment in North Africa, they also operated in Sicily and Italy between 1943 and 1945. In his second volume in the TankCraft series on the Tiger, Dennis Oliver uses archive photos and extensively researched color illustrations to examine the Tiger tank and the German army units that first took them into combat. Perfect for model enthusiasts, Tiger I showcases available model kits and aftermarket products. It also includes a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details, as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field, are also examined providing everything the modeler needs to recreate an accurate representation of the tanks.