Tiger II
Also known as Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausf. B, King Tiger, Tiger B, Panzer VIB Tiger II
1944 German heavy tank
Key facts
- Type
- Heavy tank
- Place of origin
- Nazi Germany
- In service
- 1944–1945
- Wars
- World War II
- Designer
- Henschel & Son (hull) / Krupp (turret)
- Manufacturer
- Henschel & Son / Krupp (turret)
- Unit cost
- 321,500 ℛ ︁ ℳ ︁ ($160,755 USD) in 1944–45
- Produced
- 1944–45
- Mass
- 68.5 tonnes (67.4 long tons ; 75.5 short tons ) early turret, 69.8 tonnes (68.7 long tons; 76.9 short tons) production turret
- Length
- 7.38 m (24 ft 3 in) hull, 10.286 m (33 ft 9.0 in) with gun forward)
- Width
- 3.755 m (12 ft 3.8 in)
- Height
- 3.09 m (10 ft 2 in)
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Article
The Tiger II was a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, often shortened to Tiger B. The ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 182. (Sd.Kfz. 267 and 268 for command vehicles). It was also known informally as the Königstiger (German for Bengal tiger, lit. 'King Tiger'). Allied soldiers often called it the King Tiger or Royal Tiger.
The Tiger II was the successor to the Tiger I, combining the latter's thick armour with the armour sloping used on the Panther medium tank. It was the costliest German tank to produce at the time. The tank weighed almost 70 tonnes and was protected by 100 to 185 mm (3.9 to 7.3 in) of armour to the front. It was armed with the long barrelled (71 calibres) 8.8 cm KwK 43 anti-tank cannon. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless Jagdpanzer anti-tank vehicle.