The Porsche Tiger and Ferdinand Tank Destroyer

The Porsche Tiger and Ferdinand Tank Destroyer: VK 4501 (P)/Porsche Type 101 and the Panzerjäger Ferdinand/Elefant

Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian engineer born in 1875. He founded an automotive consultation firm in the interwar period, gradually becoming today’s Porsche AG. Porsche’s firm was responsible for the design of the Volkswagen, a simple model known today as the Beetle.

During the Second World War, Porsche’s firm played an important role in designing military vehicles for the Wehrmacht. This work follows up on author Michael Fröhlich’s book on Porsche’s massive ‘Maus’ tank and describes the firm’s other armoured vehicle designs, with special emphasis on the VK 4501 (P) Tiger prototype and the ‘Ferdinand’ tank destroyer. VK 4501 was the designation for the prototypes competing to be what would become the Panzer VI ‘Tiger.’

Porsche’s concept used a novel gasoline/electric hybrid power plant, but the Tiger contract eventually went to Henschel. Through details of the Tiger trials at the Verskraft proving ground, readers will gain insight into the armament procurement process in the Third Reich. The hull/chassis design from VK 4501 (P) was later repurposed for a large tank destroyer named after the designer, ‘Ferdinand.’ These imposing vehicles saw combat on the Eastern and Italian fronts and were later renamed ‘Elefant.’

Fröhlich’s study, available in English for the first time, is grounded in original reports, manuals, and technical drawings.

Book Data

Authors: Michael Fröhlich
ISBN: 9780764363511
Pages: 496
Photos: 850+ colour & b/w photos, line drawings, charts
Language: English (US)
Physical: Hardcover, portrait

Contents

• Foreword
• PART I
• Introduction
• CHAPTER 1 The VK 3001 (P) Leopard Project
• CHAPTER 2 The VK 4501 (P) Tiger Tank
• CHAPTER 3 The “Decision” at Berka vor der Hainich
• CHAPTER 4 The Panzer VK 4502 (P)
• CHAPTER 5 Technology in Detail
  The Wooden Model
  Armament
  The Porsche Engine
  The Electric Drive
  The Hydraulic Drive
  The Running Gear
• CHAPTER 6 The SSyms Railcar, by Joachim Deppmeyer
• CHAPTER 7 Possibilities and Limits of an Electric Drive for Tracked Vehicles, by Rolf Hilmes
• CHAPTER 8 In the Footsteps of the Porsche Tiger
• PART II
• CHAPTER 9 The Panzerjäger Tiger (P): Porsche Type 131
• CHAPTER 10 The Tiger (P) Bergepanzer (Recovery) Vehicle
• CHAPTER 11 In Museums
  Ferdinand 501
  Elefant 102
• CHAPTER 12 Technical Features in Detail
  The 88 mm Pak 43/2 L/71 Gun
  The Maybach HL 120 TRM Engine
• Summary
• Appendixes
  Appendix A: Equipment List for the Porsche Tiger
  Appendix B: The Porsche Types until 1945
  Appendix C: Equipment Description and Instruction Manual for the Chassis D 656/1
  Panzerjäger Tiger (P)
• Glossary
• Endnotes
• Bibliography
• Image Credits