Thank you, Chris.
And with that registration number in hand, and the side fenders which seem to be unique to this vehicle, we can identify the tank as the first production Tiger hull 250001, named as such in "DW to Tiger 1".
Here are 4 photos that have come up on eBay. Even the standard front and rear fenders have nonstandard extensions.
Hartmut? This tank's hull is listed in the 502 gallery as the hull of "121". How was that identification made? I don't think it ever saw action.
Hartmut? This tank's hull is listed in the 502 gallery as the hull of "121". How was that identification made? I don't think it ever saw action.
David
I can´t recall why i give it as 121 to the gallery. If this was indeed Fahrgestellnr.250001, then it is an error anyway.
Can´t find the source of those photos in the mom......
This was the original base for the antenna, though I've never seen it used. This is the hole in the rear wall, seen from inside (this example is plugged):
the two photos of the open hull are printed in "DW to Tiger 1" and the authors state that it is Tiger 250001.
The hull has no tools and even the rear grilles have no hooks. I think that I can see hooks in some photos of "121"
Perhaps there should be a Gallery for Tigers that never got sent to any combat unit?
If somebody can do such a gallery i would like it. I know there are a lot of photos from testing area etc., but i could not give them any order in the moment.
Only Versuchs-Tiger with chassis number 250017, 250018 and 250019 i like to nail here.
We can find a lot of photos of Tigers testing in water and snow an whatever. But those are not all V1, V2 or V3 and they are not the three Tiger im looking for here.
A chassis number from 17 to 19 means these Tigers must have being initials!
Example:
This Tiger is under testdrive or "wird eingefahren", but it is not any Versuchsfahrzeug.
The Tiger had the features of a later produktion vehicle, but can´t be one out of the production line from 1 to 20.
In Spielberger on page 82 is an initial under testdrive. I like to show here but my scanner seems dead. May someone know wich one i mean?
This Tiger could be one of them and i would love to find more pics.
Also seen it spelt 'Vinnitsa' and (as in the BPK caption) 'Winniza'. BPK caption..."Winniza = Vinitsa; FHQ Werwolf; Vorführung neuer Waffen Anfang Dezember 1942"
The nearest Tiger has the strange extended mudguards of 250001; and the hull without turret seems to be an Initial, like the distant one in the above photo.
There are two Tiger (P) and possibly a Panther. An unusual mix for a unit, even in training? More likely we're in the test grounds?
Also interesting is that the Tiger (P) turret has the high roof, unlike the prototypes which we have seen in several photos. It seems that the roof was redesigned at this early stage, before release to the troops. We already assumed this because of the one Tiger (P) that saw action with the 653rd.
