Tap to unmute
Tank Chats #42 Elefant | The Tank Museum
Embed
- Published on Aug 17, 2017 veröffentlicht
- Tank Chats playlist • Tank Chats from T... Originally known as the Ferdinand, then later renamed Elefant, 90 of this heavily armed and armoured vehicle were built, seeing service in the Soviet Union, Italy and Germany.
Although deployed as a tank destroyer, the Elefant had its origins in Ferdinand Porsche’s attempt to build what became the Tiger tank.
This particular Elefant is part of The Tiger Collection at The Tank Museum, Bovington, on loan from the US Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center, VA.
Support the work of The Tank Museum on Patreon: ► www.patreon.com/tankmuseum
Or donate tankmuseum.org/support-us/donate
SUBSCRIBE to The Tank Museum Clip-Share channel: ► / @thetankmuseum
Press the little bell above to enable NOTIFICATIONS so you don’t miss the latest Tank Museum videos.
Follow The Tank Museum on FACEBOOK: ► tankmuseum/
Follow The TIGER Tank Collection on FACEBOOK
: ► tigertankcol...
Twitter: ► TankMuseum
Tiger Tank Blog: ► blog.tiger-tank.com/
Tank 100 First World War Centenary Blog: ► tank100.com/ #tankmuseum #tanks #tigertank tiger tanks tank chat #tankchats The Tank Museum E-Newsletter sign-up: mailchi.mp/e6fae2ac8bee/newsl...
I'm glad you addressed the Elefant in the room.
Boom boom.
…Dad?
How dare you
@Philipp Stetter the museum should put that in quotes on the information display placard. They would know visitors are actually reading the Information as they would hear the chuckles
@David Traywick Im glad that my pun from 5 years ago still makes people chuckle today
German tank engineers: "Let's build more turretless tank destroyers, they are faster and cheaper to produce." Also German tank engineers: "Of course we need three engines in it. What a question."
@French Guitar Guy I think the hulls cost a significant amount of money and manpower to produce in the first place, I think scrapping them to make different vehicles would have been even more of a waste.
😏👍 Hey, at least the Germans didn't try anything stupid and counterproductive, like designing a single reliable diesel engine that could power these things with MUCH less problems, breakdowns, etc! In my past life, I was a top mechanical engineer in Germany, and I was the one who encouraged AGAINST developing a reliable, powerful diesel...
In fact, I recommended they try using 12 interconnected Kettenkrad engines for the Porsche Tiger, Ferdinand, Panther II, Tiger II, and Elefant. But unfortunately I died during testing of the nitroglycerine powered rocket engine I was about to recommend for the Nazis V2 program...... 😭
For some reason I've been thinking over this on and off for a while.
Can someone tell me which tank actually had the better armor
the Elefant or the King Tiger?
@Mandernach Luca that was the Panthers biggest problem, it was alright until Hitler slapped on extra armour.
@Gene Garren OTOH Allied tankers thought every German tank was a Tiger and almost certainly never saw the inside of one. You might see a crew singing a different tune if they had to actually put up with a Tiger's flaws.
This tank was donated by the Aberdeeen proving grounds tank museum to the tank museum where it is being filmed here. The tank was actually lost in the woods of Aberdeen until a friend of mine, Joe Benson, while in the U.S. ARMY on a map exercise stumbles across THIS very tank in the woods. He notified his Sgt, who notified the 1st Sgt. and so on up the line. 2 days later there were crews with chain saws clearing around the tank to recover it from the woods, recovery took about a year.
This tank was also featured on the TV series Tank Restoration. It's amazing to think that had Joe not stumbled across this tank it may very well be still lost in the woods of Aberdeen proving grounds.
Well done Joe Benson, where ever you are!
@Gruener Teufel Oh, they gave it back to Germany than?
@Robert Witt Jr Not that hard to believe when you remember the Americans forget where they parked the T28 prototype.
@Gruener Teufel correct
@Gruener Teufel Exactly.. it was never lost... just out back. I live near there and went there every few yrs from the 70s on up till it closed.
When you overengineer a vehicle to the point the henschel tiger is the simpler option..
@Tommy Seabee Not exactly 50,000.49,234…
@Michael Stark Trolls being people with a different opinion or more knowledge? Difficult, isn't it, getting feedback? Get an education.
@Michael Stark Shermans were reliable, easy to build and available in large numbers. Most German tanks were unreliable (especially the engines), hard and costly to build and not widely available. The fuel problems exacerbated this. The claim that allied aircraft wiped out German tanks is pure propaganda and is long laid to rest as such, right next to the myth that Shermans were just Tommy-cookers.
Not the best gun wins the war, but the most reliable platform.
@Michael Stark never take those kill numbers too seriously. German commanders were known for inflating kill numbers so much
There are instances of commanders claiming more kills than there were tanks present on the battlefield
@Michael Stark research 2 things, please: a) changing the gearbox on a Pz III; b) changing the gearbox on a Sherman.
Then, and only then, come back.
This vehicle was featured on an episode of "Tank Overhaul" where the crew at the U.S. Ordinance Museum team at Aberdeen Proving Ground did a partial restoration. During the process, they discovered what they believed was a disabling shot to one of the front wheels, which likely knocked off the tread. Amazingly, they were able to recover a piece of a round still embedded in the wheel and matched it to an M61 anti tank round. This round was used by the Sherman tank with the 75mm gun as well as the M10 and others. As you can see in various frames of this video, the Aberdeen team did not repair battle damage but rather painted it with a silver paint to highlight those areas. It's a great piece of history and I thank all involved for their work!
I was taken on a tour of APG before it closed. That was the day the Elephant was in the paint booth during the restoration. I entered the booth while the staff were eating lunch. The tank was of course disassembled for painting. Seeing the massive size of the wheels, etc. was a thrill. You could clearly see where a shell hit the drive sprocket.
Hoodoo Texas
This is probably the same Elephant that Karlheinz Munch details being lost in The Combat History of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, page 267. This Ferdinand was commanded by Uffz. Werner Kuhl. Kuhls Elephant came to a destroyed bridge and the driver tried to turn the Elephant around but it slid off the road into a ditch. A recovery attempt to toe it with a Tiger I of Schwere Panzer Abteilung 508 was tried but there was too much enemy firing going on so it had to be abandoned. One of the road wheels was shot up while the Germans were trying to recovery it.
So it was definitely hit while already disabled.
Nice story but just as likely these hits were "is anybody home?" shots taken after the tank was abandoned by the Germans. The M61 was I believe only used in 75mm Shermans and the M10 used the M79 AP shell.
It’s on youtube. No interior restoration or engine rebuild though. Pitty.
"I told mother we saw Panthers, Tigers and Elefants. She thought we were visiting the zoo!"
"New toys, brothers."
@ZETH_27 "I won't miss his coffee."
@leachimy yep
HAHAHA
Don’t forget the jodenpanzer
I could seriously listen to David Willey talk about what he ate for breakfast for 3 hours. He's both captivating and methodical in the way he presents these videos. It just works.
Shows that you do not need to add false excitement, distracting music and childish excitement to make a watchable docu. Perhaps it is for adults?
In 2003 I was a child living on Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, US and this EXACT tank was left next to a railroad track, grey and rusting. It was one of two left in the world. I'm so glad it got restored.
I love seeing battle scars on these tanks. Each one holding its own story. I wish I knew what it had been through.
@JohnyG29 Not a great story that. 👀
>Mid Engine - Check
>Rear Wheel Drive - Check
>Hybrid Engine - Check
Its basically a 1940's McLaren P1.
But it's even worse
The petrol engine isn’t connected to the drive sprockets, they only charge the battery, so it’s more like a BMW I3 actually.
The 918 and P1’s engine are connected to the gearbox obviously.
918
David Willey if you're reading this you are an excellent storyteller. I just joined Patreon to support the Tank Museum, and I look forward to your future videos!
Sometimes youre just having a bad day, sometimesyoure having a hard time getting past certain memories. sometimes you just need a semi soft spoken Englishmen to tell you about tanks
it's just the perfect accent for any kind of documentary
@Klobi for President I think that would be a bad day in 1945
I hope you're doing better these days mate :)
"Sometimes you're having a bad day. Sometimes you see this thing rolling up."
Only germans can think of the Henshel tiger as being simple and easier to product.
It’s too bad the Aberdeen restoration crew only stripped the exterior and gave it a new paint job. The interior has really deteriorated from being on outside display for so long. These are historical artifacts and should be taken better care of.
Some of these old tanks actually had significant amounts of asbestos inside them, not that easy to work on the insides.
Jim Goose Yeah, it's basically a hybrid tank with the only good thing to say about it being that it's a hybrid tank, and therefore ecologically conscious.
Jim Goose That was a joke to some extent.
@Bochi42 An outdated and ineffective one that only proves the Nazis were ecologically conscious and little else.
@CalzerDan Judging by the first attempt to audit the DoD enough could've been diverted to better restore it and nobody would know until 2025 or so. ; ) But seriously I do get your point and I'm going to assume there was quite the bias against spending money on and risking glorifying Nazi weapons in the Army for a long time after WW2.
Hell it's 75 years on the dot since VE Day and we've still got neo-nazi punks around. Makes me sad to think about it.
We can separate an interest in the equipment and history of it and hate the ideology but at the same time I can see why nobody in the US Army saw any purpose in preserving a nazi weapon that was in most respects an abysmal failure with nothing to be learned from except what not to do.
This is soooo good. So interesting. Love this history. Rest in peace all who fought.
This guy is very good. Factual, descriptive and interesting. Well done tank museum Bovington.
I was lucky enough to visit the museum in May. The Tiger exhibition is very impressive. Highly recommended!
Good example of something that was going to waste being turned into something very successful. Post Kursk the Ferdinands proved highly effective tank destroyers in the defensive warfare of late 1943 and through 1944, with many still being around at the end of 1944.
The Combat History of Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 by Karlheinz Munch is an excellent work, and an eye opener to those who think the Ferdinand was a dud. It certainly wasn't. It had a long successful combat life and was well liked by it's crews.
My grandfather was at the Anzio Landings, I wish he was still here to tell me more about what he did. I know he lost many friends there though, he would have loved to have seen this tank, he may well have seen it the day it was captured! Great Tank chat! Thanks David!
This vehicle is now at fort lee VA on display very fortunate to see it in person. Always awesome to see old German technology in person
I saw this tank “in the flesh” at the Aberdeen Ordnance Museum in the early 1980’s. Very impressive vehicle. At that time, they also had a Tiger 1, King Tiger and JagdTiger on display.
I would not have wanted to be an Allied infantryman and see any of these tanks coming towards me. I have an incredible amount of respect for those troopers.
Caveman Henschel "I have invented the wheel!"
Caveman Porsche "Too simple, I don't like it"
Caveman Porsche: "It needs a petrol-electric engine"
The photo of the burning ferdinand at 14.58 wasn't knocked out. The engines overheated, caught fire and burned the tank out.
Disabling itself is worse than being knocked out by the enemy, IMO.
Joshua Ngau Ajang yes, as the tank will be either immobilized or on fire, both of which will cause the crew to evacuate and the vehicle to be disabled or destroyed
roger Rumble thus, knocking it out.
I spoke to a gunner of a Elefant in 1979 He served in Italy in 1943/44. He told me he got hit 16 times in one day. And it only got minor damage from it accept for the gun, they lost a track when they had to withdraw. They blew it up and surrendered to Italian partisans in 1944
@aaron schut No that was by Soviet AT guns and AT rifles
@Love of Mangos Dont forget that Mussolini led Hitler into Africa and Greece !
@Galf506 Agreed on all points. By 1943 it was obviously over, why keep dying and have your cities blasted with no chance of winning? Would have been a pointless waste.
First saw this as a plastic model in a hobby shop when I was like 13 years old, a long time ago.I immediately bought and built it. No longer have it, but I still think this is some kind of steam punk super tank. It was just so overcomplicated and unreliable. Could have been totally fab, with that monster of a gun.
Love these chats .Wonderful museum.
One of my favourite tanks in rts and simulation games. Used it always as a huge sniper rifle surrounded and protected from infantery to pick of enemy tanks.
I saw this tank at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. It was stored outside in the elements, and was in rough shape.
I'm glad it has been restored and is being treated with more care.
OMG this would be my ultimate job for anyone who is interested in Warfare. And the technology difference from the first tank, to the ultra modern weapons today! What a beast of a tank. I’d never tire of looking at these vehicles.
David Willeys and David Fletchers knowledge is amazing. I hope to get to Bovington not too far in the future to meet one of them or even both.
Excellent! I really enjoyed this longer, more detailed Tank Chat. I usually find them to be far too short and this was a nice change. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the work you put into these videos. I love this channel
Ferdinand Porsche was one of the best secret weapons the Allies had during the war. The amount of chaos he inflicted on Germanys armored divisions deserved a medal.
The statement that Germans chose Tiger because it was LESS complicated than this thing, is pretty much all one ever has to know.
But the Tigers performed well overall and had an operational average not much different to the Panzer IV.
I love your stuff. I suggest instead of the museum having white walls make the back ground like the terrain it fought in.
These things were terribly difficult to move around. Given the reliability problems, it placed even greater requirements on transport infrastructure. Its enormous weight meant that it was restricted in where it could go (that even applied to the KV-1, which was about 20 tonnes lighter). When it broke down, it required _five_ Mk IV Bergepanzers to rescue it. The whole point is that on paper, it looked good with a massive gun and very thick armour but that's of no value if you can't bring it to bear on the battlefield. I agree: it was something of a failure, even at Kursk.
@DavidtheNorseman The Panzer IV was intended to be the backbone of the German army tank arm but at Kursk it was actually the StuG III. The generals had been asking for a replacement for both for a number of years but instead got the Tiger and the Panther, which impressed senior Nazis but were of only limited use. They were never available in the numbers the army needed and were nowhere near as mobile, as you say.
@TheThirdMan Thanks! Yes, in part my understanding is that the German training was a large part of their success including figuring out just how to use their equipment to maximum effect. I'm used to it more from air power but the idea is the same. Interesting story of how Charles Lindberg showed the P38 pilots how to get more out of their equipment. Wasn't the Panther IV considerably more mobile than the Elefant? ...and just a tad more reliable? :-) Cheers!
@DavidtheNorseman Search for “Jagdpanther Tactics”. Admittedly, much of it is specific to the Jagdpanther but he does mention the Jagdpanther IV in the same context.
@DavidtheNorseman There is a video on how tank destroyers were used. I think it’s on Military History Visualized. Basically, tank destroyers were protected by other tanks and artillery and were not normally allowed to advance. I expect there was infantry protection too because, as you say, you can’t have one without the other in a major action anymore. The Germermans had quite strict rules about their use. They certainly weren’t given a wide ranging remit for just blundering around, knocking off Soviet tanks. To be honest, I don’t think too many people understand this. Not saying you don’t but if you can find that video, I think you’d find it interesting.
@TheThirdMan True, but even in the role of a tank destroyer it would need significant infantry support to protect it from enemy infantry, IMHO. It simply isn't fast enough to strike quickly then get out quickly. So in a defensive role where it waited then took out a bunch of enemy tanks it would still need infantry protection, I think. Beautiful looking machine and a fearsome cannon but as the presenter said, even the crews were begging for some time to figure out how to maximize use.
When germans had hybrid tanks with eco drive in ww2 😂😂😂😂
This kind of hybrid, like modern self charging hybrid is stupid from environmental point of view. Your still burning petrol but your doing it far less efficiently.
@MonsieurCorbusier I too am joking comrade.
@Mike K Heh, not point in arguing with you then
Sucklord 2448 no...its not
Most of what I took from this is that Porche shouldn't design tanks.
Excuse me, gentlemen, may I interest you in a petrol electric drive?
@ChickyChickyParmParm are you on drugs???
Or SUVs - stick with sports cars!
@DaGleese Austrian homeboys. Might've been from the same town.
@ricardo soto Porsche did design cars, such as most German light transports (namely, the Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen) and the consumer Volkswagen.
Thank you very much for the very detailed and extended tank chat!
Saw this tank a few times over the years when it was at the APG Ordnance Museum. It was kept outside, so when I saw it as a kid it was a rusty, faded mess. Nevertheless, it was awesome and was one of my favorites. I took my own kids there years later just before they closed the museum and the old girl was back, newly restored, just the way she looks now. It is nice to see her out of storage and getting the attention she deserves.
This was amazingly detailed! Thank you so much for this Tank Chats series!
One of the best tank chats yet, great information and delivery, keep up the good work!
The Ferdinand/Elefant had a kill ratio of about 13.5 to 1. I believe this is the highest of any afv in the war.
yeah but at 90 tanks that's only 1,215 tanks (which is nothing compared to the amount the allies made)if every Ferdinand got 13.5 kills, and in reality most of those 90 didn't contribute either to tank kills or losses as they broke down before reaching the action.
Me encanta vuestro canal y trabajo. Gracias por compartir…
I love this videos! So glad the Tank Museum does these
Awesome! I would love to see some 30+ min videos going further in depth with some of yalls collection. This one was the best to date
This is my favorite tank channel. The presentations here are so much more educational than the sensationalism offered on History Channel documentaries.
My Grandfather was driver of the recovery vehicle pulling the last Ferdinand out of italy. Actulay, i found a picture of him in a book about the unit 653. Tank You for this Video!
If you have a chance to go to the Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Grounds it is worth it. They have the very rare Pz IV hydro.
The "Mile of Tanks" at APG was moved in 2011. Nothing much there any longer.
VK 3601P is one of my favorite tanks in War Thunder. It was really hard to get it back then.
I was able to see this Ferdinand while it was at Aberdeen, it is very impressive in person.
A German infantryman (Gunter Koschorrek) describes these vehicles in action at the Nikopol bridgehead in his book Blood Red Snow. They were destroying T-34 tanks at extreme ranges.
My understanding was that a large part of the Elefant/Ferdinand's reputation of being let down by the lack of an MG was due to the units it was issued to: one was a former StuG unit and tended to keep the vehicles back, waiting in ambush, or at least not at the leading edge of the assault. the second was a former Panzerjeager unit...they literally went from 37mm AT guns strapped to the backs of trucks to these. As one might expect, this unit drove around like they were invincible, and paid for it.
The Tank Chats presentations are interesting and informative. Thanks for posting !!
I really hope that the Elefant is kept here instead of rotting outside in the US again
This vehicle, along with just about all in the US, will be stored inside from now on. They are at the Ft. Benning (soon to get a new "woke" name) Armor school.
He says it's on loan, not donated. Sure enough, it was returned to the US in 2019. Given that the US army restored it, I don't think there's any interest in letting it rot.
I got to see and crawl on this very tank in 2010 while it was parked along the railroad tracks with a long line of other tanks at Ft Lee, VA. My (then) wife was not thrilled that I spent an hour there taking so many pictures during our honeymoon. (She had gone to either basic training or AIT there so it was her idea to visit. I just happened to benefit more from that leg of the trip.)
Yet another very interesting tank chat! However, I have a question concerning the crew. Since the Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 653 was formed out of the 197th Sturmgeschütz battalion, were the crews of the Ferdinand considered as tank crews (pink piping) or artillery crews (red piping)?
So awesome! Thanks! I was hoping someone would photograph the inside of it at some point!
Just checked and this is the vehicle that was on display here in the US at Aberdeen Maryland. Good to see it isn’t rusting outside anymore. I saw it quite a few times in the 80’s.
I've always wondered what happened to that single Tiger (P) command tank that was sent to the Eastern Front.
So back in the 1940s hybrids were very heavy, unreliable and had a horrible mileage? :-)
@N T *gallons per mile
All About smiles per gallon
Also the elephant couldn’t go up a hill without exploding its gearbox
Still better than a prius ☺
Yes but also alot more fun :D
As an ex Tanker myself, (M60) it seems like an almost perfect Tankers Nightmare. Cramped, over complex, not able to defend itself against earth pigs. (Oops) but the thing that really got me was those torsion bars, did anyone at Porche give a moments thought to field maintenance, or the fact this thing was supposed to be out in the dirt, probably getting shot at!. Thanks so much for the Series Dave; they are Magnificent machines. Fortunately I crewed my beast in the 80s and never fired a shot in anger.
I thought there was only one surviving elephant...Then looking at the drive sprocket ring...I realize this is the one that belonged to Aberdeen Proving Ground but like the Sturmtiger there, which is now on loan to the Germans and displayed at the Deutches Panzermuseum in Munster, this was shipped to Britain to be displayed.
When I started doing research on the Battle of Kursk I only read about Ferdinands. When I saw pics of it, it became one of my favorites.
the ferdinand had excellent opticics and firepower, really was a true tank destroyer from extreme range. downfall was the weight which according to accounts ive read, after a great performance from the ferds, they were scuttled as they couldnt mechanically make a fast retreat because of conditions and the retreating nature of the operating theatre of the time they were introduced.
Very interesting as always. It would be good to see the interior of this tank restored.
That moment when you tell your freinds that you have a porsche and you roll up in this
A hybrid electric Porsche no less!
Keniso S. Well, it's wartime. Countries all over the world stopped car production in favor of war industry. Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler all made tanks for the U.S. during World War Two. It's not that they didn't know what they were doing. It's that they wanted to help win the war. Besides, at that point, the Porsche car company didn't even really exist. Sure, he created the original Volkswagen Beetle, but the Porsche we know didn't exist until the 50s.
This thing would be a thousand times more impressive than an overpriced sports car
Porsche built tractors in the 1960's
Bold of u to assume you’ll make it to ur friends house
I remember seeing this very tank when I was just a kid and we were stationed at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the late 70s. That was long before they did this mild restoration and it was just sitting outside with the numerous other vehicles at the museum.
That particular tank behind you was indeed restored post war, there is a hole by the track which killed the tank
I really-really like this whole series. Thank you very much!
Nice long chat, love to hear about the history of these tanks\gun platforms
Why did they make it so much more complicated than it needed to be it’s actually funny
man we can be glad this day that porsche really wanted electric drive, can you imagine if these things where more reliable and did not need work done to them and they could stay at the front lines continuously operating, things could have turned out very differently then...
I visited Aberdeen museum a few times in early 2000s but their elefant wasn't on display I think it was getting work done on it, I'd love to see it when it comes back to the states
loving your chats on the german tanks..i deffo want to come down and go see them for real next year :)
I want to see this tank run someday. I wonder if there's any of those repair kits out there.
This Elefant’s cosmetic resto is featured in History Channel doc. I still have the Tamiya model from the 80’s that is based on this very tank. Always thought it so unique & cool looking
Nice detail to mention that the Tiger I turret actual came from the Porche design. Next it could had been fun to mention that the turret designed for the Tiger I chassis actual was used on the Panter tank. Just a funny detail.
Seeing the inside of the tank made me heart sink
Yeah, as I understand, this was left outside in a forest so the corrosion damage on the inside is pretty horrible :( ...
Great video as usual...always one of my favourites the ferdinand!
More German heavies and TD stories please!
But the "Ferdinand" self propelled gun was really something. We really feared that beast. Because in terms of the power of that artillery piece it far outmatched us, we just could not reach them. Kalinenok Marat Alexandrovich
I love these tank chats... excellent.
Brilliant presentation. This is a man who knows his panzers.
Pretty good use of unused hulls. Objectively speaking it is a pretty good vehicle. Assault gun/tank destroyer role was fulfilled. A++ in that department. Problem was the German logistics and supply that were overstreched as always. Happens when you fight on 3-4 fronts. As for reliabilty issues...why do people act like tanks did not require daily if not hourly maintainance regardless of the nation? German reliability became a meme more than a statistic. War machines go through enormous amount of strain. Even jets and tanks of today have very short run time before next check up and repair. Even more so because of the high-end electronics and other systems that are very fragile.
The Germans didnt made enough spare parts to the tanks.. the factorys where pushed to make panzers so no really roam for the parts
this tank couldnt drive up a hill to get too a firing position lol
"HANZ ZE ENGINE HAS BURST INTO FLAMES AGAIN!"
Could still knock out enemy tanks very successfully.
Great chat , glad had the chance to see Elefant before it went back to the States .Shame Bovington couldn't keep it.
I guess one good thing from all these crazy variants is people who make models and put them together will have large collection of German vehicles lol
This is super informative. I am loving these videos, you got a new subscriber!
The Elefant is the "super unit" from the Defensive Doctrine of the Germans in Company of Heroes. It's one of the slowest units and takes a good five minutes to get it to the front line, but when I go into Rapid Firing mode it can snipe enemy tanks in one shot. I prefer my Jagdpanzer IV though :)
Thank you for the videos, I would love to visit this museum in my lifetime.
Company of heroes is such a great game, though I love the King Tiger the most, and videos like these make the experience of playing while knowing your history all the more rewarding.
When I saw this in ‘94 it was painted white and like most of the collection rusting badly. Good to see it’s been looked after better since then.
And then they looked at all the problems in the design, and said to themselves "what if we make all these problems way worse?" And then they made the Jagdtiger.
I really like the Ferdinand/Elephant in a way. The same way I like the Grant/Lee because they are just interesting expedients. Only thing I can say in the Elephant's defense is once they'd built the 90 hulls it only made sense to put them to some use.
I do wonder if they'd gone lighter on the armor and even just put the 88L56 on it would they have been more reliable? Or was the whole drive system just so bad that they'd have had the same problems?
And they did well overall. Took a heavy toll of Soviet armour in the defensive fighting of late 1943 and through 1944. Many were still left by the end of 1944. It had a long and successful combat life.
Odd Story: We have a closeout/bargain outlet store here in the US called Ollies, it normally gets in shipments of liquidated or damaged goods that people are willing to get at reduced prices such as a shipment of DVD/blu-rays with damaged cases but perfectly good discs or foods that companies stop carrying but are still in date.
One day i decide to stop in just to see whats new and in the toy section i find a bunch of model prepainted, preassembled model tanks in crystal display cases. All of them are for whatever reason are 1/72 scale Elefants, specifically Elefant 102 which was captured in Italy in '44 by the americans. Bought the little guy for $10.
In the series War Factories it is said the Germans could have had 1800 panzer 4's but switched production for only 90 elefants instead
In the 1990s I saw this exact vehicle at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. I have a picture beside it... hard to believe it has been refurbished and is across the pond now!
This guy is truly amazing in his knowledge
Having seen the TV episode that covered the (for lack of a better term) rehabilitation, at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, of the vehicle featured in this video from a "toasty" static display to one that looked, externally at least like it did in it's prime, I have long wondered what happened to it after the Ordinance Museum was moved to Ft. Lee, Virginia. I was sorely disappointed, upon moving to Aberdeen, Maryland to discover that the museum was being moved (much of it had already been relocated by the time I arrived in town in late July 2012). That the vehicle is no longer displayed outdoors is a major plus for it's survival. I would love to see the interior of the old girl refurbished at some point and the vehicle itself made drivable again though I realize that the cost would huge and most likely prohibitive. Excellent video as usual!
A classic porsche with mid-engine, offroad capacity like canyenne, and some scratches on the driverside windshield, i wonder how long it will stay at a local dealer
As expected, Posche was making the "luxury" version of the Tiger.
In Blood Red Snow it is said that the German infantrymen where amazed with how effective the vehicle was! It was stated that the Soviets were operating in the open thinking they were safely out of range but Mr. Ferdinand had something to say about that.
During the Battle of Kursk many tank crews reported that their tanks' engines were overheating and finally they lit up and the crews abandoned them before seeing any fight.
The He 177 of tanks.