2 Factories, One Heavy Tank
In the spring of 1942, the German army wanted a heavy tank capable of carrying the 88 mm gun derived from the anti-aircraft piece, under thick frontal armour. 2 design bureaus answered the order: Henschel & Sohn at Kassel, with its strong industrial experience, and 's bureau at Stuttgart, which staked everything on a bold electric transmission.
Krupp supplied a common turret for both machines. On 20 April 1942, Hitler's birthday, the 2 prototypes were presented near Rastenburg, then put through comparative trials.
The choice would commit German armoured production for years to come. 3 paths lay open: pick the Henschel project, pick the Porsche one, or launch both in parallel.
German heavy-tank order, April 1942: which manufacturer to entrust with series production?
The Henschel project (VK 45.01 H) was selected and became the Tiger I. Porsche's petrol-electric transmission, complex and hungry for copper — a strategic metal scarce in Germany — proved unreliable in trials. A 'Tiger committee' ruled in favour of Henschel in the autumn of 1942; the tank entered production that year. About a hundred Porsche chassis already ordered were reused as Ferdinand/Elefant tank destroyers.
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