How to attack the Tiger I

[Michael Dorosh]

Any questions?

From Here

[Sergei]

Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

Any questions?

Suppose they had a pointed stick?

[Andrew H.]

Originally posted by Sergei:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Michael Dorosh:

Any questions?

Suppose they had a pointed stick? </font>

[Sergei]

Also the classic "banana in the exhaust pipe" trick seems to have been used by Russians, yet in CMBB there's no banana.

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Sergei:

Also the classic "banana in the exhaust pipe" trick seems to have been used by Russians, yet in CMBB there's no banana.

I got yer banana right here, Sergei...

[Sergei]

Michael, uh... what ARE you doing with it? :eek:

[Andreas]

Originally posted by Sergei:

Also the classic "banana in the exhaust pipe" trick seems to have been used by Russians, yet in CMBB there's no banana.

Communist propaganda. Everybody knows there were no bananas to be had for love or money in the Communist block.

[Other Means]

Originally posted by Andreas:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Sergei:

Also the classic "banana in the exhaust pipe" trick seems to have been used by Russians, yet in CMBB there's no banana.

Communist propaganda. Everybody knows there were no bananas to be had for love or money in the Communist block. </font>

[stikkypixie]

They already possesed the feared banana split in '45? :eek:

[GS_Guderian]

Yup and Germany could´t afford to equip all of their tanks with "Waffle-Schürzen" in late war anymore, thus they were lost.

[target22]

They could have diverted potatoes from Vodka production, but this would have reduced the quantity of bottles reaching the front required for Molotov Cocktails.

[Andreas]

God, those poor Red Army soldiers. Can you imagine the sacrifices to the Rodina committed by those heroes of the Soviet Union who converted full Vodka bottles into empty bottles for Molotov Cocktain production? It does not bear thinking about it.

[JasonC]

Killin Tigger - 1

They can't shoot an AT minefield.

Killin Tigger - 2

They can't shoot down a Sturmovik.

Killin Tigger - 3

57mm ATGs trade for them.

Killin Tigger - 4

And occasionally get two.

[i.i.koshkin]

From "Roosevelt and the Russians: The Yalta Conference" by Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.

The following night, February 10, Stalin, Molotov, Roosevelt, and I were dining with Churhill at the British headquarters. For some reason or other Molotov had lend-lease very much on his mind. As we were having Vodka and caviar before dinner Roosevelt made a joke about stopping the shipment of Maraschino Cherries. Molotov and Stalin both stopped as if struck. Quickly recovering Roosevelt said he was of course joking. Molotov and Stalin both immediately relaxed but the entire dinner was quite tense after that.

[Bigduke6]

For your reading pleasure, here is a rough translation of the instructions.

…hit the viewing slits with all types of weapons. In the gun sight and in the hatch seams there are openings big enough for small arms bullets. Put mass fire on these seams and you can put the crew out of commission.

Turret and Cupola

The commander’s cupola is one of the most important and vital targets. Shoot at the cupola with incendiary and armor piecing ammunition of all calibers, you can put the cupola out of action. Throw anti-tank grenades or bottles with burning liquid at the turret. Destroy the crew and burn the tank.

In the turret there is located the commander of the tank, the commander of the turret, an artillerist and all the mechanisms for controlling the gun and the turret. In battle shoot at the turret with a subcaliber munition from a range of (illegible, something with two zeros) and (illegible) you will wipe out the crew and mechanisms.

Cannon and machine guns

In the turret is installed the cannon and (coaxial?) machine gun. In the thick frontal armor is installed a (bow) machine gun.

The weapons of the tank are the main target for (Soviet) artillerists, anti-tank cannon operators, and snipers.

Fire with all types weapons aiming at the armaments of the tank - The tank will stop firing.

Use an antitank rifle to strike the bow machine gun mount – you will kill the radio operator and put the machine gun out of action.

Roof, air ventilators, hatches and belly of tank

On the deck of the hull to the rear of the turret are installed grates (Text is unclear, perhaps aluminum) covering the (engine) ventilation system and fans. The forward ventilator is located in the front portion of the roof of the tank between the driver and the radio operator. Throw onto the grate (illegible) and into the forward ventilator bottles with burning liquid or (illegible) grenades and you will damage the ventilation system, and (illegible) burn the tank.

In combat the explosion of a anti-tank mine underneath the belly of the tank breaks the hull and will put the tank out of action.

Turret/hull seam

Between the top deck of the main hull and the side of the turret is a seam 10 millimeters wide. Shoot at the base of the turret with a heavy-caliber machine gun and cannon of all calibers – the turret will stop turning, and the tank will be unable to perform cannon fire. Fire an incendiary round below the base of the turret and you will penetrate the hull deck and put the tank out of action.

The drawing –

The drawing shows a big bull’s eye on the commander’s cupola with the instruction “fire here with all types of weapons”. The black arrow indicated the engine gratings and says “throw bottles of burning liquid here”. Another bull’s eye is drawn on the tracks with the instruction “cannon shoot here”. There is an instruction where to throw your anti-tank grenade, but I can’t make out where it is on the drawing. A note on the drawing points at the main gun and says “shoot at the cannon.” Another note points at the exhausts saying “hit the engine and fuel system.”

[John D Salt]

Originally posted by Bigduke6:

[snips]

There is an instruction where to throw your anti-tank grenade, but I can't make out where it is on the drawing.

This drawing bears an uncommon resemblance to that give on page 52 of "Poligon" 4(8), except that the version I have has a side view and a front three-quarters view of the big pussycat. It shows the symbol for attack with ATk grenades on the running gear, and so presumably refers to blast grenades such as the RPG-40 rather than top-attack drogue-bomb types like the PRG-43 and RPG-6.

All the best,

John.

[JasonC]

I can fill in some blanks from other documents and doctrine, not from reading what it says.

"Throw onto the grate (illegible)"

Demolition charges (or bags of grenades as ad hoc ones)

"and into the forward ventilator bottles with burning liquid or (illegible) grenades"

Smoke grenades. The Russians issued lots of simple smoke grenades along with molotovs as infantry anti tank weapons. Glorified glass bottles that mixed two chemicals to create lots of chemical smoke when broken. The idea is to smoke out the crew - chemical smoke is not easy to breath - or occasionally, just convince them to bail by making them think the engine is on fire.

Incidentally, I have seen other Tiger killing Russian briefing sheets that list ranges for all sorts of weapons. Side of the turret with 45mm sub caliber - 200m. Side of the turret or the tracks with 76mm - 500m. 76mm AA has a longer range listed - 700m. Base of the turret, gun, or tracks with all weapons. They clearly understood hail fire and why it works when it works.

[Tero]

Originally posted by Andreas:

God, those poor Red Army soldiers. Can you imagine the sacrifices to the Rodina committed by those heroes of the Soviet Union who converted full Vodka bottles into empty bottles for Molotov Cocktain production? It does not bear thinking about it.

Imagine the horror if they had to use FULL Vodka bottles as Molotov Coctails....

[Sergei]

Which brings up the issue: why didn't Germans invent Nahverteidigungswodka, bottles which could have been thrown out when enemy infantry was dangerously close? That would have stalled any infantry assault...

[Jack Carr]

Originally posted by Sergei:

Also the classic "banana in the exhaust pipe" trick seems to have been used by Russians, yet in CMBB there's no banana.

There was a "How to knock out a Ferdinand" thread in which I suggested this very method. One has to keep in mind that tropical fruit was scarce on the eastern front.

[Jack Carr]

Originally posted by Other Means:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Andreas:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Sergei:

Also the classic "banana in the exhaust pipe" trick seems to have been used by Russians, yet in CMBB there's no banana.

Communist propaganda. Everybody knows there were no bananas to be had for love or money in the Communist block. </font>