.
Russia, South, Panzer III and halftracks, 23th armored division

Tanks and halftracks

Germany started work on a 27-tonne heavy breakthrough tank in 1937. Like the British Matilda, the French Char B, and the Soviet T-35, this tank was intended to breach WWI-style trench lines so that the light and medium tanks could fight a mobile battle.

After three successively heavier designs, the 45-tonne VK4501 specification was given to both Porsche and Henschel in May 1941. The Porsche prototype, now known as the Tiger (P), was finished in April 1942. Its suspension consisted of six pairs of steel-tyred rubber-cushioned road wheels with rear drive sprockets instead of the more usual front sprockets. Two air-cooled V-10 engines drove generators that powered an electric motor for each drive sprocket.

This sophisticated design had huge theoretical advantages, but proved to be troublesome in practice. As production of both designs was scheduled to begin in July, there was little time for testing or fixing the problems with the petrol-electric drive. With five tanks built, production was halted to enable the problems to be sorted out. The Henschel works was delighted when its production order was increased to compensate.

By February 1943 many of the mechanical problems had been resolved and Hitler ordered the massive 8.8cm L/71 PaK43 to be fitted to ninety Porsche Tiger tanks as the Ferdinand assault gun in time for the Battle of Kursk.  