Hi,

Am looking to clarify a couple of points on the Tiger at Bovington:

1) What tracks is the vehicle running on, Mirror or Early tracks? In this respect I am referring to the tracks shown in the vehicle in theatre before it was sent to the UK as the Haynes manual indicates the vehicle was sent here along with four sets of spare tracks, so I guess it's possible that the vehicle in Bovington is sitting on tracks that it was not running on when captured?
2) looking at the photos in the Haynes manual of the vehicle a few days after capture , I am unable to identify headlight sockets on the hull top, although admittedly the angles are not ideal. I know some Tigers in Tunisia used improvised brackets on the front face, but the Bovington Tiger at capture appears to have neither. Do we know what the story is with the headlights for this vehicle?
3) does anyone have a plan drawing of the positioning of the bolt heads on the turret roof of the Bovington Tiger and are they actual bolt heads as the Tamiya's Early kit shows them as six indentations?
Any information would be appreciated 😃

does this help?

1. All Tigers in Africa had Early tracks.

2. Tiger 131 had no headlights in the photo that shows its German crew, and it had no headlights in any other photos from Africa. It did have the welded base plates and the caps where the wiring tube would connect. Other Tigers of the battalion in Africa did have headlight bases.

3. There were 8 flat-tailed bolts (see photo). They didn't sit exactly flush with the roof on the Early turret (see diagram).



David

Hi Matt, unfortunately your picture does not help me as I am struggling to see the real difference between mirror and early tracks but your pictures DO give me great Intel in the camp pattern extending across the top of the vehicle, so thank you.

Hi David,

Thank you. So the Bovington tank was not issued with headlights at all? Very interesting, I wonder what the reasoning was for that. Anyway, you have solved my problems do I appreciate the reply.😃

You should read some of this;

Tiger tank tracks

David, thank you for taking the time to provide this information. May I ask what colour the tracks would have been painted in when vehicles left the factory? I have looked at a few threads on Armorama but cannot find anything conclusive.

There seems to be a difference of historical opinion over track finishes. Some believe the tracks were unpainted (since paint doesn't last long on a tank track anyway, and track will wear out long before it rusts out). Others suggest that they were painted with red oxide primer, like any other steel product. Manganese steel is pretty resistant to rust anyway, so I'm inclined to believe they were bare metal, but that's simply an opinion.
In any event, distinguishing traces of red oxide primer from a patina of rust, under a layer of dirt and dust, is probably an exercise in futility.

Thanks Geral.
so basically, a layer of rust, dust and dirt and I should be fine!