I need some opinions here...so here's the background info...

It's a commonly held belief that all steel-wheeled Tiger Is got the smaller 600mm idler wheel, although it's a commonly known fact that at least one of Wittman's Tigers had both steel wheels and 700mm idler, but I digress...

According to Jentz & Doyle's Tiger book, steel wheels appeared on hull number 250822 starting in early February (pg.144).

On pg. 77 the text reads, "After changing over to the steel-tired roadwheels, a smaller diameter (600mm instead of 700mm) was introduced starting in February of 1944..."

It appears from reading the text that the smaller idler was installed "after" changing over to the steel wheels.

My point is...I am modeling Tiger I #312 from sPzAbt 505 that operated around Maciejow in mid-April of 1944. Based on the research I've done, her hull number is somewhere between 250823 and 250833, making it one the first steel-wheeled Tigers.

Production records indicate that the last Tiger of Jan. 44 production was 250816, and the last Tiger I of Feb. was 250911. This puts 250822-250833 somewhere in the first week of Feb. production.

Furthermore, when you look at the chart on pg. 83 of Jentz and Doyle's Tiger book, the graph shows the installation of steel wheels as being longer than the installation of the 600mm idler.

This tells me that initially, the first steel-wheeled Tigers retained the 700mm idler (logically).

Can anyone provide photographic evidence that sPzAbt. 505 Tiger Is from the 250822-833 production batch actually had the larger 700mm idler, or some other documentation that actually pinpoints the first hull to recieve the smaller 600mm idler?

Thanks,

Jeff Herne
FineScale Modeler

Jeff,
I wouldn't call myself an "experten" but I do have quite a few Tiger refs and have read a good bit about the big cats. Looking through my refs unfortunately I can't find any photographic evidence of what you're looking for. (yet) However like you, when checking the Jentz book, the time line does seem to support the idea that at least some of the very first steel wheeled Tiger I's had the larger idler. I would say you would be safe whatever choice you make. It's an interesting question, I'll keep looking and if I find anything else let you know.

Cheers,
Mike

Thanks Mike,

The boys over at the FSM forums have found some interesting images as well that support this theory...I think I need to drop Mr. Jentz an email.

Jeff