Hey guys!,

I was wondering of anyone could tell me if the Tiger I E Early types saw any action in the Normandy area? From June say up to the December Offensive? Also did they have any Zimmerir applications??

Thanks in advance guys! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you All !! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Deacon
(:-) (:-) (:-) (:-) (:-)

This will always be a topic for much debate among historians and fans of "Saving Private Ryan".... Tiger's were not available at the front for the Normandy invasion.

The Tigers that were available did make it to the front within a few days after the initial landings. As far as the "December Invasion", I would say that very few Tiger I's were actually used. The few units that were available had been converted to King Tigers.

The Tigers that are listed as available for Normandy are mostly "Mid" and "Late" models. All of which would have had zimmerit.

The sources to check include -
Tigers on the Western Front, J. Restayn
Tigers in Combat vol I.

I have these books and could provide more exact numbers if you need them.

I have a Military History magazine that has an article specifically detailing the Tigers that were available... none of them were listed as early models.

The early models were mostly used up in the Eastern Front Battles and in Italy. As far as I have seen, the early models did not carry zimmerit.

Let me know if you want more info.
Tim

Hi Deacon, I am assuming you are referring to 1944.
The heavy Tiger battalion's ( sPz.Abt ) that served on the West Front were:
WEHRMACHT HEER:
- sPz.Abt.503 ( June 1944 1.kompanie had 12 Tiger II's w/Porsche Turret - 2. and 3.Kompanies had Tiger I's late version and all had Zimmerit. The 503 took a large part in the fighting in and around Caen and against the British offense "Op. Goodwood."
- sPz.Abt.301 ( A total of 31 Tiger I's. In Sept.1944 four (4) late version were delivered. 6 more late Tiger I's were transferred over by SS sPz.Abt 103 in Oct.1944. The rest were a mix of early & mid version's issued from the Werkstattkompanie ( maintenance ) but all tanks had Zimmerit. They were reported to be on the West Front in Nov.1944 and seen action in the Ardennes............." Battle of the Bulge ". )
- sPz.Abt.506 ( From earlier fighting on the Russian Front this battalion was sent to refit in the Spring of 1944. In Aug. and Sept.1944 it was re-equipped with all King Tiger's in the battalion 's 1.2. and 3.Kompanies.The 506 suffered losses at the battles of Arnhem & Aachen. They add a fourth company of all Tiger I's ( mid/late versions ) for the offense we know as The Battle of the Bulge. This kompanie was the famous sPz.kompanie Hummel ).
WAFFEN SS:
- SS sPz.Abt.101
- SS sPz.Abt.102
I can't give you any definite word on these battlion of the SS, because I really lack reference on them, and it would be unfare to just blurt out anything false.
I will say this .......the Waffen SS usually got the first choice and the best of equipment & armor, so it's quite possible that their Tiger I's were mid & late versions only. Hopefully
someone can give you top reference to this.
{b} Also, for the record. During Normandy & the Summer of 1944, there were no more than
100 Tiger tanks total, in the West. The majority were Panthers & Pz Kpfw IV's.[/b]

HOPE THIS HELPS YOU
- ralph

Thanks for the wonderful info Ralph and Tim!

I was curious about the areas that the Early types might be found in.

I have the Academy Early Kit and from what I am reading here it would seem safe to say that one could easily model one on the Eastern front more easily than the Western front. Though the Western Front is not totally without the Early Tiger roaming about though it might have been in rather small numbers.

The kit is really quite nice and I am looking forward to building it for sure. I think that I will pick up a Mid or Late Academy Tiger somewhere along the road. They are a bit pricey but a good value with lots of detail parts to make things interesting!



Thanks
Deacon

Hi Deacon - I have this Academy kit also. I plan to represent mine as
a tank in an East Front diorama ( that is when I finally get to it. I've had it
sitting on my shelf in the box for almost a year now ).
I've edited my 1st reply, with a little more info that I forgot to include on a couple
area's of battle that the 503. and 301. were known to be. The right resources are out there to find exactly what these Tiger battalions had in all versions, how many, and when they were delivered. Unfortunately, those are the book's I don't have yet. As you can see, sPz.Abt.301 is probably the only battalion to have a few of the earlier tigers still in 1944, but my guess is that they'd be without the Fiefel Air System. I'll dig around abit and see what more I can find.

- ralph