Tiger II

*Panzerkampfwagen* Tiger *Ausf. B*
Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B
	Tiger II, France, June 1944
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1944–1945
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Henschel & Son (hull); Krupp (turret);
Designed	1943
Manufacturer	Henschel & Son; Krupp (turret);
Unit cost	321,500 ℛ︁ℳ︁ ($160,755 USD) in 1944–45
Produced	1944–45
No. built	492
Specifications
Mass	68.5 tonnes (67.4 long tons; 75.5 short tons) early turret; 69.8 tonnes (68.7 long tons; 76.9 short tons) production turret;
Length	7.38 m (24 ft 3 in) hull; 10.29 m (33 ft 9 in) with gun forward);
Width	3.75 m (12 ft 4 in)
Height	3.09 m (10 ft 2 in)
Crew	5 (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)
Armour	25–185 mm (0.98–7.28 in)
Main; armament	1× 8.8 cm KwK 43; Early Krupp design turret: 80 rounds; Production turret: 86 rounds;
Secondary; armament	2× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns; 5,850 rounds;
Engine	V-12 Maybach HL 230 P30 petrol engine; 700 PS (510 kW; 690 hp)
Power/weight	10 PS (7.4 kW; 9.9 hp)/tonne
Transmission	Maybach OLVAR OG 40 12 16 B (8 forward and 4 reverse)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Ground clearance	495–510 mm (19.5–20.1 in)
Fuel capacity	860 litres (190 imp gal)
Operational; range	Road: 190 km (120 mi); Cross country: 120 km (75 mi);
Maximum speed	Maximum, road: 41.5 km/h (25.8 mph); Sustained, road: 38 km/h (24 mph); Cross country: 15–20 km/h (9.3–12.4 mph);

The Tiger II was a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B, often shortened to Tiger B. The ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 182 (Sd.Kfz. 267 and 268 for command vehicles). It was also known informally as the Königstiger (Bengal tiger, lit. 'King Tiger') Allied soldiers often called it the King Tiger or Royal Tiger.

The Tiger II was the successor to the Tiger I, combining the latter's thick armour with the armour sloping used on the Panther medium tank. It was the costliest German tank to produce at the time. The tank weighed almost 70 tonnes (77 tons) and was protected by 100–185 mm (3.9–7.3 in) of armour to the front. It was armed with the long barrelled (71 calibre) 8.8 cm KwK 43 anti-tank cannon. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless Jagdpanzer anti-tank vehicle.

The Tiger II was issued to heavy tank battalions of the Army and the Waffen-SS. It was first used in combat by 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion during the Allied invasion of Normandy on 11 July 1944; on the Eastern Front, the first unit to be outfitted with the Tiger II was the 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion. Due to heavy Allied bombing, only 492 were produced.