Tiger II

Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B
Tiger II preserved at The Tank Museum, UK
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
In service	1944–1945
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Henschel & Son / Krupp (turret)
Designed	1943
Manufacturer	Henschel & Son / Krupp (turret)
Produced	1943–1945
No. built	492
Specifications
Weight	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 metres (24 ft 3 in) (hull) 10.286 metres (33 ft 9 in) (with gun forward)
Width	3.755 metres (12 ft 4 in)
Height	3.09 metres (10 ft 2 in)
Crew	5 (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)
Armor	25–185 mm (1–7 in)
Main armament	1× 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 "Porsche" turret: 80 rounds Production turret: 86 rounds
Secondary armament	2× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 34 5,850 rounds
Engine	V-12 Maybach HL 230 P30 gasoline 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight	10 PS (7.5 kW) /tonne (8.97 hp/tonne)
Transmission	Maybach OLVAR EG 40 12 16 B (8 forward and 4 reverse)
Suspension	torsion-bar
Ground clearance	495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)
Fuel capacity	860 litres (190 imp gal)
Operational range	Road: 170 km (110 mi) Cross country: 120 km (75 mi)
Speed	Maximum, road: 41.5 km/h (25.8 mph) Sustained, road: 38 km/h (24 mph) Cross country: 15 to 20 km/h (9.3 to 12.4 mph)

Tiger II is the common name of 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. It is also known under the informal name Königstiger (the German name for the Bengal tiger), often translated literally as Royal Tiger, or somewhat incorrectly as King Tiger by Allied soldiers, especially by American forces.

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. The tank weighed almost 70 tonnes, and was protected by 100 to 185 mm (3.9 to 7.3 in) of armour to the front. It was armed with the long barrelled 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 anti-tank cannon. The chassis was also the basis for the Jagdtiger turretless tank destroyer.

The Tiger II was issued to heavy tank battalions of the Army and the Waffen-SS. It was first used in combat with 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 Tiger IIs was the 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion, which by 1 September 1944 listed 25 Tiger IIs operational.

Development of a heavy tank design had been initiated in 1937; the initial design contract was awarded to Henschel. Another design contract followed in 1939, and was given to Porsche. Both prototype series used the same turret design from Krupp; the main differences were in the hull, transmission, suspension and automotive features.