Heavy tank "Tiger". Lethal weapon of the Reich. German self-propelled gun "Elephant" Video: useful lecture by Yuri Bakhurin about the self-propelled gun "Ferdinand"

Self-propelled artillery in its design is in many ways reminiscent of a tank. With less maneuverability and armor, it has high firepower. Such installations are most effective in supporting advances by tank and infantry formations.

Self-propelled artillery units (self-propelled guns) began to be used already in the First World War. Gradually they occupied their niche in the field of combat use and were actively used in the Second World War. Given their combat qualities, self-propelled guns are practically not used outside large-scale conflicts.

Self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" (Ferdinand) - heavy anti-tank (AT) artillery unit of the Third Reich during the Second World War. It was created with a focus on destroying enemy tanks and was used primarily on the Eastern Front.

Development history

The history of the creation of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun is associated with the design of the Tiger I tank. The development was carried out by competing companies Porsche and Henschel, introducing them in 1942 prototypes VK 4501 (P) and (H) respectively. Hitler proposed assembling both vehicles in parallel, but at a meeting with the Armaments Directorate it was decided to leave the Henschel option.

Ferdinand Porsche's tank model had transmission problems and a short range. At the same time, the production of engines required a large amount of non-ferrous metals, which were in short supply in Germany. However, Porsche did not wait for the results of the meetings and began assembling the first tanks.

Porsche cars were never accepted into service. In the fall of 1942, Hitler ordered the use of their chassis for heavy assault self-propelled gun with an 88 mm Pak 43 cannon and 200 mm armor. These conditions required significant changes in the layout of the machine.

Also, the new German self-propelled gun was equipped with already existing mass production Maybach engines. This required redesigning the cooling system and fuel tanks. All work was done in great haste, which subsequently caused a number of shortcomings.

By the end of December 1942, new self-propelled guns were presented for testing. As a reward, Hitler gave them the name of the designer "Ferdinand". In the spring of 1943, artillery installations began to arrive at the front.

At the end of 1943, the installations remaining after the first battles were returned to Germany for modernization. A forward-facing machine gun appeared in the frontal area, the guns were replaced, and a commander's cupola with seven periscope devices appeared. These aspects make it easy to distinguish self-propelled gun versions from photos.

The vulnerability of the installations to mines was also taken into account - the front part of the bottom received additional armor, the tracks became wider. The new model was called “Elephant” (Elephant, from German “elephant”, sometimes written Elefant), but this name was fixed only in English-language literature, since it was the modernized version that the Allies encountered after the opening of the second front.

User manual

The application manual initially put the Ferdinand self-propelled guns at a disadvantage. Their limited range and low maneuverability limited their use in mass offensives, although they could be used in positional battles. Also, the heavy weight of the installation did not allow it to cross most bridges.

Self-propelled artillery "Ferdinand" (the simplified name "Ferd" is incorrect) was designed to destroy Soviet tanks. Significant armor provided reliable protection against their projectiles. It was supposed to use self-propelled guns as the first echelon of attack on Soviet positions due to the armor.

Combat vehicle design

The design of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun was largely redone after it was decided to turn the tank into artillery. Due to the considerable length of the gun, the turret was moved to the rear, where the main crew cabin was also located.

The power plant with engines, generators, cooling and fuel tanks is moved to the middle part; it is separated from the control compartment by heat-resistant partitions. Given the location of the departments, there was no direct communication between the control and the control room.

Despite the absence of a machine gun, there were loopholes in the wheelhouse for firing from personal weapons. They are represented by small hatches with plugs, three in the stern and one on each side. There was also a door in the stern through which the crew could leave the installation. On the roof of the cabin there were additionally two hatches for the crew, small hatches for installing a periscope and a fan.

Surveillance and communications equipment

Surveillance of the area was carried out using periscope devices provided in the control compartment and in the wheelhouse. There were also inspection slots for the driver and radio operator in the front beveled side panels.

The self-propelled guns were equipped with a FuG 5 radio station mounted in the control department. Her telephone worked within a radius of 6.5 km, her telegraph - 9.5 km. The commanders' vehicles were equipped with more powerful FuG 8s with an additional antenna.

Armored Corps

Self-propelled guns "Ferdinand" were lined with rolled hardened armor. The frontal protection had a thickness of 200 mm, top part hull, sides and stern - 80 mm, lower part of the side - 60 mm. The bottom had 20 mm armor, but the front part (1.35 m) was additionally reinforced with a 30 mm sheet. All fastenings were provided with bolts with bulletproof heads.

Crew

The crew of the artillery installation consisted of 6 people. The driver and radio operator were located in the control department. The main crew, including the commander, is in the control room. With the advent of the machine gun, the radio operator also served as a gunner.

Armament

The armament of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun was initially designed to counter tanks and other armored vehicles. The weapon hit almost any vehicle. Only the IS-2 and M26 Pershing at a certain distance from the required heading angle could withstand a projectile hit.

88 mm StuK 43 gun

The key armament of the self-propelled artillery unit is an 88-mm Pak 43/2 rifled gun with a barrel length of 71 calibers. Its outdated designation is StuK 43. Version 43/2 is a tank variant of the Pak 43.

The weight of the gun is 2.2 tons; in the stowed position it was mounted on a special installation. It had two recoil devices and a vertical wedge bolt that operated semi-automatically. The guidance mechanisms were located on the left at the gunner's position. For this purpose, a periscope device SFlZF1a/Rblf 36 with a fivefold magnification was used.

The ballistics of the gun allowed it to penetrate 132 mm of armor at a meeting angle of 60 degrees at a distance of 2 km. From 100 meters under the same conditions, 202 mm of armor was penetrated. The ammunition consisted of 50 shells - armor-piercing tracer Pzgr.39-1, sub-caliber Pzgr.40/43 and high-explosive fragmentation Sprgr 43. The modified "Elephant" ammunition was increased to 55 shells.

1x7.92 mm machine gun

The original version of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun did not have a machine gun. In the modified version of January-March 1944, the MG-34 ball mount of 7.92 mm caliber appeared. It was located on the right side of the frontal part. Ammunition - 600 rounds.

Technical specifications

The technical characteristics of the Ferdinand artillery mount made it popular for anti-tank combat. During the modernization process, a number of parameters were changed, however, the main performance characteristics were preserved until the last battle of these self-propelled guns in Berlin.

Dimensions and weight

According to Wikipedia, the dimensions of the German self-propelled gun “Ferdinand” have the following indicators:

• body length - 8.14 m;
• width - 3.38 m;
• height - 2.97 m;
• ground clearance - 0.485 m.

The combat weight of the tank is 65 tons. This figure significantly limited the movement of installations across bridges and on soft soil.

Engine and transmission

The power plant of the Ferdinand self-propelled artillery is designed to transmit torque from the engine to the drive wheels via electricity. This made it possible to get rid of the gearbox and main clutch.

The self-propelled gun had two V-shaped twelve-cylinder carburetor Maybach HL 120 TRM engines, running on water cooling. The power of each was 265 hp. With. at 2600 rpm.

Two Siemens-Schuckert D149aAC traction engines with a power of 230 kW each were located in the rear of the hull and drove the wheels through a reduction gearbox. This transmission increased the weight of the car, but ensured ease of control.

Chassis

The chassis of the self-propelled gun borrowed many elements from the Leopard tanks. The suspension is a locked, combined type, in which torsion bars are combined with a rubber cushion. The torsion bars themselves are located outside the body longitudinally on bogies.

On each side there were three bogies with two road wheels each. The design was quite complex, but showed its reliability and maintainability. The rollers themselves also had a good durability. The rear drive wheels had removable ring gears with 19 teeth. The front ones are equipped with active gearing and pneumatic-hydraulic brakes.

On the highway, the self-propelled gun developed a speed of 35 km/h, on rough terrain - 5-15 km/h, depending on the surface and softness of the soil. Cruising range on highways and rough terrain was 150 and 90 km, respectively. Overcoming obstacles - a slope of 22 degrees, a wall of 0.78 m, a ditch 2.64 m wide, a ford a meter deep.

Fuel consumption

A separate fuel supply was provided for each of the two engines. Accordingly, the installation had two fuel tanks of 540 liters each. The control compartment had shut-off valves that opened the fuel supply in cases where there was a minimum amount of fuel left in the tanks.

Accurate information on fuel consumption is not available. However, taking into account the low power reserve and weight, the car consumed a large number of fuel - about 720-1155 liters per 100 km. The indicator depends on the type of surface - on the highway the consumption decreased, on rough terrain it increased.

Controls

The control department was located in the front of the car and was occupied by the driver and radio operator. There were also levers and pedals for controlling the machine, devices for pneumatic-hydraulic braking and track tension, a switching box with switches and rheostats, an instrument panel, fuel filters, batteries for the starter, and a radio station.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Ferdinand self-propelled artillery mount received mixed reviews from contemporaries and historians. The car turned out to be largely an improvisation, created on the fly and in a hurry. However, even despite this, it had many innovative solutions.

The advantages of the project include an electric transmission and suspension with longitudinal torsion bars. The technologies showed good efficiency, but turned out to be too complex and expensive for mass use, especially in war conditions. They also pay attention to the significant fuel consumption.

In combat conditions, the self-propelled gun clearly demonstrated its advantages. The powerful weapon penetrated almost any tank at most distances. The frontal armor could not be penetrated by anything; the vehicle received some damage only from the sides and from mines.

Such reservations made it possible to place self-propelled guns in the first echelon of attack to overcome the defense of Soviet troops. However, this method quickly showed its ineffectiveness - the infantry and tank artillery cover was fired back, after which the installations were blown up in close combat, using cloth to block the view and Molotov cocktails. Such methods did not always end in success, but in any case they showed the vulnerability of artillery in close combat.

As a result, the Ferdinand self-propelled gun proved itself quite well, but never received mass production and applications. There is an opinion that if it were not for the production of Porsche tanks that had begun, such installations would never have appeared due to their technical complexity.

Use in World War II

The first use of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun is associated with the Battle of Kursk. Artillery installations were included in the anti-tank battalions 653 and 654. They were assigned the role of a ram to overcome defenses. The first combat use was on July 8-9, 1943 in the area of ​​Ponyri station.

During the fighting and subsequent retreat to Orel, over three dozen self-propelled guns were lost. Those who remained were transferred to Zhitomir and Dnepropetrovsk in mid-August, where they began repairs. Later they took part in the battles of Nikopol and Dnepropetrovsk.

In winter, the Ferdinands were returned for modernization. The resulting modifications of the Elefant self-propelled guns were transferred to Italy and took part in the battles of Nettuno, Anzio and Rome. The remnants were again transferred, first to Austria, then to Poland.

In July 1944, self-propelled guns were based in the Ternopil region, where, due to a large-scale Soviet offensive, they were drawn into heavy fighting. Many vehicles were blown up by their own crews due to the impossibility of evacuation from the battlefield.

The remaining twelve installations were transferred to Krakow on August 3. They were later evacuated to Germany and were in reserve. Ferdinand's last battles took place in Wünsdorf, Zossen and Berlin.

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Whether the Germans had the best self-propelled guns in the world or not is a moot point, but the fact that they managed to create one that left an indelible memory of itself among all Soviet soldiers is for sure. We are talking about the Ferdinand heavy self-propelled gun. It got to the point that, starting from the second half of 1943, in almost every combat report, Soviet troops destroyed at least one such self-propelled gun. If we add up the losses of the Ferdinands according to Soviet reports, then several thousand of them were destroyed during the war. The piquancy of the situation is that the Germans produced only 90 of them during the entire war, and another 4 ARVs based on them. It is difficult to find an example of armored vehicles from the Second World War, produced in such small quantities and at the same time so famous. All German self-propelled guns were recorded as "Ferdinands", but most often - "Marders" and "Stugas". Approximately the same situation was with the German “Tiger”: the middle one was often confused with it tank Pz-IV with a long gun. But here there was at least a similarity in silhouettes, but what similarity there is between “Ferdinand” and, for example, the StuG 40 is a big question.

So what was “Ferdinand” like, and why is he so widely known since the Battle of Kursk? We will not go into technical details and design development issues, because this has already been written in dozens of other publications, but will pay close attention to the battles on the northern front of the Kursk Bulge, where these extremely powerful machines were massively used.

The conning tower of the self-propelled gun was assembled from sheets of forged cemented armor transferred from the stocks of the German Navy. The frontal armor of the cabin was 200 mm thick, the side and rear armor was 85 mm thick. The thickness of even the side armor made the self-propelled gun virtually invulnerable to fire from almost all Soviet artillery model 1943 at a distance of over 400 m. The self-propelled gun's armament consisted of an 8.8-cm StuK 43 gun (some sources mistakenly cite its field version PaK 43/2) with a barrel length of 71 caliber, its muzzle energy was one and a half times higher than that of guns of the Tiger heavy tank. The Ferdinand gun penetrated all Soviet tanks from all angles of attack at all actual fire distances. The only reason why the armor was not penetrated when hit was a ricochet. Any other hit caused a penetration of the armor, which in most cases meant the disabling of the Soviet tank and the partial or complete death of its crew. This is something serious that appeared to the Germans shortly before the start of Operation Citadel.

The formation of self-propelled gun units "Ferdinand" began on April 1, 1943. In total, it was decided to form two heavy battalions (divisions).

The first of them, numbered 653 (Schwere PanzerJager Abteilung 653), was formed on the basis of the 197th StuG III assault gun division. According to the new staff, the division was supposed to have 45 Ferdinand self-propelled guns. This unit was not chosen by chance: the division's personnel had extensive combat experience and participated in battles in the East from the summer of 1941 to January 1943. By May, the 653rd battalion was fully staffed according to the staff. However, at the beginning of May 1943, all material part was transferred to staff the 654th battalion, which was formed in France in the city of Rouen. By mid-May, the 653rd battalion was again almost fully staffed and had 40 self-propelled guns. After completing a course of exercises at the Neuseidel training ground, on June 9–12, 1943, the battalion left for the Eastern Front in eleven echelons.

The 654th heavy tank destroyer battalion was formed on the basis of the 654th anti-tank division at the end of April 1943. Combat experience his personnel, who had previously fought with the PaK 35/36 anti-tank gun and then with the Marder II self-propelled gun, had much less than their colleagues from the 653rd battalion. Until April 28, the battalion was in Austria, from April 30 in Rouen. After the final exercises, from June 13 to June 15, the battalion departed for the Eastern Front in fourteen echelons.

According to the wartime staff (K. St.N. No. 1148c dated 03/31/43), the heavy battalion of tank destroyers included: the battalion command, a headquarters company (platoon: control, engineer, ambulance, anti-aircraft), three companies of “Ferdinands” (in each company has 2 company headquarters vehicles, and three platoons of 4 vehicles each; i.e. 14 vehicles in a company), a repair and recovery company, a motor transport company. Total: 45 Ferdinand self-propelled guns, 1 ambulance Sd.Kfz.251/8 armored personnel carrier, 6 anti-aircraft Sd.Kfz 7/1, 15 Sd.Kfz 9 half-track tractors (18 tons), trucks and cars.

The staffing structure of the battalions varied slightly. We must start with the fact that the 653rd battalion included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd companies, and the 654th battalion included the 5th, 6th and 7th companies. The 4th company “fell out” somewhere. The numbering of vehicles in the battalions corresponded to German standards: for example, both vehicles of the headquarters of the 5th company had numbers 501 and 502, the vehicle numbers of the 1st platoon were from 511 to 514 inclusive; 2nd platoon 521 - 524; 3rd 531 - 534 respectively. But if we carefully look at the combat strength of each battalion (division), we will see that there are only 42 self-propelled guns in the “combat” number of units. And in the state there are 45. Where did the other three self-propelled guns from each battalion go? This is where the difference in the organization of improvised tank destroyer divisions comes into play: if in the 653rd battalion 3 vehicles were assigned to a reserve group, then in the 654th battalion 3 “extra” vehicles were organized into a headquarters group that had non-standard tactical numbers: II -01, II-02, II-03.

Both battalions (divisions) became part of the 656th Tank Regiment, whose headquarters the Germans formed on June 8, 1943. The formation turned out to be very powerful: in addition to 90 Ferdinand self-propelled guns, it included the 216th battalion of assault tanks (Sturmpanzer Abteilung 216), and two companies of radio-controlled BIV Bogvard tankettes (313th and 314th). The regiment was supposed to serve as a ram for the German offensive in the direction of Art. Ponyri - Maloarkhangelsk.

On June 25, the Ferdinands began to advance to the front line. By July 4, 1943, the 656th regiment was deployed as follows: to the west of the Orel-Kursk railway, the 654th battalion (Arkhangelskoye district), to the east, the 653rd battalion ( Glazunov district), followed by three companies of the 216th battalion (45 Brummbars in total). Each Ferdinand battalion was assigned a company of radio-controlled B IV tankettes.

On July 5, the 656th Tank Regiment went on the offensive, supporting elements of the 86th and 292nd German Infantry Divisions. However, the ramming attack did not work: on the first day, the 653rd battalion got stuck in heavy fighting at height 257.7, which the Germans nicknamed “Tank”. Not only were thirty-fours buried up to the tower at the height, but the height was also covered with powerful minefields. On the very first day, 10 self-propelled guns of the battalion were blown up by mines. There were heavy losses in personnel. The commander of the 1st company, Hauptmann Spielmann, was seriously injured when he was blown up by an anti-personnel mine. Having determined the direction of the attack, Soviet artillery also opened fire. As a result, by 17:00 on July 5, only 12 Ferdinands remained on the move! The rest received injuries of varying severity. Over the next two days, the remnants of the battalion continued to fight to capture the station. Ponyri.

The attack of the 654th battalion turned out to be even more disastrous. The 6th company of the battalion mistakenly ran into its own minefield. Within just a few minutes, most of the Ferdinands were blown up by their own mines. Having discovered the monstrous German vehicles barely crawling towards our positions, the Soviet artillery opened concentrated fire on them. The result was that the German infantry, supporting the attack of the 6th company, suffered heavy losses and lay down, leaving the self-propelled guns without cover. Four “Ferdinands” from the 6th company were still able to reach the Soviet positions, and there, according to the recollections of German self-propelled gunners, they were “attacked by several brave Russian soldiers who remained in the trenches and armed with flamethrowers, and from the right flank, from the railway line, the artillery fire, but seeing that this was ineffective, the Russian soldiers retreated in an orderly manner.”

The 5th and 7th companies also reached the first line of trenches, losing about 30% of their vehicles to mines and coming under heavy artillery fire. At the same time, the commander of the 654th battalion, Major Noack, was mortally wounded by a shell fragment.

After occupying the first line of trenches, the remnants of the 654th battalion moved in the direction of Ponyri. At the same time, some of the vehicles were again blown up by mines, and “Ferdinand” No. 531 from the 5th company, being immobilized by flanking fire from Soviet artillery, was finished off and burned. At dusk, the battalion reached the hills north of Ponyri, where they stopped for the night and regrouped. The battalion has 20 vehicles left on the move.

On July 6, due to problems with fuel, the 654th battalion went on the attack only at 14:00. However, due to heavy fire from Soviet artillery, the German infantry suffered serious losses, retreated back and the attack fizzled out. On this day, the 654th battalion reported “about a large number of Russian tanks arriving to strengthen the defense.” According to the evening report, the self-propelled gun crews destroyed 15 Soviet T-34 tanks, with 8 of them attributed to the crew under the command of Hauptmann Lüders, and 5 by Lieutenant Peters. There are 17 cars left running.

The next day, the remnants of the 653rd and 654th battalions were pulled to Buzuluk, where they formed a corps reserve. Two days were devoted to car repairs. On July 8, several “Ferdinands” and “Brumbars” took part in an unsuccessful attack on the station. Ponyri.

At the same time (July 8), the headquarters of the Soviet Central Front receives the first report from the chief of artillery of the 13th Army about the Ferdinand being blown up by a mine. Just two days later, a group of five GAU KA officers arrived from Moscow to the front headquarters specifically to study this sample. However, they were unlucky; by this time, the area where the damaged self-propelled gun stood was occupied by the Germans.

The main events developed on July 9–10, 1943. After many unsuccessful attacks on the station. The Pony Germans changed the direction of the attack. From the northeast, through the May 1 state farm, an improvised attack struck battle group under the command of Major Kall. The composition of this group is impressive: the 505th battalion of heavy tanks (about 40 Tiger tanks), the 654th and part of the vehicles of the 653rd battalion (44 Ferdinands in total), the 216th battalion of assault tanks (38 Brummbar self-propelled guns "), a division of assault guns (20 StuG 40 and StuH 42), 17 Pz.Kpfw III and Pz.Kpfw IV tanks. Directly behind this armada the tanks of the 2nd TD and motorized infantry on armored personnel carriers were supposed to move.

Thus, on a front of 3 km, the Germans concentrated about 150 combat vehicles, not counting the second echelon. Of the first echelon vehicles, more than half are heavy. According to reports from our artillerymen, the Germans used a new attack formation “in line” for the first time here - with the Ferdinands going ahead. The vehicles of the 654th and 653rd battalions operated in two echelons. 30 vehicles were advancing in the line of the first echelon; another company (14 vehicles) was moving in the second echelon at intervals of 120–150 m. Company commanders were in a common line on staff vehicles carrying a flag on the antenna.

On the very first day, this group easily managed to break through the May 1 state farm to the village of Goreloye. Here our artillerymen made a truly brilliant move: seeing the invulnerability of the newest German armored monsters to artillery, they were allowed into a huge minefield mixed with anti-tank mines and land mines from captured ammunition, and then opened hurricane fire on the “retinue” of medium-sized ones that was following the Ferdinands. tanks and assault guns. As a result, the entire strike group suffered significant losses and was forced to withdraw.

The next day, July 10, Major Kall's group delivered a new powerful blow and individual vehicles broke through to the outskirts of the station. Ponyri. The vehicles that broke through were the Ferdinand heavy self-propelled guns.

According to the descriptions of our soldiers, the Ferdinands advanced, firing from a gun from short stops from a distance of one to two and a half kilometers: a very long distance for armored vehicles of that time. Having been subjected to concentrated fire, or having discovered a mined area of ​​​​the terrain, they retreated in reverse to some kind of shelter, trying to always be facing the Soviet positions with thick frontal armor, absolutely invulnerable to our artillery.

On July 11, Major Kall's strike group was disbanded, the 505th heavy tank battalion and tanks of the 2nd TD were transferred against our 70th Army to the Kutyrka-Teploye area. In the area of ​​the station. Only units of the 654th battalion and the 216th assault tank division remained in Ponyri, trying to evacuate damaged materiel to the rear. But it was not possible to evacuate the 65-ton Ferdinands during July 12–13, and on July 14, Soviet troops launched a massive counteroffensive from the Ponyri station in the direction of the May 1 state farm. By mid-afternoon the German troops were forced to withdraw. Our tankers supporting the infantry attack suffered heavy losses, mainly not from German fire, but because a company of T-34 and T-70 tanks jumped out onto the same powerful minefield where the Ferdinands were blown up four days earlier. 654th battalion.

July 15 (that is, the very next day) hit and destroyed at Ponyri station German technology was inspected and studied by representatives of the GAU KA and NIBT of the test site. In total, on the battlefield northeast of the station. Ponyri (18 km2) remained 21 self-propelled guns "Ferdinand", three assault tanks "Brummbar" (in Soviet documents - "Bear"), eight Pz-III tanks and Pz-IV, two command tanks, and several radio-controlled tankettes B IV "Bogvard".

Most of the Ferdinands were discovered in a minefield near the village of Goreloye. More than half of the vehicles inspected had damage to the chassis from the effects of anti-tank mines and landmines. 5 vehicles had damage to their chassis from being hit by shells of 76 mm caliber and higher. Two Ferdinands had guns shot through, one of them received as many as 8 hits in the gun barrel. One vehicle was completely destroyed by a bomb from a Soviet Pe-2 bomber, and one was destroyed by a 203-mm shell hitting the roof of the cabin. And only one “Ferdinand” had a shell hole in the left side, made by a 76-mm armor-piercing projectile, 7 T-34 tanks and a ZIS-3 battery fired at it from all sides, from a distance of 200–400 m. And another “Ferdinand”, which had no external damage to the hull, was burned by our infantry with a bottle of COP. Several Ferdinands, deprived of the ability to move under their own power, were destroyed by their crews.

The main part of the 653rd battalion operated in the defense zone of our 70th Army. Irreversible losses during the battles from July 5 to July 15 amounted to 8 vehicles. Moreover, our troops captured one in perfect working order, and even with its crew. It happened as follows: while repelling one of the German attacks in the area of ​​​​the village of Teploye on July 11–12, the advancing German troops were subjected to massive artillery fire from a corps artillery division, a battery of the latest Soviet self-propelled guns SU-152 and two IPTAPs, after which the enemy left them on the battlefield 4 "Ferdinand". Despite such a massive shelling, not a single German self-propelled gun had its armor penetrated: two vehicles had shell damage to the chassis, one was severely destroyed by large-caliber artillery fire (possibly an SU-152) - its frontal plate was moved out of place. And the fourth (No. 333), trying to get out of the shelling, moved in reverse and, once on a sandy area, simply “sat down” on its belly. The crew tried to dig up the car, but then they were confronted by attacking Soviet infantrymen of the 129th rifle division and the Germans chose to surrender. Here our people were faced with the same problem that had long been weighing on the minds of the command of the German 654th and 653rd battalions: how to pull this colossus out of the battlefield? Pulling the “hippopotamus out of the swamp” dragged on until August 2, when, with the efforts of four S-60 and S-65 tractors, “Ferdinand” was finally pulled onto solid ground. But during its further transportation to railway station one of the gasoline engines of the self-propelled guns failed. The further fate of the car is unknown.

With the start of the Soviet counteroffensive, the Ferdinands found themselves in their element. Thus, on July 12–14, 24 self-propelled guns of the 653rd battalion supported units of the 53rd Infantry Division in the Berezovets area. At the same time, while repelling an attack by Soviet tanks near the village of Krasnaya Niva, the crew of only one “Ferdinand”, Lieutenant Tiret, reported the destruction of 22 T-34 tanks.

On July 15, the 654th battalion repelled an attack by our tanks from Maloarkhangelsk - Buzuluk, while the 6th company reported the destruction of 13 Soviet combat vehicles. Subsequently, the remnants of the battalions were pulled back to Oryol. By July 30, all “Ferdinands” were withdrawn from the front, and by order of the headquarters of the 9th Army they were sent to Karachev.

During Operation Citadel, the 656th Tank Regiment reported daily by radio about the presence of combat-ready Ferdinands. According to these reports, on July 7 there were 37 Ferdinands in service, on July 8 - 26, on July 9 - 13, on July 10 - 24, on July 11 - 12, on July 12 - 24, on July 13 - 24, on July 14 - 13. These data do not correlate well with German data on combat personnel strike groups which included the 653rd and 654th battalions. The Germans recognize 19 Ferdinands as irretrievably lost, in addition, 4 more vehicles were lost “due to short circuit and the subsequent fire." Consequently, the 656th Regiment lost 23 vehicles. In addition, there are inconsistencies with Soviet data, which photographically document the destruction of 21 Ferdinand self-propelled guns.

Perhaps the Germans tried, as often happened, to write off several vehicles as irretrievable losses retroactively, because, according to them, from the moment the Soviet troops went on the offensive, irretrievable losses amounted to 20 Ferdinands (this apparently includes some of the 4 cars burned down due to technical reasons). Thus, according to German data, the total irretrievable losses of the 656th regiment from July 5 to August 1, 1943 amounted to 39 Ferdinands. Be that as it may, this is generally confirmed by documents, and, in general, corresponds to Soviet data.

If the losses of the Ferdinands to both German and Soviet coincide (the only difference is in the dates), then “unscientific fiction” begins. The command of the 656th Regiment states that during the period from July 5 to July 15, 1943, the regiment disabled 502 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns, 20 anti-tank and about 100 other guns. Particularly distinguished himself in the field of destruction Soviet armored vehicles The 653rd battalion, which recorded 320 Soviet tanks destroyed, as well as a large number of guns and vehicles.

Let's try to figure out the losses of Soviet artillery. During the period from July 5 to July 15, 1943, the Central Front under the command of K. Rokossovsky lost 433 guns of all types. This is data for an entire front, which occupied a very long line of defense, so data for 120 destroyed guns in one small “patch” seems clearly overestimated. In addition, it is very interesting to compare the declared number of destroyed Soviet armored vehicles with its actual loss. So: by July 5, the tank units of the 13th Army consisted of 215 tanks and 32 self-propelled guns, another 827 armored units were listed in the 2nd TA and 19th Tank Corps, which were in the front reserve. Most of them were brought into battle precisely in the defense zone of the 13th Army, where the Germans delivered their main blow. The losses of the 2nd TA for the period from July 5 to 15 amounted to 270 T-34 and T-70 tanks burned out and damaged, the losses of the 19th Tank - 115 vehicles, the 13th Army (taking into account all replenishments) - 132 vehicles. Consequently, of the 1129 tanks and self-propelled guns deployed in the 13th Army zone, the total losses amounted to 517 vehicles, more than half of which were recovered during the battles (irretrievable losses amounted to 219 vehicles). If we take into account that the defense line of the 13th Army on different days of the operation ranged from 80 to 160 km, and the Ferdinands operated on a front from 4 to 8 km, it becomes clear that it would be impossible to “click” so many Soviet armored vehicles in such a narrow area it was simply unreal. And if we also take into account the fact that several tank divisions, as well as the 505th heavy tank battalion "Tigers", assault gun divisions, self-propelled guns "Marder" and "Hornisse", as well as artillery, acted against the Central Front, then it is clear that the results The 656th Regiment is shamelessly bloated. However, a similar picture emerges when checking the performance of the heavy tank battalions “Tigers” and “ Royal Tigers", and indeed all German tank units. To be fair, it must be said that the combat reports of Soviet, American, and British troops were guilty of such “truthfulness”.

So what is the reason for such popularity of the “heavy assault weapon”, or, if you prefer, “ heavy fighter Ferdinand tanks?

Undoubtedly, the creation of Ferdinand Porsche was a unique masterpiece of technical thought. The huge self-propelled gun used many technical solutions (unique chassis, combined power plant, location of weapons, etc.) that had no analogues in tank building. At the same time, numerous technical “highlights” of the project were poorly adapted for military use, and the phenomenal armor protection and most powerful weapons, were bought due to the disgusting mobility, small power reserve, complexity of the machine to operate and the lack of a concept for using such equipment. This is all true, but this was not the reason for such a “fear” of Porsche’s creation that Soviet artillerymen and tankmen saw crowds of “Ferdinands” in almost every combat report, even after the Germans took all the surviving self-propelled guns from the eastern front to Italy and They did not participate on the Eastern Front until the battles in Poland.

Despite all its imperfections and “childhood illnesses,” the self-propelled gun “Ferdinand” turned out to be a terrible adversary. Her armor couldn't be penetrated. I just didn't get through. At all. Nothing. You can imagine what you felt and what you thought Soviet tank crews and the artillerymen: you hit her, fire shell after shell, and she, as if under a spell, rushes and rushes at you.

Many modern researchers cite the lack of anti-personnel weapons of this self-propelled gun as the main reason for the unsuccessful debut of the Ferdinands. They say that the vehicle did not have machine guns and the self-propelled guns were helpless against the Soviet infantry. But if you analyze the reasons for the losses of the Ferdinand self-propelled guns, it becomes clear that the role of the infantry in the destruction of the Ferdinands was simply insignificant, the vast majority of the vehicles were blown up in minefields, and some were destroyed by artillery.

Thus, contrary to the popular belief that V. Model, who allegedly “did not know” how to use them correctly, was to blame for the large losses on the Kursk Bulge of the Ferdinand self-propelled guns, we can say that the main reasons for such high losses of these self-propelled guns were the tactically competent actions of the Soviet commanders, the stamina and courage of our soldiers and officers, as well as a little military luck.

Another reader will object, why are we not talking about the battles in Galicia, where slightly modernized “Elephants” took part since April 1944 (which were distinguished from the previous “Ferdinands” by minor improvements, such as a front-facing machine gun and a commander’s cupola)? We answer: because their fate there was no better. Until July, they, consolidated into the 653rd battalion, fought local battles. After the start of a major Soviet offensive, the battalion was sent to the aid of the German SS division Hohenstaufen, but ran into an ambush by Soviet tanks and anti-tank artillery and 19 vehicles were immediately destroyed. The remnants of the battalion (12 vehicles) were consolidated into the 614th separate heavy company, which took part in battles near Wünsdorf, Zossen and Berlin.

ACS number Nature of damage Cause of damage Note
731 Caterpillar destroyed Blown up by a mine Self-propelled gun repaired and sent to Moscow for an exhibition of captured property
522 The caterpillar was destroyed, the road wheels were damaged. It was blown up by a landmine, the fuel ignited. The vehicle burned down.
523 Caterpillar destroyed, road wheels damaged Blown up by a landmine, set on fire by the crew Vehicle burned down
734 The lower branch of the caterpillar was destroyed. It was blown up by a land mine, the fuel ignited. The car burned out.
II-02 The right track was torn off, the road wheels were destroyed. Blown up by a mine, set on fire by a COP bottle. The vehicle burned down.
I-02 The left track was torn off, the road wheel was destroyed. It was blown up by a mine and set on fire. The vehicle burned down.
514 The caterpillar was destroyed, the road wheel was damaged. It was blown up by a mine, set on fire. The car burned down.
502 Sloth torn off Blown up by a land mine The vehicle was tested by shelling
501 Track torn off Blown up by a mine The vehicle was repaired and delivered to the NIBT training ground
712 The right drive wheel was destroyed. Hit by a shell. The crew abandoned the vehicle. The fire has been extinguished
732 The third carriage was destroyed. Hit by a shell and set fire to a KS bottle. The car burned down.
524 Caterpillar torn Blown up by a mine, set on fire Vehicle burnt out
II-03 Caterpillar destroyed Projectile hit, set on fire with a KS bottle Vehicle burned down
113 or 713 Both sloths destroyed Projectile hits. The gun was set on fire. The car burned down.
601 The right track was destroyed. Shell hit, the gun was set on fire from the outside. The vehicle burned down.
701 The fighting compartment was destroyed by a 203 mm shell hitting the commander’s hatch -
602 Hole in the left side of the gas tank 76-mm shell from a tank or divisional gun Vehicle burned out
II-01 Gun burned out Set on fire with a COP bottle Vehicle burned out
150061 Sloth and caterpillar destroyed, gun barrel shot through Shell hits chassis and cannon The crew was captured
723 The caterpillar is destroyed, the gun is jammed. Projectile hits in the chassis and mantlet -
? Complete destruction Direct hit from Petlyakov bomber

30-09-2016, 09:38

Hello tankers, welcome to the site! In the German development branch, at the eighth level, there are as many as three tank destroyers, each of which has its own characteristics, but they are all very strong in their own way. Now we will talk about one of these cars and here is Ferdinand’s guide.

As usual, we will conduct a detailed analysis of the vehicle’s parameters, decide on the choice of equipment, perks, equipment for Ferdinand World of Tanks, and also talk about combat tactics.

TTX Ferdinand

The first thing that every owner of this device can be proud of when going into battle is its large margin of safety, one of the best at the level. Our basic viewing range is also quite good, 370 meters, which is better than that of our fellow nationals.

If we look at the Ferdinand's armor characteristics, overall everything is very promising. The point is that we have a very well-armored wheelhouse, into which even our classmates have difficulty getting through, but the armor plate here is located at a right angle and tanks of levels 9-10 are no longer tested big problems with the penetration of this element.

Regarding the hull armor, it is much worse, and if the VLD of the Ferdinand WoT tank destroyer can still ricochet, then the NLD, sides and especially the feed can be sewn without problems even with level 7 equipment.

Another important issue will be the mobility of our unit, and the first thing I would like to say is that we have really good dynamics. The only problem is that Ferdinand World of Tanks is very limited in maximum speed, so there is no need to talk about any kind of mobility, and our turtle is completely reluctant to move around.

gun

In terms of weapons, everything is very decent, one might even say good, because at the eighth level we have the legendary mousegun.

We all know that the Ferdinand gun has excellent one-time damage, but the rate of fire here is very balanced, so you can boast about 2500 units of damage per minute, which is also quite good.

Regarding the armor penetration parameters, the Ferdinand tank lags behind most of its classmates, but still the basic AP is enough for a comfortable game even against nines. It’s more difficult with top-end equipment, so carry 15-25% of gold ammunition with you.

With accuracy, everything is also in order, especially if you remember that this is a mousegun. Ferdinand World of Tanks has a fairly pleasant dispersion and reasonable aiming speed, but there are problems with stabilization.

By the way, one cannot help but rejoice at the very comfortable vertical and horizontal aiming angles for a tank destroyer. The gun goes down 8 degrees, and the total angle of attack is as much as 30 degrees, causing damage to Ferdinand WoT is a pleasure.

Advantages and disadvantages

Since the analysis general characteristics, as well as the parameters of the gun, are left behind, it’s time to take stock of the first results. To systematize the knowledge gained, let's highlight the main advantages and disadvantages, breaking them down point by point.
Pros:
Powerful alphastrike;
Decent penetration;
Not a bad DPM;
Good armor felling;
Large margin of safety;
Comfortable UVN and UGN.
Minuses:
Poor mobility;
Weak armor of the hull and sides;
Barn dimensions;
Engine crashability when hit by NLD.

Equipment for Ferdinand

With installation additional modules everything is more or less familiar. For tank destroyers, it is very important to cause as much damage as possible, while doing it comfortably, so in the case of Ferdinand, we will install the following equipment:
1. - the more often we implement our excellent alpha strike, the better.
2. - this module is about comfort, because with it we can aim and shoot much faster.
3. - a good option for a passive playstyle that will completely solve the vision problem.

However, there is a very good alternative to the third point - which will make us an even more dangerous enemy in terms of fire potential, but it can only be installed if the perks have been pumped into the review or you have competent allies.

Crew training

In terms of choosing skills for our crew, which includes as many as 6 tankers, everything is pretty standard, but for a number of reasons, first of all it’s worth focusing not on camouflage, but on survival. Thus, we download perks for the Ferdinand tank in the following sequence:
Commander - , , , .
Gunner - , , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Radio operator - , , , .
Loader - , , , .
Loader - , , , .

Equipment for Ferdinand

Another standard concerns the selection of consumables, and here we will focus more on our financial situation. If you don’t have much silver, you can take , , . However, for those who have time to farm, it is better to carry premium equipment on Ferdinand, where the fire extinguisher can be replaced with a .

Ferdinand game tactics

As is always the case, it’s worth planning a strategy for playing this machine based on its strengths and weaknesses, because this is how maximum efficiency is achieved in any battle.

For the Ferdinand tank destroyer, combat tactics often come down to passive play, mainly due to the slowness of this vehicle. In this case, we must take a convenient and advantageous position in the bushes, somewhere on the second line, from where we can effectively fire at the allied light and remain in the shadows ourselves. As you understand, the powerful and fairly accurate gun of Ferdinand World of Tanks allows you to play in this way.

However, we can also position ourselves on the first line, because our armor, when positioned correctly, can withstand many hits while maintaining its safety margin intact. To do this, the Ferdinand tank must be in battle against the eighth levels, hide the hull, protect itself from artillery and not let the enemy on board. We play like the alpha, dance or hide between shots, ensuring a great future for ourselves. Just make sure that the enemy does not charge gold, then our tactics will fail.

By the way, thanks to good vertical and horizontal aiming angles, the German Ferdinand World of Tanks tank destroyer is capable of occupying positions that many others cannot do; you also need to be able to use this.

In the end, I would like to say that we have in our hands a truly strong and formidable vehicle, which feels most comfortable in battles at the top of the list. If you have to fight against dozens, it is better to shoot from afar. And as usual, playing on Ferdinand WoT, you must understand that this is a one-way machine, so choose your flank carefully, watch the mini-map and beware of the arts.

On April 20, 1942, Hitler was shown prototypes of heavy tanks developed by design bureaus Henschel and Porsche. They made a good impression, and at first the Fuhrer ordered mass production of both machines. But then it was decided to settle on the Henschel project. At the same time, the need arose to create a self-propelled gun for the 88-mm Pak 43 cannon from Rheinmetall. At the same time, the technical specifications required increasing the thickness of the frontal armor to 200 mm and set a weight limit for the future vehicle - 65 tons. They decided to use the unclaimed Porsche chassis as a base for a new self-propelled gun.

Work began in September 1942. The design was carried out jointly by Porsche and the Berlin Alkett plant. Due to the large length of the gun, Ferdinand Porsche chose for his gun a design with a rear conning tower and engines located in the middle part of the vehicle. Due to the rear layout fighting compartment There is an opinion that the chassis was generally turned backwards. This opinion is wrong: both the tank and the self-propelled gun “looked” in the same direction. This can be understood at least by the fact that the drive wheel of both the Porsche prototype tank and the self-propelled gun was located at the rear.

In February 1943, Hitler personally named the new gun "Ferdinand", paying tribute to the designer. On February 16, 1943, the Nibelungeverken factories began assembling the brainchild of Dr. Porsche.

The self-propelled gun's conning tower was a truncated tetrahedral pyramid. The material for it was cemented naval armor. The frontal sheet of the cabin, in accordance with the technical specifications, had a thickness of 200 mm. The frontal armor of the hull, which initially had only 100 mm protection, was reinforced with another sheet of the same thickness, which was secured with special bolts. On the sides and stern the armor was thinner - only 80 mm. A round hatch was equipped at the rear of the cabin, intended for dismantling the damaged gun, loading ammunition and evacuating the crew in emergency cases.

The embrasure for the gun in the front panel of the cabin was covered with a pear-shaped mask. It soon became clear that the design of the mask was not very successful and when it got into it, small fragments and splashes of hot metal penetrated inside the car. To eliminate this danger, a square-shaped armored shield was attached to the gun mantlets of almost all Ferdinands.

Due to the fact that the control room was located at the rear of the vehicle, and the engines were in the middle, the crew of the self-propelled gun was divided. In the wheelhouse there were a commander, a gunner and two loaders, and in the front part, in the control compartment, there were a driver and a radio operator. The compartments were separated from each other by metal partitions, so that communication inside the tank was carried out using an internal intercom.

Thick armor and an excellent gun made the Ferdinand an extremely dangerous machine. The shells he fired were guaranteed to penetrate Soviet tanks from a distance of about 1000 meters. Soviet artillerymen and the tankers had to fire from much shorter distances, since otherwise the German armored monster remained invulnerable.

However, you cannot achieve perfection in everything. Porsche's brainchild was very heavy and did not have good cross-country ability and mobility. Before each Ferdinand went on a combat mission, a thorough reconnaissance of the route was required.

If you look at the memoirs and memories of front-line soldiers, it may seem that the number of Ferdinands produced was in the thousands and they fought along the entire front line. In reality, only 90 vehicles were built, and their only massive use occurred on the northern front of the Kursk Bulge in the area of ​​Ponyri station and the village of Teploye as part of two divisions.

There, the Ferdinands received a baptism of fire, and it turned out to be difficult. True, it should be noted that the armor played a role and the self-propelled guns suffered the greatest losses in minefields. Only one vehicle came under concentrated fire from seven Soviet tanks and a battery of 76-mm anti-tank guns, but only one hole was found on it - in the side, near the drive wheel. Three more Ferdinands were destroyed by a Molotov cocktail and a howitzer shell large caliber and being hit by an aerial bomb.

Of all Soviet technology Only the SU-152 turned out to be capable of effectively resisting the Ferdinands. They managed to knock out four German vehicles in one battle.

After the Battle of Kursk, the Ferdinands were sent to France and Austria for repairs and modernization. One of the important additions to the design was a machine gun mounted in a ball mount on the frontal armor. Previously, the self-propelled gun had no weapons to protect against infantry, and this could be fatal in real combat conditions. In addition to the machine gun, they added a commander's cupola and turned the armor shield on the gun mantlet the other way, so that its seams began to face outward. This simplified the installation of the shield. The gun's ammunition capacity was increased to 55 rounds. After modernization, the self-propelled gun received a new name - “Elephant”. However, until the very end of the war, she was more often called “Ferdinand” out of habit.

Despite the fact that very few Porsches fought on the Eastern Front with self-propelled guns, they managed to generate a real wave of fear for the Ferdinands. This could be the name for any German self-propelled gun, even one that looked nothing like an armored monster. In addition, an order was awarded for the destruction of Ferdinand, and therefore there were many who wanted to take credit for such a resounding victory.

An attempt to use the Elephants in Italy in 1944 was a failure. 11 vehicles were sent there, but it turned out that the local soils were completely unsuitable for them. The self-propelled guns were stuck right under fire, and the Germans did not even have the opportunity to evacuate them due to the constant shelling. Several cars were disabled American planes. On August 6, only 3 self-propelled guns returned to Austria for repairs.

On May 1, 1945, the last two Ferdinands were captured by Soviet and Polish soldiers during the battle near Karl-August Square.

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"FERDINAND"

Self-propelled gun "Ferdinand" during testing. Dr. F. Porsche sits on the left wing.

The most famous German self-propelled gun of the Second World War, the Ferdinand, owed its appearance, on the one hand, to the intrigues surrounding the VK 4501 (P) heavy tank, and on the other, to the appearance of the 88-mm Pak 43 anti-tank gun. As already mentioned, The VK 4501 (P) tank - the “Tiger” designed by Dr. Porsche - was shown to Hitler on April 20, 1942, at the same time as its competitor VK 4501 (H) - the Henschel “Tiger”. According to Hitler, both cars should have been put into mass production, which was strongly opposed by the Armament Directorate, whose employees could not stand the Fuhrer’s obstinate favorite, Dr. Porsche. The tests did not reveal any obvious advantages of one vehicle over another, but Porsche's "Tiger" was ready for production - by June 6, 1942, the first 16 VK 4501 (P) tanks were ready for delivery to the troops, for which the assembly of turrets was being completed at Krupp . The Henschel company could deliver only one vehicle by this date, and that without a turret. The first battalion, equipped with Porsche Tigers, was supposed to be formed by August 1942 and sent to Stalingrad, but suddenly the Armament Directorate stopped all work on the tank for a month.

The 88-mm cannon of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun was covered with a massive cast armored mask, attached to the wheelhouse with bolts with bullet-resistant heads (at the top). An armored shield was put on the barrel (in the center), and at the end of the barrel - muzzle brake(at the bottom).

The managers took advantage of Hitler's instructions to create an assault gun based on the Pz.IV and VK 4501 tanks, armed with the latest 88-mm Pak 43/2 anti-tank gun with a barrel length of 71 calibers. With the input of the Armament Directorate, it was decided to convert all 92 VK 4501 (P) chassis ready and being assembled in the workshops of the Nibelungenwerke plant into assault guns.

In September 1942, work began. The design was carried out by Porsche together with designers from the Berlin Alkett plant. Since the armored cabin was to be located in the rear part, the chassis layout had to be changed, placing the engines and generators in the middle of the hull. Initially, it was planned to assemble the new self-propelled guns in Berlin, but this had to be abandoned due to difficulties associated with transportation by railway, and due to the reluctance to suspend the production of StuG III assault guns - the main product of the Alkett plant. As a result, the assembly of the self-propelled guns, which received the official designation 8.8-cm Rak 43/2 Sfl. L/71 Panzerj"ager Tiger (P) Sd.Kfz.184 and the name Ferdinand (assigned personally by Hitler in February 1943 as a sign of respect for Dr. Ferdinand Porsche), was produced at the Nibelungenwerke plant.

The drive wheel of the Ferdinand self-propelled gun.

The front 100-mm hull plates of the Tiger (P) tank were reinforced with overhead 100-mm armor plates secured to the hull with bolts with a bullet-proof head. Thus, the frontal armor of the hull was increased to 200 mm. The frontal sheet of the cabin had a similar thickness. The thickness of the side and stern sheets reached 80 mm (according to other sources, 85 mm). The armor plates of the cabin were joined into a tenon and reinforced with dowels, and then scalded. The cabin was attached to the hull with brackets and bolts with a bullet-resistant head.

In the front part of the hull there were workplaces for the driver and radio operator. Behind them, in the center of the car, two 12-cylinder carburetor V-shaped liquid-cooled Maybach HL 120TRM engines with a power of 265 hp were installed parallel to each other. at 2600 rpm each. The engines rotated the rotors of two Siemens Tour aGV generators, which, in turn, supplied electricity to two Siemens D1495aAC traction motors with a power of 230 kW each, installed in the rear of the vehicle under the fighting compartment. The torque from the electric motors was transmitted to the aft drive wheels using special electromechanical final drives. In emergency mode or in the event of combat damage to one of the power supply branches, duplication of the other was provided.

Ready-made Ferdinands in the assembly shop of the Nibelungenwerke plant. April 1943.

The undercarriage of the Ferdinand, applied to one side, consisted of six road wheels with internal shock absorption, interlocked in pairs into three bogies with an original, very complex, but highly efficient Porsche suspension scheme with longitudinal torsion bars, tested on the experimental VK 3001 (P) chassis. The drive wheel had removable ring gears with 19 teeth each. The guide wheel also had toothed rims, which eliminated idle rewinding of the tracks. Each caterpillar consisted of 109 tracks with a width of 640 mm.

Heavy tank destroyer "Ferdinand".

In the wheelhouse, in the trunnions of a special machine, an 88-mm Pak 43/2 cannon (in the self-propelled version - StuK 43) with a barrel length of 71 caliber, developed on the basis of anti-aircraft gun Flak 41. The horizontal guidance angle was possible in the 28° sector. Elevation angle +14°, declination -8°. Weight of the gun is 2200 kg. The embrasure in the front sheet of the cabin was covered with a massive cast pear-shaped mask connected to the machine. However, the design of the mask was not very successful, as it did not provide complete protection from lead splashes and small fragments that penetrated into the body through the cracks between the mask and the frontal sheet. Therefore, armor shields were strengthened on the masks of most of the Ferdinands. The gun's ammunition included 50 unitary shots placed on the walls of the cabin. In the aft part of the cabin there was a round hatch intended for dismantling the gun.

According to German data, armor-piercing projectile PzGr 39/43 weighing 10.16 kg and an initial speed of 1000 m/s penetrated 165 mm armor at a distance of 1000 m (at an impact angle of 90°), and sub-caliber projectile PzGr 40/43 weighing 7.5 kg and an initial speed of 1130 m/s - 193 mm, which ensured that the Ferdinand would unconditionally defeat any of the then existing tanks.

"Ferdinand" from the 653rd Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion at its starting position on the eve of Operation Citadel. July 1943.

Assembly of the first vehicle began on February 16, 1943, and the last, the ninetieth Ferdinand, left the factory floor on May 8. In April, the first production vehicle was tested at the Kummersdorf proving ground.

The Ferdinands received their baptism of fire during Operation Citadel as part of the 656th tank destroyer regiment, which included the 653rd and 654th divisions (schwere Panzerj"ager Abteilung - sPz.J"ager Abt.). By the beginning of the battle, the first had 45, and the second 44 “Ferdinands”. Both divisions were operationally subordinate to the 41st tank corps, participated in heavy battles on the northern front of the Kursk Bulge in the area of ​​Ponyri station (654th division) and the village of Tyoploye (653rd division).

Especially heavy losses suffered the 654th division, mainly in minefields. 21 Ferdinands remained on the battlefield. On July 15, German equipment knocked out and destroyed in the area of ​​the Ponyri station was examined by representatives of the GAU and the NIBT Test Site of the Red Army. Most of the Ferdinands were in a minefield filled with land mines from captured large-caliber shells and aerial bombs. More than half of the vehicles had damage to the chassis: torn tracks, destroyed road wheels, etc. In five Ferdinands, damage to the chassis was caused by hits from shells of 76 mm caliber or more. Two German self-propelled guns had their gun barrels shot through by shells and bullets from anti-tank rifles. One vehicle was destroyed by a direct hit from an aerial bomb, and another by a 203-mm howitzer shell hitting the roof of the cabin. Only one self-propelled gun of this type, which was fired from different directions by seven T-34 tanks and a battery of 76-mm guns, had a hole in the side, in the area of ​​the drive wheel. Another Ferdinand, which had no damage to the hull or chassis, was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail thrown by our infantrymen. The only worthy opponent of heavy German self-propelled guns was the SU-152 self-propelled artillery mount. On July 8, 1943, the SU-152 regiment fired at the attacking Ferdinands of the 653rd division, knocking out four enemy vehicles. In total, 39 Ferdinands were lost in July - August 1943. The last trophies went to the Red Army on the approaches to Orel - several damaged assault guns prepared for evacuation were captured at the railway station.

"Ferdinand" is heading to the front line. Kursk Bulge, July 1943.

"Ferdinands" of the headquarters of the 654th division. The vehicles were abandoned by their crews during the retreat.

Judging by the missing left track and the crater under the vehicle, this Ferdinand No. 501 from the 5th Company of the 654th Tank Destroyer Battalion, like most of the others, was blown up by a mine. Central Front, Ponyri region, July 1943.

"Ferdinand" No. 501 captured on the Kursk Bulge. NIBT Test site, 1943.

"Ferdinand" of the 653rd heavy tank destroyer division, captured with its crew by soldiers of the 129th Oryol Rifle Division. July 1943.

Heavy tank destroyer "Elephant".

The first battles of the Ferdinands on the Kursk Bulge were, in essence, the last where these self-propelled guns were used in large numbers. Moreover, from a tactical point of view, their use left much to be desired. Designed to destroy Soviet medium and heavy tanks at long ranges, they were used as a forward "armor shield", blindly ramming engineering obstacles and anti-tank defenses, incurring heavy losses in the process. At the same time, the moral effect of the appearance of practically invulnerable German self-propelled guns on the Soviet-German front was very great. “Ferdinandomania” and “Ferdinandophobia” appeared. Judging by the memoirs, there was not a fighter in the Red Army who did not knock out or, in extreme cases, did not participate in the battle with the “Ferdinands”. They crawled towards our positions on all fronts, starting in 1943 (and sometimes even earlier) until the end of the war. The number of “knocked out” Ferdinands is approaching several thousand.

Reservation scheme for self-propelled guns "Ferdinand".

Soldiers of the Hermann Goering division pass by an Elefant stuck in the mud. Italy, 1944.

A damaged "Elephant" on the street of Rome. Summer 1944.

This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that the majority of the Red Army soldiers were poorly versed in all sorts of “marders”, “bisons” and “nashorns” and called any German self-propelled gun “Ferdinand”, which indicates how great its “popularity” was among our soldiers. Well, besides, for the damaged “Ferdinand” they were given an order without any hesitation.

After the inglorious completion of Operation Citadel, the remaining Ferdinands in service were transferred to Zhitomir and Dnepropetrovsk, where they began Maintenance and the replacement of guns caused by the strong firing of the barrels. At the end of August, the 654th division was sent to France for reorganization and rearmament. At the same time, he transferred his self-propelled guns to the 653rd division, which took part in October-November defensive battles in the area of ​​Nikopol and Dnepropetrovsk. On December 16, the division left the front line and was sent to Austria.

Cleaning the gun barrel after firing. 653rd Tank Destroyer Battalion. Galicia, 1944.

From the certificate submitted to the Main Command of the Ground Forces, it follows that before November 5, 1943, the 656th Regiment destroyed 582 soviet tank, 344 anti-tank guns, 133 other guns, 103 anti-tank guns, three aircraft, three armored vehicles and three self-propelled guns.

In the period from January to March 1944, the Nibelungenwerke plant modernized the 47 Ferdinands remaining by that time. A ball mount for the MG 34 machine gun was mounted in the frontal armor of the hull on the right. A commander's cupola, borrowed from the StuG 40 assault gun, appeared on the roof of the cabin. The shield on the gun barrel was turned “back to front” for better fastening, and the self-propelled guns that had it were also equipped with shields. did not have. Ammunition was increased to 55 rounds. The name of the car was changed to Elefant (elephant). However, until the end of the war, the self-propelled gun was more often called by its usual name - “Ferdinand”.

Ferdinand Porsche's Tiger was used as a command vehicle in the 653rd Division. Galicia, 1944.

At the end of February 1944, the 1st Company of the 653rd Division was sent to Italy, where it participated in the battles of Anzio, and in May - June 1944 - near Rome. At the end of June, the company, which had two serviceable Elefants left, was transferred to Austria.

In April 1944, the 653rd division, consisting of two companies, was sent to the Eastern Front, to the Ternopil area. Here, during the battles, the division lost 14 vehicles, but 11 of them were repaired and put back into service. In July, the division, already retreating through Poland, had 33 serviceable self-propelled guns. However, on July 18, the 653rd division, without reconnaissance or preparation, was thrown into battle to the rescue of the 9th tank division SS Hohenstaufen and within 24 hours the number of combat vehicles in its ranks had more than halved. Soviet troops They very successfully used their heavy self-propelled guns and 57-mm anti-tank guns against the “elephants”. Part German cars was only damaged and could have been restored, but due to the impossibility of evacuation, they were blown up or set on fire by their own crews. On August 3, the remnants of the division - 12 combat-ready vehicles - were taken to Krakow. In October 1944, Jagdtiger self-propelled guns began to arrive in the division, and the remaining “elephants” in service were consolidated into the 614th heavy anti-tank company.

Layout of the self-propelled gun "Elephant":

1 - 88 mm gun; 2 - armor shield on the mask; 3 - periscope sight; 4 - commander's cupola; 5 - fan; 6 - hatch of the periscope observation device; 7 - placement of 88-mm rounds on the wall of the fighting compartment; 8 - electric motor; 9 - drive wheel; 10 - suspension trolley; 11 - engine; 12 - generator; 13 - gunner's seat; 14 - driver’s seat; 15 - guide wheel; 16 - directional machine gun.

"Elephant" from the 3rd company of the 653rd heavy tank destroyer division. Poland, 1944.

Until the beginning of 1945, the company was in the reserve of the 4th Tank Army, and on February 25 it was transferred to the Wünsdorf area to strengthen anti-tank defense. The “elephants” fought their last battles as part of the so-called Ritter group (Captain Ritter was the commander of the 614th battery) at the end of April in Wünsdorf and Zossen. In surrounded Berlin, the last two Elephant self-propelled guns were knocked out in the area of ​​Karl-August Square and the Church of the Holy Trinity.

Armored repair and recovery vehicle Tiger (P).

Two self-propelled guns of this type have survived to this day. The Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka displays the Ferdinand, captured by the Red Army during the Battle of Kursk, and the Museum of the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the USA displays the Elephant, which was given to the Americans in Italy, near Anzio.

"Ferdinand" at the exhibition of captured weapons at the Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. Gorky in Moscow. 1944

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