Heavy tank "Tiger". Lethal weapon of the Reich. Self-propelled artillery unit "Ferdinand" Sections of this page

As already mentioned in the previous article, the remaining 47 Ferdinand self-propelled guns were withdrawn from the active armies and at the end of 1943 - beginning of 1944 they underwent modernization at the same “native” Nibelungenwerke plant. The command took into account the mistakes as in organizational structure, and in the design of the machine. A machine gun in a ball mount was installed in the front plate of the self-propelled gun; gun barrels were replaced; the gun shield was turned backwards for better attachment to the barrel; they mounted an observation tower with seven periscopes on the roof of the cabin; changed the poles on the lighting generator and improved the sealing of the exhaust pipes; reinforced the bottom of the car in the front part with a 30 mm plate; “shod” in wider tracks; increased the ammunition load by 5 shots; mounted mounts for tools and tracks on the body; The hull and wheelhouse were covered with zimmerit.
The order to rename the self-propelled guns to “Elephant” was issued on February 27, 1944 after the completion of modernization.
In January 1944, the first company of the 653rd battalion, consisting of 14 Elephants, one repair and recovery vehicle also based on the Tiger (P) tank chassis and two ammunition transporters, was transferred to Italy to counter the advance of the Anglo-American troops. Heavy self-propelled guns took part in the battles of Nettuno, Anzio, and Rome. Despite the dominance of Allied aviation and the difficult terrain, the company proved itself to be the best, so, according to German data, only on March 30-31, on the outskirts of Rome, two self-propelled guns destroyed up to 50 American tanks, armored personnel carriers and cars and were blown up by the crews after running out of fuel and ammunition. On June 26, 1944, the company, which still had two combat-ready Elefants, was withdrawn from the front and transferred first to Austria and then to Poland to join the 653rd battalion.

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 mobility, and our turtle is completely reluctant to spin 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 the installation of 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 always happens, 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.

Already during the fighting on the Eastern Front, the German army encountered excellent Soviet KV and T-34 tanks. They were noticeably superior to the German analogues available at that time. Since the Germans were not going to give in, the design bureaus of many German companies received orders to create a new type of equipment - heavy fighter tanks. This order subsequently became the beginning of the creation of such a machine as the Ferdinand or Elefant.

History of the machine

The experience of battles on the Eastern Front showed that many German tanks from the Pz series were inferior in their characteristics to Soviet combat vehicles. Therefore, Hitler ordered German designers to begin developing new heavy tanks that were supposed to equal or even surpass the tanks of the Red Army. Two large companies took up this task - Henschel and Porsche. Prototypes of machines from both companies were created as soon as possible and on April 20, 1942, they were presented to the Fuhrer. He liked both prototypes so much that he ordered both versions to be mass-produced. But for a number of reasons this was impossible, so they decided to produce only the Henschel model - VK4501 (H), which later became known as the Pz.Kpfw VI Tiger. They decided to leave the version designed by Ferdinand Porsche - VK 4501 (P) - as a backup option. Hitler ordered the construction of only 90 cars.

But having produced only 5 tanks, Porsche stopped their production by order of the Fuhrer. Two of them were subsequently converted into Bergerpanzer repair vehicles, and three received standard armament - an 88 mm cannon. KwK 36 L/56 and two MG-34 machine guns (one coaxial with a gun, and the other a front-mounted one).

Around the same time, another need arose - a tank destroyer. At the same time, it was required that the vehicle have frontal armor 200 mm thick and a gun capable of fighting Soviet tanks. The German anti-tank weapons available at that time were either ineffective or outright improvised. At the same time, the weight limit for the future self-propelled guns was 65 tons. Since the Porsche prototype lost, the designer decided to take his chance. He asked the Fuhrer to complete the planned 90 chassis just to use them as the base for a future installation. And Hitler gave the go-ahead. It was this work of the designer that became the machine that became known as the Ferdinand tank.

The creation process and its features

So, on September 22, 1942, the Minister of Armaments of the Third Reich, Albert Speer, ordered the creation of the necessary army combat vehicle, which was initially called 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 Sfl L/71 Panzerjaeger Tiger (P) SdKfz 184, to begin. During the work, the name was changed several times times until the tank finally received an official name.

The car was designed by Porsche in collaboration with the Alquette plant located in Berlin. The command requirements were such that the self-propelled gun had to use the Pak 43 anti-tank gun of 88 mm caliber. It was long, so Porsche designed the layout in such a way that fighting compartment was located in the rear of the tank, and the engine was in the middle. The hull was modernized - new engine frames were added and a bulkhead was installed to stop a fire inside the vehicle, if necessary. A bulkhead separated the combat and power compartments. The chassis, as already mentioned, was taken from the prototype heavy tank VK 4501 (P), the driving wheel was the rear one.

In 1943, the tank was ready, and Hitler ordered its production to begin, and also gave the car the name "Ferdinand". The tank apparently received this name as a sign of respect for Porsche's design genius. They decided to produce the car at the Nibelungenwerke plant.

Start of mass production

Initially, it was planned to produce 15 vehicles in February 1943, another 35 in March and 40 in April, that is, a strategy was being pursued to increase production. Initially, all the tanks were supposed to be produced by Alkett, but then this job was entrusted to Nibelungenwerke. This decision was due to a number of reasons. Firstly, more railway platforms were needed to transport self-propelled gun hulls, and all of them at that time were busy delivering the Tiger tank to the front. Secondly, the VK 4501 (P) hulls were redesigned more slowly than required. Thirdly, Alkett would have to re-adjust the production process, since at that moment the plant was assembling StuG III anti-tank vehicles. But Alkett still took part in assembling the vehicle, sending a group of mechanics who had experience in welding turrets for heavy tanks to Essen, where the supplier of the cabins, the Krupp plant, was located.

Assembly of the first vehicle began on February 16, 1943, and by May 8 all planned tanks were ready. On April 12, one vehicle was sent for testing in Kummersdorf. Subsequently, a review of equipment took place in Rügenwald, where the first Ferdinand was shown. The review of the tank was successful, and Hitler liked the car.

As the final stage of production, a Heeres Waffenamt commission was carried out, and all equipment passed it successfully. All German tanks of World War II, including the Ferdinand, were required to undergo it.

Self-propelled gun in battle

The vehicles arrived just in time for the start of the Battle of Kursk. One thing to note fun fact: all Soviet front-line soldiers who participated in this battle unanimously insist that the Ferdinand tank was used en masse (almost in the thousands) along the entire front. But reality did not match these words. In fact, only 90 vehicles took part in the battles, and they were used only on one sector of the front - in the area railway station Ponyri and the village of Teploye. Two divisions of self-propelled guns fought there.

In general, we can say that “Ferdinand” passed its baptism of fire successfully. An important role was played by the conning tower, which was well armored. Of all the losses greatest number happened in mine fields. One vehicle ran into crossfire from several anti-tank guns and seven tanks, but only one (!) hole was found in it. Three more self-propelled guns were destroyed by a Molotov cocktail, an air bomb and a large-caliber howitzer shell. It was in these battles that the Red Army felt the full power of such a formidable machine as the Ferdinand tank, photographs of which were taken then for the first time. Before this, the Russians did not have any information about the car.

During the battles, the advantages and disadvantages of the machines were clarified. For example, crews complained that the lack of a machine gun reduced survivability on the battlefield. They tried to solve this problem in an original way: The barrel of a machine gun was inserted into an unloaded gun. But you can imagine how inconvenient and long it was. The turret did not rotate, so the machine gun was aimed by the entire hull.

Another method was also ingenious, but ineffective: an iron cage was welded to the back of the self-propelled gun, where 5 grenadiers were located. But the Ferdinand, a large and dangerous tank, always attracted enemy fire, so they did not live long. They tried to install a machine gun on the roof of the cabin, but the loader servicing it risked his life just like the grenadiers in the cage.

Among the more significant changes, they carried out enhanced sealing of the vehicle’s engine fuel system, but it increased the likelihood of a fire, which was confirmed in the first weeks of fighting. They also found out that the chassis is highly susceptible to damage from mines.

Machine successes and battle results

As already mentioned, two divisions fought on the Kursk Bulge, which were created specifically to use the Ferdinand tank. The description of the fighting in the reports states that both divisions, which fought as part of the 656th tank regiment, destroyed 502 enemy tanks of all types, 100 guns and 20 anti-tank guns during the battles on the Kursk Bulge. Thus, it can be seen that the Red Army suffered serious losses in these battles, although it is not possible to verify this information.

The further fate of the cars

A total of 42 Ferdinands survived out of 90. Since design flaws required correction, they were sent for modernization to San Polten. Five damaged self-propelled guns soon arrived there. A total of 47 cars were reconstructed.

The work was carried out on the same "Nibelungenwerk". By March 15, 1944, 43 “Elephant” were ready - that’s what these cars were now called. How did they differ from their predecessors?

First of all, the request of the tankers was satisfied. A forward-facing machine gun was installed in the front part of the cabin - a tank MG-34 on a ball-shaped mount. In the place where the self-propelled gun commander was located, a turret was installed, which was covered with a single-leaf hatch. The turret had seven fixed periscopes. The bottom in the front part of the hull was reinforced - an armor plate 30 mm thick was placed there to protect the crew from anti-tank mines. The gun's imperfect armored mask received protection from shrapnel. The design of the air intakes has changed; armored casings have appeared on them. The driver's periscopes were equipped with sun visors. The towing hooks in the front part of the hull were strengthened, and mounts for tools were installed on the sides, which could be used for a camouflage net.

The changes also affected the chassis: it received new tracks with parameters 64/640/130. We changed the internal communication system, added mounts for an additional five shells inside the wheelhouse, and installed mounts for spare tracks in the rear and on the sides of the conning tower. Also, the entire body and its lower part were covered with zimmerit.

In this form, self-propelled guns were widely used in Italy, repelling the advance of the Allied forces, and at the end of 1944 they were transferred back to the Eastern Front. There they fought in Western Ukraine and Poland. There is no consensus on the fate of the divisions in the last days of the war. Then they were assigned to the 4th Tank Army. It is believed that they fought in the Zossen area, others claim that in mountainous areas Austria.

In our time, there are only two “Elephants” left, one of which is in the tank museum in Kubinka, and the other in the USA, at the Aberdeen training ground.

Tank "Ferdinand": characteristics and description

In general, the design of this self-propelled artillery mount was successful, differing only in minor shortcomings. It is worth taking a closer look at each components, to evaluate combat capabilities and performance soberly.

Hull, weapons and equipment

The conning tower was a tetrahedral pyramid, truncated at the top. It was made from cemented naval armor. According to technical requirements, the frontal armor of the wheelhouse reached 200 mm. An 88 mm anti-tank weapon was installed in the fighting compartment. Pak gun 43. Its ammunition load was 50-55 rounds. The length of the gun reached 6300 mm, and its weight was 2200 kg. The gun fired various types armor-piercing, high-explosive and cumulative shells that successfully penetrated almost any Soviet tank. "Ferdinand", "Tiger", later versions of the StuG were equipped with this particular weapon or its modifications. The horizontal sector that could fire at the Ferdinand without turning the chassis was 30 degrees, and the elevation and declination angle of the gun was 18 and 8 degrees, respectively.

The hull of the tank destroyer was welded, consisting of two compartments - combat and power. For its manufacture, heterogeneous armor plates were used, the outer surface of which was harder than the inner. The frontal armor of the hull was initially 100 mm, later it was reinforced with additional armor plates. The power compartment of the hull contained an engine and electric generators. An electric motor was located in the rear part of the hull. To comfortably drive the car, the driver’s seat was equipped with everything necessary: ​​engine monitoring devices, a speedometer, a clock and periscopes for inspection. For additional orientation, there was a viewing slot on the left side of the body. To the left of the driver was a radio operator who operated the radio station and fired from a machine gun. SPGs of this type were equipped with radios of the FuG 5 and FuG Spr f models.

The rear part of the hull and the fighting compartment accommodated the rest of the crew - the commander, gunner and two loaders. The roof of the cabin had two hatches - the commander's and the gunner's - which were double-leaf, as well as two small single-leaf hatches for the loaders. Another large round hatch was made at the back of the wheelhouse; it was intended for loading ammunition and entering the fighting compartment. The hatch had a small loophole to protect the self-propelled gun from the rear from the enemy. It should be said that the German Ferdinand tank, a photo of which can now be easily found, is a very recognizable vehicle.

Engine and chassis

The power plant used was two carburetor liquid-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engines, twelve-cylinder overhead valve units with a capacity of 265 hp. With. and a working volume of 11867 cubic meters. cm.

The chassis consisted of three two-wheeled bogies, as well as a guide and drive wheel (one side). Each road wheel had an independent suspension. The road wheels had a diameter of 794 mm, and the drive wheel had a diameter of 920 mm. The tracks were single-flange and single-pin, dry type (that is, the tracks were not lubricated). The length of the track support area is 4175 mm, the track is 2310 mm. One caterpillar had 109 tracks. To improve cross-country ability, additional anti-slip teeth could be installed. The tracks were made from a manganese alloy.

The painting of cars depended on the area in which the work was carried out. fighting, and also depending on the time of year. According to the standard, they were painted with olive paint, on which additional camouflage was sometimes applied - dark green and brown spots. Sometimes they used three-color tank camouflage. In winter, an ordinary wash-off solution was used. White paint. This type of painting was not regulated, and each crew painted the car at their own discretion.

Results

We can say that the designers managed to create a powerful and effective means of combating medium and heavy tanks. The German tank "Ferdinand" was not without its shortcomings, but its advantages outweighed them, so it is not surprising that self-propelled guns were very cherished, used only in significant operations, avoiding their use where it could be done without.

The heroes of the popular book and film “The meeting place cannot be changed”, workers of the legendary MUR use a bus nicknamed “Ferdinand” as transport. From the driver's mouth main character learns that the car was named for its similarity in silhouette to a German self-propelled gun.

From this short episode you can find out how well-known the self-propelled gun was among front-line soldiers. artillery installation produced by Ferdinand Porsche. Despite not a large number of vehicles produced, these installations have sunk into the memory of everyone who has seen them in battle.

History of creation

The Ferdinand self-propelled breakthrough vehicle owes its birth to another, no less epic example of the German tank genius. The beginning of 1941 was marked by Hitler’s personal order to the two largest design bureaus in Germany on May 26 at a meeting in the presence of senior officials of the engineering department related to armored forces.

In the presence of representatives of the design bureau, the battles in France were analyzed and the shortcomings of German combat vehicles were identified. Special orders were officially placed with Ferdinand Porsche and Steyer Hacker, director of Henschel. They were supposed to create a heavy tank designed to break through the defense lines of Germany's opponents.

Another reason for the order was the ineffectiveness of most German tanks in the fight against the thick-skinned English Matildas Mk.II. If the planned operation is successful, " Sea lion"The Panzerwaffe had to collide, according to different estimates, with 5 thousand such machines. At the same meeting, the Fuhrer was presented with models of Porsche and Henschel tanks.

The summer of 1941 had a dual impact on the development of new tanks.

On the one hand, the designers were busy refining the machines in the series. On the other hand, the Wehrmacht became acquainted with KV tanks, which made a huge impression on both generals and ordinary tankers. In the fall of 1941, work on the development of a heavy tank continued at an accelerated pace.

The Armament Directorate, which oversaw the creation of the vehicle, was on the side of the Henschel company. At their request, the development was headed by Erwin Aders, who went down in history as the chief designer of the symbol tank of the Wehrmacht.

During this period, Ferdinand Porsche entered into a serious conflict with the Armament Directorate due to technical inconsistencies in the turret of the tank being designed and ordered by officials. Subsequently, this will play a role in the fate of both prototypes.

Dr. Todt, Porsche's only ally in promoting his model, dies in a plane crash. However, Ferdinand himself was confident in the success of his development. Enjoying unlimited success with Hitler, he placed, at his own risk, an order with the Nibelungenwerk company for the manufacture of cases for his machines.

The enmity between the Fuhrer's favorite and the Department officials played a role in the tests.

Despite the non-superiority of the Porsche model, recorded during the tests, it was recommended to adopt the Henschel model, to the horror of the technicians German army. Hitler's proposal to produce two cars met with a restrained refusal, motivated by the impossibility of producing in war time two expensive but equivalent tanks.

Failure turned to Porsche after it became clear in March 1942 that the new powerful assault weapons required by Hitler, equipped with an 88-mm gun, could not be created on the basis of the PzKpfw. IV, as originally planned.

This is where the 92 chassis units built by Nibelungenwerk came in handy for Porsche designs that never made it into the Tiger series. The creator himself plunged headlong into new project. Carried away by the calculations, he worked out a diagram with the location of the crew in the spacious conning tower located at the rear.

After approvals from the Armament Directorate and modifications, the Nibelungenwerk plant began assembling the bodies of new self-propelled guns based on the long-suffering chassis. During this period, it is unclear by whom, the machine gun planted by Porsche was removed. This “revision” will later play a role in the fate of the self-propelled guns.

The beginning of 1943 was marked by the release of the first self-propelled guns and their dispatch to the front. In February, a gift from the Fuhrer to the creator of the self-propelled gun arrives - the vehicle is officially given the name “Vater”, “Ferdinand”. By order of the same “possessed” self-propelled guns go to the East without acceptance. Quite surprised, Porsche recalled that he was waiting for complaints from the front about his unfinished cars in a hurry, but did not receive any.

Combat use

The baptism of the “Ferdinands” was the Battle of Kursk. Soviet intelligence, however, already on April 11 had information about new technology, transported to the front line. Attached to the information was an approximate drawing of the machine, quite similar to the original. A requirement was drawn up to design an 85-100 mm gun to combat the armor of self-propelled guns, but before the Wehrmacht’s summer offensive, of course, the troops did not receive these guns.

Already on July 8, the Main Armored Directorate of the USSR received a radiogram about the Ferdinand stuck in a minefield, which immediately attracted attention with its unique silhouette. The officers who arrived for inspection did not have a chance to see this car, since the Germans advanced forward in two days.

The Ferdinands went into battle at Ponyri station. The Germans were unable to take the position of the Soviet troops head-on, so on July 9 a powerful assault group was formed, with the Ferdinands at its head. They fired shell after shell at self-propelled guns in vain, Soviet artillerymen, as a result, left their positions near the village of Goreloye.

With this maneuver, they lured the advancing group into minefields, and then destroyed a large number of armored vehicles with attacks from the flanks. On July 11, the bulk of the advancing equipment was transferred to another section of the front, the remaining units of the Ferdinand battalion tried to organize the evacuation of the damaged equipment.

This was fraught with many difficulties. The main one was the lack of sufficiently powerful tractors capable of dragging self-propelled guns to their own.

A powerful counterattack by Soviet infantry on July 14 finally upset plans for the removal of this equipment.

Another section of the front, near the village of Teploye, attacked by the Ferdinand battalion, was subjected to no less pressure. Due to more deliberate actions of the enemy, the losses of self-propelled guns here were much lower. But here the first case of a combat vehicle and its crew being captured occurred. During the attack, having been subjected to massive heavy artillery fire, the self-propelled guns began to maneuver.

As a result, the car landed on the sand and “buried” in the ground. At first, the crew tried to dig out the self-propelled guns on their own, but the Soviet infantry that arrived in time quickly convinced the German self-propelled guns. A fully operational vehicle was pulled out of the trap only in early August with the help of two Stalinets tractors.

After the end of the fighting, a comprehensive analysis was carried out of the use of the new self-propelled gun by the Germans, as well as methods effective fight with her. The lion's share of the vehicles were disabled due to mine explosions and damage to the chassis. Several self-propelled guns were knocked out by heavy hull artillery and SU-152 fire. One vehicle was destroyed by a bomb containing , one was burned by infantrymen with bottles containing COP.

And only one vehicle received a hole from a 76-mm shell, in the T-34-76 defense zone from 76-mm divisional guns, fire was fired at a distance of only 200-400 meters. Soviet soldiers were greatly impressed by the new German cars. The command, assessing the difficulty of fighting the Ferdinand, gave orders to award orders to those who were able to destroy this vehicle in battle.

Legends about the huge number of these self-propelled guns spread among tankers and artillerymen, since they mistook any German self-propelled gun with a muzzle brake and a rear warhead for a Ferdinand.

The Germans made their own disappointing conclusions. 39 of the 90 available vehicles were lost near Kursk, and 4 more vehicles were burned during the retreat to Ukraine in 1943. The remaining self-propelled guns, in full force, except for a few samples, were taken to Porsche for modification. Some parts were replaced, a frontal machine gun was installed, and the vehicle went to help in the fight against the Allies in Italy.

A widespread myth is that this movement was caused by the heaviness of the system and the greater suitability of the Italian rocky roads for them. In fact, about 30 vehicles were sent to the Eastern Front, where, in the course of repelling the “10 Stalinist strikes” of 1944, the Ferdinands, one by one, were sent into oblivion.

The last battle involving this vehicle was the Battle of Berlin. No matter how beautiful the gun and armor were, it could not hold back the Red Army in the spring of 1945.

The Ferdinand self-propelled guns received as trophies by the Soviet Union were used as targets for testing a new anti-tank weapons, were disassembled down to the screw for study, and then were sent for scrapping. The only Soviet car that has survived to this day is located in the famous Kubinka.

Comparative characteristics with the enemy

Like strong wild beast, “Ferdinand” did not have many enemies who could engage in single combat with him on equal terms. If we take cars of a similar class, the closest in efficiency will be Soviet self-propelled guns SU-152 and ISU-152, nicknamed “St. John’s worts” for their effectiveness in shooting at Tigers, Panthers and other Hitler’s zoo.

You can also consider the specialized tank destroyer SU-100, which was tested on captured Porsche self-propelled guns.

• reservation, the weakest part Soviet self-propelled guns in comparison with the Ferdinand, 200 mm of frontal armor versus 60...75 for Soviet models;
• gun, 88 mm from the Germans against the 152 mm ML-20 and 100 mm gun, all three guns effectively coped with suppressing the resistance of almost any vehicles, but the Porsche self-propelled guns did not succumb, their (self-propelled guns) armor was penetrated even by 152 mm shells with with great difficulty;
• ammunition, 55 shells for the Porsche self-propelled guns, versus 21 for the ISU-152 and 33 for the SU-100;
• cruising range, 150 km for Ferdinand and twice the performance for domestic self-propelled guns;
• number of models produced: 91 units from the Germans, several hundred SU-152s, 3200 units of ISU, slightly less than 5000 SU-100s.

As a result, the German design is still slightly superior to Soviet models in terms of combat qualities. However, problems with the chassis, as well as meager production, did not allow the full potential of these machines to be used.

Besides, soviet tanks sts and self-propelled gunners, having received new powerful 85 and 122 mm cannons on T-34 and IS tanks, were able to fight on equal terms with Porsche’s creations, as soon as they approached from the flank or rear. As often happens, everything was ultimately decided by the determination and ingenuity of the crew.

Ferdinand device

Hitler spared no materials for his favorite designer, so Porsche cars received the best. The sailors donated part of the reserves of cemented armor designed for huge naval calibers. The mass and thickness made it necessary to connect the armor plates “into a tenon”, additionally using dowels for reinforcement. It was impossible to disassemble this structure.

Further welding of the body was carried out, rather, for sealing, rather than for articulation. The armor plates on the side and stern were placed at a slight angle, increasing projectile resistance. There were also embrasures for firing from the crew's weapons. The small size of these holes, however, did not allow targeted shooting, since the front sight was not visible.

The stern of the wheelhouse had an armored hatch. Shells were loaded into it, and weapons were changed through it. In case of damage, the crew escaped through the same door. There were 6 people inside, the layout included a driver-mechanic and a radio operator in the frontal part, then an engine compartment in the middle, and a gun commander, a gunner and two loaders in the stern.

The movement of the car was carried out by 2 Maybach engines running on gasoline.

In general, the Ferdinand engines were something fantastic by the standards of tank building in the 1940s. The carburetor 12-cylinder HL 120TRM with 265 hp were located not one after the other, but in parallel. The internal combustion engine crankshaft had a flange to which a Typ aGV direct current generator with a voltage of 385 volts from Siemens-Schuckert was attached.

Electricity from the generators was transmitted to 2 Siemens-Schuckert D149aAC traction motors with a power of 230 kW each. The electric motor rotated a reduction planetary gearbox, which, accordingly, rotated its own traction sprocket of the caterpillar.

The low-voltage circuit is made according to a single-wire circuit. Some devices (radio station, lighting, fan) were powered by 12V, some (starters, independent excitation windings of electric machines) by 24V. Four batteries were charged from 24-volt generators located on each engine. All electrical components were manufactured by Bosch.

The problem was caused by the exhaust system. At the 5th road wheel there was an outlet for the exhaust pipe, everything around it heated up, the lubricant evaporated from the bearings, and the rubber band quickly failed.

Porsche took the chassis of the self-propelled gun from its own Leopard tank, invented in 1940. A special feature of it was the presence of a trolley for torsion bars, 3 per side, rather than installing them inside the hull. This won Ferdinand's love German technicians, turning gray only at the mention of the chassis of Henschel’s “Tiger”.

It took Dr. Porsche about 4 hours to change the skating rink; the same operation on the Tiger took about a day.

The rollers themselves were also successful due to the tires inside the wheel. This required 4 times less rubber. The principle of shear operation increased the service threshold of the bandage.

The success of the experiment can be recognized by the introduction of rollers of a similar design on heavy tanks at the end of the war. One side required 108-110 tracks with a width of 64 centimeters.

The armament of the self-propelled gun was an 88-mm gun with a barrel length of 71 caliber (about 7 meters). The gun was installed in a ball mask, in the frontal part of the cabin.

This design turned out to be unsuccessful, since a lot of fragments and splashes of lead from bullets fell into the cracks. Later, to correct this defect, special protective shields were installed. The Ferdinand gun, one of the most powerful developments in the German army, was originally an anti-aircraft gun. After fine-tuning it was put on a self-propelled gun.

Its shells effectively hit almost any Soviet or allied armored vehicle from a long distance. The ammunition included armor-piercing and sub-caliber shells, as well as high-explosive fragmentation, separate loading.

The absence of a machine gun on early vehicles noted above can be explained as follows. According to German tactics, assault self-propelled units must move in the second line of attack, behind tanks and infantry, covering them with gun fire. Near Kursk, the high concentration, and, most importantly, the effectiveness of artillery fire, forced the self-propelled guns to be thrown forward, with minimal cover.

The optics were represented by a monocular sight, providing gun guidance at a range of 2 km.

Internal communication was supported by an intercom; the radio operator (who is also a gunner in the modernized Elefant) was responsible for external communication.

Contribution to culture and history

Porsche's car, despite its small circulation, left a bright mark on the history of the Second World War. Along with the Tiger and Messerschmitt, this self-propelled gun is a symbol of the Wehrmacht. Having made the glory of German self-propelled systems, it was a real horror for the enemy.

Of course, you can learn to fight with any enemy, but in 1943 real “Ferdinandophobia” began among the troops. The cunning Germans took advantage of this by putting buckets on the barrels of other self-propelled guns, imitating muzzle brake.

Judging by the memoirs, only Soviet troops destroyed about 600 Ferdinands during the battles, with a total production of 91 units.

The Germans were not far behind. The harder and more unsuccessful the war was for them, the greater the number of destroyed Soviet tanks. Often in their memoirs, tankers and self-propelled gunners cite numbers of damaged vehicles that are twice the number of armored vehicles on the front. In both cases, the self-propelled guns in question played a huge role.

Much attention is paid to self-propelled guns in the literature. Piece of art“In War as in War,” describing Soviet self-propelled gunners, contains a description of the battlefield after the meeting German self-propelled gun with the group of "thirty-fours", not in favor of Soviet technology. The fighters themselves speak of him as a worthy and dangerous opponent.

"Ferdinand" is often found in computer games based on World War II.

Actually, it’s easier to name those games that don’t have self-propelled guns. It is worth noting that the characteristics and descriptions in such crafts often do not correspond to reality. For the sake of playability, developers sacrifice the real characteristics of the car.

You can make and put on the shelf a legendary car yourself. Many model companies make building kits in different scales. You can name the brands Cyber ​​Hobby, Dragon, Italeri. The Zvezda company produced and put into production self-propelled guns twice. The first issue, number 3563, had many inaccuracies.

The patterns copied from Italeri represented the “Elephant”, and had many inaccuracies. The next model, 3653, is the first Ferdinand to be christened near Kursk.

World War II and Great Patriotic War gave many technical samples that became legends. Among self-propelled guns German made"Ferdinand" takes, of course, first place.

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Ferdinand is a heavy self-propelled gun developed by Nazi Germany in 1942.

Tiger from Porsche

In 1941, Porsche provided Hitler with a drawing of his new Tiger tank, and the vehicle was immediately put into development. It was supposed to be a heavy tank weighing 45 tons with a turret and two engines. The tank was built by the Austrian plant Nibelungenwerk, and already in April 1942 it passed its first tests at the Kummersdorf training ground. The tests were led by Hitler personally.

In these tests, the Tiger competed with the Henschel VK 45.01 (H) tank, and the latter proved to be better than the Tiger, despite the fact that high hopes were initially placed on the Porsche car.

Breakdowns of the Tiger during test runs led to the project being canceled in favor of a more promising competitor. However, the Germans were so confident that the Tiger would go to mass production that while the tests were underway, the plant had already produced a hundred tracked chassis for it. Since the project was cancelled, this became a problem. The Tiger's tracked chassis did not fit any of the German tanks being designed. Then Porsche was tasked with developing a new tank for these tracks in order to put them into use.

Converting a Tiger into a self-propelled gun

Porsche submitted a design for a new self-propelled gun on September 22, 1942. It was a tough PT ( anti-tank gun), equipped with an 88-mm L/71 gun, which at that time was also at the development stage. New self-propelled gun it was planned to release it to replace the obsolete Marder II and III, which were actively used on the Eastern Front. The firing range of the new AT was estimated to be 4500-5000 meters. For that time these were very impressive figures.

The new tank was designed based on the Tiger, only it had to be larger size. It was a long and wide tank tank with the armor of a heavy tank. The 100 tracked chassis provided to Porsche for development could only be enough for 91 PT, because the tank gained weight. When the project was completed, Hitler approved it, and development of a prototype began on November 30, 1942. The first tests of the new PT began on March 19, 1943.

He was impressed with the result and ordered production to be accelerated. Already in May, the first series of tanks was released, and the tank received its new nickname Ferdinand in honor of its developer Ferdinand Porsche.

Ferdinand's design

Ferdinand was longer and heavier than Tiger. If the Tiger was supposed to weigh 45 tons, then Ferdinand has already grown to 65. This increase is due to the reinforced armor of the PT hull. The engines were completely redesigned, ventilation and cooling were increased, but there were still two of them. The body was made from metal plates, welded at a slight angle. The Tiger's original armor (100 mm at the front and 60 mm at the rear and sides) was increased to 200 mm at the front by welding on additional sheets of metal.

Thanks to this decision, Ferdinand received the thickest armor of all existing tanks of that time. The engine was moved to the front of the tank, which provided additional safety for the crew. Ferdinand's all-round armor was as follows: 200 mm at the front, 80 mm at the rear and sides, 30 mm at the roof and bottom.

The driver was located in front of the hull on the left side, directly under the hatch. To the right of the driver sat the radio operator, followed by the commander and loader. 4 periscopes were installed in the roof of the tank - for the driver, loader, gunner and commander. In the rear part of the body there were holes intended for firing from MG 34 or MP 40 machine guns.

Ferdinand was powered by two Maybach HL 120 TRM engines (245 hp at 2600 rpm), which drove two Siemens Schuckert K58-8 generators (230 kW/1300 rpm). The tank had rear-wheel drive. Maximum speed Ferdinanda was 30 km/h, but over rough terrain did not exceed 10 km/h. The tank's gas tank capacity was 950 liters, and the fuel consumption coefficient was about 8 l/s.

Ferdinand's main weapon was the 88 mm PaK4/2L/71 cannon, version AA, with a longer barrel, reduced recoil and an adjusted bolt mechanism. There was no onboard machine gun; instead, there were holes in the hull for manual firing in case the crew found themselves in close combat.

Ferdinand in battle

The entire batch of 89 vehicles was sent to the Eastern Front between May and June 1943. There they passed combat training before the operation on the Kursk Bulge. In battles, Ferdinand proved his superiority and power. The platoon was tasked with destroying Soviet T-34 tanks from a distance of 5 km. They coped with this task excellently, however, moving deeper into the front line, the Ferdinands soon discovered their main shortcomings: a poor viewing angle and the lack of a machine gun.

Soviet infantrymen quickly recognized Ferdinand's shortcomings and easily destroyed these tanks by simply hiding and waiting for the self-propelled gun to drive a little forward. Then the tank was bombarded with grenades and Molotov cocktails. Ferdinand was a formidable weapon in battle against tanks, but proved incredibly vulnerable to infantry, as a result of which a tank platoon was defeated on the Kursk Bulge.