Tiger speed

matthall · Post by **matthall** » Thu Nov 20, 2003 10:32 am

I have a question about the roadspeed of Tiger I. In Franz Kurowskis book, Panzer Aces, the chapter about Wittman it says that the road speed is up to 55 kph. But this a lot faster that any other account I've read. Book usually say that the maximum speed is between 37-45 kph. Could the actual topspeed vary that much between different Tigers? During my service in the swedish army I learned that the soviet APCs bought from Germany could differ in topspeed, form 70 to 90 kph. Could the same be true about the German AFV?

Christian Ankerstjerne · Fri Nov 21, 2003 9:55 am

While I defiantely doubt that a Tiger could sustain a speed of 55km/h for any long period of time, I don't see it as impossible to actually reach the speed, given a long strech of paved or cobblestone road. I remember hearing of a Pz.Kpfw. III achieving speed of about 80km/h during some experiments.

It might very well be a type, though, e.g. 45km/h which would be more plausible (although, again, sustained over long periods of time it would damage the engine).

Dackelstaffel · Post by **Dackelstaffel** » Fri Nov 21, 2003 3:59 pm

hi,

Less than 40 Km/h ( or equal). Don't forget that for 56 t, the Tiger was powered only by a 700 hp engine ( maximun power). The Leclerc tank from GIAT industries for the same weight can go at 70 Km/h but with a 1 500 hp engine. OK, I'am agree the Tiger engine was more reliable than the Leclerc engine.

matthall · Post by **matthall** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 5:17 am

I do understand that if the Tiger could reach 55 km/h, it wouldn't be able to maintain that speed for long. I wonder if the topspeed could vary between different tanks, are there any records of that?

Regarding the Leclerc I think that 70 km/h is peacetime limitation, from what I've read the Abrams have a similar topspeed but if restrictions are removed it could go up to 90 km/h. Both tanks have similar engines regarding to horsepower. Is the Leclercengine that bad? One would think that a modern engine would be much more reliable than a WWII engine.

Dackelstaffel · Post by **Dackelstaffel** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 6:00 am

Hi,

For the reliability of the Leclerc engine, it was a little bit ironic, I confess. But the only foreigner user of this Tank, the United Arab Emirates, doesn't use the french engine but a MTU engine. For the Abrams, I'am aware about the speed limitation at 70 km/h but I've heard that the crews remove the speed limitator. Anyway the Abrams is powered by a turbine not by an engine.
But for coming back to the Tiger, I think the engine was too weak to power this tank at a speed over 40 km/h.
For the speed difference, maybye it comes from the way how the speed was taken. With or without the ammunitions or the tanks full of nearly empty. With or without the turret during the tests.

matthall · Post by **matthall** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 7:15 am

The book says it was during platoontests in France where Wittmans unit first recived their Tigers. So, probably without ammunition but with turret. I don't know much about the value of the source though.

Christian Ankerstjerne · Sat Nov 22, 2003 8:26 am

The Tiger could reach a maximum speed of 45km/h, however its average road speed was only 20km/h...

Christian

Dackelstaffel · Post by **Dackelstaffel** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 9:05 am

Anyway the Tiger was underpowered for its weight. Imagine a Tiger with a 1 000 hp engine. No you don't have to imagine because nowadays all the main battle tanks are like the Tiger. The most powerful antitank gun available mounted on the most heavily armored hull possible.

Paul_9686 · Post by **Paul_9686** » Sat Nov 22, 2003 10:32 am

Good point, Dackel. Modern MBTs do tend to weigh about as much as the Tiger did, with twice the power or even more. And without the armor upgrade, the Leopard II rather resembles the old Tiger, with that squarish turret front.

Yours,
Paul

Dackelstaffel · Post by **Dackelstaffel** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 6:29 am

Hi,

Tiger and Leopard II, not only look-alike by the form but bythe gunmaker too : Rheinemetall Borsig for ever
By the way, the Abrams M1A1 has a Rheinmetall Borsig 120mm gun.
Just a device for Rheinemetall Borsig "Whatever is your enemy, whenever and wherever you are, our guns are still can-openers"

Darrin · Post by **Darrin** » Sun Nov 23, 2003 8:58 am

matthall wrote:The book says it was during platoontests in France where Wittmans unit first recived their Tigers. So, probably without ammunition but with turret. I don't know much about the value of the source though.

The early tigers and pathers could supposedly go faster and produce more hp then the later ones since a govenour was installed. This limited the RPM the engine could reach but the govenour might have been altered by someone post factory. The shermans have a govener as well and had fairly low max speeds but I´ve heard of wide spread modifactions post factory.

HP is not directly linked to how fast tanks could go. Even a 56 t tank with a 700 HP engine might be able to reach speeds of 55km/hr if they had the right gears and a flat road to move on. HP is more directly linked to acceleration. Plus as I said the HP may have been higher and the tanks in new well maintained cond something that would not repreent the avg cond of tigers in the field.

Feldgrau.net

Tiger speed

Tiger speed

To Paul,