Can anyone give me any information on the differences with the Fruhe Tiger in comparisons to the other variants as well as the dates??? Any websites or information would be helpful, and would it be correct to paint one in German Grey?
Thanx ahead of time.
Geoff
OK, first some web sites.
http://www.worldwar2aces.com/tiger-tank/
http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html
http://www.tigertank-h-e-181.com/
http://tiger1.info/
The german word “frühe” means early, so in other words its the early version we are talking about here.
The early version is identified by a number things. It has rubber rimed road wheels, the mid version also have rubber rimmed road wheels but it have different tracks and a different turret.
The tracks have three grooves instead of the raised cheverons on the late tracks.
It has feiffel aircleaners on the rear plate.
It has the drum shaped tall comanders copula with vision slits instead of the later version with periscopes.
Some of the very early versions, the so called initial version, had 2 pistol ports on the turret and no escape hatch.
Some early versions had smoke grenade dischargers mounted on the front sides of the turret.
The distinction between the early and mid versions is the turret. The new turret with the cast copula with seven periscopes were introduced in July 1943, there were a very few mid version that were fited with the feiffel aircleaners but because they had the new turret they are considered mid versions.
I don’t have a chassis number for you for the first mid version, but it would be around 250350 + - 30 … yeah I know, a pretty wide spand but I haven’t done the research.
Hope this helps
Edit : Yes it would be very correct to paint it panzer grey.
great stuff, TMN1. thanx. Feel a little stoopid that I didn’t know Fruhe meant early.
Ok I did some diging in one of my books.
The first mid production turret was turret number 392 mounted on chassis number 250391 … so I was a bit off.
There are other differences between the versions but these are the most prominent.
Happy I could be of service.
so, in looking at the pictures I would not be historically off-base painting in in German grey with no camo pattern…
You would have to give me a date, a tank number and a unit for me to answer that question.
yeah, i’m not too sure. I’ll check the decal sheets and compare them I guess… I’m not so much a historian. LOL.
Well ok ! If you want to build a historicaly correct model you would have to get that information ( unit, date, tank number ) But if you just want to build an early Tiger I, then german grey is the way to go, since most of the early Tigers were painted german grey.
There are pictures of some early Tigers that were painted grey and with dark yellow applied in spots and stripes for camo. The Tiger with the nick name “Tiki” is one example. It had the tactical number “812” and served with s.SS-Pz.-Kp of the 2. SS Panzergrenadier-Division “Das Reich”
Others were painted over all dark yellow and some were painted dark yellow with brown stripes.
thanx for all the info… i appreciate it.
Sure no problem … happy to help.