| Storage
Bins | The
large turret rear storage bin was not mounted onto production models until turret
number 56. Prior to that. two side bins were used for some vehicles while sPz.Abt.503
fitted Panzer III bins to their Tigers. All Tigers were retrofitted with the new
storage bin by Summer 1943. |
| Air
Filters | The
Feifel Air Filters mounted on the upper corners of the hull rear was modified
for mid-production tigers. They were no longer installed after August 1943. |
| Track
Replacement Cable & Tools | The
track replacement cable was not installed for the first batch of Tigers. It was
introduced in September 1942 on the left side of the hull together with a track
replacement toolbox mounted on the left side of the hull rear above the track/mud
flap. The arrangement of the fasteners for the cable was redesigned and repositioned
in July 1943. The toolbox was dropped in November 1943. |
| Escape
Hatch | From
turret number 46, the second machine pistol port on the right rear turret wall
was replace with the escape hatch. Originally the side of the escape hatch was
bevelled to conform to the curve of the turret side but after June 1943, 80mm
flat discs were used. |
| S-Mines | 5
x S-Mines for close anti-personnel protection were installed on the deck of the
Tiger from December 1942 - one on each corner and one in the middel along the
left side. They were dropped in November 1943. |
| Exhausts | Due
to the exhaust flames and glowing hot exhaust mufflers being visible at night
at long range, deflectors were installed on top of the exhausts and heat shields
made from sheet steel were installed around the mufflers from January 1943. |
| Spare
Track links | Spare
tracks links were mounted on brackets on the turret side from March 1943. Previously,
track links were attached to the hull front three links to each side (unique to
2.Kompanie of the 501st) or to the hull rear where space is available. |
| Turret
Smoke Launchers | Turret
smoke launchers were no longer installed from turret number 286 around June 1943
as a result of report of small arms fire setting off the smoke candles. |
| Commander's
Cupola & Turret Top Redesign | From
turret number 391 around July 1943, the turret was extensively redesigned. A new
commander's cupola with all round periscopes and a swivel hatch was installed
with a ring rail on top for mounting an anti-aircraft machine gun. The exhause
fan was moved forward to the middel of the turret above the gun breech to improve
fume extraction. The machine pistol port of left side turret rear was repalce
with a pistol port plug. One question we often get asked is what features determines
an early production from a mid/late production Tiger. These features are often
associated with a mid-production Tiger. |
| Bosch
Headlights | The
original arrangement for the bosch headlights was one on each forward corner of
the hull. From July 1943, only a single headlight was mounted on the right corner
looking forward. This single headlight was moved to the centre of the hull front
plate on December 1943. Field modification include moving the two headlights from
top front corners of the hull to the front hull plate (1.Kompanie of the 501st).
Headlights were often missing from Tiger in wartime photographs due to battle
damage. |
| C-Clamps | A
pair of C clamps for use with the towing cabls was mounted on the rear hull left
of the exhaust shield from September 1943. |
| Zimmerit | A
ripple Zimmerit or anti-magnetic coating was applied at the factory to all upright
surfaces that could be reached by a man standing on the ground to protect against
magnetic charges being attached to the hull side. |
| Rear
Gun Travel Lock | A
gun barrel travel lock was installed from November 1943 on the left rear corner
of the hull (looking forward). This protects the gun sight alignment on long journeys. |
| Late
Battle Tracks | Six
cheverons or ice cleats were added to each link of the wider battle tracks to
increase traction on ice and packed snow from December 1943. |
| Hull
Side Extension | The
hull side extension on both sides were cut out in January 1944 to allow free movement
of the front towing shackles. |
| Steel
Roadwheels | Steel
roadwheels adapted from the KingTiger tank was installed from February 1944. Because
of the increased strength, the roadwheels per axel ws reduced from three to two.
The size of the idler wheels were also reduced. This feature is often associated
with a late-production Tiger. |
| Close
Defence Weapon | a
Nahverteidigungswaffe or close defence weapon was installed on the right turret
rear (looking forward) fro late production Tigers from March 1944. The pistol
port on left turret rear was dropped. |
| Turret
Top Armour | Due
to penetration by artillery shells, The turret roof armour plate was increased
from 25mm to 40mm and the loader's hatch designed for the KingTiger was installed
in the visibly thicker turret roof from March 1944. |
| Gun
Sight | The
binocular gun sight was replaced by a monocular gun sighting telescope in April
1944. Later Tigers have only one aperture on the left of the gun mantlet instead
of two. |
