The Destruction of Tiger Tanks in World War II
The exact number of Tiger tanks destroyed during World War II is difficult to determine due to varying sources and battlefield conditions. However, estimates suggest that around 1500 Tiger I tanks were produced and approximately 1000 of them were destroyed in combat by the end of the war.
Producing and Destroying the Tiger
For the Tiger II or King Tiger, around 492 units were produced, with estimates suggesting that about 300 to 400 were destroyed. This indicates that the destruction of Tiger tanks was significant, but the formidable presence of these vehicles often resulted in high enemy casualties despite their own losses.
Self-Destruction and Battlefield Tactics
Interestingly, Tiger crews themselves destroyed more Tiger tanks than the Allies. This was largely due to the pre-installed demolition charges, which they used to #8220;sell their boats.#8221; The self-destruction was a strategic move, as the Tiger tanks were not only effective but also expensive and difficult to repair. After the superiority of the Tigers over Allied tanks was fully appreciated, both the Red Army on the Eastern front and the Allies on the Western front avoided direct confrontations with the Tigers. They would avoid flanking them or take advantage of the Tiger’s short radius of action, leading to frequent counterattacks or even retreats of more than 100km without resupply.
Exampless of Destruction
During the retreat from the Anzio-Monte Cassino winter line in 1944, nearly 2 entire Tiger battalions ran out of fuel and were blown up by their own crews and used as expensive road blocks in Russia. Additionally, if a Tiger tank battalion was too far forward deployed, the Russians would avoid direct combat and exploit the superior T-34 range of 200km around the flanks, which would threaten their supply and force the Tiger tanks to retreat, potentially running out of gas. Partisans also played a role in the destruction by blowing up a few trains and RAF bomber command carpet bombed a few in Normandy.
Abandoned Tanks
Perhaps 1000 to half of both Tiger I and Tiger II, a total of 2000 out of the production, were abandoned after being destroyed by their own crews. Most of the rest (1000) were destroyed in direct combat with allied armor. Some were destroyed by air attacks, while others fell victim to anti-tank weapons such as Bazookas, PIATs, and land mines.