This unique volume combines the book Tiger I In Combat with a facsimile of the original German wartime crew manual for the Tiger tank, the Tigerfibel. This overview draws on a wide variety of primary source accounts of the Tiger I in action from both the Allied and the German perspective. Rare photographs, technical drawings and contemporary reports of the Tiger in combat help to set aside the myths and bring the reality into focus. General Heinz Guderian authorised the publication of the Tigerfibel from 1943 onwards. This highly unorthodox publication was full of risqué drawings and humorous illustrations and was designed to convey complex battlefield instructions in a simple and memorable manner. The manual contains everything the reader could ever wish to know concerning how the crews were instructed to handle the Tiger I under combat conditions. The Tigerfibel contains detailed instructions on aiming, firing, ammunition and close combat. There are extensive sections on maintenance, driving, radio operation and the essentials of commanding a Tiger I in combat. This book contains the original German publication with a complete English translation, new overview and introduction by Emmy Award winning historian Bob Carruthers. Highly accessible, this book is essential and rewarding reading for all readers interested in the history of the Tiger I.
Chapter 1. Production of the Tiger
Chapter 3. The Development Process
Chapter 4. The Unpleasant Surprise
Chapter 6. The Mechanics of the Tiger I
Chapter 9. Getting to the Battlefield
Chapter 12. Tiger Colour Schemes
Chapter 14. Production Run Modifications
Chapter 17. Tactical Organisation
Chapter 23. Tiger I Tanks in Sicily
Chapter 24. Armour and Armament
Chapter 26. The British Response
Chapter 27. Tiger I Tanks in Normandy
Chapter 28. The Soviet Response
Chapter 32. The End of the Tiger
Chapter 33. Introduction to the Tigerfibel and Translation Notes
Chapter 35. Tank Identification
Chapter 36. Older Designs Only Rarely Expected To Be Seen
Chapter 37. For Official Use Only! Do not let fall in enemy hands!