Driving a Tiger II Tank

12/30/07

The US Army Ordnance Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland conducted extensive tests of King Tiger 332 in 1945-46 before it was transferred to the Ordnance Museum.  The film sequence shown here was apparently taken during that time.  Regrettably, the quality is not good; the film is from an existing videotape made from an 8mm film which no longer exists.

The film shows an operation being done at the top of the engine compartment which may be priming the intake, a soldier hand-cranking the engine using the Durchdrehvorrichtung (part of the tank's original equipment), several sequences of the tank being driven, and a view of the tank pivoting with the right track locked. 

From Death of a Panther, produced by Fort Knox Television, 30 minutes.  Includes color and black and white film taken at APG c. August 1944 through c. August 1945 transferred to videocassette.  Film Archives of the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, Fort Knox.

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