The most famous German self-propelled artillery unit “Ferdinand. "Ferdinand" - the most terrible self-propelled gun? What modules to install on Ferdinand

The weapon is damaged! Firing accuracy has been halved! :) Ferdinand No. 614 after a direct hit from an aerial bomb from a Pe-2 dive bomber, Goreloye, July 9, 1943.

Panzerjager Tiger (P) mit 8.8 cm PaK43/2 "Ferdinand" (from the beginning of 1944 - "Elefant"), Sd.Kfz.184- German heavy anti-tank self-propelled artillery unit (self-propelled gun) during the Second World War. This combat vehicle, armed with an 88 mm cannon, is one of the most heavily armed and heavily armored representatives of German armored vehicles of that period. Despite his small numbers, Ferdinand is the most famous representative of the class of self-propelled guns, and a large number of legends are associated with him.

The Ferdinand self-propelled gun was developed in 1942-1943, being largely an improvisation based on the chassis of the Tiger heavy tank, which was not adopted for service, designed by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. Initially, the self-propelled gun had good potential, but the tactics of use and the unfavorable conditions of the terrain on which the Ferdinands were used largely prevented the advantages of this self-propelled gun from being realized. Ferdinands took part in the battles on the northern front of the Kursk Bulge, in the autumn battles of 1943 on the Eastern Front, in Italy and in western Ukraine in 1944, and the few self-propelled guns remaining in service - in combat operations in Poland and Germany in 1945. In the Soviet Army "Ferdinand" often called any German self-propelled artillery unit.

History of creation

ARV based on VK 4501(P) chassis

The history of the creation of the Ferdinand is closely intertwined with the history of the creation of the famous Tiger I tank. This tank was developed by two competing design bureaus - Porsche and Henschel. In the winter of 1942, production of prototype tanks began, called VK 4501 (P) (Porsche) and VK 4501 (H) (Henschel). On April 20, 1942 (the Fuhrer's birthday), prototypes were demonstrated to Hitler in demonstration firing. Both samples showed similar results, and the decision to select a sample for mass production was not made. Hitler insisted on parallel production of both types, the military leadership was inclined to Henschel's machine. In April - June, tests were continued; in parallel, the Nibelungenwerke company began assembling the first production Porsche Tigers. On June 23, 1942, at a meeting with Hitler, it was decided to have only one type of heavy tank in mass production, which was the Henschel vehicle. The reason for this is considered to be problems with the electromechanical transmission of the Porsche tank, the tank’s low power reserve, and the need to launch mass production of engines for the tank. The conflict between Ferdinand Porsche and the German Armaments Administration also played a certain role.

Despite the fact that the military gave preference to the Henschel Tiger, work did not stop on the VK 4501 (P). So, on June 21, 1942, F. Porsche received instructions to arm his tank with a more powerful 88-mm cannon with a barrel length of 71 calibers, created on the basis of the Pak 41 anti-aircraft gun. This order was issued by the Reich Ministry of Arms and Ammunition on the basis of the personal order of the Fuhrer, who did not he didn’t want to give up his favorite Porsche tank, which he really liked. However, this could not be accomplished, and on September 10, 1942, the management of the Nibelungenwerke plant sent a letter to the Reich Ministry. in which it was reported that it was impossible to install a turret with an 88-mm cannon with a barrel length of 71 calibers on the VK 4501 (P). In parallel with this task, the Porsche design bureau was considering the option of arming its “Tiger” with a captured French 210-mm mortar in a fixed wheelhouse. This idea also belonged to A. Hitler, who spoke about the need to have large-caliber self-propelled artillery units in service with the Panzerwaffe, necessary to support tank units.

At a meeting on September 22, 1942, where, among other issues, the fate of the VK 4501 (P) was raised, Hitler spoke about the need to convert this chassis into a heavy assault gun, armed with an 88-mm cannon with a barrel length of 71 calibers or a 210-mm French mortar, installed in a fixed cabin. In addition, the Fuhrer expressed a wish to strengthen the frontal armor of the vehicle to 200 mm - such protection could not be penetrated even by the Tiger’s gun. At the same time, he proposed using “sea armor plates” for this. However, no official decision was made on the fate of VK 4501 (P) at this meeting. Only a week later. On September 29, Porsche received an official instruction from the Army Weapons Directorate to convert the tank of its design into a “heavy assault gun.” However, the designer, to put it mildly, ignored this, since he had not yet given up hope of seeing his tank in service. Moreover, on October 10, 1942, the Krupp and Rheinmetall companies received orders to develop a turret with an 88-mm cannon of 71 caliber for installation on the chassis of the Porsche and Henschel Tiger tanks. However, at a meeting on October 14, 1942, A. Hitler demanded, without waiting for the design to be completed, to immediately begin work on the development and production of assault guns with 88-mm cannons on the chassis of the VK 4501 (P) and Pz.IV tanks.

To speed up the work on converting Porsche's Tiger, the Almerkische Kettenfabrik (or Alkett for short) company in the Berlin suburb of Spandau was brought in - the only one in the Reich that had experience in manufacturing assault guns. And at the Nibelungenwerke plant, under the leadership of F. Porsche, the design of the power plant and electric transmission was quickly reworked for installation in a new self-propelled gun. Moreover, in addition to the armament - an 88-mm cannon and the thickness of the armor in the frontal part - 200 mm, only the combat weight of the vehicle was limited - no more than 65 tons. The remaining characteristics were left to the discretion of the designers. Despite Porsche’s statement about its readiness to begin serial production of “tigers” from May 12, 1942, the Nibelungenwerke and Oberdonau plants were ready for production of the VK 4501 (P) only by the end of July - it took time to develop the technological process, the necessary documentation, tools and devices. But. despite this, by the beginning of August these enterprises had the groundwork for assembling several dozen chassis (armored hulls, cutting armor plates, chassis parts). After the decision was made to convert the “Tiger” designed by F. Porsche into a heavy assault weapon, work on assembling the hull and chassis intensified. In mid-October 1942, two chassis (No. 15010 and 15011) were transferred to Alkett to facilitate the design of a new vehicle.

The modification project developed by Alkett was ready on November 30, 1942 (in any case, this is the date on the preliminary design of the new assault gun). On December 11, 1942, it was considered at a meeting of representatives of the Reich Ministry of Armaments and Ammunition and the Army Weapons Office. The most significant modification was made to the overall layout of the vehicle. The large overhang of the artillery system barrel did not allow the installation of a weapons cabin in place of the fighting compartment of the VK 4501 (P) tank in the front part of the hull. Therefore, a scheme with a rear location of the wheelhouse with a cannon was adopted, for which it was necessary to move forward the engines of the power plant with generators, which ended up in the middle of the hull. Because of this, the driver and radio operator found themselves “cut off” from the rest of the crew in the control room. We also had to abandon the use of air-cooled Tour 101 engines designed by F. Porsche, installed on the VK4501 (P) - they turned out to be quite capricious, and, moreover, they were not in mass production. As a result, we had to resort to installing proven and reliable Maybach engines (Maybach HL 120TRM) with a power of 265 hp, which required a complete rework of the cooling system (such engines were installed on Pz.III tanks and StuG III assault guns). In addition, to increase the power reserve, it was necessary to redesign the gas tanks with increased capacity.

The project as a whole received approval, however, the military demanded that the weight of the vehicle be reduced to 65 tons, as planned according to the instructions. On December 28, 1942, a redesigned and simplified design of a heavy assault gun on a Porsche Tiger chassis was considered. According to more accurate calculations provided by Alkett representatives, the combat weight of the vehicle was supposed to be 68.57 tons: the converted hull, including 1000 liters of fuel - 46.48 tons, the armored cabin - 13.55 tons, the gun with an armored spherical shield - 3 .53 tons, additional protection for the frontal part and front part of the bottom - 2.13 tons, stowage of ammunition and shells - 1.25 tons and crew with tools and spare parts - about 1.63 tons. Some engineers and the Nibelungenwerke. and Alketta feared that the chassis, designed for a 55-ton combat vehicle, might not be able to withstand the additional weight. As a result of the discussion, it was decided to lighten the self-propelled gun by reducing the ammunition load, removing the machine gun in the front hull, part of the tool and spare parts, as well as additional 30-mm armor on the lower front hull plate. As a result of these activities, it was possible to meet the specified 65 tons, the project was approved and recommended for mass production. At the same time, an order was received to manufacture 90 such vehicles and form two battalions from them.

Inspectors of the Army Weapons Directorate accepted 30 Ferdinands in April 1943, and the remaining 60 vehicles were accepted in May. One of them remained at the disposal of the military acceptance (WafPruef) at the Nibelungenwerk for testing and verification of weapons, and 89 were transferred to the disposal of the artillery and technical property management of the ground forces. There, the Ferdinands will receive ammunition, tools, spare parts and radio stations. 29 vehicles were handed over to the troops in April. 56 - in May, the remaining 5 were sent in June, when the units were already moving to the front line. On May 1, 1943, the Nibelungenwerke company received an order for the production of five vehicles on the Porsche Tiger chassis, designed to evacuate damaged or stuck Ferdinands. The project, designated Bergepanzer Tiger (P), was completed in early July 1943. It was a Ferdinand chassis, but without additional armor, in the rear of which there was a small cabin in the shape of a truncated pyramid with hatches and a ball machine gun mount in the front plate. The vehicle had no equipment other than a 10-ton winch, which could be mounted on the outside of the hull.

List of official names of self-propelled guns

• StuG mit der 8.8 cm lang - Fuhrer meeting November 22, 1942
• StuG 8.8 cm K. auf Fgst. Tiger (P) - 12/15/42
• Tiger-Sturmgeschutz
• Sturmgeschutz auf Fgst. Porsche Tiger mit der Langen 8.8 cm
• Name proposal "Ferdinand" for 8.8 cm StuK 43/1 auf Fgst Tiger P1
• Ferdinand (StuK43/1 auf Tiger)
• StuG 8.8 cm K. auf Fgst. Tiger P (Ferdinand)
• Panzerjager Tiger (P) Sd.Kfz.184
• 8.8 cm Pz.Jg. 43/2 L/71 Tiger P
• Panzerjager Tiger (P)
• Ferdinand
• Tiger (P) Sd.Kfz.184
• Panzerjager Ferdinand
• StuG 8.8 cm PaK43/2 (Sf.) Sd.Kfz.184
• StuG m. 8.8 cm PaK43/2 auf Fgst. Tiger P (Ferdinand)
• Proposal for the name "Elefant" for the 8.8 cm StuG Porsche
• Elefant
• schwere Panzerjager VI (P) 8.8 cm PaK43/2 L/71 "Elefant" (fruher Ferdinand)
• Panzerjager Tiger (P) mit 8.8 cm PaK43/2 Sd.Kfz.184
• Elefant 8.8 cm StuG mit 8.8 cm PaK43/2 Sd.Kfz.184

Modifications

3/4 top front view of Ferdinand's hull and deckhouse

3/4 top front view of the Elephant's hull and deckhouse

On November 29, 1943, A. Hitler proposed to the OKN to change the names of armored vehicles. His proposals for the name were accepted and legalized by order of February 1, 1944, and duplicated by order of February 27, 1944. In accordance with these documents, "Ferdinand" received a new designation - "Elephant" 8.8 cm Porsche assault gun "(Elefant fur 8.8 cm Sturmgeschutz Porsche). From the dates of the modernization it is clear that the change in the name of the self-propelled gun occurred by accident, but time, since the repaired Ferdinands returned to service. This made it easier to differentiate between the vehicles: the original version of the vehicle was called “Ferdinand”, and the modernized version was called “Elephant”. During the battles of the summer-autumn of 1943, some changes occurred in the appearance of the Ferdinands. Thus, grooves for rainwater drainage appeared on the front sheet of the cabin; on some vehicles, the spare parts box and the jack with a wooden beam for it were moved to the rear of the machine, and spare tracks began to be attached to the upper front sheet of the hull.

Between January and April 1944, the remaining Ferdinands in service underwent modernization. First of all, they were equipped with an MG-34 machine gun mounted in the front hull. Despite the fact that the Ferdinands were supposed to be used to fight enemy tanks at long distances, combat experience showed the need for a machine gun to defend a self-propelled gun in close combat, especially if the vehicle was hit or blown up by a landmine. For example, during the battles on the Kursk Bulge, some crews practiced firing from an MG-34 light machine gun even through the barrel of a gun.

In addition, to improve visibility, a turret with seven periscope viewing devices was installed in place of the self-propelled gun commander’s hatch (the turret was completely borrowed from the StuG42 assault gun). In addition, on self-propelled guns, the fastening of the wings was strengthened, the on-board viewing devices of the driver and gunner-radio operator were welded (the actual effectiveness of these devices turned out to be close to zero), the headlights were eliminated, the installation of the spare parts box, jack and spare tracks was moved to the rear of the hull, and the ammunition load was increased for five shots, they installed new removable grilles on the engine and transmission compartment (the new grilles provided protection from KS bottles, which were actively used by the Red Army infantry to fight enemy tanks and self-propelled guns). In addition, the self-propelled guns received a zimmerit coating, which protected the vehicle’s armor from enemy magnetic mines and grenades.

Differences between "Ferdinand" and "Elephant". The Elefant had a forward-facing machine gun mount, covered with additional padded armor. The jack and the wooden stand for it were moved to the stern. The front fender liners are reinforced with steel profiles. The mounts for the spare tracks have been removed from the front fender liners. The headlights have been removed. A sun visor is installed above the driver's viewing instruments. A commander's cupola is mounted on the roof of the cabin, similar to the commander's cupola of the StuG III assault gun. There are gutters welded on the front wall of the cabin to drain rainwater.

Combat use

The result of Ferdinand firing armor-piercing shells at the ML-20S gun of the SU-152 self-propelled gun from a distance of 1200m. One shell hit the machine gun embrasure area, tore off the 100 mm armor plate, and broke the second 100 mm armor plate, knocking out the machine gun port plug. Above you can see the marks of shells that hit the wheelhouse but did not penetrate the armor.

The formation of units on the Ferdinands began on April 1, 1943, when the 197th assault gun battalion StuG III, located at the Bruck-on-Leith training camp in Austria, received orders to reorganize into the 653rd heavy tank destroyer battalion (scwere Panzeijager Abteilung 653 ), which according to the state should have been armed with 45 Ferdinand self-propelled guns. The 197th division had personnel who operated on the Soviet-German front from the summer of 1941 to January 1943 and had rich combat experience. During the formation, future self-propelled gun crews were sent to the Nibelungenwerke plant, where they were trained and participated in the assembly of Ferdinands. At the end of April, the 653rd battalion was armed with 45 vehicles, but in early May, by order of the command, they were transferred to staff the 654th battalion, which was being formed in Rouen. By mid-May, the 653rd battalion already numbered 40 Ferdinands and was intensively engaged in combat training. On May 24 and 25, the battalion was visited by Inspector General of Tank Forces G. Guderian, who conducted exercises at the training ground in Neusiedel. During their implementation, the “Ferdinands” covered 42 km, in addition, interaction with a company of radio-controlled explosives transporters BIV “Borgward”, which were intended for making passages in minefields, was practiced. On June 9-12, 1943, the 653rd battalion of heavy tank destroyers departed from the Austrian Pandorf station in 11 train trains to the Soviet-German front. They proceeded through Modlin, Brest, Minsk, Bryansk. Karachev and Orel, unloading at Zmievka station (35 km south of Orel). The 654th heavy tank destroyer battalion began its formation at the end of April 1943 on the basis of the 654th anti-tank division, formed at the end of August 1939. At first, the division was armed with 37-mm Pak35/36 cannons, then received the Marder II self-propelled guns. He participated in the French campaign and battles on the Soviet-German front. At first, the battalion was supposed to receive 88-mm Hornisse anti-tank self-propelled guns, but at the last moment the decision was changed, and the battalion began to be trained for the Ferdinand. Until April 28, he was in Austria, and by April 30, 1943, he was transferred to France, to Rouen. In mid-May, the first Ferdinands arrived from the 653rd battalion. Having unloaded, they proceeded through the city, causing panic: “the characteristic noise of running engines was mistaken for an Allied air raid.” And the passage of cars across the old bridge over the Seine caused it to sag by 2 cm. The battalion was located at an airfield near Rouen, where crew training took place. At the end of May, the last, 45th “Ferdinand” arrived, and on June 6, in the presence of G. Guderian, a “Ferdinand” exercise was held together with units of the 24th Panzer Division. At the same time, Guderian said that the main task of the battalion was to “ensure a breakthrough of well-fortified enemy positions and open the way for tank units to the enemy rear.”

Kursk Bulge, summer 1943

Arriving at the front, the 653rd and 654th battalions became part of the 656th Tank Regiment (Panzer Regiment 656), the headquarters of which was formed on June 8, 1943. In addition to the 653rd and 654th heavy tank destroyer battalions, it included the 216th assault tank battalion (Sturmpanzer Abteilung 216) armed with “Brummbars” (Sturmpanzer IV “Brummbar”), as well as two companies (213 and 214th) radio-controlled transporters B4. The regiment was part of the 9th Field Army and was supposed to ensure a breakthrough of the Soviet defense in the direction of the Ponyri-Maloarkhangelsk station. On June 25, the Ferdinands began to advance to the front line. All movements were carried out only at night along a specially designed route. The bridges located on it were reinforced and marked with the letter F. To disguise the advance of the Ferdinands, Luftwaffe planes flew over the concentration zone. By July 4, the 656th Tank Regiment deployed as follows: to the west of the Orel-Kursk railway, the 654th battalion (Arkhangelskoye area), to the east the 653rd battalion (Glazunov area), and behind them three companies of the 216th battalion . Each Ferdinand battalion was assigned a company of Borgward radio-controlled explosive transporters. Thus, the 656th Regiment operated on a front up to 8 km.

In the photo, General K. Rokossovsky and his staff inspect the captured Ferdinand.

On July 5, 1943, at 3:40, after artillery and air preparation, the 653rd and 654th battalions, supporting units of the 86th and 292nd Infantry Divisions, moved forward in two echelons - two companies in the first, one in the second. On the first day, the 653rd battalion fought heavy battles near Soviet positions in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bheight 257.7, which the Germans nicknamed "Tank Height". Actions were hampered by a huge number of minefields in which the "Borgguards" did not have time to make passages. As a result, at the very beginning of the battle, more than 10 Ferdinands were blown up by mines, receiving damage to their rollers and tracks. There were also heavy losses among crew personnel. Thus, while inspecting his damaged vehicle, the commander of the 1st company, Hauptmann Spielmann, was blown up by an anti-personnel mine and was seriously wounded. Soon the mines were supplemented by Soviet artillery fire, which proved to be quite effective. As a result, by 17:00 on July 5, only 12 Ferdinands out of 45 remained on the move. Over the next two days - July 6 and 7 - the remnants of the 653rd battalion took part in the battles to capture the Ponyri station.

The start of the attack by the 654th battalion turned out to be even more unsuccessful. The assigned sappers prepared two passages through their minefields for the 6th and 7th companies (the 5th was in the second echelon behind the 7th). However, when the Ferdinands began to move, the 6th company and the platoon of Borgguards attached to it ended up in a German minefield unmarked on the maps. As a result, part of B4 detonated, destroying several of their control vehicles. Within a few minutes, most of the Ferdinands of the 6th company were blown up by mines and were out of action. Soviet artillery opened hurricane fire on the self-propelled guns, which forced the German infantry that had risen to attack to lie down. Several sappers, under the cover of the Ferdinand guns, managed to clear the way, and the four remaining vehicles of the 6th company managed to reach the first line of Soviet trenches. Having occupied the first line of trenches and waited for their infantry, the remnants of the 654th battalion moved further, towards Ponyri. At the same time, some of the vehicles were blown up by mines, and Ferdinand No. 531 was hit by artillery fire and burned down. At dusk, having reached the hills north of Ponyri - and completed the task of the day - the battalion stopped to rest and regroup.

Due to problems with the supply of fuel and, mainly, ammunition, on July 6, the Ferdinands entered battle only at 14:00. However, due to heavy artillery fire, the German infantry suffered heavy losses and fell behind, the attack foundered.

Aleksandrovka village, Podmaslovo district. Abandoned between July 15-18, 1943. The right caterpillar plunged into soft ground. The attack by our infantry prevented the crew from destroying their vehicle.

On the way up, the engines overheated and there was a fire in the engine room.

The next day, the remnants of the 653rd and 654th battalions were pulled to Buzuluk as a corps reserve; on July 8, 1943, 6 Ferdinands and several Brummbars took part in the attack on Ponyri, but to no avail. At 6.00 on July 9, Major Kagl's battle group (505th heavy tank battalion "Tigers", 654th (and part of the 653rd tank battalion), 216th battalions and an assault gun division) began another assault on Ponyri. According to the crew of one of the Ferdinands, “the enemy’s resistance was simply terrifying,” and, despite the fact that the group reached the outskirts of the village, it was not possible to build on its success. After this, the 653rd and 654th battalions were transferred to reserve in the Buzuluk-Maloarkhangelsk region.

With the beginning of the Soviet counteroffensive, all the Ferdinands in service were actively used in battle. Thus, on July 12-14, 24 self-propelled guns of the 653rd battalion supported units of the 53rd Infantry Division in the Berezovets area. At the same time, repelling the attack of Soviet tanks near Krasnaya Niva, the crew of the Ferdinand, Lieutenant Tiret, reported the destruction of 22 of them. On July 15, the 654th battalion repelled a tank attack from Malo-Arkhangelsk - Buzuluk, while the 6th company in its combat report reported the destruction of 13 enemy combat vehicles. Subsequently, the remnants of the battalions were pulled back to Oryol, although the 6th company of the 654th battalion supported the withdrawal of the 383rd Infantry Division. During the Soviet offensive, which began on July 12, 1943, another 20 Ferdinands were lost (as of August 1). Most of them were blown up by their own crews due to the inability to evacuate after failure for combat and technical reasons. In total, the total irretrievable losses of the 653rd and 654th battalions during Operation Citadel amounted to 39 Ferdinands. At the same time, the headquarters of the 656th Tank Regiment reported that during this period it disabled 502 enemy tanks and self-propelled guns, 20 anti-tank and about 100 other guns. By July 30, all "Ferdinands" were withdrawn from the front, and by order of the headquarters of the 9th Army they were sent to Karachev - self-propelled guns by rail, and the rest of the materiel on their own.

In early August, the 654th Battalion transferred its 19 remaining Ferdinads to the 653rd Battalion, and without equipment left for France for replenishment (in April 1944, the 654th Battalion received its first Jagdpanthers).

The 653rd battalion with 50 Ferdinands at an accelerated pace repaired damage to equipment in Dnepropetrovsk. On September 19, 1943, the battalion received an order to provide all 14 combat-ready self-propelled guns for the defense of the Dnieper. After a series of difficult battles in the Nikopol-Krivoy Rog region, the remnants of the battalion - 7 Ferdinands - were ordered to return to Austria for repairs and rest. However, the situation at the front and weather conditions did not allow the battalion to leave the battle until January 10, 1944.

Italy, 1944

Sdkfz 184 "Ferdinand", lost during battles in Italy, spring-summer 1944.

March 1, 1944 Sat down on soft ground. An attempt to pull the Tiger out of the 508th Tank Battalion under continuous fire ended in failure. Destroyed by the crew.

Due to the difficult situation at the front in Italy at the beginning of 1944, 11 Ferdinands, repaired by that time, were consolidated into the 1st company and sent to Anzio. Upon arrival, they were assigned to the 216th Assault Gun Battalion and became part of the 508th Heavy Tank Battalion, armed with Tiger tanks. The battalion was tasked with discharging Allied troops from their occupied bridgeheads. However, the soft Italian soil was not suitable for the Ferdinands and Tigers, and many vehicles simply got stuck in it, while it was impossible to evacuate them due to the heavy artillery fire. Soon the Elephants (recently renamed by order of the Fuhrer) were transferred to reserve, and covered the withdrawal of German troops. However, they were unsuccessful here too - several vehicles were disabled by American fighter-bombers. The remnants of the company - 5 Elephants - had to move only at night; naturally, there was no talk of any combat effectiveness. On August 6, the last 3 Elephants of the 1st Company arrived in Vienna for rest and repairs.

Sat down on soft ground. An attempt to rescue Bergferdinand by force failed. Destroyed at night by the crew under the direction of the company commander.

Eastern Front, 1944-45

During the battles in the west. Ukraine, a self-propelled gun from the 2nd company of the 653rd battalion received a 152mm hit from our self-propelled gun to the right of the gun. The mark is visible in the photo. The armor is not penetrated, however, due to internal damage, the self-propelled gun is sent for factory repair.

At this time, the 2nd and 3rd companies of the battalion with 30 Elephants in April 1944 were sent to Ukraine, to the Lvov region, to help the troops encircled in the Tarnopol region. However, in the conditions of the spring thaw, the actions of multi-ton monsters were seriously complicated, and after the loss of 3 self-propelled guns, the battalion was recalled to reserve until better times.

On July 13, the so-called war began in southern Poland. Lviv-Sandomierz operation of the Soviet army. Most of the troops of Army Group Northern Ukraine were sent to the north, to help the badly damaged Army Group Center. As a result, Soviet tank wedges easily ripped through the German defenses. The battles within the Northern Ukraine Army Group once again clearly demonstrated all the weaknesses of the Elephants: under continuous pressure from the advancing Soviet army, the battalion could not successfully evacuate damaged vehicles. There was no question of any serious repairs. At the same time, during the retreat, they had to constantly look for bridges that could support heavy vehicles, and the Elephants had to wind up extra kilometers, losing more and more vehicles along the way due to technical faults. In total, during the summer battles, the battalion irretrievably lost 19 Elephant self-propelled guns.

The remnants of the 653rd battalion were withdrawn to Krakow in August, at the same time a decision was made: to collect all combat-ready Elephants in the 2nd company, and take the 1st and 3rd to France and reorganize them into the new self-propelled gun Jagdtiger. The 2nd company with the 14th self-propelled guns went to Poland in September 1944. On December 15, 1944, it was renamed the 614th separate heavy tank destroyer company, and in January took part in repelling the Vistula-Oder offensive of the Soviet army. And again, due to bad weather conditions, insufficient supplies, and complete dominance of the Soviet Air Force in the air, the number of combat-ready self-propelled guns was reduced to only 4 by the end of January. All of them were sent to the Berlin area for repairs, which were greatly delayed in the chaos of the last months of the war in Europe.

By the beginning of the battles for Berlin, the Germans managed to repair only two self-propelled guns, which took part in the last battles and were captured by Soviet and Polish soldiers on May 1, 1945 in Berlin on Karl-August Square.

Photos and drawings

Panzerjager Tiger (P) in modern times

In the Soviet Union at different times there were at least eight captured complete Ferdinands:

• No. 331 - Captured July 15-18, 1943. near the village of Alexandrovka, Podmaslovo district. The right caterpillar plunged into soft ground. The attack by our infantry prevented the crew from destroying their vehicle.
• No. 333 - Captured by soldiers of the 129th Oryol Rifle Division during the period July 15-18, 1943. near the village of Alexandrovka, Podmaslovo district. Ferdinand #331 would be captured a short day later.
• No. II02 - captured in the area of ​​Art. Ponyri - agricultural farm "1st of May". This self-propelled gun was examined by Rokossovsky.
• No. 501 - captured in the area of ​​the station. Ponyri - agricultural farm "1st of May".
• No. 502 - captured in the area of ​​the station. Ponyri - agricultural farm "1st of May". The self-propelled gun hit a mine, the sloth was torn off. Later it was tested by shelling.
• No. 624 - Captured on July 12, 1943 in the Teploye - Olkhovatka area. When leaving the battle, he sat down on loose soil. The car was delivered to the exhibition at the Central Park of Culture and Culture named after. M. Gorky in Moscow
• Another heavily damaged Ferdinand was captured on the platform of the Orel railway station on August 2, 1943, and another unidentified vehicle.

One self-propelled gun was shot near Ponyry in July - August 1943 while testing its armor; another one was shot in the fall of 1944 while testing new types of weapons. At the end of 1945, various organizations had six self-propelled guns at their disposal. They were used for various tests, some of the machines were eventually disassembled in order to study the design. As a result, all of them, except one, were scrapped, like all the cars captured in a severely damaged state.

To this day, the only self-propelled gun Ferdinand has survived.

Ferdinand #501 from the headquarters of 1./s.Pz.Jg.Abt.654, so-called. "Kommando Noak", named after the commander of the 654th battalion, Maj. Karl-Heinz Noak. The self-propelled gun exploded on a mine in the area of ​​the Ponyri railway station - State Farm "1 May". The chassis is slightly damaged. The self-propelled guns were repaired and sent for testing to the NIIBT in Kubinka. It has reached this day in good condition, although during Soviet times it was plundered from the inside.

The camouflage is typical for the 654th battalion - a dark yellow (Dunkelgelb RAL 7028) background with an applied “mesh” of dark green (Olivgrün RAL 6003) or red-brown (Rotbraun RAL 8017). White marking - tactical number 501 and the letter on the left fender liner N, denoting membership in the Noak tactical group.

"Ferdinand" from the Kubinka Museum

Elephant No. 102 from the 1./s.Pz.Jg.Abt.653, so-called. "Kommando Ulbricht", named after its commander Hptm. Hellmut Ulbricht. This command self-propelled gun was abandoned on the Cisterna-Cori road in Italy on May 24, 1944. due to the impossibility of evacuation after a fire in the engine compartment. Later discovered by American troops and taken to the United States. Exhibited at the BTT Museum site in Aberdeen, USA. After the Elefant arrived in the USA, specialists carried out external cosmetic repairs and painting. No work was carried out inside, because The self-propelled gun was badly burned out. In this state, the Elephant stood in the open air for several decades, and only at the end of the 1990s was it brought into a tolerable condition - the original camouflage was restored. True, the Americans could not or did not want to replicate the zimmerit coating.

The camouflage is typical for the 1st company in the Italian theater of war - a dark yellow (Dunkelgelb RAL 7028) background with randomly applied small spots of dark green (Olivgrün RAL 6003) and red-brown (Rotbraun RAL 8017). White marking - tactical number 102 and letter U, denoting membership in the Ulbricht tactical group.

The self-propelled gun bears marks of combat damage - hits in the gun mantlet and in the frontal armor of the wheelhouse are clearly visible.

"Elephant" from Aberdeen Museum

Information sources

• M.V. Kolomiets. "Ferdinand". Professor Porsche's Armored Elephant. - M.: Yauza, KM Strategy, Eksmo, 2007. - 96 p. - ISBN 978-5-699-23167-6
• M. Svirin. Heavy assault gun "Ferdinand". - M.: Armada, issue No. 12, 1999. - 52 p. - ISBN 5-85729-020-1
• M. Baryatinsky. Armored vehicles of the Third Reich. - M.: Armored Collection, special issue No. 1, 2002. - 96 p.
• Ferdinand, German tank destroyer. - Riga: Tornado, issue 38, 1998.
• Shmelev I. P. German armored vehicles 1934-1945: Illustrated reference book. - M.: AST, 2003. - 271 p. - ISBN 5-17-016501-3
• Chamberlain P., Doyle H. Encyclopedia of German tanks of World War II: A complete illustrated reference book of German battle tanks, armored vehicles, self-propelled guns and half-tracks 1933-1945. - Moscow: AST, Astrel, 2002. - 271 p. - ISBN 5-17-018980-Х

Hello, dear guests and regular readers of our site. Today we present to your attention a review of the heavy tank destroyer tank destroyer Ferdinand. As a rule, we will learn a brief history of the creation and use of a combat vehicle during the war, evaluate its advantages and disadvantages, and analyze the tactics of combat operations on the battlefields of World of Tanks.

Historical reference.

The history of the creation of this tank destroyer takes us back to 1942. It was this year that the German leadership set the task of creating a heavy tank to break through defensive structures. Two well-known design bureaus took on the project. This is Henschel and Porsche. In the spring of 1942, samples of tanks were demonstrated, and already in the summer a decision was made on serial production of Henschel tanks. By that time, Porsche had already produced several dozen bodies and chassis. To ensure that the finished products did not go to waste, in the fall of the same year, Hitler gave the order to use these chassis to produce heavy assault guns armed with a powerful 88-mm gun with a barrel length of 71 calibers. To speed up the conversion work, the Alkett company, which had experience in building assault guns, joined the project. In the winter of 1942, the project was ready and submitted for consideration. As a result of the alterations, it was necessary to abandon the air-cooled engines, replacing them with the already proven Maybach HL 120TRM with a power of 265 hp. Due to the shift of the wheelhouse to the rear of the vehicle, the engines were placed in the middle, which “cut off” the driver and radio operator from the rest of the crew. The weight of the vehicle reached about 65 tons. An order was received to produce 90 vehicles and form two battalions from them. The first 29 Ferdinands produced were delivered to the troops in April 1943, 56 in May, and the remaining 5 were handed over in June of the same year. At this time, the troops were already heading towards the front line at full speed. Ferdinand received his baptism of fire at the Kursk Bulge. However, he was never able to demonstrate all his qualities due to poor-quality reconnaissance, minefields and brutal artillery fire, as a result of which a large number of vehicles were lost. 11 assault guns were sent to Italy in 1944 to liberate the bridgehead from the Allied forces, but on soft ground these huge vehicles simply got stuck and it was not possible to pull them out due to the heavy artillery fire. On the Eastern Front, Ferdinand was used mainly in 44-45 in operations on the territory of Ukraine, Poland, and France. The remaining repaired combat vehicles took part in the defense of Berlin and were captured by Soviet soldiers on Karl-August Square on May 1, 1945.

Briefly about the main thing.

So, before us is Ferdinand - a level 8 assault weapon. This tank destroyer radically changes all views on how to fight on tanks. Changing from the maneuverable and fast Jagdpanther to Ferdinand, you feel somewhat awkward. There are no all the advantages and advantages that she possessed. However, don't despair. We had a very, very worthy combat unit in our hands. The main advantage, of course, can be considered the excellent 128-mm Pak 44 L/55 gun with excellent armor penetration and simply amazing damage! Don't forget the good armor of 200 mm in the frontal part of the tank. The disadvantage is the NLD with an armor plate thickness of only 85 mm. The sides, feed and top sheets are very vulnerable. Despite the Ferdinand's impressive weight, two engines working in tandem allow it to reach a speed of 30 km/h. The dynamics are quite adequate, which makes it possible to keep up with the attacking heavy weights of the allies. Fedya, this is a favorite of the artillery. If there are several TTs on the battlefield and Fedya is nearby, then in 90% of cases the suitcase will land on him. The problem is the weak armor of the top sheets. The damage from the art is almost complete, which sometimes leads to a one-shot. You should never fight alone. One in the field is not a warrior, this is about our Ferdinand. Sometimes even LT can become a deadly threat, not to mention ST. You should not look for positions in open areas. Due to its large dimensions, our PT glows from very large distances. The same Paton is able to see us from 400-420 meters. Ideal are gorges or long streets where no one will pass you from behind or from the sides. Strong frontal armor will quite confidently withstand hits from many enemies up to level 7 or even 8. For the latter, diamond staging or dancing should be used, which leads to frequent rebounds.

Suggestions for tactics on Ferdinand.

Correct and successful play on this PT depends on key factors. This is choosing the right direction to push through the enemy’s defenses and the most convenient position that will allow us to effectively use our strengths: damage, armor penetration and frontal armor. Once at the top, we are a formidable force for the opposing team. In the middle and bottom of the list, Ferdinand supports TT on the offensive. The weapon is effective when shooting at medium and long distances. Having excellent armor penetration, we are able to hit targets with minimal risk to us. It is very important not to let the LT or ST get close to you. It’s very easy to circle us and if there is no ally nearby, there is a 99% chance that we will go to the hangar. In general, we can say that the game on Fed has a strict defensive-offensive character.

Let's move on to the advantages of this tank destroyer. Here we can highlight strong frontal armor, a powerful 128 mm gun with excellent damage, penetration and durability, and fairly good visibility. Fedya getting to the top can be considered a small plus, although this does not happen so often.

The disadvantages are not so sweet. We have to come to terms with the absence of any kind of disguise. They notice us further, due to our large dimensions, and hit us more often. Fedya is quite slow, which is why the enemy can fire at us from long distances, mainly with penetration. Well, the eternal problem of most PTs is poorly protected sides and stern.

When the crew reaches 100% of their main specialty skills, it is preferable to choose Repair as the first perk for everyone. The second perk is individual for everyone: the commander is a mentor; gunner - smooth rotation of the turret; the driver is the king of off-road; radio operator - radio interception; loader - desperate. Further at your discretion. You can teach all crew members Combat Brotherhood and further strengthen a specific AT parameter.

As additional modules you can use: coated optics, a fan and a rammer.

The set of consumables is standard: repair kit, first aid kit and fire extinguisher.

Location of modules.

The driver and radio operator were comfortably located in the front part of the PT. They are protected by a 200 mm plate. NLD's weak spot. In the rear part (in the wheelhouse) there are loaders, a gunner and a commander. The cutting is also well protected in the forehead. An ammunition rack was placed on the sides of the fighting compartment.

The engine and fuel tanks are located inside the self-propelled gun and separate the crew members.

Conclusions.

So let's summarize all of the above. Having reached Ferdinand, we received an excellent, balanced combat unit, which in some cases, in the right hands, is capable of dragging out the battle and changing its course in favor of the allies. Having fairly good forehead armor, a powerful weapon with excellent accuracy and penetration, we are able to hit the most armored targets. Moreover, do this from medium distances with minimal risk to yourself. Enjoy all the charms of this tank destroyer, you will never want to sell it. Correct play and deliberate actions bring a lot of pleasure and positivity. Happy fighting!

During World War II, Germany organized the production of heavy tank destroyers designed to combat heavy enemy tanks.

The appearance of these vehicles was caused by the experience of fighting on the Eastern Front, where German “Panzerwagens” had to confront the well-protected Soviet T-34 and KV tanks. In addition, the Germans had information that work was underway on new tanks in the Soviet Union. The task of heavy tank destroyers was to fight enemy tanks at extreme distances before the tank could open aimed fire. It followed from the task that tank destroyers must have sufficiently thick frontal armor and sufficiently powerful weapons. In contrast to American tank destroyers, German vehicles carried guns not in an open rotating turret, but in a closed, stationary wheelhouse. German tank hunters were armed with 88 and 128 mm guns.

Among the first, the German army received two types of heavy tank destroyers: 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 (Panzerselbstfahrlafette V) and 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 Sfl L/71 Sd Kfz 184 Panzerjaeger “Tiger” (P) “Elefant- Ferdinand." They were later replaced by the Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger tank destroyers.

The topic of this article will be precisely the first two types of German self-propelled anti-tank guns. In addition, here we will briefly talk about the Bergepanzer “Tiger” (P) armored repair and recovery vehicle and the Raumpanzer “Tiger” (P) battering ram.

HISTORY OF CREATION

The 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 (PzSfl V) tank destroyer was born as a result of the failure of the VK 3001 (N) prototype in a competition to create a new type of heavy tank. Above the power compartment of the tank, a fixed wheelhouse, open at the top, was assembled, which housed a 128-mm 12.8 cm K40 L/61 cannon, which was a tank modification of the famous German 128-mm anti-aircraft gun Geraet 40, created by Rheinmetall-Borsig back in 1936. Additional armament consisted of a 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun (Rheinmetall-Brosig) with 600 rounds of ammunition. The machine gun was installed on board the fighting compartment. The machine gun could fire at both ground and air targets.

In order to install such a powerful weapon, the hull had to be lengthened by 760 mm. On the left, in the front part of the hull, a driver's seat was installed.

The chassis modification was carried out at the Henschel plant. The second prototype of the 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 gun was built on March 9, 1942. Very little is known about the combat use of these vehicles. It is known that both of them ended up in the 521st heavy tank destroyer division. In the winter of 1943, one of the self-propelled guns fell into the hands of the Red Army. In 1943 and 1944, the trophy was demonstrated at numerous exhibitions of captured equipment. Today, the vehicle is on display in the tank museum in Kubinka.

Tank destroyer "Ferdinand-Elephant" was created on the basis of the prototype of the VK 4501 (P) heavy tank, which participated in the competition for a new heavy tank for the Wehrmacht. As you know, the VK4501 (H) tank, which became known as the PzKpfw VI “Tiger,” was adopted by the German army.

In comparative tests, the VK 4501 (P) was noticeably inferior to its competitor, as a result of which the VK 4501 (H) went into production, and the VK 4501 (P) was accepted as a backup option in case the production of the main tank encountered significant difficulties. Adolf Hitler ordered the construction of 90 VK 4501 (P) tanks.

Production of VK 4501 (P) tanks began in June 1942. During the first two months, 5 cars were built. Two of them were subsequently converted into Bergepanzer “Tiger” (P) repair and recovery vehicles, and three received standard weapons: 8.8 cm KwK 36 L/56 88 mm caliber and two 7.92 mm MG 34 machine guns (one course , the other paired with a cannon).

In mid-August 1942, Hitler ordered further production of this type of vehicle to cease. Thus, only five VK 4501 (P) tanks were produced.

Professor Porsche, who disagreed with the Fuhrer, the creator of VK 4501 (P), tried to influence Hitler and was partially successful. Hitler agreed to complete the construction of 90 ordered tank corps, on the basis of which it was planned to later create self-propelled guns. Department WaPruef 6 issued technical specifications for the development of a self-propelled assault gun armed with a 150 mm or 170 mm howitzer, but soon an order was received to create a tank destroyer based on the VK 4501 (P). This was quite the right decision, since at that time the German army felt an acute shortage of such vehicles capable of successfully fighting Soviet medium and heavy tanks. The anti-tank weapons at the Germans' disposal were either not effective enough or were outright improvisation. The most powerful German tank destroyers of that time were vehicles based on the obsolete PzKpfw II and PzKpfw 38(t) light tanks, armed with 75 and 76.2 mm anti-tank guns.

On September 22, 1942, Speer ordered work to begin on a new vehicle, which received the designation 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 Sfl L/71 Panzerjaeger “Tiger” (P) SdKfz 184. During the design work, the tank destroyer received temporary names several times, but it eventually acquired an official name.

After entering service, the self-propelled guns were called “Ferdinands,” probably in honor of Ferdinand Porsche himself. In February 1944, the name "Ferdinand" was replaced by "Elefanl" ("elephant"), and on May 1, 1944 the new name was officially approved.

Thus, both names are equally applicable to the self-propelled gun, but if you adhere to chronological order, then until February 1944 it would be correctly called “Ferdinand”, and after that – “Elefant”.

SERIAL PRODUCTION OF SAU "FERDINAND"

On November 16, 1942, WaPruef 6 ordered Steyr-Daimler-Puch Nibelungenwerke (Saint-Valentine, Austria) to begin reworking the VK 4501 (P) hulls; it was planned to gradually increase production in order to complete 15 vehicles in February 1943, and in March - 35, and in April – 40 cars.

Before starting work, Prof. Porsche and specialists from the Alkett plant (Berlin) redesigned the hull in such a way as to place the power plant in the central part of the hull, and not in the rear, as was before. New engine frames and a fire bulkhead between the power and fighting compartments were added to the hull design. The modernization of the hulls was carried out at the Eisenwerk Oberdonau plant in Linz. In January 1943, 15 buildings were converted, in February - 26, in March - 37, and by April 12, 1943, the remaining 12 buildings were completed.

Thus, everything was ready for the start of serial production of the Ferdinands. Initially, it was planned that the final assembly of self-propelled guns would take place at the Alkett plant, but difficulties arose with transportation. The fact is that SSsym platforms were required to transport Ferdinands by rail, but there were not enough platforms of this type, since they were all used to transport Tigers. In addition, the alteration of the buildings was delayed. To top it all off, the Alkett company had to reconfigure the assembly line, which at that time was assembling the Sturmgeschuctz III SdKfz 142 assault guns. As a result, the final assembly had to be entrusted to the Nibelungenwerk company, which produced tank hulls and turrets. The Ferdinand fellings were supplied by the Krupp plant from Essen. Initially, it was also planned to entrust the production of fellings to Alkett, but the company was overloaded with orders, so the production was moved to Essen. The Berliners just sent a team of welders to Essen who had experience in welding thick armor plates.

Assembly of the first Ferdinand began in Saint-Valentine on February 16, 1943. A few days later, the first fellings were delivered from Essen. It was planned to complete production of the series by May 12, but all vehicles were ready by May 8, 1943. Self-propelled guns had serial numbers in the range 150011-150100. The last chassis was ready on April 23, 1943. During production, the Krurr plant received an additional order for a rectangular gun mantlet shield, which was supposed to significantly strengthen this rather sensitive unit. Krupp produced the shields in May 1943, then sent them directly to the developing units.

From April 12 to April 23, 1943, the first production model (chassis number 150011) was tested at the Kummersdorf test site. It was probably this car that was presented to Hitler on March 19, 1943, during a show of new equipment in Rügenwald.

All built Ferdinands were accepted by the Heeres Waffenamt special commission and were sent to combat units between April and June 1943.

Already during the Battle of Kursk, changes were made to the design of the vehicles. First of all, the vehicle crews complained that the Ferdinands did not have machine guns. The tankers tried to eliminate this drawback by inserting a machine gun directly into the cannon barrel. In this case, to aim the machine gun at the target, it was necessary to aim the cannon. You can imagine how difficult, inconvenient and slow it was! As another solution, a cage was welded to the rear of the self-propelled gun, in which five grenadiers were placed. However, in field conditions, this solution turned out to be completely unacceptable. The fact is that the Ferdinands drew heavy fire on themselves, as a result of which the grenadiers quickly broke down. During the fighting, they also carried out additional sealing of the engine fuel system, the design flaws of which caused several fires in the first weeks of fighting. An attempt to install a machine gun on the roof of the cabin also ended in failure. The crew member servicing this machine gun (loading?) risked his life no less than the ill-fated grenadiers.

Finally, during the battles it became clear that the Ferdinand's chassis was severely damaged by anti-tank mines.

All noticed deficiencies required elimination. Therefore, in mid-December 1943, the 653rd Division was removed from the front and taken to St. Pölten (Austria).

All surviving vehicles (42 units) have undergone complete modernization. After repairs, five damaged Ferdinands were also modernized - a total of 47 vehicles underwent reconstruction.

The modernization was supposed to improve the combat characteristics of the vehicles and eliminate the noticed shortcomings.

The modernization took place from the end of January to March 20, 1944 at the Nibelungenwerk factories in Saint-Valentin. By the end of February, 20 vehicles were modernized, and in March 1944, another 37 Ferdinands were modernized. By March 15, they managed to complete the conversion of 43 “Elephants” - that’s what these cars were now called.

The most important innovation in the design of the self-propelled gun was the forward machine gun, located on the right side of the hull and operated by a radio operator. The 7.92 mm caliber MG 34 tank is housed in a standard Kuegelblende 80 spherical mount. The vehicle's commander's position is equipped with a commander's cupola with seven fixed periscopes. The commander's cupola was closed from above with a single-leaf hatch. In the front part of the hull, the bottom was reinforced with a 30-mm armor plate, which protected the crew in the event of a mine explosion. The gun mask received additional protection. Reinforced armored casings were installed on the air intakes. The driver's periscopes received a sun visor. The towing hooks located in the front part of the hull were strengthened. Additional mounts for tools and additional equipment were installed on the sides and rear of the vehicle. On occasion, these fasteners could be used to stretch the camouflage net.

Instead of Kgs 62/600/130 tracks, the Elephants received Kgs 64/640/130 tracks.

The intercom system was redone, and mounts for 5 additional 88 mm rounds were installed inside. Mounts for spare track tracks were placed on the wings and on the rear wall of the fighting compartment.

During the modernization, the hull and lower part of the superstructure were covered with zimmerit.

BREMBERGERPANZER “TIGER” (P) – “BERGE-ELEFANT”

A serious disadvantage of units equipped with heavy tank destroyers was that damaged vehicles were almost impossible to evacuate from the battlefield. During the Battle of Kursk, ARVs based on the Panther tank chassis were not yet ready, and standard SdKfz 9 half-track tractors had to be connected several at a time to move the 60-ton Ferdinand. It is easy to imagine that the Soviet artillery did not miss the opportunity to cover such a “train” with fire. In August 1943, the Nibelungenwerk company converted three VK 4501 (P) tanks into ARVs. Like the Ferdinands, the repair tanks had their power compartment moved to the middle of the hull, and a small wheelhouse was built in the rear. In the front wall of the cabin, in a spherical Kugelblende 50 mount, there was an MG 34 machine gun, which was the only armament of the vehicle. The Bergepanzer "Tiger" (P) repair and recovery vehicles did not have reinforced frontal armor, so the driver's seat was equipped with a standard viewing device. The “birthmark” of the tank past was the patch on. frontal armor - a trace of a welded hole for a forward machine gun.

In the fall of 1943, ARVs entered the 653rd Division. As of June 1, 1944, the 2nd and 3rd companies of the division each had one Bergepanzer “Tiger” (P), the 1st company of the 653rd division lost its ARV in the summer of 1944 during the fighting in Italy.

One (or two?) Tiger tank (P) was used as a headquarters tank by the command of the 653rd division. The tank bore the tactical number "003", and was probably the tank of the division commander, Captain Grillenberger.

RAMPANZER TANK « TIGER" (P)

The battles in Stalingrad showed that the German army needed a heavy tank capable of ramming rubble and barricades on the streets, as well as destroying buildings.

On January 5, 1943, during a meeting in Rastenburg, Hitler ordered the conversion of three hulls of VK 4501 (P) tanks from among the hulls located in Saint-Valentine. The alteration was supposed to consist of strengthening the frontal armor by 100-150 mm and equipping the tank with a special ram, facilitating the destruction of fortifications.

The shape of the hull was such that the debris of destroyed buildings rolled down and the tank could always move out from under the rubble. The Germans only built a 1:15 scale model; they did not make it to a prototype. The creation of ram tanks was opposed by the Panzerwaffe command, which believed that such designs had no practical combat use. Soon the Fuhrer himself forgot about the Raumpanzer, since his attention was entirely absorbed by the new colossus - the super-heavy Maus tank.

ORGANIZATION OF COMBAT UNITS

Initially, the Oberkommando der Heeres (OKH) planned to form three divisions of heavy tank destroyers. Two already existing divisions were to receive new vehicles: the 190th and 197th, and a third division, the 600th, was supposed to be formed. The recruitment of the divisions was to take place in accordance with the staffing table KStN 446b of January 31, 1943, as well as in accordance with the staffing table KStN 416b, 588b and 598 of January 31, 1943. The division consisted of three batteries (9 vehicles in each battery) and a headquarters battery (three vehicles). The division was supplemented by a motorized workshop and headquarters.

Such a scheme bore a clear “artillery” imprint. Artillery Command also determined that the primary tactical unit was the battery, not the entire battalion. Such tactics were quite effective against small tank detachments, but turned out to be completely useless if the enemy carried out a massive tank attack. 9 self-propelled guns could not hold a wide section of the front, so Russian tanks could easily bypass the Ferdinands and attack them from the flank or rear. After Colonel General Heinz Guderian was appointed to the post of Inspector General of the Panzerwaffe on March 1, 1943, the structure of the divisions underwent a major reorganization. One of G'uderian's first orders was the transfer of the formed units of assault artillery and tank destroyers from the jurisdiction of the artillery command to the jurisdiction of the Panzerwaffe.

Guderian ordered the Ferdinands to be united into a separate regiment of heavy tank destroyers; on March 22, 1943, Guderian ordered that the regiment should consist of two divisions (battalions), consisting of companies; staffed according to the staffing table KStN 1148с. Each company had three platoons (four vehicles per platoon, plus two vehicles under the company commander). The headquarters company had three Ferdinands (KStN 1155 dated March 31, 1943). The headquarters of the regiment, called the 656th Heavy Assault Artillery Regiment, was formed on the basis of the reserve company of the 35th Tank Regiment in St. Pölten.

The regiment's divisions were numbered 653 and 654. At one time the divisions were called the I and II battalions of the 656th regiment.

In addition to the Ferdinands, each division was armed with PzKpfw III Ausf tanks. J SdKfz 141 (5 cm Kurz) and one Panzerbeobaehtungwagen Ausf. J 5 cm L/42. At the regimental headquarters there were three PzKpfw II Ausf tanks. F SdKfz 121, two PzKpfw III Ausf. J (5 cm Kurz), as well as two spotter tanks.

The regiment's fleet was supplemented by 25 cars, 11 ambulances and 146 trucks. As tractors, the regiment used 15 Zgkw 18 ton SdKfz 9 half-tracks, as well as lighter SdKfz 7/1, on which 20-mm anti-aircraft guns were mounted. The regiment did not receive Zgkw 35 ton SdKfz 20 tractors; instead, in November 1943, the regiment was equipped with two Bergpanthers and three Bergpanzer Tigers (P). The regiment was sent five Munitionsschlepper III ammunition carriers - PzKpfw III tanks without turrets, adapted for transporting ammunition to the front line and evacuating the wounded, since the regiment did not receive standard SdKfz 251/8 ambulance armored personnel carriers.

As a result of losses suffered during the Battle of Kursk in August 1943, the regiment was reorganized into a single division. Soon after this, the 216th Assault Gun Battalion, equipped with Sturpmpanzer IV "Brummbaer" vehicles, was included in the regiment.

On December 16, 1943, the regiment was withdrawn from the front. After repairing and modernizing the vehicles, the 653rd division fully restored its combat capability. Due to the difficult situation in Italy, the 1st company of the division was sent to the Apennines. The remaining two companies of the division ended up on the Eastern Front. The company that fought in Italy was considered from the very beginning as a separate unit. She was given a repair platoon, which had one Berge “Tiger” (P) and two Munitionspanzer III. The company itself consisted of 11 Elefant tank destroyers.

The 653rd Division had a more curious structure, in which only two companies remained. Each company was divided into three platoons with four Elephants in each platoon (three line vehicles and the platoon commander's vehicle). Two more “Elephants” were at the disposal of the company commander. In total, the company consisted of 14 self-propelled guns. There were three vehicles left in the division's reserve, and from June 1, 1944, two. On June 1, the 653rd Division consisted of 30 Elefant tank destroyers. In addition, the division had other armored vehicles. The division commander, Hauptmann Grillenberger, used the Tiger (P) tank, which had the tactical number “003”, as his headquarters tank. Another command tank was the Panther PzKpfw V Ausf. D1, equipped with the turret of the PzKpfw IV Ausf. H (SdKfz 161/1). Anti-aircraft cover for the division was provided by a captured T-34-76, armed with a quadruple 20-mm Flakvierling 38 mount and two trucks armed with 20-mm anti-aircraft guns.

The headquarters company consisted of a communications platoon, an engineer platoon and an air defense platoon (one SdKfz 7/1, and two trucks armed with 20 mm anti-aircraft guns). Each company had a repair and recovery section with two Munitionspanzer IIIs and one Berge "Tiger" (P). Another Berge "Tiger" (P) was part of a repair company. On June 1, 1944, the division consisted of 21 officers, 8 military officials, 199 non-commissioned officers, 766 privates, as well as 20 Ukrainian Hiwis. The division's armament, in addition to armored vehicles, consisted of 619 rifles, 353 pistols, 82 submachine guns, and 36 anti-tank rifles. The division's fleet consisted of 23 motorcycles, 6 motorcycles with sidecars, 38 passenger cars, 56 trucks, 23 SdKfz 3 Opel-Maultier half-track trucks, 3 SdKfz 11 half-track tractors, 22 Zgktw 18 ton SdKfz 9 tractors, 9 low-axle trailers and 1 SdKfz ambulance armored personnel carrier 251 /8. Division documents indicate that as of June 1, the division had one Munitionspanzer T-34, but it is unknown which company this ammunition carrier belonged to. As of July 18, 1944, the division had 33 Elephant tanks. The two “extra” Elefants were apparently vehicles of the 1st company, sent to the Reich for repairs, and then ended up as part of the 653rd division.

The last unit equipped with Elephants was the 614. schwere Heeres Panzerjaeger Kompanie formed in the fall of 1944, which consisted of 10-12 vehicles (on October 3 - 10, on December 14, 1944 - 12 "Elephants").

COMBAT USE OF FERDINANDS

In the spring of 1943, two divisions equipped with Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers were formed.

The first division, known as 653. schwere Heeres Panzerjaeger Abteilimg, was formed in Brück/Leitha. The division's personnel were recruited from 197/StuG Abt and from recovering self-propelled gunners from other units.

The second division was formed at the training ground near Rouen and Mely-les-Camps (France). It was 654. schwere Heeres Panzerjaeger Abteilung. The division was commanded by Major Noack. On May 22, the formation of the 656th heavy tank destroyer regiment began, which, in addition to the two mentioned divisions, included the 216th assault artillery division, equipped with Sturmpanzer IV “Brummbaer” vehicles.

First, we finished recruiting the 654th division, and then began recruiting the 653rd.

Having completed their training, the divisions participated in live firing (the 653rd at the Neusiedl am See training ground, and the 654th at the Meli-le-Camp training ground). Then both divisions found themselves on the Eastern Front. The shipment took place on June 9, 1943. On the eve of the start of the German army's offensive on the Kursk Bulge, the 656th regiment consisted of 45 Ferdinands as part of the 653rd division and 44 Ferdinands as part of the 654th division (the missing vehicle was most likely Ferdinand No. 150011, which was tested in Kümmersdorf ). In addition, each division had five PzKpfw III Ausf tanks. J SdKfz 141 and one Panzerbefehlswagen mit 5 cm KwK 39 L/42. The 216th division consisted of 42 Brummbers. Immediately before the start of the offensive, the division was reinforced with two more companies of assault guns (36 vehicles).

During the battles on the Kursk Bulge, the 656th Regiment acted as part of the XXXXI Tank Corps, Army Group Center (corps commander General Harpe). The regiment was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Jungenfeld. The 653rd Division supported the actions of the 86th and 292nd Infantry Divisions, and the 654th Division supported the attack of the 78th Wittemberg Assault Infantry Division on Malo-Arkhangelsk.

On the first day of the offensive, the 653rd Division advanced to Aleksandrovka, which lay deep in the Red Army’s defense line. During the first day of fighting, the Germans were able to set fire to 26 T-34-76 tanks and destroy several anti-tank guns. "Ferdinands" of the 654th division supported the attack of the infantry of the 508th regiment of the 78th division at heights 238.1 and 253.5 and in the direction of the village of Ponyri. Next, the division advanced on Olkhovatka.

In total, since June 7, 1943, during the battles on the Kursk Bulge (according to OKH data), the Ferdinands of the 656th regiment destroyed 502 tanks, 20 anti-tank guns and 100 artillery pieces.

The battles on the Kursk Bulge showed both the advantages and disadvantages of the Ferdinand heavy tank destroyers. The advantages were thick frontal armor and powerful weapons, which made it possible to fight all types of Soviet tanks. However, at the Kursk Bulge it turned out that the Ferdinands had too thin side armor. The fact is that the powerful Ferdinands often went deep into the defensive formations of the Red Army, and the infantry covering the flanks could not keep up with the vehicles. As a result, Soviet tanks and anti-tank guns could fire from the flank without hindrance.

Numerous technical shortcomings were also revealed, caused by the too hasty adoption of the Ferdinands into service. The frames of the current generators were not strong enough - often the generators were torn off the frames. The caterpillar tracks constantly burst, and the on-board communications failed every now and then.

In addition, the Red Army now had at its disposal a formidable opponent of the German menagerie - the SU-152 “St. John’s Wort”, armed with a 152.4 mm howitzer cannon. On July 8, 1943, the SU-152 division ambushed an Elephants column from the 653rd division. The Germans lost 4 self-propelled guns. It also turned out that the Ferdinand chassis is very sensitive to mine explosions. The Germans lost approximately half of the 89 Ferdinands to minefields.

The 653rd and 654th divisions did not have tugs powerful enough to evacuate damaged vehicles from the battlefield. To evacuate damaged vehicles, the Germans tried to use “trains” of 3-4 SdKfz 9 half-track tractors, but these attempts, as a rule, were stopped by Soviet artillery. Therefore, many even slightly damaged Ferdinands had to be abandoned or blown up.

On the Kursk Bulge, the 656th Regiment disabled about 500 enemy tanks. It is difficult to verify this figure, but it is obvious that the Ferdinands, along with the Tigers, caused the greatest losses to the Soviet tank forces. An OKH circular dated November 5, 1943 reports that the 656th Regiment had 582 tanks, 344 anti-tank guns, 133 artillery pieces, 103 anti-tank guns, 3 enemy aircraft, 3 armored vehicles and 3 self-propelled guns.

At the end of August 1943, the 654th Division was withdrawn from the front to France, where the division received new Jagdpanther tank destroyers. The remaining Ferdinands in the division were transferred to the 653rd division. In early September, the 653rd Division took a short rest, after which it took part in the battles near Kharkov.

In October and November, the Ferdinands of the 653rd division took part in heavy defensive battles near Nikopol and Dnepropetrovsk. On December 16, 1943, the division was withdrawn from the front. Until January 10, 1944, the 653rd Division was on vacation in Austria.

Already on February 1, 1944, the Panzerwaffe inspector ordered one company of “Elephants” to be brought into combat readiness as quickly as possible. By that time, 8 vehicles had been converted, and another 2-4 self-propelled guns were supposed to be ready within a few days. 8 combat-ready vehicles were transferred to the 1st company of the 653rd division on February 9, 1944. On February 19, the company received three more vehicles.

At the end of February 1944, the 1st company of the 653rd division went to Italy. Three more Elefants were sent to Italy on February 29, 1944. The company took part in battles in the Anzio Nettuno area and in the Cisterna area. On April 12, 1944, two Elephants burned 14 attacking Shermans. According to the staffing schedule, the company had 11 tank destroyers, however, as a rule, several vehicles were constantly under repair. The last time the company was 100% combat ready was February 29, 1944, that is, the day it arrived in Italy. In March, the company received reinforcements - two Elephants. In addition to heavy tank destroyers, the company had a Munitionspanzer III ammunition carrier and one Berge "Tiger" (P). Most often, "Elephants" were used to organize anti-tank defense. They acted from an ambush and destroyed detected enemy tanks.

In May and June 1944, the company took part in battles in the Rome area. At the end of June the company was taken to Austria, to Saint-Pölten. The company's personnel were sent to the Eastern Front, and the two surviving Elephants were transferred to the 653rd division.

The headquarters company, as well as the 2nd and 3rd line companies of the 653rd division operated on the Eastern Front. On April 7 and 9, 1944, the division supported the actions of a battle group from the 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen" in the area of ​​Podhajec and Brzezan. In the Zlotnik area, the division repelled attacks by the 10th Tank Corps of the Red Army. The Germans could only operate along good roads, since the heavy 65-ton vehicles felt unsure on the spring thawed ground. From April 10, the 653rd Division operated as part of the 1st Tank Army of the Wehrmacht. On April 15 and 16, 1944, the division fought heavy battles in the suburbs of Ternopil. The next day, nine Elephants were damaged. By the end of April, the 2nd and 3rd companies of the 653rd division were removed from the front. The division entered battle again on May 4, 1944 near Kamenka-Strumilovskaya,

In June and July the division fought in Western Galicia. The division had approximately 20-25 combat-ready vehicles. At the beginning of July, the number of combat-ready vehicles was 33. In the second half of July, the 2nd and 3rd companies of the 653rd division were driven into Poland.

On August 1, 1944, there was not a single combat-ready vehicle in the division, and 12 Elephants were under repair. Soon the mechanics managed to return 8 cars to service.

In August 1944, the 653rd Division suffered heavy losses during unsuccessful counterattacks at Sandomierz and Dębica. On September 19, 1944, the division was transferred to the 17th Army of Army Group “A” (former Army Group “Northern Ukraine”).

Routine repairs of self-propelled guns were carried out at a repair plant in Krakow-Rakowice, as well as at the Baildon steel mill in Katowice.

In September 1944, the 653rd Division was removed from the front and sent to the rear for rearmament.

After the division received the Jagdpanthers, the remaining Elephants were assembled into 614. schwere Panzerjaeger Kompanie, which had a total of 13-14 vehicles.

At the beginning of 1945, “Elephants” from the 614th company operated as part of the 4th Tank Army. There is no consensus on how the Elephants were used in the last weeks of the war. Some sources claim that on February 25 the company reached the front in the Wünsdorf area, and then the Elephants fought as part of the Ritter battle group in the Zossen area (April 22-23, 1945). Only four Elephants took part in the last battles. Other sources claim that the Elephants fought in mountainous Austria at the end of April.

Two “Elephants” have survived to this day. One of them is on display in the museum in Kubinka (this self-propelled gun was captured at the Kursk Bulge). Another "Elephant" is located at the training ground in Aberdeen, Maryland, USA. This is self-propelled gun “102” from the 1st company of the 653rd division, captured by the Americans in the Anzio area.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

The heavy self-propelled anti-tank gun was intended to combat enemy armored vehicles. The crew of the Ferdinand tank destroyer consisted of six people: a driver, a radio operator (later a gunner-radio operator), a commander, a gunner and two loaders.

The crew of the 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 heavy tank destroyer consisted of five people: a driver, a commander, a gunner and two loaders.

Frame

The all-welded body consisted of a frame assembled from steel T-profiles and armor plates. To assemble the hulls, heterogeneous armor plates were produced, the outer surface of which was harder than the inner. The armor plates were connected to each other by welding. The booking scheme is shown in the figure.

Additional armor was attached to the frontal armor plate using 32 bolts. Additional armor consisted of three armor plates.

The self-propelled gun body was divided into a power compartment located in the central part, a fighting compartment in the stern and a control post in the front. The power compartment housed a gasoline engine and electric generators. The electric motors were located in the rear of the hull. The machine was controlled using levers and pedals. The driver's seat was equipped with a full set of instruments that monitor engine operation, a speedometer, a clock and a compass. The view from the driver's seat was provided by three fixed periscopes and a viewing slot located on the left side of the hull. In 1944, the driver's periscopes were equipped with a sun visor.

To the right of the driver was the gunner-radio operator. The view from the gunner-radio operator's position was provided by a viewing slot cut into the starboard side. The radio station was located to the left of the radio operator's position.

Access to the control station was through two rectangular hatches located in the roof of the hull.

The remaining crew members were located in the rear of the hull: on the left was the gunner, on the right was the commander, and behind the breech were both loaders. There were hatches on the roof of the cabin: on the right was a double-leaf rectangular hatch for the commander, on the left was a double-leaf round hatch for the gunner, and two small round single-leaf loader hatches. In addition, in the rear wall of the cabin there was a large round single-leaf hatch intended for loading ammunition. In the center of the hatch was a small port through which machine gun fire could be fired to protect the rear of the tank. Two more loopholes were located in the right and left walls of the fighting compartment.

The power compartment was equipped with two carburetor engines, gas tanks, an oil tank, a radiator, a cooling system pump, a fuel pump and two generators. Two electric motors were located at the rear of the vehicle. The air intakes of the power compartment passed through the roof of the hull. The exhaust pipes along with the mufflers were located in such a way that the exhaust was ejected above the tracks.

The hull of the 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 tank destroyer was divided into a control post, a power compartment and a fighting compartment open at the top. The fighting compartment could be accessed through doors located in the rear wall of the hull.

Power point

The car was driven by two carburetor twelve-cylinder overhead valve liquid-cooled Maybach HL 120 TRM engines with a displacement of 11,867 cc and a power of 195 kW/265 hp. at 2600 rpm. The total engine power was 530 hp. Cylinder diameter 105 mm, piston stroke 115 mm, gear ratio 6.5, maximum speed 2600 per minute.

The Maybach HL 120 TRM engine was equipped with two Solex 40 IFF 11 carburetors, the ignition sequence of the fuel-air mixture in the cylinders was 1-12-5-8-3-10-6-7-2-11-4-9. A radiator with a capacity of about 75 liters was located behind the engines. In addition, the Elefant was equipped with an oil cooler and an engine starting system in cold weather, which provided fuel heating. The Elefant used leaded gasoline OZ 74 (octane number 74) as fuel. Two gas tanks held 540 liters of gasoline. Fuel consumption when driving over rough terrain reached 1200 liters per 100 km. Gas tanks were located along the sides of the power compartment. The Solex fuel pump was electrically driven. The oil tank was located on the side of the engines. The oil filter was located near the carburetor. Zyklon air filter. The clutch is dry, multi-disc.

Carburetor engines drove electric current generators of the Siemens Tour aGV type, which, in turn, powered Siemens D1495aAC electric motors with a power of 230 kW each. The engines, through an electromechanical transmission, rotated the drive wheels located at the rear of the vehicle. "Elephant" had three forward and three reverse gears. The main brake and auxiliary brake are of mechanical type, manufactured by Krupp.

The 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 tank destroyer was powered by a Maybach HL 116 carburetor engine.

The Maybach HL 116 engine is a six-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with 265 hp. at 3300 rpm and a displacement of 11048 cc. Cylinder diameter 125 mm, piston stroke 150 cm. Gear ratio 6.5. The engine was equipped with two Solex 40 JFF II carburetors, ignition sequence 1-5-3-6-2-4. The main clutch is dry, three-disc. Transmission Zahnfabrik ZF SSG 77, six forward gears, one reverse. Mechanical brakes, Henschel.

Steering

Electromechanical steering. Final drives and clutch are electric. The turning radius did not exceed 2.15 m!

The 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 self-propelled units were also equipped with final drives and final clutches.

Chassis

The Ferdinand-Elephant chassis consisted (for one side) of three two-wheeled bogies, a drive wheel and a steering wheel. Each support roller had an independent suspension. The track rollers were stamped from sheet metal and had a diameter of 794 mm. The cast drive wheel was located at the rear of the body. The drive wheel had a diameter of 920 mm and had two rows of 19 teeth. In the front part of the body there was a guide wheel with a mechanical track tension system. The idler wheel had the same teeth as the drive wheel, which made it possible to prevent the tracks from running over. Kgs 64/640/130 tracks are single-pin, single-ridge, dry type (the pins are not lubricated). Track support length 4175 mm, width 640 mm, pitch 130 mm, track 2310 mm. Each caterpillar consisted of 109 tracks. Anti-slip teeth could be installed on the tracks. The track tracks were made of manganese alloy. For the "Elephants" it was not envisaged to use narrower transport tracks, as was the case with the "Tiger". Initially, tracks with a width of 600 mm were used, then they were replaced with wider ones of 640 mm.

The chassis of the 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 tank destroyer (applied to one side) consisted of 16 road wheels, independently suspended in such a way that the wheels partially overlapped each other. In this case, even and odd road wheels were located at different distances from the body. Despite the fact that the hull was significantly lengthened, only one additional pair of rollers was added. The diameter of the track rollers is 700 mm. The guide wheels with the track tension mechanism were located at the stern, and the drive wheels were located in the front part of the hull. The upper section of the caterpillar passed through three support rollers. The track width was 520 mm, each track consisted of 85 tracks, the track support length was 4750 mm, the track was 2100 mm.

Armament

The main armament of the Ferdinands was the 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 L/71 anti-tank gun of 88 mm caliber. Ammunition capacity: 50-55 rounds, placed along the sides of the hull and wheelhouse. Horizontal firing sector 30 degrees (15 to the left and right), elevation/declination angle +18 –8 degrees. If necessary, up to 90 rounds could be loaded inside the fighting compartment. The length of the gun barrel is 6300 mm, the length of the barrel with muzzle brake is 6686 mm. There were 32 grooves inside the barrel. Gun weight 2200 kg. The following ammunition was used for the gun:

• armor-piercing PzGr39/l (weight 10.2 kg, initial speed 1000 m/s),
• high-explosive SpGr L/4.7 (weight 8.4 kg, initial speed 700 m/s),
• cumulative Gr 39 HL (weight 7.65 kg, initial speed about 600 m/s)
• armor-piercing PzGr 40/43 (weight 7.3 kg).

The crew's personal weapons consisted of MP 38/40 machine guns, pistols, rifles and hand grenades, stored inside the fighting compartment.

The armament of the 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 tank destroyer consisted of a 12.8 cm K 40 cannon, 18 rounds of ammunition. An MG 34 machine gun with 600 rounds of ammunition served as additional weapons.

After the conversion, the Elephants were equipped with MG 34 machine guns of 7.92 mm caliber with 600 rounds of ammunition. The machine guns were mounted in a Kugelblende 80 spherical mount.

Electrical equipment

The electrical equipment is built according to a single-core circuit, the on-board network voltage is 24 V. The network is equipped with electrical fuses. The power source for the carburetor engines was a Bosch GQLN 300/12-90 generator and two Bosch lead batteries with a voltage of 12 V and a capacity of 150 Ah. Bosch BNG 4/24 starter, Bosch type ignition,

The power supply included backlight lamps, a sight, a sound signal, a headlight, a Notek road light, a radio station, and a gun trigger.

The 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 tank destroyer was equipped with a single-core network, voltage 24 V. The starter and current generator are of the same type as those of the Ferdinand. The self-propelled gun was equipped with four batteries with a voltage of 6V and a capacity of 105 Ah.

Radio equipment

Both types of tank destroyers were equipped with FuG 5 and FuG Spr f radio stations.

Optical equipment

The Ferdinand gunner's position was equipped with a Selbstfahrlafetten-Zielfernrohr l a Rblf 36 sight, providing a five-fold magnification and a field of view of 8 degrees. The driver had three periscopes protected by an armored glass insert.

Coloring

Self-propelled guns "Ferdinald-Elephant" were painted according to the rules adopted in the Panzerwaffe.

Typically, the vehicles were entirely painted in Wehrmach Olive paint, which was sometimes overlaid with camouflage (dark green Olive Gruen paint or brown Brun). Some vehicles received three-color camouflage.

The few Elefants that saw action in the winter of 1943 in Ukraine were probably covered in white washable paint.

Initially, all Ferdinands were painted entirely dark yellow. This was the coloring carried by the Ferdinands of the 653rd division during the formation of the unit. Immediately before being sent to the front, the cars were repainted. Interestingly, the cars of the 653rd division were painted slightly differently than the cars of the 654th division. The 653rd Division used olive-brown camouflage, and the 654th Division used olive green. Perhaps this was caused by the specifics of the terrain in which self-propelled guns were supposed to be used. The 653rd Division used "spotted" camouflage. This camouflage was worn by vehicles “121” and “134” from the 1st company of the 653rd division.

In turn, in the 654th division, in addition to spotted camouflage (for example, vehicles “501” and “511” from the 5th company) they used mesh camouflage (for example, vehicles “612” and “624” from the 6th company). Most likely, in the 654th division, each company used its own camouflage scheme, although there were exceptions: for example, mesh camouflage was carried by “Ferdinands” “521” from the 5th company and “724” from the 7th company.

Some discrepancy in camouflage is also noted among the vehicles of the 653rd division.

The 656th Regiment used the standard tactical number scheme adopted by all tank units. Tactical numbers were three-digit numbers that were painted on the sides of the hull, and sometimes on the stern (for example, in the 7th company of the 654th division in July 1943 and in the 2nd and 3rd companies of the 653rd division in 1944 year). The numbers were painted with white paint. In the 653rd Division in 1943, the numbers were outlined with a black border. The 2nd and 3rd Companies of the 653rd Division in 1944 used black tactical numbers with white piping.

Initially, the vehicles of the 656th Regiment did not carry any emblems. In 1943, beam crosses were painted on the sides of the hull and in the lower part of the stern with white paint. In 1944, beam crosses on the rear wall of the cabin appeared on vehicles of the 2nd company of the 653rd division.

During the Battle of Kursk, vehicles of the 654th division carried the letter “N” on the left front wing or frontal armor. This letter probably denoted the surname of the division commander, Major Noack. The vehicles of the 1st Company of the 653rd Division that fought in Italy also carried the company (or division?) emblem on the left side of the wheelhouse above and in front, as well as on the starboard side above and behind.

Two 12.8 cm Sfl L/61 tank destroyers that fought on the Eastern Front were painted entirely in Panzer Grau gray paint.

(The article was prepared for the website “Wars of the 20th Century” © http://website based on the book “Ferdinand – German tank destroyer. Tornado. Army series".When copying an article, please do not forget to put a link to the source page of the “Wars of the 20th Century” site).

German tank building during World War II was one of the best in the world. Bold engineering ideas were implemented at the largest factories in the country: Nibelungenwerke, Alkett, Krupp, Rheinmetall, Oberdonau, etc. Models of equipment have improved, adapting to the conduct of combat operations that have not yet been known in history. The quantitative and qualitative use of armored vehicles could decide the outcome of the battle. Tanks are the iron fist of warring powers. Resisting them is not easy, but it is possible. Thus, mobile anti-tank artillery with a suspension design similar to tanks, but with a more powerful weapon, is entering the combat arena. One of the most famous German tank destroyers that participated in WWII was the Ferdinand.




The engineering genius Ferdinand Porsche became known as Hitler's favorite for his Volkswagen. The Fuhrer wanted Dr. Porsche to direct the vector of his ideas and knowledge into the military industry. The famous inventor did not have to wait long. Porsche designed a new chassis for tanks. The new Leopard, VK3001(P), Tiger(P) tanks were tested on its chassis. Tests have shown the advantages of the innovative chassis model. Thus, in September 1942. Porsche was ordered to develop a tank destroyer with an 88-mm cannon based on the chassis designed for the Tiger heavy tank. The assault gun must be well protected, the gun must be in a stationary wheelhouse - these were the Fuhrer's orders. The redesigned Tiger(P) tanks became the prototypes of the Ferdinand. The hull of the Porsche Tiger underwent minimal changes, mainly in the rear, where a conning tower with an 88-mm gun and a machine gun in the front plate was installed (later the machine gun was removed due to excess weight, which became a significant drawback in close combat with enemy infantry) . The front part of the hull was reinforced with additional armor plates 100 and 30 mm thick. As a result, the project was approved, and an order was received for the construction of 90 such machines.
February 6, 1943 At the meeting of the commanders-in-chief, a report was heard on the production of an “assault gun on a Porsche-Tiger chassis.” By order of Hitler, the new vehicle received the official designation “8.8-mm Pak 43/2 Sfl L/71 Panzerjager Tiger(P) Ferdinand”. Thus, the Fuhrer recognized the achievements of Ferdinand Porsche by assigning his name to the self-propelled gun.

So, what was the innovation of the chassis designed by Porsche? For one side, the undercarriage of the Ferdinand consisted of three bogies with two rollers each. The original component of the chassis was the placement of the bogie suspension torsion bars not inside the hull, like many other tanks, but outside, and not transversely, but longitudinally. Despite the rather complex design of the suspension developed by F. Porsche, it worked very effectively. In addition, it turned out to be well suited for repair and maintenance in the field, which was an important advantage during combat operations. Another original component of the Ferdinand design was the electrical system for transmitting torque from the prime movers to the engine drive wheels. Thanks to this, the vehicle did not have such components as a gearbox and main clutch, and, consequently, their control drives, which simplified the repair and operation of the power plant, and also reduced the weight of the self-propelled gun.

Dividing 90 vehicles into two battalions, the command sent one to Russia and the second to France, later transferring it also to the Soviet-German front. In battles, the Ferdinand showed itself to be a powerful tank destroyer. The gun worked effectively at long distances, while Soviet heavy artillery did not cause critical damage to the self-propelled gun. Only the sides of the Ferdinand were vulnerable to field artillery guns and tanks. The Germans lost most of the new vehicles in minefields that they did not have time to clear or did not map their own. 19 self-propelled guns were lost in the battles near Kursk. At the same time, the combat mission was completed, and the Ferdinands destroyed more than 100 tanks, anti-tank guns and other Soviet military equipment.

The Soviet command, encountering a new type of equipment for the first time, did not attach high importance to it, as it was carried away by another formidable rival - the Tiger. However, several abandoned and burned self-propelled guns fell into the hands of Soviet technicians and engineers and were examined. Several vehicles were fired from different guns to test the penetration of the armor of the new German assault guns.

The soldiers, having learned about the new self-propelled gun “Ferdinand”, began to call other equipment with a rear-mounted turret or wheelhouse that name. There were many rumors and legends about the powerful German self-propelled gun. Therefore, after the war, the USSR was quite surprised that only 90 real Ferdinands were produced. A manual for the destruction of the Ferdinands was also mass-produced.

Failures near Kursk forced the tank destroyer to be sent for repair and reconfiguration. The strategy for introducing these vehicles into battle was also revised. To protect self-propelled guns from attacks on the flank and rear and during close combat, accompanying Pz.IV tanks were assigned to them. The order for joint combat operations between self-propelled guns and infantry was also abolished, since due to the active shelling of the Ferdinands, the accompanying infantry suffered heavy losses. The vehicles newly brought onto the battlefield were able to cope with combat missions better and faster, suffering minimal losses. During the fighting on the Zaporozhye bridgehead, only 4 vehicles were lost. And after the participation of the Ferdinands in the battles in Western Ukraine, it was decided to send the surviving vehicles to the rear for repairs and upgrades. Vehicles with new tracks, a straightened chassis, which suffered most often, with a machine gun in the frontal armor plate (used by the radio operator) and other minor changes entered the battle already on the Italian front, but the updated self-propelled gun had a different name - “Elephant”...

Summary. It’s not for nothing that the powerful German tank destroyer has earned so many legends and tales. During the war, the word “Ferdinand” became an epithet for Soviet soldiers. The heaviest colossus weighing 65 tons (after the Ferdinand battalion crossed one of the bridges over the Seine, the bridge sank by 2 cm) was well armored and equipped with a powerful weapon. The frontal armor held back most Soviet field guns and tanks, but the lightly armored sides and rear were vulnerable. Also weak points were the grille in the front part of the hull, under which the power plant was located, and the roof. The Achilles heel, as it turned out, was the chassis, especially its front part. Taking it out of action almost always ended in defeat. The clumsy "Ferdinand", remaining motionless, could fire only in a limited sector due to the static nature of the cabin. In this case, the crew blew up the self-propelled gun if the enemy did not do so first.