| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The very heavy armour and extremely powerful gun made the Tiger II superior to any British or American tanks on the Western front. It was also more than a match for all Russian tanks on the Eastern front. The late development and small numbers of the Konigstiger prevented it playing a crucial role in the war effort.
The Tiger II's were sent directly from factories into combat. As a result of the abandonment of post-production testing and preliminary trials, these tanks had numerous technical issues. Notably, the steering control would break down under the stress of the vehicle's weight. In addition, not only were the engines prone to overheating and failure, but they were also considered to be extremely fuel inefficient. Explained Henschel & Son's chief designer Erwin Adlers, "The breakdowns can be attributed to the fact that the Tiger II had to go straight into series production without the benefit of test results."
| German armored fighting vehicles of World War II |
| Tanks |
| Panzer I | Panzer II | Panzer III | Panzer IV | Panzer V - Panther | Panzer VI - Tiger, Tiger II | Panzer 35(t) | Panzer 38(t) |
| Self-propelled artillery |
| Hummel | Bison I | Bison II | Wespe | Brummbär | Sturmtiger |
| Assault guns |
| Sturmgeschütz III | Sturmgeschütz IV |
| Tank destroyers |
| Panzerjäger I | Hetzer | Jagdpanzer IV | Jagdpanther | Marder I | Marder II | Marder III | Nashorn | Jagdtiger | Elefant |
| Armored cars |
| SdKfz 221 | SdKfz 222 | SdKfz 223 | SdKfz 232 |
| Self propelled anti-aircraft |
| Möbelwagen | Wirbelwind | Ostwind |
| Experimental vehicles |
| Maus | Ratte |
| German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II |