Elefant Ferdinand

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Elefant (Ferdinand) was german heavy tank destroyer. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) or Sd.Kfz. 184.
Ferdinand was designed on the basis of the chassis of the Tiger (P) prototype tank which was not taken for production and Ferdinand Porsche’s construction known also as VK 4501(P) (the P letter stood for Porsche’s construction). The Ferdinand production was, on one hand, the way of making use of chassis being produced and, on the other hand, an Adolf Hitler’s consolation prize for professor Porsche. Ferdinand was armed in a perfect gun 8,8 cm Pak 43/2 L/71, mounted in an armored superstructure located in the back of the vehicle. However, despite those advantages baptism of fire of Ferdinand in the Battle of Kursk (Operation “Citadel”, German: Unternehmen Zitadelle) was a defeat. Hurriedly produced and incorporated to the service tank destroyers had numerous mechanical defects of suspension and drive. Moreover, that vehicle was too big and too heavy and it did not have a machine gun to self-defense against enemy’s infantry. Ferdinands which survived Kursk, were withdrawn to be modernized. During modernization a machine gun, zimmerit and additional armour were added. 48 vehicles were modernized and their names were changed into Elefant.
It was too complicated and faulty, however, it was an enemy impossible to be defeated on long distances, it could destroy almost every tank of the enemy. Until now there have been two Ferdinands destroyers: in Tank Museum in Kubinka and in US Army Ordnance Museum.
Total production: 90.

Technical specifications

crew
6
lenght
8140 mm
width
3380 mm
height
2715 mm
combat weight
65000 kg
ground pressure
 1,23 kg/cm2
armor
hull: 100+100 mm front;  80 mm sides and rear, top: 30 mm, bottom 20 mm (+30 mm Elefant)
superstructure: 200 mm front, sides : 85 mm, rear: 85 mm, top: 30 mm
engine:
Maybach HL 120 TRM, 300 hp at 3000 rpm. 12 cylinder, water-cooled,
gasoline 11867 cm3.
electric engine:
Siemens D 1495a, 2×230 kW
fuel
1080 l
fuel consumption (road / off road) per 100 km
720l / 1200l
tracks
Kgs 62/600/130 or Kgs 64/640/130
number of links per track
109
track contact
4175 mm
track base
2310 mm
max speed
20 km/h (12 km/h off-road)
range
150 km (90 km off-road)
grade
22°
trench crossing
2640 mm
vertical obstacle
780 mm
fording
1000 mm
ground clearance
485 mm
ammunition
55 (later) rounds
secondary armament
1 x MG34 (600 rounds)
chassis numbers
150010 – 150100
manufacturer
Nibelungenwerke

Bibliography

  • Panzer Tracts No.9 Jagdpanzer Jagdpanzer 38 to Jagdtiger – Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle
  • Tadeusz Melleman: Ferdinand Elefant vol.1 and 2 – AJ-Press GunPower 22 & 23 (Polish/English)
  • Janusz Lewoch: Ferdinand Elefant – Wydawnictwo Militaria 187 (Polish/English)
  • Thomas Anderson: Ferdinand and Elefant Tank Destroyer, Osprey General Military
  • Walter J. Spielberger: Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant – Armour in Profile Number 20
  • Thomas L.Jentz: Elefant Panzerjager Tiger (P) – Museum Ordnance Special Number 4
  • Wolfgang Schneider: Elefant, Jagdtiger, Sturmtiger – Rarities of the Tiger Family
  • David Doyle: Ferdinand/Elefant Detail in Action, Squadron/Signal 79001
  • Karlheinz Münch, Bo H. Friesen: Combat History of Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 653, Formerly the Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 197, 1940-1943