The Tiger I tank was a tank that had a considerable reputation. It was one to be feared when meeting it in combat as its 88mm gun and thick armor plating made it a tank that was very difficult to knock out. Many an Allied tank succumbed to the quality of its gun and its ammunition. 

However, like most German armor, it was a design that was not perfect. Foremost was that its automotive portion, that is the engine, transmission and drive train was designed for a tank of a lighter weight. By the time the Tiger was seen in combat, it was very heavy. This resulted in high wear and some difficulty in even moving the tank around. It had to be rail borne for any real distance and being as wide as it was, the outer road wheels had to be removed, the skirts taken off and special narrow transportation tracks installed to get it to fit rail cars.

It was also more frequently abandon due to mechanical breakdowns than it was knocked out by Allied tanks or anti-tank guns. Still, it was a formidable tank that even the best of Allied armor had difficulty in defeating. 

In this somewhat larger In Action title on the Tiger, author David Doyle covers the full development of the Tiger tank, its initial use in combat and, as in all of the In Action titles, provides us with detail information and drawings on the different variations during the time it was in production.

The book also is broken down by the units that were operating the tank, something a bit unusual for this series but one that works well. There are small color profiles in a few spots in the book and one page dedicated to the color schemes. There is even a full color image of a knocked out Tiger included within these pages. 

Overall, it makes for an excellent book on the Tiger that I am sure the tank fan will be continually pulling from the shelves. Highly recommended. 

December 2010

Thanks to Squadron Products for the review copy. Get yours today at your favorite shop or on-line retailer.

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