King Tiger Tank

Learn about the King Tiger (Tiger II) tank in Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, its 88mm gun, thick armor, and production numbers.

Development of the King Tiger began in January 1943 when Armaments Minister Albert Speer issued specifications for a new heavy tank with an 88mm high-velocity gun to Porsche and Henschel. Prototypes VK.4502 (P) and VK.4503(H) were ready by October. Porsche's turret design was put into production, but Henschel won the competition, with production starting at the end of December. The first 50 vehicles used the Porsche turret to avoid waste.

The PzKpfw VI Ausf B, known as the Tiger II or Königstiger (King or Royal Tiger), was the most formidable tank in service until the introduction of the Soviet JS-3 just before the war's end. Despite its formidable appearance, it was underpowered, using the same Maybach HL 230 P45 engine as the Tiger I, despite being 11 tons heavier, resulting in an extremely poor power-to-weight ratio. Although it achieved a maximum road speed of 41.5km/h during trials, sustaining this speed was likely to cause breakdowns. However, by the time the Tiger II entered combat in February 1944, Germany was on the defensive, making heavy armor and a powerful gun more critical than mobility.

The Tiger II boasted extremely thick, well-sloped armor and a long-barreled, high-velocity 88mm KwK 43 L/71 gun. This made it the most powerful German tank of the war, capable of engaging Allied tanks at long ranges. Its poor maneuverability, however, made it vulnerable to attacks on its flanks or rear. Additionally, the Tiger II was susceptible to aerial attacks from fighter-bombers, and its large size made it difficult to conceal. Only 487 were produced, and like many late-war German weapons, they were considered too few and too late.