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The Bergepanzer Tiger (P) was a recovery tank based on the failed Porsche Tiger.
After the failure of the Tiger (P), it was decided to use 91 of the 100 armoured hulls to produce tank hunters (the 'Ferdinand'). This left nine spare. Of these three were converted into recovery tanks in August-September 1943.
The chassis was modified in a similar way to the Ferdinand. The unreliable Porsche engines were replaced with Mayback HL 120 engines, which were mounted in the centre of the tank (on the Tiger (P) they were at the rear). The original superstructure was extended to the rear, and a new raised superstructure was added at the back, covering about the rear third of the vehicle. A ball mount for a 7.92mm MG34 was placed in the new superstructure. Recovery equipment was limited to a small derrick crane, rams and timber beams.
The Bergepanzer Tiger (P) went to schwere Panzerabteilung 501, one of the original Tiger I units.
Professor Porsche’s Wars, Karl Ludvigsen.
A study of the military aspects of Fredinand Porsche’s career, spanning a wide range of activities from First World War artillery tractors to the vast Maus tank, and including his most successful military design, the Beetle based Kubelwagen. A well balanced account of a long and active career that actually produced a surprisingly small number of militarily significant products.(Read Full Review)
