IMGP7348

A versatile duct – Feifel system

The name Feifel will ring a bell for many a Tiger tank fan. Feifel is the name of the air filtration system used on early Tigers, and is named after the engineer, professor Feifel, who pioneered the principle of the cyclone pre-filter. This type of filter was intended for use in very dusty or polluted environments where oil filters alone were ineffective. The filters were initially used on the Tigers of the schwere Panzer-Abteilungen 501 and 504 in North Africa and later also with various units on the eastern front.

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Buffel & Kodiak – Leopard 2 Variants

On the motorway, I was pleasantly surprised by a convoy of Boxer AFVs. I could not have imagined that an even bigger surprise was waiting for me at the next lay-by. By chance, two low loaders of the Dutch army carrying specialized Leopard 2 variants were parked here. In this short post, we take a quick look at these vehicles – which were on their way back from deployment in Lithuania as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) mission.

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Tiger II V2 Extra: Off the Beaten Track

It often happens to me that an initially small article grows into a colossus. Likewise, my article on Tiger II V2 got slightly out of hand. This part of the article is now published separately as complete background on the Tiger II tracks for the tech-savvy.

Tiger II V2 was a test vehicle, and it is therefore not surprising that many test drives were made with it. The results of these test drives would eventually trigger all kinds of changes and developments. Significant changes to the tracks were also initiated in this way. In this article, I devote further attention to the design evolution of the Tiger II’s tracks.

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STT 9110 Jagdtiger

Haustenbeck’s Heritage: Jagdtiger 305 004’s Journey

This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series Haustenbeck's Heritage

A rare beast on any account, this particular Jagdtiger is unique in being the only surviving specimen featuring Porsche’s alternative suspension design. How did this vehicle make its way from a small town in Austria to Henschel’s proving ground in Senne to finally arrive at its final destination: the Bovington Tank Museum in the UK? In this part of the Haustenbeck’s Heritage series we follow Jagdtiger Fahrgestellnummer 305 004 on its journey to and from Haustenbeck, where it was initially found by the Allies.

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[Resource] D 655/27 Die Pantherfibel

Apart from the infamous Tigerfibel (D 656/27) for the Tiger, there was an equally richly illustrated for its younger cousin the Panther, called the Pantherfibel. These richly illustrated manuals taught the Panther-crews everything they should know about their respective tasks and their vehicle. Although parts of the Tigerfibel were in rhyme, especially the motto sections, the rhyme in the Pantherfibel continues throughout the text and is actually quite fun to read.

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Hillersleben Hill Climbing Competition

Rüstungstagung in Hillersleben

In this article I’d like to discuss a relatively unknown armaments conference, held at the Hillersleben artillery range on June 6 and 7, 1943. This Rüstungstagung was presided by Reichsminister Albert Speer and attended by leaders from the armaments industry, high-ranking Nazi officials as well as senior officers. Unlike during the regular Vorführungen neuer Waffen, Hitler was not present. The programme consisted of meetings and demonstrations of the latest and greatest German as well as captured equipment.

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Panther KT and JT before Kranhalle scaled

Haustenbeck’s Heritage: Taking Inventory

This entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Haustenbeck's Heritage

In this part of the “Haustenbeck’s Heritage” series we will take a look at the vehicles that were present after the war on Henschel’s proving ground at Haustenbeck. For an introduction to this facility, also known as Panzerversuchsstation 96, read my previous article that appeared in this series.

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BU 8016 Four German heavy tanks at the Henschel tank testing ground at Haustenbeck near Paderborn Germany June 1945.

Haustenbeck’s Heritage: Rise and Fall

The name “Haustenbeck” will ring a bell with many a tank fanatic. Not only were the heavy Tiger tanks tested here by Henschel, but this was also the place where the super-heavy E-100 and Grille 17 prototypes were found. Henschel’s test site near Haustenbeck was one of a kind and deemed invaluable by the Allies after its capture. Therefore activities on the site continued after the war under Allied supervision. Many of the vehicles were sent to the UK for further evaluation. But what actually happened in Haustenbeck, why exactly did Henschel settle here? And how did the E-100 and Grille 17 end up in Haustenbeck at all?

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Telling apart the 810s from the 251s

Looks can be deceiving and perhaps all the more in the case of this half-track. You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a German-built SdKfz 251, but in reality we are looking at a post-war Czechoslovak half-track. In this article I will lay out the history of both vehicles and introduce you to some of the telltale signs which will help you tell these two apart in the future!

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King of the bulge

One of only a handful left, this King Tiger is perhaps the best known of the lot. Located in the picturesque town of La Gleize in the Ardennes, Belgium, this is the only Tiger II visible from the public road. Because of the incredible amount of photos I have taken, I decided to split this walk-around into multiple parts. In this first post I will dive into the events that would eventually lead to the loss of this Tiger. In upcoming parts, the Tiger and all of its components will be featured in more detail.

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