I was a 19K tank crewman on the M1A1 Abrams and I tell you what man.....the King Tiger was a hell of a lot more intimidating in every way than an Abrams....that absolutely beautiful Panzer was an absolute beast, from the end connectors up to the muzzle brake.....OUCH! Yes, the transmission, engine, and final drive problems were a major part of it's downfall, but I can't even imagine being a Allied tanker and coming up against this monster in any aspect, especially with that laser beam gun.....but that was very true of most German tanks and the guns they mounted........the 88 in all it's iterations was just stupid deadly....can't even imagine it if they had gotten up to mounting the KwK L/68 105mm. Also, the Tiger 2 never approached 850,000 Reichsmarks, the vehicle averaged a cost of around 322,000 Reichsmarks, a little more for command vehicles. The only tank the Germans had that would scare me more was the Jagdpanther...that thing had a gun just as big as the Tiger II, but was a friggen sports car compared to it's bigger brother....and don't even get me started on the smaller killing machines StuG and Hetzer.
@@CptAngelKGaming you are so right....if you've never read the excerpts of Otto Carius and his experience in the Jagdtiger, his words and experience will absolutely blow your lid.....the Jagdtiger was just a total death dealer........when it worked
The king tiger is absolutely my favorite tank of history. Idk if yall guys have ever played warthunder but it is an amazing tank simulator game and the tiger II is the main tank I use.
I fondly remember visiting the museum with my late father in the 1970s. We used to love watching war movies together and my memory of the museum is very special, everything there looked enormous to a 7 year old.
I was in the town of La Glieze, Belgium to see this tank on display outside the museum house. I stand about 6 feet tall and standing next to this tank I was amazed of how massive the armor plating it had. No wonder the allied tanks were afraid to take the King Tiger one on one. 6:46
I was there too and seeing the damage to the front plate was very impressive. Also the tank was immobilized by a mine in the town not far from the place it sitts now
Same here & I'm about 6ft 1. What I always remember is the side guards were towards the top of my shoulder & I was utterly shocked by that; just how huge this vehicle is. It's imposing as a static display, much less facing one in actual combat. An incredible machine despite all her faults.
@@arneschollaert1393 I saw the tiger 2 from La Gleize too and let me correct you that that tank wasn’t taken out by a landmine but it was abandoned by the Germans after suffering a hit witch tore off the front third of the gun and yes it stood not far away from the spot it stands now. I’m still impressed by the sheer size and power of that tank.
My late uncle said the same thing...even the Tiger one.....he said until the British revised the Sherman, a soldier could do more damage to the Tiger with a sledge hammer, that what the original Sherman could do. He did say that from the rear the Sherman could do damage or if close enough, shot off the track
I met a fellow who fought in Pattons army. He commanded a half track with howitzer mounted to it. He said he had a Royal Tiger cross his "T" at about 400 yards. It was going fast, all buttoned down. He said they laid shells on it, but they bounced off. He figured they were either out of ammo, or low on fuel, or both. Otherwise, it could have easily knocked them out.
Having seen this tank in person, this video just doesn't do its scale justice. I was in awe and found it difficult to comprehend the fact that it was able to move at all!
@@ray.shoesmith It was Tiger1 in that movie. Entire movie is one big nonsense. Perhaps one of the worst war movies. BUT, you probably guessed well, that guy who wrote the comment was under the influence of the movie. There are much better newer movies, ruskis made about tank warfare in ww2. Just disregard "bullshitism".
Visited the Tank Museum on the 28th March and spent the whole day there. The staff were really knowledgeable and couldn't have been more helpful. The planning that has gone into the exhibition and the execution of the layout is quite frankly, stunning. I would thoroughly recommend a visit but be ready to get blown away by some of the engineering that has gone into the exhibits ......... shall be returning later this year (2023)
This was a well-done presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have never seen a King Tiger on the inside, so this was a great plus. I volunteered at the old Paton Museum at the old Fort Knox and was able to see many of the old German and Russian armored vehicles. I got to drive the M3 Halftrack a couple of times as well as the Centurian that they had. It does a heart good to see the effort is still alive in keeping these massive machines in good order. Thank You to the entire Team.
As a side note: In the video you can see clips of King Tiger 300. You can read about King Tiger 300, 313 and 314 in the memoirs of panzer commander Richard von Rosen in 'Panzer Ace'.
Its a good book. And I can recommend von rosen and his company friends book " the combat history of german tiger tank battalion 503 in ww2" for future reading.
I've seen this up close, even compared with modern MBT's it has an impressive presence. Imagine being the 'volunteer' who was chosen to sabotage the gun - "we've drained the oil from the gun cylinders, and all you have to do is sit right next to it and fire, nothing can possibly go wrong".
I'm not a little man ,but I stood in front of one of these when the Patton Museum in Ft Knox had one, and it was a behemoth. Ungodly. I think it had more of the purplish looking camo on it and they had made a cutaway covered in lexan so you could get a side view of what it looked like inside... incredible
@@Paul-0825 Well if we're not going on looks, the Sturmgeschutz (StuG) or Jagdpanzer IV would be the most intimidating, easy to conceal thanks to it's short height, good gun, good mobility, very reliable, unlike the panther with its highly unreliable final drive
And awesome it is, mister Copson. As a former infantry man this monster scares me more by appearance than any modern MBT or heavy tank in service at present time. Challenger II’s, Abrams, Leclercs and Leopards have a smooth, almost sporty appearance, but this leviathan looks like a unbeatable bringer of death.
@@wojo44frompl I know about that one, but the one in Switzerland will be completely 100% restored with everything new or refurbished, still work in progress tho
I'm sorry to say that many of us baby boomer little kids were in part responsible to some degree. in the early to mid fifties there was a parking area near foulness Island..(UK) we would try to 'remove bits' before being chased away by government police... l suspect many a shed or basement in the nearby village has bits of old tanks gather dust or rusting...long forgotten about by a 76 year old Baby Boomer
Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausführung B! I've always been Fascinated by German military vehicles and The Bengal Tiger was next to the Elephant and the JagdTiger my favorite tanks. I love this channel.
haven't been all that into tanks lately but this video made me click into it and golly did i watch it too the end. The Tiger 2 Has always been my favorite of all. Brilliant Video!
my Grandpa was driver of that kind of vehicle. He told me he survived five tiger tanks. He has driven bicycles, Trucks, Tiger and King Tiger at the east front. He was about one year in sovjet prison before he came back and has founded a family where a my mother is from.
Nahverteidigungswaffe!! One of my favorite German words to say! At 18:03. Rare treat to see it from the inside. I've been lucky enough to see this beast at Bovington, and the running specimen at Musee des Blindes in Saumur. Thanks for the inside lookl
It might sound daft, but I'm looking at the quality of the welds on the interior as Chris gives his talk. for an industrial high output and mass produced bit of kit, they actually look like they've been done by machine, but as far as I know they were done by hand, so that is some pretty damn high quality ARC welding done in the factories.
Great insight into this outstanding piece of history,my daughter and i visited the Tank Museum last year and stood in front of that tank,both of us in awe of its sheer size and presence .
This is well detailed and fascinating. It's also apparent being a tanker in any war would have been terrifying, The space inside the king tiger was larger than most tanks, but if a conflagration broke out the crew inside was literally toast. A grisly way to go.
I really love the King Tiger and the Tiger I. These tanks are my main research topic for my personal collection of Panzer Militaria and I appreciate the video. Thank you for posting this.
These tank chats are great. I love both of the hosts of the original and the reloaded versions. Awesome work guys, thanks for the content! Will buy some merch to help keep you guys going.
The vehicle is really of very minor historical consequence. It may have looked imposing, and impressive on paper, but it's fairly clear that the vehicle was an abject failure. It could sometimes dominate a battlefield, if it could be gotten to the battlefield. It was a pnderous fuel guzzler at a time in which time Germany struggled to deliver fuel. I would suggest that Tiger 1 had a much greater impact on proceedings, although it was also relatively rarely encountered. While it was successfully used to destroy enemy tanks in a few local engagements, Tiger 2 was a white elephant.
Great episode and wonderful to see the Porsche/Henschel myth (if that’s the correct term) properly explained and debunked. Just one slight correction though, Tiger 213 at La Gleize didn’t run out of fuel. Whilst true Peiper’s supply lines were cut and most vehicles did, 213 was knocked out by Sherman’s of the 3rd US Armored Div when it’s front third of the barrel was shot away. It was moved by US engineers to its current place in the spring/summer of 1945 when they were tidying up the battlefield and was purchased from the Americans for the village at the cost of a bottle of Cognac!
Chris, just wanted to say how well you present the this and past video details. Job well done sir. Curious about this monster never really learned much actual facts about them.
The view from the turret is so imposing you would believe anything was possible. I was allowed inside a number of tanks at the museum back in ‘85 . I have never forgotten how that machine made me feel for those precious minutes. No wonder tales of them assaulting vast numbers of allied machines are in history books.
Superb presentation, great visuals and super-informative. Lots of new - to me - information provided by a very knowledgeable narrator. Well done the tank museum.
The tank just looks so beautiful. With the heavily armored, sloped outeriour and the huge, long gun it looks like an armored teutonic knight with lance in hand.
Well, most of the WW2 German tanks in the US are scattered across the country. Off my head, many of them are in the so-called "Tankodrome" at Fort Benning...
@@kristoffermangila I don't believe there's a single WW2 era tank in my state, let alone a German one. I have to travel a few hours out of state to get to a museum with some
@@kristoffermangila I live up in Maine, I've seen a couple of american M60 tanks at various memorials but we've got no armor museum. The closest place with german tanks that I know of is the american heritage museum that is several hours and two states away
I was at the Shrivenham Defence Academy back in ~2009 for an Information Operations symposium and had the privilege to wander through their armored vehicle collection (normally off-limits to the public) during a break. A great privilege, but I'd have loved to be able to climb inside some of their treasures.
Great presentation. She is certainly an impressive looking beast. In my opinion...she's "Beautiful in every aspect". Glad that we still have a few surviving in one piece.
Man, when I look at this, I realize just how much sense it makes that the Abrams and Leopard 2 are such amazing tanks when I realize that they're both products of American-German collaboration on tank design. It also makes me appreciate the modern reality of international collaborations for arms development when I think about the F-35. As for the Tiger II, it deserves a lot of respect for its armor and firepower. The firepower alone was just unparalleled in the war, and it managed to do it practically and without development hell. The armor protection was a great scheme, let down mainly by the lack of an engine and transmission capable of handling the weight. The fuel economy was let down by Germany's logistics and lack of oil. Nevertheless, the design showed a lot of skill making the most of what it had.
What a good summary; whatever its failings I agree you cannot be in its presence and not be a little in awe. Thank goodness they only built 500. Minor point, but those rounds hit the right side of the tank; I'm sure Chris just mis-spoke.
the tiger2 really is an absolute monster and an amazing piece of panzer engineering. You can think what you want, but if the engine had been adapted to the weight and the supplies had been right and not least the production, then it would often have been much more uncomfortable on the battlefields. Technically brilliant and brutal at the time, even if I personally see the panther as more of a favourite. Thank you for this great and detailed video
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the panther is a mess. its side armor was only 50 mm thick and could be penetrated by a normal sherman, no firefly, at a distance of 900 m.
I am 6 ft7 myself and standing in front of the tank and its shear massieve tracks…. Made me feel small ;) she is a beauty designed for all the wrong reasons….
At 5:47 you make a little mathematical mistake. It's 150mm 40 degrees from horizontal, not vertical. (Therefore 50 degrees from vertical) This means the tiger 2s front armor is actually: 150/cos(50) = 233mm (cosine angle is vertical when using the LOS formula)
Excellent video Sir! The Maybach V12 engine also was prone to overheating, And this mighty Tiger II could also get stuck easily on any softer ground. As an American or British Tanker,I cannot imagine a more fearsome sight than the muzzle of the 88 pointed at Me!
Despite saying "aahhmmm" approximately 7,500 annoying times, Mr. Copson does give us a very interesting and informative presentation. So he's forgiven. 😅
My father was in a tank destroyer battalion in the war and he was glad they never came across one of these beast. That wasn't already knocked out that is.
The final drive was the final straw. On a positive note, Otto Carius said that the steering was incredible, you could steer 70 tons with a single finger!
Very impressive machine. One interesting item I saw at time stamp 21:37 is the American soldier caring a German MP44 assault rifle ! Well done video on my favorite heavy tank. Thank you.
Germany was defending Europe from the )ew russian communist offensive assault which already dismissed all its treaty's. "Thus, the Soviets pledged peace, while frantically preparing for war. More that 2,500 new concrete fortifications were built between 1939 and 1940, 160 divisions were made combat ready. 60 tank divisions were on full alert. In 1941, the Soviets had 17,000 tanks, and by 1942 they had 35,000, while the Germans only had 10 Panzer tank divisions in 1941. The Soviets had 92,000 pieces of artillery. 17,500 combat planes in 1940, outnumbered the German Luftwaffe. With such preparations for war going on, Hitler had only one choice; Invade the Soviet Union immediately, or face annihilation. Hitler did not go into Russia with any great optimism. He told me later on: "When I entered Russia, I was like a man facing a shut door. I knew I had to crash through it, but without knowing what was behind it." Hitler's Russia campaign was a "last chance" campaign. He knew the Soviets were strong, but, above all, he knew they were going to get stronger." -- Leon Degrelle, German General of the Waffen SS
Check oit the crooked barrel on the tank coming out of the forest when you say the British called it the Royal Tiger at the very start of the program !!! 0:15
Still today a beautiful piece of art in steel, what an amazing engineering in the middle of a war and bombardments... German engineers are truly heroes
I wonder if this tank will be restored. I heard that German companies are quite cooperative to make original parts for museums. At least that is what I heard from people restoring WW2 planes and WW2 submarines.
I have to say I find it weird that no expert ever mentions the upsides of the German overlapping wheel suspension system, which far outweigh the downsides. Yes, mud could get packed up between the wheels and freeze them shut, but that wasn't a problem unique to this kind of suspension system. The bogie-based suspension systems on western tanks would probably have faced some issues under those Russian conditions too. The advantages of the German system were: A: Stability and comfort. The overlapping wheels provided for a very smooth and comfortable ride, which reduced crew fatigue, improved situational awareness (by not shaking the crew and the optics around as much) and better performance in firing on the move, despite the lack of gun stabilization. B: Increasing the number of contact points to the ground reduced ground pressure for each contact point and distributed the tank's weight better, which improved offroad mobility and strained roads and bridges less. C: The overlapping wheels acted as spaced armor for the sides of the tank where the regular armor is the weekest. D: The always (in this video too) touted as a flaw fact that you needed to remove several wheels to swap out one is actually a feature and not a flaw. As anyone who ever had to move apartments knows, it is way easier and less strenuous to move several lighter objects than it is to move one heavy object. That is why furniture gets disassembled before moving. Having to move several thinner, lighter wheels was actually easier and less exhausting than moving one big wheel, especially under field conditions. It is either disingenuous or ignorant that none of those supposed tank experts seems aware or ever mentions those facts when talking about this system. That they all act as if this was just some dumb mistake and all those engineers designing all those tanks were just dumb and didn't know what they were doing doesn't make those experts look particularly smart, I have to say.
*UNBELIEVABLE JUST ONE COUNTRY ENGINEERED SO MUCH AND BUILT SO MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. IT LITERALLY TOOK THE WORLD TO TAKE DOWN THE MIGHTY EMPIRE. ALWAYS ASTONISHED HOW FAST AND HUGE THINGS WERE BUILT, TIGER TANKS, PANTHERS, THE BIZMARK, SUBMARINES, JETS, ETC. ETC.*
When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.
Great video. Though it should be obvious from the size of the tank. I'm extremely surprised by how roomy it looks inside. I'm still going through your back catalogue, so might just have missed it so far. But I'd really like to see an "in depth" inside look, like this one, of the Centurion and the Chaffee. My dad served on both of them as a driver in the Danish army, back in the 60's. It's been our intention for years, to go on vacation, near a museum that had them on display. Once his health allowed it. Sadly that time never came, and he died last year.
They should get the running Tiger II from France over for the Bovington running days. The money people would pay to see that would cover the costs and more I reckon.
The story of the Tank in La Gleize at 6:50 is a bit different according to the Belgians. The tank was disabled by a lucky shot that destroyed the barrel and was left. Later a lady in the village bought the tank from the americans for a bottle of cognac. It was restored with a gun barrel of a Panther and placed where it is today. It was not simply left with an empty tank as the video suggests, right?
Hi Tank Nuts, we hope you enjoyed seeing inside King Tiger. Let us know in the comments below what tank interiors you'd like to see next!
An episode on the turret ring size vs the gun size? Like comparison between shermans with 75mm vs fireflies?
Bren gun carrier
My favourite one in your collection.
what happened to the workshop videos?
Which tank could go trough 195mm armor of this monstrosity with a cannon? IS3?
I was a 19K tank crewman on the M1A1 Abrams and I tell you what man.....the King Tiger was a hell of a lot more intimidating in every way than an Abrams....that absolutely beautiful Panzer was an absolute beast, from the end connectors up to the muzzle brake.....OUCH! Yes, the transmission, engine, and final drive problems were a major part of it's downfall, but I can't even imagine being a Allied tanker and coming up against this monster in any aspect, especially with that laser beam gun.....but that was very true of most German tanks and the guns they mounted........the 88 in all it's iterations was just stupid deadly....can't even imagine it if they had gotten up to mounting the KwK L/68 105mm. Also, the Tiger 2 never approached 850,000 Reichsmarks, the vehicle averaged a cost of around 322,000 Reichsmarks, a little more for command vehicles. The only tank the Germans had that would scare me more was the Jagdpanther...that thing had a gun just as big as the Tiger II, but was a friggen sports car compared to it's bigger brother....and don't even get me started on the smaller killing machines StuG and Hetzer.
Now imagine having to face a JagdTiger. Allies were lucky there were so few of them.
@@CptAngelKGaming you are so right....if you've never read the excerpts of Otto Carius and his experience in the Jagdtiger, his words and experience will absolutely blow your lid.....the Jagdtiger was just a total death dealer........when it worked
In a documentary, a veteran stated the mere sight of a King Tiger would make the average GI have an involuntary bowel movement. I know I would!
Did you smoke any hajies?
The king tiger is absolutely my favorite tank of history. Idk if yall guys have ever played warthunder but it is an amazing tank simulator game and the tiger II is the main tank I use.
First time I saw this tank at The Tank Museum I was amazed at how tall it was. It was about six foot to the front deck. Massive!
I remember the first time I went to Bovington and being quite surprised by how small the Panzer 2 was. The Tiger 2 is quite the opposite!
@@mattsoutherden The Panther, I suppose?
@@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188 Panzer2 is not Panther. Panther is also massive
@@rolandsv8Perhaps Tiger2? The Pz 2 was cute and cuddly by comparison.
Go watch Jagtiger i think its litlle bigger.
Counting down the days until I fly to the UK and finally see this thing again, it has been YEARS
Of course you'd be following this channel.
Enjoy. It's well worth it!
New subscriber, great job Rex
If only you could do it in a DH Comet...
I've lived here for 14 years and haven't found the chance to go down there yet hahahaha
I fondly remember visiting the museum with my late father in the 1970s. We used to love watching war movies together and my memory of the museum is very special, everything there looked enormous to a 7 year old.
I was in the town of La Glieze, Belgium to see this tank on display outside the museum house. I stand about 6 feet tall and standing next to this tank I was amazed of how massive the armor plating it had. No wonder the allied tanks were afraid to take the King Tiger one on one. 6:46
I was there too and seeing the damage to the front plate was very impressive. Also the tank was immobilized by a mine in the town not far from the place it sitts now
Same here & I'm about 6ft 1. What I always remember is the side guards were towards the top of my shoulder & I was utterly shocked by that; just how huge this vehicle is. It's imposing as a static display, much less facing one in actual combat. An incredible machine despite all her faults.
Thanks for sharing i would love to see one
@@arneschollaert1393 I saw the tiger 2 from La Gleize too and let me correct you that that tank wasn’t taken out by a landmine but it was abandoned by the Germans after suffering a hit witch tore off the front third of the gun and yes it stood not far away from the spot it stands now. I’m still impressed by the sheer size and power of that tank.
Having been near one of the surviving T2s, it is indeed a beast
My late uncle said the same thing...even the Tiger one.....he said until the British revised the Sherman, a soldier could do more damage to the Tiger with a sledge hammer, that what the original Sherman could do. He did say that from the rear the Sherman could do damage or if close enough, shot off the track
@@1963Austriathat is uh, blatantly false. Also a sherman would never go up against a tiger or amy tank for that matter alone.
Tiger is a beast
I met a fellow who fought in Pattons army. He commanded a half track with howitzer mounted to it. He said he had a Royal Tiger cross his "T" at about 400 yards. It was going fast, all buttoned down.
He said they laid shells on it, but they bounced off. He figured they were either out of ammo, or low on fuel, or both. Otherwise, it could have easily knocked them out.
Having seen this tank in person, this video just doesn't do its scale justice. I was in awe and found it difficult to comprehend the fact that it was able to move at all!
Always a pleasure to listen to Mr Copson. Thank you for keeping history alive, it does matter.
The King Tiger really does have a presence. You could almost imagine it operating without a crew like a very big proto-Terminator.
You mean like the movie White Tiger?
What is this nonsense ? Are you out of your mind ?
@@ray.shoesmith It was Tiger1 in that movie. Entire movie is one big nonsense. Perhaps one of the worst war movies. BUT, you probably guessed well, that guy who wrote the comment was under the influence of the movie. There are much better newer movies, ruskis made about tank warfare in ww2. Just disregard "bullshitism".
Visited the Tank Museum on the 28th March and spent the whole day there. The staff were really knowledgeable and couldn't have been more helpful. The planning that has gone into the exhibition and the execution of the layout is quite frankly, stunning. I would thoroughly recommend a visit but be ready to get blown away by some of the engineering that has gone into the exhibits ......... shall be returning later this year (2023)
Try to visit when the vehicle preservation centre is open, the stuff in there is mind blowing!
I thought that detail about the self defense mortar was fascinating and a amazing detail to include
Yes it was a nice touch
Yeah i had no idea this was a thing... wonder how many tiger 2 ever got in a situation where they used it
... A number of the German med and heavy tanks had such ,for close anti personal protection!,including the likes of the infamous Stugs!.
This was a well-done presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have never seen a King Tiger on the inside, so this was a great plus. I volunteered at the old Paton Museum at the old Fort Knox and was able to see many of the old German and Russian armored vehicles. I got to drive the M3 Halftrack a couple of times as well as the Centurian that they had. It does a heart good to see the effort is still alive in keeping these massive machines in good order. Thank You to the entire Team.
Thanks for the comment, and for the support! More vids on the way soon!
Amazing how roomy the turret is allowing for the presenter, lights and cameraman all at once. Great work!
Probably a lot tighter with all the gear intact. Still, you can sure see why the turret was so much less sloped than the hull.
It is a very spacious turret compared to others of it's time
Well you have to remember they are using full length 88mm rounds; not the stubby ones the tiger 1 had. They needed that room to actually move it.
Its kinda normal of this turret size..go watch Russian wehicles its pure nightmare.
For example SU/ISU 152:)
A veritable ballroom compared to the Hetzer and Jgdpz IV
This narrator is one of the best I've ever come across. Thank you for a fascinating and informative presentation.
As a side note: In the video you can see clips of King Tiger 300. You can read about King Tiger 300, 313 and 314 in the memoirs of panzer commander Richard von Rosen in 'Panzer Ace'.
Its a good book. And I can recommend von rosen and his company friends book " the combat history of german tiger tank battalion 503 in ww2" for future reading.
Great presentation from Chris on this iconic beast. Thanks and well done.
I've seen this up close, even compared with modern MBT's it has an impressive presence.
Imagine being the 'volunteer' who was chosen to sabotage the gun - "we've drained the oil from the gun cylinders, and all you have to do is sit right next to it and fire, nothing can possibly go wrong".
They'd fire it with a lanyard from outside...
I love these. The presenter is great, can tell he really knows his stuff and isn't just reading off a sheet.
This guy is brilliant , very clear and knowledgeable!
Just wish he didn't say "um" so often
Not clear to me. I couldn't understand half of what he said but im not British so the accent is difficult for me..
I'm not a little man ,but I stood in front of one of these when the Patton Museum in Ft Knox had one, and it was a behemoth. Ungodly. I think it had more of the purplish looking camo on it and they had made a cutaway covered in lexan so you could get a side view of what it looked like inside... incredible
King Tigers are the nicest looking tanks from WW2. Peak design and silhouette.
Nah, Panthers
@@Laurikiwi also a good one
Had the great privilege of seeing this beast while attending Tankfest in 2012. She's awe inspiring.
Definitely the most intimidating looking tank of WW2.
I think it was, the one after that is the Tutel :)
But that is just my opinion
I would argue a JagdTiger would be more intimidating, a casemate based on an elongated King Tiger chassis that mounted a 128 mm cannon
@@Paul-0825 Well if we're not going on looks, the Sturmgeschutz (StuG) or Jagdpanzer IV would be the most intimidating, easy to conceal thanks to it's short height, good gun, good mobility, very reliable, unlike the panther with its highly unreliable final drive
Maus has entered the chat
@@Gaijin500*Maus has broken down after joining the chat. Currently aiting for repairs.*
And awesome it is, mister Copson. As a former infantry man this monster scares me more by appearance than any modern MBT or heavy tank in service at present time. Challenger II’s, Abrams, Leclercs and Leopards have a smooth, almost sporty appearance, but this leviathan looks like a unbeatable bringer of death.
Best bet to see a fully functional one will be the one they'll restore in Switzerland, they're doing an incredible job there
Well, if you want Tiger II in running condition... There is always museum in Saumur, France.
@@wojo44frompl I know about that one, but the one in Switzerland will be completely 100% restored with everything new or refurbished, still work in progress tho
@@Cormano980 Where exactly? I live in Switzerland and can I go there to see it beeing refurbished?
@@Mr.Cheeseburger24 Full-Reuenthal
@@Cormano980 The one in Saumur has never been restored. It's in the same condition as when they got it.
This is an exceptional video. Absolutely brilliant details
Thank you for a really interesting and informative walk around the Tiger 2 Tank!
YES YES YES I always want to see details inside. It always saddens me the most insides of restored tanks are trashed or at best missing all aux gear.
I hope one day they get a engine and running gear it would be nice but a beautiful tank I love the tiger 1 that's my dream tank
I'm sorry to say that many of us baby boomer little kids were in part responsible to some degree. in the early to mid fifties there was a parking area near foulness Island..(UK) we would try to 'remove bits' before being chased away by government police... l suspect many a shed or basement in the nearby village has bits of old tanks gather dust or rusting...long forgotten about by a 76 year old Baby Boomer
Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausführung B! I've always been Fascinated by German military vehicles and The Bengal Tiger was next to the Elephant and the JagdTiger my favorite tanks. I love this channel.
haven't been all that into tanks lately but this video made me click into it and golly did i watch it too the end. The Tiger 2 Has always been my favorite of all. Brilliant Video!
I've seen it over the last tankfest, it's a monster sitting in the dark.
Brilliant place, well worth a visit.
Superb video, with lots of good information. This is actually the first time I have ever seen the King Tiger , up close and personal.
I love this tank. Saw it in December 2022. Was awesome to see the big chunk taken out of it on the right side
My first model from the Tank Museum was a production model Tiger II. I learned about modeling and painting with it^^
This video is officially Gold! Hope there will be more coming!
my Grandpa was driver of that kind of vehicle. He told me he survived five tiger tanks. He has driven bicycles, Trucks, Tiger and King Tiger at the east front. He was about one year in sovjet prison before he came back and has founded a family where a my mother is from.
Very kool... Who did he serve with what was his name??
W grandpa
A real vehicular veteran
I don’t believe you
God rest his soul.
A brave man.
I was just looking for a inside video of the king tiger the other day. Perfect!
Nahverteidigungswaffe!! One of my favorite German words to say! At 18:03. Rare treat to see it from the inside. I've been lucky enough to see this beast at Bovington, and the running specimen at Musee des Blindes in Saumur. Thanks for the inside lookl
It might sound daft, but I'm looking at the quality of the welds on the interior as Chris gives his talk. for an industrial high output and mass produced bit of kit, they actually look like they've been done by machine, but as far as I know they were done by hand, so that is some pretty damn high quality ARC welding done in the factories.
Excellent presentation. Good job!
Great insight into this outstanding piece of history,my daughter and i visited the Tank Museum last year and stood in front of that tank,both of us in awe of its sheer size and presence .
This is well detailed and fascinating. It's also apparent being a tanker in any war would have been terrifying, The space inside the king tiger was larger than most tanks, but if a conflagration broke out the crew inside was literally toast. A grisly way to go.
I really love the King Tiger and the Tiger I. These tanks are my main research topic for my personal collection of Panzer Militaria and I appreciate the video. Thank you for posting this.
These tank chats are great. I love both of the hosts of the original and the reloaded versions. Awesome work guys, thanks for the content! Will buy some merch to help keep you guys going.
The vehicle is really of very minor historical consequence. It may have looked imposing, and impressive on paper, but it's fairly clear that the vehicle was an abject failure. It could sometimes dominate a battlefield, if it could be gotten to the battlefield. It was a pnderous fuel guzzler at a time in which time Germany struggled to deliver fuel. I would suggest that Tiger 1 had a much greater impact on proceedings, although it was also relatively rarely encountered. While it was successfully used to destroy enemy tanks in a few local engagements, Tiger 2 was a white elephant.
Fantastic vid again 👍 Thanks for the peek inside, appreciate it a lot!
Greets from the Netherlands 🇳🇱, T.
Brilliantly done. Great information for historians and modelers. Thanks
Thanks!
Great episode and wonderful to see the Porsche/Henschel myth (if that’s the correct term) properly explained and debunked.
Just one slight correction though, Tiger 213 at La Gleize didn’t run out of fuel. Whilst true Peiper’s supply lines were cut and most vehicles did, 213 was knocked out by Sherman’s of the 3rd US Armored Div when it’s front third of the barrel was shot away.
It was moved by US engineers to its current place in the spring/summer of 1945 when they were tidying up the battlefield and was purchased from the Americans for the village at the cost of a bottle of Cognac!
amazing
Brilliant video as always, lovely to see inside the tank.
Chris, just wanted to say how well you present the this and past video details. Job well done sir.
Curious about this monster never really learned much actual facts about them.
Amazing video. Enjoyed it immensely. A lot of cool history. The Germans really know how to build weapons and weapon systems. Absolutely amazing
Great information! Very well made video, definitely a sight to see eve with him saying “um” well over a 150 times
The view from the turret is so imposing you would believe anything was possible. I was allowed inside a number of tanks at the museum back in ‘85 . I have never forgotten how that machine made me feel for those precious minutes. No wonder tales of them assaulting vast numbers of allied machines are in history books.
Superb presentation, great visuals and super-informative. Lots of new - to me - information provided by a very knowledgeable narrator. Well done the tank museum.
The tank just looks so beautiful. With the heavily armored, sloped outeriour and the huge, long gun it looks like an armored teutonic knight with lance in hand.
Danke!
Visited this tank long time ago, and last year visited the one in the wild at La Gleize. Very large beasts they are!
"A very bad day at the office" - agreed! Thank you Chris for an excellent tour of the Tiger 2.
Excellent explanation and very clearly narrated. Great job!
surprising amount of space in the turret (w/o ammo etc etc). Thanks for this excellent video
What a treat of a video, thank you!! We don’t have many ww2 tanks from Germany here in my area of the USA
Well, most of the WW2 German tanks in the US are scattered across the country. Off my head, many of them are in the so-called "Tankodrome" at Fort Benning...
@@kristoffermangila I don't believe there's a single WW2 era tank in my state, let alone a German one. I have to travel a few hours out of state to get to a museum with some
@@Nitrus5 where do you live then?
@@kristoffermangila I live up in Maine, I've seen a couple of american M60 tanks at various memorials but we've got no armor museum. The closest place with german tanks that I know of is the american heritage museum that is several hours and two states away
@@Nitrus5 yeouch! My commiserations then on your misfortune, then.
Great presentation. So clear and friendly and informative. 👍
I was at the Shrivenham Defence Academy back in ~2009 for an Information Operations symposium and had the privilege to wander through their armored vehicle collection (normally off-limits to the public) during a break. A great privilege, but I'd have loved to be able to climb inside some of their treasures.
Great presentation. She is certainly an impressive looking beast. In my opinion...she's "Beautiful in every aspect". Glad that we still have a few surviving in one piece.
Man, when I look at this, I realize just how much sense it makes that the Abrams and Leopard 2 are such amazing tanks when I realize that they're both products of American-German collaboration on tank design.
It also makes me appreciate the modern reality of international collaborations for arms development when I think about the F-35.
As for the Tiger II, it deserves a lot of respect for its armor and firepower. The firepower alone was just unparalleled in the war, and it managed to do it practically and without development hell. The armor protection was a great scheme, let down mainly by the lack of an engine and transmission capable of handling the weight. The fuel economy was let down by Germany's logistics and lack of oil. Nevertheless, the design showed a lot of skill making the most of what it had.
... Not forgetting the challenger's 🥴
Yet it still couldn't cross bridges or make it more than 100km without breaking down. Not a good _tank_ design at all.
@@justforever96pick from firepower, mobility and armour, back in ww2 you could only have two
M1A1 other than the gun, is not an American-German collaboration. The failed MBT-70 was. The M1 was a whole new design by.the US. Read a book man.
Love these more in depth chats. Look forward to more of them
Great Video of the Monster, learned quite a bit of info that I never had read before. Thanks!
Damnit I wanna go to the museum so badly
What a good summary; whatever its failings I agree you cannot be in its presence and not be a little in awe. Thank goodness they only built 500. Minor point, but those rounds hit the right side of the tank; I'm sure Chris just mis-spoke.
Very good. Chris Copson is a fantastic authority. Thank you.
the tiger2 really is an absolute monster and an amazing piece of panzer engineering. You can think what you want, but if the engine had been adapted to the weight and the supplies had been right and not least the production, then it would often have been much more uncomfortable on the battlefields. Technically brilliant and brutal at the time, even if I personally see the panther as more of a favourite. Thank you for this great and detailed video
the panther is a mess. its side armor was only 50 mm thick and could be penetrated by a normal sherman, no firefly, at a distance of 900 m.
@ yeah, I still like the aesthetics
They are the Panzer Elite,
born to compete,
Never Retreat!
Fantastic video! Would love to see a more in-depth one on the Panther.
Same. It always seems to get overshadowed because of the Tigers.
... Me too,and the Luch,and late Stug etc !.
The Chieftain has an excellent series on inside the Panther from a few years ago.
I am 6 ft7 myself and standing in front of the tank and its shear massieve tracks…. Made me feel small ;) she is a beauty designed for all the wrong reasons….
At 5:47 you make a little mathematical mistake.
It's 150mm 40 degrees from horizontal, not vertical. (Therefore 50 degrees from vertical)
This means the tiger 2s front armor is actually: 150/cos(50) = 233mm (cosine angle is vertical when using the LOS formula)
Excellent video Sir! The Maybach V12 engine also was prone to overheating, And this mighty Tiger II could also get stuck easily on any softer ground. As an American or British Tanker,I cannot imagine a more fearsome sight than the muzzle of the 88 pointed at Me!
Despite saying "aahhmmm" approximately 7,500 annoying times, Mr. Copson does give us a very interesting and informative presentation. So he's forgiven. 😅
thinking the same thing! 😂. was thinking geez this guy says Uhm alot, but it was such a brilliant watch that i let it slide haha
My father was in a tank destroyer battalion in the war and he was glad they never came across one of these beast. That wasn't already knocked out that is.
The final drive was the final straw.
On a positive note, Otto Carius said that the steering was incredible, you could steer 70 tons with a single finger!
Very impressive machine. One interesting item I saw at time stamp 21:37 is the American soldier caring a German MP44 assault rifle ! Well done video on my favorite heavy tank. Thank you.
I would very much love to see a video on the Panther G you have in the museum. That would be fabulous 👌
I really enjoyed this one. That Tiger 2 is just awesome and was absolutely fascinating!
It is awesome but fail in same way....
Same story for Jagtiger and other way too big wehicles.
Germany was defending Europe from the )ew russian communist offensive assault which already dismissed all its treaty's.
"Thus, the Soviets pledged peace, while frantically preparing for war. More that 2,500 new concrete fortifications were built between 1939 and 1940, 160 divisions were made combat ready. 60 tank divisions were on full alert. In 1941, the Soviets had 17,000 tanks, and by 1942 they had 35,000, while the Germans only had 10 Panzer tank divisions in 1941. The Soviets had 92,000 pieces of artillery. 17,500 combat planes in 1940, outnumbered the German Luftwaffe.
With such preparations for war going on, Hitler had only one choice; Invade the Soviet Union immediately, or face annihilation. Hitler did not go into Russia with any great optimism. He told me later on: "When I entered Russia, I was like a man facing a shut door. I knew I had to crash through it, but without knowing what was behind it." Hitler's Russia campaign was a "last chance" campaign.
He knew the Soviets were strong, but, above all, he knew they were going to get stronger."
-- Leon Degrelle, German General of the Waffen SS
Degrelle was a Belgian officer of French descent.
So nice to see that a legend is kept in safe hands pity i will never be able to see it withmy own eyes😢. Greetings from South Africa
What a fantastic video,I thoroughly enjoyed it!!
Check oit the crooked barrel on the tank coming out of the forest when you say the British called it the Royal Tiger at the very start of the program !!! 0:15
Crew destroyed it before àbandoned
Excellent vid, very informative, thank you.
Still today a beautiful piece of art in steel, what an amazing engineering in the middle of a war and bombardments... German engineers are truly heroes
Wouldn’t call them heroes, but they were impressive.
Thank you very much for this superb presentation and preserving this beauty!
I wonder if this tank will be restored. I heard that German companies are quite cooperative to make original parts for museums. At least that is what I heard from people restoring WW2 planes and WW2 submarines.
Agreed. They need to find all the missing parts and put it back together while it’s still relatively easy to find them, or the patterns.
I agree. When Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry restored U-505, German companies sent in original and replica parts for its restoration.
Cost would be the main issue. Unfortunately British museums are chronically under-funded. You can restore anything if you have the money to do it.
I have to say I find it weird that no expert ever mentions the upsides of the German overlapping wheel suspension system, which far outweigh the downsides.
Yes, mud could get packed up between the wheels and freeze them shut, but that wasn't a problem unique to this kind of suspension system. The bogie-based suspension systems on western tanks would probably have faced some issues under those Russian conditions too.
The advantages of the German system were:
A: Stability and comfort. The overlapping wheels provided for a very smooth and comfortable ride, which reduced crew fatigue, improved situational awareness (by not shaking the crew and the optics around as much) and better performance in firing on the move, despite the lack of gun stabilization.
B: Increasing the number of contact points to the ground reduced ground pressure for each contact point and distributed the tank's weight better, which improved offroad mobility and strained roads and bridges less.
C: The overlapping wheels acted as spaced armor for the sides of the tank where the regular armor is the weekest.
D: The always (in this video too) touted as a flaw fact that you needed to remove several wheels to swap out one is actually a feature and not a flaw.
As anyone who ever had to move apartments knows, it is way easier and less strenuous to move several lighter objects than it is to move one heavy object. That is why furniture gets disassembled before moving.
Having to move several thinner, lighter wheels was actually easier and less exhausting than moving one big wheel, especially under field conditions.
It is either disingenuous or ignorant that none of those supposed tank experts seems aware or ever mentions those facts when talking about this system. That they all act as if this was just some dumb mistake and all those engineers designing all those tanks were just dumb and didn't know what they were doing doesn't make those experts look particularly smart, I have to say.
*UNBELIEVABLE JUST ONE COUNTRY ENGINEERED SO MUCH AND BUILT SO MUCH IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. IT LITERALLY TOOK THE WORLD TO TAKE DOWN THE MIGHTY EMPIRE. ALWAYS ASTONISHED HOW FAST AND HUGE THINGS WERE BUILT, TIGER TANKS, PANTHERS, THE BIZMARK, SUBMARINES, JETS, ETC. ETC.*
"Bizmark" LOL
Anyway, battleships aren't fast to build and German ones were the same. Other claims are accurate.
You are right absolutely.
That's why the communist wanted their engineers and scientists so badly they hoped to do what their fellow bolshavics couldnt😂😂
But the Allie’s built better tanks faster that’s why they won
Not better but more
When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.
Great video. Though it should be obvious from the size of the tank. I'm extremely surprised by how roomy it looks inside.
I'm still going through your back catalogue, so might just have missed it so far. But I'd really like to see an "in depth" inside look, like this one, of the Centurion and the Chaffee.
My dad served on both of them as a driver in the Danish army, back in the 60's.
It's been our intention for years, to go on vacation, near a museum that had them on display. Once his health allowed it. Sadly that time never came, and he died last year.
The American Heritage Museum has a Chafee video. Also Inside the Chieftans Hatch has a video. Though it has a very sophomoric production quality.
Superbly presented video - full of fascinating information!
It would be cool to see the tiger and king tiger running together
They should get the running Tiger II from France over for the Bovington running days. The money people would pay to see that would cover the costs and more I reckon.
The story of the Tank in La Gleize at 6:50 is a bit different according to the Belgians. The tank was disabled by a lucky shot that destroyed the barrel and was left. Later a lady in the village bought the tank from the americans for a bottle of cognac. It was restored with a gun barrel of a Panther and placed where it is today. It was not simply left with an empty tank as the video suggests, right?