What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Tiger tank link

Hi Quatermass and RichardB,thanks for the interesting input,I was just comparing the tracks from pics in various books on the Tiger 1,in some views the track pin head comes to within about an inch of the outer end of the track link,page 103 of "Steel Rain" shows this to good effect,on page 31 of "Tigers in Combat" the track link pin head seems to be about about 3 inches from the end of the track link,the "duckbill"does appear to be just a bit longer,on the other hand it could be just the way I have interpretted the pics,on having a closer look at the pics it looks like the extra width of track protrudes beyond the grousers and is for the outer road wheels to run on as it does not come into contact with the road at all unless the tank is driven on soft ground,I know,,,,back to the books,Thanks chaps,I would welcome your views on my comments,
Regards,
Don,
 
Hi F0031,Another fine piece of history saved,well done carrying that home,(I assume your truss will be arriving soon,)just another comment regarding tank tracks,the T34 had a distinctive sound made by the tracks ,nowhere near as refined as most other tank track noise,but it worked well and was cheap and cheerful,
Once again,yourself and Dave,(Tiger track)well done,
Regards,
Don,
 
Hi Don, I don't have access to the books you mention (can you post pictures?), is it possible that the difference your seeing is between tanks fitted with the rubber tired roadwheels and those fitted with steel rimmed road wheels? the latter didn't require the outer set of road wheels, that could account for the tracks looking wider?
Q
 
Was told at Shrivenham that tank tracks have quite complex linking pins that include a method of stopping them sliding out as the track goes round, the T34 and similar had a piece of steel fitted at the front by the track edge that simply pushed the pin back into place. Much cheaper and made track repair easier.
 
Hi Quatermass,As you can see in pic 1 the Tiger on normal tracks,in pics 2 and 3 there seems to be small extensions to the end of the track beyond the end of the track pin,or is it just the way it looks in the pics,
Regards,
Don,tank tracks 073.jpgtank tracks 074.jpgtank tracks 075.jpg
 
Hi Don,

Those pictures arent particularly clear, but I have to say, I've only ever seen Panzer III and IV chassis (40cm wide tracks) with either "Winterketten" or "Ostketten" but that does look a bit like it, and would definitely constitute as a third type of track. Winterketten was used alot on the eastern front to provide a lower ground pressure to help with snowy conditions etc and Ostketten later in the war for muddy conditions.

You can see them quite clearly here on a Stug III

ostketten.jpgStug III.jpg

Hope that helps, in the meantime, I'm off to google Tigers with Winterketten/Ostketten

Cheers
Rich
 
Right, after a good 30mins googling, I think I might have cracked it...there is a reference to Tigers using grousers, in a book called Tigers in Combat. Again, showing my lack of knoweledge Id only ever seen applied to US tanks, Stuarts, Shermans etc. Grousers appear to do the same thing as the Winterketten/Ostketten, but are additions to each track links rather than replacement links themselves. So this would not represent a third type of track, but MIGHT be whats shown in your pictures above

Heres a link to the ref on 11th Feb 1943
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Tiger with grousers&f=false

Heres a link to a Sherman with grousers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNVwCnAfiS0

Don, Q: what do you reckon?

Dave, forgot to mention, really nice link, Ive often thought that would be a fun think to collect myself.

Cheers
Rich
 
Hi Rich and Q,Thanks for that,I have Tigers in Combat and that is where I got some of the pics from,I have not yet read the part about the add on grousers,the track widths do seem to vary,on some the road wheels are close to the edge of the track on others there is a small gap between the road wheel and the end of the track,I realise there would be a small ammount of sideways movement but the track guides would limit that,one explanation could be because the steel wheels are narrower and not dished like the rubber tyred wheels this would put the wheel further inboard and leave a space between the end of the track link and the wheel,I have just looked in "Encyclopedia of German Tanks of ww2",on page 137 it show various pics of Tigers fortunatly there are two taken from a similar angle,(quote)plates 451-453,late production Pz Kpfw VI Ausf E vehicles,characterised by their periscope equipped cupolas and all steel disc wheels,plate 453 shows vehicles in france in 1944,with wide battle tracks,unquote,the first two pics show normal battle tracks where the two (1944) tank appear to be fitted with wider track,Rich,you could be right with your theory I will have to do some more research to verify the pics and my theory,
Thanks and regards
Don,
 
Hello Don, the Tiger E in plates 451-2 was photographed at the Henschel plant, it was produced in late Feb/early March 44. Its fitted with transport tracks.
The Tiger in plate 453 was part of heavy SS tank battalion 101 and is fitted with combat tracks.
 
Hi Quatermass,this is the second try at this post,the first one vanished,firstly,,,yes I agree I should have gone to specsavers,I had not noticed the transport tracks,on the other hand in my previous post with the pics,the first pic is a Tiger caught in the bombing in Normandy,it shows the tracks to end just outboard of the track pin,in the other pics there appears to be slightly longer track links ending a few inches outboard of the end of the track pin,again it could be camera angle,I will see if I can find better pics but I think you could be right on this one,thanks for your interesting posts,
Regards,
Don,
 
Just an update to this old thread, not long after getting the tiger link I swapped it for something :tinysmile_cry_t:
A visit to the tank museum last year convinced me I needed to get one again so here it is :tinysmile_grin_t:
This ones got some letters on it. Can anyone tell me what they mean please?
The link is 725mm wide (length in the photo but width of a full track).
Now all I'm looking for is a King Tiger link so if anyone knows where I can get one please let me know.
Thanks.
Dave.

IMG_6981.jpgIMG_6980.jpgIMG_6978.jpgIMG_6977.jpgIMG_6976.jpgIMG_6975.jpgIMG_6979.jpg
 
I recently picked up this blast damaged Tiger link fragment. Amazing to see how such a solid track can be shattered by an explosion.

Dave.

IMG_3098.JPGIMG_3097.JPGIMG_3096.JPGIMG_3095.JPG
 
Top