"L'acrobat" wrote in message ...
"Eunometic" wrote in message
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"L'acrobat" wrote in message
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"Eunometic" wrote in message
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Most of the problems the German tanks had related to either teething
problems that would be overcome, teething problems in manufacture and
often simply inferior materials due to quality and shortages.

You mean "Most of the problems the German tanks had related to reality".

You also seem to be forgetting just how much the Germans were expecting
from an already maxed out engine in most of their tanks, overstress it and it dies.


There was no problem with the engines reliablity. Reliabillity
problems related mainly to gearboxes and steering mechanisms on these
Tanks and possibly the use of inferior raw materials. In anycase
these are issues that are usually solved over 12 months.


"The first "Tiger-B" tanks captured by Soviet forces were sent to the Chief
Armored Vehicle Directorate's (GBTU) Armored Vehicle Research and
Development proving ground (NIIBT) at Kubinka for comprehensive study. There
were vehicles numbered 102 and 502. The very movement of these tanks to the
loading station under their own power revealed numerous defects. At 86
kilometers, the left idler wheel went out of commission (when the bearings
failed), as well as the left drive sprocket (when all the mounting bolts
sheared). The high temperatures at the time, which reached 30 degrees
Celsius (86 F), turned out to be too much for the cooling system. This led
the right engine block to overheat and to continual overheating in the
gearbox. The tank was repaired, but after that the right side running gear
had completely failed. It was replaced with one scavenged from another tank,
but this one almost immediately went out of commission again when the drive
shaft roller bearings failed. Besides this, time and again it was necessary
to change the track's elements, which were constantly breaking (cracking)
due to the tank's colossal weight, especially when the vehicle was turning.
The design of the track tensioning mechanism hadn't been completely
perfected. As a result, the tension had to be adjusted after every 10-15 km
of travel. "

Overheated engine block? - still it broke down often enough from other
causes, the engine had time to cool back down. yep, no engine problems
there.

http://www.fprado.com/armorsite/tiger2.htm

Numerous statements have been made that the Tiger II was too heavy,
too big, too slow, "a casemate", etc. One is left with the impression
that it was lucky to move at all. These banal generalities, stated as
incontrovertible facts, are never substantiated by actual
specifications, test reports or after-action accounts from the units
that used the Tiger II. In spite of these frequently repeated remarks,
the capability of the Tiger II to negotiate obstacles and cross
terrain was equivalent to or better than most German and allied tanks.

The Tiger II initially experienced numerous automotive problems which
required a continuous series of minor modifications to correct. These
problems can be traced to two main causes: leaking seals and gaskets
and an over taxed drive train originally designed for a 40 metric ton
vehicle. The problem of keeping a Tiger II in running condition was
compounded by a shortage of skilled drivers many of whom may have
never experienced driving any vehicle prior to entering the service.
In addition they were provided only limited driver's training, and
then usually on a different type of panzer, and received their own
Tiger II usually within a few days before being shipped to the front.
But, with mature drivers, taking required maintenance halts, and
modification of key automotive components, the Tiger II could be
maintained in a satisfactory operational condition. Status reports
from the Western Front, dated March 1945, showed that the percentage
of Tigers operational at the Front was about equal to the PzKpfw IV
and as good as or better than the Panther.