Arsenal Tanks of the World ATW28 Porsche Sd.Kfz.184 Elefant Diecast Model German Army sHPzJgAbt 653 |
1:72 Scale | | Length | | Width |
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Porsche Sd.Kfz.184 Elefant | | 4.5" | | 1.75" |
The Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant (Sd.Kfz. 184) was a Panzerjager (tank hunter) of the German Wehrmacht in World War II. They were originally built under the name Ferdinand, after their designer, Ferdinand Porsche. The design evolved from cruder, improvised designs of 1941-42, as well as the later, but still defective, Marder designs. The chassis was created from the 90 Porsche Tiger I models already built with new tracks and an all-steel wheel arrangement. Suspension consisted of six twin bogies with longitudinal torsion bars. The engines were placed in the middle of the hull to give room for the armament at the rear in a simple box structure on top of this chassis. The engines drove electric generators, which in turn powered electric motors connected to the rear sprockets. The driver and radio operator were in a separate compartment at the front. The vehicle was fitted with an 88 mm PaK 43/2 L/71 gun. The L/71 had originally been developed as a replacement for the famous 88 mm anti-aircraft gun that had been used against Allied tanks in the Western Desert Campaign, although in the event it was never fielded as an anti-aircraft weapon. The L/71 had a much longer barrel than the L/56 Flak 18 and Flak 36 guns, which gave it a higher muzzle velocity. It also fired a different, longer cartridge. These improvements gave the 88mm L/71 significantly improved armor penetration ability over the earlier 88 mm. As fitted, the gun was capable of only 25 degrees traverse and a similarly limited elevation.
Presented to Hitler on March 19th, 1943, the German Panzerjäger or Elefant was originally built under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche. A six man crew operated the 88mm gun mounted on this 70 ton tank. Engines were located in the middle of the hull, which allowed space for the armament at the rear. The Elefant's armor plate was as thick as 8 in. on the front-this helped it flatten obstacles and clear the way for lighter vehicles. The Elefant's extreme firepower/protection ratio gave it an enormous advantage; in "kills per loss," it might have been the most successful "tank destroyer" of the war. © Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.
The Arsenal "Tanks of the World" range presents affordable, ready made diecast models of military vehicles in 1:72 scale. To help keep the price down, these items arrive in low-cost, discardable blister type packaging.
Arsenal "Tanks of the World" diecast vehicles feature:
- Diecast metal and plastic construction.
- Rotating turret, elevating cannon and accurate hull.
- Fitted, non-moving tracks on detailed non-rotating wheels.
- Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
- Pad printed markings and placards that won't fade or peel like decals.
© Copyright 2003-2024 The Flying Mule, Inc.