Difference between revisions of "Tiger 131"

Tiger 131 is the only working PzKfw VI Tiger tank in the world, it currently resides in Bovington Tank Museum and features as the main star in the museum's yearly tank festival. Tiger 131 was constructed in February 1943 at the Henschel factory at Kassel and was then sent to Tunisia in North Africa. On 20th April 1943 it took part in the battle for Djebel Djaffa hill, during witch it received several hits form British Churchill tanks that jammed the turret and gun, as well as injuring the driver and gunner. The crew then bailed out leaving their disabled but still intact tank for British forces to capture. The tank was repaired using parts from other knocked-out tigers and sent back to Britain where it was displayed as a war trophy in various locations around the country for the rest of the war. In 1951 it was then donated to Bovington Tank Museum who put it on static display for the next 40 years. In 1990 it was then removed for restoration which involved a complete disassembly and reassembly of all it's parts. As well as fitting it with a new engine from a Tiger II, as the original had been cut in half for display at the museum. The restoration of Tiger 131 was finally finished in 2003, becoming the only tiger tank in the world to be restored to working condition.

References

• Wikipedia