Craig Moore looks at some of the repairs and modifications undertaken on the Tiger tank during World War Two
When the open air US Army Aberdeen Proving Ground tank collection in Maryland was ordered to relocate, most tanks went to the US Army Armor and Cavalry Collection (AACC) situated inside the US Army base at Fort Benning, Georgia. It is not open to the public apart from a few ‘open house’ events each year. The collection only has two paid, overworked, members of staff – director Len Dyer and curator Rob Cogan. They have a small vehicle restoration budget and must choose carefully what work to undertake.
In April 2019 I was invited to conduct research and view the collection, which includes a Tiger I tank with the tactical number 712. It had belonged to the German heavy tank battalion 504 (504. schwere Panzer-Abteilung) and was captured in Tunis in May 1943. The left side of the tank’s armour was cut away and the vehicle used for training before it was put on public display in two German museums as part of an exhibit loan. In July 2012, the tank returned to the US.
Len Dyer explained that Tiger 712’s hull had received damage from enemy shells and had undergone several battlefield bodywork repairs …
