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  • New Tiger Tank Tee

    1:26 AM PST, 1/28/2009

    This is the same Tiger tank design as before but with improved graphics and a different title font. The 2 differences in the Tiger are that I have taken out the turret hatch covers and are now closed. A Tiger I deployed to supplement the Afrika Korps operating in Tunisia, January 1943. Tiger I tanks during the Battle of Kursk, 1943. German soldiers inspect a non-penetrating hit to the Tiger's armor. Battle of Kursk. Tiger I hit by a Soviet 76.2 mm armor-piercing round from a tank cannon. Waffen-SS Tiger I engaging enemy tanks at long range during the Battle of Kursk, 1943. The Tiger's advanced optics and accurate main gun allowed it to effectively hit targets at extended ranges. The Tiger I camouflaged in a static defensive position. A Waffen-SS Tiger I advances through a field in France. Tigers were capable of destroying the American M4 Sherman or British Churchill IV at ranges exceeding 2,000 m. In contrast, the Soviet T-34 equipped with the 76.2 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, but could achieve a side penetration at approximately 500 m firing the BR-350P APCR ammunition. The T34-85's 85 mm gun could penetrate the Tiger from the side at about range 1,000 m. The IS-2's 122 mm gun could destroy the Tiger at ranges beyond 1,000 m. From a 30 degree angle of attack the M4 Sherman's 75 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, and needed to be within 100 m to achieve a side penetration against the 80mm upper hull superstructure. The British 17-pounder as used on the Sherman Firefly, firing its normal APCBC ammunition, could penetrate frontally out to over 1,000 m. The US 76 mm gun, if firing the APCBC M62 ammunition, could penetrate the Tiger frontally out to just over 500 m, and could be at ranges in excess of 1,000 m to achieve penetration against the upper hull superstructure. Using HVAP ammunition, which was in constant short supply and primarily issued to tank destroyers, frontal penetrations were possible out to just over 1,500 m. It is worth mentioning that many of the penetration capabilities at longer ranges had little relevance compared to combat engagements of the real war, especially that which was fought in Western Europe, where engagements rarely happened outside of one kilometer due to dispersion and chance for human error, which is amplified greatly as range increases regardless of the ability of any cannon. For example, while a 17pdr could penetrate the front armor of a Tiger I at one kilometer in tests, during real combat, a 17pdr gunner would probably never find himself in a position to actually attempt such a feat. As range decreases in combat, all guns can penetrate more armour (with the exception of HEAT ammunition, which was rare in World War II). The great penetrating power of the Tiger's gun meant that it could destroy many of its opponents at ranges at which they could not respond. In open terrain, this was a major tactical advantage. Opposing tanks were often forced to make a flanking attack in order to knock out a Tiger. The Tiger was first used in action in September 1942 near Leningrad. Under pressure from Hitler, the tank was put into action months earlier than planned and many early models proved to be mechanically fragile. In its first action on 23 September 1942, many of the first Tigers broke down. Others were knocked out by dug-in Soviet anti-tank guns. One tank was captured largely intact, which gave the Soviets a chance to study the tank and prepare a response. In the Tiger's first actions in North Africa, the tank was able to dominate Allied tanks in the wide-open terrain. However, mechanical failures meant that there were rarely more than a few in action. In a replay of the Leningrad experience, at least one Tiger was knocked out by towed British six-pounder antitank guns. The tank's extreme weight limited the bridges it could cross and made drive-throughs of buildings, which may have had basements, risky. Another weakness was the slow traverse of the hydraulically-operated turret. The turret could also be traversed manually, but this option was rarely used, except probably for a fix of a few mils. Early Tigers had a top speed of about 45 km/h over optimal terrain. This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. Crews were told to not exceed 2600RPM due to reliability problems of the early Maybach engines at their maximum 3000RPM output. To combat this, the Tiger's top speed was reduced to about 38km/h through the installation of an engine governor, capping the RPM of the Maybach HL 230 to 2600rpm (HL 210s were used on early models). Despite being slower than medium tanks of the time, which averaged a top speed of about 45 km/h, the Tiger still had a very respectable speed for a tank of its size and weight, being nearly twice as heavy as a Sherman or T-34. The Tiger had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger units frequently entered combat understrength due to breakdowns. It was rare for any Tiger unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due to breakdown. The tank also had poor radius of action (distance a combat vehicle can travel and return, in normal battle conditions, without refueling). Due to its very wide tracks, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure bearing than many smaller tanks, the most notable exception being the Soviet T-34. The Tiger's armour and firepower, however, were feared by all its opponents. In tactical defence, its poor mobility was less of an issue. Whereas Panthers were the more serious threat to Allied tanks, Tigers had a bigger psychological effect on opposing crews, causing a "Tiger phobia". Allied tankers would sometimes evade rather than confront a Tiger, even a tank that only looked like one, such as the Panzer IV with turret skirts applied. In the Normandy campaign, it could take four to five Shermans to knock out a single Tiger tank by maneuvering to its weaker flank or rear armour; the Soviet T-34s fared similarly against the German tanks, as had the German Panzer III earlier against the Soviet heavy tanks. An accepted Allied tactic was to engage the Tiger as a group, one attracting the attention of the Tiger crew while the others attacked the sides or rear of the vehicle. Since the ammunition and fuel were stored in the sponsons, a side penetration often resulted in a kill. This was a risky tactic, and often resulted in the loss of several Allied vehicles. It took a great deal of tactical skill to eliminate a Tiger. Tigers were usually employed in separate heavy tank battalions (schwere-Panzer-Abteilung) under army command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counterattacks. A few favoured divisions, such as the Grossdeutschland or some of the low-numbered Waffen-SS divisions had a handful of Tigers. The Tiger was originally designed to be offensive breakthrough weapon but by the time they came into action, the military situation had changed dramatically, and their main use was on the defensive as mobile gun batteries. [3] Unfortunately this also meant rushing the Tigers constantly from location to location causing excessive mechanical issues. As a result there are almost no instances where a Tiger Batallion went into combat at anything close to full strength. Furthermore, against the Soviet and Western Allied production numbers, even a 10:1 kill ratio would not have been sufficient for the Tigers. Some Tiger units did exceed the 10:1 kill ratio, including 13. Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland (16.67:1), schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 (12.82:1) and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (13.08:1). These numbers must be set against the opportunity cost of building the expensive Tiger. Every Tiger built cost as much as four Sturmgeschütz III assault guns. On 7 July 1943, a single Tiger tank commanded by SS-Oberscharführer Franz Staudegger from the 2nd Platoon of 13th Panzer Company of 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler engaged a group of about 50 T-34s around Psyolknee (the southern sector of the German salient in the Battle of Kursk). Staudegger used all his ammunition in destroying 22 Soviet tanks, while the rest retreated. For this, Staudegger was awarded the Knight's Cross. On 8 August 1944, a single Tiger commanded by SS-Unterscharführer Willi Fey from the 1st Company of sSSPzAbt 102, engaged a British tank column, destroying some 14 out of 15 Shermans, followed by one more later in the day using his last two rounds of ammunition. sSSPzAbt 102 lost all of its Tigers during fighting in Normandy, but reported 227 Allied tanks destroyed in six weeks. The Tiger is particularly associated with SS-Haupsturmführer Michael Wittmann of schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 101. He worked his way up, commanding various vehicles and finally a Tiger I. In the Battle of Villers-Bocage, he destroyed over two dozen Allied vehicles including several tanks; and single-handedly held up the advance of the entire 7th Armoured Division until his tank was knocked out and abandoned. Over 10 Tiger tank commanders had over 100 vehicle kills on their account, including: Kurt Knispel with 168 kills, Otto Carius with 150+ kills, Johannes Bölter with 139+ kills, and Michael Wittmann with 138 kills. [edit] The captured Tiger of 1943 - Tiger 131 Tiger captured in Tunis, 1943. On 21 April 1943, a Tiger of the Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 504 with turret number 131 was captured after a fight with Churchill tanks of the British 48th Royal Tank Regiment in Tunisia on a hill called Djebel Djaffa; shots had jammed the turret and injured the commander the crew bailed out[4] It was repaired and displayed in Tunisia before being sent to England for a thorough inspection. The Western Allies, however, did little to prepare for combat against the Tiger despite their assessment that the newly-encountered German tank was superior to their own. This conclusion was partly based on the correct estimate that the Tiger would be produced in relatively small numbers.[citation needed] It was also based on the doctrine of the United States Army, which did not place emphasis on tank-versus-tank combat, relying instead on the use of tank destroyers.[citation needed] In contrast, the more experienced British had observed the gradual increase in German AFV armor and firepower since 1940 and had anticipated the need for more powerful anti-tank guns. Work on the Ordnance QF 17 pounder had begun in late 1940 and 100 early-production guns were rushed to North Africa help counter the new Tiger threat. So great was the haste that they were sent before proper carriages had been developed, and the guns had to be mounted in the carriages of 25-pounder gun-howitzers. Efforts were hastened to get Cruiser tanks armed with 17 pounder guns into operation. The A30 Challenger was already at the prototype stage in 1942[5], but this tank was poorly protected and unreliable, and was fielded in only limited numbers. The 17 pounder-armed Sherman, the Sherman Firefly, was a notable success even though it was only intended to be a stopgap design. Fireflys were successfully used against Tigers (in one famous engagement, a single Firefly destroyed three) and over 2000 were built during the war. Six different, 17-pounder-armed, British tanks and tank-destroyers would see combat. On 25 September 1951, the captured tank was officially handed over to the Bovington Tank Museum at Bovington Camp in the UK, by the British Ministry of Supply. In June 1990, preparations were made for restoring the Tiger to full running order. In December 2003, Tiger 131 returned to the museum with a fully operational engine after extensive restoration by the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO).
  • Tiger 1

    1:25 AM PST, 1/28/2009

    German heavy panzer of World War 2. The initial official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausfhrung H (abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H, Ausfhrung is German for "edition") but the tank was re-designated as

    Panzerkampfwagen

    VI Ausf. E in March 1943. The panzer also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 181. The Tiger I was in use from late 1942 until the German surrender in 1945. It was given its "Tiger" nickname by Ferdinand Porsche (the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II was produced). The design served as the basis for other armoured vehicles, the Sturmtiger heavy self-propelled gun and the Bergetiger amoured recovery vehicle. Tigers were capable of destroying the American M4 Sherman tank or British Churchhill tank IV at ranges exceeding 2,000 m. In contrast, the Soviet T-34 equipped with the 76.2 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at whatever range, but could attain a side penetration at approximately 500 m firing the BR-350P APCR ammunition. The T34-85 tank 85 mm gun could penetrate the Tiger from the side at about range 1,000 m. The IS-2's 122 mm gun could destroy the Tiger at ranges beyond 1,000 m. fubar4 From a 30 degree angle of attack the M4 Sherman tank's 75 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger tank frontally at any range, and needed to be within 100 m to achieve a side penetration against the 80mm upper hull superstructure. The British 17-pounder as used on the Sherman Firefly, firing its normal APCBC ammunition, could penetrate frontally out to over 1,000 m. The US 76 mm gun, if firing the APCBC M62 ammunition, could penetrate the Tiger frontally out to just over 500 m, and could be at ranges in excess of 1,000 m to achieve penetration against the upper hull superstructure. Using HVAP ammunition, which was in constant short supply and primarily issued to tank destroyers, frontal penetrations were possible out to just over 1,500 m. It is worth mentioning that many of the penetration capabilities at longer ranges had little relevance compared to combat engagements of the real war, especially that which was fought in Western Europe, where battles seldom happened outside of one kilometer due to scattering and chance for human error, which is amplified greatly as range increases regardless of the ability of any cannon. For example, while a 17pdr could penetrate the front armor of a Tiger I at one kilometer in tests, during real combat, a 17pdr gunner would probably never find himself in a position to actually attempt such a feat. As range decreases in combat, all guns can penetrate more armor (with the exception of HEAT ammunition, which was rare in World War II). The great penetrating power of the Tiger tank's gun meant that it could destroy many of its opponents at ranges at which they could not respond. In open terrain, this was a major tactical advantage. Opposing tanks were often forced to make a flanking attack in order to knock out a Tiger. The Tiger tank was first used in action in September 1942 near Leningrad. Under pressure from Hitler, the panzer was put into action months earlier than planned and many early models proved to be mechanically fragile. In its first action on 23 September 1942, many of the first Tiger tanks broke down. Others were knocked out by dug-in Soviet anti-tank guns. One panzer was captured largely intact, which gave the Soviets a chance to study the tank and prepare a response. In the Tiger tank's first actions in North Africa, the panzer was able to dominate Allied tanks in the wide-open terrain. However, mechanical failures meant that there were rarely more than a few in action. In a replay of the Leningrad experience, at least one Tiger tank was knocked out by towed British six-pounder antitank guns. The panzer's extreme weight limited the bridges it could cross and made drive-throughs of buildings, which may have had basements, hazardous. Another weakness was the slow traverse of the hydraulically-operated turret. The turret could as well be passed over manually, but this choice was seldom used, except probably for a fix of a few mils. Early Tiger tanks had a top speed of about 45 km/h over optimal terrain. This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. Crews were told to not exceed 2600RPM due to reliability problems of the early Maybach engines at their maximum 3000RPM output. To combat this, the Tiger's top speed was reduced to about 38km/h through the installation of an engine governor, capping the RPM of the Maybach HL 230 to 2600rpm (HL 210s were used on early models). Despite being slower than medium tanks of the time, which averaged a top speed of about 45 km/h, the Tiger still had a very respectable speed for a tank of its size and weight, being nearly twice as heavy as a Sherman tank or T-34 tank. The Tiger tank had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger tank units frequently entered combat understrength due to breakdowns. It was rare for any Tiger tank unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due to breakdown. The tank also had poor radius of action (distance a combat vehicle can travel and return, in normal battle conditions, without refueling). Due to its very wide tracks, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure bearing than many smaller tanks, the most notable exception being the Soviet T-34 tank. The Tiger tank's armor and firepower, however, were feared by all its opponents. In tactical defense, its poor mobility was less of an issue. Whereas Panthers were the more serious threat to Allied tanks, Tigers had a bigger psychological effect on opposing crews, causing a "Tiger phobia". Allied tankers would sometimes evade rather than confront a Tiger, even a tank that only looked like one, such as the Panzer IV with turret skirts applied. In the Normandy campaign, it could take four to five Shermans to knock out a single Tiger tank by maneuvering to its weaker flank or rear armour; the Soviet T-34s fared similarly against the German panzers, as had the German Panzer III earlier against the Soviet heavy tanks. An accepted Allied tactic was to engage the Tiger tank en masse, one attracting the attention of the Tiger crew while the others attacked the sides or rear of the vehicle. Since the ammunition and fuel were stored in the sponsons, a side penetration often resulted in a kill. This was a risky tactic, and often resulted in the loss of several Allied vehicles. It took a great deal of tactical skill to eliminate a Tiger tank. Tiger tanks were usually employed in separate heavy panzer battalions (schwere-Panzer-Abteilung) under army command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counterattacks. A few favored divisions, such as the Grossdeutschland or some of the low-numbered Waffen-SS divisions had a handful of Tiger tanks. The Tiger tank was originally designed to be offensive breakthrough weapon but by the time they came into action, the military situation had changed dramatically, and their main use was on the defensive as mobile gun batteries. Unfortunately this also meant rushing the Tigers constantly from location to location causing excessive mechanical issues. As a result there are almost no instances where a Tiger Batallion went into combat at anything close to full strength. Furthermore, against the Soviet and Western Allied production numbers, even a 10:1 kill ratio would not have been sufficient for the Tiger tanks. Some Tiger tank units did exceed the 10:1 kill ratio, including 13. Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Grossdeutschland (16.67:1), schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 103 (12.82:1) and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (13.08:1). These numbers must be set against the opportunity cost of building the expensive Tiger tank. Every Tiger tank built cost as much as four Sturmgeschutz III assault guns. On 7 July 1943, a single Tiger tank commanded by SS-Oberscharfuhrer Franz Staudegger from the 2nd Platoon of 13th Panzer Company of 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler engaged a group of about 50 T-34 tanks around Psyolknee (the southern sector of the German salient in the Battle of Kursk). Staudegger used all his ammunition in destroying 22 Soviet tanks, while the rest retreated. For this, Staudegger was awarded the Knight's Cross. On 8 August 1944, a single Tiger commanded by SS-Unterscharfuhrer Willi Fey from the 1st Company of sSSPzAbt 102, engaged a British tank column, destroying some 14 out of 15 Sherman tanks, followed by one more later in the day using his last two rounds of ammunition. sSSPzAbt 102 lost all of its Tiger tanks during fighting in Normandy, but reported 227 Allied panzers destroyed in six weeks. The Tiger tank is particularly associated with SS-Haupsturmfurher Michael Wittmann of schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 101. He worked his way up, commanding various vehicles and finally a Tiger I. In the Battle of Villers-Bocage, he destroyed over two dozen Allied vehicles including several panzers; and single-handedly held up the advance of the entire 7th Armored Division until his panzer was knocked out and abandoned. Over 10 Tiger tank panzer commanders had over 100 vehicle kills on their account, including: Kurt Knispel with 168 kills, Otto Carius with 150+ kills, Johannes Boumllter with 139+ kills, and Michael Wittmann with 138 kills.

  • Konigstiger Tiger Tank t shirt

    3:09 PM PST, 1/16/2009

    Just another tiger tank t shirt, but this is the Konigstiger (King Tiger) t shirt. I decided to go with a gray color with black for shading and use the Konigstiger name instead of King Tiger on this t shirt. I have made this tee shirt available in black and military green. As far as t shirts go, most people don’t want to buy white t shirts. I think I will also use a royal blue due to the bright contrast with the gray and black. This is the heavy Tiger 2 that was used near the end of world war 2 by the Germans. The official German designation was

    Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B

    with the ordnance inventory of SdKfz 182. The Konigstiger tank (Bengal Tiger in German) was also commonly known as the Tiger 2 that of course came after the Tiger 1. The Konigstiger was also translated to King Tiger tank by Americans and Royal Tiger tank by the British troops. The Konigstiger had very heavy armor and could not be penetrated by a Sherman M4 tank, even at point blank range. The Konigstiger had sloped armor much like the Panther tank and used the 88 mm KwK 43 L/71 gun also used by the Tiger 1 tank.

  • Jagdpanther tank t shirt

    3:47 PM PST, 1/15/2009

    The Jagdpanther tank was a tank destroyer used by the Germans in World War 2. It's name is "Hunting Panther" and was used to ambush other tanks. The Jagdpanther used a 88 mm Pak 43 gun and the Panther tank chassis with no turret. Heavy sloped frontal and side armor was used on the fixed casement as part of the main hull. This provided a spacious interior (crew of 5), but still allowed a very low profile utilized in "hunting" other tanks. Only 392 were produced late in the war and were used on the eastern and western fronts. There are 3 surviving Jagdpanthers and have been restored to running condition. The German museums in Munster Deutsches Panzermuseum and Koblenz have one running Jagdpanther each. The SDKFZ Foundation in the UK has restored one Jagdpanther to running condition, using two wrecked Jagdpanthers to complete one tank destroyer. The other wreck will also be restored. This is a very cool looking panzer. I will make more t shirt designs using the Jagdpanther and will also (someday) build a diorama with the Jagd. more info: A heavy tank destroyer design founded upon the 88 mm Pak 43 artillery and the Panther tank frame was ordered in late 1942 as design SdKfz 173. Production started in early 1944; at the same time Hitler specified the

    Jagdpanther

    (”hunting panther”) name. To suit the heavier-calibre gun, very much like the former Jagdpanzer-style unturreted tank destroyers, the sides of the Panther tank were extended up into an integral, turretless fixed casemate as part of the main hull itself to provide a roomy interior. Both the Panther Ausf. G and Jagdpanther had side armor of increased elevation to enhance this effect even further and to harmonize production. It was armed with an anti-tank version of the same long-barreled 88 mm gun as the Tiger II and a 7.92 mm MG-34 machine gun in the front glacis plate for local defence. The Jagdpanther had a good power-to-weight ratio and a powerful main gun, which enabled it to destroy any type of Allied tank. Because it was based on the existing Panther chassis, the vehicle didn’t endure too many mechanical problems. It was manned by a crew of 5, a driver, radio-operator, commander, gunner, and a loader. Two versions can be distinguished, one with a welded steel band around the primary gun mantlet and the other with a bolted-on band. The versions with the bolted-on ring were equipped with Pak 43/4 gun. Early Jagdpanthers had a monobloc gun barrel and two vision openings for the driver, whereas late versions had only one.

  • Spider Pig

    5:45 PM PST, 1/3/2009

    So this is a popular t shirt. I dunno. I did think it was funny in the Simpson's movie. the Spiderpig t shirt is a variation from the current tee style that I have seen. I think that the web is cool and the font is much better.

    Cool t shirts

  • Tiger 1

    1:40 PM PST, 12/6/2008

    German heavy tank of World War II. The initial official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausführung H (abbreviated PzKpfw VI Ausf. H, Ausführung is German for "version") but the tank was redesignated as Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E in March 1943. The tank also had the ordnance inventory designation SdKfz 181. The Tiger I was in use from late 1942 until the German surrender in 1945. It was given its "Tiger" nickname by Ferdinand Porsche (the Roman numeral was added after the Tiger II was produced). The design served as the basis for other armoured vehicles, the Sturmtiger heavy self-propelled gun and the Bergetiger amoured recovery vehicle.
  • Rick Rolled

    1:35 PM PST, 12/6/2008

    Rickroll funny t shirt.

    A rickroll is a prank played on an unsuspecting web surfer. To be rickrolled is when browsing a website (especially a discussion forum or comment board), one comes across a link expecting it to lead to one thing, but finds something completely different when the link is clicked. The name Rick refers to 80s pop singer Rick Astley. The standard rickroll generally involves someone posting a link claiming it leads to something quite interesting (e.g. hot chicks in panties), but actually linking to a video of Mr. Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up." This is usually considered a major let-down.

    Funny t shirts

  • New Tiger Tank Tee

    2:15 AM PST, 11/22/2008

    This is the same

    Tiger tank

    t shirt design as before but with improved graphics and a different title font. The 2 differences in the Tiger are that I have taken out the turret hatch covers and are now closed. A Tiger I deployed to supplement the Afrika Korps operating in Tunisia, January 1943. Tiger I tanks during the Battle of Kursk, 1943. German soldiers inspect a non-penetrating hit to the Tiger's armor. Battle of Kursk. Tiger I hit by a Soviet 76.2 mm armor-piercing round from a tank cannon. Waffen-SS Tiger I engaging enemy tanks at long range during the Battle of Kursk, 1943. The Tiger's advanced optics and accurate main gun allowed it to effectively hit targets at extended ranges. The Tiger I camouflaged in a static defensive position. A Waffen-SS Tiger I advances through a field in France. Tigers were capable of destroying the American M4 Sherman or British Churchill IV at ranges exceeding 2,000 m. In contrast, the Soviet T-34 equipped with the 76.2 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, but could achieve a side penetration at approximately 500 m firing the BR-350P APCR ammunition. The T34-85's 85 mm gun could penetrate the Tiger from the side at about range 1,000 m. The IS-2's 122 mm gun could destroy the Tiger at ranges beyond 1,000 m. From a 30 degree angle of attack the M4 Sherman's 75 mm gun could not penetrate the Tiger frontally at any range, and needed to be within 100 m to achieve a side penetration against the 80mm upper hull superstructure. The British 17-pounder as used on the Sherman Firefly, firing its normal APCBC ammunition, could penetrate frontally out to over 1,000 m. The US 76 mm gun, if firing the APCBC M62 ammunition, could penetrate the Tiger frontally out to just over 500 m, and could be at ranges in excess of 1,000 m to achieve penetration against the upper hull superstructure. Using HVAP ammunition, which was in constant short supply and primarily issued to tank destroyers, frontal penetrations were possible out to just over 1,500 m. It is worth mentioning that many of the penetration capabilities at longer ranges had little relevance compared to combat engagements of the real war, especially that which was fought in Western Europe, where engagements rarely happened outside of one kilometer due to dispersion and chance for human error, which is amplified greatly as range increases regardless of the ability of any cannon. For example, while a 17pdr could penetrate the front armor of a Tiger I at one kilometer in tests, during real combat, a 17pdr gunner would probably never find himself in a position to actually attempt such a feat. As range decreases in combat, all guns can penetrate more armour (with the exception of HEAT ammunition, which was rare in World War II). The great penetrating power of the Tiger's gun meant that it could destroy many of its opponents at ranges at which they could not respond. In open terrain, this was a major tactical advantage. Opposing tanks were often forced to make a flanking attack in order to knock out a Tiger. The Tiger was first used in action in September 1942 near Leningrad. Under pressure from Hitler, the tank was put into action months earlier than planned and many early models proved to be mechanically fragile. In its first action on 23 September 1942, many of the first Tigers broke down. Others were knocked out by dug-in Soviet anti-tank guns. One tank was captured largely intact, which gave the Soviets a chance to study the

    Panzer

    and prepare a response. In the Tiger's first actions in North Africa, the tank was able to dominate Allied tanks in the wide-open terrain. However, mechanical failures meant that there were rarely more than a few in action. In a replay of the Leningrad experience, at least one Tiger was knocked out by towed British six-pounder antitank guns. The tank's extreme weight limited the bridges it could cross and made drive-throughs of buildings, which may have had basements, risky. Another weakness was the slow traverse of the hydraulically-operated turret. The turret could also be traversed manually, but this option was rarely used, except probably for a fix of a few mils. Early Tigers had a top speed of about 45 km/h over optimal terrain. This was not recommended for normal operation, and was discouraged in training. Crews were told to not exceed 2600RPM due to reliability problems of the early Maybach engines at their maximum 3000RPM output. To combat this, the Tiger's top speed was reduced to about 38km/h through the installation of an engine governor, capping the RPM of the Maybach HL 230 to 2600rpm (HL 210s were used on early models). Despite being slower than medium tanks of the time, which averaged a top speed of about 45 km/h, the Tiger still had a very respectable speed for a tank of its size and weight, being nearly twice as heavy as a Sherman or T-34. The

    Tiger tank

    had reliability problems throughout its service life; Tiger units frequently entered combat understrength due to breakdowns. It was rare for any Tiger unit to complete a road march without losing vehicles due to breakdown. The tank also had poor radius of action (distance a combat vehicle can travel and return, in normal battle conditions, without refueling). Due to its very wide tracks, the Tiger had a lower ground pressure bearing than many smaller tanks, the most notable exception being the Soviet T-34. The Tiger's armour and firepower, however, were feared by all its opponents. In tactical defence, its poor mobility was less of an issue. Whereas Panthers were the more serious threat to Allied tanks, Tigers had a bigger psychological effect on opposing crews, causing a "Tiger phobia". Allied tankers would sometimes evade rather than confront a Tiger, even a tank that only looked like one, such as the

    Panzer

    IV with turret skirts applied. In the Normandy campaign, it could take four to five Shermans to knock out a single Tiger tank by maneuvering to its weaker flank or rear armour; the Soviet T-34s fared similarly against the

    German tanks

    , as had the German Panzer III earlier against the Soviet heavy tanks. An accepted Allied tactic was to engage the Tiger as a group, one attracting the attention of the Tiger crew while the others attacked the sides or rear of the vehicle. Since the ammunition and fuel were stored in the sponsons, a side penetration often resulted in a kill. This was a risky tactic, and often resulted in the loss of several Allied vehicles. It took a great deal of tactical skill to eliminate a Tiger. Tigers were usually employed in separate heavy tank battalions (schwere-Panzer-Abteilung) under army command. These battalions would be deployed to critical sectors, either for breakthrough operations or, more typically, counterattacks. A few favoured divisions, such as the Grossdeutschland or some of the low-numbered Waffen-SS divisions had a handful of Tigers. The Tiger was originally designed to be offensive breakthrough weapon but by the time they came into action, the military situation had changed dramatically, and their main use was on the defensive as mobile gun batteries. [3] Unfortunately this also meant rushing the Tigers constantly from location to location causing excessive mechanical issues. As a result there are almost no instances where a Tiger Batallion went into combat at anything close to full strength. Furthermore, against the Soviet and Western Allied production numbers, even a 10:1 kill ratio would not have been sufficient for the Tigers. Some Tiger units did exceed the 10:1 kill ratio, including 13. Kompanie/Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland (16.67:1), schwere

    SS-Panzer

    -Abteilung 103 (12.82:1) and schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 (13.08:1). These numbers must be set against the opportunity cost of building the expensive Tiger. Every Tiger built cost as much as four Sturmgeschütz III assault guns. On 7 July 1943, a single Tiger tank commanded by SS-Oberscharführer Franz Staudegger from the 2nd Platoon of 13th Panzer Company of 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler engaged a group of about 50 T-34s around Psyolknee (the southern sector of the German salient in the

    Battle of Kursk

    ). Staudegger used all his ammunition in destroying 22 Soviet tanks, while the rest retreated. For this, Staudegger was awarded the

    Knight's Cross

    . On 8 August 1944, a single Tiger commanded by SS-Unterscharführer Willi Fey from the 1st Company of sSSPzAbt 102, engaged a British tank column, destroying some 14 out of 15 Shermans, followed by one more later in the day using his last two rounds of ammunition. sSSPzAbt 102 lost all of its Tigers during fighting in Normandy, but reported 227 Allied tanks destroyed in six weeks. The Tiger is particularly associated with SS-Haupsturmführer Michael Wittmann of schwere SS-Panzerabteilung 101. He worked his way up, commanding various vehicles and finally a Tiger I. In the Battle of Villers-Bocage, he destroyed over two dozen Allied vehicles including several tanks; and single-handedly held up the advance of the entire 7th Armoured Division until his tank was knocked out and abandoned. Over 10

    Tiger tank commanders

    had over 100 vehicle kills on their account, including: Kurt Knispel with 168 kills, Otto Carius with 150+ kills, Johannes Bölter with 139+ kills, and

    Michael Wittmann

    with 138 kills. [edit] The captured Tiger of 1943 - Tiger 131 Tiger captured in Tunis, 1943. On 21 April 1943, a Tiger of the Schwere

    Panzer

    -Abteilung 504 with turret number 131 was captured after a fight with Churchill tanks of the British 48th Royal Tank Regiment in Tunisia on a hill called Djebel Djaffa; shots had jammed the turret and injured the commander the crew bailed out[4] It was repaired and displayed in Tunisia before being sent to England for a thorough inspection. The Western Allies, however, did little to prepare for combat against the Tiger despite their assessment that the newly-encountered German tank was superior to their own. This conclusion was partly based on the correct estimate that the Tiger would be produced in relatively small numbers.[citation needed] It was also based on the doctrine of the United States Army, which did not place emphasis on tank-versus-tank combat, relying instead on the use of tank destroyers.[citation needed] In contrast, the more experienced British had observed the gradual increase in German AFV armor and firepower since 1940 and had anticipated the need for more powerful anti-tank guns. Work on the Ordnance QF 17 pounder had begun in late 1940 and 100 early-production guns were rushed to North Africa help counter the new Tiger threat. So great was the haste that they were sent before proper carriages had been developed, and the guns had to be mounted in the carriages of 25-pounder gun-howitzers. Efforts were hastened to get Cruiser tanks armed with 17 pounder guns into operation. The A30 Challenger was already at the prototype stage in 1942[5], but this tank was poorly protected and unreliable, and was fielded in only limited numbers. The 17 pounder-armed Sherman, the Sherman Firefly, was a notable success even though it was only intended to be a stopgap design. Fireflys were successfully used against Tigers (in one famous engagement, a single Firefly destroyed three) and over 2000 were built during the war. Six different, 17-pounder-armed, British tanks and tank-destroyers would see combat. On 25 September 1951, the captured tank was officially handed over to the Bovington Tank Museum at Bovington Camp in the UK, by the British Ministry of Supply. In June 1990, preparations were made for restoring the Tiger to full running order. In December 2003,

    Tiger 131

    returned to the museum with a fully operational engine after extensive restoration by the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO).

  • Palin 2012

    9:57 PM PST, 11/10/2008

    Well Sarah Palin for President in 2012? I would vote for her. She will be Governor for 4 more years and have more experience anshe will be able to say what she really thinks. The McCain staff won't be there to kept her from being too "conservative" on the campaign trail. We need a "real" conservative in the Republican Party that has the guts to tell liberals and President "Barry" that they are frauds and phonies. What a terrible campaign by McCain. Did he really want to win or did he just want to be the "lovable loser"? Well you can wear this t-shirt for 4 years and show your support for what I think will be the first female President in the U.S.
  • Diversity Guns

    12:20 PM PST, 10/16/2008

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    Last Design American Eagle 2021 One Ounce Gold Proof Coin Mint 21EB Ship Today

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    Well I made the "Diversity Tanks" shirt earlier with a bunch of German World War 2 armor and so I decided to create a tee with guns in the same vein. This t shirt has all rifles or machine guns (MG's) displayed on it. Some are from World War 2 and some are modern firearms. MP5, MG42, Thompson sub machine gun, Uzi and so on.

     Achtung T Shirt Store

    I have a few gun t shirts that have been doing well. The best is the "Celebrate Diversity" t shirt that shows 12 different machine guns, assault rifles, etc. and has the caption of "Celebrate Diversity" at the bottom. I think this is a funny gun t shirt and so do many of the people that buy them. I can't believe the number of women buyers of this shirt, especially in military green. I think this tee sends different messages to the people that see it. How do people interpret it? Does it mean that your a gun nut, or that you don't believe in the common term for "Celebrate Diversity"? It sure gets reaction from people when I wear mine. Of the guns on this t shirt are: StG44 Sturmgewehr, Thompson, Uzi, Ak47, MG42, MP5 HK, M16, Mp40. All of these are of course assault rifles, machine pistols or machine guns.