Tiger II

The Tiger II, also known as the King Tiger and Royal Tiger was the name for the '''Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. B'''. To German troops, the Tiger II was known as the Königstiger (Bengal Tiger).

Design
The Tiger II is a Heavy Tank of German manufacture, armed with an 88MM Tank Cannon similar to the one found in the Tiger Tank. Unlike the Tiger Tank, however, the Tiger II featured sloped armor similar to the Panther, in turn developed from the T-34 and combined it with the thick armor of the Tiger Tank. The tank was also one of--if not the--largest tank the military of the Third Reich ever produced and one of the largest tanks of the war.

Advantages
The Tiger II was one of the best armed and armored tanks of the war. It's 88MM Cannon was capable of engaging targets at ranges exceeding 2000MM and penetrating 132MM of armor at those extreme ranges. The armor of the Tiger II, at 180MM at the front, combined with it's sloped armor made the tank very difficult to destroy from the front. This was particularly true of engagements in Normandy and Western Europe, where the Western Allies had virtually no heavy-tanks of their own to combat the fearsome Tiger and would often rely on artillery or air-strikes to severely damage or destroy the tanks. The only tank they had that came close was the M26 Pershing. The Soviets had their IS-2 and up-armed T-34/85 Tanks, but they had difficulty penetrating the thick, sloped armor. An IS-2 had to get within 200MM to effectively pierce the armor of the Tiger II, a dangerous proposition at best. The tank's physical size also made it a potent psychological weapon, as were many weapons of the Third Reich.

Disadvantages
The Tiger II's thick armor and large frame made it extremely heavy, weighing in at 67 Tones. This, combined with it's underpowered engine normally reserved for the lighter Panzer tanks made for a slow top speed. On top of that, the engine was put in such strain that it often overheated. It also required large amounts of gasoline, something the Third Reich could not easily spare. The engine also required to be constantly running at full power to even start the tank. The Tank's suspension was also overtaxed, as well as the steering control which would frequently lock. All of these issues stemming from the fact that the tank was never design tested. The Tiger II was delivered from the planning stage, to the factories directly to the front lines. Because of it's fuel and mechanical requirements, the Tiger II also required a long supply chain. This was something the doctrine of Blitzkrieg had difficulty providing. The Tiger II was also the sort of weapon that required the combined-forces of Air and Ground. While the Tank was superior to nearly everything the allies had as far as tank-to-tank in it's debut, at that point the Allies had air superiority as well as artillery and would often use one or the other to disable or destroy the tanks, which were large and practically immobile and made easy targets when exposed and in the open. The Tanks' size also made it difficult to negotiate tight quarters, as found in urban areas.

Combat History
The Tiger II was first deployed in Normandy, on the 18th of July, 1944. It was first used in the Eastern Front on August 12th of that same year. In the later action, three Tiger II's were knocked out by a single T34/85 commanded by Guards Lieutenant Os'kin of the 53rd Guards Tank Brigade from an ambush position and firing at their sides. The Tiger II also saw action in Operation Market Garden, the Ardennes Offensive, the offensives into Poland and Hungary and finally the Battle of Berlin.

In Game
To date, the Tiger II has appeared only in Call of Duty 3, most notably in the level Black Baron. A tank commanded by a German known only as "Richter" and "The Black Baron" is the objective of a Polish Sherman Firefly Tank crew. At the levels end, the Firefly crew fires at it's rear after a successful air-strike by Typhoon aircraft, destroying the tank and causing it's turret to literally blow off.