- Elefant of the PzJgAbt 653 Eastern Front 1944
- Captured Ferdinand Kursk 2
- Ferdinand Kursk 1943, Operation Citadel
- Hitler and Albert Speer visits the Nibelungenwerke production line. 4 April 1943
- Gen. Guderian is watching the Ferdinand crews training on the gunnery range. Spring 1943
- Tank Destroyer Ferdinand 653 Abt
- Elefant 102 of the Kampfgruppe Ulbricht, Italy 1944
- Loading ammunition into Elefant 332 Ukraine 1944
- Elefants Nibelungenwerke 1944
- Ferdinand 653 Abt Kursk
- Ferdinand 723, commander Ofw Busch, Kursk 1943
- Elefant on railway flatcar
- Ferdinand 312 Unternehmen Zitadelle 1943
- Elefant coated with Zimmerit antimagnetic mine paste
- Ferdinand rail transport
- Elefant of the sPzJgAbt 653
- Elefant St. Polten July 1944
- Elefant 1944
- Captured Ferdinand Kursk
- Elefants Eastern Front 1944
- Ferdinand in field 1943
- Panzerjäger Ferdinand Ostfront
- Panzerjager Tiger (P) Ferdinand, Eastern Front
- Destroyed Elefant 112 Anzio of 1/schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653
- Ferdinand 232 from schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656
- Ferdinand being towed
- Ferdinand 150100 in production hall, May 1943
- Ferdinand 621 of the schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 and Kubelwagens – Eastern Front
- German soldier and Ferdinand
- Ferdinand 621 from schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654
- Elefant 344 Eastern Front
- Ferdinand 634 from schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656
- Elefant with “Nibelungen Sword” of Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653, 1944
- Heavy tank destroyer Ferdinand August 1943
- Heavy tank destroyer Elefant with Zimmerit
- Ferdinand 513 from schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654
- Elefant 111 Italy
- Ferdinand 501 of the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654 – frontal view
- German Ferdinand tank destroyer stuck in mud
- Elefant with Zimmerit of the Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 – transport to Italy
- Ferdinand and its crew
- Panzerjager Tiger (P) Ferdinand Ukraine 1943
- Ferdinand 121 Ferdinand 624 of the schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656, Eastern Front 1943
- Captured Ferdinand 624 of the schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656, 1943
- Heavy tank destroyer Ferdinand 150011 trials
- Camouflaged Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Ferdinand
- Ferdinand 531 of schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654 Eastern Front
- Tank destroyer was commanded by Lt Hans-Joachim Wilde
- Elefant of 653rd Heavy Panzerjäger Battalion, HQ Company, 1944
- Ferdinand of schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 October 1943
- Ferdinand 534 from schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 – Eastern Front
- Elefant from schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653
- Ferdinand Panzerjager number 214 Sdkfz 184
- Heavy Tank Destroyer Ferdinand
- Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant Sd.Kfz.184 Ferdinand
- Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant of the Panzer Jg Abt. 653
- Catured Ferdinand number 501, Eastern Front after Operation Citadel 1943
- Crew members pose outside of their Elefant tank destroyer. 3/653 Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653, Poland 1944.
- Tank destroyer Ferdinand-Elefant 8,8 cm Pak 43/2 Sfl L/71 Sd Kfz 184
- Elefant Panzerjager Sdkfz 184
- Ferdinand – Elefant 8,8 cm Pak 43/2 Sd Kfz 184 1944
- Ferdinand number 133 of the 1/653 Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung, August 1943 eastern front. Commander: Fw. Heinz Rempel.
- Crew members pose outside of their Ferdinand tank destroyer, Eastern Front
- Ferdinand number 513 of the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654 – 1943
- Ferdinand Elefant Tank Destroyer rail transport
- Elefant with zimmerit (non-magnetic coating), Panzerjager Abteilung 653 Italy
- Elefant Panzerjager Abteilung 653 eastern front
- Ferdinand Elefant heavy tank destroyer
- Jagdpanzer Ferdinand Elefant Sd. Kfz 184
- Ferdinand Elefant Panzerjager Abteilung 653
- Elefant Ferdinand Schw.Pz.Jg.Abt. 653
- Heavy tank destroyer Ferdinand eastern front
- Heavy tank destroyer Ferdinand
- Jagdpanzer Ferdinand Elefant Sd. Kfz 184 2
- Heavy tank destroyer Elephant of the 1/653 Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653, knocked out at Anzio Italy May 1944.
- Jagdpanzer Elefant Malo Archangelsk Russia
- Ferdinand Tank Destroyer code II03, Eastern Front Operation Citadel 1943
- Elefant of the Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653
- Heavy Tank Destroyer Ferdinand, Eastern Front Operation Citadel 1943
- Elefant of the Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Italy 1944
- Elefant Ferdinand Tank destroyers
- Elefant of the Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 3
- Elefant number 114 of the 1/653 Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung, Italy March 1944
- Elefant-Ferdinand Tank Destroyer II03
- Jagdpanzer Tiger (P) Ferdinand Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 2
- Elefant Ferdinand are loaded aboard railcar for transport to the front, 1943
- Elefant Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 In Nikopol
- Ferdinand of the Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 In Nikopol
- Elefant of the Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653 4
- Tiger (P) Elephant 8,8cm Pak Tank Destroyer Sdkfz184
- Elefant number 131 of the 1/653 Schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung, February 1944 Italy.
- Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant
- Ferdinand Tank Destroyer, coded II03
- Ferdinand Sd Kfz 184
- Ferdinand Tank Destroyer code “501” of the 1/654 Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung
- Ferdinand number 323 of the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 – Eastern Front 1943
- Ferdinand Number 623 of the schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654
- Ferdinand Sdkfz 184
- Ferdinand Tank Destroyer number 113, Ponyri Eastern Front 1943
Elefant (Ferdinand) was german heavy tank destroyer. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) or Sd.Kfz. 184.
Ferdinand was designed on the basis of the chassis of the Tiger (P) prototype tank which was not taken for production and Ferdinand Porsche’s construction known also as VK 4501(P) (the P letter stood for Porsche’s construction). The Ferdinand production was, on one hand, the way of making use of chassis being produced and, on the other hand, an Adolf Hitler’s consolation prize for professor Porsche. Ferdinand was armed in a perfect gun 8,8 cm Pak 43/2 L/71, mounted in an armored superstructure located in the back of the vehicle. However, despite those advantages baptism of fire of Ferdinand in the Battle of Kursk (Operation “Citadel”, German: Unternehmen Zitadelle) was a defeat. Hurriedly produced and incorporated to the service tank destroyers had numerous mechanical defects of suspension and drive. Moreover, that vehicle was too big and too heavy and it did not have a machine gun to self-defense against enemy’s infantry. Ferdinands which survived Kursk, were withdrawn to be modernized. During modernization a machine gun, zimmerit and additional armour were added. 48 vehicles were modernized and their names were changed into Elefant.
It was too complicated and faulty, however, it was an enemy impossible to be defeated on long distances, it could destroy almost every tank of the enemy. Until now there have been two Ferdinands destroyers: in Tank Museum in Kubinka and in US Army Ordnance Museum.
Total production: 90.
Technical specifications
crew |
6 |
lenght |
8140 mm |
width |
3380 mm |
height |
2715 mm |
combat weight |
65000 kg |
ground pressure |
1,23 kg/cm2 |
armor |
hull: 100+100 mm front; 80 mm sides and rear, top: 30 mm, bottom 20 mm (+30 mm Elefant) superstructure: 200 mm front, sides : 85 mm, rear: 85 mm, top: 30 mm |
engine: |
Maybach HL 120 TRM, 300 hp at 3000 rpm. 12 cylinder, water-cooled, gasoline 11867 cm3. |
electric engine: |
Siemens D 1495a, 2×230 kW |
fuel |
1080 l |
fuel consumption (road / off road) per 100 km |
720l / 1200l |
tracks |
Kgs 62/600/130 or Kgs 64/640/130 |
number of links per track |
109 |
track contact |
4175 mm |
track base |
2310 mm |
max speed |
20 km/h (12 km/h off-road) |
range |
150 km (90 km off-road) |
grade |
22° |
trench crossing |
2640 mm |
vertical obstacle |
780 mm |
fording |
1000 mm |
ground clearance |
485 mm |
ammunition |
55 (later) rounds |
secondary armament |
1 x MG34 (600 rounds) |
chassis numbers |
150010 – 150100 |
manufacturer |
Nibelungenwerke |
Bibliography
- Panzer Tracts No.9 Jagdpanzer Jagdpanzer 38 to Jagdtiger – Thomas L. Jentz, Hilary Louis Doyle
- Tadeusz Melleman: Ferdinand Elefant vol.1 and 2 – AJ-Press GunPower 22 & 23 (Polish/English)
- Janusz Lewoch: Ferdinand Elefant – Wydawnictwo Militaria 187 (Polish/English)
- Thomas Anderson: Ferdinand and Elefant Tank Destroyer, Osprey General Military
- Walter J. Spielberger: Panzerjager Tiger (P) Elefant – Armour in Profile Number 20
- Thomas L.Jentz: Elefant Panzerjager Tiger (P) – Museum Ordnance Special Number 4
- Wolfgang Schneider: Elefant, Jagdtiger, Sturmtiger – Rarities of the Tiger Family
- David Doyle: Ferdinand/Elefant Detail in Action, Squadron/Signal 79001
- Karlheinz Münch, Bo H. Friesen: Combat History of Schwere Panzerjäger Abteilung 653, Formerly the Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 197, 1940-1943