During the development of the Tiger(P) and Tiger(H), Hitler had agitated for a turret design which would be large enough to mount the 8.8cm KwK L/71 gun. This had not materialized and on September 22nd, 1942, it was decided that the StuG with 200mm frontal armor and the long 8.8cm gun should be immediately designed, with the Tiger(P) as the basis, and part of the Tiger(P) production diverted for the vehicle. Alkett was to design and produce the Ferdinand, with Niebelungenwerke supplying the completed chassis. Despite the shortage of suspension parts and lack of test runs, on February 6th, 1943, Hitler ordered that 90 Ferdinands be supplied to the front as quickly as possible by all available means. This resulted in the order for Niebelungenwerke to complete the Sturmgeschutz Ferdinand instead of Alkett. All 90 were completed by the end of May 1943, in time for use in the summer offensive at Kursk.

The Ferdinand was highly effective at engaging Soviet T-34 medium tanks and 76.2 mm anti-tank guns from behind the front line with its 88 mm gun at a range of over 3 kilometres. The most substantial problems during their operational usage at Kursk was mine damage and mechanical failure. Any damage to the tracks or suspension negated the protection of the armor, as crews were forced to dismount and attempt repairs. The immense weight of the Ferdinand made towing difficult: the standard armored recovery vehicle in German service at the time was the Bergepanzer IV, a variant of the Panzer IV tank. Although it could tow a single Panzer IV without assistance it was insufficient for larger vehicles; a Tiger I heavy tank required three Bergepanzer IVs to be towed, and the Ferdinand needed five linked together to pull the vehicle off the field.

This particular 1:72 scale Ferdinand heavy tank destroyer was attached to the schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654 then deployed to Kursk during the summer of 1943. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Length: 5-inches
Width: 2-1/4-inches

Release Date: February 2024