MILITARYSPRING2022US

ALSO AVAILABLE 2022 NEW RELEASES 18 The Porsche Tiger and Ferdinand Tank Destroyer VK 4501 (P)/Porsche Type 101 and the Panzerjäger Ferdinand/Elefant Michael Fröhlich During the Second World War, Porsche played an important role in designing military vehicles for the Wehrmacht Through details on the Tiger trials at the Verskraft proving ground, readers will gain insight into the armament procurement process in the Third Reich. Hulls constructed for the failed Porsche Tiger prototype were used to produce a massive tank destroyer called the Ferdinand. The Ferdinand (later known as "Elefant") was a rare and fearsome machine, weighing 65 tons and armed with the famous "long 88" antitank cannon. Ferdinand Porsche was an Austrian engineer born in 1875. In the interwar period, Ferdinand founded an automotive consultation firm, which gradually grew into today’s Porsche AG automotive company. Porsche’s firm was responsible for the design of the "Volkswagen," a simple model known today as the Beetle. During the Second World War, Porsche’s firm played an important role in designing military vehicles for the Wehrmacht. This work follows up on author Michael Fröhlich’s book on Porsche’s massive “Maus” tank and describes the firm’s other armored-vehicle designs, with special emphasis on the VK 4501 (P) Tiger prototype and the “Ferdinand” tank destroyer. VK 4501 was the designation for the prototypes competing to be the Panzer VI “Tiger.” Porsche’s concept used a novel gasoline/electric hybrid power plant, but the Tiger contract eventually went to Henschel. Through details on the Tiger trials at the Verskraft proving ground, readers will gain insight into the armament procurement process in the Third Reich. The hull/chassis design from VK 4501 (P) was later repurposed for a large tank destroyer named for the designer, “Ferdinand.” These imposing vehicles saw combat on multiple fronts and were later renamed “Elefant.” Fröhlich’s study, available in English for the first time, is grounded in original reports, manuals, and technical drawings. Michael Fröhlich became interested in history at an early age. After tank driver training in the East German army, he focused his interest on the history of tanks and armored vehicles. He places particular emphasis on providing the most details possible from primary sources. Author Location: Germany ISBN: 978-0-7643-6351-1 Size: 9" x 12" (228 x 305 mm) Pages: 496 Price: $79.99 Illustrations: 850 color & b/w photos, line drawings, and charts Binding: hardcover BISAC: HISTORY / Military / Vehicles * AVAILABLE JUNE SEE PAGE 73 FOR RELATED TITLES KAMPFPANZER MAUS 978-0-7643-5078-8 240 pp. | 8 1/2" x 11" (216 x 279 mm) | HC | $49.99 GERMAN SUPERHEAVY PANZER PROJECTS OF WORLD WAR II 978-0-7643-5865-4 176 pp. | 8 1/2" x 11" (216 x 279 mm) | HC | $35.00