Previously unknown Tiger I has emerge

[Kent Wiik]

Hi all,

This makes my day…maybe my year to be frank…

Some weeks ago this photo of an unknown Late Tiger I and a hull of another emerge on the net:



Some days ago I had a PM from a friend telling me about a Tiger I the museum in Munster will have as a gift for a number of years, a Tiger unknown until now.
Its release was to be 22 of Mars.
Promised to keep this for myself but today I found the Museum had already blown the whistle so here is the news:

http://www.panzermuseum-munster.de/home ... eiten.html

And this is the Tiger:





That is one beauty!
She has zimmerit and the battle tracks so she looks so much better then the Saumur Late one.
It is not a runner and her origin is still unknown but time will tell.
One thing bothers me and that is the toolbox on the LHS rear hull plate, it was dropped in January 1944 and never seen on a Late Tiger I.

Rumour says it is the guy that has made the 1:1 Tiger copy of the “Kurland Tiger”, seen on You Tube, that has made the restoration for the owner.
This is not the Kurland copy Tiger, no this is a previously unknown one.
She will remain on Museum display until 2016 and this is something I have to see in real life.
Just think what relics are still out there to be revealed for nuts like us…

Kind regards
Kent

[phil fitzpatrick]

Hi Kent
Thanks for posting that Tiger inf and pictures,I agree she does
look a beauty
Cheers
Phil

[Simon Peck]

Hi Kent.
Thanks for posting. Amazing! Was it a largely intact restoration, or put together from a few parts and new built? How'd they manage to keep it quiet?
Simon

[Steen Vøler]

holy smoke - I gotta go for the Munster museum this year after all

thanks for sharing this

[Bob Gould]

wow thanks, nice post. must see it

[Steve Lewington]

Hi Kent
Thank you for shearing that’s a must next time I’m in Germany visiting friends.

All the best

Steve

[John Fitzsimons]

I want to see more of that.

[yves mouton]

Hi Kent,

Thanks for the pictures, amazing another surviving tiger 1
best regards Yves

[Kent Wiik]

Hi all,

Yes, this is awesome news...and it gets better

This text is taken from the Wehrmach award forum:

"No, I never asked about history or frame number. Actually this should only be the first restoration out of multiple blown up Tigers recoverd out of the ground by him. He told me back in 2010 that he recovered enough to build up three hulls. The build for this one was financed out of the sale of a full scale repro Tiger he had built earlier, one that never got all it's track links, due to lack of funds. He was hoping to carry on with further restorations based on commercial income prospects like renting out to movies, but I'm not sure the Panzermuseum rental will provide him with the cashflow to carry on with the other Tigers. However, he is an Ex-BW Panzer mechanic, so the first one off ending up in Munster does sound like a natural progression."

"It consists roughly 90 % out of original parts, but I understand that it is currently without its drivetrain, something that may be accomplished with some luck with finances by 2016 when it will revert to his custody."

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... p?t=648575

Even if it is a Frankenstein Tiger it is still very very welcome as #7th surviving Tiger I.
And at lease one more is in the pipeline.

Keep in mind that every surviving flying warbird has during the years since the war got new parts here and there, not much is still WW2 origin on them and no one finds that odd.
The same goes for restoration of historical buildings so why not with tanks?
And one other thing...it was common practice to strip damage tanks from usable parts just to keep as many as possible running. Especially late in war some very odd Tigers were seen picked together from a number of cannibalized Tigers (Kompanie Fehrmann, Kompanie Hummel)

Kind regards
Kent

[John Fitzsimons]

You could probably photoshop the tool box out. Wonderwhat the interior is like

[simon fuller]

This is n't a previously unknown Tiger, as told in the accounts so far posted on public forums. Its not therefore number 7 surviving Tiger. It is a Tiger.
It is said to be a jigsaw of cut up original parts, salvaged original parts, and newly made parts all cut/welded and fitted together. But, no major parts from any one tank.

All that said, its nice to see more Tigers made up from mostly original parts , and it would be nice to have it running after 2016 when the builder/owner has it returned , as this is said to be the proposal if finances allow.

It will be interesting to see after 22nd March what information becomes public relating to the donor tanks, if indeed the owner kept these records.

S.

[John Fitzsimons]

One made of donor parts is better than nothing. I'm happy to call it a seventh survivor. Hopefully more to come.

What about the one Kevin Wheatcroft was putting together? At least I heard rumours.