German WWII Field Maintenance / Repair Facility for Tiger Early

Then, as it still is now, these affairs are pretty much that you work with what you have. I would think either a barn or a auto repair shop/garage would be pressed into service. If the weather is good, the maintenance would be conducted in the open air or maybe some tarps would be strung up between trees or some other vehicles to provide some shelter.

The size, complexity and sophistication of German field repair facilities varied widely. It could be no more than parking the vehicles under a tree and performing maintenance with little more than on-board tools, to taking over a captured factory, complete with overhead gantry cranes, machine shop, etc, or just about anything in between. The Germans even had portable gantry cranes, capable of such heavy tasks as the removal of Tiger turrets, often done literally in the middle of nowhere. Many types of trucks and halftracks were fitted with smaller cranes which could remove engines, transmissions, guns, etc. Late model Tigers had three "Pilze" or sockets welded to the turret roof for the installation of a jib crane, which could also be used for engine removal and assorted other lifting tasks. I have numerous photos of field repair stations in all the above variations. Let me know which type you are leaning towards building and I can post some photos for you.

italeri makes a small, field repair equipment set. its not based on eny particular nation's set up, but its got some nice and rare pieces, like spray guns, and the like. a little crude in some repects but still a good set up

Are you talking about something like this ?



BTW, I'm NOT the builder, it was on a local model contest two weeks ago.

Here is a shot of a Tiger from the 3rd company of sPz.Abt 507 at a field repair station somewhere in Russia;



You can see the 16 ton capacity portable gantry crane has lifted the turret off and placed it on blocks. I have other shots of this type of crane, but I still need to find them. I believe someone also makes a kit of this, but it costs well over $100 and I can't seem to find it online.

WOW. That's why I love this forum. Ask and ye shall receive. Thanks Gino, amazing what can be done wherever, whenever. Peridexion, great input. Thanks for the photo. I would like to see whatever else you might have if you get the time. Also, DanCooper, that's pretty much what I have in mind, I just think it would be a heavier set up for a Tiger. Gringe88, I am looking for that kit also. Seems like a good place to start. I wish there was a book that I could find that had this info in it. Thanks for all your input.

Here is another photo, a 9th company Totenkopf Tiger, Poland, 1944. Note the very primitive surroundings, nothing more than a dirt road in the trees, yet they have the ability to remove the turret, thanks again to the overhead crane. Note also the 16 ton limit posted on the center panel.



And for a bit more comfortable environment, we have the Kharkov Tractor Works, under new management, working on captured T-34/76s, model 1943.

Thanks Peridoxin. Very helpful

if you can find it , squadron/signal's old "tiger in action" book has a whole bunch of pictures of tigers in maintenance. my favorite is the mechanic straddling the barrel while a crane is lifting the turret.

Someone emailed me that tip. The book is on it's way. Y'all are very helpful. Best around. Thanks so much.

rjproducts.com sells the 16 ton gantry crane by DES.

ti-geiger, Thanks for the heads up. Before I lay out $128, I was wondering if anyone has or know where to find a review of this kit. Seems cool, but I have never built anything from DES. Thanks in advance.

Italieri makes a field shop kit. I saw it at the shop for about $10 canadian.
squadron has it here http://squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=IT0419

Thanks Matt, I ordered that on Friday. Seems like a good start as well.