Tiger I

This is the final in a series of three shots I took on a recent visit to the Bovington Tank Museum. The centre was preparing for an event the following day and the access road behind the main building was littered with tanks. While the setting was not perfect, a narrow road squeezed between trees and a high modern building, with a little sepia I was pleasantly pleased with the final effects.

 

The Tiger Mk I - 131 - which is currently the only operational Mk I in the world. In this shot, I caught the Tiger about to exit the building.

 

Tiger 131 was issued to Schwere Heeres' Panzer Abteilung 504 and shipped to Tunisia between March and April 1943. It was knocked out in action with Churchill tanks of 48th Royal Tank Regiment at Medjez-el-Bab on 21 April 1943.

 

On 25th September 1951 the Tiger was officially handed over to the Tank Museum by the Ministry of Supply. Since that time it has proved to be one of the most impressive and popular items in the Tank Museum collection.

 

In June 1990 it was agreed that an attempt should be made to restore Tiger 131 to running order. This was completed in December 2003. The full story can be read here www.tiger-tank.com/index.html

 

Done