Bergepanzer VI Ferdinand/Elefant

German Reich (1944)
Armored Recovery Vehicle – 3 Built

The introduction of the 65-tonne heavy Ferdinand anti-tank vehicle gave the Germans a well-protected and armed tank destroyer. While not perfect and plagued with many mechanical problems, it caused havoc amongst the Soviet tanks during the Battle for Kursk in July-August 1943. The greatest disadvantage of the Ferdinand was its immense weight, which resulted in rather limited mobility. Such vehicles often got bogged down in mud or bad terrain. While they were focused on developing a heavily protected vehicle, the Germans did not have time to build a suitable armored recovery vehicle. Many Ferdinands had to be blown up because they could not be recovered. This urged the Germans to quickly improvise and create three heavy tank recovery vehicles that shared the same chassis as the Ferdinand.

A Brief History of Dr. Ferdinand Porsche’s Failed Heavy Tank Project

Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Porsche began his engineering career in the early twentieth century, when he showed great interest in developing hybrid engines (with a combination of electric and petrol motors). In 1930, he founded his own company located in Stuttgart. Porsche’s new company was mainly engaged in developing various designs based on the request of its clients. Thanks to his connections with the Nazi Party, the NSDAP, Dr. Porsche was appointed chairman of the German Panzer Commission in September 1939. This Commission was composed of leading owners of major industrial plants and engineers. Their primary function was to give suggestions and new ideas for future or already existing tank designs. While working on a number of military projects, Dr. Porsche established a good relationship with Adolf Hitler. This support gave Dr. Porsche a huge advantage over the competitors, despite Porsche generally creating overcomplicated or overly expensive designs.

The first Porsche heavy tank project was the Porsche Typ 100, also known as the VK30.01(P). Due to the urgent needs of the Tiger program, and due to a number of problems identified (high fuel consumption, suspension problems, etc.), the project was canceled. Only one (or two, depending on the source) soft steel prototypes were built and used for testing.

By the end of May 1941, the requirements for the new heavy tank project were issued. These included an increase in armor thickness (up to 100 mm maximum) and the use of an 88 mm gun. Dr. Porsche began working on this new design in July 1941, and two months later, the first drawings and calculations were ready. Similar to the previous vehicle, this project was initially designated as Typ 101, also known as VK45.01(P) or Tiger (P). This vehicle had several changes to its design in comparison to its predecessor. In order to obtain a better distribution of weight, the turret was moved more to the front and the final drive unit was repositioned to the rear. The engine was replaced with a more powerful one. Additionally, there were many design changes to its chassis and superstructure’s design.

The construction of this vehicle was handed over to Nibelungenwerk. The first prototype was completed and presented to Hitler on his birthday, 20th April 1942. Hitler was impressed with it, as Dr. Porsche received a production order for 100 vehicles. A second prototype, which was built shortly after, was transported to the Army’s weapon test site at Kummersdorf in June 1942. There, the VK45.01(P) proved to be prone to malfunctions, especially with the new engine.

At the end of August 1942, the Reichsminister (Eng. Minister of Armaments and War Production), Albert Speer, had the opportunity to examine Dr. Porsche’s work at Nibelungenwerke. Speer even had the chance to actually drive the VK45.01(P) prototype. Witnessing the overall performance of this heavy tank prototype, Speer insisted that this project be canceled. While fewer than 10 VK45.01(P)s would be fully completed as tanks, only one heavily modified vehicle would be ever used in combat during 1944, on the Eastern Front, as a command vehicle.

What About the Remaining Chassis?

Despite the VK45.01(P) being canceled, around 100 hulls were produced, representing a significant financial investment. The German military had to figure out what to do with these hulls since they could not be simply left unused or scrapped. To address this issue, approximately 90 to 91 chassis were modified into the Panzerjäger Tiger (P), which was commonly referred to as the Ferdinand or Elefant (Eng. Elephant). This vehicle was a tank destroyer equipped with a powerful 8.8 cm gun mounted in a fixed casemate. It saw first combat service on the Eastern Front in 1943, with some surviving up until the end of the war.

The Bergepanzer VI Recovery Tank

For the anticipated 1943 summer offensive against the Soviet positions at Kursk, the Germans made preparations to send their newest armored vehicle designs, including the Ferdinands, Panthers, and others. In order to deliver the promised vehicle, the German industry was hard-pressed and was forced to rush some of the projects. For example, while some 200 Panther tanks were ready for the expected offensive, they had many mechanical issues caused by a catastrophic lack of testing, leading to a huge amount of breakdowns.

The Ferdinands, besides the mechanical unreliability, faced another problem that was not immediately apparent. The Ferdinand was a massive vehicle weighing over 65 tonnes. This meant that it had rather poor overall mobility and was likely to bog down in mud or bad terrain. The crews themselves could try to dig their vehicle out, but this could cause engine overheating problems (for a heavy vehicle such as the Ferdinand, this was a common appearance) or some other mechanical breakdowns. An alternative was to use another Ferdinand to assist, but this could also quickly lead to the breakdown of another valuable vehicle. The best way to recover such bogged-down or damaged Ferdinands was to use a proper recovery vehicle. Such a role was given to the large Sd.Kfz.9 half-track in the early stages of the war. Alone, it did not have sufficient power to pull out a stranded Ferdinand. More vehicles had to be used for such recovery operations, in this case, up to four Sd.Kfz.9. To make matters worse for the Germans, this particular half-track was unprotected and in short supply. Given the extensive fighting at Kursk, where the Soviets had created extensive defensive lines covered with mines and artillery, such recovery operations were dangerous and often impossible. This meant that vehicles that were immobilized either by terrain or due to some combat damage often had to be blown up to prevent capture. The Germans lost many Ferdinands this way. If recovered, these could have been quickly repaired and put back into action. Despite their weight and bulky size, the Ferdinands were redeemed by an effective 88 mm main gun which devastated the Soviet tank forces at great ranges. Given that the losses could not be replaced, preserving the remaining vehicles gained priority. In order to effectively pull them back to safety, a dedicated armored recovery vehicle was needed. Given the urgency, this was not possible, so the Germans had to do with the limited resources that they had at hand. Given the time limitation and as there was nothing available suited for this task, in June 1943, Nibelungenwerke was instructed to convert three VK45.01(P) into recovery vehicles.

Name

In the sources, this vehicle is known under several similar designations, some of which are: Bergepanzer Ferdinand, Bergetiger, or Berge Panzer Tiger(p). The term Bergepanzer can be translated as recovery vehicle/tank. Authors T. L.Jentz and H. L. Doyle (Panzer Tracts No.16 Bergepanzerwagen) give a different designation, namely Bergepanzer VI Ferdinand/Elefant. In this article, it will be referred to as Bergepanzer VI.

Production

Between 90 to 91 VK45.01(P) chassis were converted into Ferdinand tank destroyers. This means that less than 10 chassis remained. For various (and not completely clear) reasons, only three such chassis were chosen to be converted. The modification was carried out at Nibelung Werk in August of 1943, where all three were completed rather quickly. Some sources mentioned that the first prototype was actually completed in September 1943.

Design

Hull

The Bergepanzer VI’s hull design consisted of the front crew, central engine, and rear transmission compartments. The overall hull design was a direct copy of the Ferdinand vehicle.

Suspension

This vehicle’s suspension consisted of six large road wheels, a front idler, and a rear drive sprocket on each side. The six road wheels were divided into pairs and were placed on bell cranks, which in turn were mounted on longitudinal torsion bar units. Each of these pairs of road wheels was suspended individually. The all-metal road wheels had inbuilt spring units to help with shock absorption. The shapes of the front idler and rear drive sprocket were visually almost identical. The main difference between these two was in their internal construction. They were identical to simplify the production of parts and to prevent the track from falling off the suspension due to the vehicle’s length and lack of any return rollers. Both the idler and the drive sprocket had a diameter of 920 mm and consisted of two toothed rings that had 19 teeth. In contrast to the Ferdinand, which had 600 mm wide tracks, the Bergepanzer VI was provided with a wider 640 mm track. This offered improved mobility to the somewhat lighter Bergepanzer VI.

Engine

The Bergepanzer VI was powered by two Maybach HL 120 TRM 265 hp @ 2,600 rpm gasoline engines. With a weight of 60 tonnes, this vehicle’s maximum speed was 30 km/h on good roads. Off-road, it fell down to 8 to 10 km/h. The fuel capacity was 950 liters and, with that, the Bergepanzer VI had an operational range of 150 km (90 km off-road).

Superstructure

The front part of the Bergepanzer VI’s superstructure housed the driver. He entered his position through a hatch placed on top of the superstructure. The driver was provided with a forward-mounted observation port. No three-sided periscope (which was used on the Ferdinand) was installed on the driver’s hatch. Next to him was the former position of the radio operator. In the sources, it is not clear if the radio remained in its original position or if it was moved to the rear casemate. The front-positioned machine gun ball mount was removed and the opening was covered with armored plates. To provide better visibility, two round-shaped visors (additionally protected with armored glass) were placed on both sides of the inward-angling side armor. Behind these two crewmembers was the engine compartment, which was separated (on both sides) by a fire-resistant wall. A jib boom crane was installed on the right side of the superstructure. Ironically, this was the only dedicated repair equipment carried by the Bergepanzer VI. When not in use, it was folded down and placed on top of the engine compartment.

Casemate

Just behind the engine, a fully enclosed pyramidal casemate was placed. It consisted of four angled plates which were welded together. On the front right side, a machine gun ball mount was placed. While not easy to spot at a distance, three small vision slits were cut into the front and sides of the casemate. In addition, on both sides, small pistol ports were installed. To the rear of the casemate, a two-part hatch which was taken from a Panzer III’s turret was located. On top of the casemate, a round-shaped hatch without a cupola was installed.

Armor

Despite sharing the same chassis with the Ferdinand/Elefant tank destroyer, the Bergepanzer did not share the same level of protection, at least from the front, but was still formidable. After 1944, these vehicles were covered in Zimmerit anti-magnetic paste for further protection.

	Front	Sides	Top	Rear
Hull	100 mm *	60 mm	/	40 to 80 mm
Superstructure	100 mm *	80 mm	30 mm	80 mm
Casemate	50 mm	30 mm	20 mm	30 mm

Armament

The armament of this vehicle consisted of a single 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun. It was positioned on the right side of the casemate. The ammunition load consisted of 600 rounds. According to some sources, the firing angle of this machine gun was rather poor and provided limited combat effectiveness. It is for this reason that at least one vehicle received a remote-controlled machine gun mount (Rundumsfeuer) with a 360º firing arc on top of the enclosed casemate.

Crew

The crew consisted of a commander, a driver, and a mechanic to help with repairs and towing operations. The driver was seated on the left side of the superstructure. The commander, who was probably also tasked with operating the radio equipment, was seated to the rear, in the enclosed casemate. The mechanic’s position was not specified in the sources, but he likely shared the compartment with the commander.

Recovery Operation

As it did not have a winch, the Bergepanzer VI crew would be forced to carry out the recovery operations by simple towing. The German crews of recovery (tank-based) vehicles that did not have the winch installed instead used the drive sprocket. The track link was removed and then attached a wire rope to the drive sprocket. This wire was then connected to the vehicle that needed to be recovered. The drive sprocket would then be rotated by the engine, which in turn would pull the wire around it. This would be usually enough to pull up the damaged (or bogged down) vehicle. In order to provide good stability, the towing vehicle had to be anchored. This was usually done either by connecting it to another tank or to a sufficiently strong object, such as a large tree or building. This was far from a perfect solution, but was nevertheless an effective method to remove any damaged vehicle.

In Service

Once the three vehicles were completed, they were rushed to the Eastern Front. Once there, they were allocated to the schwere (Heeres) Panzerjäger Abteilung (Eng. Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion) 653. At the start of August, this unit still had three operational Bergepanzer VIs and Bergepanthers. The latter was sent to assist with the recovery operations of the Ferdinands. The Bergepanthers were still at the prototype stage and thus not equipped with proper towing equipment. As these did not prove themselves up to the task for towing the Ferdinands, the crew of this unit modified them by installing a salvaged Panzer IV turret and a four-barrel 2 cm anti-aircraft gun in 1944.

Following the Eastern campaign, all surviving Ferdinands, including the support vehicles, were brought back to Nibelungenwerke for a major overhaul. Following the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943 and, later, the American amphibious landing at Anzio in January 1944, the German High Command was forced to rapidly send more and more troops and equipment there. On 15th February 1944, the 653rd Battalion’s 1st Company, with 11 Ferdinand and one recovery vehicle under the command of Helmut Ulbrich, was ready to be transported to Italy. By August 1944, when this unit was pulled out of Italy, a single Bergepanzer VI was still reported to be operational. Their final fate is unknown, but they were likely lost during the second half of 1944.

Conclusion

The Bergepanzer VI was surely a welcome addition to the 653rd Battalion, which lacked any reliable means to recover damaged or bogged-down vehicles. Had it arrived sooner, the Ferdinand losses at Kursk may have been lower. The Bergepanzer VI was rather a mixed bag. While being excellently protected, it lacked any proper towing equipment, was slow, and was heavy. Given that nothing else was available, these were still far better than nothing.

Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H)	6.97 x 3.38 x x 2.97 meters
Total weight, battle-ready	60 tonnes
Crew	3 (Commander, Driver, Mechanic)
Propulsion	Two Maybach HL 120 TRM 265 hp@ 2600 rpm
Speed (road/off-road)	30 km/h, 8-10 km/h
Range (road/off-road)-fuel	150 km, 90 km
Primary Armament	1x Rundumsfeuer MG34 7.92mm Machine Gun
Armor	20 mm – 200 mm

Sources

D. Doyle (2005). German military Vehicles, Krause Publications.
P. Chamberlain and H. Doyle (1978) Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two – Revised Edition, Arms and Armor press.
T. L.Jentz and H. L. Doyle (1998) Panzer Tracts No.16 Bergepanzerwagen
L. Friedli (2010) Repairing the Panzers Volume 1, WordPress
T. Anderson (2021) Panzer IV, Osprey Publishing
M. Sawodny (1991) Unusual Panzers, Schiffer Military
Walter J. Spielberger (1993). Panzer IV and its Variants, Schiffer Publishing Ltd
B. Perrett (2007) Panzerkampfwagen IV Medium Tank 1936-45, Osprey Publishing
T. jones (2017) The Panzer IV Hitler Rock, Pen and Sword
K. Hjermstad (2000), Panzer IV Squadron/Signal Publication
T. Anderson (2015) Ferdinand and Elefant tank Destroyer, Osprey Publishing