The Bergetiger was the name the Allied forces gave to a German World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 armored tracked vehicle based on the Tiger I

Tiger I

Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...

 chassis. The vehicle was found abandoned on a roadside in Italy with terminal engine problems. The main gun had been removed, and a boom & winch assembly had been fitted to the turret. No other Tiger tanks modified in this manner were ever recovered.

Naming

At the time the vehicle was found it was assumed the vehicle was intended as a tank recovery vehicle. Germans used the "berge" prefix to denote recovery vehicle versions of tanks, such as the "Bergepanther

Panther tank

Panther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...

" and "Bergepanzer". Thus the allies dubbed the vehicle they had found the "Bergetiger". No official German name for this vehicle has ever been located.

Dispute Over Bergetiger's Purpose

The Bergetiger's role as a recovery vehicle has been disputed ever since its discovery. The evidence often cited against it being a recovery vehicle is that its crane was not designed to tow the weight of a tank, nor was it equipped with any other common recovery equipment.

A popular alternate theory is that the vehicle was field-modified (possibly after suffering damage to the main gun) as either a mine-clearing vehicle, or to drop explosives to clear battlefield obstacles.

Production Numbers

Reports of the number of Bergetigers produced varies. No original German documentation to support these numbers has been located.
Some common numbers given are:

• Fifty-eight produced from the factory
• Three produced from the factory
• Three built as "field-expedient" modifications in Italy
• Three built as "field-expedient" modifications and one built from a Tiger damaged while still at the factory.
• Only one built as a "field-expedient" in Italy

External links

• Article discussing the probable role of the Bergetiger