Tamiya Military 1/35 German King Tiger Ardennes Front Kit

Tamiya presents a 1/35 scale model of the King Tiger as it appeared during the final German offensive on the Ardennes Front. Also included in the kit is the DKW NZ350 military motorcycle. The thick armor and powerful 88mm gun of the King Tiger's Henschel turret struck fear in the hearts of all Allied troops that had the displeasure of facing this beast of a tank. In true Tamiya style, the King Tiger's fearsome image is captured in this model. Overflowing with detail, the kit features two different types of gun mantles (model can be assembled with stepped and sloped mantle), as well as parts for the accurate replication of the DKW NZ350's engine. Small headlight and other features seen on the motorcycle during the final stages of World War II are reproduced. Great for making the perfect Ardennes diorama. Tank commander, tank crewman and orderly figures (3 figures in all) have also been included in this kit.

Development of the massive King Tiger began in February 1943 to counter the increasing threat of Russian Tanks. A more powerful cannon was added, upgrading from the L56, 88mm of the Tiger I to the Type 43 L71, 88mm high velocity gun. The chassis front armor was 150mm thick with 80mm thick side armor. The Henschel and Porsche companies came up with rival turret prototypes. After the trial production of 50 tanks with the Porsche turret, the Henschel design, with its extremely thick armor that measured 185mm on the front and 88mm on the side panels, was adopted for mass production. The Henschel turret itself was revised mid-way through production, from a stepped gun mantle to a smooth one. Due to the havoc wreaked by the King Tiger I during the final German offensive on the Ardennes front in December of 1944, the Allied forces that moved in on Berlin would fear the King Tiger up until the very last day of the war. As for the DKW NZ350 military motorcycle, production began in 1940. However, this German military motorcycle experienced mid-production changes when resources became limited towards the end of the war. DKW NZ350's at that time were seen with smaller headlights and thinned-out fenders.