COBI Building Set HC WW2 Panzerjäger Tiger (P) Elefant (COBI-2582)

Product detailed description

Building set of the German heavy tank destroyer Elefant in field camouflage. The assembled model has an adjustable elevation and traverse of the cannon, an opening turret hatch for placing a figure. Under the removable top cover of the turret, there is a loader's position with a gun recoil system and stored ammunition. In the front part, under the cover, the Maybach 120TRM engine is stored, which can be displayed separately. The package also includes a tank crew figure armed with an MP40 submachine gun. Of course, there is also a block with a description.

Number of figures: 1 pc
Dimensions when assembled: 28.5 x 12.5 x 14 cm
Scale: 1:28
Box dimensions (packaging): 45 x 30.5 x 7 cm
Number of blocks: 1252 pcs
Package weight: 1430 g
Recommended age: 9+
Blocks can be combined with another well-known brand: Yes
Material: Plastic
Collection: World War II

Interesting facts:
When in 1941 the German armament office announced a competition for a heavy armored vehicle with a cannon of at least 88 mm caliber, two companies, Porsche and Henschel, entered the competition. Ferdinand Porsche was so sure of his victory that he did not wait for the announcement of the competition results and immediately began serial production. When Porsche learned during a meeting at the Heereswaffenamt in Berlin that the competition was won by Henschel, he had such a fit of rage that he could not be calmed. Later, it was decided to use the work in progress, but that's another story.
Henschel produced the first units in March 1943. Given the situation on the Eastern Front, there was no time for thorough testing. The first tanks were deployed in the Battle of Kursk.
Ferdinand was a tough opponent, literally. The Soviet army at that time did not have a weapon and ammunition capable of penetrating the frontal armor of the tank. 
But even such a heavily armored tank destroyer had its weaknesses. The destruction of many units was due to zero protection against enemy infantry, for which the lonely clumsy Ferdinand became an easy target. It was enough to climb onto the vehicle's hull.
The machines that survived the Battle of Kursk were sent back to Germany for reconstruction, which was to eliminate the main shortcomings. The tank was equipped with an MG 34 machine gun and a periscope. Two 5l fire extinguishing tanks with carbon dioxide were also installed. The modified tank destroyers were named Elefant.
Despite all the shortcomings, Ferdinand commanded great respect from the Red Army. The deployment of these machines was reflected in contemporary Russian literature and newspapers. All the newspapers of the time wrote about such a large and powerful machine that no army in the world had yet encountered. However, the fearless Red Army had already destroyed thousands of them. The problem is that only 90 Ferdinands were deployed on the Eastern Front.
The last Elefant was destroyed on April 22, 1945, in the suburbs of Berlin.

Technical parameters of the original:
Dimensions: length with gun 8.14 m, width 3.43 m, height 3 m
Weight: 65,000 kg
Armor: front 200 mm, hull sides 30 mm, roof 30 mm
Power unit: 2x Maybach HL 120 TRM gasoline engine, each with an output of 220 kW with power transmission to Siemens electric generators
Speed in terrain: 9 km/h
Maximum speed: 30 km/h
Fuel tank capacity: 520 l
Range: 150 km on road or 90 km in light terrain
Main armament: 88 mm KwK 43  2 L/71 cannon (55 rounds)
Crew: 6