Tiger Support Vehicle 1:35 Italeri 6764

Plastic model kit: Tiger Support Vehicle 1:35 Italeri 6764

The Italeri 6764 model kit represents the German technical support vehicle from World War II, known as the Tiger Support Vehicle, also referred to as Bergetiger. This unique 1:35 scale model allows you to recreate one of the most mysterious armored vehicles of that era, which was a modification of the heavy tank PzKpfw VI Tiger Ausf. E.

Model features:

• Scale: 1:35
• Components: rubber tracks to glue or segmented tracks

Decal sheet for one version:

• Wehrmacht, Schwere Pz. Abteilung 508, Italy, 1944

History and construction: The Bergetiger, although often mistakenly considered a recovery vehicle, was actually a technical support vehicle. Its main task was to support armored units on the front by towing damaged vehicles and transporting heavy loads. This vehicle was stripped of its main gun and equipped with a crane with a capacity of up to 10 tons, constructed by J.S. Fries & Sohn in Frankfurt am Main. The crane was permanently mounted in a modified turret, and its mechanism was powered by the tank's engine.

In January 1944, three Tiger tanks were converted by the 506th Heavy Tank Battalion into technical support vehicles. One of these vehicles, damaged near Anzio, was rebuilt by the 508th sPzAbt in March 1944. This vehicle was captured by British forces between May 20 and 25, 1944, and named Bergetiger. The vehicle was armed only with an MG 34 machine gun.

Controversies regarding its purpose: Despite its name suggesting a recovery vehicle, the Bergetiger was not fully adapted for this role. Its crane was not designed to tow the weight of a tank, and it also lacked other typical recovery vehicle equipment. There are theories that the Bergetiger could have been used for clearing mines or obstacles on the battlefield, making it an even more interesting subject for modeling.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. For assembly, separately sold modeling tools are needed (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.