The ''Geschützwagen Tiger'' (''G.W. Tiger'') was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

self-propelled gun carrier of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

that never saw service. It would have been able to carry either the 17cm ''Kanone'' K72 (Sf) or the short barrelled 21cm ''Mörser'' 18/1 which had the same mounting; with the former it would be known as ''Grille'' 17, the latter ''Grille'' 21.

History

The decision to build this heavy artillery based on an extended chassis of the

Tiger II The Tiger II is a German heavy tank of the Second World War. The final official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' Tiger ''Ausf''. B,''Panzerkampfwagen'' – abbr: ''Pz.'' or ''Pz.Kfw.'' (English: " armoured fighting vehicle"), ''Ausf.' ...

came in June 1942. The first prototype was tested at the end of the war. However, due to Germany being on the brink of surrender, the vehicle never saw service, and was captured by the Allies. While several armaments were considered, the most practical guns mounted were the 17 cm Kanone 18, or the 21 cm Mörser 18. As early as June 1942, it was decided to design self-propelled mounts for the heavier type of artillery so that the latter could be brought into action as quickly as possible, avoiding the break-down into small loads that transport by normal tractors entailed. In January 1943, such a carriage, based on the proposed Tiger ''Ausf'' B was ordered. initially, the 360° traverse was to be achieved by putting the complete vehicle on a turntable, but eventually, it was decided to simplify the design by making provision for winching the weapon off the rear of the carriage onto a 360° traverse platform carried on the back. The first prototype was at

Sennelager Sennelager is a village in Germany that forms part of the City of Paderborn. It is notable for its association with the military since the 19th century. Location Sennelager lies around 5 km north of Paderborn city centre in the west of the ...

for testing at the end of the war. Concern at the length of time needed to produce conventional heavy artillery led to an order in January 1945 for the production of heavy, smooth-bore mortars, capable of firing fin-stabilized projectiles over long ranges. Krupp and

Škoda Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...

competed for the design, and Škoda produced a 30.5cm Gr. W. (''Granat Werfer'' - mortar) prototype by the beginning of April 1945. A 42cm Gr. W. project was also underway. These mortars automatically returned to a 40° elevation for loading, the ''Grille'', mounting this weapon, was to have four hydraulic jacks for stability when firing.

References

* *ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GERMAN TANKS OF WORLD WAR TWO, page 145, by Peter Chamberlain and Hilary Doyle, Technical editor Thomas L. Jentz {{DEFAULTSORT:Geschutzwagen Tiger World War II self-propelled artillery of Germany