Ferdinand was a schwerer Panzerjäger ("heavy tank destroyer") of the German Wehrmacht used in small numbers in World War II. It was built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche. In 1944, after modification of the existing vehicles, they were renamed Elefant. The official German designation was Panzerjäger Tiger (P) and the ordnance inventory designation was Sd. Kfz. 184.
Weight 65 tonnes (140,000 lb)
Length 8.14 m (26 ft 8 in) with gun
Width 3.38 m (11 ft 1 in)
Height 2.97 m (9 ft 9 in)
Crew 6 (driver, radio-operator, commander, gunner, two loaders)
Armor 200 mm (7.87 in)
Main armament 8.8 cm Pak 43/2 L/71, also known as StuK 43/1
Engine 2×Maybach HL 120 petrol
600 PS (592 hp, 442 kW)
Power/weight 9.23 PS/tonne
Suspension longitudinal torsion-bar
Operational range 150 km (93 mi) road
90 km (56 mi) cross-country
Speed 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph)
Ferdinands first saw combat in the Battle of Kursk, where eighty-nine were committed. Reputed to be able to knock out a T-34 at a range of over 3 miles with its 88mm Pak43/2 L/71, it was a strong opponent for the Allies. Although effective at destroying Soviet tanks, they performed quite poorly in other respects. In its original configuration, the Ferdinand lacked a machine gun as secondary armament, making it vulnerable to attack by infantry. While this was a disadvantage, most combat losses were from mine damage and mechanical failure. Within four days nearly half of the vehicles were out of service, mostly due to technical problems and mine damage to tracks and suspension. Combat losses to enemy action were very low as the very thick armor protected the Ferdinand from almost all Soviet antitank weaponry; in fact, most of the vehicles destroyed or captured had been abandoned by their crews after mechanical failure.