The Tiger I was a German heavy tank of World War II that began operational duty in 1942 in Africa and in the Soviet Union, usually in independent heavy tank battalions. It gave the German Army its first armoured fighting vehicle that mounted the 8.8 cm KwK 36 gun. 1,347 were built between August 1942 and August 1944. After August 1944, production of the Tiger I was phased out in favour of the Tiger II.
Michael Wittmann was one of the most well-known Tiger I tank commanders. An officer in the Waffen-SS, he gained prominence during the fighting in Normandy in 1944, particularly for an ambush at Villers-Bocage, where his unit inflicted significant losses on British armoured forces. Wittmann was killed later that year during the Allied advance in France, but his actions, and the capabilities of the Tiger I, contributed to the tank's enduring reputation in military history.
