After the defeat of the French, and prior to the invasion of Russia, Wa Pruef 6 approached Henschel for a new, heavier tank design. It was felt there was a need to mount the 105mm armed Krupps AW turret to a modified Henschel 30 ton D.W. chassis. The order was short lived as the contract for the AW turret was withdrawn and replaced with one for a turret mounting a gun with greater armor piercing ability. The choice being a tapered bore weapon (Squeeze Bore) that fired subcaliber tungsten projectiles at very high muzzle velocity. The changes in the turret design necessitated changes to the chassis, and a decision to increase the frontal armor from 80mm to 100mm and the side armor from 50mm to 60mm resulted in a vehicle with a combat weight of 40 tons, thus the VK 36.01 was born. The production designation of the VK 36.01 was to be the Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf B (7.5cm). Due to a projected shortage of tungsten, the project was canceled 2 months later. Of the six VK 36.01 that were to be completed only one fahrgestall is known to have existed. Five chassis were to be converted to schweres Abschleppfahrzeug, though if this was carried out is pure speculation. In July of 1941 it was decided to modify the chassis of the VK 36.01 to accept the Krupps turret for the VK 45.01(P). This was due to the shortage of time necessary to design a new, non-squeeze bore armed, turret for the VK 36.01, and the automotive failures of the VK 45.01(P). Thus the VK 45.01(H) and eventually the Panzerkampfwagen Tiger sd.kfz.181 was born! A full build article will be available in Military Minitures in Review, Issue 39
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