It appears as if Corgi has just about caught up with its 2021 release schedule even if some of their competitors are still lagging behind. News from the “pooch” is that both of their 1:50 scale Tiger I heavy tanks have arrived and are now riding the rails to our facility here in New York City. With New Years looming, however, it will likely be the first week of January before they’re ready for battle and able to take up assault positions along side some of their brethren Military Legends vehicles.
Looking back, their initial production Tiger I tank, which was decked out in field grey and unleashed two years ago, was easily their best selling vehicle in the line even though it was a tad inaccurate. Perhaps hastily released before it could be properly scrutinized, it failed to properly replicate the actual tank in a number of important respects, most notably in the shape of the turret and type of road wheels chosen. After examining their newly uploaded images for their early production Tiger I tank, it would appear as if they made a concerted effort to get this one right since it now comes with the correct turret and rubber-rimmed road wheels. In any event, based upon pre-orders submitted for these two heavies, these should do exceptionally well too. Enjoy!
Note: Tiger 131 is a German Tiger I heavy tank captured by the British 48th Royal Tank Regiment in Tunisia during World War II. Preserved at The Tank Museum in Bovington in Dorset, England, it is currently the only operating Tiger I in the world.
Tiger 131 was repaired with parts from other destroyed Tigers and inspected to judge its performance. It was displayed in Tunis and formally inspected there by King George VI and Winston Churchill. The tank was sent to England in October 1943 where it was displayed as a trophy at various locations to raise wartime morale before it was subjected to extensive testing and evaluation by the School of Tank Technology who produced detailed reports on its construction. The captured tank was transferred to The Tank Museum by the British Ministry of Supply on 25 September 1951 where it was given the accession number 2351 (later E1951.23).
In 1990, the tank was removed from display at the museum for restoration by the museum and the Army Base Repair Organisation. The restoration involved an almost complete disassembly of the tank. The Maybach HL230 engine from the museum’s Tiger II was installed as the Tiger’s original Maybach HL210 had been cut into cross sections for display. A modern fire-suppressant system was added to the engine compartment, the only other significant alteration. The wear and performance of the refitted Tiger engine was studied by metallurgists to explore the alloys and performance of WWII German manufacturing.
In December 2003, Tiger 131 returned to the museum with a working engine, making it the only working Tiger tank in the world and the most popular exhibit at the museum. Further work and repainting in period colours completed the restoration in 2012, for a total cost quoted at £80,000.
This tank was used in the 2014 film Fury, the first time a real Tiger has appeared in a feature film since Theirs Is the Glory in 1946 and They Were Not Divided (1950).