German Sd. Kfz. 184 Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer

Schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Ukraine, 1944

AFVs of WWII   1:43 / 23184-44

The Elefant (Elephant) stemmed from the Porsche design for the PzKpfw VI Tiger. Henschel was awarded the contract for the new tank, but it was decided to use the Porsche design as a tank destroyer. Hitler demanded that the new vehicle be ready for the 1943 offensive on the Russian front, so development was rather hurried.

As a result, many broke down to their first action at the Battle of Kursk, and the lack of proper armor and ponderous mobility made them easy targets for Soviet gunners in the battle. In addition, the lack of machine guns meant that there was no defense against Soviet troops disabling them with explosive charges in close-quarter combat. The survivors were withdrawn to Italy, where unreliability and lack of spares ensured their continued ineffectiveness.

This 1:43 scale replica is of an Elefant heavy tank destroyer that was attached to schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, then deployed to Ukraine during 1944.

Porsche Sd.Kfz.184 Elefant

Presented to Hitler on March 19th, 1943, the German Panzerjäger or Elefant was originally built under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche. A six man crew operated the 88mm gun mounted on this 70 ton tank. Engines were located in the middle of the hull, which allowed space for the armament at the rear. The Elefant's armor plate was as thick as 8 in. on the front-this helped it flatten obstacles and clear the way for lighter vehicles. The Elefant's extreme firepower/protection ratio gave it an enormous advantage; in "kills per loss," it might have been the most successful "tank destroyer" of the war.

AFVs of WWII  Armored Fighting Vehicles

The AFVs of WWII  "Armored Fighting Vehicles" range presents affordable, ready made diecast models of military vehicles in 1:43 scale.

AFVs of WWII  "Armored Fighting Vehicles" diecast vehicles feature:

• Diecast metal and plastic construction.
• Rotating turret, elevating cannon and accurate hull.
• Fitted, non-moving tracks and detailed non-rotating wheels.
• Realistic panel lines, antennas, access panels and surface details.
• Clear acrylic display case to protect model.