A Mechanics Nightmare, the Ferdinand | Cursed by Design

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Many tank destroyers were built during the second world war. Of these several stand out as being extremely successful while others were nothing but failures. The Ferdinand/Elefant is an odd case as it fits into both categories. Stay tuned as we discuss the story of this infamous Porsche product.
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CIOS Final Report No. 153
Ferdinand and Elefant Tank Destroyer: amzn.to/3LBq2Hz
The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653: amzn.to/3PUEmh0
Panzer Tracts 9 Jagdpanzer: amzn.to/3PTD5Xi
Panzerkampfwagen VI P The History of Porsche Typ 100 and 101: amzn.to/3LECHcR
AFV Weapons Profile 61 Elefant and Maus (+E100): amzn.to/48x18Cy
tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/na...
www.tankarchives.ca/2018/10/h...
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archive.armorama.com/features...
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Timestamps:
0:00 - 3:42 Intro
3:42 - 5:25 The Chassis
5:25 - 11:14 Design and Conversion
11:14 - 22:30 Combat Service
22:30 - 25:06 Survivors and Conclusion
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#ww2 #history #cursedbydesign

[@ConeOfArc]

Go to ground.news/coneofarc to stay fully informed on breaking news, compare coverage and avoid media bias. Sign up or subscribe through my link for 30% OFF unlimited access if you support the mission and find it as useful as I do

[@darknut9696]

Can you cover the porche JadgTiger 2, it's the one with the porshe styled suspension there's one in Bovington but i can not find info on the reasons why it was used other than it being experimental/available

[@zeronzentroxus6344]

Cool vid, as always! How about analyzing the TR-125 P? I'd like to see your opinion on this tank. I'm no expert on heavy military vehicles, but I'd say it is a pretty good hardware, even for nowadays standards.

[@Barbic_man]

Hey,can you please do a jagdtiger video

[@HaVoC117X]

I really challenge you to provide a primary source were it's written that Germans used five Famos on a single tank. Those fuckers had a towing capacity of 28 to 35 tons and a very powerful engine driven winch!

[@ConeOfArc]

@@HaVoC117X as the pop-up said in the video there is a photograph of it happening

[@T29Heavy]

The German solution to the Ferdinand reliability problems is to add more weight to it

[@BHuang92]

Fixing complexity *with MORE complexity the German way!*

[@1994CivicGLi]

they took “bigger is better” a bit too seriously

[@warlloverespanol2897]

They say that the german tank weight graphic only goes up

[@kingleech16]

They were big fans of Giles Corey.

[@wanderschlosser1857]

​@@warlloverespanol2897As for any other country.

[@jerryudonneedtoknow3903]

The prominent failure at Kursk with mines was due to stupidity of deployment. Specifically with the 653. s.Pz.Jg.Abt. It was with the if I recall correctly the 2. Panzer Divisions Pioneers where they were sent out to clear the mines. This Soviet shad defenses on top of hills and artillery observers, so each time the pioneers went to clear the mines, Soviet artillery would batter them. Some idiot made a decision to use the Ferdinand’s to charge into the minefield to clear a path. The Ferdinand’s particularity got hit by Soviet infantry because of the specific tenacity of the Soviet 15th Rifle Division. While the 15th rifle division utterly collapsed and died due to the 27 Tigers of the 505. s.Pz.Abt. and Infantry of the 6. infanterie Division, the north of the 15th Soviet rifle division held up much better, it was specifically ordered by the leader in area to stay in their trenches and let the tanks pass over them, once the tanks passed, pop back out and halting the incoming infantry. This effectively isolated the Ferdinand’s where they could be hit from the front, side, and rear, not only by infantry, but by anti tank infantry and light anti tank guns. It’s was due to the sheer tenacity and the Germans blunder that the Ferdinand’s faced particular losses here. It still boggle me why charging a whole battalion through a minefield was an acceptable idea, then the employment and use was just against the doctrine it was meant to do.

[@junibug6790]

​@@KuK137Looks like we just found Putin's personal KZbin account 😂

[@bromine_35]

Huh... Sounds identical to the current Russian tactic in Ukraine lmao

[@lindgrenland]

Ah, as opposed to the brilliant russian strategy of displaying utter incompetence, corrupt military leadership and embarassing oneself completely in front of the whole world, against a much, much smaller, militarily much weaker nation😂 @@KuK137

[@larryfoulke1596]

Desperate,but Kursk is very early on the war ,They still have few offensive after Kursk aren't they?

[@ValphaVolf]

​@@junibug6790they might be exageratting on numbers, but the new offensive on the south is (at the very least) terrible. Barely any gains, alot of casualties. And no, just cus I'm saying Ukraine is doing bad (on this part of the war) doesn't mean I support Russia.

[@evilfingers4302]

The Ferdinand/Elefant may have the highest kill ratio, but it should've been used mainly as a Defensive Anti-Tank Weapon rather than what is was used for without infantry support in the Battle of Kursk

[@Paciat]

If so then it should be mobile, cause in defense the enemy decides where it attacks. It is a shit tank destroyer if it cant arrive in time to prepare an ambush and the kill count dosnt change that. Cause youre just adding 0:0 most of the time.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

It WAS. Kursk only lasted a short period of July 1943. From August 1943, through 1944 and even into early 1945 the Ferdinand/Elefant WAS used very successfully in a defensive tank destroyer role by and large. A few even made it back to help defend Berlin.

[@johnludmon7419]

​@lyndoncmp5751 when the Elephant was given to former stug crews who used it like one it was very successful. They were able to pick their targets off at range it wasn't meant to be used like a tank despite the armour.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@johnludmon7419 Exactly. After Kursk, the Ferdinand was used as a long range anti tank sniper, particularly in the defensive fighting of the River Dnieper bend battles. It took a long time for the rest of the Ferdinands to be lost. They lasted well into and through 1944 and even into 1945.

[@SargentoDuke]

No, the highest Kill Ratio was the Commander of the Elephants unit... the Tiger P 003, that had the same new reliable engines and the 200 front armor like a elephant but more agile and with turret... but is was destroyed on a rush of an orde of T34s to hunt them from killing the tanks that tried to surround the Elephants... there was a lot of war histories about that tiger and there is even a movie, and actually we had real pictures about it, sad it was lost in the tundra.

[@johndanes2294]

"Slowest Porsche ever."

[@venn2001ad]

Despite all its flaws, Ferdinand/Elephant remains as one of my two favorite tank destroyers from WW2 (the other being Hetzer). There's just something about its big size, quirky design, odd boxy look, and the history of being spawned from a losing tank design that just grab my interest... lol. x3

[@romaboo6218]

StuG 3 Aufs G

[@Paciat]

@@romaboo6218 Your mother. Stug III wasnt big, quirky nor designed on a chassis of a failed tank.

[@HunterSteel29]

@@romaboo6218 StuG isn't a Tank Destroyer, its an Assault Gun.

[@TheTonytiger89]

My favourites are rarely the best, something doesn’t have to be good to be endearing!

[@thatdude1435]

@@Paciat the hetzer was smaller than a stug

[@syahareensharani6869]

Fritz: Hans we need better transmission Hans: More armor you say ? Fritz: Nien better transmission Hans: Bigger cannon you say ? Fritz: Goddamn it Hans Hans: Oh battleship cannons Fritz: ..... Ja Hans JAAAAAA

[@brennanleadbetter9708]

German engineering in a nutshell

[@johnnycab8986]

No one actually watched the video...

[@maximilianmustermann1278]

Its actually spelled nein and not nien.

[@Demonslayer20111]

​@@johnnycab8986for real. All I see are comments spewing the same, wrong, misconceptions that are debunked in the video.

[@TheBrandon40500]

Always loved the elephant despite its many flaws it was a powerful and wicked looking beast.

[@jonowens460]

All the Big Katz were horribly Beautiful ❤️😂

[@HiTechOilCo]

"wicked looking"? It's a good thing that has absolutely nothing to do with combat effectiveness.

[@jakobquick6875]

The Jag Tiger also…shite but a beautiful Metal Monster❤all zee German tanks r beautiful, they worshipped craftmanship, not reality If they had kept the war going somehow, who knows what those bigger is better cud of achieved… The maus, ratte, I’m guessing Hitler wud have ordered a skyscraper 🏙️ sized tank with 100ft diameter rounds to send zee Nazis to the moon to start on tht Giant Mirror whacked idea. The meth force was strong with them😅

[@justinsiemann7190]

Its motor and Transmission are the biggest flaws, however it wouldve been REALLY good as defensive T.D.,

[@stevehill4615]

The part of the Ferdinand/Elephant story i've never quite understood is how Porshe was able to get away with and also his confidence in getting the Tiger contract that 100 hulls were produced.

[@TrollOfReason]

Because Porche considered himself a genius, which isn't being unkind. The man was rich within a highly hierarchical society, driven to skirt the Versailles treaty limitations & he had powerful political connections. Plus, the Nazis had a very loose, permissive relationship with German industry & the capitalist class. If the Nazis got their bribes & their weapons, they'd supply slaves & state money, & be largely hands off with the industrial sector.

[@ConeOfArc]

You should definitely watch my previous video on the Tiger (P) in that case. The common misconception that he ordered them without approval is wrong

[@nahuelleandroarroyo]

Porsche was very close to the 3rd reich, that was no penalty was given

[@dragooons176]

@@TrollOfReason "capitalist class" Yeah no there was zero of that going on. The whole nationalization of all industry and economy, factory owners outside of a few inner fold folks having not even the right to fire someone, zero option to set prices as it was all dictated by the government, simply put there was ZERO just entire ZERO capitalism at play after National Socialists took power. And no Capitalism isn't where the government dictates every tiny detail with commerce because it isn't a different form of socialism just because you think so.

[@TrollOfReason]

@@ConeOfArc That is fair, & I'm guilty of hyperbole & lying for children. Sorry.

[@bkjeong4302]

You know a tank is bad when the Jagdtiger is more reliable.

[@FalseHoodx]

😂

[@stoneylonesome4062]

It would’ve been much more reliable if they just gave it a 3.0 litre air cooled, 6-cylinder boxer mounted behind the rear axle driving the rear wheels.

[@roastedsand5917]

As it mention in the video, the Engine was proven, since it has been used in Panzer III and IV But the rush conversion cause lot of issue, like fuel and engine overheating do to bad layout Also since it was a Hybrid, the one who move the tank was electric motor not the engine it self

[@JoshuaC923]

And called the 911?😂

[@filmandfirearms]

@@roastedsand5917 It wasn't a hybrid, it was a petrol-electric drive. A hybrid, in one way or another, uses both an ICE and electric motor to drive the vehicle. A petrol-electric just uses a gas engine to generate electricity, it serves no other purpose

[@roastedsand5917]

@@filmandfirearms yeah i know that, i should say Petrol-Electric But it slip into my mind about that BMW hybrid car i saw on TV when write that comment, so i write Hybrid instead Petrol-Electric 😅😂

[@jimjamauto]

@@JoshuaC923 Ferdinand Carrera

[@Tomfooleryman57]

Hey Cone, would you ever do a series or video on the Italian tank destroyers of WW2?

[@EverythingAboutRodeo]

Id like to see that

[@frenzalrhomb6919]

Name one. Betcha can't.

[@Tomfooleryman57]

@@frenzalrhomb6919 M43 75/46

[@triangleanempire5481]

Semovente @@frenzalrhomb6919

[@aMoistWalrus]

75/34 m43

[@admiraltiberius1989]

I remember reading/hearing one story about the Elephant at Kursk, from David Fletcher i think, how a Heer company that used the Elephant sat back and hammered oncoming Soviet armor and took zero losses. Meanwhile a SS Company that'd converted from towed AT guns charged around, got picked off one by one and was eventually destroyed.

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

I suppose that serves as an example of the difference of fighting with discipline vs fighting with zeal.

[@ODST6262]

The Waffen SS never used the Ferdinand/Elephant. Heer only.

[@ThemightyEnterprise]

why dosent porche make these anymore, sad face, much better than the sports cars also, can you do a video on the jumbo or jackson?

[@cowgoesmoo3850]

I agree. MUCH better than sports cars 😝😝

[@nomercynodragonforyou9688]

Not even close

[@whya2ndaccount]

Arguably tank destroyers have continued, they are just now armed with ATGMs instead of guns.

[@jarink1]

There's relatively few ATGM-only vehicles these days.

[@dannyzero692]

Problem is that nearly every vehicle nowadays can mount ATGMs, so the line between what is a dedicated tank destroyer is and an IFV is blurred very hard.

[@whya2ndaccount]

@@dannyzero692 Which is why the term "Tank Destroyer" isn't really used anymore, except in some BS games. The West German Jaguar might have been the last one.

[@df8340]

The biggest enemy is a slight incline or a hill. But still a 5-10% loss rate due to engine fires is not positive.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

No it isn't, but a 10:1 plus kill ratio very much is.

[@marklopez8658]

Imagine destroying a panzer 3 and a double kill display appears on your HUD for destroying the ferdinand

[@Flacto-vs6np]

imagjne the crew reporting how they lost their ferdinand

[@nomercynodragonforyou9688]

Better than anything you could do in War Thunder

[@alessiobubbles5345]

Imagine being the radio operator during the battle of Kursk: you can't do anything except use the radio, you're stuck at the front with the overheating stressed engine, you are in the most vulnerable position and can't see much of the outside world😔

[@gustaveliasson5395]

To be fair, the radioman also had a machinegun, and was sitting behind a 200mm thick wall of armour. It wouldn't have been a great place to be, but as long as your unit isn't ordered ro change straight through a minefield and get itself surrounded by antifa... oh, wait... yeah, no, I wouldn't want to be a radioman in one of these things either.

[@BJJISTHEGAYPARTOFMMA]

I wouldn't want to be in one of these tanks, nevermind the position I find myself in lol.

[@Corellian_Smuggler]

I remember seeing one of the surviving ones at Bovington Tank Museum next to the Tiger 2P. I had no idea it was on display that day and I've never been so excited...

[@SlumberBear2k]

I love this tank destroyer. it gets a bad wrap but it is actually an awesome killing machine. As you said, it may be the most successful tank destroyer of the war. It is a truly creative unit, being both the result of innovation, rejection, and improvisation. To be tested under such conditions is highly unusual so this tank deserves the utmost respect.

[@rdallas81]

That title belongs to STUG.

[@phann860]

@@rdallas81 There were only 90 Ferdinands, the STUG was some 10,000s of vehicles, so I don't know the ratio between them, but certainly the Ferdinand was a powerful weapon. Whether it was cost effective is another point.

[@lunarvidar]

Hey Cone, have you done a video on the Jagdpanzer 38(t)? If not, i would love to see one. From what ive seen, it doenst really get too much attention, and i just love the Hetzer so much to not hear its history

[@wolfehoffmann2697]

What? Doesn't get much attention? Everyone and their brother has done a video or two about the Jagdpanzer 38(t) except for Cone. Multiple videos from Chieftain, both major tank museums in Europe, Military History Visualized, Spookston, and more. Go to almost any of them to learn why it's also not really called a Hetzer as well. kzbin.info?search_query=jagdpanzer+38(t)

[@lindgrenland]

Why you hetzin' bro?@@wolfehoffmann2697

[@robertharris6092]

The hetzer is likely the most talked about tank destroyer.

[@fro99er2]

great video, i learned a bunch about the Ferdinand

[@matt0xx76]

I have the hardback version of the combat history of heavy tank destroyer battalion 653 and the research and photography in that book are second to none , wasn't cheap at £80 when published but worth every penny

[@user-hn3vt3mj8t]

hello coneofarc i have been watching your youtube channel for a while now and i wanted to thank you for making such good videos!

[@patangman2117]

The greatest flaw was the lack of combat testing. The inability to reduce some of the issues with the design, together with its assault talk role, doomed much of its further use.

[@TheKamiran85]

You have a tank which is used best in a defensive, hidden position and kill the enemy at big range. Both, being hidden and being far away, lessens the need for big armor. Staying with 100mm and simply angling it at 45° would protect the tank against 98% the enemy can field. This would save at least 5-6 tons of weight. And a tank destroyer, which always needs to face an enemy don't need much side armour, also saving like 5 tons...

[@jerryudonneedtoknow3903]

@@TheKamiran85 incorrect, the Ferdinand/Elefant was an offensive vehicles explicitly stated as a offensive vehicle and used as an offensive vehicle. Many people do not understand the doctrine of a tank destroyer, let alone a Heavy Tank Destroyer special role. As stated by German doctrine, a Heavy Tank Destroyer is not a towed gun, it is NOT a static weapon platform and should not be used as such. It is a mobile element. Now what makes it offensive? It’s an Breakthrough Support vehicle. When on offensive breakthrough is to be commenced, speed, surprise and firepower are needed to crush the enemy. Speed puts the enemy in a state of shock allowing for exploitation, surprise catches the enemy off guard and unprepared, firepower allows the destruction of enemy assets. What are the man components of a breakthrough? The tank specifically made for that, Heavy Breakthrough Tanks, Tigers. If not available, then just medium tank. The breakthrough tanks gain in its simplest form is to destroy the enemy defense and make a gap in the enemy defensive line for exploitation. Now where does the Elefant come in? Well, when breakthrough tanks attempt to make a breakthrough, what might the enemy do? They’d likely send tanks as a countermeasure. Why is this an issue for breakthrough tanks? Breakthrough tanks are to focus on making a breakthrough, creating a gap in the enemy line, the more time they spend fighting, the more time is wasted and enemy reserves can replace losses, they can regroup and reorganize a defense making the attack fail, they can allow time for better rear line defenses so that if the frontline breaks though, it’s grinds to a halt and becomes stagnant by the next defensive line. Additionally fighting enemy tanks mean potentially higher losses of friendly tanks, thus meaning loss in overall firepower, less firepower means it’s less capabilities to breakthrough, weaker capabilities means less chance to win, or more time wasted to win. Lastly surprise, the more time is wasted, the less surprise takes effect, if the attack takes too long because the breakthrough tanks now have to deal with enemy tanks and the front line defenses, the enemy is not in a much larger advantage. Ferdinand/Elefant are to relieve the workload on the breakthrough tanks, they are to go on the offensive WITH breakthrough tanks, when enemy tanks are to arrive to counter the breakthrough force, the heavy tank destroyers would relieve the stress and deal with enemy tanks while the breakthrough force focuses on destroying enemy defenses quickly. That is THE purpose of ALL German Heavy tank destroyers including the Jagdpanther, and Jagdtiger, even in 1944 with Wacht am Rhein (Battle of the Bulge), the Jagdtiger was deployed there for specifically that purpose. The reason it has thick armor is because it’s a frontline vehicle made for the offensive assault, it is NOT an assault gun, it’s a tank destroyer meant to support friendly breakthrough tanks by reducing their workload. It’s purpose is best suited for the offensive, it was used in the offensive well when the idiotic generals didn’t fuck up the doctrine, and it does well in a defensive. It is NOT a defensively orientated vehicle

[@jerryudonneedtoknow3903]

Look to my reply to the other guy, you are incorrect with the assault tank role you described

[@skylerlentz9908]

Top notch content as always cone ❤️

[@ibalistichedge1098]

I always wondered why they built these things instead of just building the hulls into complete Tiger P tanks instead since that seems like it would’ve been easier, quicker and that the better tested Tiger P design would theoretically have less issues.

[@clothar23]

Because that electrical transmission was a pipedream. Germany did not have the resources to build it and still supply the U-boats with their electrical engines. And the Kriegsmarine was very vocal in telling the Heer it could f off with stealing their stuff.

[@Ulani101]

They wanted the 88mm L71, and the Tiger turret was incapable of taking it. A fixed superstructure could.

[@firstcynic92]

Watching the plants in the game footage lay down before the tank rolls over them, and even springing back up when the tank reverses is very funny.

[@datpieceofbread9570]

I remember talking to a member of the 653rd. He said that between STuG, JgPz6(P), and Jagdtiger, the JgPz6(P) was the unit's favorite. It was a bit overweight, but it was significantly better than Jagdtiger with a more efficient gun, it was more survivable and comfortable than STuG, and when they needed to bail out, everyone had a better chance to. My opinion of it is; of the heavy SPG's, it was probably the best; it's biggest issue being a heavy SPG, which was just a bad class to exist. Argument could be made for ISU series being better, but the driver and gunner situations are really bad

[@user-fw3fq3de3z]

90 by porsce and 1 by alket 48 sent back from easten front for refit

[@ConeOfArc]

90 or 91 were built not 98

[@user-fw3fq3de3z]

@@ConeOfArc built by porsce 90 built by alket 1

[@user-fw3fq3de3z]

50 survived easten front and 48 sent back nov 43, then upgraded dec 43. name change in june 44

[@adamhealy5635]

You're telling me throughout the entire r&d process of creating these vehicles, they never thought of added just one single machine gun mount?😮

[@kittehgo]

I guess in the rush it was overlooked or they made the mistake thinking no infantry would get close..🤔

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

hyper rushed, and the design seemed to change quite a bit during their refit.

[@HunterSteel29]

Because the tanks were supposed to be used as Tank destroyers, not Assault Guns. But the army lacking any big tanks with thicc armour and big guns needed breakthrough vehicles so the Ferdis were used as Assault Guns instead. A role they were not intended for. The Germans should've taken a few hulls to design as assault guns (maybe using a 105mm gun instead of an 8.8cm gun) for breakthrough vehicles.

[@adamhealy5635]

​@@HunterSteel29 Yeah, all i'm saying is in hindsight, maybe the application of the American doctrine of putting at least one machine gun on every single vehicle that was put into service would have been wise. I'm sure Germany still had the industry to churn out mg 34s.

[@clothar23]

​@@adamhealy5635You're talking about a nation whose main combat arm was a bolt action rifle , who only issued automatic weapons to squad and platoon leaders , which still was using horse drawn wagons to haul most of their stuff around. And adding hull machine guns wouldn't have helped. You can't use a Tank Destroyer as an assault gun regardless whether or not it has machine guns or not.

[@paulfrantizek102]

Nashorn was overall a better way to give mobility to the big 88.

[@thethirdman225]

Far too vulnerable. All those open top vehicles, like the Marder and the Hummel had the same problem.

[@brooksmyers6044]

I got to see the Ferdinand in Ft. Lee while I was there. it was truly a sight to behold!

[@sadwingsraging3044]

What speaks volumes to me is the fact that even with the known problems they had and the scheduling of the refitting is the fact they were held in place to fight rather than being sent back. To me that means the issues were nowhere near 'fatal flaws' territory and merely 'maintenance pig' headaches.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

It was an informative and wonderful introduction video about Ferdinand anti-tank vehicles ..German designed it as a fast responsive to the ward's higher quantity of Soviets T-34 tanks in east front... thank you for sharing

[@MatthewChenault]

The Elephant is at Fort Lee, which also has a German railway gun (you can see that one from the roadside) and is close to the Petersburg National Battlefield Park.

[@anthonylathrop7251]

In the "kill ratio" calculation they should include all the Panzer IVs or Stugs that could have been built instead.

[@stutterpunk9573]

WAKE UP BABE NEW CURSED BY DESIGN EPISODE (now with a new intro!)

[@kabob0077]

15:39 Murphy was feeling... _Angry_ that day.

[@Whimpy13]

Imho, it'd be cooler if it was named after the story of Ferdinand the bull from a childrens book written in 1936. _"Young Ferdinand does not enjoy butting heads with other young bulls, preferring instead to sit under a cork tree smelling the flowers."_

[@SPSteve]

Despite its issues, I'm a big fan of the Elephant. Like all German heavy armor of WWII, highly effective when operational but often needing extensive maintenance. I built a model of an Italian Elephant that I recently posted on my KZbin channel.

[@THX11458]

Out of interest I've posted below the after action combat report from Ferdinand Abteilung 654. Schwere PanzerJager Abteilung 654/ Battalion acting commander Henning, II./schweres Panzerjager Regiment 656 Kursk, 1st August, 1943: (Excerpts from report): (Armor) “The armor of the Ferdinand is not only adequate but it appears to be too strong. To my knowledge not a single Ferdinand appears to have been penetrated from the front side or rear. Direct hits from 76.2mm penetrated only 30-40mm. It appears to me that [a reduction to] 120-150mm of frontal armor and 50mm rear armor would be sufficient. The bottom armor is completely adequate, while the top armor could be about 10mm thicker to withstand direct hits from artillery.” (Main Armament) “The 88mm main gun of the Ferdinand is outstanding, however it frequently goes out of alignment and is subject to minor jams. It therefore seems absolutely necessary that the [company mechanics] go along as loader or gunner in one of the combat vehicle." "The elevating and traversing mechanism has proven difficult to operate: adjustments cannot be made quickly enough against moving targets. The gun’s deflection radius has also proven inadequate against moving targets.” (Training) “At the present time, the level of training of crews is spotty, The drivers still lack sufficient experience." "Lack of knowledge on the part of some loaders resulted in a Ferdinand being pulled out of action...because of a minor jam even though the weapon could have been fired using a field expedient method [instead].” (MGs) “There is still a requirement for a built-in machine-gun possibly also a flamethrower.” (Engine) “The engine(s) of the Ferdinand is not powerful enough. A reduction in armor as suggested above would significantly reduce the burden of the engine(s). The engine(s) overheat easily, especially in difficult muddy terrain, resulting in a risk of fire. To my knowledge, four Ferdinand have burned out as a result of spontaneous combustion. In several other cases fire was extinguished at the last minute. The fire extinguishing system is inadequate.” (Radio) “The radio equipment has performed adequately. In a very few vehicles, interference could not be completely eliminated and these had continuous problems transmitting and receiving. Single installation of a Fu8 as receiver for the Fu8 used in the trains was of little use. Experience with the ‘Friedrich’ device varied. [My opinion is] that there is no need to install a “Friedrich” set in these tank destroyers, as the existing Fu5 suffice as a receiver station.” (Optics) “The sighting capabilities provided by the rotating periscope are favorable, however a commander’s cupola with a scissors telescope would be better…I had the opportunity to observe [in other vehicles that] the scissors telescope and periscope installations varied widely and in some cases were unsuitable…. The two-meter telescope has proven a great success.” (Command and Control) “The presence of Panzer-IIIs made it significantly easier to command and control the Ferdinands. The Panzer-III has proven particularly effective as a communications vehicle when radios of Ferdinands failed. Given the lack of maneuverability of the Ferdinand, the Panzer-III is vital for reconnaissance.” (Deployment) “The use of all the Ferdinands in one place resulted in significant vehicle losses through track and suspension damage inflicted by concentrated enemy artillery fire. It is therefore necessary to deploy the battalion wide and deep during operations.” (Supply) “The ammunition carriers proved very effective, however, there were not enough of them especially for operations away from the battalion.” (Enemy Infantry) “The initial fear that the Ferdinand would prove extremely vulnerable to enemy infantry proved unfounded in practice. As a result of the loud sound produced when the gun is fired and its psychological effect on enemy infantry, no enemy infantry approached any Ferdinand during combat.” (Enemy Artillery & Escorting Infantry) “Experience showed that the Ferdinand draws heavy artillery fire. This posed a great threat to accompanying infantry...Large numbers of infantry following closely behind the individual Ferdinands only cost the infantry unnecessary casualties.” (Combat Engineers) “The attempt to transport the battalions own combat engineers on each of the company’s vehicle, by use of seats mounted on the back of the Ferdinands, failed as almost one third of the forty-four Ferdinands were disabled in our own minefield because of inadequate marking of cleared mine [routes].” (Sturmpanzer IV) “The combination of Ferdinands and Sturmpanzer [IV] has proved very effective and should be striven for whenever possible. There also are no command and control problems [between them] when the vehicles have the same radio equipment.” (Artillery Hits) “Direct hits on the superstructure [casemate] by enemy artillery fire, even large caliber rounds, did not penetrate. However, they did inflict minor damage and cracks. Bombs dropped by enemy aircraft had no effect.” (Tank to Tank Combat) “The Ferdinand clearly displayed its superiority in tank versus tank combat, easily penetrating the frontal armor of T-34s at ranges in excess of 2000meters.” (Kill Claims) “The fact that enemy tank crews bailed out after a single hit indicates that the enemy tank was only damaged and not destroyed. As a rule, therefore [from now on], an enemy tank may only be claimed destroyed after it has burned out.” “In almost all cases the number of enemy tanks claimed as destroyed by the companies was too high and did not correspond to the facts. I was able to confirm [kill] claims when the attack was continued the next day and I was able to count the number of enemy tanks knocked out the day before. [Kill] claim numbers were about 30% too high. [This] may be explained by different crews firing at the same tank and each claiming it [as a kill]. It may be assumed that [this fact] applies to other [tank & anti-tank] units.” List of Major Repairs to Ferdinands of sPzJg Abt. 654, August 1st 1943 Tactical No.: 511 Repairs: replaced engines/ entire cooling system/ overhaul running gear/ remount generators. Time To Repair: est. 16 hours Tactical No.: 512 Repairs: overhaul running gear/ replace cooling fan drive/ new tracks Time To Repair: est. 7 hours Tactical No.: 513 Repairs: replace engine/ repair cooling system/ replace road wheel tread/ new tracks Time To Repair: est.7 hours Tactical No.: 521 Repairs: replace engines/ overhaul running gear/ clean cooling system/ replace cooling fan drive/ repair generator mounts. Time To Repair: est.12 hours Tactical No.: 532 Repairs: overhaul running gear/ replace fan drive/ repair generator mounts/ repair mud guards/ repair damaged to superstructure Time To Repair: est. 6 hours Tactical No.: 533 Repairs: overhaul of cooling system/ repair generator mounts/ repair damaged to superstructure Time To Repair: est. 7 hours Tactical No.: 534 Repairs: clean cooling system/ fix fan drive/ reseat tension rollers/ replace idler wheels/ new tracks Time To Repair: est. 7 hours Tactical No.: 611 Repairs: replace exhaust seals/ replace fan drive/ repair right idler wheel/ overhaul running gear/ repair gun trunnions. Time To Repair: est. 5 hours Tactical No.: 612 Repairs: replace gun sights/ overhaul cooling system/ repair running gear/ replace fan drive Time To Repair: est. 6 hours Tactical No.: 613 Repairs: replace engines/ overhaul running gear/ replace fan drive/ repair generator Time To Repair: est. 12 hours Tactical No.: 621 Repairs: overhaul running gear/ repair cooling system/ Time To Repair: est. 7 hours Tactical No.: 622 Repairs: repair cooling system/ replace fan drive/ replace exhaust seals Time To Repair: est. 4 hours Tactical No.: 631 Repairs: replace engines/ repair cooling system/ replace fan drive/ repair generator mounts Time To Repair: est. 13 hours Tactical No.: 632 Repairs: repair engine/ repair cooling system/ overhaul running gear Time To Repair: est. 4 hours Tactical No.: 633 Repairs: replace engines/ replace suspension units/ repair cooling system/ fix generator mounts. Time To Repair: est. 9 hours Tactical No.: 702 Repairs: overhaul running gear/ new tracks Time To Repair: est. 3 hours Tactical No.: 714 Repairs: repair track tension device/ replace rubber road wheel inserts/ replace rubber pads/ repair gun optics Time To Repair: est. 8 hours Tactical No.: 722 Repairs: replace engines/ repair cooling system/ replace fan drive/ replace rubber road wheel inserts/ new tracks Time To Repair: est. 7 hours Tactical No.: 721 Repairs: replace seals on right engine, replace electric starter/ repair mud guards/ Time To Repair: est. 6 hours Total: 146 man hours

[@fauzin3338]

Interesting! Thank you very much for the information!

[@rdallas81]

Thanks!!!

[@abakedpotato239]

awesome video very informative Would you do a video on the pvkv 2 someday?

[@user-xh3lz9xt4l]

When playing micro tank tabletop warfare we found the best way to utilise the Elephant/Ferdinand was a long range tank destroyer as the frontal armour was given a heavy bias and the gun was rated A+ too so giving it a very good defensive position or a long range offensive position. The only downside was it was slow and the nimble T34/76 or T34/85 could without infantry support get in close to the Elephant quite quickly and then heap damage and destruction against it. If however you mixed it up with anti tank guns and infantry support it was a difficult target to assail as the armour and gun gave it amazing defensive capabilities

[@josephravu5039]

Great video, thank you!

[@user-zm6sc6sy3w]

Fascinating informative video thank you brother liked and subscribed

[@TheTyrantOfMars]

From being young enough to read through books with my granpa I remember falling in love with this vehicle, it’s so unashamedly hideous and such a characteristically brutal response the advances of allied forces

[@MGB-learning]

Great tank, I was able to see the Elephant and climb inside. Wow, what a monster.

[@Hotspur8383]

Hello, My Grandfather was driver in one of the returning Ferdinands from Italy. Unit 653

[@leesander1802]

Great as usual I am in the group that turning them into recovery and maintenance vehicles was a better option

[@kittehgo]

Being tired as it's morning here, I was wondering why the heck the germans had a lot of holes left over. Then it clicked Cone had said Hull's and not Holes 😸

[@joeavent5554]

The 88mm gun is mounted within a casement which sits atop the superstructure which of course is affixed to the chassis. I flinched when the narrator called the casemate a superstructure. The hull and suspension make up the chassis.

[@abyssus9304]

Part of the reasons for the loses was the Ferdinand being used to push assaults instead of its intended role as a defensive unit.

[@SirKingWest]

Your alert worked, here I am watching your video

[@mikepj67]

Have a soft spot in my head for this design.

[@malcolmhunt7108]

The change of name was suggested by Hitler in November 1943 but it didn't become official until May 1944, this is backed up by primary sources where you can see the name change appear from June 1944 onwards.

[@johnCiulla375-tr7cz]

Awesome video :) I love the Ferdinand can u do a vid on the bulldog or the french amxs

[@1joshjosh1]

That that picture of the Tigers single bent piece(3 of them)80mm turret armor is cool.

[@commanderhindsight1633]

Oh hey look its a T-14

[@georgesears2916]

I dunno... they produced 91 Elefants in about a single years time as opposed to the dozen T14 tanks built in 9 years. It's also actually seen combat.

[@prodigy-hu6dy]

Hope you’re a troll

[@DGARedRaven]

The Tank Destroyer did not die in WW II. I think it was Chieftain who made the best point in that regard. A tank destroyer has low armour, good firepower to take out enemy tanks in a single strike if possible, and high enough speed to get into a good firing position and getting the hell out after firing. So, one could make a very good point that actually the Tank Destroyer just changed platform. From a tracked vehicle - to an attack helicopter.

[@RedXlV]

And also ATGM carriers are the modern tank destroyers.

[@imreallynoob8311]

The idea of Tank destroyer as an Armored vehicle, dedicated to that role died after WW2, since modern, or coldwar, tanks could now balance strong firepower and a good speed, so there is no reason to design tank destroyer, which only advantage is a cheaper cost, now Like other tank concept that died after the war, heavy, light. Etc. There are simply no reason to build a tank dedicate to 1 taskwhen you could just create a platform that could do it all

[@imreallynoob8311]

​@@RedXlVthat is debatable, as most modern armored vehicle that is equipped with ATGMs are no design dedicated to tank hunting role, but just a weapon to defend itsself if it went face to face with a tank

[@DGARedRaven]

@@imreallynoob8311 You're living up to your nickname, because you are entirely missing the point. The concept didn't die, it evolved. That's like saying "the idea of the tank died" when comparin Mark I to a modern MBT. Or "No nation needs a navy anymore" when comparing modern task forces to dreadnought fleets of the past.

[@imreallynoob8311]

@@DGARedRaven you are wrong comparing this with ship and tanks, the concept of tank itself as an mobile armored unit didnt fell out of favor The battleships are indeed obsolete, and has been since ww2 That dosent mean the entire existance of navy is needed Tank destroyer is a type of tank made for 1 mission, and as we generalise our tanks to a multi mission one, tanks that are dedicated to 1 mission no longer existed

[@junemartinez1964]

Awesome video! Thank you

[@Naggstek]

Can't get enough of that good ol zimmerit

[@The-Ink-Dragon97]

Personally, I think the Elefant was just used the wrong way. If it was used as a defense weapon rather than assault, then maybe, just maybe, the Elefant would have seen more action. But I will say as a 'recycled', last-minute built tank, its actually not that bad. If anything, it did buy Germany a little more time to try and replace their loses with "Better" or more wisely the Reliable armored vehicles that were built right up to the end of the war. Case in point, the StuG III. Then again, I have NOT played it in either 'War Thunder' or 'World of Tanks' yet, so I don't know for sure . . . *Yet.*

[@williamashbless7904]

Nicely done. First rule of armored warfare: be mobile. Ferdinand was nowhere close. German Heavy Units ALL had seriously inflated kill ratios. It was misused at Kursk and suffered significant losses. It was a waste of resources. Heavy armored units required far more maintenance personnel and Ferdinand’s spent too much time offline and being transported hundreds of miles for refitting. How many StuG Battalions could you have traded for those 91 Ferdinands?

[@Chris-dz3rs]

In WOT ,it works very well as a somewhat mobile,long range sniper. Once you get in close however,they make easy targets

[@Kettleman1.0]

1:34 that tank dunce hat Is such a cool idea

[@echohunter4199]

I can’t but to think that Germany should’ve made more use of captured enemy tanks by installing a quality German designed and made turret/main gun. This would’ve allowed them to have a tank with a heavily armored turret and a deadly main gun that had room for an upgrade if they wanted to install a more powerful main gun. And since most Russian tanks were diesel powered, this would allow Germany to make synthetic diesel fuel from seed oils and anything else that would pass as diesel. The Russians quit counting how many T-34’s they made at 35,000 so it’s safe to say they (Germany) would have a good amount of vehicles and spare parts to draw from, lol. It’s mind boggling how poorly German tanks were designed for ease of maintenance but, back then we were still developing design priorities but the Sherman showed excellent maintenance design as if the engineers focused on this as their first priority and it had a huge impact. Thank you for taking time to produce this video, you covered some interesting aspects many skim over.

[@rcrawford42]

Hannibal could have told them the futility of sending Elefants to Italy.

[@magnustherad3597]

4:10 addy doing his best paul ruben impresion

[@TheArklyte]

Tbh I sometimes wish to call it Jagdtiger because that's what it it by definition, unlike the later failure. And speaking of Jagdtiger, it makes all the claims about weight, transportation and reliability of Ferdinand/Elephant quite ironic by simply existing after it.

[@guerrinlove3416]

Good video man, learned a lot. The Ferdinand is one of those axis vehicles I knew about, but didnt really know about most of the details/specifications. I have always been a Porsche guy, so I love hearing more about the brain that created these beastly wartime machines. Respect to German engineering (the transmissions dont count lol)

[@KolnBruck]

Mein liebstes gepanzertes fahrzeug aus dem zweiten weltkrieg ist der Elefant, er ist einfach wunderschön, seit CoD:UO liebe ich ihn..

[@Whatisthisstupidfinghandle]

Very interesting! Thanks The one thing I can’t figure out is why so many fell to infantry anti tank teams in Russia. They should have been 2km back well out of reach of infantry. The fact that infantry got anywhere close to them I think reveals doctrinal deficiencies

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

as he mentioned, they kept using them as assault tanks to break enemy lines. a very foolish use.

[@clothar23]

​@@sinisterthoughts2896 Foolish but necessary, the Heer didn't have many options when it came to breakthroughs. If their own infantry could have kept pace as well as light vehicles it might have worked. After all even the most die hard party member knew they weren't going to win a waiting game or a war of attrition with the Russians. Aggression was their only hope.

[@robertsolomielke5134]

The debut on Kursk saw minefields 3-5 Km deep, all covered by MG's , mortars, AT guns, with hordes of artillery waiting as last so not spoil the mines. A big reserve of T-34 's wait for their timely need if you break in. No wonder things did not go well for the brutes.

[@TACSFZTI]

"The Tank Hunter Tiger Elephant" that already sounds harass enough, can't imagine the other ones

[@flyflingstonmcflyer1275]

thats exactly what my high ass needs right now thx Cone Porsche needs to built them again

[@vynicle2284]

15:28 Who would've known that the most effective Ferdinand killer was a Panzer III Turret

[@alexc3504]

The problem with the Ferdinand and Elefant is they used a tank chassis that was rejected for service in favor of the Henschel VK 45.01 prototype but Ferdinand Porsche produced like a hundred of so he said fuck it lets put them into service as casemate tank destroyers. Dude smoked way too much meth.

[@ConeOfArc]

Watch the previous video on the Porsche Tiger, it will help clarify why so many were produced

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

no need to be derogatory, Porsche was a good designer, just not for tanks. he was a very talented and intelligent individual.

[@Dreachon]

Maybe read an actual book or watch the video as you couldn't be further from the truth

[@Jesse-nl8tv]

I love the Ferdinand //Elefant favorite armored vehicle of all time

[@mattthemouse1]

Soviet AT crew after it blows up Panzer III and it takes out the Ferdinand *Fist Bump*

[@solybossjeck5477]

the great cat named artillerie tank Wespe xD

[@assidiq178]

nice video IMHO, Ferdinand/Elefant should be a side project for improving other things. kinda sad they are only good for defensive tactic rather offensive one

[@SabinStargem]

I would like to make a documentary recommendation for Cone and others. It is a very dry series, that consists solely of genuine footage from WW2: "The Panzers", from the German War Files collection. There are about 9 hours to it, each video covering a category of German vehicle. Sadly there is no dedicated video for the Ferdinand, but there are two episodes focusing on the Stug and Hummel.

[@thomasatteneder3953]

I live in St. Valentin/Austria next to the "Nibelungenwerk". Today it´s a tractor factory still using some of the original buildings remaining.

[@kingleech16]

The poor thing needed a Vlar 300 engine.

[@kosztypatrik7028]

As Tiger P was a Cursed by Design, I see this thing squared.

[@pukalo]

The Ferdinand/Elefant is my favourite German WWII vehicle, despite its quirks.

[@moorec1053]

GREAT Video..... thank you 🙂

[@gnomerebel]

Maaaaan idc if this thing has mechanical problems, the Ferdinand is a man among boys in war thunder. God, I love that slow ass giant hunk of metal. It might be slow, huge, and an enormous target. But it hits hard as fuck and can be very difficult to get to its weak spots. Love taking out noobs with this beast.

[@pavelslama5543]

4:98 Yes, but you also have to count the hundreds of manhours required to produce the unique spare parts that only Ferdinands (and the single befelstiger Porsche) could use.

[@roberthsieh8639]

Yep i saw the one at fort lee during ait

[@PurpleRhymesWithOrange]

It was a good way to reuse the already built hulls since scrapping them to build other tanks would have taken too long.

[@89volvowithlazers]

By the end we are talking 38 vehicles more of a pain to have parts for less than 50 operational units.

[@johntrottier1162]

The electric drive was a great idea in the wrong application. Asking soldiers to maintain and troubleshoot large electrical systems on the front line is just asking for trouble. Even today, electric drives are very difficult to fix if they go wrong. In the 1940's on the Eastern Front, there was just no way.

[@DylanDiMiG]

PLEASEEEE!! MORE long form content.. please.. pls pls plz plz

[@ethanjones9078]

Are there any more books like that goes into the specifics of a tank or unit that book is very interesting

[@goldgamercommenting2990]

You know… the Ferdinands did at least something and had an ok reputation Even though everyone hates it

[@A_tank_A]

Great vid

[@BasTSLA]

Yesss finally new video but still sad i have to wait another month for video 😢 I wish if you make video about IS-7 1946

[@davymckeown4577]

Roger Waters' dad was killed at Anzio, he was serving with The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). He wrote a song about it.