News Update August 4th, 2025 - WWII German Armor Special Pre-Order (3 Viewers)

[Julie]

JJDESIGNS NEWS UPDATE 4th AUGUST 2025
THE SECOND WORLD WAR
GERMAN ARMOUR

German King Tiger #123, Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B with "Porsche Turret"
Schwere Panzerabteilung 503
Normandy – Operation Goodwood, July 1944

The fields of Normandy in the summer of 1944 witnessed some of the most intense armored clashes of World War II. Among the German forces holding the line against the Allied onslaught was schwere Panzerabteilung 503 (s.Pz.Abt. 503), a heavy tank battalion that had recently received Germany’s newest and most powerful tank: the Tiger II Ausf. B, more commonly known as the King Tiger. The s.Pz.Abt. 503 received only enough King Tigers to outfit a single tank company (1. Kompanie), and all were early-production tanks equipped with the rounded turret that became colloquially known as "Porsche turret" King Tigers.

The following model will only be available for Pre-order until the 31st AUGUST 2025

PRE-ORDER PERIOD ENDS 31st AUGUST 2025

NO PRE-ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE 1st SEPTEMBER 2025



GA-54
THE SECOND WORLD WAR,
GERMAN ARMOUR,
German King Tiger #123,
Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B with "Porsche Turret",
Schwere Panzerabteilung 503,
Normandy – Operation Goodwood, July 1944.

After reconstituting in May and June 1944, s.Pz.Abt. 503 was transported to the Normandy front in the first week of July. It was attached to Panzer-Regiment 22 (Pz.Rgt. 22) of the 21. Panzer-Division to increase that division's combat power, which had suffered significant armored losses since June. On 18 July 1944, s.Pz.Abt. 503 found itself deployed northeast of the village of Cagny, in support of Kampfgruppe von Luck. It was on this day when Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery launched Operation Goodwood, an ambitious offensive east of Caen designed to punch through German defenses and seize the strategic high ground beyond the Bourguébus Ridge. For the British, it was one of the largest tank battles they had ever fought. For the Germans, it was a test of resolve and survival.

Goodwood began with a massive aerial bombardment involving over 2,000 Allied bombers targeting German positions. This bombardment struck the assembly areas of Panzer-Regiment 21 and the 3. Kompanie of s.Pz.Abt. 503 particularly hard. Most of the Panzer IVs of Pz.Rgt. 22 were damaged or destroyed, and almost all of the Tiger I tanks of 3./s.Pz.Abt. 503 were damaged and buried in dirt and bomb craters...some of the 56-ton Tigers were even flipped completely upside down. In contrast, 1./s.Pz.Abt. 503 fared somewhat better and escaped the bombardment relatively intact.

Following the air attack, the 7th Armoured Division, 11th Armoured Division, and Guards Armoured Division advanced across open terrain between the Orne and Dives rivers. After some initial British gains, including the capture of several villages and the destruction of some German units, they met siff resistance as the Germans rallied by noon and launched fierce counterattacks. The surviving Panzer IVs of Pz.Rgt. 22, along with the King Tigers of 1./s.Pz.Abt. 503, initially attacked along the Troarn–Caen road, and for the the rest of the day fierce fighting raged between the King Tigers and British tanks, particularly those of the Guards Armoured Division. Pz.Rgt. 22 and the 1./s.Pz.Abt. 503 initially reached Demouville, but by the end of the day the King Tigers had withdrawn to concentrate around Maneville, and repulsed further British attacks to the southeast. Over the course of the day's fighting, s.Pz.Abt. 503 knocked out 40 British tanks.

Fighting continued for the next two days, and the 21. Panzer-Division, s.Pz.Abt. 503, and the 1. SS-Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" (LAH) mounted a determined defense that halted the British offensive. By the end of the operation, British forces suffered over 4,000 casualties and lost 300–400 tanks, with minimal territorial gains beyond the southern suburbs of Caen. Although a tactical disappointment, Operation Goodwood succeeded in tying down German armored reserves, helping pave the way for Operation Cobra, the successful American breakout to the west.

The JJ Designs release of King Tiger #123 of 1./s.Pz.Abt. 503, represents one of the unit's King Tigers, equipped with the early-production “Porsche turret.”

However, this description is a misnomer, as Dr. Ferdinand Porsche had nothing to do with the design or construction of the turret. In reality, the turret was designed and manufactured by Krupp, and it was originally intended to fit either of the competing Tiger II chassis designs: one from Henschel, the other from Porsche. Ultimately, Porsche’s chassis was rejected due to mechanical and reliability issues, and Henschel’s design was chosen for production. For unclear reasons, early post-war historians and armor enthusiasts retroactively dubbed these turrets the “Porsche turret.” While the term persists today, it is more a matter of convenience than a reflection of historical reality.

This early King Tiger turret featured a rounded front with curved side armor and a curved gun mantlet. Unfortunately, this flowing design created shot traps, where incoming rounds could deflect downward into the top of the hull, often with catastrophic results. This design flaw was quickly recognized, but it was too late to revise the initial production batch of 50 turrets, and the Germans decided to use these turrets on the first 50 King Tigers, after which the revised turret would be produced.

In addition to the "Porsche turret", King Tiger #123 also features several early production characteristics of the Tiger II, including the one-piece 8.8cm KwK43 cannon, finished in factory grey heat-resistant lacquer, and equipped with the muzzle brake from the Tiger I. It also includes the early-style exhaust system, also reminiscent of the Tiger I. King Tiger #123 is painted in a field-applied, irregular blotchy tri-color scheme of Dunkelgelb, Olivgrün, and Rotbraun, typical of s.Pz.Abt. 503’s King Tigers.

The JJD King Tiger #123 also includes the following features:

• All hatches open and close
• Detailed turret and hull interior
• Detailed engine bay
• Removable side mudguards

Once again, a big thank you to, Steve “The Foreign Expert” (Hunter Rose).

PRE-ORDER PERIOD ENDS 31st AUGUST 2025
PRODUCTION PERIOD WILL START SEPTEMBER 2025
ESTIMATED SHIPMENT AVAILABLE DECEMBER 2025

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DEALER TO PRE-ORDER

Best wishes,
john jenkins

 

[tmanthegreat]

Very nice! I like the inclusion of the zimerit coating. It’s definitely not the case that John decided to make just the “Porsche” turret part and stick it on his existing King Tiger chassis - it’s an entirely new chassis. Definitely some significant-enough differences between this vehicle from the earlier variants to warrant getting.

 

[egonzinc]

It needed to have the Zimmerit. There were no "Porsche" turret King Tigers without it. I had no plans for another big JJD armor piece, but the events of Goodwood/ Cagny / von Luck have been a favorite action of mine since about 2005. so might have to go for this one. Also love the look of this type of King Tiger with all the mudguards removed. Soooo, might have to go for this one!

 

[Mark IV]

Can never say no to AFV done by John. My pre-order is in.

 

[Mike97]

So much excellent detail packed into this model-awesome !

 

[Hunter Rose]

A collector asked about the grey cannon barrel on the John Jenkins Collectors Facebook page, so I figured I'd post my response here too if anyone was wondering about how common grey cannon barrels were:

The units that fought in Normandy were equipped with panzers produced in the late 1943-early 1944 time period, when there were LOTS of grey finished barrels still being produced. They were pretty common in Normandy, and lots of pictures show tanks with them. The tanks came painted in a base coat of Dunkelgelb, so the units usually just used Rotbraun and Olivgrün when camo'ing their tanks. Some crews would spray a little green and brown on the grey cannon, but since it was such low contrast a lot of them didn't bother and just left the cannon completely grey.



Here's historic color pics and historic B&W pics with the grey barrels:

1) Tiger #300 from 3./s.Pz.Abt. 503 with a grey barrel getting its camo painted on.





2) Hitler and Goring inspecting Jagdpanther and Jagdtiger around this time period.





3) Tiger from the s.SS-Pz.Abt. 101 in Normandy





4) Panzer IVs from Panzer Lehr in Hungary right before they were transported to Normandy






5)Jagdpanther from Normandy





6) Panther Ausf G from later production that saw action in the Market Garden time period, but still has a grey barrel.





Panzer IVs #626 and #635 of 12. SS-Pz.Div. Hitlerjugend with grey barrels

 

[agmtanks]

Hunter, great pictures !!!

Will John make another turret # so I could order two different King Tiger's? Thanks, Andy

 

[Barkmann]

Anyon know price?
Just found it $482

 

[Barkmann]

Really nice and would love one, want to see it in the flesh however as, for me, lot to layout for a tank, when there is so much on off from JJD anyway. Few pics from Bovington.

 

[Barkmann]

Anyon know price?
Just found it $482

Was not answering my own question here, put first line in before checking on Treefrog website, edited my post after getting the price from there.

 

[Combat]

Nice. I would like to see Georg Diers' King Tiger from Berlin making the last stand.

 

[Mastercom10]

About the KingTiger #123 :

it was one of the twelve KingTigers with Porsche turret from the 1st company of the s.H.Pz Abt. 503 in Normandy.
Its commander was the Unteroffizier Curt Weidenkaff.
On August 3, the tank was first immobilized by artillery fire at La Bigne and then scuttled by its crew.
According to a recent historical book, the number of tanks destroyed by the battailon during all the Normandy battle was very low : only 23 !
( in comparison : about 200 for the s. SS Pz Abt 101 and 227 for the s. SS Pz Abt 102 ).
Even with other more "optimistic" sources that speak of 70 to 80 destroyed allied tanks, the score remains very bad compared to the 55 Tigers I and KingTigers lost.
( including the KingTigers of the recompleted 3rd company).
This could be explained by several reasons : the lack of logistical, technical and strategic support, insufficient training of KingTiger crews and unsuitable environment.
Poorly deployed, these heavy tanks were unable to take advantage of their striking power.
Just a little remark about the very nice JJD model : as shown in the attached photo, the exhausts should have been the production model and not the early-style system.

 

[Silkwraith]

Gentleman,

I could not resist so I made my first purchase from Treefrog.

I used to purchase from another merchant but the whole tariff thing has apparently bewildered him so I had to change. I have done my research and it seems that TREEFROG is the best bet for any Europeans buying from a US Supplier. They are very detailed and straightforward in their description and instructions, reviews are all great. Si I decided that TREEFROG will be my new supplier. I have paid upfront with PAYPAL since they also accept this method of payment .

So for all Europeans out there who used to purchase from other suppliers that are now unsure about their way ahead - TREEFROG is a safe bet. There was another but they were not so reassuring as Treefrog.

Thanks and regards, and thank you for your outstanding service.

Pierre

 

[Silkwraith]

As regards the tank - I agree with Mastercom - exhausts should be production model so I hope that JJD can provide us with both for us to select. Same with the Main Gun, I hope that JJD considers sending us the grey and the camouflaged gun like that they with the Jagdpanther a few years ago.

Thanks,

Pierre

 

[Silkwraith]

About the KingTiger #123 :

it was one of the twelve KingTigers with Porsche turret from the 1st company of the s.H.Pz Abt. 503 in Normandy.
Its commander was the Unteroffizier Curt Weidenkaff.
On August 3, the tank was first immobilized by artillery fire at La Bigne and then scuttled by its crew.
According to a recent historical book, the number of tanks destroyed by the battailon during all the Normandy battle was very low : only 23 !
( in comparison : about 200 for the s. SS Pz Abt 101 and 227 for the s. SS Pz Abt 102 ).
Even with other more "optimistic" sources that speak of 70 to 80 destroyed allied tanks, the score remains very bad compared to the 55 Tigers I and KingTigers lost.
( including the KingTigers of the recompleted 3rd company).
This could be explained by several reasons : the lack of logistical, technical and strategic support, insufficient training of KingTiger crews and unsuitable environment.
Poorly deployed, these heavy tanks were unable to take advantage of their striking power.
Just a little remark about the very nice JJD model : as shown in the attached photo, the exhausts should have been the production model and not the early-style system.

Sir,

Can you kindly indicate which book you are referencing please.

Thanks,

Pierre

 

[Barkmann]

About the KingTiger #123 :

it was one of the twelve KingTigers with Porsche turret from the 1st company of the s.H.Pz Abt. 503 in Normandy.
Its commander was the Unteroffizier Curt Weidenkaff.
On August 3, the tank was first immobilized by artillery fire at La Bigne and then scuttled by its crew.
According to a recent historical book, the number of tanks destroyed by the battailon during all the Normandy battle was very low : only 23 !
( in comparison : about 200 for the s. SS Pz Abt 101 and 227 for the s. SS Pz Abt 102 ).
Even with other more "optimistic" sources that speak of 70 to 80 destroyed allied tanks, the score remains very bad compared to the 55 Tigers I and KingTigers lost.
( including the KingTigers of the recompleted 3rd company).
This could be explained by several reasons : the lack of logistical, technical and strategic support, insufficient training of KingTiger crews and unsuitable environment.
Poorly deployed, these heavy tanks were unable to take advantage of their striking power.
Just a little remark about the very nice JJD model : as shown in the attached photo, the exhausts should have been the production model and not the early-style system.

Thanks for the information, very interesting, the 3rd company took a bit of a hammering during the initial bombardment and RAF bombing prior to Operation Goodwood, near Cagny and Banneville-la-Campagne, these were Tiger 1s. They did receive Tiger IIs in July 1944 and this must have had a detremental effect on their performance, using new kit and rushed training on the new tanks. Plus they were not day to day action for as long as the other 2 Battalions, due to lack of equipment and fit personnel. On the environment i agree with you, but where they were fighting compared to where the other 2 Heavy Tank Battalions were was not as a compact Bocage country, more open and less cover, so more susceptible to being found and air attack, which account for nearly all of the Battalion losses. Thanks for your assessment, but would also add, together with what you highlighted and the more open country, British forces, especially the RAF, as to why their performance was not as good as the other 2 Battalions.

The start my day when touring the Goodwood battlefield is always around Cagny and first place to visit is the Cementry at Banneville-la-Campagne. Sit with a brew of tea and reflect on the losses, i take pictures of around 10 to 15 headstones and when i am back home doing some desk research i find the pictures and plot the route their unit took during the battle and what happened. The same with the pilots and plane crews, there are 2,012 British in the cemetry, Canadian 11, Australian 5, Polish 5, New Zealanders 2 and 140 known only to God. The non British were mainly aircrew.

Books i find interesting
Wolfgang Schneider's wrote multiple books
Feldwebel Kurt Knispel by Franz Kurowski
Volker Ruff - Der Tiger: Schwere Panzerabteilung 503: Vol. 3 [all three volumes are interesting reads]
Franz Wilhelm Lochmann - The Combat History of German Tiger Tank Battalion 503 in World War II

The Casement Illustrated books on Normandy [and other WW2 themes/battles] are also a good, more compact, read.

 

[egonzinc]

Good to know it lasted until early August! Tiger I (and TigerII) in Normandy are so well documented tgat there are no, or very few, “generic” Tigers.
In 2012 I was putting together my Normandy Tiger I in 1/6 scale and it took a lot of research to find a tank that was not destroyed on transit!
Remember reading that some of these Porsche Tiger II might have been hit by the notable LW 88mm gun commandeered by von Luck in Cagny.

 

[Mastercom10]

Sir,

Can you kindly indicate which book you are referencing please.

Thanks,

Pierre

Hello Pierre,

Here is the reference book that I used : "Tiger de la schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 - Normandie et Vexin Juin-Août 1944" - Max STEIN - Editions Maranes 2021.
Text, photos, carts and color profiles very interesting, research of around twenty years essentially based of the testimony of veterans of this battalion.
Best

 

[Mastercom10]

Good to know it lasted until early August! Tiger I (and TigerII) in Normandy are so well documented tgat there are no, or very few, “generic” Tigers.
In 2012 I was putting together my Normandy Tiger I in 1/6 scale and it took a lot of research to find a tank that was not destroyed on transit!
Remember reading that some of these Porsche Tiger II might have been hit by the notable LW 88mm gun commandeered by von Luck in Cagny.

In fact, these were not Porsche Tiger II that were destroyed by friendly fire but two Tigers I : #333 and #334, both with pierced frontal armor (a third, #332, was also damaged).
And there are two hypotheses : 8,8 cm PAK 43 from Art.pak abt 1039 or 1053, or self-propelled gun H39 with PAK 40 from Stug Abt 200.