Tiger

It is safe to say that in World War II,  one of the most feared noises for any Allied infantryman to hear was the roaring engine of the 40-ton Anzerkampfwagen, or Tiger tank. This monstrous creation was the combined effort of the leading engineers of Germany in 1940 and 1941, and the beginning of production was Hitler’s birthday present in 1942. He also received a pony. The tank, protected by 4.5 inches of steel, was completely unaffected by the British Sherman tanks, and 75mm shells would bounce off from distances as close as 50 meters. The Tiger was also equipped with an 88mm gun, enough to destroy the T-34 (the most common Russian tank) in one shot. While it did not sacrifice speed, it did use immense amounts of gasoline and was fared poorly in mud and ice. Only about 1300 were ever produced, but each one made its mark. For example, on October 18th, 1943, one Tiger tank, commanded by Sepp Rannel, managed to destroy 18 Russian T-34 tanks. As the Allies advanced in France, four Tigers managed to repel a British offensive in Northern France. Unfortunately for the Germans, the tanks cost oil that they could not afford to spare, and were abandoned in 1944. However, the damage inflicted by these big cats of armored combat was the turning point in many a battle, and the dreaded roar is still in the minds of those who lived to hear anything else.