Also known as the Aberdeen Proving Ground Tiger or Fgst.Nr. 250031, is the oldest surviving Tiger I today. Although a well known surviving Tiger, not much of it's service history is known. Fgst.Nr.250031 was the 31st Tiger to be manufactured and left the production lines somewhere between late October and early November 1943 and was sent to Tunisia, allocated to the sPz.Abt.501. Sometime in May 1943 Tiger 712 was abandoned by it's crew and later found by Allied troops, the second complete and running Tiger "captured" during this campaign, (the other being Tiger 1 31, now at Bovington). Why and where 712 was left by it's crew, and what happened during it's service life is still a mystery. Only a few wartime photos of 712 in original condition are known, some photographed in Tunisia, and some at APG (of which most show 712 after it had been repainted). After studying these photos it seems 712 lived a hard life and took some punches, with at least three hits on the turret.
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