My drawing of a German King Tiger (AKA Tiger II) tank and V1 rocket on it's way to London. Both weapons were used for the first time near or at the same time as the D-Day invasion. The King Tiger as a defensive measure and the V-1 as a retaliatory/response measure. The heavy armour and powerful long-range gun gave the Tiger II an advantage against all opposing Western Allied and Soviet tanks attempting to engage it from head on. This was especially true on the Western Front where, until the arrival of the few M26 Pershings in 1945, neither the British nor US forces brought heavy tanks into service. The first combat use of the Tiger II was by the 1st Company of the 503rd Heavy Panzer Batallion (s.H.Pz.Abt. 503) during the Battle of Normandy, opposing Operation Atlantic between Troarn and Demouville on 18 July, 1944. The first V-1 was launched at London on 13 June 1944[, one week after (and prompted by) the successful D-day landing of the Allied forces.
