While it is true that vehicles sent back for major repairs would be updated with the latest modifications (whenever possible), I’m not sure that this is the case here. I suspect that this vehicle represents a case where the hull was finished with the earlier exhaust shield mounts in place, along with the missing zimmerit, and then the order to change the exhaust was implemented before it was completely assembled, yielding this unique set of features. I have seen photos of other vehicle types that exhibit similar orphaned parts, Tiger Is in particular.
I see the later curved exhaust, but you look at it more closely; it does have the sheet metal cover, typical of TIger I tanks.
Look at the exhaust cover…
Now go back to the TIger II picture; see the sheet metal cover on the right exhaust; despite it being crushed and bent into the exhaust, the cover is the same ones used on the Tiger I.
Thanks SableLiger, I was thinking there might have been photos of this, but I forgot about this one. The question remains if the earliest issued Tiger II to the 503 would have swapped out the straight pipe exhaust for the curved ones while in the field. The first lot of Tiger IIs issued to the 503rd only lasted about a month and I don’t see any mention of a refit during this time period in either Tigers in Combat or The combat History of sPzAbt. 503. Judging from the abused condition the heat shields are on #11, the vehicle in the photo Biggles50 posted may have lost them entirely.
I wasn’t suggesting the switch was done during major repairs. This tank is in Normandy, near Caen. It looks like it fell into a large bomb crater during one of those major bombing raids. Pretty sure this tank wasn’t in the field long enough to have seen action, sustained major damage, returned to Germany for repair, then be returned to action, then completely destroyed! If (big IF ) this tank ever did have old exhaust, they were changed as a last minute decision at the factory, or shortly after issuing. I just posted this pic as a matter of curiosity.
I think this another view of the same tank:
