Maus, Ratte, p1500, big German Tanks etc.

Panzerkampfwagen VIII - Maus Tank - the world largest tank
Maus is the name of the largest tank design ever built. Designed in 1942 by Ferdinand Porsche under direct order from Adolf Hitler. The Maus would have had a crew of either 5 or 6. The tank's hull was 10.1 meters long, 3.67 meters wide and 3.66 meters tall. Weighing 188 tons, the Maus was armed with a 128mm cannon and a coaxial 75mm gun, and covered with 180-240mm of armor. Only two were produced. One was destroyed by the Germans at Kummersdorf to prevent its capture by the Soviets, and the sole surviving Maus tank is currently in the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia. Nine others were in various stages of completion when the war ended. None ever saw combat.

Check out the frontal armour thickness in pic 3

<TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Weight:</TD><TD>188 Tons</TD></TR><TR><TD>Crew:</TD><TD>6 men</TD></TR><TR><TD>Engine:</TD><TD>Daimler-Benz MB 509 / 12-cylinder / 1080hp (V1)
Daimler-Benz MB 517 Diesel / 12-cylinder / 1200hp (V2)
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Fuel Capacity:</TD><TD>2650-2700 liters + 1500 liters in reserve tank</TD></TR><TR><TD>Speed:</TD><TD>13-20km/h</TD></TR><TR><TD>Range:</TD><TD>Road: 160-190km
Cross-Country: 62km
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Lenght:</TD><TD>10.09m</TD></TR><TR><TD>Width:</TD><TD>3.67m</TD></TR><TR><TD>Height:</TD><TD>3.63m</TD></TR><TR><TD>Armament:</TD><TD>128mm KwK 44 L/55 & 75mm KwK 44 L/36.5
1 x 7.92mm MG34
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Ammo:</TD><TD>128mm - 55-68 rounds
75mm - 200 rounds
</TD></TR><TR><TD>Armor (mm/angle):</TD><TD>Turret Roof: 60/90
Gun Mantlet: 250/round
Front Turret: 220-240/round
Superstructure Roof: 50-100/9
Front Glacis Plate: 200/55
Hull Front: 200/35
Belly Plate Fore: 100/90
Side Turret: 200/30
Hull Side Upper: 180/0
Hull Side Lower: 100+80/0
Rear Turret: 200/15
Hull Rear Upper: 150/37
Hull Rear Lower: 150/30
Belly Plate Aft: 50/90
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


A larger tank, the 1000-tonne Krupp P 1000 "Ratte", started construction but was cancelled before completion. It would have carried two 280mm guns (mounted in the same type of gun turret used in Scharnhorst and Gneisenau warships), a single 128mm gun, eight 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns and two 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 guns.

 

The 'largest' doesn't mean the best. Armour design is a balance of protection (the armour), armament (the weapons it carried) and manouverability (which includes the power to move the whole lot).

The 'Maus' failed totally on the last one. Even if it did have a power plant powerful enough to move it around at any reasonable speed, at 188 tonnes it would be crippled by any really soft ground, destroyed any roads it did travel on, penned in by being unable to cross all but the largest bridges and was too big to be transported by road transport or rail.

All in all the 'tank' would have been useless in any practical sense other than providing a static fortress.... and then only if you could get them to where the 'fortress' was needed.

Just my opinion you understand.

 

Thinking big they call it. Doesn't always work as you say.

By the way maus is German for mouse. German humour.

 

Here is Maus in Kubinka, Russia done from 7 not completed that caught by Soviet troops on Porsche factory.

 

Never was produced for combat, but it is interesting to wonder how it would have went combat. In particular against the IS-2.

 

Here is Maus in Kubinka, Russia done from 7 not completed that caught by Soviet troops on Porsche factory.

Have you been there to see it mate?

 

Have you been there to see it mate?
No, I'ven't been there but this is one of my ideas to visit there and of course I can provide possible help to anyone from this community wanted to visit there as a guide

 

I really thought that the Maus (Mouse) was too large to be effective, but this design called the Ratte (Rat) leaves me speechless.

<TABLE class=infobox style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; WIDTH: 315px; TEXT-ALIGN: left; border-spacing: 2px"><TBODY><TR class=hproduct><TH class=fn style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BACKGROUND-COLOR: #b0c4de; TEXT-ALIGN: center" colSpan=2>Landkreuzer P. 1000</TH></TR><TR><TD style="FONT-SIZE: 90%; LINE-HEIGHT: 1.5em; BORDER-BOTTOM: #aaa 1px solid; TEXT-ALIGN: center" colSpan=2></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

STRANGE VEHICLES OF PRE-WAR GERMANY & THE THIRD REICH (1928-1945)

Regards
Tom

 

Thats mental,

No wonder it was never put into production.

Donnie

 

Every time I see those it takes me back to my misspent yoof...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogre_(game)

 

Thats a designer with issues about size. Completely impractical, deluded and ridiculous.

 

My wife reckons he must have had a small dick!!!



She says all men have to have something big to make up for it..


I just laughed and agreed!


she then asked me why I needed such a large engine in my BMW???

That brought me down to size

 

Don't you just love the feminine reasoning!

Regards
Tom

 

That's some behemoth. I can't imagine how practical it would be mind.

Kind of reminds of those huge sand crawlers from starwars.

 

It certainly would take some painting !


Landkreuzer P1000 Ratte

 

My wife reckons he must have had a small dick!!!



She says all men have to have something big to make up for it..


I just laughed and agreed!


she then asked me why I needed such a large engine in my BMW???

That brought me down to size

That's why my wargames armies are micro-armour, to compensate for a ... oh, never mind!

 

Need 617 Squadron to take it out.

Consudering the fuel related plight of the Wehrmacht in 1945 , do you think it was powered by several hundred men peddling like mad or wpuld it have been more of a "!Fred Flintstone type of running which would have provided the locomotion ?

To call it daft would be kind.

 

TCS -
we had enough trouble getting a captured MkV Panther over a standard bailey bridge - there was only one inch each side clearance - this one wouldn't get out the factory gates...
Cheers