To win the Second World War, Hitler counted on the use of various pieces of military equipment that would stand out for their size, firepower and were invulnerable to enemy projectiles. One of these samples was the Maus tank.
With thick armor, a large-caliber gun and an original design, this creation of German weapons designers was overestimated - armored vehicles did not turn the tide of the war and did not bring victory to Nazi Germany, because they did not even participate in battles. Information about the history of creation, design and performance characteristics of the Maus tank is contained in the article.
Introduction
Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus ("Mouse") is a super-heavy tank created by the designers of the Third Reich. Ferdinand Porsche supervised the design work. According to experts, the German Maus tank is the largest specimen in terms of its combat weight. Developed during 1942-1945
How did it all start?
According to historians, Hitler preferred large-sized military equipment. Therefore, it is quite understandable that in the endIn 1941, he had the idea to create a super-heavy tank, which, in terms of such parameters as protection and firepower, was supposed to surpass the rest of the combat units in service with the Wehrmacht at times.
In July 1942, a meeting was held at which the Nazi military command considered questions about the further development of tank forces. Breaking through the line of defense at the front, according to the Fuhrer, was possible only with the use of very large and powerful tanks. In addition, such units should have the highest possible level of armor protection.
About the design of the "breakthrough tank"
Work on the creation of a combat vehicle was carried out by several companies. Krupp took over the manufacture of the hull and turret, Daimler-Benz, the propulsion system, and Siemens employees were engaged in the chassis elements. The general assembly was carried out on the territory of the plant owned by Alkett.
Since it was planned to break through well-fortified places with the tank, much attention was paid to frontal and side armor in its design. According to Wehrmacht experts, the optimal thickness of the frontal part should be 20 cm, and on the sides - 18 cm each. Several variants of the main gun were considered, the caliber of which could vary from 128 to 150 mm.
First result
In January 1943, the Fuhrer was shown a model of a tank made of wood. According to historians, Hitler was inspired by him. In April there wasa full-size wooden model of the Maus tank was made, which was also approved by the Fuhrer. Collect "Mouse" began in August of the same year. In December, the first prototype of the Maus heavy tank was ready.
In military equipment, an aircraft engine was used, the power of which was 1 thousand horsepower. Testing of the Maus tank took place in December 1943. The combat vehicle arrived at the training ground under its own power. However, by that time, the design work on the manufacture of the tower had not been completed, so a load was installed in its place.
The car weighed 180 tons. Since no bridge can withstand such a mass, the creators decided that the tank would overcome water barriers along the bottom. On a flat surface, the equipment moved at a speed of no more than 13 km / h. In addition, it was equipped with weak suspensions. The project was unsuccessful and was soon closed.
About the second prototype
In 1944, German gunsmiths created a more advanced version - V2 Maus. Unlike the previous prototype, the second version used a reinforced suspension manufactured by Škoda, for which double road wheels were provided. In addition, the combat vehicle contained an air conditioning system, a new engine and a real turret, not a dummy. Tank Maus V II was tested in the city of Böblingen. Armored vehicles had excellent controllability and maneuverability, which was demonstrated in the course of overcoming water obstacles and slopes with a steepness of over 40 degrees.
About the alternative
Krupp has taken the initiative to create a super-heavy tank for the third project. In the technical documentation, the combat vehicle is listed as the Tiger-Maus tank. This name is due to the fact that in this armored vehicle, German designers made the most of the elements borrowed from the Tiger tank.
Unlike previous projects, the running gear of the "Tiger-mouse" is not covered by the hull. The sides are protected by removable massive screens. The weight of the Maus tank was 150 tons. Armored vehicles were equipped with an uprated engine with a power of no more than 1000 hp. On a flat surface, the Maus-Tiger reached speeds of up to 20 km / h. After design improvements, the main task of which was to strengthen the armor, the mass of the tank was increased to 188 tons.
Nevertheless, the production of combat vehicles assembled under this project, according to German military experts, would cost Germany too much. In addition, the situation at the front escalated sharply, and Hitler did not have time to wait for the “miracle tank”. After consultations with the command of the ground forces of the Wehrmacht, the Fuhrer decided that work on the project of the third alternative super-heavy Maus tank should be stopped. Combat vehicles designed by Porsche gunsmiths, according to A. Hitler, were more promising.
About armor protection
Since the super-heavy tank was created to perform specific tasks, a rather unusual layout was provided for it. The tower was moved back, and the corps consisted of four compartments. Tank with poorly differentiated armor. The thickness of the frontal armor, inclined at an angle of 55 degrees,was 20 cm, onboard - 18 cm. Since the slope was not provided for the latter, the level of its protection was reduced. The undercarriage on both sides was covered with special removable 10-centimeter screens. The tank was equipped with a rear 160-mm armor plate, located at an angle of 35 degrees. The front part of the bottom was 10.5 cm, the rear - 5.5 cm. The Mouse weighed up to 188 tons. The crew consisted of six people. A photo of the Maus tank is presented in the article.
Case device
The German super-heavy tank had a welded hull. The connection of steel sheets was carried out using rectangular spikes with cylindrical pins, which ensured greater strength of the fasteners. Inside the case there were special partitions.
The tank consisted of four departments: management, engine, combat and transmission. The first housed the driver and radio operator. The department was equipped with various control equipment and fire extinguishers. The upper part of the hull became a place for a special hatch equipped with a periscope. The hatch was protected by an armored cover. It was also possible to leave the tank from the control compartment through the emergency hatch below. Fuel tanks were placed in this compartment. Their capacity was 1560 liters.
The engine room housed the engine, radiators, oil tank and cooling system. The center of the corps became the place for the fighting compartment. Here they placed shells in the amount of 36 pieces and a mechanism that charges the batteries and powers the turret drive. fighting compartmentequipped with a gearbox and a generator unit. Transmission with electric motors and gearboxes located at the stern of the tank.
About the structure of the tower
This element of the tank was connected to the turret by welding. A two-speed electromechanical rotation drive with manual override was provided for the tower. Four people could be inside it. The interior was equipped with a periscope sight, racks on which ammunition was placed, and a compressor whose task was to blow through the barrel of the main tank gun. German designers were going to equip the tank with a stereoscopic rangefinder. It was planned to install it on the roof of the tower.
About engines
The German gunsmiths installed a combined power plant on a super-heavy tank. Traction motors were powered by an electric generator. The DB-603A2 gasoline power unit, manufactured by Daimler-Benz, had a capacity of 1080 horsepower and a displacement of 44.5 liters. The power of the electric reversible motors was 544 hp each. with. When changing the power, there was a smooth change in speed, making it convenient to control the "Mouse" when turning and braking in various modes.
About chassis
During the testing of a super-heavy combat vehicle, German designers realized that it was not advisable to use a torsion bar suspension. She was not able to withstand too much weight of the tank. To create a two-row undercarriage, the designers decided to use the same bogies in the amount of 24 pieces. They were paired withwith one bracket, which was fixed between the bulwark and the side of the combat vehicle.
Several buffer springs have become shock-absorbing elements in the running gear. Each bogie was equipped with two road wheels with internal shock absorption. Thanks to this design, the undercarriage was maintainable, but had a lot of weight. Several times, German engineers experimented with lightweight rollers, but soon they were forced to abandon this idea. The drive wheel is located behind the chassis, and the guide wheel is in front. It was equipped with a special mechanism responsible for the tension of the tracks.
About weapons
The super-heavy tank was equipped with two twin guns, the calibers of which were 15 and 128 mm. The first gun was designed for 200 shots, the second - for 68. The function of additional weapons was performed by two 7.92-millimeter machine guns. Their ammunition load was 1 thousand rounds. In addition, the German designers planned to equip the tank with an anti-aircraft gun, the caliber of which would vary from 15 to 20 mm.
In closing
According to experts, the use of super-heavy tanks could only theoretically lead Germany to victory. Despite the fact that these war machines were with impressive armor, it would not be enough, given the total mass of the Mouse. In addition, sloping angles, according to experts, were chosen irrationally.
The use of powerful weapons led to an excess of the total weight of armored vehicles, which, due to their huge size and lowmobility would be a convenient target for the enemy. Too much weight would cause a lot of trouble when transporting and crossing bridges.
At the end of 1944, Germany's production capacity and raw materials left much to be desired. The country's industry was no longer able to produce the main types of weapons. Soon, all planned work on the manufacture of the "Mouse" was stopped, and the finished units were cut into scrap metal. In real combat conditions, this armored vehicle was never tested.
Today you can fight "Mouse" in the virtual world, namely in the game World of Tanks (WoT). Tank Maus, according to many gamers, has decent armor and the largest margin of safety. Thanks to the impressive ammunition load and excellent stabilization of the gun, after upgrading this armored vehicle, it will not be difficult to inflict serious one-time damage on the enemy.
