Hitler hoped to win in World War II through the use of various units of military equipment, which would stand out for their size, firepower and were immune to enemy shells. 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 too overestimated - armored vehicles did not turn the tide of the war and did not bring the victory of fascist Germany, because they did not even participate in the battles. Information on the history of the creation, design and performance characteristics of the Maus tank is contained in the article.
Acquaintance
Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus ("Mouse") is an extra-heavy tank created by the designers of the Third Reich. He supervised the design work of Ferdinand Porsche. According to experts, the German Maus tank is the largest instance in terms of its combat mass. It was developed during 1942-1945.
How it all began?
According to historians, Hitler preferred large-sized military equipment. Therefore, it is understandable that at the end of 1941 he had the idea to create an extra-heavy tank, which in such parameters as protection and firepower, was supposed to be several times greater than the rest of the military units that are armed with the Wehrmacht.
In July 1942, a meeting was convened at which the Nazi military command considered questions about the further development of the tank forces. To break the line of defense at the front, according to the Fuhrer, it was possible only with the use of very large and powerful tanks. In addition, such combat units must have the highest possible level of armored defense.
About Designing a Breakthrough Tank
Work on the creation of a combat vehicle was carried out by several companies. The Krupp company took over the production of the hull and turret, the Daimler-Benz propulsion system, and Siemens employees were engaged in the elements of the chassis. General assembly was carried out on the territory of the plant, which was owned by Alkett.
Since the tank was planned to break through well-fortified places, in its design a lot of attention was paid to the frontal and side armor. According to experts of the Wehrmacht, the optimal thickness of the frontal part should be 20 cm, and on the sides - 18 cm. 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 wooden model of the tank. According to historians, Hitler was inspired by Hitler. In April, a full-size wooden model of the Maus was made, which was also approved by the Fuhrer. They began to assemble the “Little Mouse” in August of that 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 amounted to 1 thousand horsepower. Testing of the Maus tank took place in December 1943. The combat vehicle arrived at the firing range on its own. However, by that time the design work on the manufacture of the tower had not been completed, so the cargo was installed in its place.
The machine weighed 180 tons. Since no bridge could withstand such a mass, the creators decided that the tank would overcome water obstacles along the bottom. On a flat surface, the vehicle moved at a speed of not 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 - the V2 Maus. In contrast to the previous prototype, the second version used the reinforced suspension manufactured by Skoda, for which dual road wheels were provided. In addition, the combat vehicle contained an air conditioning system, a new engine and a real tower, rather than a fake. Tank Maus V II was tested in the city of Beblingen. Armored vehicles had excellent controllability and maneuverability, which was demonstrated in overcoming water barriers and slopes with steepness above 40 degrees.
About an alternative
Krupp has taken the initiative to create an extra-heavy tank for the third project. In the technical documentation, the combat vehicle is listed as a 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 chassis of the Tiger Mouse is not closed by the body. The sides are protected by removable massive screens. The weight of the Maus tank was 150 tons. The armored vehicles were equipped with a forced engine with a capacity of not more than 1000 hp. On a flat surface, Maus-Tiger developed a speed 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 military vehicles assembled under this project, according to German military experts, would cost Germany too much. In addition, the situation at the front sharply worsened, 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 - to stop work on the project of the third alternative superheavy tank Maus. Fighting vehicles designed by Porsche gunsmiths, according to A. Hitler, were more promising.
About armor protection
Since the superheavy tank was created to perform specific tasks, a rather unusual layout was provided for it. The tower was moved back, and the building consisted of four compartments. A tank with weakly differentiated armor. The thickness of the frontal armor, inclined at an angle of 55 degrees, was 20 cm, and the side armor was 18 cm. Since the latter was not tilted, its level of protection was reduced. The chassis 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 of the bottom was 10.5 cm, the rear - 5.5 cm. Weighed the "Mouse" up to 188 tons. The crew consisted of six people. A photo of the Maus tank is presented in the article.
Housing device
The German superheavy tank had a welded hull. The connection of steel sheets was carried out using rectangular studs with pins of a cylindrical shape, which provided greater strength of the fasteners. Inside the case there were special partitions.
The tank consisted of four sections: management, engine, combat and transmission. The first was the driver and radio operator. The department was equipped with various management 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 management compartment through the emergency hatch below. Fuel tanks were placed in this compartment. Their capacity was 1560 liters.
The engine housed an engine, radiators, an oil tank and a cooling system. The center of the corps became a place for the fighting compartment. Here placed shells in the amount of 36 pieces and a mechanism that charges the batteries and power the tower drive. The fighting compartment was equipped with a gearbox and a generator unit. Transmission with electric motors and gears located at the stern of the tank.
About tower design
This element of the tank was connected to the tower shoulder strap by welding. A two-speed electromechanical rotation drive with manual duplication was provided for the tower. Inside it could be four people. The inner part was equipped with a periscope sight, racks on which the ammunition was placed, a compressor, the task of which was to blow through the barrel of the main tank gun. German designers were going to equip the tank with a stereoscopic rangefinder. They planned to install it on the roof of the tower.
About engines
The German gunsmiths installed a combined power plant on an extra-heavy tank. Traction motors were powered by an electric generator. The petrol power unit DB-603A2, manufactured by Daimler-Benz, had a capacity of 1080 horsepower and a displacement of 44.5 liters. The power of electric reversible engines was 544 liters each. with. When the power changed, a smooth change in speed occurred, so it was convenient to control the "Mouse" when cornering and braking in various modes.
About the running gear
During the testing of a super-heavy combat vehicle, German designers realized that it was not practical to use a torsion bar suspension. She was not able to withstand too much tank weight. To create a two-row chassis, the designers decided to use the same trolley in the amount of 24 pieces. They were paired with one bracket, which was fixed between the bulwark and the side of the combat vehicle.
The cushioning elements in the undercarriage became several buffer springs. Each trolley was equipped with two track rollers with internal cushioning. 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 is in front. It was equipped with a special mechanism responsible for the tension of the tracks.
About weapons
The superheavy tank was equipped with two twin cannons, the calibers of which were 15 and 128 mm. The first gun was designed for 200 rounds, the second - 68. The function of the additional weapons was performed by two 7.92-mm machine guns. Their ammunition amounted to 1 thousand rounds. In addition, German designers planned to equip the tank with an anti-aircraft gun, the caliber of which would vary from 15 to 20 mm.
