maus

The Panzer VIII Maus!

The Panzer VIII Maus was a German super-heavy tank designed during World War II. It is considered to be one of the largest and heaviest tanks ever built. Here are some fascinating facts about this colossus:

Design and development

• Designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Krupp in 1944
• Only two prototypes were completed before the project was cancelled
• The Maus was intended to be a heavily armored mobile fortress

Specs

• Weight: approximately 188 metric tons (207 US tons)
• Length: 10.1 metres (33.1 feet)
• Width: 3.7 metres (12.1 feet)
• Height: 3.6 metres (11.8 feet)
• Crew: 6 (commander, gunner, loader, driver and two machine gunners)

Armament

• Main armament: 12.8 cm (5-inch) KwK 44 L/55 gun
• Secondary armament: 7.5 cm (3 in) KwK 37 L/24 gun, 7.92 mm (0.31 in) MG 34 machine gun

Armor

• Maximum armor thickness: 240 mm (9.4 in)
• Slanted and curved shield design for better protection

Powertrain

• Engine: Daimler-Benz DB 603 A2 V-12 gasoline engine with 1,080 horsepower (805 kW)
• Maximum speed: approximately 22 km/h (14 mph)

Service History

• The Maus never entered mass production or saw combat due to the Allied bombing campaign and the cancellation of the project in 1944.
• A prototype was captured by the Soviets and is now on display at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia.