German tank Panzer VIII Maus COBI 2559 - World War II

Did you know that:

• F. Porsche submitted the first plans for a superheavy tank with the original name Mammut as early as 1942.
• Before the end of the war, 8 tanks were set up, one of which was completely completed and able to perform army tests.
• A total of 200 pieces should to be produced in two series, but in October 1943 A. Hitler personally canceled the order and ordered the completion of only prototypes under construction.
• Even the most powerful engine available in Germany was not able to move a 188-ton tank at the originally planned speed of 20 km / h.
• Due to the extreme weight of the tank, there was no bridge in Germany at the end of the war that the machine could carry.
• Maus was theoretically capable of deep wading (up to 13 meters), but such an action was extremely risky, as it threatened to get stuck in the mud or have problems with the remote power cord.
• A special railway wagon with a sufficient loading area width and load capacity had to be constructed for the eventual transport of the tank.
• The Mause gearbox was manufactured in Škoda Plzeň.
• The two completed pieces were never fired at the enemy. One prototype was destroyed by the Germans in Kummersdorf, so as not to fall into the hands of the enemy, and the other was damaged during transport to positions in the defense of Berlin.
• The tank captured by the Red Army was taken to the Soviet Union, where it is still on display in the military museum.
• After defeet of Berlin, construction plans were discovered for an even heavier Mauerbracher tank, which, according to available information, was never built. Legend says, that one piece was built and deployed in April 1945 during the defense of Berlin, where it fell into a subway tunnel, where it was later hit by a drilling rig and the subway route had to be diverted.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 10.9 m, width 3.76 m, height 3.66 m
• weight 188 800 kg
• armor front 240 mm, side and rear 60 mm
• power unit marine diesel engine Daimler-Benz MB517 44.5 l 12 cylinders with an output of 895 kW with transmission to electric drive
• maximum speed 13 km / h
• volume of internal fuel tank 1500 l + 700 l external tank
• fuel consumption 940 l / 100 km
• range 160 km by road and 60 km in terrain
• main weapon cannon KwK44 L / 55 caliber 128 mm
• secondary weapon cannon KwK 44 L / 36.5 caliber 75 mm
• crew of 6 people