The Panzer VIII Maus - The Tracked Monster

The super-heavy Panzer VIII Maus tank is a true superlative. Weighing some 188 tonnes, with its 12.8 cm gun supported by a 7.5 cm piece, an engine producing over 1,000 horsepower, and protection reaching 200 mm at the front of the hull and 220 mm at the front of the turret, the behemoth designed by Ferdinand Porsche pushed the concept of heavy armor to the extreme.

From the front, its armor protected it from the vast majority of enemy anti-tank weapons, while its 12.8 cm gun posed a threat to even the best-protected enemy tanks, including the powerful Soviet IS-2.

And yet, Hitler wanted to go even further! Alongside the 12.8 cm gun that was ultimately selected, he ordered that a turret armed with a 15 cm gun also be developed. The Maus design thus provided for the possibility of replacing the 12.8 cm with a 15 cm KwK L/38, still paired with the 7.5 cm secondary gun. The project went far enough that two 15 cm barrels were completed before production was canceled in June 1944.

With this 15 cm gun featuring a 5.70-metre-long barrel, the “mouse” could have done a hell of a lot of damage!

Author: Laurent TIRONE / Photo credits: BTM and BKP