maus

what is it?

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.