During the Second World War Germany destined a large amount of effort and resources

to develop a super-heavy combat armored vehicle. There were two tank models under
development, the Maus and the

E-100, but none of them was finally adopted for service. In June 1942 Ferdinand
Porsche approached the possibility of building a huge tank armed with a 150-
millimeter cannon in a fully rotating

turret, incorporating as well a 20 millimeters co-axial cannon. In that time,

Porsche was at the head of the German Tank Commission and hence he had a
considerable influence with Hitler, who urged

the development of super-heavy tanks. The majority of tank designers and theorists
were opposed to the employment of such tanks. When this type of project was
suggested for the first time, the

vehicle was referenced as the Mammut, project number 205. The firm Alkett started
to assemble the first tank the 1st August 1943. In mid September Krupp provided the
hull, and the new tank, known

then as Maus, made its first trial in Alkett the 23rd December 1943. The 10th
January 1944 the tank was sent to Boolingen, near Stuttgart, for extensive tests.
Apart from small problems with the

suspension, the tests had notable success.[p]

In that time Hitler gave directly to Porsche the order of having the tank ready in
June. The 9th June the turret was mounted and adjusted to the hull, and were
effectuated more tests that were

satisfactory, so in the beginning of October it was ordered to send the tank to the
Kummersdorf test fields. A second prototype, the Maus II, was sent to Kummersdorf
but it did not pass the trials.

This model had a different engine, with considerable problems. At the end of the
war nine prototypes more were in different states of production. There were plans
for 150 units to be built, but

finally these vehicles were exploded by the Germans themselves before the arrival
of the Russians. In the illustration below we can see the Maus I completed with a
KwK L/55 128-millimeter cannon

and a 20-millimeter cannon as co-axial cannon. This first version was propelled by
a gasoline engine Mercedes-Benz MB 509, which was originally an aircraft engine, an
which should allow the Maus

to reach a theoretical speed of 20 kilometers/hour in road, but in the practice it

seems that speed never exceded 13 kilometers/hour.[p]
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The cutaway illustration below corresponds to the Maus II. In this second version
the 20 millimeters co-axial cannon was replaced by an L/36 75-millimeter cannon and
the gasoline engine was

replaced by a Diesel engine MB 517 with 12 cylinders in V, which developed 1200

horsepower. The new co-axial cannon exasperated the problem of a limited ammunition
storage, which required

additional space and caused additional weight; 32 rounds were carried for the 128-
millimeter cannon and 200 rounds for the 75 millimeters co-axial cannon. It is
notable the propulsion system that

was adopted in this tank, similar to the one used in Diesel-electric locomotives.
The engine did not move directly the tank, but instead it was used the principle of
"electric transmission", where

the fuel-driven engine moved an electric generator, which in turn gave energy to
two electrical motors located in the rear of the tank, one for each track. We can
see clearly the components of this

system in the illustration.[p]

The Maus could be waterproofed and cross a riverbed 12 meters depth, taking
advantage of the propulsion system by electric motors, provided that another tank
in the shore would supply electricity

through a cable. Once the first tank passed the river, the roles could be reversed
to allow the second tank to cross the river as well. But size and weight were the
ruin of the Maus. Speed was

scarcely 13 kilometers/hour and the tracks damaged the pavement of the roads and
the vibrations cracked the crystals of the nearby houses wherever the Maus
transited. The excessive weight caused

the tank to sink in any terrain that had a minimal amount of humidity, despite
having tracks that were 110 centimeters wide, and for covering a distance of 180
kilometers, the Maus required 4200

liters of fuel, something that Germany was not in position to afford. The Maus was
considered obsolete even prior being built, for it was clear that, given its size
and its vulnerability in the

highly dynamic battlefield of the Second World War, this tank would not be adapted
to the combat.[p]
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[b]Specifications for Maus I[/span][p]
[box]
Crew: 6[p]
Armament: One KwK L/55 128-millimeter cannon; one 20 millimeters co-axial cannon[p]
Armor: 250 millimeters in cannon mantlet, 210 millimeters in turret front behind
the mantlet, 240 millimeters in turret front, 220 millimeters in turret sides and
rear, 200 millimeters in hull

front, 190 millimeters in hull sides and rear[p]

Length (total): 10.1 meters[p]
Width: 3.67 meters[p]
Height: 3.63 meters[p]
Weight: 188 tonnes[p]
Ground pressure: 1.45 kilograms/square centimeter[p]
Power/weight relation: 5.84 horsepower per tonne[p]
Engine: Daimler-Benz MB 509 water-cooled gasoline engine with 12 cylinders in V,
developing 1080 horsepower at 2400 revolutions per minute[p]
Maximum speed (in road): 20 kilometers/hour[p]
Operational range: 186 kilometers[p]
Fuel load: 2700 liters plus 1500 liters in external bidons[p]
Maximum surmountable step: 0.72 meters[p]
Maximum surmountable trench: 4.5 meters[p]
Maximum slope: 30 degrees[p]
[/div][p]