Панцеркампфваген VIII "Маус" (Маус - "Мышь") был сверхтяжелым танком, разработанным в Третьем рейхе с 1942 по 1945 годы под руководством Фердинанда Порше. Узнайте историю создания и особенности этого танка, который стал символом немецкой технической мощи.
Cодержание
Панцеркампфваген VIII "Маус" (Маус - "Мышь", также известный как Порше Тип 205 или Pzkpfw.VIII Маус) был сверхтяжелым танком, спроектированным в Третьем рейхе с 1942 по 1945 годы под руководством Фердинанда Порше. Этот танк является самым тяжелым танком, когда-либо построенным, с боевым весом 188,9 тонны. Было построено всего два экземпляра Мауса, и они не участвовали в боевых действиях. В настоящее время в мире сохранился только один танк "Маус", собранный из частей обоих прототипов, и он находится в Техническом центре в парке "Патриот".
История создания
В конце 1942 года по инициативе Гитлера начались работы над "танком прорыва" с максимально возможной бронезащитой. В создании машины принимали участие несколько фирм: корпус и башню изготавливала фирма "Крупп", "Даймлер-Бенц" отвечала за двигательную установку, а "Сименс" - за элементы трансмиссии. Общая сборка велась на заводе фирмы "Алкетт". Проект "тип 205", разработанный Фердинандом Порше, был частично реализован в 1944 году в виде двух опытных образцов танка "Маус".
23 декабря 1943 года Pz.Kpfw Маус отправился в первый испытательный пробег по территории завода Алкетт. Первый пробег был нелегальным, так как на него не было получено разрешение. Однако, танк легко справился с маневрированием по территории завода, несмотря на обломки после бомбардировки. Испытания показали, что управление танком было относительно легким.
Дальнейшие работы по выпуску десяти серийных танков были прекращены по указанию Гитлера из-за нехватки производственных мощностей для более важных видов оружия. Тем не менее, было изготовлено два опытных образца, которые были отправлены на металлолом. Второй прототип продолжал проходить испытания и модернизацию в 1944 году.
Характеристики
Танк Маус был самым тяжелым танком на момент своего существования. Его боевой вес составлял 188,9 тонны. Он был оснащен мощным вооружением, включая 128-мм пушку и несколько пулеметов. Максимальная скорость танка составляла всего 20 км/ч из-за его огромной массы. Конструкция танка предусматривала толстую броню и высокий уровень защиты.
См. также
Наследие
Танк Маус стал символом немецкой технической мощи и амбиций во время Второй мировой войны. Несмотря на то, что он не участвовал в боевых действиях, его внушительные размеры и вес привлекают внимание и вызывают удивление и по сегодняшний день. Единственный сохранившийся экземпляр танка "Маус" является важным историческим артефактом, демонстрирующим технические возможности и конструктивные достижения Третьего рейха.
Что нам скажет Википедия?
Panzerkampfwagen VIII «Maus» (Maus - "Мышь", also known as Porsche Typ 205 or Pzkpfw.VIII Maus) was a super heavy tank designed in the Third Reich from 1942 to 1945 under the leadership of Ferdinand Porsche. It is the heaviest tank ever built, with a combat weight of 188.9 tons. Only two Maus tanks were ever constructed, and they did not see any combat. Today, only one Maus tank remains in the world, assembled from parts of both prototypes, located in the Technical Center at Patriot Park.
History of Development
In his book "Memories of a Soldier," Heinz Guderian wrote:
At the end of 1942, at Hitler's initiative, work began on a "breakthrough tank" with maximum armor protection. Several companies were involved in the development of the tank: the hull and turret were manufactured by Krupp, Daimler-Benz was responsible for the powertrain, and Siemens for the transmission components. The final assembly took place at the Alkett factory. The "Type 205" project, designed by Ferdinand Porsche, was partially realized in 1944 in the form of two experimental Maus tanks.
On December 23, 1943, the Pz.Kpfw Maus embarked on its first unauthorized test run on the grounds of the Alkett factory. The test run proved to be a challenge due to the debris left from the bombing a month prior. However, the tank easily maneuvered through narrow passages between piles of rubble, dispelling concerns about its agility. The tank's handling was noted to be relatively easy during the trials.
Further work on producing ten serial tanks was halted by Hitler himself due to Germany's lack of production capacity for other, more critical types of weaponry.
A life-size wooden mock-up of the tank was presented to Hitler on May 14, 1943, and the first Maus prototype underwent mobility trials in December 1943. After satisfactory results, the tank was equipped with a functioning artillery turret and full interior fittings.
The second prototype was laid down in March 1944 and, by mid-year, it was outfitted with a turret and powerplant. Four additional hulls were ordered for production in 1944. However, in July of the same year, the production of all prototypes was halted, and the completed tanks were sent for scrap. The second prototype continued to undergo trials, upgrades, and development throughout 1944. It was equipped with a Daimler-Benz MB 517 diesel engine, which proved to be temperamental and unreliable in operation.
The weight of 188.9 tons prevented the Maus from crossing rivers using road bridges. Hence, the tanks were intended to be transported in pairs underwater, with one Maus providing control and electrical power to the other Maus.
The tanks were never tested in combat. In April 1945, as the Red Army approached the proving ground, the decision was made by the Germans to destroy the prototypes due to the impossibility of evacuating them. Both tanks were blown up, but only one suffered significant damage. Later, at the behest of the commander of armored and mechanized forces, a single tank was assembled from the parts of both damaged tanks. On May 4, 1946, it was delivered to the proving ground in Kubinka. After the trials, the powerplant and all interior fittings were removed. The tank remained in the Military-Historical Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka for a long time, but since 2017, it has been on display at the Patriot Park Technical Center.
Design Description
The crew of the Maus consisted of six people. The driver and radio operator seats were located in the control compartment between two main fuel tanks, each with a capacity of 1590 liters. Behind them, in the engine compartment, water and oil radiators were placed along the sides, and in the center was the engine. Each road wheel was equipped with its own electric motor.
Initially, a diesel engine was planned for the tank as it was significantly more fuel-efficient than a carburetor engine, which meant it did not require additional fuel tanks. In addition, diesel fuel was more accessible and cheaper than gasoline. However, diesel engines were not as frost-resistant, which was crucial on the Eastern Front. Nevertheless, Speer asked Porsche to use the serial aviation carburetor engine, Daimler-Benz MB 509, on the tank since using an existing engine would save time required for creating a new powerplant. Behind the engine, further toward the rear, there was a generator, with ammunition storage compartments on both sides. In the compartment on the front right side of the generator, there was an auxiliary engine with battery packs at its rear. The motors for the electric drive were located in the rear of the hull, also in compartments. The transmission was situated in the deep part of the hull between the electric motors, behind the generator.
A turret was located above the fighting compartment of the hull and housed the tank commander, gunnery commander, and two loaders.
The Maus tank was built with a high level of technology. The use of a multi-roller suspension system and 1100 mm wide tracks provided the Maus with relatively low ground pressure, slightly higher than that of ordinary German heavy tanks. Its main feature was its powerful all-around armor and dual-armed weaponry, as well as the use of an electromechanical transmission, which consisted of two electric drives for the left and right tracks. The traction motors were powered by current from two generators located in the engine compartment. Two independent electrical systems transferred torque from the engines to the drive wheels through a two-stage reducer.
In Popular Culture
In Video Games
The Maus tank appears in several tank simulators and strategy games.
In Anime
The Maus tank is present in the anime "Girls und Panzer" as one of the tanks of the "Black Forest" team in the final battle.
