The Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus (Mouse) is the largest tank design ever built. It was designed in 1942 by Ferdinand Porsche under direct order from Adolf Hitler. The Maus would have had a crew of either 5 or 6.

The tank's hull was 10.1 meters long, 3.67 meters wide and 3.66 meters tall. Weighing 188 tons, the Maus was armed with a 128mm cannon and a coaxial 75mm gun, and covered with 180-240mm of armor. Only two were produced. One was destroyed by the Germans at Kummersdorf to prevent its capture by the Soviets, and the sole surviving Maus tank is currently in the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia. Nine others were in various stages of completion when the war ended. None ever saw combat.

The principal problem with the Maus was its weight. Though the design called for a max speed of 20 km/h, no engine was found that could power the prototype to reach more than 13 km/h under ideal conditions. Another problem was river fording; the Maus could not cross any bridges because it was simply too heavy. Also during the prototype testing, it was determined that if the Maus was to ever become disabled or stuck, it would take nothing less than two other Maus tanks to tow it. Basically, the Maus was so heavy it would have been useful as little more than a slightly-mobile pill-box. However, despite its drawbacks, the Maus could potentially have been a formidable weapon in certain defensive positions where extensive movement was not required, such as along the Atlantic Wall.

A larger tank, the 1000-tonne Krupp P 1000 "Ratte", started construction but was cancelled before completion. It would have carried two 280mm guns (mounted in the same type of gun turret used in Scharnhorst and Gneisenau warships), a single 128mm gun, eight 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns and two 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 guns.

See also: List of prototype WWII combat vehicles

External links

• Achtung Panzer! http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz7.htm
• Allied Intelligence Report on Maus http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/maus/index.html