Kampfpanzer Maus: The Porsche Type 205 Super-Heavy Tank
In 1944 the Kampfpanzer Maus, weighing almost 190 tons, was supposed to help turn the Wehrmacht’s fortunes of war on the Eastern Front.
Only two prototypes of this monster were delivered, as its undeniable advantages—tremendous firepower and virtually impenetrable armour—were outweighed by the disadvantages of its lack of speed, excessive use of materials in construction, and fuel consumption so high that it was, by that time, far beyond the Germans’ ability to supply.
In this book, Michael Fröhlich continues the legendary Spielberger series and delves into one of Germany’s most curious military vehicles – the Maus super-heavy tank. For the first time, this book tells the complete story of this vehicle, including its inner workings, accompanied by many previously unpublished illustrations.
But that is not all: the book includes another novelty, the complete operating instructions for the tank’s crew!
Book Data
Authors: Michael Fröhlich
ISBN: 9780764350788
Pages: 240
Photos: 328 colour & black & white photos & drawings
Language: English (US)
Physical: Hardcover, portrait
Contents
- Foreword
- Introduction – The Big Tank until 1945
- Development of the Type 205 – From Little Mouse to Mouse
- The Concept of a Super-Heavy Tank
- New Requirements Delay the Project
- Production of the Mice
- Construction under Adverse Conditions
- Cancellation of Series Production
- Maus 205/1 – The Turretless One
- Initial Tests
- Transport to Böblingen
- Installation Work and Further Testing
- Maus 205/2 – The Complete One
- Assembly at Böblingen
- Test Drives by 205/2
- The Mice Are Blown Up
- Maus 205/3-7 – The Uncompleted Ones
- Maus 205/1+2 – The Russian One
- Assembly and Removal of Maus 205/1+2
- NIT Proving Grounds Repor
- Indoors in the Museum
- The Design and Testing Team
- Technology in Detail
- The Porsche Company’s Wooden Model
- The MB 509 Gasoline Engine and the Cooling System
- The MB 517 Diesel Engine
- The Drive
- Other Tank Components
- On the Trail of the Maus
- Appendix
- Preliminary Remarks
- Description and Instruction Manual
- Maus Turret Equipment and Operating Instructions.
- Maus Development Timeline
- Bibliography
- Photo Credits