The FReeper Foxhole's TreadHead Tuesday - The German Super Heavies - July 12th, 2005

www.achtungpanzer.com ^

[SAMWolf]

Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe (Lion)

The development of super heavy tank started as early as 1941, when Krupp started the studies of superheavy Soviet tanks. In November of 1941, it was specified that the new heavy tank was to have 140mm front and 100mm thick side armor. The vehicle was to be operated by 5 men crew - 3 in the turret and 2 in the hull. This new panzer was to have maximum speed of some 44km/h being powered by 1000hp Daimler-Benz marine engine used in Schnellboot (torpedo boat). The main armament was to be mounted in the turret. The weight was to be up 90 tons. In the early months of 1942, Krupp was ordered to start the process of designing new heavy tank designated PzKpfw VII Löwe (VK7201). Its design was based on previous project by Krupp designated VK7001 (Tiger-Maus) and created in competition with Porsche's designs (including first Maus designs).VK7001 was to be armed with either 150mm Kanone L/37 (or L/40) or 105mm KwK L/70 gun. Lowe was to utilize Tiger II's components in order to simplify the production and service.


PzKpfw VII (schwere) Löwe

Designers planned to build two variants of this streamlined vehicle with rear mounted turret. Light (leichte) variant would have frontal armor protection of 100mm and it would weight 76 tons. Heavy (schwere) variant would have frontal armor protection of 120mm and it would weight 90 tons. Both variants would be armed with 105mm L/70 gun and coaxial machine gun.It is known that 90ton schwere Löwe was to have its turret mounted centrally and in overall design resembled future Tiger II.Variants of Löwe were both to be operated by the crew of five. It was calculated that their maximum speed would range from 23km/h (schwere) to 27km/h (leichte).

Adolf Hitler ordered that the design Leichte Löwe was to be dropped in favour of Schwere Löwe. Lion was to be redesigned in order to carry 150mm L/40 or 150mm L/37 (probably 150mm KwK 44 L/38) gun and its frontal armor protection was to be changed to 140mm. In order to improve its performance, 900-1000mm wide tracks were to be used and top speed was to be increased to 30km/h.



In late 1942, this project was cancelled in favour of the development of the Maus. During the development of Tiger II, designers planned to build redesigned version of Löwe (as suggested by Oberst Fichtner), which would be armed with 88mm KwK L/71 gun and its frontal armor protection would be 140mm (as planned before). Redesigned Löwe would be able to travel at maximum speed of 35km/h and it would weight 90 tons. It was to be powered by Maybach HL 230 P 30, 12-cylinder engine producing 800hp. Löwe would be 7.74 meters long (with the gun), 3.83 meters wide and 3.08 meters high. Löwe would be operated by the crew of five. It was planned that Löwe would eventually replace Tiger II.

From February to May of 1942, six different designs were considered, all based on the requirements for Löwe. On March 5/6th of 1942, order for heavier tank was placed and project Löwe was stopped in July of 1942. Löwe project never reached the prototype stage but it paved the way for its successor's development - Porsche's Maus.

[SAMWolf]

E-100 "Tiger-Maus"

Background



The E-100 was the heaviest vehicle in the Entwicklungsfahrzeug series. Prior to the design being proposed, Krupps suggestion for a Panzerkampfwagen "Löwe" (with a weihgt on about 70-90 t.) had been turned down. Krupp became aware of Porsches design for the Panzerlampfwagen "Maus" (at that time known as the Typ 205), as they were contracted to deliver the turret to the vehicle.

Technical History

In 1942-11, Krupp suggested a 155 t. Panzer (as oposed to the 188 t. of the Maus), with the same turret as the Maus. Later, on 1942-12-18, Krupp sugested another vehicle. This used many of the same components as the Tiger, as well as the turret of the Maus - hence, Tiger-Maus. This vehicle was, however, 25 tons lighter; 130 t. This was done by using thinner armour, narrowing the vehicle, as well as shortening the entire vehicle with 88 cm.


Hull of the E 100

Despite the vehicles advantages to the Maus, which can be seen by comparing the Maus technical data table to that of the E-100, Hitler decided to go ahead with the Maus on 1943-01-03. There is no apparent explanation to this, but possibly, Hitler did not like that Krupp designed a vehicle by themselves when another company already had the contract. Although Hitler favoured the Maus, Oberbaurat Kniepkamp obtained permission from Waffenprüfung 6 to go ahead with the Tiger-Maus, under the name of E-100, as a part of the Entwicklungfahrzuege series. It is at this occation that the name changes from Panzerkampfwagen Tiger-Maus to E-100. There were some modifications to the original design, such as mounting a double external coil spring suspension. The Maus turret was still to be used.

The company Adler was chosen to design the vehicle - a company with no experience what-so-ever in the field of heavy vehicles. Their work began by the end of 1943-06, and they did not comple the hull until 1944-05. By then, however, the Maus series had been cancelled, and there were no turret to be fitted on the hull. Therefore, it was left at the factory near Paderborn, where it was found in 1945-03.

Conclusion


The partly-built E-100, being inspected by US soldiers at the factory

The E-100 was one of the heaviest vehicles to be initiated. The vehcile itself did have more potential than the Maus, but on the other hand, the time, effort and especially raw materials and money used on both vehicles had been much better spend elsewhere. The heavy armour would have protected it very well against enemy ground attacks, but the 40-60 mm. armour on the top would still have been vulnerable to Alied rockets - one place where the Maus was better than the E-100.

Additional Sources:

www.panzerworld.net
www.wargamer.com
www.lonesentry.com
www.kubinka-tank-inform.ru
karbine.xoopiter.com

[SAMWolf]

Specifications for PZ VIII Maus

Weight:	188000kg
Crew:	6 men
Engine:	Daimler-Benz MB 509 / 12-cylinder / 1080hp (V1) Daimler-Benz MB 517 Diesel / 12-cylinder / 1200hp (V2)
Fuel Capacity:	2650-2700 liters + 1500 liters in reserve tank
Speed:	13-20km/h
Range:	Road: 160-190km Cross-Country: 62km
Length:	10.09m
Width:	3.67m
Height:	3.63m
Armament:	128mm KwK 44 L/55 & 75mm KwK 44 L/36.5 1 x 7.92mm MG34
Ammo:	128mm - 55-68 rounds 75mm - 200 rounds
Armor (mm/angle):	Turret Roof: 60/90 Gun Mantlet: 250/round Front Turret: 220-240/round Superstructure Roof: 50-100/9 Front Glacis Plate: 200/55 Hull Front: 200/35 Belly Plate Fore: 100/90 Side Turret: 200/30 Hull Side Upper: 180/0 Hull Side Lower: 100+80/0 Rear Turret: 200/15 Hull Rear Upper: 150/37 Hull Rear Lower: 150/30 Belly Plate Aft: 50/90

Specifications for E-100

Weight:	137790kg
Crew:	5-6 men
Engine:	Maybach HL 230 P30 / 12-cylinder / 700hp (prototype) Maybach HL 234 / 12-cylinder / 800hp (production)
Speed:	38-40km/h
Range:	Road: 120km
Length:	10.27m (with the gun) 8.70m (w/o the gun)
Width:	4.48m
Height:	3.32m (battle tracks) 3.29m (transport tracks)
Armament:	128mm KwK 44 L/55 & coaxial 75mm KwK 44 L/36.5 1 x 7.92mm MG34 (planned) 150mm KwK 44 L/38 & coaxial 75mm KwK 44 L/36.5 1 x 7.92mm MG34 (prototype) 170mm KwK 44 & coaxial 75mm KwK 44 L/36.5 1/2 x 7.92mm MG34/42 (production)
Armor (mm/angle):	Front Turret: 240/round Front Hull: 150/40 Front Superstructure: 200/60 Side Turret: 200/30 Side Hull: 120/0 Side Superstructure: 60+120/20&0 Rear Turret: 200/7 Rear Hull: 150/30 Rear Superstructure: 150/30 Turret Top / Bottom: 40/90 Hull Top / Bottom: 80/90 SuperstructureTop / Bottom: 40/90 Gun Mantlet: 240/Saukopfblende

[SAMWolf]

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Veterans for Constitution Restoration is a non-profit, non-partisan educational and grassroots activist organization. The primary area of concern to all VetsCoR members is that our national and local educational systems fall short in teaching students and all American citizens the history and underlying principles on which our Constitutional republic-based system of self-government was founded. VetsCoR members are also very concerned that the Federal government long ago over-stepped its limited authority as clearly specified in the United States Constitution, as well as the Founding Fathers' supporting letters, essays, and other public documents.

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UPDATED THROUGH APRIL 2004



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[snippy_about_it]

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[snippy_about_it]

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************Snippy, I bequeath to you the FR TH PL.

148 posted on 08/24/2004 11:39:45 AM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4 (I've lost turret power; I have my nods and my .50. Hooah. I will stay until relieved. White 2 out.)

Good morning treadheads, fall in. :-)

[AZamericonnie]

Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.

~Tribute to Our Troops~

[radu]

Good morning everyone!

To all our military men and women past and present, military family members, and to our allies who stand beside us
Thank You!

[Iris7]

Even by my standards Maus was underpowered. 188 metric tons (tonnes) is about 207 U.S. short tons (414,000 lbs.) Minimum horsepower at 7 hp/ton is about 1500 hp. Decent cross country mobility is about 10 hp/ton, 2,000 hp. Centurion had 11.4 hp/ton (ain't Google something else?), and that was enough. Abrams has about 24 hp/ton.

The last photo of the E-100 hull shows a really large turret ring. Looks to be about nine feet across, maybe ten feet. Huge, big, wow.

[Iris7]

Looking at yesterday, suddenly came to me that the "goldbugs", those financial types that believe in gold, are totally, ludicrously wrong.

To paraphrase, and modernize, old Nicolo Machievelli, "Oil can't get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you oil."

Vladimir Putin is supposed to have said that international politics is oil and nuclear weapons. Can't say I disagree. I'll add in China's big play, just now started. Bill Clinton is going to cost thousands, maybe millions, of American dead.

[quietolong]

I just finished reading the book:

Rising Tide
The untold story of the Russian Submarines that fought the cold war
Gary Weir & Walter Boyne
2003
http://www.risingtidebook.com

Rising Tide tells the Soviet side of these secret operations. Drawing on newly available archives as well as interviews with a dozen former Soviet Commanders


It’s a little one-sided at times. But the US Navy not about to open there files to conform some of the clams. But it seemed very convenient that they could stumble across a US missile boat on patrol to trail it.

[Professional Engineer]

Good morning ladies. Flag-o-Gram.

Today's Flag reverently swiped from Colonial Warrior

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Snippy.

[alfa6]

Back on the day shift Bumperooni for Treadhead Tuesday

Regards

A Greatly reduced F-15 pic to get Tuesday off to a flying start :-)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[E.G.C.]

Good morning, Snippy and everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.

[GailA]

Good morning, it's quilting day for me, and since it's promising to rain most of the day, there is no outside work on my mobile home to do.

[Soaring Feather]

Good ThreadHead Tuesday everyone.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning, radu!

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning, EGC!!


*HUGS*

[E.G.C.]

((HUGS))Morning, Bentfeather. How's it going?