GERMAN tank "Ratte"
masterblaster
Active member
It would really be usefull, as a museum attraction. As a tank, it would have been as usefull as a cast iron balloon. If the yamato could be sunk, why not this?
AFSteliga
Token Canadian Moder'eh'tor
It's the predecessor of the Mammoth Tank.
hobgobler200
New Member
I don't think it would be able to hit anything, its too far from the ground
hobgobler200
New Member
P 1000
On June 23rd of 1942, Dir. Dip. Ing. Grote (along with Dr.Hacker) from the Ministry of Armament, who was responsible for the production of U-Boats suggested the development of a tank with a weight of 1000 tons. Adolf Hitler himself expressed interest in this project and allowed Krupp to go ahead with it. Project was designated as Krupp P 1000 (Ratte - Rat). This "land cruiser" would be 35 meters long, 14 meters wide and 11 meters high. P 1000 would be equipped with 3.6 meters wide tracks per side made of three 1.2 meters tracks, similar to those used in excavators working in coalmines.It was planned to power P 1000 with two MAN V12Z32/44 24 cylinder Diesel marine engines with total power of 17000hp (2 x 8500hp) or with eight Daimler-Benz MB501 20 cylinder Diesel marine engines with total power of 16000hp (8 x 2000hp).According to the calculations it would allow P 1000 to travel at maximum speed of 40km/h. P 1000 would be armed with a variety of weapons such as: two 280mm gun (naval gun used in Scharnhorst and Gneisenau warships), single 128mm gun, eight 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns and two 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 gun.
In December of 1942, Krupp created new design of 1500 ton tank - P 1500. It frontal armor would be 250mm thick and it would be armed with 800mm super heavy mortar "Dora" type and possibly two 150mm artillery pieces. P 1500 would be powered by two or four submarine diesel engines. In early 1943, Albert Speer cancelled both projects. P 1000 turret ended up at coastal defence battery (Batterie Oerlander) near Trondheim, Norway.
Even before P 1000 and P 1500, in 1939, Krupp began working on other similar projects for projected series of self-propelled coastal guns for the German Navy - Kriegsmarine.Series was to include 14 different platforms designated from R1 to R14. Armament was to range from 150mm to 380mm and it was to be mounted on fully traversible turntables on tracked carriages. One of the designs was R2 coastal gun armed with 280mm gun. The series never left drawing boards.
Specifications for P 1000
Weight: 900000-1000000kg Crew: - men Engine: 2 x MAN V12Z32/44 Diesel / 24-cylinder / 2 x 8500hp
8 x Daimler-Benz MB501 Diesel / 20-cylinder / 8 x 2000hp Speed: Road: 40km/h
Cross-Country: –km/h Range: Road: —km
Cross-Country: —km Fuel Capacity: — litres Lenght: 35.00m Width: 14.00m Height: 11.00m Armament: 2 x 280mm SK.C/34 L/54.4
1 x 128mm Kanone
8 x 20mm Flak 38
2 x 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 Ammo: – rounds Armor (mm/angle): Turret Front: 360mm / ?
Turret Side: 220mm / ?
Turret Rear: ? / ?
Turret Top: 150mm / ? PzKpfw IX / PzKpfw X
PzKpfw IX
Panzer IX and Panzer X only existed as projects on drawing boards. Although, there is no real blueprints showing the realistic look of both vehicles. PzKpfw X was to be wider but lower than Maus and was to be surely armed with 88mm or even 128mm gun. Both designs were very advanced and modern including many features which can be found in modern tanks of today.According to the latest research it appears that those two modern looking tanks were not even considered by the designersbut instead were propaganda sketches published in the "Signal" magazine in 1944, to misinform the Allies about the German tank development.
PzKpfw IX
Hitler did like grandious things!P 1000/1500 / PzKpfw IX/X
P 1000
On June 23rd of 1942, Dir. Dip. Ing. Grote (along with Dr.Hacker) from the Ministry of Armament, who was responsible for the production of U-Boats suggested the development of a tank with a weight of 1000 tons. Adolf Hitler himself expressed interest in this project and allowed Krupp to go ahead with it. Project was designated as Krupp P 1000 (Ratte - Rat). This "land cruiser" would be 35 meters long, 14 meters wide and 11 meters high. P 1000 would be equipped with 3.6 meters wide tracks per side made of three 1.2 meters tracks, similar to those used in excavators working in coalmines.It was planned to power P 1000 with two MAN V12Z32/44 24 cylinder Diesel marine engines with total power of 17000hp (2 x 8500hp) or with eight Daimler-Benz MB501 20 cylinder Diesel marine engines with total power of 16000hp (8 x 2000hp).According to the calculations it would allow P 1000 to travel at maximum speed of 40km/h. P 1000 would be armed with a variety of weapons such as: two 280mm gun (naval gun used in Scharnhorst and Gneisenau warships), single 128mm gun, eight 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft guns and two 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 gun.
In December of 1942, Krupp created new design of 1500 ton tank - P 1500. It frontal armor would be 250mm thick and it would be armed with 800mm super heavy mortar "Dora" type and possibly two 150mm artillery pieces. P 1500 would be powered by two or four submarine diesel engines. In early 1943, Albert Speer cancelled both projects. P 1000 turret ended up at coastal defence battery (Batterie Oerlander) near Trondheim, Norway.
Even before P 1000 and P 1500, in 1939, Krupp began working on other similar projects for projected series of self-propelled coastal guns for the German Navy - Kriegsmarine.Series was to include 14 different platforms designated from R1 to R14. Armament was to range from 150mm to 380mm and it was to be mounted on fully traversible turntables on tracked carriages. One of the designs was R2 coastal gun armed with 280mm gun. The series never left drawing boards.
Specifications for P 1000
Weight: 900000-1000000kg Crew: - men Engine: 2 x MAN V12Z32/44 Diesel / 24-cylinder / 2 x 8500hp
8 x Daimler-Benz MB501 Diesel / 20-cylinder / 8 x 2000hp Speed: Road: 40km/h
Cross-Country: –km/h Range: Road: —km
Cross-Country: —km Fuel Capacity: — litres Lenght: 35.00m Width: 14.00m Height: 11.00m Armament: 2 x 280mm SK.C/34 L/54.4
1 x 128mm Kanone
8 x 20mm Flak 38
2 x 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 Ammo: – rounds Armor (mm/angle): Turret Front: 360mm / ?
Turret Side: 220mm / ?
Turret Rear: ? / ?
Turret Top: 150mm / ? PzKpfw IX / PzKpfw X
PzKpfw IX
Panzer IX and Panzer X only existed as projects on drawing boards. Although, there is no real blueprints showing the realistic look of both vehicles. PzKpfw X was to be wider but lower than Maus and was to be surely armed with 88mm or even 128mm gun. Both designs were very advanced and modern including many features which can be found in modern tanks of today.According to the latest research it appears that those two modern looking tanks were not even considered by the designersbut instead were propaganda sketches published in the "Signal" magazine in 1944, to misinform the Allies about the German tank development.
PzKpfw IX
84RFK
Active member
To my knowledge no work was done on any prototypes for these "Landcruisers" at all.
About the 280 mm Naval guns from Gneisenau, the two undamaged turrets ended up as Coastal Defence Batteries outside Bergen (B-turret) and Trondheim (C-turret) complete with their loading and storage platforms 4 floors down into the bedrock.
Contrary to what's suggested here, both turrets was of a tripple-gun configuration, and would never have been fitted on any tank.
Oh by the way, the C-turret near Trondheim was operable until 1977 when it was phased out, it still remains as a museum today with guided trips through the entire installation.
Pretty impressing construction I might add.
Korean Seaboy
Active member
I read somewhere that the Germans built a tank with two 88mm guns. Didn't believe it, but I now know there were grander dreams