Rare & Crazy Panzer Projekts.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Aha okay thanks.

[plan_D]

It really was silly. 90 tons is way too heavy for a tank of that day - but it was much better than the Maus which weighed 188 tons. The Maus was just beyond stupid - at least the Lowe had some sort of potential, although small.

Germany should have kept the limit at 60 tons. The King Tiger was 68 tons and that was too heavy - it's not like the Tiger couldn't deal with anything the Soviets or Western Allies threw at it, it only weighed 54 tons.

[CharlesBronson]

I have to agree with you, probably the good relationship between the austrian corporal and Dr. Porsche had something to do with that.

The Lowe designed for Henschel was much more realistic proyect than this demential artefact.

[plan_D]

Certainly was the most bizarre and pointless designs of Germany to get off the drawing board. Three or more Tigers could have been built from the resources used on making one Maus - and even more off the time to design and build it.

[CharlesBronson]

The E-series:

The E-Series program was conceived by Dipl Ing Heinrich Ernst Kniekamp, Chief Engineer of Waffenpruefamt 6 in May of 1942. In April of 1943, Heereswaffenamt (Army Weapons Office) accepted his program and ordered many different manufacturers to start the planning and development of the Entwicklung (project/development) / Einheitsfahrgestell (general purpose chassis) Series. It was designed in order to replace armored vehicles and tanks that were used by the German Army from 1945 onwards. All six basic designs of E-Series would have standardized parts making their production, maintenance and service easier and cheaper


E-10 (10-25 tons) Height: 1.74 m

Designed by Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz Magirus AG in Ulm.
light multipurpose tank,
light test chassis,
replacement for PzKpfw 38(t) and conversions built on its chassis,
redesigned and enlarged chassis of 38(t) designated 38(d) (German),
armored personnel carrier,
light/medium Jagdpanzer,
light/medium waffentragers.

The jagdpanzer version armed with the 75mm L/48 Stuk.


Nice rear view.



MG-42 with shield, I am not sure that it was remote controlled.

[me262]

to the other end of the E series, we have the E-100 armed with a 150 mm KwK44 L/38,a 75 mm KwK44 L/36.5 as coaxial,weight 140 tones, only one prototype was build, captured by the british army at war end's, only the turret was missing

[plan_D]

I have a picture of a British soldier sat on the E-100 chassis - because that's all what was built of it.

[CharlesBronson]

The heavier jagdpanzer E-25. Designed by Porsche.



The top small turret use a EW-141 20 mm gun....anti-aircraft maybe ?
Weight : 25 tons; Hull length: 5.66 m



Some influence from the Russian SU-series from this angle.

[me262]

Originally Posted by plan_D

I have a picture of a British soldier sat on the E-100 chassis - because that's all what was built of it.

did you know that the british tried to finish it?, i saw a pic of the e-100 with the tracks on

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by plan_D

It really was silly. 90 tons is way too heavy for a tank of that day - but it was much better than the Maus which weighed 188 tons. The Maus was just beyond stupid - at least the Lowe had some sort of potential, although small.

Germany should have kept the limit at 60 tons. The King Tiger was 68 tons and that was too heavy - it's not like the Tiger couldn't deal with anything the Soviets or Western Allies threw at it, it only weighed 54 tons.

Could not agree more with you here. That is a prime example of the Germans having to over engineer and go bigger and better when they already have something that works. They should have just kept producing the Tigers, King Tigers and Panthers rather than waste material on this piece!

[Chocks away!]

Did the Mouse see any action? It would be interesting to speculate on how many Shermans it could knock out!

[CharlesBronson]

According to some sources one Maus entered in action the last days of the war against the russians, but that is at list dubious, one of this was captured and it can be seen in the Kubinka museum near Moscu.

E-100 pictorial.








E-75.

With 50mm conic bore, 75 L/48 and 88 mm L/71 installed.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I agree with those of you that say she was too heavy. She may have been very innovative and possibly the future but was not needed. As was stated the Germans already had superior tanks they needed to build those and not work on the Maus.

[plan_D]

I did hear a rumour that the Maus saw action in the defence of the Porsche factory but I have read an extremely sensible and well thought out article disproving that rumour.

The Maus did not see action - the pot marks in it's hull front are from post-war Soviet tests with an A-19 122 mm cannon, at all ranges.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

So the Russians were not able to punch through the armour.