Landkreuzer P. 1500 Monster

Landkreuzer P 1500 Monster
Type	Proposed super-heavy tank
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Specifications
Weight	1,500 t (1,700 short tons; 1,500 long tons)
Length	42 metres (138 ft)
Width	18 metres (59 ft)
Height	7 metres (23 ft)
Crew	100+
Armor	250 millimetres (9.8 in) (hull front)
Main armament	1x 800 mm K (E) gun
Secondary armament	2x 15cm sFH 18/1 L/30 (howitzer) Multiple 15 mm MG151/15
Engine	Four MAN M9v 40/46 U-boat diesels 2,200 hp
Operational range	Unknown
Speed	15 km/h (9.3 mph)

The Landkreuzer P 1500 Monster was a German pre-prototype super-heavy tank designed during World War II, representing the apex of the German extreme tank designs.

Conception

On 23 June 1942 the German Ministry of Armaments proposed a 1,000 tonne tank – the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte. Adolf Hitler himself expressed interest in the project and go-ahead was granted. In December the same year, Krupp designed an even larger 1,500 tonne tank – the P 1500 Monster.

In 1943, Albert Speer, the Minister for Armaments, cancelled both projects.

Purpose

This "land cruiser" was a self-propelled platform for the 800mm Schwerer Gustav artillery piece also made by Krupp – the largest artillery guns ever fired for effect. Their 7 tonne projectiles fired up to 37 km (23 mi) and were designed for use against heavily fortified targets.

Specification

An 800 mm shell that would have been used, next to a T-34/85

The Landkreuzer P. 1500 Monster was to be 42 m (138 ft) long, weighing 1500 tonnes, with a 250 mm hull front armor, 4 MAN U-boat (submarine) diesel engines, and an operating crew of over 100 men.

The main armament was to be an 800 mm Dora/Schwerer Gustav K (E) railway gun, and with a secondary armament of two 150 mm sFH 18/1 L/30 howitzers and multiple 15 mm MG 151/15 autocannons. The main armament could have been mounted without a rotating turret, making the vehicle a self-propelled gun rather than a tank. Such a configuration would have allowed the P.1500 to operate in a similar manner to the original 800mm railroad gun and Karl 600mm self-propelled mortars, launching shells without engaging the enemy with direct fire.

Issues

Development of the Panzer VIII Maus had highlighted significant practical problems associated with very large tanks, such as their destruction of roads, their inability to use bridges and the difficulty of strategic transportation by road or rail. The larger the tank, the bigger these problems became, to the point where they were insurmountable.

Propulsion had also proved problematic in the development of the Maus: The prototype had failed to meet its specified speed requirements which meant that even larger tanks such as the P 1500 were likely to be slow-moving and, due to its massive size, it would be a major target to Allied aircraft.

See also

• Bagger 288, a type of bucket-wheel excavator — the largest land vehicle ever built
• Crawler-transporter, the tracked vehicles of similar size, that NASA used to transport their Space Shuttles.

External links

• Article about the 1000/1500 series