What if the Ratte tank was built?

It also would likely have the numerous flak guns from the Ratte. If such a tank would have been built, it would have been formidable but slow, impractical, and a huge loss once finally defeated.

Is P 1000 Ratte real?

The Landkreuzer P. 1000 “Ratte” (English: Land Cruiser P. 1000 “Rat”) was a design for a 1000-ton tank to be used by Nazi Germany during World War II which may have been proposed by Krupp director Edward Grotte in June 1942, who had already named it “Landkreuzer”.

How much would the Ratte cost?

The Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte (“Rat”) was a WWII-era design for a Nazi German super-heavy tank with a weight of 1000 tonnes, or 1,000,000 kg. By comparison, an Abrams tank weighs 61.4 tonnes and costs $4.35 million US Dollars (USD) to build.

How heavy is the Maus?

188 tonnes
The heaviest tank ever constructed was the German Panzerkampfwagen Maus, which weighed 188 tonnes (414,469 lb). By 1945, it had reached only the experimental stage and was abandoned.

Was the Maus ever built?

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus (English: “Mouse”) was a German World War II super-heavy tank completed in late 1944. It is the heaviest fully enclosed armored fighting vehicle ever built. These two prototypes underwent trials in late 1944.

Was the Landkreuzer used?

After a year of development, this pet project of Hitler’s was finally put out of its misery by Albert Speer, Hitler’s Minister of Armaments and War Production, who correctly realized that there were no practical uses for the enormous tank. He canceled the project, and this immense tank never saw the light of day.

Why did the Maus fail?

Porsche went through several design changes before settling on an MB 517 Mercedes-Benz diesel engine for the second prototype. However, the engine failed during its first trial due to a broken crankshaft. Was it useless?

Did the Maus tank see action?

The Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus was one such weapon. It was impractical and also huge — so huge it holds the record for the heaviest fully-enclosed tank ever built. The Maus (likely) never saw combat as the Soviets overran the Kummersdorf proving grounds on April 21, 1945, capturing Germany’s two prototypes.

How much would the Ratte weigh?

The Ratte’s weight was to be made up of 300 tons of weapons, 100 of track and automotive components, 200 tons of armor and frame, with the rest distributed according to various criteria. In spite of the planned measures to compensate for the enormous weight, the bulk of the P.1000 would likely destroy bridges and roads beneath it.

What exactly was the P1000?

In essence, the P.1000 was to have been a large rolling battle platform armed to the teeth.

What is the history of the Ratte?

The development history of the Ratte originated with a 1941 strategic study of Soviet heavy tanks conducted by Krupp, the study also giving birth to the Panzer VIII Maus super-heavy tank.

What happened to the Ratte Tank?

Albert Speer, the German Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich, saw the fruitlessness of such an endeavor and cancelled the P.1000 in early 1943. As such, the Ratte never made it off of the drawing boards. Externally, the P.1000 would have dwarfed any other tank in production at that time by a long mile.