Panzer VIII Mauschen

Panzer VIII Mauschen
The only surviving Mauschen prototype at the Atalmar Tank Museum, Alteria
Type	Super-heavy tank
Place of origin	Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance
Service history
In service	1942-1945
Wars	Second Europan War
Production history
Designer	Ferdinand Walther
Produced	1939-1945
No. built	250 (of which 80 incomplete)
Specifications
Weight	200 tonnes (220 short tons; 200 long tons)
Length	10.2 metres (33 ft 6 in)
Width	3.71 metres (12 ft 2 in)
Height	3.63 metres (11 ft 11 in)
Crew	6 (commander, gunner, 2 loaders, driver, radio operator)
Armour	220 mm (8.7 in) (turret front) 200 mm (7.9 in) (turret side and rear) 200 mm (7.9 in) (hull front) 180 mm (7.1 in) (hull side) 150 mm (5.9 in) (hull rear)
Main armament	128 mm (5 in) KwK 44 gun L/55 (68 rounds)
Secondary armament	75 mm (3 in) KwK 44 gun L/36.5 (co-axial) (100 rounds)
Engine	(V1) MB509 V12 petrol engine, DB 603 derivative (V2) MB 517 V12 diesel engine (V2) (V1) 1,080 hp (805 kW) (V2) 1,200 hp (895 kW)
Power/weight	6.4 HP/ton
Ground clearance	500 mm (20 in)
Fuel capacity	2,700 litres (590 imp gal; 710 US gal) (internal fuel tank) 1,500 litres (330 imp gal; 400 US gal) (external fuel tank)
Operational range	160 km (99 mi) (road) 62 km (39 mi) (off road)
Speed	20 km/h (12 mph) (maximum) 18 km/h (11 mph) (average road speed)

The Panzer VIII Mauschen was an East Europan Super-heavy tank designed during the Second Europan War. It was the largest tank ever built and the heaviest tank made at 200 tons.

Construction began in 1939. Building the tank itself was difficult and consumed double the amount of materials needed to make 2 Panzer VI Tiger tanks. Its sheer weight, backed by its low acceleration and speed was its biggest drawback. Only 250 were ever made with more than 80 units ordered by the Empire of Quenmin with 80 units incomplete. Its expensive cost caused the Quenminese War Department to design its own indigenous super heavy tank project under supervision of Imperial Marshal Berthold Gregor Sr., the man behind the super heavy tank project. The Quenminese counterpart to the Mauschen was dubbed as the X-U Super heavy tank. Although the Quenminese had 2 other Mauschen derived inspirations through the X-O and X-I Super heavy tanks, these two superseded the Mauschen in size, such that the War Department was forced to cancel them, with the X-U being clandestinely built.

During tank encounters, the Maus was an effective weapon but by the time it was made, the Allies already developed the Centurion tank, which was a more versatile and advanced design, making the Maus obsolete. At the end of the war, the production of the Maus ceased. Today, only 1 surviving model is displayed at the Atalmar Tank Museum in Alteria.

The apex of Imperial tank designs became the Panzer IX Gnat, which itself was a battleship on land and was five times heavier than the Maus.

Users

The Mauschen was only fielded by the Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance and the Empire of Quenmin. The Archadian Empire at first expressed interest but through studies made by its War Department deemed the Mauschen too inappropriate with the evolving mobile warfare.

• Autocratic East Europan Imperial Alliance: 170 units (60 incomplete)
• Empire of Quenmin: 80 units (20 incomplete)