Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster!

I think a lesson of WWII is that big numbers doesn't necessarily mean better. The Germans deployed a variety of super large calibre guns, to mostly disappointing effect. If Leningrad and Svestapol could handle the german superheavy howitzers, Moscow could probably have done the same. (The Gustav, which IIRC these guns are based on, could fire five shells per *day*, and then had to have its barrel replaced. Gimme a squadron of Stugs for that price any day.)

Realistically, the Monster would probably have been a humiliating failure. Logistically, it'd have been a nightmare, it'd have little versatility in terms of terrain, its guns probably would have difficulty tracking targets. And it's a huge big blob that's just asking for an air attack.

 

Think you could have a whole stug brigade and with a lot to spare for the price of a Gustav. While the Ratte looks like a tank, it was probably designed as a semi mobile coastal battery. The 800mm Monster is a way of making the gun a bit more mobile than the original railway carriage, there is a hilarious passage in Guderian's book about the Dora/Gustav designers telling Hitler that "of course it could shoot at tanks!!"
BTW you are slightly unfair to Dora/Gustav, AFAIK ammo expenditure of Dora a Sebastopol was:
June 5 - 9 rounds
June 6 - 16 rounds
June 7 - 13 rounds
June 11 - 5 rounds
June 17 - 5 rounds
There is no report of any "relining" taking place though IIRC the shells had different diameter "rings" to compensate for barrel wear.

Still a Lancaster bomber with a Tallboy bomb could do the same job much better and far cheaper besides being a much more flexible platform.

 

Seems the Germans weren't the only megalomaniacs when it came to tanks. The Soviets proposed a 1,000 ton tank in the early 30's.

 

Where's that from T.A.?
My interest from 2009 is re-piqued.

~A

 

That was in Milsom's Russian Tanks 1900 - 1970.

He briefly mentions it in the text as being 1000 tons and 110 feet long but says little more.

 

Sweet...I think I'll design a tank. It will have a movie theater. Library. Also an Olympic sized swimming pool. Oh, and guns. Lot's of 'em.

 

What!! No bowling alley?!

 

TA wants bowling. Bowling it is. However , we Canucks do 5 pin. In order to save weight and space on our home tank.

 

Here's an honorable mention. Even though it only weighs 40 tons it's overall size and date of construction are noteable.
Russian tanks and armor - Tsar tank

 

the Russian version of the maus T-100 tank - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Nice Mk4....Reminds me of something I read about somewhere in Africa, the locals said that cars were the sons of trains. And bicycles were the sons of cars etc. ..Have I got that right? ...Think I may start a new thread on that.

 

I am probably way off but the elephant?