Kampfpanzer Maus: The Porsche Type 205 Super-Heavy Tank

Since others have reviewed the book, I'll review the tank. The whole idea of a 190-tonne land combat vehicle is crazy and typical of Adolf Hitler's mania for owning the biggest example of every possible weapons system. The proving ground tests described in the book make it clear that the operational tanks would have destroyed any road they moved on due to excessive ground pressure. Even if they were restricted to summer offensives in dry weather, they would have bogged down in the first creek bottom.However, Professor Porsche made things worse by his irrational choice of an electric generator-motor drive system. This was totally unsuitable for a tank because:-- it is very heavy and bulky. In 1943, the US Army tested no fewer that 250 T23 electric-drive tanks and rejected them in favor of fluid drive (Hydra-Matic). German engineers had pioneered fluid drive in ships many years ago. Why wasn't it used here?-- At least 10% of the input power was converted to heat. Maus had powerful air blowers, but the intake and outlet grilles were mostly blocked by the turret overhangs! The temperatures recorded in midwinter tests indicate that the tank would have cooked itself in the summer.-- it requires a vast amount of copper which is not mined in Germany. At the time Maus was designed, copper was being obtained by ripping down power cables and replacing them with aluminum. This factor alone meant that it could not survive in competition with the Type XXI U-boat program.

Great book! Covers all aspects of the design: armor, armament, engine and transmission system, suspension system, optics, electrical. It also discusses the immense engineering and manufacturing effort required to design and construct these immense vehicles, for which their tactical value was almost zero. The text is accompanied by many black and white photos.The discussion on design includes the various armor and armament alternatives that were considered.There is also much discussion on the field testing and driving performance testing undertaken at Kummersdorf and Boblingen. The vehicles were very easy to drive and were not quite the unmanoeverable giants most stories on these tanks lead readers to believe. There greatest problems were their incredible expense and the high ground pressure exerted, hence their low tactical value.One of the more fascinating parts of the book is the English translation of the Soviet report on the Maus 2 prepared after its inspection at Kubinka (outside Moscow) in 1946. There are also several color photos taken of the Maus 2 at the former Soviet (now Russian) tank museum at Kubinka.There is also much discussion on the fates of the two vehicles that were completed as well as the status of the other five vehicles that were in various stages of manufacture when the entire Maus project was canceled.

240 pages of Maus madness. The book, says the author, is a lifetime collection of data started in the dark ages of armor modeling when there was nothing out there on these monsters & most folks didn't even know they existed. We get the story, from Adolf's nocturnal emission, to the scuttling of the 2 finished chassis in 1945, to post war testing & evaluation, & everything in between. Also possibly every period picture (except for a few privately owned per the author) of these beasts, along with plans & drawings, many of which are from the factory. Details of the interior, subassemblies & components will help modelers immensely. Printed well on heavy paper. I took away a star for the plans that are reproduced so small the printed words are illegible even with magnification, & the sometimes rough translation to English.

This book follows the last of the WWII super heavy tanks designed and built by Germany . There have been a lot of speculation about this monster tank, and this excellent book puts to rest most if not all of them. Coupled with both historic photos are those of a very recent vintage, further enhancing the story of the Maus tank. This book is a must for students of WWII as well as the layman. I heartily recommend this book.It is just as good as any Hunnicutt volume.

Need more captions on pix and a key to a couple of diagrams would help

The book arrived in good condition as advertised!! I wasn't aware of the history involved in the development of Large/Heavy Tanks! The photos within the book were an eye opener!! I didn't know that two tanks were completed and captured by the Russians!! Another thing, there exists one partial completed MAUS in Russia!! Thank you for listing this book with AMAZON!!

Book is just what I wanted. Great reference material.

AGAIN ,all has been said for me.Just about everything you wanted to know about this waste of time and money,but was afraidto ask.First rate book!Only no color profiles.Buy if price is right. J.....of.....R xxx

This is an exceptional book! Something I don't say very often. Covers the subject in infinitesimal written detail with a plethora of photographs to embellish the text. This is simply the go to book on the type 205, anyone with an interest in this incredible tank will be delighted and fascinated with this book. Just buy it!

Truely a full concise account of how the Maus came about and what happened in the end. It's a shame some of the photo captions were repeated under the wrong photo meaning that some photos had no caption at all. Proof reading not done to a high enough standard? Otherwise a great book.

There are a handful of Maus photos seen elsewhere this author couldn’t use, but it’s otherwise comprehensive in every way. Good translation, if you’re building a model of the Maus this is the best book out there.

Good read

hands down best book on maus