Panzer VIII Maus - Allemagne : beaux livres - histoire, types et technique

Aufgeschreckt von den schlagkräftigen T-34-Panzern der Sowjetunion im Zweiten Weltkrieg, die Wehrmacht hatte zu jener Zeit nichts Gleichwertiges entgegenzusetzen, begann auf deutscher Seite ein Wettlauf um die Entwicklung schwerer und schwerster Kampfpanzer.

Michael Fröhlich widmet sich in gewohnt akribischer und kompetenter Weise weiteren, teils kuriosen, Schwergewichten. Detailliert werden Waffen, Technik und Entwicklungsgeschichte des "Sturen Emils", des "Löwen VK 7201", des "Jagdtigers" oder auch des Mausnachfolgers "E-100" und des Panzermörser "Urling" vorgestellt.

In 1944 the Maus giant battle tank, weighing almost 190 tons, was supposed to help turn the Wehrmachts fortunes of war on the Eastern Front. Just two prototypes of this monster were delivered, for its undeniable advantagestremendous firepower and virtually impenetrable armorwere outweighed by the disadvantages of its slowness, excessive use of materials in construction, and fuel consumption so high that it was, by that time, far beyond the Germans ability to supply.

With this volume, Michael Fröhlich continues the legendary Spielberger series and delves into one of the most curious military vehicles produced by Germanythe Maus super-heavy tank.
For the first time, this book tells the complete story of this vehicle, including its inner workings, accompanied by many previously unpublished illustrations. But that is not all: the book includes another novelty, the complete operating instructions for the tanks crew!

Aufgeschreckt von den grossen, schlagkräftigen T-34-Panzern der Sowjets im Zweiten Weltkrieg, denen die Wehrmacht zu der Zeit nichts Gleichwertiges entgegenzusetzen hatte, begann auch bei den Deutschen ein Wettlauf um die Entwicklung schwerer und schwerster Kampfpanzer.

Michael Fröhlich kümmert sich in diesem Band in akribischer und kompetenter Weise um Schwergewichte, mit denen die Wehrmacht das Kriegsglück zu wenden trachtete.
Detailliert werden Technik und Entwicklungsgeschichte von der "Grille", dem "Löwe" VK 7201, dem "Bär", dem Mausnachfolger E-100, dem Panzermörser "Urling" und dem gigantischen "P 1000" vorgestellt.

Tank design bureaus first became involved in the development of very heavy tanks after WWI. In addition to the militaries of Germany and England, the Soviet Union was also fascinated by these monsters.
Behind it was the concept of transferring the heavy armament of naval warfare to land warfare. These superheavy vehicles were to move across the land the way battleships moved on the sea, and were to be capable of simultaneously defeating enemy forces from any direction.

In this follow-up to his highly regarded work on the Panzerkampfwagen "Maus," Michael Fröhlich turns his attention to the other superheavy Wehrmacht designs, such as the Grille 17, the Löwe VK 7001, the Räumer S, the Mörser Bär, the E-100 (successor to the Maus), and the 1,100-ton Urling armored howitzer.
Fröhlich comprehensively describes their development, technology, and testing, and the eventual fate of those vehicles that were built or only projected. Many rare and never-before-published photographs and drawings of the vehicles complement this unique work.

The German army faced tanks of superior size, armor and firepower from the outset of World War II. Although their Panzerwaffen handled the Polish campaign, war with France meant confronting superior heavy and medium tanks like the Char B and Somua, with 47 mm high velocity cannon that penetrated German tank armor with ease. French infantry disposed of effective antitank weapons and a portion of their 75 mm field guns were detailed as antitank guns.
Even greater challenges emerged with the Russo-German War, for the Germans had no initial answer to the KV-1 heavy tank and T-34 medium.

The successive technical shocks of superior tanks introduced by each side produced a gun-armor race that continued in some manner even after the war's end. The Germans placed a premium on technological quality and superiority over mass production, for which their industry (and, arguably, their regime) remained rather unsuited.
Not satisfied with the advantage they obtained with the Tiger and Panther series tanks, the army leadership and Adolf Hitler himself pushed for larger and more powerful tanks than had ever been built.