The largest modern tank in the world. What is the largest tank in the world? Deutsch? "Old Gang" TOG II

The largest tanks in terms of weight and size in the world. Almost all super heavy tanks were built or developed during World War II.

Above, photos of a real gun that was supposed to be mounted on a Monster tank

Germany, 1942, 42 meters, weight 1500 tons, crew 100

In 1942, Hitler approved the design and construction of the monster tank, but the project was canceled in 1943 before construction had begun. The tank was supposed to be fifteen times larger than a conventional tank, it was to be equipped with an 800 mm Krupp gun (ordinary tanks are equipped with 75 - 122 mm guns).

The 800 mm Krupp gun is the largest of the artillery pieces ever built. Each projectile weighed 7 tons, firing range up to 37 km (23 mi).

Germaniz, 1942, 35 meters, weight 1000 tons, crew 20 people

Ratte was very much like a monster. It was also developed in 1942 and was also discontinued a year later. Unlike the Monster, the Ratte was to be armed with a warship turret with two 280mm guns. Other weapons on the Ratte: one 128 mm cannon, eight 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and several 15 mm machine guns.

Tank VIII Mouse is the largest tank ever built. It's small compared to the Monster and Ratte, but still three times the size of a normal tank. The design was completed in 1942 and production began the same year, but only two tanks were built before the end of the war.

The tanks were armed with one 128 mm gun and one 75 mm gun.

Tank VIII Mouse

Germany, 1944 - 10 meters, weight 188 tons, crew 6

The super heavy tank is very similar to the VIII Mouse tank. This project was started in 1942, but not all tanks were built. One tank hull was completed in 1944, but the turret was not installed until the end of the war.

The E-100 Tiger Mouse was to use the same turrets as the VIII Mouse tank. Thanks to its lighter weight, this tank should be faster and more efficient on the battlefield than the VIII Mouse tank.

Germany, 1943 - 10 meters, weight 140 tons, crew 5 people

The FCM F1 is the heaviest and largest non-Nazi tank. It was supposed to replace Char 2C, which was one of the most heavy tanks, which was never used in combat. Unfortunately, France was defeated before the FCM F1 project was completed, so none of these tanks were built.

The FCM F1 was to be armed with a 90mm cannon, a 47mm cannon, and six machine guns. It is worth noting that this tank was 10 meters long, but only a little over 3 meters wide, so it could be transported across railway.

France, 1940, 11 meters, weight 139 tons, crew 9 people

O-I, this is Japan's attempt at a super heavy tank. There are reports in various sources that one model was completed and sent to Manchuria during World War II, but this is very unlikely, more likely rumor than truth. O-I was probably canceled like most other projects super heavy tanks.

The O-I was supposed to have three towers. The main turret had a 105 mm cannon, a 37 mm cannon on the right turret, and three machine guns on the left.

Japan, 1944, 10 meters, weight 130 tons, crew 11

The K-Wagen was one of the first attempts at a super-heavy tank. Again, it was a crazy plan of engineers from Germany, but this time it was before the Nazi era.

K-Wagen didn't have a main turret. Instead, there were four 77 mm guns mounted on the sides and seven machine guns. It is the second largest tank ever actually built - only the VII Maus tank is larger, since all other super-heavy tank projects have not been completed.

Germany, 1917, 13 meters, weight 120 tons, crew 27

T-28

The T-28 was developed by the US military during World War II. It was to be used to break through German defenses and possibly invade Japan.

The T-28 did not have a normal turning turret, so it could be classified as a tank destroyer, self-propelled unit, not a super heavy tank. For this reason, it was redesignated from T-28 to T-95 and then back.

It was armed with one 105 mm cannon and a single machine gun. He had 4 tracks instead of the traditional 2.

T-28

USA, 1945, 11 meters, weight 95 tons, crew 8 people

TOG2

TOG2 was the largest British tank ever built. Just like most other super-heavy tanks, it was developed during World War II. One prototype built in 1941, but the project was shelved and TOG2 never saw combat.

TOG2 was armed with one 76 mm cannon.

TOG2

Great Britain, 1940, 10 meters, weight 80 tons, crew 8 people

Another British super heavy tank. The tank was also developed during the Second World War, but was never put into production.

The A39 Turtle was armed with a 96mm cannon and three machine guns.

A39 Turtle

Great Britain, 1944 - 10 meters, weight 78 tons, crew 7 people

Why did the army abandon heavy tanks?

Interestingly, almost all tanks were built during the Second World War. What made the engineers at this time try to build such monsters, and why haven't such tanks been built so far?

The main reason for creating a super-heavy tank was immunity from enemy fire. The super heavy tank had thick armor that would have been impervious to most WWII guns.

There are several reasons for abandoning these tanks:

There were cumulative shells. Which could penetrate armor up to 500 mm and even more;

The tank could be hit with aircraft;

Weak maneuverability of the tank during the offensive and retreat, which limited its use on the battlefield.

Another problem was the transportation of super-heavy tanks. Most of them were too big to be transported by rail, so they had to rely only on their ability to move. The problem is that most of them moved extremely slowly, so they cannot reach the battlefield at the right moment.

In addition, super-heavy tanks destroy roads. Therefore, they would have to drive over rough terrain, which would still slow down the movement.

Heavy tank IS-2 (video):

Heavy tank Grote R-1000 (video):

Heavy tanks IS-3, IS-7 (video):

Since the day the first armored vehicles, called tanks, appeared on the battlefields, they have not ceased to be improved. The largest tank in the world was produced by Russia in 1915. It is known under the name of the Tsar-tank, Mastodon, Mammoth or Lebedenko's machine. He even got several nicknames, for example, the Tsar Tank is compared with a bat, because when the model was transferred to the rear wheels, it looked like bat falling head down. What kind of colossus is this, and for what reason has it not been possible to build a larger model so far?

The development of drawings was carried out by the great engineers of Russia: Stechkin and Mikulin. To be honest, this colossus cannot be called a tank, because outwardly it looks more like a gun carriage, which has been increased in size. Distinctive feature this project– non-standard appearance and ambition.

The idea of ​​​​designing such a machine came to the head of the chief engineer Lebedenko, he was inspired by carts. That was the name of the wagons in Central Asia, thanks to the huge wheels on them it was possible to overcome any bump and ditch. The tank developed by Lebedenko had two huge wheels, each 9 meters in diameter, in general, the length of the vehicle was 18 meters. The mass of a nine-meter high and twelve-meter wide car reached 60 tons. To service the tank, a crew of at least 15 people was required. On the highway, the maximum speed of this tank reached 17 km/h. Such fighting machine was released in a single copy, which did not pass the initial tests.

As mentioned earlier, it was hard to call a tank a weapon that is used for attack and defense, it looks more like a fortress on wheels. Due to the shortcomings discovered, all efforts were nullified. Design flaws were due to the huge size of the tank.

Vulnerability. Large diameter wheels are an excellent target for the enemy. It only took one successful hit on the wheel, and this completely incapacitated the monster. Firstly, the tank could not continue moving further, and secondly, it fell to the ground so that the angle for aimed shooting was unsuitable.

Patency. gigantic dimensions cars didn't let her pass everywhere. It was more intended for movement on more even and less rugged terrain. And this is one of the main shortcomings of offensive military equipment.

Stealth. Everyone knows that success in combat operations largely depends on the inconspicuous appearance and surprise attack on positions. But the defending side learned about the appearance of such a giant together with the attacking one.

Engine. On the supertank, 2 strongest German engines were installed, each with 240 "horses". However, this was not enough. In order for this Goliath to climb a steep mountain, he needed a more powerful engine.

It was because of these shortcomings that the Tsar Tank was not launched into the series. Not a single instance of this combat vehicle appeared in the world, and the trial model in 1923 was dismantled for scrap.

TOP 10 largest tanks in the world

Modern military tanks are becoming more and more agile, light and portable. At the forefront when creating such a technique comes the overwhelming firepower, high permeability, as well as the ability to quickly restore damaged modules. However, until recently, when designing tanks, the main parameters were solid dimensions and thick armor, which made it possible to create real "monsters" of engineering.

The ten largest tanks in the world are opened by the Object 279, created in 1957. The car weighed over 60 tons, and its length was 9.8 m, with a height of 3.6 m. The body of the model was maximally flattened and looked like a flying saucer. The unit was equipped with double tracks on each side along with a hydraulic suspension system that helped to reduce the load on the soil. Due to poor maneuverability, the tank was not allowed to technical tests.

Ninth position went to British tank TOG І, created in 1940. When designing the machine, outdated technologies were used, so the only copy turned out to be ineffective in the conduct of hostilities. Max speed the vehicle did not exceed 8 km/h, the tank was 10.1 m long, 3.1 m wide, and 3 m high.

Ranked eighth american tank T-28 Turtle ("Turtle"). Its creation began in 1943, when the United States was actively preparing to enter the war. The mass of the vehicle in question was 86 tons, and its length exceeded 10 m, width - 3.2 m, height - 2.8 m. The armored frontal part was supposed to help the Allies in the fight against the Tigers and Panthers, however, due to bureaucratic delays, the T-28 (later renamed the T-95 model) never entered service with the American army.

The seventh line belongs to the British tank A-30 Tortoise ("Turtle"), the first prototype of which was created in 1943. Its combat weight did not exceed 78 tons, the length was estimated at 10 m, width - 3.9 m, height - 3 m. The maximum speed of the vehicle did not exceed 19 km / h. The development of the tank was extremely slow, and after the end of hostilities in Europe, all work on the creation of the "Turtle" was curtailed.

The sixth position was heavy german tank E-100. The development of this unit advanced the furthest, but due to the defeat of Germany, all tests were curtailed. The mass of the prototype was 140 tons, while the 150-mm gun was chosen as the main armament. The length of the E-100 hull exceeded 12 m, the width was 4 m, and the height was 3.2 m.

In fifth place was another German tank from the Second World War - Maus ("Mouse"). It was designed on the personal instructions of Hitler, who wanted to strengthen his army with several dozen of these giants. The dimensions of the tank were really impressive: the length was 10.2 m, the width was 3.5 m, and the height was 3.6 m. The combat weight of the vehicle was estimated at 180 tons. Two prototypes of the "Mouse" were captured by Soviet troops and transported to the USSR, where one vehicle was subsequently assembled from them, which was exhibited at the Kubinka Armored Museum.

Fourth place belongs to the French tank FCM F1, the development of which began in 1939. The car received two towers located at different levels, frontal armor of 120 mm and a combat weight of 145 tons. The length of the "monster" was supposed to be more than 12 m, and the width - to exceed 3.6 m, however, due to the rapid advance German troops the development of the machine was curtailed, and the fate of the only prototype remained unknown.

The top three is opened by the German tank K-Wagen, main task which was the breakthrough of enemy defensive lines. In 1918, a prototype was assembled, but after the Entente troops advanced to the plant, it was decided to destroy it. The mass of the machine was 150 tons, and the length was about 13 m, the width was 3 m, and the height was 3.5 m.

In second position was french tank The Char 2C is the largest car ever put into mass production. As conceived by the creators, this 75-ton machine was supposed to break through any enemy barrier lines. The impressive dimensions of the “monster” contributed to overcoming the obstacles: the length was 10.2 m, the width was 3 m, the height was 4 m. .

The undisputed leader in terms of dimensions was the Russian Tsar Tank, created in 1915. Its length was to be 17.8 meters, width - 12 m, height - 9 m, and such a "monster" could be noticed from a distance of several kilometers. The combat weight of the vehicle would have exceeded 60 tons, but the plans of the developers remained unfulfilled. Appearance The prototype was a gun turret mounted on a carriage supported by two huge wheels.

As a result, modern tanks are significantly inferior in size to historical models created in the era of the First and Second World Wars. These unique "monsters" still amaze the imagination with their size, weight and armor thickness.

Tanks were conceived as the main weapon for use against foot soldiers. Such military equipment has different versions in size and weight. Super-heavy tank models include large-sized vehicles weighing more than 80 tons. Many countries have attempted to create the heaviest tank in the world.

Reasons for creation

Almost all heavy weapon models were developed in the second world war. main reason to create super-heavy tanks - immunity from enemy fire, the desire to be completely invulnerable when breaking through fortified enemy defenses and have a minimum of losses. After all, such tanks have thick enough armor, impenetrable for many types of wartime weapons.

Reasons for canceling projects

Work on the design of heavy tanks was carried out in many countries with developed armored forces. Usually, at the same time, they mention Germany, Great Britain, Soviet Union. However, projects, as a rule, were canceled, for various reasons they were not implemented and were not put into mass production. Such reasons were, for example: the appearance of HEAT shells capable of penetrating thick armor, and the very low maneuverability of heavy tanks. In addition, they were an easy target for any aircraft. There were problems with the transportation of cars. Heavy armored vehicles caused great damage to road surfaces.

Therefore, most of the developed projects remained on paper, ending at the level of development and construction of mock-ups. Story tank troops knows only a few models of this type of weapon, but not a single instance was used in battles.

IS-7

A year before the end of the war in Leningrad, they began to create the heaviest tank in the world. The project name he received is: "object 260". Later it was renamed to IS-7. The tank possessed a high degree protection. Its mass was about 70 tons. Therefore, a fairly powerful power plant was envisaged.

The tank was designed several times. Each time, new elements and designs were introduced in the designs. For example, in the second variant, for the first time, the principle of the ejection system was used to cool the working engine. Chassis did not provide for rollers for support, and the caterpillars located at the top lay on special road wheels. The machine was highly resistant to wear and had low level noise while driving. The range of weapons has been significantly expanded. The crew included 5 people. Released 2 prototype when tested, they showed amazing speed characteristics for vehicles of this type: 60 km / h - the total speed, and on cobblestones - 32 km / h.

improved version

Subsequently, an improved variation of the IS-7 was created. The armor of the tank turret and its hull was significantly reinforced, the thickness of the on-board devices was increased, the angles were corrected, the vulnerability of the turret shape became much less. In addition, the tank was armed with a new gun design. Visually, the appearance of the gun was distinguished by a muzzle brake. The tank was equipped with a device for optimal fire control. At the same time, very accurate sights were provided. Due to the large dimensions, the height of the hull was significantly increased. Due to the hydraulic shock absorbers with double-acting, it was possible to achieve the desired smoothness.

In total, 4 samples of the IS-7 were manufactured, the necessary factory tests were carried out. However, despite the unique technical and operational parameters, the tank was not approved by the State Commission and did not receive recommendations for armament. But it was really the heaviest tank in the world. The German model was inferior to him in all respects, because the Royal Tiger did not have such guarantees. And also, the US armored vehicles, including the T29, the T32 model, the TZO model and the T34, could not be compared with the IS-7.

Nevertheless, the designers have accumulated a fairly rich practical experience. The tested parts and assemblies of the IS-7 were actively used later in the creation of other Soviet tanks.

The first tanks appeared during the First World War, although the designs of combat vehicles have been met before. During the period of the “trench wars”, the idea of ​​​​an armored self-propelled vehicle was remembered, which would be distinguished by firepower and high maneuverability. Today, some countries have succeeded in tank building, they will also be discussed below.

TOP 10 largest tanks in the world

The first tanks appeared almost simultaneously in three countries:

• Great Britain;
• Russian empire;
• France.

In the post-war years, when they began to develop combat vehicles in Germany, they began to classify this technique in this way (in each country, the weight was determined individually):

• heavy (the Red Army accepted everything that exceeded 30 tons);
• medium (in the USSR - up to 30 tons);
• light (all other tanks).

Modern realities have forced us to revise these categories and add another one to them - superheavy. The TOP-10 includes absolute giants.

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus

The name of this super-heavy tank with German language translates as "Mouse". Unlike the Rat tank being designed in parallel, it was built and tested. The weight of the car was a record 188.9 tons. Designed during the Second World War in the Third Reich. A copy that has survived to this day is exhibited at the Armored Museum in Kubinka.

Kummersdorf polygon, where soviet soldiers inspect the tank "Maus". 1945

Case dimensions: 9.03*3.67*3.66 meters. Protected by cast steel armor. The Maus project won a competition organized by Hitler to build a machine with the highest possible protection. The development was led by the founder of Porshe, Ferdinand Porsche. Armament:

• rifled guns of caliber 75 and 128 mm;
• flamethrower;
• machine gun.

The crew consisted of 6 people. It is noteworthy that the tank has relatively low ground pressure. It was not used in combat.

Diamond shaped K-Wagen

It is one of the first developments in Germany. The project was approved by the government, in 1918 construction began. Combat weight - 150 tons. It was developed on the basis of the available English drawings, had the shape of a rhombus, the caterpillars covered the hull.

K-Wagen tank drawing

It had rolled steel armor and 4 cannons located in the side sponsons. Already during construction, it became clear that the crew should be expanded to 22 people. A modern specialist will say that everything in K-Wagen was superfluous: huge size, a record number of crew. All prototypes of the tank were destroyed and have not survived to this day.

E-100

Ferdinand Porsche, in addition to the "Mouse" project, presented additional drawings for the E-100, which were also approved. In 1943, the design of a super-heavy model began on the basis of the Adler company.

Prototype E-100 in transit to the UK

On the onset Soviet troops The Fuhrer gave the order to curtail all tank building projects, however, Porsche continued construction, and one of the E-100s was completed. The car was later captured by the British and taken to England. There it was rated as unpromising and dismantled for scrap. The combat weight of the instance was estimated at 140 tons.

During World War II, heavy armored vehicles were being developed in the United States, one of them being the T-28 Turtle. In fact, the machine is powerful tank, but he was conceived as their destroyer or self-propelled artillery.

The surviving model of the "Turtle" is on display at the museum at Fort Knox

The combat weight of the American giant is 95 tons, the hull length is 7.5 meters. Equipped with steel homogeneous armor. The main reason for the construction is the use in Europe. The crew included 4 people. Equipped with a T5E1 cannon, with which concrete fortifications were effectively destroyed. In the course of use, interest in the project quickly faded, and work ceased.

tsar tank

Sometimes the name "Mammoth" was used for this combat vehicle. It was a wheeled combat vehicle and was built in Russia in 1915. Designer - Nikolai Lebedenko.

The dimensions of the Tsar Tank in comparison with the height of a person

In those days, this development seemed innovative and ambitious. It was assumed that big wheels will allow the installation to quickly and easily overcome any obstacles. Tsar Nicholas II allocated his own money for the project, impressed by the clockwork toy car donated by Lebedenko. After construction and testing, the machine was declared unusable. Dimensions: 17.8 * 12.0 * 9.0 meters, combat weight - 60 tons. Equipped with two 76 mm cannons.

Char 2C

The French were among the first to design and manufacture tanks. One of them is Char 2C built in 1917. If we talk only about metric dimensions, then this is the largest tank in the world of those that entered service with the armies (10.27 * 3.0 * 4.09 m).

Crew Char 2C

The combat weight was 75 tons, 13 people were involved in movement and aimed shooting. He was in service with the French troops until the start of World War II. It was equipped with a 75 mm tank gun and four machine guns. Built for all the time 10 objects.

A-30 Tortoise

The name of the object was translated literally as "turtle". Development was extremely slow due to the outbreak of war with the Third Reich in Europe. After its completion, the project was finally closed.

Heavy and clumsy A-30 Tortoise

The tank justified its name: the speed was 18-19 km/h. He was clumsy with a weight of 78 tons. Tests in 1943 proved the vehicle's vulnerability in open combat.

TOG II

The project of British super-heavy tanks gave the army of the country TOG II weighing 82.3 tons. In those days, the typical design suggested the presence of a diamond-shaped track pattern, but here it was decided to abandon it. The tower was copied from the A-30 Challenger model.

You can see TOG2 at the Bovington Museum

Protected by cemented Krupp armor. The tests of the object were successful, but it did not enter the arsenal of the army. Today, only one copy has survived, which can be seen in the Bovington Museum.

FCM F1

This huge tank (140 tons) was developed to replace the Char 2C. The engineers calculated the armor, others technical features and built one prototype, which has not survived to this day.

The model has not reached our days

Despite the fact that it was not possible to participate in the battle, the car had a serious impact on the further development of super-heavy equipment in France.

Self-propelled mortar "Karl"

A successful project of the Third Reich weighing 126 tons, 7 pieces were put into service with the army. Technically, it was a heavy fighting vehicle that was used in the assault on fortresses, since a live projectile could break through a concrete wall. Each released model had its own name.

Mortar, German tank and Reich soldiers

Equipped with two cannon mortars caliber 600 mm and 540 mm. Fired 4 shots. This is the largest tank of the Second World War actively used. You can look at the preserved copy in Kubinka near Moscow.

The largest tanks of the USSR

Tank building in the Soviet Union developed actively. The new tanks that entered service in the early years of the war with the Third Reich were quickly lost, they did not meet quality standards, burned out quickly, and were vulnerable. Engineers worked on improving the machines in real time.

Under the leadership of the leading designer Troyanov, in 1957, the heavy tank of the USSR "Object 279" was produced. The main military task is to work in hard-to-reach conditions. Combat weight - 60 tons. The frontal part had excellent protection, the KPVT machine gun and a 130-mm cannon were armed.

The largest tank in the USSR

The caterpillar part had flaws, which could not be eliminated. At the same time, the object was moving along the highway at a speed of 55 km / h, the ground pressure was the same as that of light tanks. Did not enter service.

IS-4

The post-war serial IS-4 has been produced in Chelyabinsk since 1947. He replaced the outdated IS-3. Protected by steel cast and rolled armor. During production, they were modernized several times. Main disadvantages:

• poor maneuverability;
• low permeability;
• unreliable transmission.

In the 60s, the 60-ton machine was finally decommissioned.

IS-7

Experienced tank designed for the army. Technical design solutions were successfully used subsequently. Hull dimensions without gun: 7.38 * 3.4 * 2.48 meters. Technically, it was an improved IS-3.

It was equipped with a large turret and an improved S-70 rifled gun, the prototype of which was a naval firing system.

IS-1 and IS-2

The IP project was created to glorify the name of Joseph Stalin during the war years. Russian heavy tanks of that time had a large number of shortcomings, but they went all the way from Kursk to Berlin, distinguished themselves during the assault battles.

A column of IS-2 tanks of the 1st Ukrainian Front goes to Berlin. 1945

The IS-2 weighing 46 tons was used until 1995. This is a legendary war machine. In terms of the totality of weapons and armor, it surpassed all vehicles of that time.

KV-1

Named in honor of Kliment Voroshilov, it is equipped with durable steel homogeneous armor. Serial production has been going on since 1940. On the highway, he moved independently at a speed of 30-34 km / h.

KV-1 is one of the successful projects of heavy tanks in the USSR

It had an individual torsion bar suspension, in a battle with the Germans it surprised me with impenetrable armor. Could fire 111 shots from the L-11 cannon.

The biggest tanks in Russia

The Russian Federation surpasses the leading armies of the world in terms of the number of tanks. Some of them are considered the best in the world. Consider the largest modern models.

T-80

The combat vehicle was developed in the USSR and is still in service Russian army. There are 4 modifications with gas turbine and diesel engines. The shortcomings include:

• high fuel consumption;
• high production cost;
• little firepower.

Used in a Chechen company. At one time, it became a competitor to the German Leopard-2.

T-90 "Vladimir"

Designed in Soviet time, it became the most sold on the foreign market after the collapse of the USSR. Combat weight 46.5 tons, combined strong armor, 12-cylinder diesel engine and a modern smoothbore gun made the T-90 a universal technique in combat.

T-90 in competition

The undercarriage is movable, borrowed from the T-72B. The only disadvantage of the facility is the vulnerability of the fuel system.

Armata T-14

Russia's latest combat vehicle with uninhabited tower. This is the first world modification, which can be used in reconnaissance and fire adjustment. Equipped with:

• 360 degree ultraviolet cameras;
• doppler radar;
• unmanned reconnaissance vehicle;
• interceptor of missiles and shells;
• protective system "Malachite", reflecting blows to the car from the RPG.

T-14 takes part in the rehearsal of the parade on Red Square

Serially produced since 2017. The first models should show the shortcomings of the engineering sense for the timely correction of errors.

The largest German tank

Mechanical engineering and tank building in Germany has attracted the attention of the world since the 1930s. Many self-propelled guns and armored models were among the top most reliable in the world.

E-100

This is the largest designed German tank in the world, photo and short description presented above. The model was characterized by the location of the engine in the stern, and the drive wheels - in front of the hull. The developer was aimed at increasing the speed to 40 km / h, which was impossible with a weight of 140 tons.

conclusions

1. The creation of super-heavy armored models showed their incompetence and vulnerability. The largest tank ever built is the German Maus. Of all the models ever entered service with regular armies, the largest is the French Char 2C.
2. The largest tank in the USSR - "Object 279".
3. The T-80 is the largest armored vehicle in service with the Russian army.
4. The E-100 tank is a 140-ton prototype of German weapons.