Maus
Maus
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[Client Values; Actual values in
6,100,000 Cost |
3000600 HP Hit Points |
188.98/192.999.94/192.9 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Radio Operator
- Driver
- Gunner
- Loader
- Loader
17501750 hp Engine Power |
20/15 km/h Speed Limit |
1515 deg/s Traverse |
9.2617.51 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
YesYes Pivot |
// mm Hull Armor |
260/210/210260/210/210 mm Turret Armor |
AP/APCR/HE
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
1070/4800/935
1070/4800/935 Shell Cost |
490/490/630490/490/630 HP Damage |
246/311/65246/311/65 mm Penetration |
r/m ▲
4.51 r/m Standard Gun ▲
4.51 Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
2209.9 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
2209.9 Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
m ▲
0.36 m With 50% Crew: 0.446 m ▲
0.36 Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.446 m |
s 2.1 s 2.1 Aim time |
1616 deg/s Turret Traverse |
360° Gun Arc |
-8°/+24°-8°/+24° Elevation Arc |
6868 rounds Ammo Capacity |
1212 % Chance of Fire |
m 400 m 400 View Range |
m 720 m 720 Signal Range |
Additional Statistics
(Top Configuration)
Camouflage
- Stationary: 1.43%
- When Moving: 0.86%
- When Firing: 0.26%
Terrain Resistance
- On Hard Ground: 1.06
- On Medium Ground: 1.25
- On Soft Ground: 2.01
Dispersion Change Values
- Turret Contribution
- Rotation: 0.08
- Shot Recoil: 2.88
- Suspension Contribution
- Acceleration: 0.21
- Turning: 0.21
With 100% Crew
X
6100000
The Maus is a German tier 10 heavy tank.
Developed from June 1942 through July 1944, with two prototypes produced, only one of which received a turret and armament.
The heaviest (although, thanks to the Type 5 Heavy, no longer biggest) tank in World of Tanks, the Maus is certainly a mammoth tank, with the largest health pool of any other vehicle currently in the game. Combining that immense hitpoint count with some of the thickest tank armor around means that if an enemy vehicles gun lacks any significant penetration capability, fighting the Maus will not go well. However, the lack of sloping anywhere on the tank, except for the frontal armor, can allow tank guns with adequate penetration to punch through the sides and rear with relative ease; even more so if the Maus is not angled properly. Additionally, weaknesses in the frontal armor such as the lower glacis plate are fairly large and can be reliably targeted. Another weakness when engaging this tank from the front is to shoot at its turret "cheeks" because despite their sloped appearance and high armor values, the turret cheeks are mostly flat mid center and will rarely withstand a shell with sufficient penetration. This can be quite difficult to achieve, however, if the driver turns the turret away to angle the armor. In fact, most of the aforementioned weaknesses can be negated by simply positioning the tank in a way that makes incoming shells impact at an angle.
The 12.8cm main gun is similar to the 130mm cannon of the IS-7, dealing the same amount of damage but sacrificing penetration for improved accuracy. The low damage output of the 12.8 cm gun means that the Maus is best served as a team's front line vanguard, forcing a breakthrough and drawing the bulk of enemy fire while it's teammates follow through and return fire back at the attackers. The maneuverability of the Maus is what one would expect from a super heavy tank - slow and cumbersome. This makes the Maus a favored target of artillery although even tier X SPGs will become frustrated when faced with dealing relatively minimal damage to the Maus as opposed to other, less armored tanks. Especially so if the Maus is fitted with reinforced spall liner. Overall the Maus is definitely a front line combatant and should be used as such. Advancing on enemy positions while protecting it's teammates with it's impressive armor will ensure a confident assault and will significantly increase your odds of success.
As of patch 9.17.1, the Maus received a significant buff to its performance. Its turret front became even more armored, allowing for a significantly lesser amount of angling in order to maximize the armor's performance as well as the removal of the glaring track weakspots located behind the "mud flaps" in the front of the tank. The gun of the Maus was not left out in the cold either. It's DPM, dispersion values, accuracy and aim time were all majorly improved. In it's current iteration, the Maus is a tremendous threat to any team and can overrun defenses as well as repel attacks with extraordinary efficiency.
The Maus marks the end of its German heavy line.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Tier | Gun | Penetration (mm) |
Damage (HP) |
Rate of fire (rounds/minute) |
Dispersion (m/100m) |
Aiming time (s) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X | 12,8 cm Kw.K. 44 L/55 | 246/311/65 | 490/490/630 | 4.51 | 0.36 | 2.1 | 3480 | 310000 |
Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X | DB 603 A2 | 1750 | 12 | 750 | 132000 |
Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X | Maus | 192.9 | 15 | 0 | 37250 | 82500 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Absolutely monstrous all-around armor (best overall in the game), best tank for sidescraping.
- Thickest side and rear armor in the game, even without angling its practically immune to some tier 8 mediums, Combined with extremely thick side armor and tracks it is almost impossible to damage and track Maus at same time, with expection of some very high pen APCR rounds.
- Single largest HP pool in the game at 3000.
- Heaviest tank in the game, makes even small collisions with enemy tanks do decent damage and in turn minimizes incoming ramming damage.
- Good rate of fire for its alpha, with a DPM of just under 3000 with equipment and BiA.
- Extremely low dispersion loss when turning turret and generally good accuracy on move.
- Engine has the highest horsepower in the game(1750), can push the wrecks of any tank with ease(except another Maus or Mauschen)
Cons:
- Somewhat low penetration for its tier, though insane gun handling, accuracy and APCR rounds typically makes up for it
- Huge shilouette and terrible camo values; priority target for SPGs.
- Very poor overall mobility, Extremely sluggish on hill.
- Lower plate needs to be angled or becomes a weakspot; unangled turret face can be reliably penned by 300+ pen premium ammo
Performance
When you think about the Maus, the first thing that comes to mind is armor. It is true that the Maus has impenetrable armor - if it doesn't show its weak face, that is. The worst thing about this tank is the frontal turret armor, particularly on the cheeks. Even the lower plate of this tank is not a real problem when angled, because it is a really small weakspot, especially from a distance. But you won't need to worry about this part of the tank because you'll only be sidescraping. In sidescraping, you can only be penetrated in two parts: frontal turret armor, and the sides if overangled, especially by HEATs. The world would be completely different for this tank if there wasn't gold ammunition in this game, but this is not true; once enemies load the gold, it is game over for the Maus. It cannot even trade effectively because turret rotation is slow, and that means that enemies will shoot you first on your face, and then retreat before you can retaliate. So what can the mighty Maus do after all?
Well, first look at the match-ups. When you are top tier, you can grab some popcorn and just kill everyone. Tier VIII tanks are pathetically weak against your armour, some even when they load gold. You have to take full advantage of these situations and be a bit aggressive, especially if the majority of the enemy heavies are low tier. You have an incredible amount of HP, so you don't really need to worry about taking a shot or two. Also, when equipped with a spall liner, this tank is surprisingly strong against artillery (trust me, you'll be eating a lot of those with your size). Artillery will deal from 100 to 500 damage if you are unlucky, but you can even absorb some shells, especially from the weaker arty like the french tier X. Additionally, the penetration of this gun in lower tier matches is not a problem at all. But remember to get cocky only when the situation allows you to: if you get too far ahead, you'll get flanked by the enemy mediums and regret your life choices.
So things look kind of pretty in low tier matches. What do you do though when you are matched against tier X? Well, this is where things get complicated...
Here armour won't help you at all. At first you will feel brave and go in the frontlines, hoping to sidescrape and bounce everything. Everything seems to go well, when suddenly, while you rotate your turret trying to aim a shot, the enemies load gold, you get penetrated in front of your turret, and your shot bounces as the enemy heads for cover. What is this situation? This is the normal situation, if the Maus decides to go in the front. Unlike the russian heavies that have literally impenetrable turrets, this tank cannot compete against them. With these facts, the Maus is practically kicked away from the frontline. In the old days this was not the case, but this is the new sad reality for the Maus. With improvisation, however, anything can happen.
You see, the gun of this tank is amazing. It handles incredibly well, aim time is excellent (almost the same as S. Conqueror), it is pretty accurate and allows for some great snapshots - you don't even need Vertical Stabilizer for this to happen. Alpha is good, even DPM is okay. The only bad thing is the penetration, but when you load the APCR, this gun turns into magic. So what options does this allow? One option is sniping. No, you shouldn't hide in the bushes like a TD, because it is like hiding an elephant in a room. What you should do is just fight from a distance. In large maps you can sit behind a big rock or wall and snipe enemies effectively. From a distance you won't be so easy to penetrate, especially by low velocity and low accuracy guns, while your accurate gun and high velocity APCR (if you load them) will be extremely effective from a distance. However when playing from a distance, that means you are not in a city most of the times. That means that you will become even more of a juicy target for the artillery. So always look at the match-up and plan carefully. If there is 3 artilleries and it is a tier X game, it is the worst situation for the Maus, but with good cover you can manage. Map knowledge is very helpful for the Maus.
After all this it should also be noted that going along with heavies is not a completely lost situation. In small maps like Himmelsdorf, you don't have much of an option anyway. You just need to be very patient; wait until enemies are occupied with your allies, make your shot and quicky hide your turret. Remember that with your cheeks covered, you still are impenetrable. Even HE will mostly be absorbed (except large caliber), especially when you equip the Spall Liner.
Close combat or brawling is where the Maus truly shines, if you're not worried about your hitpoints then simply charging towards the enemy (With teammates to support you) can be a surprisingly effective tactic, most enemy tanks will need cover to be truly effective with their own armour, out in the open you have the advantage since your armour and hitpoints will likely panic a caught out enemy, your weight will help you control the battle since you literally can't be pushed around, put your back to a wall at an angle and even those is-7s, obj 277s and other Russian tanks can be confused by a brawling Maus, they try to get around you from the front? Just ram them, even if they get past you just turn to mirror your original position, they'll have lost hit points for nothing AND you'll likely get a free shot. They try going behind you? trap them between the wall and you, do this right and they'll only be able to hit your side armour at an angle. They pull back to get a better shot? Put one in their lower plate while wiggling slightly, your gun won't be effected much by the movement and your weak points will be harder to hit.
As a final note, it is a good idea to experiment with the new equipment with this tank. For example, Improved hardening will give you the highest HP bonus out of any other tank, that is 300 extra hitpoints when equipped to the special slot. Improved Rotation Mechanism might alleviate (but not completely cure) the problem of the slow turret rotation. Trades might become a bit easier from close range, while snapshots will become even more effective. Finally, never forget the Spall Liner. The Maus gets the Superheavy Spall Liner which is the strongest, and since you have an enormous size, it is highly recommended you equip it, even in the special slot. Finally the Turbo charger gives you a huge boost in speed, meaning even the Maus can get up to more respectable speed.
Suggested Equipment
External Reviews and Opinions
Gallery
Historical Info
Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus was a German World War II super-heavy tank completed in late 1944. It is the heaviest fully-enclosed armored fighting vehicle ever built. Only one complete prototype was built before the testing grounds were captured by the advancing Soviet forces. That single complete prototype unit underwent trials in late 1944. It was 10.2 meters long, 3.71 meters wide, and 3.63 meters tall. Weighing 200 metric tons, the Maus' primary weapon was a 128 mm KwK 44 gun (55 calibers long barrel), based on the 12.8 cm Pak 44 anti-tank artillery piece, with a coaxial 75 mm gun. The 128 mm gun was powerful enough to destroy any enemy armored fighting vehicle at close or mid-range, and even some at ranges in excess of 3500 meters. The principal problem in development of the Maus was finding an engine powerful enough for its weight that could fit the tank. Though the design called for a maximal speed of 20 kilometers per hour, no available engine was able to accelerate the prototype to more than 13 kilometers per hour, even in perfect conditions. The weight of the tank also made it unable to cross most bridges, although it still could ford, or submerge and use a snorkel to get across a river.
Development history
The basic design known as the VK 100.01/Porsche Type 205 was presented to Adolf Hitler by Ferdinand Porsche in June 1942 and was subsequently approved. The design up to then had been the culmination of work done by Porsche, who had won the contract for the heavy tank that March. Work on the design began in earnest; the first prototype, to be ready in 1943, was initially christened Mammut (Mammoth). This was reportedly changed to Mäuschen (Little Mouse) in December 1942, and finally, to Maus (Mouse) in February 1943, which became the most common name for this tank. Its ordnance inventory designation was SdKfz 205.
From the very beginning Maus was designed to use the "electric transmission" design which Ferdinand Porsche had used in his unsuccessful attempt to win the production contract for the Tiger. The initial prototypes used a gasoline engine (the later ones were to use a diesel engine) that powered a massive electrical generator; together, they occupied the entire central rear two-thirds of the Maus' hull, thus disallowing direct access from forward driver's compartment in the hull to the turret. Each meter-wide track, which used the same basic "contact shoe" and "connector link" design format as the Henschel-built King Tiger, had its own electric motor mounted in the rear of the hull; the tracks had no mechanical connection to the internal combustion engine that powered the Maus. Due to the uniquely wide tracks used (1100 mm each), there was a narrow lengthwise "tunnel" inside the hull under and to the rear of the turret to house the engine and generator of the tank's power-train.
The amount of armor was substantial: the hull front was 220 mm thick; the sides and rear of the hull up to 190 mm. The turret armor was even thicker: up to 240 mm in the front and 220 mm on the sides and rear. The mantlet was 250 mm thick; combined with the turret armor behind it, the protection of that area was even greater.
The initial plan for the Maus called for the completion of the prototype by the summer of 1943, with monthly production scheduled to run at five vehicles per month once the prototype has been delivered. The work on the Maus would be divided between Krupp, responsible for the chassis, armament and turret, and Alkett, who would perform the final assembly.
The Maus tank was originally designed to weigh approximately 100 tons and be armed with a 128 mm main gun and a 75 mm co-axial secondary gun. Additional armament options were researched into, including various versions of 150 mm and 128 mm guns. In January 1943, Hitler himself insisted that the armament should consist of a 128 mm main gun with a coaxial 75 mm gun.
By May 1943, a wooden mockup of the final Maus configuration was completed and presented to Hitler, who approved it for mass production, ordering a first batch of 150. At this point, the estimated weight of the Maus reached 188 tons. However, an anecdote suggests that Hitler claimed that the 128-mm gun looked like a ´toy gun´ in comparison with the tank, demanding it to be replaced by a 150-mm gun.In his book Panzer Leader, Heinz Guderian writes: "On May 1, a wooden model of the Maus, a tank project of Porsche and Krupp, was shown to Hitler. It was intended to be equipped with a 150 mm gun. The total weight of the tank was supposed to reach 175 tons. It should be considered that after the design changes according to Hitler's instructions, the tank's weight would approach 200 tons. The model didn't have a single machine gun for close combat, and for this reason I had to reject it. It had the same design flaw that made the Ferdinand unsuitable for close combat. In the end, the tank will inevitably have to wage close-combat since it operates in cooperation with the infantry. An intense debate started, and except for me, all of the present found the "Maus" magnificent. It was promising to be exactly that, a "giant"".
Development work on the Maus continued, but in October 1943, Hitler cancelled the order, which was followed in November by the order to cease development of the Maus altogether, but to continue the construction of the prototypes.
Prototypes
V1
The first, turret-less prototype (V1) was assembled by Alkett in December 1943. Tests began the same month, complete with a dummy turret of the same weight as the real one. The principal problem with the Maus that were discovered in this test was its power-to-weight ratio. No existing engine was powerful enough to drive it at speeds anywhere near the 20 km/h demanded by the design specifications. The modified gasoline-fueled Daimler-Benz MB 509 engine used in the prototype was only able to propel it at 13 km/h, and only under perfect conditions. The suspension used by the Maus also had to be adjusted to enable it to bear the tank's weight. Another issue found was that the Maus was simply too heavy to cross bridges. As a result, an alternative system was developed, where the Maus would instead ford the rivers it needed to cross. Due to its size, it could ford relatively deep streams, but for yet deeper ones it had to submerge and drive on the bottom of the river. The solution required tanks to be paired up: a stationary Maus would supply electrical power to the crossing vehicle over a cable until it reached the other side. The crew would receive air through a large snorkel, long enough for the tank to submerge up to 13 meters.
V2
In March 1944, the second prototype, the V2, was delivered. It differed in many details from the V1 prototype. In mid-1944, the V2 prototype was fitted with a powerplant and the first manufactured Maus turret. This turret was fitted with a 128 mm KwK 44 L/55 gun, with coaxial 75 mm KwK 44 L/36.5 gun and a 7.92 mm MG34 for anti-aircraft armament. The V1 prototype was supposed to be fitted with the second manufactured turret, but this never happened. By July 1944, Krupp was in the process of manufacturing four more Maus hulls, but they were ordered to halt production and scrap these. Krupp ceased all work on it in August 1944. Meanwhile, the V2 prototype entered tests in September 1944, fitted with a Daimler-Benz MB 517 diesel engine, new electric steering system, and a Skoda Works-designed running gear and tracks. A special railroad car was made to transport the Maus prototypes. An anti-aircraft version of the Maus - the Flakzwilling 8.8 cm Auf Maus with two 88-mm guns in a special turret was being designed, but the project never left the blueprint stage.
Fate
The operational Maus prototypes remained at Kummersdorf and at the proving grounds in Böblingen. In the last weeks of the war, the V1 with the dummy turret was captured by the advancing Soviet forces in the vicinity of the western batteries of the Kummersdorf artillery firing grounds. It had been thought to be mechanically sabotaged by the Germans before abandoning it. Some sources state that the Panzerkampfwagen VIII saw combat while defending the facility at Kummersdorf, although the popular version is that it did not. The Soviet Commander of Armored and Mechanized troops ordered the hull of V1 to be mated with the turret of V2. The Soviets used six 18t German half-tracks to pull the 55-ton turret off the burned-out hull. The combined V1 hull/V2 turret vehicle was completed in Germany and sent back to the USSR for further testing. It arrived there on May 4, 1946. When further testing was completed, the vehicle was taken over by the Kubinka Tank Museum for storage where it is now on display. It appears that the capture of this prototype had little impact on post-war Soviet tank development. Soviet tank design continued to concentrate on maneuverability by strictly limiting size and weight. The next-generation Soviet tanks had similar levels of protection and armament: the IS-3 heavy tank was armed with a 122 mm gun, but weighed under 50 tons; the T-54 main battle tank, which entered production in 1947, provided 200 mm of frontal turret armor, 100 mm of frontal hull armor and a 100 mm main gun, while weighing in at slightly less than 40 tons.
Historical Gallery
Historical Accuracy Errata
The turret armor is thicker in-game than it is in real life, at 260mm in World of tanks rather than 240mm.
- Diesel engine is considerably more powerful than in reality, with 1750 hp compared to the historical 1200.
- Original Daimler-Benz MB 509 gasoline engine with 1080 hp is missing.
- Due to the lack of multi-gun controls in World of Tanks, the coaxial 7,5 cm cm Kw.K. 44 L/36.5 gun is merely cosmetic.