Could Panzer VIII Maus Stood A Chance Against M1A1 Abrams?

Long before the mighty American Abrams graced the modern battlefield, a handful of ridiculously oversized tanks had been designed in hopes of overtaking enemy frontlines—among which was Germany’s super-heavy tank ironically called Maus (“mouse”) that almost took over World War II if only its mass production advanced before the end’s war. Almost.

The Nazi Germans developed the Panzer Maus, an absurdly massive tank that continues to be the heaviest ever designed and built to this day, weighing an enormous 188 tonnes (188,000 kg). That’s nearly three and a half times the weight of a modern 62-tonne M1A1 Abram.

While pitting these two juggernauts against each other seems impractical, given that they were created at different times and equipped with various technological advancements, let’s set that one fact aside and say hypothetically, these two came face-to-face: Could the behemoth Maus stand a chance against the American beast?

The Late WWII Contender

The idea of the Panzer Maus came about amid the German forces struggling to keep hold of its invaded territories against the Soviet Union, who, around this time, managed to increase its firepower and arsenal in the frontline beginning in 1942. To keep up, the aggressors recognized the need for a matching, if not more dreadful, tank capable of penetrating heavily fortified enemy positions.

Shortly after hearing about the behemoth, Nazi Leader Adolf Hitler ordered three German manufacturers for the production of the Maus, issuing a separate directive to Porsche (responsible for the tank’s overall design), Krupp (armor and armaments), and Alkett (component assembly) in early 1943. With defeat looming over the German forces, Hitler was adamant that the mass production of the tank should soon begin, preferably by the end of that year, and expected to be delivered to troops at a rate of at least ten tanks per month.

However, due to its massive size, it encountered numerous issues. To begin, getting the enormous tank onto the battlefield was nearly impossible as it could not traverse routes that involved crossing a bridge because it was so heavy that it could not drive over without collapsing them beneath its sheer weight. The Germans attempted to resolve this predicament by proposing that the tank would have to go underwater to cross the bridge and for the crew to prop up a snorkel-looking extension to pump air into the main cabin, which was insanely ridiculous.

This, along with many other unresolved technical issues, resulted in further delays in mass production of the tank and eventually its suspension when Germany surrendered.

Maus Against M1A1 Abrams

After numerous tweaks and upgrades, the final version of Panzer VIII Maus featured a 128mm (5 in) main gun capable of destroying any enemy tank from a distance of 3.2 kilometers (approximately 2 miles). It also had a 75mm (3 in) cannon for infantry support and one machine gun as secondary weapons. The armor was 250mm (9.8 in) steel armor plating on the front, 200 mm on the sides (7.9 in), and 80mm (3.1 in) on the roof. Once deployed to the battleground, the Maus was intended to be operated by six men.

In contrast, the M1A1 Abrams has a 120mm (4.7 in) smoothbore gun capable of taking down enemy tanks up to 4 km (2.5 mi) and three secondary machine guns (with an optional fourth) around its body. As for its armor, the American tank is known as one of the most protected tanks in the world, featuring an advanced composite armor cushioned with depleted uranium mesh. It could save the four-person crew from gunfire and shield them from most known anti-tank missiles thanks to its add-on explosive reactive armor.

It should be noted that the five in-round fired by the Maus weighed 62 pounds and were traveling at more than 3,000 ft per second. That is a lot of mass and inertia in a tank round. It may not be enough to punch a hole in the frontal armor of an Abrams, but the impact would probably knock the crew off their pins for a few moments.

The gun on the Abrams is tough, rugged, and capable of punching through up to 21 inches of modern RHA steel armor at 2,000 yards. In other words, the 120mm round from the Abrams would probably pass through both sides of the Maus and keep going.

Armor-wise, the M1A1 already has an advantage and could withstand the 128mm shells of Maus, at least for a couple of rounds. In terms of their magazines, however, the Maus has a slight upper hand with 68 rounds of ammunition compared to Abram’s ~40. As a result, the loading of the Abrams gun would be much faster than we expected. The American tank has a distinct advantage in mobility, though, making speeds of up to 30 mph off-road, while the Maus could barely move its heft to 10 mph. There is some question as to whether it even had the torque to climb the grade of a low hill.

M1 Abram tank — M1 Abrams Tank, 1986 (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

And before the Maus crew knows what’s coming for them, the Abram has already locked into its target with its panoramic and thermal sights in a day, night, or even fog to lock on to the towering hulk of the Maus. The Abrams is among the first tanks in the world to be equipped with hunter-killer engagement capability, meaning as the gunner aims and fires at its initial target, the tank commander has moved on to their next hunt.

Big boy Maus needed a powerful engine to maneuver around the rough terrains. Maybach initially offered Porsche a supercharged V-12 engine capable of generating up to 1,000 horsepower. However, after the Maybach machine turned out to be just a pipe dream, the lead manufacturer opted for the vehicle version of the then-newest Daimler-Benz 603 aircraft engine, dubbed the MB 503A. It has a 44.5-liter V-12 petrol engine capable of generating up to 1,080 horsepower and a diesel engine alternative capable of producing about 1,000 hp.

M1A1 2004 — M1A1 Abram tank deployed in Iraq, 2004 (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Meanwhile, M1A1 has been outfitted with an Avco Lycoming (now Honeywell) AGT1500 gas turbine engine capable of developing around 1,500 hp and has been made to run on any grade of petrol, diesel, kerosene or even with aviation fuel. So, despite its size and weight, the US-built tank is agile and quick compared to other tanks. Its engine is also notable for its quietness, earning a battlefield alias, the “Whispering Death.”

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On so many levels, it is evident who is the definite victor here, given that the German Maus has been obsolete—didn’t even get into action—. In contrast, the American Abrams is advanced and proven in terms of its battlefield abilities.

Nonetheless, had production started a few years earlier for the Maus, the chances of it being able to evolve from its original design into an ogre on the battlefield are pretty possible. The Maus could just run over and crush the American Sherman tank, which weighed less than just the turret on the Maus. Fortunately for the world, the German super tank didn’t become the tank it planned to be.