Panzerkampfwagen E-100

E-100
1:72 model based on the design
Type	Super-heavy tank
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Production history
Manufacturer	Henschel
Number built	1 partial prototype
Specifications
Weight	140 tonnes (154 short tons; 138 long tons)
Length	10.27 m (33 ft 8 in)
Width	4.48 m (14 ft 8 in)
Height	3.29 m (10 ft 10 in)
Crew	6
Armor	150–200 millimetres (5.9–7.9 in) (hull front) 120–150 millimetres (4.7–5.9 in) (hull sides and rear) 40 millimetres (1.6 in) (hull top) 40–80 millimetres (1.6–3.1 in) (hull bottom) 200 millimetres (7.9 in) (turret front) 80–150 millimetres (3.1–5.9 in) (turret sides and rear) 40 millimetres (1.6 in) (turret top)
Main armament	12.8 cm KwK 44 L/55 15 cm KwK 44 L/38, or 17.3 cm Kwk 44 (Note: the 17.3 cm Kwk 44 was only going to be mounted on the non-turreted tank destroyer like variant of the E-100)
Secondary armament	co-axial 75 mm KwK 44 L/36.5 7.92 mm MG34
Engine	23.1 L Maybach HL230 V-12 - prototype Maybach HL234 V-12 - proposed 700 hp (522 kW) 850 hp (634 kW)
Power/weight	4.52 hp/ton (prototype) 5.48 hp/ton (proposed)
Suspension	Belleville washer coil spring
Operational range	190 km (120 mi) (road)
Speed	40 km/h (25 mph)

The Panzerkampfwagen E-100 (Gerät 383) (TG-01) was a German super-heavy tank design developed near the end of World War II. It was to also be the basis for a heavy artillery system, an anti-aircraft vehicle, and a heavy tank destroyer. However, the development of these last was never started due to the end of World War II, by which time only the E-100's chassis was partially completed. It was shipped to the United Kingdom for testing, and was later scrapped.

Development

E-100 Chassis

The basic design was ordered by the Waffenamt as a parallel development to the Porsche Maus in June 1943. It was the heaviest of the Entwicklung (E) series of vehicles, meant to standardize as many components as possible. There was going to be an E-5, E-10, E-25, E-50, E-75 and finally the E-100.

In November 1942, Krupp suggested a design weighing 155 tons, compared to the 188 tons of the Maus - but still using the Maus turret. In December 1942, Krupp suggested a design weighing 130 tons which used many of the same components as the Tiger tank with Maus turret — referred to as the "Tiger-Maus". Weight savings were to be from thinner armour, and narrowing and shortening the vehicle.

British forces captured the prototype in 1945, shown here on a trailer.

In 1944 Hitler ordered the development of super heavy tanks to stop, work on the E-100 however continued at a very low priority with only three Adler employees available to assemble the prototype.

The prototype had a HL 230P30 engine and Olvar transmission fitted. The HL 230 was the same V-12 engine and that was used on the Tiger II and Panther tanks. It was suitable for the 45-tonne Panther, underpowered for the 70-tonne Tiger II, and grossly under-powered for a 140-tonne design. The chassis of the prototype was virtually completed however it lacked a turret that would have been fitted with the 15 cm KwK 44 gun. The final version was to be powered by an HL234 producing 850 hp mated to a Mekydro transmission. A 17 cm KwK 44 was proposed as the final armament. Suspension was to be the externally mounted Belleville Washer type. The hull had sloped armor, typical of post-1943 design. Wheels were overlapped, similar to the Tiger II and Panther tank, and no longer interleaved as with the Schachtellaufwerk suspension of the original Tiger I.

The first prototype was never completed and was found by the 751st Field Artillery Battalion of the American forces on the factory floor on April 22, 1945 in Bad Lippspringe, Germany. The partially completed vehicle was removed by the British Army for evaluation and then scrapped.

See also

• List of prototype World War II combat vehicles

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Chamberlain, Peter & Doyle, Hilary (1999) "Encyclopedia Of German Tanks Of World War Two"