From the moment I first went to the battlefields of heavy armored vehicles, hereinafter called the tanks, work on their improvement never stops.This is best seen when we remember the greatest tanks.In the world, along with successful examples are widely known and commercially manufactured, were archaic design, do not conform to the spirit of the time, complex projects that bring the metal to be economically and technically very difficult.
best tanks in the world produced by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, which had been the major opponents during the Second World War.It should be noted that the painful weakness of Adolf Hitler to the giant ships, planes and tanks served as a catalyst for activity designers.In many leading countries also had their own experience, but most of them do not even moved beyond the initial design.
Now most of the developed models can be viewed only as a curiosity, but then they threatened to blow up the whole world.Tanks then and now are seen as the main strike force of any ground force troops, equally effective in both offensive and defensive operations.However, look at the main contenders for the role of leaders of armored forces.
Landkreuzer R1500 «Monster» was created as a super-heavy tank, planned for the 800-millimeter gun Dora, with a range to engage targets up to 37 kilometers and the weight of the projectile 7 tons, as well as two 150-millimeter howitzers SFH18 and a large number of small-caliber anti-aircraft guns.The total weight of the gun, along with installation assumed to 2,500 tons.The main reasons for refusal to produce "monster" were the following: inability to road transport, the greater vulnerability of the air raid (hide such a machine is simply impossible) and a huge fuel consumption when operating four engines similar to those used on submarines of type VIII.
Slightly smaller project was Landkreuzer R1000 «Ratte» (rat), the weight of which was envisaged within the 900-1000 tonnes, with a length of 39 meters and a height of 11 meters.In a planned installation of a tower of a converted ship battleship with two guns caliber 180 mm anti-aircraft machine guns and twenty placed around the body.Estimated crew size was determined in 100 people.
largest tanks in the world, saw the light of the built in the Third Reich.One of them is the Panzer VIII «Maus».Its weight is many times higher than any of the mass-produced heavy tank Germany, the USSR, the United Kingdom or the United States, accounting for more than 180 tons.Armament "mouse" includes one 128-millimeter and one 75-mm cannon.Design was completed in 1942 Sereda.It started production, however, until after the war was completed only 2 of the prototype that captured Soviet units.In the future, they dismantled and transported trophy teams in the USSR, one of the machines and is now on display in Kubinka.
FCM F1 project was the hardest and biggest tank of non-fascist origin.However, the defeat of France, the specimen was not built.His equipment provided for guns caliber 90 and 47 mm, and 6 guns.French designers have included the possibility of rail transport means, and weight and size parameters are as follows: length - 10-11 m, width - 3 m, weight - up to 140 tons.
British designers who worked on the creation of infantry support vehicles also develop this theme, they created their own designs.It's not the biggest tanks in the world, but quite exotic.So, in 1941, it was built a prototype tank TOG2 weighing 80 tons, but due to the archaic and complicated design, and artillery weapons of the weak, work on it had been frozen.Another machine was the A39, having a weight of 78 tons and a 96 mm cannon, which also did not go to a series of employment factories manufacturing tank "Churchill".
was developed in the USSR three-turret KV-5 (or "Object 225").Because of the war in the project have been made of the changes associated with the need to reduce the cost and improve the service.The works were carried out on the sample at the Leningrad plant named after SMKirov.In connection with the release of the enemy threat to the city in the late summer of 1941, the project was abandoned, and the forces thrown at the completion of the KV-1.The weight of the tank provided 100 tons, the main weapons - gun ZIS-6 107 mm, three machine gun 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm.
created in different countries, the largest tanks in the world often have a futuristic look, but the ability to combat the use of extremely limited, and now most of them can only be seen in the images, as well as in computer games.
