Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 3:18 pm
Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun
With Germany fully committed to total war in Europe and Africa and seemingly holding all of the advantage heading into 1942, many new - sometimes outrageous - programs were green-lighted by authorities (including Hitler). One such creation was to become the Landkreuzer P.1500 "Monster" by the storied heavy guns concern of Krupp. While its sister project - the Landkreuzer P.1000 "Ratte" - proved a conventional "super-heavy" tank-in-the-making with its massive traversing turret, the P.1500 was to be more akin to a self-propelled, super-heavy artillery platform - perhaps more in common with the large railway guns the Germans held experience in building and using through both World Wars. It would certainly come in handy when attempting to dislodge stubborn Soviet forces entrenched within the vast Soviet Empire en route to Moscow.
In the end, the P.1500 became yet another of Germany's abandoned fantastical wartime projects, limited to the minds and drawing boards of a few far-reaching men. The expected powerplant arrangement might have not supplied the required propulsion to move such a large and heavy weapon within acceptable time frames and its large battlefield profile would have made it near-impossible to conceal from the air - let alone defend it from concentrated air attack. Logistically, the P.1500 was simply too large a development to be of any tactical use and transportation/relocation of the system would be problematic for the life of the vehicle. Its large crew would have required support from a collection of vehicles to provide ammunition and general supplies which added to its operational oil, fuel, and munitions usage as well as requiring the services of specially-trained personnel to commit to a myriad of jobs while on the platform. As such, all development on the P.1500 ceased during 1943 with little work on the project actually having been completed. The P.1500 joined the P.1000 in never seeing the light of day, even in prototype/pilot form.
Armament
The powerful nature of the 800mm main gun would allow the system to operate clear out of the range of enemy fire and deliver a formidable payload at distance - quite similar to the concept behind the Imperial German Army's "Paris Gun" of a World War before. Additionally, engineers considered a pair of 15-cm (150mm) sFH 18.1 L/30 field guns for shorter-range assailing to go alongside the 800mm weapon. The platform - should it come under direct attack from the air - was to be defensed by a network of 15mm MG151/15 series autocannons mounted about the giant structure. Armor protection was to reach 250mm (nearly 10 inches) thick across critical facings of the structure.
This Is pretty much a mobile Gustav Cannon with tank tracks
It's determined that the speed is 9mph
With Germany fully committed to total war in Europe and Africa and seemingly holding all of the advantage heading into 1942, many new - sometimes outrageous - programs were green-lighted by authorities (including Hitler). One such creation was to become the Landkreuzer P.1500 "Monster" by the storied heavy guns concern of Krupp. While its sister project - the Landkreuzer P.1000 "Ratte" - proved a conventional "super-heavy" tank-in-the-making with its massive traversing turret, the P.1500 was to be more akin to a self-propelled, super-heavy artillery platform - perhaps more in common with the large railway guns the Germans held experience in building and using through both World Wars. It would certainly come in handy when attempting to dislodge stubborn Soviet forces entrenched within the vast Soviet Empire en route to Moscow.
In the end, the P.1500 became yet another of Germany's abandoned fantastical wartime projects, limited to the minds and drawing boards of a few far-reaching men. The expected powerplant arrangement might have not supplied the required propulsion to move such a large and heavy weapon within acceptable time frames and its large battlefield profile would have made it near-impossible to conceal from the air - let alone defend it from concentrated air attack. Logistically, the P.1500 was simply too large a development to be of any tactical use and transportation/relocation of the system would be problematic for the life of the vehicle. Its large crew would have required support from a collection of vehicles to provide ammunition and general supplies which added to its operational oil, fuel, and munitions usage as well as requiring the services of specially-trained personnel to commit to a myriad of jobs while on the platform. As such, all development on the P.1500 ceased during 1943 with little work on the project actually having been completed. The P.1500 joined the P.1000 in never seeing the light of day, even in prototype/pilot form.
Armament
The powerful nature of the 800mm main gun would allow the system to operate clear out of the range of enemy fire and deliver a formidable payload at distance - quite similar to the concept behind the Imperial German Army's "Paris Gun" of a World War before. Additionally, engineers considered a pair of 15-cm (150mm) sFH 18.1 L/30 field guns for shorter-range assailing to go alongside the 800mm weapon. The platform - should it come under direct attack from the air - was to be defensed by a network of 15mm MG151/15 series autocannons mounted about the giant structure. Armor protection was to reach 250mm (nearly 10 inches) thick across critical facings of the structure.
This Is pretty much a mobile Gustav Cannon with tank tracks
It's determined that the speed is 9mph
