Dear Mechanics,
The month is about to end, and we haven't updated you on the progress of our work on Maus recently. The tank turned out to be a lot more challenging than we originally anticipated. The model itself needed a lot of improvements to the game engine and fixes to the existing build. We know that our community has high expectations for Maus, and we want to do everything to make this model one of our best.
As a result, we are forced to postpone the release of Maus without a specific date.
We have to ask you to be patient for a little while longer. We assure you that work is in full swing and we are not slowing down.
However, we want to show you a little bit of our work progress and a few historical facts about the upcoming vehicle:
Professor Porsche was dumbfounded when Hitler asked him for a 100-ton tank project, but he knew it wasn't impossible. Ultimately, he exceeded the requested tonnage, and the Maus was born.
A monstrosity on its own, the turret itself weighed more than the entire Panther tank! 189 tons of German steel were made in only two examples, and both were partially destroyed, only to be found by Soviets, put back together, and transported to Kubinka for tests and museum exhibition.
The monster was propelled by a derivate of the aerial DB 603 engine, the MB 509, producing a whopping 1080 horsepower, but don't let that gigantic number fool you. The Maus' top speed was a mere 20km/h, with 13km/h being the usual speed. It sported an interesting feature, being able to go in reverse at the same speed as forward, due to its electric drive.
The beast had a hard bite, using the 128mm KwK 44 gun, alongside a smaller, 75mm KwK 44 as well, mostly for rangefinding, and for destroying weaker targets. A standard issue MG34 was also in the turret. A 20mm AA was planned but scrapped.
For such weight, a sturdy double-bogie, helical spring suspension was chosen. Not as fancy as the torsion bars, but easier to fix and replace.
All in all, the monster was impressive, but very impractical, being slow, fuel-inefficient, and a very good target for allied bombers.
Thanks and have a good one!
DeGenerals
