Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun (2024)


Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun


Nazi Germany | 1942



"As with the overly optimistic Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte super tank, the Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster was cancelled before the project gained steam."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/25/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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.

Both projects were approved for development to fulfill a 1942 German Ministry of Armaments requirement. Like the P.1000, the P.1500 would come to nothing by war's end - canceled by then-Minister of Armaments Albert Speer as soon as 1943. Had it been completed, the P.1500 would of held limited battlefield value - its massive size restricting mobility across the varied terrain of the European countryside while also consuming much needed war material and manpower (operation of the vehicle would have required approximately 100 men).

At its core, the Landkreuzer P.1500 system would field a powerful 800mm K(E) main gun to be used primarily in countering fortified enemy positions. The primary armament was to be situated within a fixed superstructure which would have to be of considerable size and strength to carry the gun. The recoil equipment would be integral to the gun and its mounting hardware though have considerable tolerances for the forces at play. 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.

Article Continues Below Advertisement...

Of course one of the greatest challenges facing engineers of the project was to be the power required to propel the 46-ton beast. This led to the prospect of having 4 x MAN M9v 40/46 diesel engines mated to the specially-designed tracked hull - the same marine diesels powering German U-boat submarine classes. Each engine was rated with an output of 2,200 horsepower which resulted in an estimated maximum road speed of no more than 9 miles per hour (on ideal surfaces). Operational ranges, though never formally estimated, was sure to be very limited and cross-country travel impossible. Considering the nature of European roads of the time and its narrow bridges, the Monster would have had a tough go of it when on the march. Rail-based travel was a possible alternative but engineers were driven by a more flexible, self-propelled solution - particularly as greater strides were being made with ever larger tank developments of the war that included the fabled "Tiger" and "King Tiger" heavy tanks coming online.

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.

Other German super programs managed a more extended course - such as the super-heavy Panzerkampfwagen VIII "Mouse" tank - another of these famous secret mega-projects. Indeed it was manufactured in two examples (though one only partially) during 1944 but these vehicles only served to highlight the problems to be had in building extremely large and heavy tracked weapon systems. These pilot vehicles made her the largest enclosed armored combat vehicle ever produced in military history - one of the prototypes eventually falling to the invading Soviets in their advance on Germany.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun.

4 x MAN M9V 40/46 marine diesel engines developing 2,200 horsepower each.
Installed Power

9 mph
15 kph
Road Speed

31 miles
50 km
Range

Structure
The physical qualities of the Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun.

120
(MANNED)
Crew

137.8 ft
42 meters
O/A Length

59.1 ft
18 meters
O/A Width

23.0 ft
7 meters
O/A Height

3,400,000 lb
1,542,214 kg | 1,700.0 tons
Weight

Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun.

1 x 800mm K(E) railway main gun
2 x 15cm (150mm) sFH 18/1 L/30 field howizters
20 x 15mm MG151/15 autocannons

AMMUNITION:
Not Available.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Nightvision - NONE.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Protection (CBRN) - NONE.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster family line.

P.1500 - Base Project Series Designation

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 0 Units

Contractor(s): Krupp - Nazi Germany

[ Nazi Germany (cancelled) ]

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to battlefield requirements.

FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING

SPECIAL PURPOSE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Going Further...
The Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun appears in the following collections:

HOME ARMOR INDEX ARMOR BY COUNTRY VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS COMPARE VEHICLES VEHICLES BY CONFLICT VEHICLES BY TYPE VEHICLES BY DECADE X-TANKS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2025 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks U.S. DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols US 5-Star Generals WW2 Weapons by Country

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes Global Firepower, WDMMA.org, WDMMW.org, and World War Next.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)

Krupp Landkreuzer P.1500 Monster Super-Heavy Self-Propelled Gun (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Aron Pacocha

Last Updated:

Views: 6484

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (68 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Aron Pacocha

Birthday: 1999-08-12

Address: 3808 Moen Corner, Gorczanyport, FL 67364-2074

Phone: +393457723392

Job: Retail Consultant

Hobby: Jewelry making, Cooking, Gaming, Reading, Juggling, Cabaret, Origami

Introduction: My name is Aron Pacocha, I am a happy, tasty, innocent, proud, talented, courageous, magnificent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.