The Lion tank is not the German doomsday tank of World War II, and the project may continue without the Tiger King tank.

Although Germany launched a heavy tank development project two years before World War II, according to the German tank plan, the next-generation tank should be a "heavy tank" with a 75mm gun and weighing about 40 tons; wait until World War II Less than two years after the start, Germany began the development of the "Lion" heavy tank, and its weight soared to 70 to 90 tons. Finally, the new super heavy tank project was terminated.

Warning from the battlefield

The reason why the Germans are determined to develop heavy and super heavy tanks is mainly due to various opponents on the battlefield. During the Battle of France, the German army saw the British Matilda infantry tank, the French B1 heavy tank and the old heavy tank such as Shire 2C.

On the Soviet-German battlefield, the Germans were continuously hit by Soviet new-style T-34s and KV-1s. Fortunately, the initial number was too small to play a decisive role. In addition to the Soviet T-35 and These multi-turret monsters like T-28 were also overwhelmed by the Germans.

In contrast, the Germans had No. 1 to No. 4 tanks at the beginning of World War II, plus the 35T and 38T tanks made in the Czech Republic. Although the performance was balanced and reached the original design intention, it was unable to compete with the heavyweights of the world. The tanks compare high and low. This situation deeply stimulates the head of state. He eagerly hopes that Germany will also have a few heavy tanks that can withstand everything.

The light and heavy "Lion" type

The specific design of the "Lion" heavy tank was formed after referring to the T-35 captured from the Soviet Army. According to the assumption, this heavy tank should It is a tank equipped with a 150 mm caliber gun or 105 mm long barrel gun, traveling at about 40 kilometers per hour and weighing about 90 tons.

Although Krupp has invested a lot in this project, it also recognizes that it is not easy to develop such a heavyweight tank. The biggest trouble is that there is no suitable engine and reliable transmission and transmission mechanism. , So the "Lion" style actually has two models, light and heavy.

The heavy "Lion" type weighs 90 tons and uses a conventional center turret. The main gun is an L/70 105mm artillery, but the head of state prefers to use a 150mm caliber tank gun; in terms of armor protection, the tank The increased weight is mostly used for this, and the frontal armor thickness reaches 120 mm; however, the increased weight allows the tank to travel at a maximum speed of only 23 kilometers per hour, which is still envisaged.

The light "Lion" type weight is reduced to about 76 tons, the turret is arranged behind, the main gun is still an L/70 105mm gun, the front armor is reduced to 100mm, and the driving speed Increase to 27 kilometers per hour.

Of the above two schemes, the head of state certainly prefers the heavy "Lion" type. He began to directly interfere with the development of the tank and required the frontal armor to be increased to 140 mm. In spite of the opposition of the Krupp company's designers, it must be installed. A 150mm gun, and the Porsche team will be added to the project. After the efforts of two large teams, they changed the turret to a rear-mounted turret of the light "Lion" type. They barely packed the artillery into the turret, but it could not be used normally. The total weight of the tank rose to 120 tons, which is practical. Almost 0. In order to prevent the project from aborting, Krupp’s designers shortened the barrel of the L/61 128mm gun and used it as the main gun of the tank. This way the tank finally has a little practical significance. This solution is the famous VK7201( K).

In addition to the main gun and armor debate, designers also have to consider many things. It has been unable to find a suitable engine for power. They even considered installing a 1000-horsepower 20-cylinder Mercedes-Benz engine, which is mainly used in torpedo boats. Later, the designer took a fancy to Maybach’s HL 230 P30 12-cylinder gasoline engine, which is much smaller in size and more suitable for tank use, but the power output is only 800 horsepower, with an average of about 8 horsepower/ton, which can maintain basic flexibility.

The end of the "lion" project

may be the insistence of Krupp designers. They always believe that the light "lion" style is more practical and effective. From the design index, it is indeed similar to the later Tiger King. The designers are also committed to the two. This kind of thinking makes the head of state a little annoyed.

In 1942, Dr. Porsche, a close friend of the head of state, submitted to the head of state another plan for a super-heavy tank with electric transmission, which was later the "rat" type. Let’s not say anything else, at least The head of state recognized Dr. Porsche’s love for super heavy tanks. In July of the same year, Krupp’s "Lion" project was discontinued.

Although the "Lion" type failed to successfully get off the assembly line, through research on it, both Krupp and Porsche teams have accumulated some design experience in heavy and super heavy tanks. Although the "Lion" style is for super heavy tanks, the light "Lion" is obviously more practical. It is similar to the Tiger King. If the head of state allows the light "Lion" style to continue, it may appear on the battlefield in the late World War II. It is not the tiger king, but the "lion" style.

"Lion" style failure is multifaceted, and the technical aspect is the main reason, followed by the blind command of the head of state. With the technical force of the time, it was originally a big problem to build a tank with a capacity of 70 tons or more while taking into account factors such as mobility, reliability and protection. There are not many countries that can be completed today; It's difficult, and the Führer insists on going his own way, adding to the difficulty. Even if such a project continues, it will end up in a dead end just like the doomsday super heavy tank projects in the later period.