How Germany Built the Biggest Tanks of all Time
February 27, 2026
298,742
16,380
912
5.79%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
The Tank Museum Episodes Around February 27, 2026
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
15:09Now PlayingHow Germany Built the Biggest Tanks of all Time
Chapters
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelBy late 1943 Germany was losing the war...
They needed tanks, and lots of them, if they were going to wrestle back the initiative. Instead, they became obsessed with wonder weapons they hoped could change their fate
From the logistical paralysis of King Tiger, growing ever bigger and more unwieldy with the Maus, ultimately reaching the madness of the thousand tonne Ratte.
Like Augustus Gloop, German tank development in the Second World War greedily ate up more and more resources.
While an absolute boon for historians working at The Tank Museum, it made no logical sense…. What were they thinking?
This is the bewildering story of the “Super Heavies”
If you're seeing this, why not leave a comment telling us if you think any of the German super heavy tanks could have actually worked? Or, if you loved the video, give us a like!
Interested in learning about tanks? Subscribe to The Tank Museum and enjoy hours of FREE tank content at your fingertips. And if you're a real Tank Nut, why not consider becoming a channel member or joining our community on Patreon
Looking for some amazing gifts for the tank nut in your life? Shop our wide range of tank products at our online shop
This video features archive footage courtesy of British Pathé.
This video features:
Maus Model by Gerhald
Jagdtiger Model by Adipriatna
Ratte Model by Herdyn
German Soldier Model by Vrcvantorium
Stuka Plane Model by scorpion81
Photorealistic Bush Model by Adrian Sheremet
In this film, Paul Famojuro and James Donaldson step into the gigantic world of German tank development, and the pursuit of super heavy tanks. Instead of refining and beefing up their existing designs, the Germans would start again from scratch – coming up with some of the most bizarre and overblown ideas ever committed to paper. This obsession only served to use up time and resources that simply weren’t available – so what were they thinking?
Want to learn more about the German super heavy tanks of WWII? Here are some of the sources we used to make this film:
‘A Maus Tale’, Willey,
‘American Tanks and AFVs of WW2’, Green, 2018
‘Building a Tiger Tank’, Hudson,
‘German Tanks of WW2’, Gander and Chamberlain, 1975
‘Paper Panzers’, Panzer Tracts (20-1, 20-2), Doyle and Jentz, 2002
‘Red Army Tanks of World War II: A Guide to Soviet Armoured Fighting Vehicles’, Bean and Fowler, 2017
‘Super Heavy Tanks of WW2’, Estes, 2014
‘Tanks in Detail – Panzer VI Tiger I & II’, Gander, 2003
Support The Tank Museum!
Online Shop
Workshops Channel
#tankmuseum
Links & Promotions
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.