The E-100 was the heaviest vehicle in the Entwicklungsfahrzeug series. Prior to the design being proposed, Krupps suggestion for a Panzerkampfwagen "Löwe" (with a weihgt on about 70-90 t.) had been turned down. Krupp became aware of Porsches design for the Panzerlampfwagen "Maus" (at that time known as the Typ 205), as they were contracted to deliver the turret to the vehicle.
In 1942-11, Krupp suggested a 155 t. Panzer (as oposed to the 188 t. of the Maus), with the same turret as the Maus. Later, on 1942-12-18, Krupp sugested another vehicle. This used many of the same components as the Tiger, as well as the turret of the Maus - hence, Tiger-Maus. This vehicle was, however, 25 tons lighter; 130 t. This was done by using thinner armour, narrowing the vehicle, as well as shortening the entire vehicle with 88 cm.
Despite the vehicles advantages to the Maus, which can be seen by comparing the Maus technical data table to that of the E-100, Hitler decided to go ahead with the Maus on 1943-01-03. There is no apparent explanation to this, but possibly, Hitler did not like that Krupp designed a vehicle by themselves when another company already had the contract. Although Hitler favoured the Maus, Oberbaurat Kniepkamp obtained permission from Waffenprüfung 6 to go ahead with the Tiger-Maus, under the name of E-100, as a part of the Entwicklungfahrzuege series. It is at this occation that the name changes from Panzerkampfwagen Tiger-Maus to E-100. There were some modifications to the original design, such as mounting a double external coil spring suspension. The Maus turret was still to be used.
The company Adler was chosen to design the vehicle - a company with no experience what-so-ever in the field of heavy vehicles. Their work began by the end of 1943-06, and they did not comple the hull until 1944-05. By then, however, the Maus series had been cancelled, and there were no turret to be fitted on the hull. Therefore, it was left at the factory near Paderborn, where it was found in 1945-03.
The E-100 was one of the heaviest vehicles to be initiated. The vehcile itself did have more potential than the Maus, but on the other hand, the time, effort and especially raw materials and money used on both vehicles had been much better spend elsewhere. The heavy armour would have protected it very well against enemy ground attacks, but the 40-60 mm. armour on the top would still have been vulnerable to Alied rockets - one place where the Maus was better than the E-100.
| Physical specifications | |
|---|---|
| Length (without gun) | 8.6 m. |
| Width | 4.48 m. |
| Height | 3.32 m. |
| Weight | 140 t. |
| Engine | Maybach HL 230 P30 12-cylinder water cooled 23 l. gasoline |
| Horse powers | 600 @ 2,500 rmp. |
| Crew |
|
| Armour | 40-250 mm. |
| Armament | |
| Main gun | 12,8 cm Kw.K.80 L/55 |
| Ammunition storage | 75 |
| Secondary guns |
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| Ammunition storage |
|
| Performance | |
| Maximum speed | 23 km./h. |
| Range (on road) | 160 km. |
| Range (cross country) | 100 km. |
| Fuel capacity | 2,050 l. |
| Fuel usage (on road) | 12.81 l./km. |
| Fuel usage (cross-country) | 20.5 l./km. |
| Fording | 1.65 m. |
| Step climbing | 0.85 m. |
| Climbing, degrees | 35° |
| Trench crossing | 2.9 m. |
| Ground pressure | 1.4 kg./cm2 |
