Below is a list of ten unique species of super-weapon designed in Germany during the Second world war. It is worth noting that most of them during the war were under development and almost no impact on its course.
10. Horten Ho IX
Horten Ho IX is an experimental jet plane developed in Germany, the Horten brothers during the Second world war under the program that received the popular name “1000-1000-1000” (the plane carrying the bomb load of 1,000 kg to a distance of 1,000 kilometres with a speed of 1000 km/h). Is the world’s first “flying wing” jet-propelled. Its first flight took place on 1 March 1944. All in all, had made six copies, but in the air rose only two. Horten Ho IX is included in the rating of the strangest aircraft of world war II.
9. Landkreuzer P. 1000 “Ratte”
Landkreuzer P. 1000 “Ratte” (Rat) — marking super-heavy tank weighing about 1000 tons, which were developed in Germany in 1942-1943 under the leadership of engineer Edward Grotte. In 1942 the project was approved by Adolf Hitler, but because of the lack of technology and equipment for production, the program was cancelled in early 1943 on the initiative of albert Speer. In the end, was never built even a prototype tank, the length of which the drawing would be 39 meters width — 14 meters, height — 11 m.
8. Dora
Dora railway cannon caliber 802 mm, which was used during the assault of Sevastopol in 1942 and the suppression of the Warsaw uprising in September — October 1944. Project development began in late 1930-ies at the request of Adolf Hitler. In 1941 the firm “Krupp” after the tests had built the first gun called “Dora”, after the wife of the chief designer. In the same year created the second “Fat Gustav”. Assembled Dora weighed around 1350 tonnes, it could shoot from a barrel 30 meters long shells weighing 7 tons, for a distance of 47 kilometers. The size of the crater after the explosion of a shell it was 10 metres in diameter and as many deep. Cannon was also able to penetrate reinforced concrete of a thickness of 9 meters. In March 1945, Dora was blown up.
7. V-3
V-3 (“Mechanic”, “hard-working Lieschen”) — mnogomernoi artillery gun developed in late world war II to destroy London, and thus to avenge the raids of the allied air forces on Germany. However, on 6 July 1944, when the gun was already almost ready, three British bombers broke through the German defenses and damaged the V-3. Gun system has suffered so much that it could not be restored.
This weapon was a length of 124 m and a weight of 76 tons. It had a caliber of 150 mm, and possessed a rate of fire up to 300 shots per hour. Projectile weight was 140 kg.
6. FX-1400
FX-1400 German radio-controlled bomb during the Second world war. Is the world’s first high-precision weapons. The bomb was developed in 1938 in Germany and was used from 1942 for the destruction of heavily armored targets such as heavy cruisers and battleships. The main idea of the project was the fact that the FX-1400 was dropped by a bomber from the height of 6000-4000 m at a distance of about 5 km from the target, allowing the aircraft is out of reach of anti-aircraft fire of the enemy. In all there were about 1,400 bombs, including test models. Its length was 3,26 m, weight — 4570 lbs.
5. V-2
V-2 world’s first ballistic missile, developed by German designer Werner von Braun. Was adopted in Germany at the end of the Second world war. The first launch took place in March 1942. The first battle launch — September 8 1944. All were produced in 4000 copies. Combat launches of missiles — 3225 mainly on targets in France, the UK and Belgium.
The maximum speed of flight V-2 rocket was up to 1.7 km/s, range reached 320 km missile Length of 14.3 m.
4. Panzerkampfwagen VIII “Maus”
In fourth place in the list of unique superweapon is the Third Reich Panzer VIII “Maus” — German heavy tank, designed between the years 1942-1945 by Ferdinand Porsche. Is the heaviest tank (188,9 tons) ever built. Total produced two instances, no participation in the fighting did not take. Remained in the world only one mouse, assembled from parts of both copies, which is now kept in the Museum of Armored in Kubinka, Moscow region.
3. The submarines of the type XXI
The submarines of the type XXI series of German diesel-electric submarines during the Second world war. Due to the late arrival, the service they did not affect the course of the war, however, until the mid 50-ies had considerable influence on postwar submarine shipbuilding. In the period from 1943 to 1945 in the shipyards of Hamburg, Bremen and Danzig in the process of construction were 118 boats of this type. In the fighting took part only two.
2. Messerschmitt Me.262
Messerschmitt Me.262 “Schwalbe” (“swallow”) — multi-German jet aircraft during the Second world war. Is the first production jet fighter in history. Its design began in October 1938 and was commissioned in June 1944 and at that time in many ways superior to traditional aircraft. For example, its speed was more than 800 km/h, which is 150-300 km/h faster than the fastest fighters and bombers. All were produced 1433 “swallows”.
1. Solar gun
Sun gun Sun gun) is a theoretical orbital weapon. In 1929, the German physicist Hermann Oberth developed a plan to create a space station consisting of a 100-meter mirror that would be used to reflect sunlight and focus it on enemy vehicles or any other object on Earth.
Later, during the Second world war, a group of German scientists on artillery ranges in Hillersleben the beginning of the creation of a superweapon that could utilize the sun’s energy. So-called “sun gun” theoretically it would be part of a space station located at an altitude of 8,200 km above the Earth’s surface. Scientists calculated that a huge reflector, made of sodium, with an area of 9 square miles, could produce enough focused heat to burn the whole city. During the interrogation in the United States, the German scientists claimed that the sun gun could be completed within the next 50-100 years.
