Maus tank vs. HMS Inflexible

[Sea Skimmer]

The worlds largest tank vs. the worlds most heavily armored warship. Inflexible has all guns loaded and a full crew, while steam is raised she starts stationary. The Maus also has guns loaded and her crew, but is also stationary. The opening range is 50 meters with the Maus's frontal arc facing the broadside of the Inflexible.

The area is flat, with no place for the tank or battleship to hid.

[Montcalm]

I made my vote the boat will sink.

[MKSheppard]

The worlds largest tank vs. the worlds most heavily armored warship.

Maus wins since Inflexible has:

24" compound iron
backed by 17" of teak

IRON armor, not STEEL.

[Sea Skimmer]

The worlds largest tank vs. the worlds most heavily armored warship.

Maus wins since Inflexible has:

24" compound iron
backed by 17" of teak

IRON armor, not STEEL.

However the Maus is going to be hit by a sledgehammer of four sixteen-inch shells. The crew will not be in good shape, even if the armor holds and doesn't rip them apart with spalling.

[Frank Hipper]

[Mr. Show]As Mayor of The Altered States of Drugachusets, I declare this poll to be AWESOME![/Mr. Show]

Inflexible wins. An armour piercing 5 inch shell could possibly penetrate 24 inches of iron, but the teak backing is going to absorb a LOT of blast.
Inflexible was built before the advent of AP shells, but four tons of shell impacting on Maus is going to hamburgerify the crew.

[Companion Cube]

I vote that Inflexible wins...

[Stuart Mackey]

Inflexible wins
Tank crew are pudding

[MKSheppard]

However the Maus is going to be hit by a sledgehammer of four sixteen-inch shells. The crew will not be in good shape, even if the armor holds and doesn't rip them apart with spalling.

*beats up the Great Leader*

You mentioned that the Maus' frontal arc is facing to the
BROADSIDE of the Inflexible, which only is 2 guns.

[Zoink]

Assuming the Inflexible will take longer to perform the orders "Aim" and "Fire", the Maur will fire first. Possibly taking out the Inflexible's turret:

I go with the Maur.

[Frank Hipper]

However the Maus is going to be hit by a sledgehammer of four sixteen-inch shells. The crew will not be in good shape, even if the armor holds and doesn't rip them apart with spalling.

*beats up the Great Leader*

You mentioned that the Maus' frontal arc is facing to the
BROADSIDE of the Inflexible, which only is 2 guns.

*beats up MKSheppard*

Inflexible had a broadside of FOUR guns. Her turrets were en echelon, which provided ahead, and broadside fire on limited arcs.

[Howedar]

Inflexible has far greater capacity to absorb damage. It wins.

[Boba Fett]

The worlds largest tank vs. the worlds most heavily armored warship. Inflexible has all guns loaded and a full crew, while steam is raised she starts stationary. The Maus also has guns loaded and her crew, but is also stationary. The opening range is 50 meters with the Maus's frontal arc facing the broadside of the Inflexible.

The area is flat with no space for the tank or battleship to hid.

Have to vote for the Maus!

Those guns in the turrets of the Inflexible can't target the Maus at 50 meters. They can't lower the cannons that much.

[Frank Hipper]

Have to vote for the Maus!

Those guns in the turrets of the Inflexible can't target the Maus at 50 meters. They can't lower the cannons that much.

They most certainly could lower the cannons that much. Inflexible was armed with muzzle loading guns, which were loaded by depressing the guns into a special raised glacis directly forward of the starboard turret and aft of the port turret. These don't show on the lousy Conway's artwork I posted.
Theoretically, Inflexible could fire into her own deck, so a target 50 meters away is NO problem.

[Boba Fett]

Have to vote for the Maus!

Those guns in the turrets of the Inflexible can't target the Maus at 50 meters. They can't lower the cannons that much.

They most certainly could lower the cannons that much. Inflexible was armed with muzzle loading guns, which were loaded by depressing the guns into a special raised glacis directly forward of the starboard turret and aft of the port turret. These don't show on the lousy Conway's artwork I posted.
Theoretically, Inflexible could fire into her own deck, so a target 50 meters away is NO problem.

Thanks Frank!

That solved the case...

[Frank Hipper]

Thanks Frank!

That solved the case...

When it comes to pre-WWII ships, I am THE man!

(edit) And I'm slipping in my old age.....
Shep, you DO know what compound armour is, right? A layer of STEEL with iron backing. Don't believe I let that one go.....

[Boba Fett]

The whole situation reminded me the Swordfish attack on the Bismarck.
The one that managed to make his run against the rudder flew below the min. level of the AA guns.

I didn't think those guns on the Inflexible were muzzle-loaded.

[K. A. Pital]

Maus wins. The Germans have the first shot due to training.

[Stuart Mackey]

Maus wins. The Germans have the first shot due to training.

And the Brit sailors are not trained?

[Sea Skimmer]

However the Maus is going to be hit by a sledgehammer of four sixteen-inch shells. The crew will not be in good shape, even if the armor holds and doesn't rip them apart with spalling.

*beats up the Great Leader*

You mentioned that the Maus' frontal arc is facing to the
BROADSIDE of the Inflexible, which only is 2 guns.

*Drops anvil on Sheppard*

Know what cross deck firing is?

[Sea Skimmer]

Have to vote for the Maus!

Those guns in the turrets of the Inflexible can't target the Maus at 50 meters. They can't lower the cannons that much.

Where going to assume the pier is raised somewhat above the current tide, otherwise the Maus shells would likely go high as well.

[jegs2]

Depends on which has the better targeting system, and also depends on whether the tank can move from behind a berm, accurately fire, and move back behind the berm in time to avoid incoming fire. The ship won't be able to move behind a berm, so if the tank scores enough hits or a hit in a critical area, then it wins, and the ship becomes fish food. If the tank is too slow and the ship's gunners accurate, then the tank becomes a smouldering pillbox, full of charred remains.

[Frank Hipper]

Maus wins. The Germans have the first shot due to training.

And the Brit sailors are not trained?

Guessing the time of service entrance for the Maus, the Volksturm must have pretty impressive training!

[Pablo Sanchez]

Maus wins. The Germans have the first shot due to training.

And the Brit sailors are not trained?

Guessing the time of service entrance for the Maus, the Volksturm must have pretty impressive training!

Klaus: Duh, hey, Gustav! Load the main gun.

Gustav: *puff* *puff* I can't lift the round.

Klaus: What?

Gustav: Whaddya expect, I'm fourteen years old!

Klaus: Well, our driver is a narcoleptic, so we can't flee.

*BOOM*

[Howedar]

If the tank is too slow

For the record, we are talking about a Maus, king of the German super-heavies. The question is somewhat moot.

[Perinquus]

The Maus was never actually built, except as a wooden mock up. It could certainly never have been mass produced, and if it could have been completed according to specs, it would have had a top speed of 12 miles per hour and a weight of 188 tons! It would have cracked pavement, collapsed bridges, and sunk into any but the hardest ground deeply enough to get stuck. The King Tiger, at only 68.65 tons was already experiencing some of these problems to a limited degree. The Maus, at more than twice the weight, would have been far too heavy and slow to be of the slightest use on the battlefield.

In this case, I think the thing would be a sitting duck for the Invincible.