Maus v. Hellcats near Dusseldorf?

I came across this incredulous quote during some late night reading on Wikipedia. I've never heard of this before and a quick Google search turns up nothing. Does anyone know anything about this?

Based on what I read about the source (a book entitled "Hellcats don't leak oil, they mark their territory!") I'm calling BS on this claim but thought I'd check here before rendering final judgement.

 

"According to one account" also sounds like a rumor to me . I've never heard of this and did not find a single clue or source either.

 

I support that approach

 

The claim is almost certainly false.

The two known prototypes were at the Kummersdorf testing ground in the latter half of 1944 both Maus prototypes arrived at Kummersdorf for testing after final assembly of the turret and chassis at F. Krupp.

V1 conducted a number of trials between January and October 1944, mostly carrying a striped camouflage scheme and a Soviet hammer and sickle emblem for deception purposes. At the start no turrets had been completed so the tests were conducted with a 55 ton weight in place of the turret. V2 arrived at Böblingen on 1 March but had still not received its engine and so was towed off its train wagon by V1. V1 was moved to Kummersdorf, just south of Berlin, for further trials in October, soon after followed by V2.
As the war came to a close plans were made to produce 150 Maus tanks. However Maus V1 and V2 remained the only completed vehicles. Six hulls and turrets were found by the British at the Krupp testing ground at Meppen, and two hulls and three turrets by the Americans in the Krupp factory at Essen. The precise state of V1 and V2 at the end of the war is not known.

As the front approached nearer and nearer to the testing facility, both Maus tanks were sent out to engage the approaching Soviets. The vehicles were approaching Wünsdorf (crossing what is now highway 96) when V1 was disabled because of damage to the drive mechanism. This vehicle was later captured by the Red Army. The second Maus was dispatched to Berlin for its defence but broke down at Stamplager, near Zossen. It was blown up by its crew to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. It did not see any combat.

A large number of photographs have been published showing V2 undergoing trials at Kummersdorf (though some sources say Böblingen) mounting a completed turret. Some sources indicate that V1 was also completed, but others state that it was probably still mounting the test turret (which would explain the extra turret at Essen).





Although the area is relatively near to the Krupp Factory in Essen, Julich being on the other side of Dusseldorf, it is nowhere near the testing ground in Meppen. They had obvious difficulties getting engines for anything, never mind their prototypes.

 

Sounds like a latrine rumor to me.

Considering the fact that the Allies had quite a collection of captured German armor, of which several pieces were sent Stateside for testing. I find it incredulous that the Maus would have been left "buried", and not extracted for inspection and testing.

 

I have nothing to add of insight . It has been completely covered in postings. Most likely BS.

 

On a related note... I give you the Haunebu III.

 

It's actually more reasonable than my first interpretation. Showing my Pacific focus I was wondering why/when navy fighters were flying ground attack missions in Germany ....

 

I desire that poster on my wall, GS.
With the caption- "I want to believe".

 

I think you mean Hollatabull.

 

Hey, the FAA received 1,200+ F6F Hellcats through Lend-Lease. No one said that they were American Hellcats.

Although, I'll admit that when I read the topic, I thought what effect .50 cal rounds, 5-inch rockets, and some bombs would have on a Maus.

 

I also find the story somewhat suspicious. I read through the docs on the TD website and found nothing to substantiate the story other than the 634th being in that vicinity in Feb-Mar 1945 while attached to the 83d Division.

IMO, the least credible part of the story is the bulldozer operator getting a DSC for filling a hole in the ground.

 

I like wiki but my feelings on it are: If it's something well known wiki isn't bad. If it is something rare or odd it's a good source of sources (and search terms) but tread lightly as far as the contents go.

 

Maybe not Germany, but Hellcats flying from escort carriers did support the Dragoon landings. Actually it's something I'm a bit curious about - they flew from HMS Emperor, a C3 cargo hull type, and USS Tulagi and Kasaan Bay of the Casablanca class. In the US Pacific Fleet, those classes only operated F4F/FMs as fighters; F6Fs were restricted to the larger Sangamon and Commencement Bay classes. Was this just different preferences between theaters or navies, or was there more to it?

 

But if they are FAA they are still navy fighters aren't they?

If the Maus were in the Med I wouldn't have thought much more about it.

As for the F6Fs from short decks they likly couldn't take off or tried not to take off with a full load. Not too critical in the Med where they wouldn't be called on to fly escort in really long range attacks. Someone probably will come up with the official answer now that I've given them a target though.

 

There was a cold war urban legend that some barracks were built over secret garages containing WW2 tanks. Sometimes old soldiers knew a man who knew a man who fell in to one of these.. Maybe the Bulldozer explains how they got there...

The FAA used F4U and F6F in the Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. One of the biggest operation was Operation Tungsten a strike on the Tirpitz.
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/rollofhonour/Battlehonour_crewlists/Tirpitz_operationTungsten_april1944.html
These strikes were opposed by the Luftwaffe and there was air to air combat between FM2, F4U and F6F against Fw190s and Me109s

 

There's actually a thread floating around the forum about that topic specifically. IIRC, it was about F4F Wildcat/Martlets and got into the F6F for sure, and I think the F4U, but not 100% sure on the latter.

 

There were no Maus v. Hellcats near Dusseldorf. Only Myths ... I am wondering that there was no tank-commander who reported that he knocked a Maus ...

Source: Thomas L. Jentz - Panzer Tracts No. 6-3 Schwere-Panzer Maus und E 100 in 1942 bis 1945, ISBN: 0981538231
Lee Archer, William Auerbach - Panzerwrecks 5, German Armour 1944-45, Jahr 2007, ISBN US: 978-0-9754783-4-5, ISBN UK: 978-0-9555940-1-4

This is another interesting source about the Panzerkampfwagen Maus Typ Porsche 205:

http://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/6456