SlaPa.I
| SlaPa.I | |
|---|---|
| Type | Super-heavy tank prototype |
| Place of origin | Netherlands |
| Manufacturer | Schroeter Traktoren |
| Design period | 1940–1943 |
| Development | 1943–1944 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 415.31 tonnes |
| Crew | 7 (driver, commander, gunner, crane operator, three machine gunners) |
| Main armament | 50 cm SKG-I 43 cannon |
| Fuel capacity | 1,591 L |
| Era | |
The SlaPa.I (Slachtpantser.I) was a Dutch super-heavy tank prototype developed by Schroeter Traktoren during the Second World War. Built at the request of Ferdinand Schroeter, it weighed 415.31 tonnes and carried a 50 cm cannon. The vehicle never entered combat.
Design and development
[edit | edit source]Schroeter ordered the tank to defend his farmhouse in Stolwijk against a possible Allied attack. Design work began in 1940. The company introduced the SlaPa.I as a 1943 model,[1] but development continued into 1944.
The 50 cm gun was too heavy for the original suspension. Schroeter followed the work himself and had the designers replace it.[2] They used interleaved road wheels to distribute the load. The engine also struggled with the weight of the vehicle and broke down repeatedly. An upgraded engine was fitted, but the prototype remained unreliable.
Armament
[edit | edit source]The main gun was designated the 50 cm SKG-I 43. Its ammunition was handled by an internal crane. The crane operator attached a shell to the lifting points, raised it into line with the breech and used the crane's mechanical arm to push it into the gun. Loading took approximately 6.67 minutes per round.
Storage and fate
[edit | edit source]The SlaPa.I was never used in combat. Ferdinand Schroeter kept the vehicle in one of his hangars until 1950, when it was moved to the headquarters of Schroeter Traktoren for display in front of the building. It remained there until the company was dissolved in 1959.[3] The prototype's whereabouts after that date are unknown.