The Fat Max was a Prototype German Tank Destroyer from WWII. Only two 10.5 cm K gp.Sfl’s have ever been built. It’s main Armament was a 10.5 cm K18 Field gun, a large muzzle brake was fitted to the end of the barrel to help reduce the massive recoil of the gun. The vehicle could carry 25 rounds of ammunition and lacked a machine gun.
Design: The Fat Max was built on a heavily modified Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf E chassis with the turret removed and an open-topped superstructure added to house the main gun. A strange feature about the Fat Max was the fake driver’s compartment on the right side of the vehicle that matched the real driver’s compartment on the other side.
History: The vehicle was first designed by Krupp in 1939 and was intended to be used against bunkers at the maginot line at ranges beyond which the bunker could return fire. But with the surrender of France in 1940 the vehicle lost it purpose and so it was suggested it could be used as a Heavy Tank Destroyer. The two vehicles were send to the Eastern front for troop trials. One was destroyed when it accidently caught fire and blew up the ammunition. The other one continued to serve in the Panzerjaeger-Abteilung 521 tank hunter battalion. This vehicle managed to get 18 kills before being knocked out in 1943.
Armament: The vehicle carried a large and powerful 10.5 cm K18 field gun capable of firing a HE shell at a range of 19 kilometers. At a range of 2 km (1.24 mi), its armor piercing shell could penetrate 111 mm (4.37 in) of armor sloped at 30°. At 1.5 km (0.93 mi), it could penetrate 124 mm (4.8 in). At a range of 1 km (0.6 mi) it could penetrate 138 mm (5.43 in). At 500 m (0.3 mi) its AP shell could penetrate 155 mm (6.1 in) of armor.
Size: The Fat Max was 5.8 metres (19 ft 0 in) long (excluding gun), 2.86 metres (9 ft 5 in) wide and 2.53 metres (8 ft 4 in) tall. The vehicle weight 22 tonnes.
Armour:
Front: 50 mm (1.96 in)
Sides: 20 mm (0.78 in)
Rear: 10 mm (0.39 in)
As you can see, the vehicle wasnt that well armoured.
