Top 10 Super Weapons of Nazi Germany in World War II

Known as the terrifying monster of World War II, the jet-powered bomber aircraft named Horten Ho 229 cannot be overlooked. The Horten Ho 229 is a jet-powered aircraft capable of sneaking into enemy bases without being detected by radar. However, there is a problem with its fuel consumption, which could become a hindrance. This design was personally approved by Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring, it is the only aircraft model that almost meets Göring's requirements for '3x1000' performance, specifically to carry bombs weighing 1000 kg, with a range of 1000 km at a speed of 1000 km/h. Its ceiling reached 15,000 meters (49,213 ft).

The Horten Ho 229 has a mixed structure, the central part is made of welded steel tubes and the wing spar is made of wood. The wing is made of two thin glued wood panels impregnated with carbon mixed with charcoal and sawdust. The wing has only one central spar, integrated with the engine air intake, and a secondary spar is used to attach small control surfaces. It is designed to withstand a load factor of 7g and has a safety ratio of 1.8x, thus, the aircraft has a maximum load factor of 12.6g. The wing's camber ratio/thickness ratio ranges from 15% at the wing root to 8% at the wingtip. The aircraft uses a tricycle landing gear, the landing gear of the first two prototypes originated from the He 177's landing gear system, the third prototype used the main landing gear of the He 177A but with adjustments for compatibility. The aircraft also has a drag chute for speed control during landing.

Initially, the aircraft was to use the BMW 003 jet engine, but this engine was not ready for installation, and the Junkers Jumo 004 engine was chosen instead. Horten Ho 229 is controlled by small control surfaces and horizontal control surfaces. The control system includes both long-span horizontal control surfaces (inside) and short-span horizontal control surfaces (outside), the smaller outer horizontal control surfaces will operate first. This system operates better than a single horizontal control surface.

Next on the list is a very noteworthy type of weapon, the Gustav and Dora super cannons. These cannons were used in the siege of Sevastopol and Barbarossa. Not only that, but Nazi Germany also moved them to Leningrad and intended to bombard the capital of Poland, Warsaw. However, Gustav was seized and destroyed by the US Army, while Dora suffered the fate of being dismantled to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Soviet Red Army.

Gustav is the largest cannon ever built, setting a record for firing the most powerful and heaviest projectiles. In 1934, the German Army High Command (OKH) requested the Krupp Group in Essen to design a cannon to destroy fortifications on the Maginot Line-France (fortifications that were about to be completed). The cannon's projectiles had to penetrate a 7m thick concrete wall. Krupp Group engineer Dr. Erich Müller calculated that to penetrate such strong walls, the projectiles fired had to have a diameter of 80 cm, weigh around 7 tons, and the cannon according to Erich's design weigh over 1000 tons. In March 1936, during a visit by Hitler to Essen, the Nazi dictator demanded that at least one of these plans be successfully carried out. Although there is no documentation mentioning Adolf Hitler's commitment to this issue, the plan to produce an 80 cm caliber super cannon was undertaken by Krupp Group engineers.

The entire production plan for the 80 cm caliber Schwerer Gustav Gun was completed by early 1937. That summer, the production process of this heavy-duty weapon began. The deadline to complete the Schwerer Gustav super cannon by 1940 was not met due to technical and material manufacturing issues.

Next up, we cannot overlook the super-heavy tank produced by Nazi Germany during World War II. The Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte was the name of a project to produce a super-heavy tank executed by Nazi Germany during WWII. It was designed in 1942 by Krupp, and after receiving approval from Hitler, Krupp began producing Ratte components. However, by 1943, the project was canceled by Albert Speer, with only one turret completed.

The Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte had a weight of about 1000 tons, five times the weight of the Panzer VIII Maus (the heaviest tank ever produced), over 18 times the weight of the Tiger I, over 14 times the weight of the Tiger II, and 22.32 times the weight of the Panther. Additionally, the design of the Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte by Krupp aimed to produce two super-heavy tanks simultaneously: the P.1000 Ratte and the Panzer VIII Maus. Edward Grote, a senior officer in the navy, proposed a design project for a super-heavy tank weighing over 1000 tons, equipped with heavy naval guns, and armored with over 230mm of steel armor, called Landkreuzer, to Hitler on June 23, 1942.

Ratte was considered highly formidable if deployed on the battlefield, and only naval guns of similar caliber could penetrate its armor. With such excessive weight, it was equipped with three 1.2m high steps on each side, making its total width 7.2m. With this design, Ratte could move evenly without tilting in any direction. Its immense weight meant it couldn't cross any bridges or river crossings. However, it had a ground clearance of about 2 meters, allowing Ratte to cross any river, ditch, or trench.

Have you ever heard of the Fritz X Guided Anti-Ship Glide Bomb? This is a bomb dubbed as the “Granddaddy of smart bombs.” The bomb weighs over 1,500 kg and is equipped with a radio receiver and sophisticated controls that can guide the bomb to a predefined target accurately. Fritz X is the most common name for a type of guided anti-ship bomb used by Germany in World War II. Fritz X is controlled by a bomber aircraft, with the aircraft passing a radio link between the aircraft's Kehl transmitter and the weapon's Straßburg receiver.

The bomber must have continuous visual contact with the target, Fritz X has a tail flame to make it visible to the guiding aircraft for manual control, known as MCLOS guidance, to steer it properly. The disadvantage of Fritz X compared to fully automatic glide bombs is that Fritz X must be dropped at least 5 km (3 mi) from the target. The bomber must slow down immediately after dropping the bomb so the bombardier can see the bomb and guide it, this deceleration is achieved by climbing and then reducing speed. The bomber can adjust a maximum of 500 meters (1,600 ft) within range, 350 meters (1,150 ft) within the range. The bomber is vulnerable to attack by fighter aircraft as well as ship anti-aircraft weapons while maintaining slow speed, during normal operation, the missile can penetrate 130 mm (5.1 in) armor.

The accuracy is the main reason for developing such a weapon system, rather than continuing to use so-called “Dumb Bombs”. A skilled bombardier can maneuver to direct 50% of the bombs to within 15 meters (50 ft) radius of the target point and about 90% hit within a 30 meters (100 ft) radius.

If the Gustav and Dora super cannons made many tremble, the V3 Super Gun, the V3 Super Cannon, is no less formidable. This cannon applies the principle of 'Multi-Chamber Barrel' from the 19th century. The V3 barrel is about 140 meters long and contains multiple charges inside. V-3 is also called Hochdruckpumpe 'High-Pressure Pump,' a code name to disguise the true purpose of the project. It can be likened to a slow explosion bomb because they are timed to detonate as soon as the shell has just passed through, aiming to provide additional thrust to the projectile.

The design of the super cannon V3 allows it to fire a shell size of 150 mm, weighing 140 kg, to targets at a distance of 165 km. It is capable of penetrating targets within England, as well as northern France. However, perhaps due to the colossal size of the V3, the Allied forces destroyed it before it could fire. Two similar guns were used to bombard Luxembourg from December 1944 to February 1945. The guns use multiple stages of propulsion arranged along the length of the gun barrel to increase power. The propellant rockets use solid fuel instead of explosives for suitability and ease of use. They are arranged in pairs symmetrically along the length of the gun barrel, tilted to direct thrust onto the projectile as it passes through. This arrangement gives rise to the German code name Tausendfüßler.

The barrel, side chambers, are designed to be identical parts to simplify production and allow damaged parts to be replaced. The entire gun will use many such parts bolted together. The smoothbore gun fires a stable casing layer depending on aerodynamic forces rather than spin forces to prevent tumbling.

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus, commonly known as Maus or the Mouse tank (mockingly). It is a super-heavy tank of Nazi Germany in World War II completed in late 1944. It is the heaviest armored fighting vehicle ever built. A total of 150 units were ordered, but only two chassis and one turret were produced. One turret was mounted on the chassis before being seized by the Soviet army.

Panzer VIII Maus was intended by Nazi Germany to be a tool to breach the enemy's defensive line without suffering damage. The German super-heavy tank weighed 145 tons and possessed a 128 mm gun powerful enough to destroy all allied armored vehicles at that time with a range of up to 3500 meters. This tank is 10.2 meters long, 3.71 meters wide, 3.63 meters high, with a combat compartment for 6 people. It is worth noting that after design changes according to Hitler's orders, the tank would weigh 200 tons. This model of tank does not have any machine guns for close combat. Ultimately, the tank will surely have to engage in close combat as it operates in coordination with infantry.

The lack of this short-range combat weapon was later addressed by adding a Nahverteidigungswaffe mounted on the top of the turret, an MG 34 7.92mm (0.31 inch) machine gun with 1,000 rounds coaxially mounted with the main weapons in the turret and three hull machine gun ports for the submachine guns on both sides and rear of the turret. Planned future modifications include provisions for an MG 151/20 cannon for anti-aircraft mounted on the top of the turret. After being seized by the Soviets, one tank is now in the Kubinka tank museum in Moscow, Russia. The remaining tank was destroyed by the Germans, unwilling for it to share the same fate as the other.

In addition to the aforementioned weapons, the Rocket U-Boat was also invented by Nazi Germany during World War II to target the continental United States. The rocket system was initially considered a weapon against convoy ships but lacked an effective guidance system, rendering it ineffective against moving targets and could only be used to bombard coastal areas.

Plans for the Rocket U-Boat included an attack on New York City using the newly invented V-2 rockets, unmanned and unpowered containers reinforced with V-2 rockets inside to be towed within target range by a regular U-boat. It would then be set up and launched from a ramp, its gyroscopic turning back. With the intention of striking targets in the United States and the United Kingdom, a 500-ton, 100-foot-long container was towed behind a submerged U-boat. These developments were terminated by the Peenemünde evacuation in February 1945. There is no documentation to suggest that they were tested with a rocket launch before Germany's defeat.

The first recorded attacks on continental targets, instances of rocket use at sea were carried out by the US submarine USS Barb on June 22, 1944, targeting the town of Shari in Japan. The USS Barb fired 12 5-inch Mk 10 Mod 0 rockets from 4,700 yd (4.3 km) offshore.

The Messerschmitt Me 262 Swallow, nicknamed Schwalbe in the fighter version, or Sturmvogel in the fighter-bomber version. It is known as the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work began before World War II, but issues with engines, metallurgy, and high-level interference delayed the aircraft from becoming operational with the German Luftwaffe until mid-1944. The Me 262 was faster and equipped with more powerful armament than any Allied fighter aircraft, including the British Gloster Meteor jet fighter. One of the most advanced aviation designs used operationally in World War II, the role of the Me 262 included light reconnaissance and experimental night fighter-bomber versions.

The pilots of the Me 262 claimed a total of 542 Allied aircraft shot down, although sometimes higher claims were made. Shortages of strategic materials and compromises in engine design on the axial-flow Junkers Jumo 004 engines led to accuracy issues. Allied attacks on fuel supplies in the war's final stages also diminished the aircraft's effectiveness as a combat force. Weapon production in Germany focused on easier-to-produce aircraft types. Ultimately, the Me 262 had little significant impact on the course of the war as it was introduced late.

If Nazi Germany had not made too many mistakes, the Me 262 Swallow fighter could have possibly prevented the Allied bombing campaign altogether. This aircraft also struggled as both the government and the German Luftwaffe attempted to delay production of this model in order to allocate resources for experimenting with another aircraft type. Only when there was a desperate need for an intercepting aircraft against the Allied forces did the Me 262 Swallow get a chance to showcase itself. And it proved to be a 'Nightmare' for US fighter aircraft. No matter how powerful it was, everything must have weaknesses, and it exposed its weakness as it was not as agile as the top interceptor aircraft of the US and British, prompting the US to gradually develop numerous tactics to counter this type of aircraft.

The Type XXI submarine is a class of German diesel-electric Elektroboot submarines designed during World War II. One hundred eighteen were completed, with four combat-ready. In the war, only two were commissioned and went on patrols, but they were not used in combat. They were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than spending most of their time on the surface and submerging only briefly as a means of escape.

They incorporated numerous batteries to increase the time they could remain submerged, up to several days, and they only needed to surface to periscope depth to recharge via the snorkel mast. The design also included several general improvements: much greater underwater speed due to improved hull design, significantly improved diving times, the ability to reload torpedoes, power-assisted controls, and significantly improved crew accommodations. However, the design also had several flaws, with the submarines being mechanically unreliable and prone to damage in combat. The Type XXI U-boat was also rushed into production before the design work was complete, as the shipbuilding infrastructure lacked experience, unable to meet necessary quality standards.

Type XXI U-boat was also one of the most terrifying weapons unleashed in the ruthless World War II. The dread of the U-boat was acknowledged by Allied politicians themselves. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once wrote, “The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril.” Indeed, the U-boat fleet of Nazi Germany in World War II is estimated to have sunk around 800-900 ships of the Allied forces, mostly transport vessels, with over 30,000 sailors losing their lives.

The final spot on the list of the top 10 most terrifying weapons of Nazi Germany is the superweapon known as Sun Gun. The name itself somewhat gives you an idea of what this weapon is all about, doesn't it? At first glance, it might sound absurd, but Hitler once had plans for creating such a weapon to defeat the Allied forces. The Sun Gun or solar beam is a theoretical orbital weapon, using a concave mirror mounted on a satellite, to focus sunlight onto a small area on the Earth's surface to destroy targets or kill people with heat.

In 1929, German physicist Hermann Oberth developed a plan for a space station from which a 100-meter-wide concave mirror could reflect sunlight onto a concentrated point on Earth. Then in World War II, a group of German scientists at the German Army Artillery Base began expanding Oberth's idea of creating a superweapon that could harness the energy of the sun. Dubbed as the 'Sun Gun' ( Sonnengewehr ), it would be part of a space station orbiting 8,200 km (5,100 mi) above the Earth. Scientists calculated that a giant reflecting panel, made of sodium metal and covering an area of 9 square kilometers, could generate enough concentrated heat to make the ocean boil or even incinerate a city.

After being interrogated by US officers, the Germans claimed that the solar gun could be completed within 50 to 100 years. With the deployment and confirmation of super-large constellation satellites, using them as a solar gun has also been proposed. Instead of a single massive mirror, theoretically, hundreds of reflective mirrors could be synchronized to focus solar radiation and aim it at a target. Thus, a super-large mirror with a diameter of 1.5 km would be installed in the geostationary orbit of Earth, intending to use sunlight to incinerate enemy cities.