The Elephant and Super Heavy Tanks: Germany's Over-the-Top War Machines! The Elefant, a heavy tank destroyer built in 1943, was a 65-ton beast armed with a lethal 8.8 cm Pak 43 gun. Reaching a top speed of only 19 mph, it prioritized thick armor over mobility. Germany’s obsession with "Super Heavies" peaked with the Maus, a 188-ton colossus designed in 1944. These over-engineered machines aimed for battlefield invincibility but were often plagued by mechanical failures and logistical nightmares,