Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe (VK 70.01/72.01(K))
Drawing of the VK 70.01 (K) proposal
Type	Super-heavy tank
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1 November 1941–20 July 1942
Specifications
Mass	70 t (69 long tons; 77 short tons) (specified) 76–90 t (75–89 long tons; 84–99 short tons) (as designed)
Crew	5 (driver, commander, gunner, loader, radio operator)
Armor	Frontal: 150 mm (5.9 in) (specified) 100–150 mm (3.9–5.9 in) (as designed) Side: 100 mm (3.9 in) (specified) 80 or 100 mm (3.1 or 3.9 in) (as designed) Turret front: 100 or 140 mm (3.9 or 5.5 in) Turret top: 40 mm (1.6 in) Hull deck: 40 mm
Main armament	10.5 cm (4.1 in) L/70 gun, *15 cm (5.9 in) L/38 gun or, 8.8 cm (3.5 in) L/71 gun 12.8 cm (5 in) KwK 44 gun L/55
Secondary armament	1 MG-34 or MG-42
Engine	Daimler-Benz DB 602 (proposed) Maybach HL230 (as designed) * 1,000 hp (750 kW) (DB engine) 800 hp (600 kW) (Maybach engine)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Maximum speed	27–35 km/h (17–22 mph)

The Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe (Lion) was a design for a super-heavy tank created by Krupp for the German government during World War II. The project, initially code-named VK 70.01 (K), never left the drawing board, and was dropped on 5–6 March 1942, in favor of Porsche's heavier Panzer VIII Maus.^[1][2]

The Löwe was designed in two variants, unofficially designated Leichter Löwe (light lion) and Schwerer Löwe (heavy lion), both with a crew of five:^[1]

Leichter Löwe/VK 70.01 (K)

It was to weigh 76 t (75 long tons; 84 short tons), with 100 mm (3.9 in) of frontal armor, a front-mounted turret, a 10.5 cm (4.1 in) L/70 high velocity gun, and a coaxial machine gun, with a top speed of 27 km/h (17 mph). It was later cancelled by Adolf Hitler.^[1]

Schwerer Löwe/VK 72.01(K)

It was to weigh 90 t (89 long tons; 99 short tons), with 120 mm (4.7 in) frontal armor, a rear-mounted turret, a 10.5 cm L/70 high velocity gun, and a coaxial machine gun, but only managing a top speed of 23 km/h (14 mph). After redesign it had 150 mm (5.9 in) frontal armor, 8.8 cm (3.5 in) L/71 gun, and a top speed increased to 35 km/h (22 mph).^[1][2]

• Panther tank, medium tank
• Tiger I, a vehicle that it was designed to replace
• Tiger II, comparable vehicle, actual successor of Tiger I
• Maus, a further continuation of the super heavy program
• P. 1000 Ratte, a design for a German super-heavy tank
• P. 1500 Monster, proposed, likely fictional, German super-heavy self-propelled gun

• Soviet IS-3
• American M103
• British Conqueror
• French AMX-50
• German Panzer VIII Maus

• "Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe (Lion)". Achtung Panzer. 1996. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
• B., David (11 February 2015). "Panzerkampfwagen VII Löwe (VK 70.01) Heavy tank – Paper project (1942)". Retrieved 23 July 2017.
• Jentz, Tom; Doyle, Hilary (2001). Panzer Tracts No.20-1: Paper Panzers – Panzerkampfwagen, Sturmgeschuetz and Jagdpanzer. Boyds. ISBN 978-1-915969-04-0.((cite book)): CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

v t e German armoured fighting vehicles of World War II
Tanks	Panzer I Panzer II Panzer 35(t) Panzer 38(t) Panzer III Panzer IV Panther Tiger I Tiger II
Self-propelled artillery	Bufla Wespe Sturmpanzer I Sturmpanzer II Grille Hummel Panzerwerfer 42 Wurfrahmen 40 Karl-Gerät 10.5 cm leFH18/3 (Sf) auf G.W. B-2(f) 10.5cm leFH18(Sf) LrS 10.5cm leFH18(Sf) 39H 15cm sFH13/1 (Sf) LrS
Assault guns	StuG III StuG IV StuH 42 StuIG 33B Brummbär Sturmtiger
Tank destroyers (Panzerjäger, Jagdpanzer)	Panzerjäger I 35R(f) Marder I II III RSO/PaK 40 Nashorn Elefant Jagdpanzer IV Hetzer Jagdpanther Jagdtiger
Half-tracks	Maultier Sd.Kfz. 2 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 250 251 252 253 254 sWS
Armored cars	Kfz 13 Sd.Kfz. 221/22/23/60/61 Sd.Kfz. 231/32/33/34/63 Sd.Kfz. 234 Sd.Kfz. 247 ADGZ
Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns	Flakpanzer I Flakpanzer 38(t) Flakpanzer III Flakpanzer IV Möbelwagen Wirbelwind Ostwind Kugelblitz
Demolition vehicles	Goliath Springer Borgward IV
Experimental/prototype vehicles	Panzer I Ausf. C (VK 6.01) Panzer I Ausf. F (VK 18.01) Panzer VIII Maus Geschützwagen Tiger Entwicklung series (Panzer E-100) Panther II Heuschrecke 10 Neubaufahrzeug Sturer Emil Dicker Max Pz.Sfl. II Pz. Sfl. IVc Flakpanzer Coelian VK 30.01 (P) VK 45.01 (P) VK 30.02 (DB)
Proposed designs	Panzer III/IV Löwe Panzer IX Panzer X P.1000 Ratte P.1500 Monster VK 16.02 Leopard Gep. MTW Kätzchen VK 45.02 (P) VK 20 series Flakpanzer Mareșal
Designations	List of Sd.Kfz. designations List of VK-designated tanks
German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II