There are two versions of the origin of this unusual device. The first suggests that the mechanism was seized from the Japanese military in Manchuria by Soviet troops in 1945. The second tells about the capture of the device at the Kummersdorf training ground of the Wehrmacht (at the same time the famous "Mouse" was captured). But, it should be said that the exact origin and purpose of this device has not yet been established.
Presumably "Kugelpanzer" (ball-tank) was a development of an armored vehicle designed to monitor the enemy. It could also be a protected point for an artillery fire spotter. The development and construction was carried out (again, only presumably) by the German concern Krupp, known for the production of military equipment since the First World War. Apparently, this machine never took part in hostilities. That is, it was an experimental development.
According to the characteristics, we can say the following: the length of the ball tank was one meter seventy centimeters, the height was one and a half meters. The armored vehicle weighed almost two tons - one thousand eight hundred kg, the crew was one person. Armament on this armored vehicle was not provided. The wheel arrangement was 3x2 / 1: two leading plus one steering wheel located behind the device.
The body of the wonder device was welded with a hatch in the rear for access to the cockpit. For orientation, a viewing gap was provided in front of the driver's eyes. The booking was circular, the same - five mm each. The Kugelpanzer was powered by a twenty-five hp single-cylinder two-stroke motorcycle engine that could reach speeds of up to eight km / h when driving on the road.
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It is not known how many similar machines were created and captured; the only surviving Kugelpanzer bears the inscription "Instance 37". This copy can be seen today in the armored museum in the city of Kubinka, Moscow region.
