Specifications

Mephisto's two water-cooled, four-cylinder petrol engines

Model 1908 Maxim 7.92 mm heavy machine-gun

The A7V was little more than an armour-plated box mounted on a caterpillar-tracked chassis. The thickness of its armour plating varied; 30 mm on the front, 20 mms on the sides, 15 mm on the cupola and 7.5 mm on the roof.

Power was provided by two water-cooled, four-cylinder petrol engines. The 100 horsepower Daimler petrol engines were mounted side by side in the centre of the tank. Each had a separate drive-train to the tracks on its respective side, via a common gear-box. Unlike British tanks, the A7Vs had spring suspension.

A7Vs were armed either with a single front-mounted, Maxim-Nordenfelt (57 millimetre calibre) cannon and six Model 1908 Maxim 7.92 mm heavy machine-guns (male tanks) or eight machine-guns (female tanks). Total weight was about 30 tonnes and top speed around 9-10 kilometres per hour.

The vehicle, which was eventually to be known as Mephisto (Chassis Number 506), was part of the first production run (Chassis Numbers 501-507). Initially 506 was only armed with machine guns, but it was soon modified to accommodate the Maxim-Nordenfelt cannon.