German project, found by Soviet army after capturing Berlin in 1947. It wasn’t first attempt to make battle mech. Such vehicles as Pz.Kpfm IV and TSh-34 took part in WWII. But they were just walking tanks. It was enough that time because war didn’t let to make real battle mech. For example their armor scheme was taken from tanks, but it is not very suitable for mechs. The same is with transmission and some other parts. Soviet Union tried to make its own battle mech without tank base, but it couldn’t be manufactured during the war. But the key part of Götterdämmerung project was a neurointerface, that could let pilot rule the vehicle with his thought. However the project was too ambitious. Two 100mm cannons, giant battery of missiles, heavy armor. It was impossible to do this that time. But neurointerface worked properly.

When Soviets found Götterdämmerung, it wasn’t finished. It was very far away from finishing. Most of documentation was destroyed. A very few men, who worked on this project, were found. All the parts of battle mech were transported deep into USSR, to one of secret closed cities.

Despite of troubles with documentation Soviet scientists assembled unfinished vehicle. It differed a lot from the project. No armor. One 8.8 cm cannon KwK 43 instead of two 100 mm, two 20 mm autocannons instead of missile launcher. Engine was taken from airplane and it was too weak to move this mech well. So it always overheated. Vehicle was unbalanced because of its heavy cannon on one side and two light ones on another. But the main problem was with neurointerface. It could recognize orders properly, but it couldn’t control the vehicle without additional calculations well. Computer was needed. Without it all the movements were too slow to use mech in battle. And at that time computers were too huge to be set up on this mech.

The problem with computer was solved in 1955, when some secrets of alien derbies known as “Tunguska artifacts” were deciphered. It allowed making a computer small enough to put it into battle mech. In addition Soviet intelligence service could get some species of a new technology developed in Great Britain known as electric muscle. It was lighter and more efficient than hydraulic systems. Moreover, conception was changed. Weapons were replaced by manipulators. It improved synchronization level dramatically. Vehicle gets its code name “Object-305”. It was a first prototype of modern battle mech, known as Anthropomorphous Combat Vehicle or ACV.

ACV Prototype by Sunder_59, on Flickr

Wow. I really enjoy looking at these Mech. Really detailed, yet compact. I also appreciate that you presented your work to us as some discovered research photos, complete with a history of the mech's development.

Edited October 29, 201410 yr by Colossus

Really interesting development. But the first one looked the coolest! Probably because it looked more solid and had bigger guns

I like all the effort and detail you put into the backstory, it makes it more interesting.

Would be a good addition to "Iron Sky"

Looks awesome! Wish I had talent enough to build something like this!

Looks like it would be great sets.

Not so sure what to think of the swastika in the first picture.

Thanks for comments.