Kugelpanzer 3D model

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In the aftermath of World War I, innovative ideas arose to tackle No Man's Land issues. Notable among these concepts were rolling or ball tanks. The Germans pioneered this idea with their Treffas-Wagen prototype in 1917. Later, in 1936, A.J. Richardson designed the "Tumbleweed tank" that never left the drawing board. The Kugelpanzer or Rollzeug - meaning "ball tank" and "rolling vehicle" respectively - is visually similar to the Treffas-Wagen and is the only known built example still in existence. Listed as Item #37 at the Kubinka tank museum, it was captured by the Red Army. The most widely accepted theory claims that it was sent to Japan in the 1940s under Germany's technology sharing scheme and captured in Manchuria in 1945. However, another report suggests it was seized at the Kummersdorf proving grounds along with the infamous Maus.