Your Ideal Tank Contest
Дата: 23.03.2010 05:09:33
MrVic: US-MBT
Nicknamed “Patton’s Piledriver”
Origins
The start of what later became the US-MBT started at Fort Riley, Kansas, Patton and Eisenhower developing the armored doctrine which would be used by the US Army in World War II. In the early 1920s, Patton petitioned the U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for an armored force, but had little luck. Patton also wrote professional articles on tank and armored car tactics, suggesting new methods for their use. He also continued working on improvements to tanks, coming up with innovations in radio communication and tank guns. Sadly Congress had little interest and Patton seeing no room for advancement pursuing an unpopular armored doctrine transferred back to the horse Calvary.
In 1937 a design engineer by the name of Victor Walden came across the ideas in his research and began pursuing some of the ideas Patton had laid out in the 1920’s. Seeing the development of armored fighting vehicles in other parts of the world and the brewing of animosity in Europe he decided if he could design a well developed tank he would likely attract a Government defense contract for his designs. Seeing so many innovations in many other parts of the world lead him to believe what Patton had advocated that future wars would be by fast moving armored vehicles. Victor agreed with this assessment and started with a main gun for his tank. Wanting to be able to take out any armor he encountered he settled on the 75mm gun. After testing some prototypes he realized at longer ranges the shells dropped dramatically and making it harder to compensate for by the gunner. His solution was to flatten the rounds trajectory. He lengthened the gun barrel and increased the charge per shell drastically, in hopes of getting a high muzzle velocity and a flatter trajectory. With these changes in place he had achieved what he had set out to do, with unexpected massive boost in armor penetration. He settled on a new shell with a tungsten core for maximum penetration. Then a secondary round of high explosives for infantry support. With a AP round with 1120m/s muzzle velocity he figured he had enough power to destroy any enemy tank required.
Looking at the M3 and M4 tanks in design stages and development he decided his US-MBT needed to be tougher and faster to wrestle a defense contract away from them. He found Ford had scrapped a V12 for a V8 version to be used in the M4’s in design. Victor jumped that the larger much more powerful engine. This gave his tank a 785hp powerhouse to launch his tank into any fight and power the electrical and hydraulic turret controls to counteract the weight of this amazing weapon. Armor was a big issue for Victor as his own gun could pierce amazingly thick armor he was not sure he could provide a defense to his own weapon. He had two choices in case he faced something as powerful has his design. First would be to added immense amounts of armor to try to slug it out with an enemy tank, but in doing so he would lose most of his mobility. He decided on the second option, good speed and decent armor. Patton’s writings expressed how highly mobile forces would have the advantage, so slowing his tank down would go against the foundation he started from. With the addition of two browning .30 cal machines guns for infantry defense his tank was complete. He approached International to produce his prototypes in 1939. With a smooth angles and a simple basic layout they had no issue retooling for the US-MBT’s production. Once his 2 prototypes were complete in late 1939 he presented them to the US Armored Force Board. They were amazed with what Victor had done. Victor had a production sorted out all the materials required and production or his ammunition already in place if his tank was approved. After three long weeks of testing and reviews they accepted his design and ordered 50 more to be produced as for further testing alongside the M3 and M4’s. Upon combat test trials along side the M3 the US-MBT completely overshadowed the M3. Patton witnessed these trials and had heard that Victor based his design on the tactics and ideas Patton had expressed in his reports in the 1920’s. Patton turned to Eisenhower who was in shock of the weapon before him and said “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”
GENERAL DATA
Other Designations...........US-MBT
Manufacturer(s)..................International
Production Quantity...............50 (750 ordered)
Production Period....................1940-?
Type..........................................Medium Tank
Crew...............................................5
Length /hull (m)....................5.92 m (19' 5")
Width /with skirts (m).............3.00 m (9' 10")
Combat Weight (kg)...................39000kg 43tons
Height (m)..........................2.41 m (7' 11")
Barrel Overhang (m)....................1.74
Radio Equipment.......................SCR508/528/538
FIREPOWER
Primary Armament.......................75mm (HV Long)
Ammunition Carried........................92
Traverse (degrees)......................360(manual/hydraulic)
Elevation (degrees).....................-8° to +18°
Secondary Armament......................2x Browning .30 cal
Ammunition Carried.........................4500
Sight......................................M55, M38
MOBILITY CHARACTERISTICS
Engine Make & Model........................Ford GAA V12
Horsepower (max.).........................785 HP@2600rpm
Power/Weight Ratio.........................18.25hp/ton
Gearbox................................................5 forward, 1 reverse
Fuel.........................................................Gasoline (Petrol)
Range on/off road (km).......................178
Mileage (liters/100km).......................412 on road
Fuel Capacity (liters)..........................830
Speed on/off road.................................55km/32km
Track Links..............................................74/track
Track Width.............................................55.0 cm (22")
Track Ground Contact...................................372 cm (146")
Ground Pressure ....................................64 kg/cm2 (9.1 psi)
Ground Clearance (m)...............................0.4 m (1' 4")
Turning Radius (m)..................................7.6 m (24' 11")
Gradient (degrees)....................................35°
Vertical Obstacle (m)...................................0.8 m (2' 7")
Fording (m)..............................................1.3 m (4' 3")
Trench Crossing (m)........................................2.5 m (8' 2")
ARMOR PROTECTION
Armor Detail........Front.....................Side........................Rear......................Top/Bottom
Upper Hull...........75mm@30°..........45mm@50°..............40mm@48°..............20mm@0°
Lower Hull...........60mm@30°...........45mm@90°.............40mm@45°..............20mm@0°
Turret..................85mm@75°...........45mm@65°.............45mm@69-90°.........20mm@0°
Mantlet................90mm@round...........NA...................... NA.......................... NA
Nicknamed “Patton’s Piledriver”
Origins
The start of what later became the US-MBT started at Fort Riley, Kansas, Patton and Eisenhower developing the armored doctrine which would be used by the US Army in World War II. In the early 1920s, Patton petitioned the U.S. Congress to appropriate funding for an armored force, but had little luck. Patton also wrote professional articles on tank and armored car tactics, suggesting new methods for their use. He also continued working on improvements to tanks, coming up with innovations in radio communication and tank guns. Sadly Congress had little interest and Patton seeing no room for advancement pursuing an unpopular armored doctrine transferred back to the horse Calvary.
In 1937 a design engineer by the name of Victor Walden came across the ideas in his research and began pursuing some of the ideas Patton had laid out in the 1920’s. Seeing the development of armored fighting vehicles in other parts of the world and the brewing of animosity in Europe he decided if he could design a well developed tank he would likely attract a Government defense contract for his designs. Seeing so many innovations in many other parts of the world lead him to believe what Patton had advocated that future wars would be by fast moving armored vehicles. Victor agreed with this assessment and started with a main gun for his tank. Wanting to be able to take out any armor he encountered he settled on the 75mm gun. After testing some prototypes he realized at longer ranges the shells dropped dramatically and making it harder to compensate for by the gunner. His solution was to flatten the rounds trajectory. He lengthened the gun barrel and increased the charge per shell drastically, in hopes of getting a high muzzle velocity and a flatter trajectory. With these changes in place he had achieved what he had set out to do, with unexpected massive boost in armor penetration. He settled on a new shell with a tungsten core for maximum penetration. Then a secondary round of high explosives for infantry support. With a AP round with 1120m/s muzzle velocity he figured he had enough power to destroy any enemy tank required.
Looking at the M3 and M4 tanks in design stages and development he decided his US-MBT needed to be tougher and faster to wrestle a defense contract away from them. He found Ford had scrapped a V12 for a V8 version to be used in the M4’s in design. Victor jumped that the larger much more powerful engine. This gave his tank a 785hp powerhouse to launch his tank into any fight and power the electrical and hydraulic turret controls to counteract the weight of this amazing weapon. Armor was a big issue for Victor as his own gun could pierce amazingly thick armor he was not sure he could provide a defense to his own weapon. He had two choices in case he faced something as powerful has his design. First would be to added immense amounts of armor to try to slug it out with an enemy tank, but in doing so he would lose most of his mobility. He decided on the second option, good speed and decent armor. Patton’s writings expressed how highly mobile forces would have the advantage, so slowing his tank down would go against the foundation he started from. With the addition of two browning .30 cal machines guns for infantry defense his tank was complete. He approached International to produce his prototypes in 1939. With a smooth angles and a simple basic layout they had no issue retooling for the US-MBT’s production. Once his 2 prototypes were complete in late 1939 he presented them to the US Armored Force Board. They were amazed with what Victor had done. Victor had a production sorted out all the materials required and production or his ammunition already in place if his tank was approved. After three long weeks of testing and reviews they accepted his design and ordered 50 more to be produced as for further testing alongside the M3 and M4’s. Upon combat test trials along side the M3 the US-MBT completely overshadowed the M3. Patton witnessed these trials and had heard that Victor based his design on the tactics and ideas Patton had expressed in his reports in the 1920’s. Patton turned to Eisenhower who was in shock of the weapon before him and said “Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results”
GENERAL DATA
Other Designations...........US-MBT
Manufacturer(s)..................International
Production Quantity...............50 (750 ordered)
Production Period....................1940-?
Type..........................................Medium Tank
Crew...............................................5
Length /hull (m)....................5.92 m (19' 5")
Width /with skirts (m).............3.00 m (9' 10")
Combat Weight (kg)...................39000kg 43tons
Height (m)..........................2.41 m (7' 11")
Barrel Overhang (m)....................1.74
Radio Equipment.......................SCR508/528/538
FIREPOWER
Primary Armament.......................75mm (HV Long)
Ammunition Carried........................92
Traverse (degrees)......................360(manual/hydraulic)
Elevation (degrees).....................-8° to +18°
Secondary Armament......................2x Browning .30 cal
Ammunition Carried.........................4500
Sight......................................M55, M38
MOBILITY CHARACTERISTICS
Engine Make & Model........................Ford GAA V12
Horsepower (max.).........................785 HP@2600rpm
Power/Weight Ratio.........................18.25hp/ton
Gearbox................................................5 forward, 1 reverse
Fuel.........................................................Gasoline (Petrol)
Range on/off road (km).......................178
Mileage (liters/100km).......................412 on road
Fuel Capacity (liters)..........................830
Speed on/off road.................................55km/32km
Track Links..............................................74/track
Track Width.............................................55.0 cm (22")
Track Ground Contact...................................372 cm (146")
Ground Pressure ....................................64 kg/cm2 (9.1 psi)
Ground Clearance (m)...............................0.4 m (1' 4")
Turning Radius (m)..................................7.6 m (24' 11")
Gradient (degrees)....................................35°
Vertical Obstacle (m)...................................0.8 m (2' 7")
Fording (m)..............................................1.3 m (4' 3")
Trench Crossing (m)........................................2.5 m (8' 2")
ARMOR PROTECTION
Armor Detail........Front.....................Side........................Rear......................Top/Bottom
Upper Hull...........75mm@30°..........45mm@50°..............40mm@48°..............20mm@0°
Lower Hull...........60mm@30°...........45mm@90°.............40mm@45°..............20mm@0°
Turret..................85mm@75°...........45mm@65°.............45mm@69-90°.........20mm@0°
Mantlet................90mm@round...........NA...................... NA.......................... NA
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