delete013

I've christened it "Derebus".
Armour package and hull/turret base altogether weigh 19.89t, putting me on track to hit my target weight of 41.3t.

Hello everyone!
 
I'd like you all to formally meet the FV601 Cossack, here in it's three configurations (from left to right): Heavy Armour, base configuration and FIBUA add-on kit.
 

History of Marder as per Rolf Hilmes, published by Rheinmetall: https://rheinmetall-defence.com/de/rheinmetall_defence/systems_and_products/vehicle_systems/armoured_tracked_vehicles/marder50/index.php

Translated with google translate, so there are quite a few errors.
 

Brahman continues to develop! 
 

 
Updates include: 
Added gun mantlet armor box (no array yet)  Lengthened the main gun barrel by 2 calibers (now an L/34, barrel length is the same as an 120mm L/44) 20x102mm coaxial autocannon Combined day/night gunners sight added a 2.25 yard coincidence rangefinder added a pair of whip antennas for the radio  cut out holes for the turret blow off panels 

As those of you on the Discord may know, I'm basically redesigning my entire tank (yes, really). Starting with the gun, which was far too large. Here's the new gun, which you're all free to use:

https://mega.nz/file/71tgEJzZ#DhZ3JCiHIaUy60hBch2rtBNt_6X3VzVjMmygTn4gqzk


 
So much room!

70 years ago, January the 2nd, 1951. To the North of Seoul, in the mountains and hills near Go-yang-tong(高阳洞), British 1RUR dug in and fought against advancing PVA forces. 1RUR got a task force called Cooperforce to support, this is a tank unit from Royal Tank Regiment and Royal Artillery, equipped with Cromwell tanks. 
When Matthrew Ridgeway assigned the order of withdraw in this afternoon, the US force covering British force's left flank quickly escaped from their sector, leaving the British were completed unawared and uncovered. 
When the night falls, was cold and dark in the valley. 1RUR had to withdraw in the darkness. All of a sudden, a US spotter aircraft flew over the valley, drop some illumination flares upon the retreating convoy. 
Fierce battle broke out when flares fall down, PVA firing from all directions, the cold valley became deadly kill zone. Some PVA soldiers put away their rifles, assaulting with hand grenades, satchel charges and Bangalore torpedoes. They even set up mortars on the hill, laying shells with direct fire. 
200 British soldiers and artillerymen were killed or captured in one night. 1RUR's Battalion Commander Tony Blake was believed KIA. Cooperforce was completely knocked out, all 12 tanks were destroyed or captured by light infantry. Leader Ashley Cooper were also killed. 

I made a shitbox just because:

Turret design with wide cheeks is great in terms of armor protection  to weight ratio, cheek armor protects in the frontal 60° while other turrets need bunch of side armor to equal that protection.
 
 

 

This is an entirely unsourced estimate:
The last quote should be a clue to indicate that Germans didn't have 84 panthers and a lot of AFVs where Czech brigade was fighting. They likely had so few that no mobile reserve was able to be formed. Hence, no counter-attacks. Snipers were a typical German low asset delaying tactic. Fortifications were a mere delaying factor in German doctrine, which without an active reserve is basically a speedbump. The depth indicates that Germans had nothing mobile to counter an expected armoured attack.
If you find German side of the story (Heinrici's opinion on the situation, for example), then you might get some credible facts out of this.
 
 
 
British reports are Altschnee. They first drove a broken tank (slower than a Chuchill, had broken suspension and missing the third gear) and the post war production tests started with neutral steering, which is what German drivers were told explicitly to avoid. There was likely other weird things involved because Soviets could finish their turning radius tests with neutral steering! If Brits wanted to break the vehicle, then they easily succeeded.
There is another important factor that I failed to point out before. 100km on a road and 100 km in combat are two entirely different categories. Since German tried hard to relocate with trains, then large fraction of driven kms were likely off-road.

BMP-1 can't fit Berezhok. Although you could do other things, like leaving BMP-1s to rust as at this point hull are ~50 years old and ballistic protection is very low.

27 degrees or 27% (15 degrees) gradient?
If it’s a 27 degree gradient, that’s actually pretty good. 
 
Modern western AFV generally can do 60% (31 degrees), so 35 degrees (70%) is very, very good. 

M26 was rated for 60% (31 degrees) as well.

Curious isn't it. And we know from Swedish trials, technical stats, combat reports and opinions that panther's mobility was better than sherman's.
 
What is the tank to the left, on this photo?

Shape looks like sherman's with pretty wide tracks and muzzle brake. why did Pasholok mention comparison with M4A4? Isn't that an early export 75mm version?
 
Panther has more powerful engine and much better steering mechanism than a pershing. I don't believe torque converter is such magical device to overcome both. These things don't add up. The article is only Pasholok's summary of the report.
 
The article states that there were no speed trials, which makes me believe it was an inclined terrain navigation course, as you suspected. Why else would a medium tank be slower than a heavy?

You want to squeeze that with the Jews, eh? ccc
"Battle of Arracourt" is, afaik, a recent invention of certain US authors in  desperate attempt to portray US tank units in a positive light. Likely part of a plan to sell books. Nobody, US army nor Wehrmacht called it so and the events are part of what is called "Lorraine campaign" in US historical literature.

You want to squeeze that with the Jews, eh? ccc
"Battle of Arracourt" is, afaik, a recent invention of certain US authors in  desperate attempt to portray US tank units in a positive light. Likely part of a plan to sell books. Nobody, US army nor Wehrmacht called it so and the events are part of what is called "Lorraine campaign" in US historical literature.

100 bottles of schnapps

I haven't found an appropriate thread where to put some interesting rare stuff related to WW2 development, be it industrial one or makeshift field modifications. 
 
Let's start with two things. The first one is a relatively recently found rarity from Swedish archives - a drawing of ČKD/BMM V8H-Sv tank. The drawing and a letter was found by WoT enthusiasts in Swedish archives in 2014 (the original announcement and the drawing source is here). The drawing is from a message dated 8th September 1941. One of the reasons why this drawing was not known before may be that the Czech archives were partially destroyed by floods in 2002. Anyway it is an export modification of the V-8-H tank accepted into Czechoslovak service as ST vz.39 but never produced due to the cancelation of all orders after Münich 1938 (for the same reason negotiations about licence production in Britain failed). Also later attempt to sell the tank to Romania failed due to BMM being fully busy with Wehrmacht priority orders. The negotiations with Sweden about licence production of V8H-Sv lasted till 1942, at least in May 1942 Swedish commission was present in Prague for negotiations. The tank differed compared to the base ST vz.39 in thicker armor with different front hull shape (armor 60 mm @ 30° on the hull front and also 60 mm on the turret; all sides were 40 mm thick). The tank was heavier (20 tons) and had the LT vz.38 style suspension with probably even larger wheels. The engine was still the same Praga NR V8 (240-250 Hp per source). The armament was unchanged with 47 mm Škoda A11 gun and two vz.37 HMG. The commander's cupola was of the simple small rotating type similar to those used on AH-IV-Sv tankettes. It is known that the Swedes officially asked to arm the tank with 75 mm gun, replace the engine with Volvo V12 and adding third HMG to the back of the turret. In the end the Swedes decided to prefer their own Strv/m42. 

Source of the drawing
 
The second is makeshift field modification found on Balkans. It appears Ustasha forces (and possibly some SS anti-partizan units) used several Italian M15/42 medium tanks with turrets from Pz.38(t). There are several photos of such hybrids but little more is known. On one photo it is possible to see Ustasha registration number U.O. 139.

Few more photos of such hybrid.
 
It appears that the source of all those photos to be found on the internet is this book, Armoured units of the Axis forces in southeastern Europe in WW2 by Dinko Predoevic. 
 

There's a reason we have this emoji:

These designs seem to stray from the usual good practices of tank building. Bulky, tall and with little space for suspension. Armour on the "cannon" seems equal to that of a c2(IFV?). How is that justified?

So, since I finally found a good document for MMP calculations: the one thing that interleaved roadwheels are amazing for is to allow you to cheat MMP calculations.
 
The other ways being pneumatic roadwheels and long-pitch track links.

Apparently the British goofed around with interleaved road wheels, albeit because they cloned captured German half-tracks.

You overextended with your heavy and immovable arguments, right into a classic bull-horn formation, where the faster and more maneuverable allied facts can attack from the weaker sides, causing higher casualties for your facts and severely disrupting your arguments.