Alvis Saladin
| Alvis Saladin | |
|---|---|
FV 601 Saladin in the Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 3 (driver, commander, gunner) |
| length | 4.93 m |
| width | 2.54 m |
| height | 2.39 m |
| Dimensions | 11.6 tons |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | in places up to 32 mm |
| Main armament | 1 × 76mm cannon |
| Secondary armament | 2 × machine guns |
| agility | |
| drive | 8-cylinder Rolls-Royce B80 Mk.6A 170 PS (127 kW) |
| suspension | Wheel suspension (6 × 6 all-wheel drive) |
| Top speed | 72 km / h |
| Power / weight | 15.5 hp / ton |
| Range | 400 km |
The Saladin (FV601) was a six-wheeled reconnaissance tank built by Alvis and used by the British Army . It replaced the AEC used during World War II .
history
Saladin was the scout car in the FV600 series of Alvis, which also includes the Mannschaftstransportwagen Saracen and amphibious trucks Alvis Stalwart belong.
The Saladin was a six-wheeled reconnaissance vehicle with a combat weight of 11 tons. It was developed from 1947 onwards based on the experience gained through ten years of trials and missions with the Saracen crew transporter and built from 1958 to 1972. The first six prototypes were built as Mk. 1 from 1953 by Crossley Motors. The Fighting Vehicle Research and Development Establishment (FVRDE - Development and Testing Department for Combat Vehicles of the British Army) extensively tested the new combat vehicle until it was accepted as a trial in Great Britain and the British Army on the Rhine . As a result of these tests, changes were ordered for series production, which was to start at Alvis from 1958, so that the Saladin could now meet all requirements in use. In the version built as FV 601 Mk. 2, the Rolls-Royce B80 Mk. 6A was fitted with a slightly more powerful engine. The back of the tower was shortened somewhat; the brake drums were replaced by brake disks, which were later also used by the Stalwart ; Minor changes were made to the design of the engine compartment cover, the ammunition housing and the gun sight.
Armament
The Saladin was equipped with a 76 mm cannon that could fire high-explosive grenades, anti-tank grenades for fighting medium tanks at normal fire ranges, and anti-personnel ammunition for close-range combat during infantry attacks. Each vehicle was also equipped with two 7.62 mm Browning machine guns: one was mounted coaxially to the left of the cannon (was not used in the Saladin of the Federal Border Police ), the other was mounted in front of the commander's hatch on the right side of the tower. 42 rounds of 7.6 cm and 3000 rounds of 0.30 MG ammunition could be carried. Two six-pipe smoke throwers were attached to the right and left of the tower; they were charged manually and ignited electrically from the fighting compartment. 18 additional smoke grenades were carried. The swivel range of the tower was a full 360 °. The aiming of the gun was done either by electric servo control or by hand. The turret was installed as far forward as possible in order to give the tower crew the best possible observation possibilities, especially in densely built-up areas, and to be able to grasp the target with the main armament without having to show a larger part of the vehicle.
technology
Armor
The vehicle body and turret were welded together from armor plates of various thicknesses and offered full protection against fire from medium machine guns, close-range detonations from field artillery projectiles and against ground and air detonations from anti-tank mines of up to 10 kg.
Electrical shielding
During the development of the Saladin , great importance was attached to complete electrical shielding in order to limit interference in the radio system, including the HF and VHF devices, to a minimum. To maintain radio operation, the vehicle was equipped with a two-stage alternator, which could also charge the batteries while idling.
service
The three-man crew consisted of two men in the tower (commander / loader and gunner) and the driver. The vehicle's small turning circle of around 14 meters, the hydraulic power steering and braking aid as well as the theoretically identical forward and reverse speed enabled the saving of a second driver. Greatest attention was paid to the need for comfort and safety for the crew. All instruments and operating levers could be operated while seated. When the tower was closed, periscopes provided good opportunities for observation. The brakes, steering and the swivel system of the tower were servo-assisted, which considerably relieved the crew. The noise from the engine and cooling ventilation was so low that an almost noiseless approach was ensured. The performance of this vehicle in all terrain conditions was exceptional; Comparisons showed that similar reconnaissance tanks were inferior in terms of both speed and cross-country mobility. The permanent external drive of all six wheels and the independent suspension with torsion springs were responsible for this. The extremely easy-to-use gearbox with preselector enabled the driver to quickly adapt the engine speed to the terrain. The Saladin waded through water depths of up to 1.07 meters without preparation and could cross trenches up to a width of 1.52 meters.
maintenance
Maintenance and servicing considerations were given the highest priority when designing the Saladin. The engine was accessible from the rear wall of the combat room. The top engine cover was folded out from the middle, and the rear cover plate was folded back outwards / downwards. The crew was able to carry out all maintenance work without outside help. This also included the suspension maintenance points, which were completely freely accessible.
distribution
Introduced as a reconnaissance vehicle in the British Army, the vehicle proved to be a sales success for Alvis. All Commonwealth and some others, such as B. the Federal Republic of Germany, bought this weapon carrier in large numbers. He was employed by the Federal Border Police (BGS) between 1966 and 1974. By the time production was discontinued, 1177 saladins had been made.
Use in other armies and police units
- Great Britain
- Indonesia
- Jordan
- Federal Border Guard (Federal Republic of Germany)
- Armed Forces of Lebanon
- Tunisian army
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ Christopher F. Foss . Jane's Tanks and Combat Vehicles Recognition Guide (2000 ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 386-391. ISBN 978-0-00-472452-2 .
- ^ Hans-Jürgen Schmidt: We carry the eagle of the federal government on the rock - Chronicle of the Federal Border Guard 1951-1971 , Fiedler-Verlag, Coburg 1995 ISBN 3-923434-17-0 , p. 61
- ↑ Hans-Jürgen Schmidt: We carry the eagle of the federal government on the rock - Chronicle of the Federal Border Police 1972–1992 , Fiedler-Verlag, Coburg 1994 ISBN 3-923434-21-9 , p. 21
