T29
The T29 was a prototype American heavy tank from WWII . It was developed as a reaction to the German Tiger tanks , but did not reach series production before the end of the war and, after the war, served as the basis for the development of the later M103 .
history
The development of the T29 began in March 1944 in order to counter the increasing use of heavy tanks by the Wehrmacht. Initially, the T26E3 was intended for this, from which the M26 Pershing later emerged, but this was not able to compete with the new Tiger II, especially in the area of armor . It was therefore decided to lengthen the hull of the T26E3 in order to reinforce the armor, and the new design was named T29. The T29 initially received a Ford GAC V12 engine with 770 hp and a massive turret that could carry the 105 mm T5 cannon. The vehicle thus reached a weight of approx. 65 t, which was slightly less than that of the Tiger II, and like it was initially underpowered with a power-to-weight ratio of 12 hp / t. Therefore, the parallel designed further development of the T29, the T30 armed with a 155 mm T7 cannon , was equipped with the more powerful Allison V1710 V12 engines with 810 hp. The US Army aimed for rapid series production of the T29 to compensate for the tactical disadvantages compared to the Tiger II, but it did not succeed before the war in Europe was over. Therefore, a quick series production was refrained from and instead a "limited production" was initiated. It was now planned to use the T29 against bunker systems when storming the Japanese main islands, but this no longer came about due to the Japanese surrender. Ultimately, only eight prototypes were built, with the final designs being fitted with a 120mm cannon and being designated the T34. The experience gained with the T34 was later incorporated into the development of the M103.
Whereabouts
Some of the eight prototypes have been preserved after they have been tested and can be used. a. Visit the Patton Museum in Fort Knox and Marshall.
Technical specifications
- Crew: 6
- Length: 11.56 m
- Width: 3.8 m
- Height: 3.22 m
- Weight: 64.25 t
- Engine: Ford GAC V-12 (770 PS)
- Top speed: 35 km / h
- Armor:
- Bath front: 102 mm
- Tub side: 76 mm
- Tower front: 178 mm
- Tower side: 127 mm
- Gun mantlet: 203 to 279 mm
- Top: 38 mm
- Bottom: 25 mm
- Armament: 105 mm T5E2 gun
