TOG (tank)
| TOG II | |
|---|---|
TOG II in the Bovington Tank Museum |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 6 (commander, gunner, 2 loaders, driver, radio operator) |
| length | 10.13 m |
| width | 3.12 m |
| height | 3.05 m |
| Dimensions | 81.3 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 50-114 mm |
| Main armament | 1 × 76.2 mm (Ordnance QF 17-pounder) |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 7.92mm Besa machine gun |
| agility | |
| drive | Paxman-Ricardo 12TP 447 kW (600 bhp) |
| suspension | unsprung (TOG II) torsion bar spring (TOG II *) |
| Top speed | 13.7 km / h |
| Power / weight | 7.48 hp / t |
| Range | 80 km |
The TOG and TOG 2 were two prototypes of a British main battle tank from World War II , which were produced between 1940 and 41.
These enormous vehicles represented an anachronism , because the construction looked quite similar to the tanks of the First World War , which was quite intentional. The abbreviation TOG meant "The Old Gang" ( English for The Old Gang ); this is what the British World War I veterans were called.
construction
The TOG was designed for the same battles as 1914-1918; he should be able to overcome obstacles and bring movement into trench warfare with wide trenches and the heaviest fire of all kinds. Originally the TOG had the turret of the Matilda II with a 2-pounder cannon (caliber 40 mm), later it was given a new turret from the not introduced Challenger with a 17-pounder cannon (caliber 76.2 mm).
The TOG was next to the heavy Sturmpanzer / Jagdpanzer Tortoise the heaviest British armored vehicle that was ever built.
This tank, however, was completely oversized, large, bulky, heavy and with a maximum speed of 15 km / h also extremely slow and immobile. The driving characteristics can be described as bad because of the simple drive, the unreliable power transmission did the rest.
In addition, its strong armor was arranged vertically almost everywhere, which was disadvantageous (an inclined armor plate placed more material in the way of the horizontally impacting projectile with the same thickness and promoted its ricochet). In addition, it is doubtful whether it would actually have withstood the heaviest artillery fire .
As a tank built according to completely outdated criteria, it was of no tactical use for the battlefield of the Second World War and therefore useless. Only the two prototypes that were never used were built. The TOG was scrapped, whereas the TOG 2 is preserved for posterity in the Bovington Tank Museum .
Technical specifications
Designation : Heavy Tank TOG Classification : heavy battle tank
| Technical data of the TOG prototypes | |||
| TOG I | TOG II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 General characteristics | |||
| Construction year | Ordered in 1940, the prototype first ran in March 1941 | May 1943 | |
| Manufacturer | William Foster & Co. Ltd | ||
| number of pieces | 1 | 1 | |
| crew | 8 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, 4 machine guns) | 6 (commander, gunner, 2 loaders, driver, radio operator) | |
| Weight | 64.6 t | 81.3 t | |
| Tower weight | 6.05 t | 8 t | |
| length | 10.1 m | 10.13 m | |
| width | 3.1 m | 3.12 m | |
| height | 3 m | 3.05 m | |
| suspension | unsprung | ||
| 0 armament | |||
| Main armament | 1 × 40mm cannon (Ordnance QF 2-pounder) | 1 × 76.2 mm cannon (Ordnance QF 17 pounder) | |
| Secondary armament | 1 × 75 mm cannon in the hull / bow 4 × 7.7 mm Vickers machine gun |
1 × 7.92mm Besa machine gun | |
| Armor | |||
| Tower front | 75 mm | 114 mm | |
| Tower sides | 75 mm | 76 mm | |
| Turret stern | 75 mm | 53 mm | |
| Tower roof | 20 mm | 30 mm | |
| Tub bow | 76 mm | ||
| Tub side | 76 mm | ||
| Tub rear | 50 mm | ||
| agility | |||
| engine | Paxman-Ricardo 12TP, twelve-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine (V-engine, 60 ° bank angle), water-cooled | ||
| power | 447 kW (600 bhp) at 1500 −1 | ||
| Displacement | 58.66 l (the engine weighed about 3 tons) | ||
| Power / weight | 9.42 hp / t | 7.48 hp / t | |
| Top speed | 13.7 km / h | ||
| Driving range | 81 km | ||
| trench width that can be traversed | 366 cm | ||
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- Jump up ↑ The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss , 2002
- ^ British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933–1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- ^ Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- ↑ The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006