Type 63 (Flak)

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Type 63
Type 65 37mm Air Defense Gun.jpg

Template: Infobox AFV / maintenance / picture without description

General properties
crew 6 (commander, driver, radio operator, gunner, two loaders)
length 6.43 m
width 2.99 m
height 2.99 m
Dimensions 32 t
Armor and armament
Armor 18 - 45 mm
Main armament 37 mm Type-55 twin gun
Secondary armament 1 MG
agility
drive V12 water-cooled aluminum
diesel engine 500 HP (373 kW)
suspension Christie Drive
Top speed 55 km / h (road)
Power / weight 15.6 hp / t
Range 400 km

The Type 63 is a flak tank manufactured in the People's Republic of China .

history

In the 1950s, the People's Republic of China (PR China) did not have a mobile air defense system , which led to the in-house development and manufacture of an anti-aircraft tank. Before it broke off relations with the Soviet Union , the PRC had bought many Russian T-34 tanks; its chassis and landing gear formed the basis for the Type 63 flak tank.

The Type 63 (Flak) was only used in large numbers by the Army of the People's Liberation Army and by the Vietnamese armed forces . They were used during the Vietnam War . At the beginning of the 1980s, these vehicles were taken out of service.

technology

The chassis and chassis were completely taken over from the T-34. The turret of the main battle tank has been removed and replaced by an open-topped turret. This made the vehicle susceptible to fire from on-board weapons from approaching aircraft or to attacks by enemy infantry units . The lack of a radar was just as disadvantageous . Retrofitting to increase combat value was also not carried out for weight reasons.

This made the Type 63 a "fair weather vehicle". Another disadvantage was that the cannon had to be aimed manually. Fast-flying aircraft were difficult to fight, especially since the five-shot loading strips also had to be manually tracked by another soldier.

Conclusion

The Type 63 was clearly inferior to the US M42 Duster and the Soviet ZSU-57-2 . The reasons lie in the lower efficiency of the outdated landing gear and in the lower firepower.

Off-road capability

  • Trench crossing ability: 2.50 m
  • Ford depth: 1.32 m
  • Climbing ability: 0.73 m

literature

  • Ian Hogg : 20th Century Artillery. Gondrom, Bindlach 2001, ISBN 3-8112-1878-6 .
  • Philip Trewhitt: tanks. Neuer Kaiserverlag, Klagenfurt 2005, ISBN 3-7043-3197-X (original title: Armored Fighting Vehicles. Dempsey-Parr, Bristol 1999).

Web links