Tortoise (tank)
From Freepedia
| Image:Tortoise Tank.jpg The Assault Tank A39 Tortoise | |
| Tortoise General characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Length | 10.0 m |
| Width | 3.9 m |
| Height | 3.0 m |
| Weight | 78 t |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Speed | 19 km/h road km/h off-road |
| Range | 72 (road) km |
| Primary armament | 32-pounder (96 mm) |
| Secondary armament | 3 x 7.92 mm BesaMG |
| Armour | 178-228 (33 top) mm |
| Power plant | Rolls-Royce Meteor V 600 hp (? kW) |
| Crew | 7 |
The A39 Tortoise heavy assault tank was a British heavy tank design developed in World War II but never put into production. It was developed for the task of clearing heavily fortified areas. Hence the design favoured armour protection over mobility.
The project started with a series of heavy tank designs. However, over the design period the vehicle grew in size and weight, and the original specification for heavily armoured tank was met when the Churchill tank was put into use. However the project continued, envisioned as a specialist weapon in the same mould as the many unusual vehicles of the 79th Armoured Division.
The gun design was adapted from the British 3.75 inch anti-aircraft gun. The ammunition was separate charge and shell, the latter a 32 pound (14.5 kg) armour piercing shot (APCBC). In tests the gun was successful against a German Panther tank at nearly 1000 yards.
The 32-pdr was carried in a ball mount in the front of the hull. To the left was a Besa machine gun in a heavy armoured ball mount. The other two machine guns were mounted in a turret on the top of the hull to the right. Internally it is was split into three compartments, the transmission to the front, the crew in the centre and the Meteor engine at the rear.
In strict terms, since it had a fixed superstructure, and not a turret, it should be compared to a self propelled gun, or assault gun.
The crew included the Commander, driver, gunner with two loaders for the 32 pounder gun and 2 machine gunners.
It was not used in the war but was sent to Germany where it performed adequately in trials but was ultimately too tall and heavy for easy transportation. One of the six pilot vehicles can be seen at the Bovington Tank Museum, UK.
See also
- T-28 Super Heavy Tank: An American tank with a roughly similar design and fate.
External links
- A39 Tortoise
- Armor in Focus - A39 Tortoise Heavy Assault Tank Specifications, Pictures
- WWII Vehicles
| British and Commonwealth armoured fighting vehicles of World War II | ||
|---|---|---|
| Light tanks | ||
| Vickers 6-Ton | Mk II | Mk III | Mk IV | Mk V | Mk VI | Mk VII Tetrarch | ||
| Cruiser tanks | ||
| Mk I | Mk II | Mk III | Mk IV | Mk V Covenanter | Mk VI Crusader | Mk VII Cavalier</br> Mk VIII Centaur | Mk VIII Cromwell | Challenger | Comet </br> Ram (Canada) | AC "Sentinel" (Australia) | ||
| Infantry tanks | ||
| Mk I Matilda | Mk II Matilda | Mk III Valentine | Mk IV Churchill | ||
| Self-propelled artillery | Tank destroyers | Armoured personnel carriers |
| Bishop | Sexton | Archer | Universal Carrier | Loyd Carrier | Kangaroo |
| Armoured cars | ||
| BSA Scout | Daimler Dingo | Humber LRC | Humber Armoured Car Rolls-Royce Armoured Car | AEC Armoured Car | Daimler Armoured Car | ||
| Experimental vehicles | ||
| Avenger | Black Prince | Centurion | Excelsior | TOG 1 | TOG 2 Tortoise | Valiant | Harry Hopkins | Alecto | ||
| Unarmoured vehicles | ||
| British armoured fighting vehicle production during World War II | ||
