And from the Latin Pact's 1950's, where a frankly disturbing amount of Bravado, Machismo, and a desire for tanks with
Gravitas, produced some of the heaviest mass production AFVs of all time. No pictures because I'm lazy, and don't want to have to do a vertically stretched E-100. And because I'm not going to just swap stuff on the FD scale Jagdtiger either. Even I've got standards.
The Tanque Caza Pesado (TCP)
(OTL's Jagdtiger, improved.)
Former Users: Cuba, Mexico, Schleswig-Holstein, Spain,
Specifications:
Crew: 6
Dimensions:
Length: 8m
Length Including Gun: 10.65m
Width: 3.6m
Height: 2.9m
Main Weapon: 1x 128mm Gun L/55 38 rounds
Maximum Range: 24,410 m (26,700 yd)
Muzzle Velocity: 935 m/s (3,070 ft/s) (HE&APBC)
Secondary Weapons: 3x 12.7x99mm Browning M2 HMG (1x Co-axial with Main Gun, 1x hull mount, 1x Pintle Mount) 2,900 rounds
Armor: 40 to 250mm RHA.
Weight: ~74.7 Tonnes (164,700lbs)
Powerplant: 1x Maybach HL234 P30 V12 Petrol Engine, 800PS/810hp @ 3000 RPM
Transmission: Maybach OLVAR EG 40 12 16 Ausf.C
Suspension: Torsion Bar
Power/weight ratio: 11.70PS/tonne
Top Speed (On road): 37km/h (~23 mph)
Top Speed (Offroad): 19km/h (~12 mph)
Range (On road): 100km
Range (Offroad): 70km
Developed from a captured German Design for a Heavy Tank Destroyer, the Jagdtiger, the Tanque Caza Pesado was introduced to counter Soviet and Western Heavy Tanks while retaining a level of independence from both sides. Final production occurred in Cuba, Mexico and Spain, with parts being sourced from all three nations and Germany, with the Engine and Transmission being produced in Spain by Hispano-Suiza, the Gun in Cuba by Habana Fundición, and much of the Hull in Mexico by Valores Industriales S.A, and various other components by Blohm + Voss, Norddeutsche Dornier-Werke, Henschel, and San Luis Rassini.
Performance was objectively terrible, but acceptable for a Heavy Tank, and indeed, the TCP was probably the Best armed and protected of the various Post-war Heavy Tanks, as was shown in Korea and the Rumanian War, where the TCP proved to be a useful, although limited combatant, capable of destroying anything that got within 2km of the vehicle from any direction, save the IS-2, IS-3, and then brand new T-54, which could be knocked out from certain angles at that distance.
However, overall experience from the period indicated that the era of the Heavy Tank was ending and that the casemate design, although cheaper and lighter severely limited the potential of the design, so, production was ended in 1952 after only 600 were produced. They served until the Mid seventies alongside the TGC (Tanque Gigante Cubano) prototypes.
The Tanque Gigante Cubano (TGC) (Cuba-Maus)
(Think an E-100 with an extra half meter of height in the hull and a massive engine.)
Former Users: Cuba. Never reached production. Four prototypes produced.
Specifications:
Crew: 6
Dimensions:
Length: 8.6m
Length (Gun Forward): 10.3m
Width: 4.5m
Height: 3.8m
Main Weapon: 1x 128mm Gun L/55, 80 rounds
Secondary Weapons: 2x 20x110mm HS.404 (1xCo-axial with main gun, 1x pintle mount AA)
Armor: 40 to 250mm RHA
Weight: 150 tonnes
Powerplant: 1x Napier Deltic 88L, 1650bhp @ 1500 RPM, 2500bhp @ 2000 RPM
Suspension: Belleville washer coil spring
Power/weight ratio: 16.7 bhp/tonne
Fuel Tankage: 3,050L
Top Speed (On road): 50km/h
Top Speed (Offroad): 20km/h
Range (On road): 238 km
Range (Offroad): 148 km
The Tanque Gigante Cubano was a project started by the Cuban military to find a replacement for the rather troublesome and limited TCP started in 1950. Once again diving into the captured documentation from German engineering projects in WWII to speed up development, the lead engineers uncovered files on the E-100 project, an attempt to produce a competitor to the failed Panzer VII Maus project. Development proceeded decently using the E-100 design as a base and reference, and with the introduction of the newly developed Napier Deltic Diesel engine in 1950, the weight of the Vehicle was no problem, indeed in trials during 1953 and 1954 it was proven that the TGM prototypes could outpace an M26C1 and TCP, and even keep up with any current Medium or Light Tanks then in service, however it tended to have issues stopping or turning at speed, let alone doing both. However, the TGC was, as it’s name implies a hulking beast, and highly impractical just on it’s weight and size alone. That said, it was a politically and militarily difficult decision to cut the design, and a few variants had already been proposed, including an SPAA gun, Artillery Tractor, Howitzer and the necessary Armored Recovery Vehicle.
Fortunately, the Accountants (and Sanity) reigned supreme and the project was canceled after only Four prototypes were produced. However, the four prototypes completed were all fitted to a uniform standard and introduced into regular service, comprising a single tank platoon (2nd Platoon, Company A, 4th Armored Battalion,) serving outside the city of Wismar in Schleswig-Holstein from 1955 until the 1970s. Reportedly at least one crew preferred to sleep in their TGC, declaring it to be more comfortable and roomier than their assigned quarters. However, rumors of a Commander's stateroom are highly exaggerated. It wasn't
that big.