Armoured Fighting Vehicles of the Cold War

[Landshark]

Chapter 27: Tanks of the 1980's

Germany

Panzer XII

What was destined to be the final tank design produced by the Third Reich made it’s debut on a grey April morning in 1980. As the armed forces of Nazi Germany rolled through the centre of Berlin in the annual parade to celebrate the birth of Adolf Hitler pride of place was given to the brand new Panzer XII’s of the 1st Panzer Division. Though April 20th was given as the official introduction into service of the new tank it had in fact first been issued to the 1st Panzer at the start of January and had already taken part in Axis military exercises during March and was already in quantity production.

As the freshly washed and painted Pz XII’s prowled past the Brandenburg Gate they were followed in typical Nazi fashion by an avalanche of superlatives courtesy of the Propaganda Ministry. The Panzer XII was faster than the Churchill, heavier than the FCM 78, had a longer gun than the T-76, and was in all ways bigger, faster, tougher and above all bigger than any of it’s rivals. Amid this deluge of tank trivia two very interesting facts were omitted. First, the Pz XII was supplementing the Panzer XI as most people expected but was not replacing the venerable Panzer IX, in fact the Pz XII was replacing the relatively new Panzer X heavy tank, and second it was replacing the heavy tank regiments of the Heer not the Waffen SS. Despite the Propaganda Ministry’s silence on these matters they were noted in the capitals of World’s democracies and were much discussed.

That the Pz XII was seen as a replacement for the (at the time) twelve year old Pz X heavy tank was easily explained. Much beloved by the Nazi propaganda machine the monstrous Panzer X had been far from a success in service. At 76 tonnes and powered by a none to reliable 1200 hp Maybach multi fuel engine the Pz X was grossly overweight and underpowered, all it’s systems, both electronic and mechanical, tended to be temperamental and prone to malfunction. The Pz X’s only real advantage was that it’s armour was nigh invulnerable. The Panzer X crews called it the Goring for good reason.

The reasons why the elite Waffen SS was being denied their usual tribute of being the first to receive the latest hardware was slightly less obvious. While various theories were espoused, the SS was actually receiving an even more advanced heavy tank, the Vollmer regime was running down the organisation as a prelude to purging it, the Reich was too cash strapped to buy enough tanks for both the Heer and the SS, (though the last had more of a ring of truth than was known at the time). The real reason was apparent to astute Reich-watchers. Even four years after the coup that brought Klaus Vollmer to power the SS was still so preoccupied with internal security that they couldn’t spare the time to re-train on the new tank. The Leibstandarte did not receive it’s first Panzer XII’s until 1981, and Das Reich had to wait until late 1982. Totenkopf and Sepp Dietrich suffered the ignominy of trading their Panzer X’s for second hand Panzer XI’s from Heer reserves when the logistics burden of keeping the fast diminishing numbers of heavy tanks became uneconomical.
　
The Panzer XII described

The Pz XII was the (unintended) final word in Nazi tank design, it was the sum total of fifty years of armoured evolution and exhibited all that was good and bad about the German way of building tanks, and the Nazi way of building a nation.

The Pz XII was a curious mix of old and new, of radical and conservative. In simple numbers the Pz XII was a 58 tonne tank powered by a 1500 hp Maybach gas turbine engine, it had an advanced version of the tried and tested torsion bar suspension and a new 55 calibre 120 mm rifled tank gun derived from the 48 calibre 120 mm gun of the Pz XI. The Pz XII’s spaced armour package was also descended from it’s immediate predecessor.

While the Pz XII’s mechanical were the equal of any of it’s potential enemies it’s electronics and fire control systems were another story. It should always be remembered that the Nazis were essentially anti-science, they had an unpleasant mix of racial prejudice, that lead them to ignore scientific theories from sources they objected to, and brutish contempt for academics, which lead to a severe drop in the amount of pure research done in Germany during the 1960’s and 70’s. Combined with the exclusion of increasingly large numbers of the German populace from science and engineering on grounds of ethnicity, political unreliability and even gender this resulted in a major decline in the quantity and quality of electronics during the 1980’s and beyond.

At the time when Britain, France and the Soviet Union were pioneering the introduction of thermal imaging systems and integrated computerised hunter/killer fire control systems on their tanks the Panzer XII was still using the same image intensifier as the Panzer XI and a fire control computer that had been reverse engineered from a Russian system provided by the Japanese. While it is true that the Germans had intended to equip the new tank with a completely new fire control suite which would have been equivalent to those used by Britain or France the fact that they could not develop an indigenous system on time or in budget is a telling indictment of the efficiency of Nazi governance, and one can only come to the conclusion that it was only the investment of pre-Nazi Germany governments in education and science that kept the Third Reich‘s high tech sector going.

 

[Landshark]

There was meant to be more of this but it's late and I've got to get an early start tomorrow. Would people prefer more on the Panzer XII or outlines of the other tanks next?

 

[Thande]

There was meant to be more of this but it's late and I've got to get an early start tomorrow. Would people prefer more on the Panzer XII or outlines of the other tanks next?

The latter, I think. Interesting ideas.

 

[Sachyriel]

Well, if you're going to do more on the one you started, edit that one post and show us where you edited and then bump it. THEN you can start the next tank.

 

[BrotherToAll]

This has peaked my interest I'd like to see what kind of AFVs the Americans are crusing around in.

 

[PhilKearny]

Just a few comments on the Churchill Mk XLIII. The Churchill Mk XLIII had numerous firsts for the Churchill line. The Mk XLIII was frequently referred to as "the Sporting Three" because of its relatively high speed (for a Churchill). It was the first Churchill able to break the 20 mph barrier, with this 83 tonne behemoth clocking speeds up to 21.3 mph on smooth, downhill grades. This rapidity was due to the power conferred on it by its 2200 hp Napier Deltic 18 cylinder diesel, a huge advance over the Leyland flat opposed diesel featured in the Mks XXXIX--XLII, as was the transmission.

Another first was the Sporting Three was the first Churchill that had no rivets or bolts used in the armour. Instead, all the armor was welded or cast and of a much superior quality to that used in prior Marks.Yet another first was that some of the was sloped. While the armour in other Marks, as in all Churchills, was plentiful, the armour used in prior Marks was also crude and generally perpendicular. Coupled with the weight of these tanks, the unsophisticated, low quality of the plate led to the armor disparagingly referred to as "Pig Iron" or "Rude Plenty" Still, even with the less sophisticated armour, the sheer quantity of armour (up to 20"!) made even these Churchills all but immune to frontal penetration by most traditional weapons.

Also in keeping with its heritage, the Sporting Three appeared somewhat undergunned with its 32 pounder L6 main gun. Still, crews loved this accurate weapon.

Most famous of the Churchills Mk LXIIIs were the funnies, such as the Churchill Tree Shrew (a special jungle version with tree shearing jaws), the Churchill Fruit Bat (the AA variant). and the most famous of all funnies, the hybrid infantry carrier/tank--the Churchill Transexual (affectionately known as the "Trannie"). Contrary to a story traced back to Canadian Special Forces, the Trannie was not originally developed by the Royal Navy for the Marines. Rather, necessity was its mother. The Tranny arose from the need for close infantry support to prevent suicide attacks on tanks during the third Mau-Mau uprising.

 

[LeX]

I want pics.

 

[MacCaulay]

I'm totally digging this. You should do more. I don't know what else to say other than that. Perhaps a combat history of the vehicle, if there is one?

 

[backstab]

This looks great ! but since Germany fielded the first AFV Night Fighting equipment during the end of WW2 and recognized its value then it would be hard to believe that they would be behind in Thermal Technology no matter how much people say that Naziism was anti-science (Which is crap)

 

[Hendryk]

If you'll allow a minor off-topic nitpick:

The Panzer XII was faster than the Churchill, heavier than the FCM 78, had a longer gun than the T-76, and was in all ways bigger, faster, tougher and above all bigger than any of it’s rivals.

While the Pz XII’s mechanical were the equal of any of it’s potential enemies it’s electronics and fire control systems were another story.

Even victorious Nazis are powerless against the pervasive grocer's apostrophe

 

[Landshark]

Britain

Conqueror

In May 1981, just over a year after the first Panzer XII’s entered service, the second new tank of the 1980’s made it’s official debut when the Royal Horse Guards based at Sedan exchanged their Churchill Mark III tanks for the brand new Conqueror universal tank.

The Conqueror was not greeted with universal praise however. Voices in the media and more worryingly in some sections of the forces complained that the Conqueror was a waste of money and resources that would have been better spent on other weapons systems or on training and support services, that the tank itself added no new capability to the British Army and that it’s role could have been easily filled by the Mark V Churchill which had entered service only a few months before. Taken at face value these criticisms seemed to have some truth to them, however on closer inspection though they showed a lack of understanding of both the Conqueror tank and of British armoured philosophy.

The principle thrust of the critics argument was that the Conqueror was nothing more than a beefed up Churchill, and that unlike the French, Russian or German tanks that had entered service in the years immediately prior to it, the Conqueror displayed no major change in doctrine or advances in technology. Much was made by ill informed reporters about the similarities between the Churchill and the Conqueror, both had a 120 mm 55 calibre gun, both had a powerful diesel engine, both had hydro-gas suspension, both had a heavy armour suite, and so on and so forth, while in the meantime the French were pioneering smoothbore guns, the Germans gas turbine engines and the Russians were making the leap from a medium tank/heavy tank force to an all universal tank force. The critics argued that with the Conqueror the leaders of the Royal Armoured Corps was still thinking the same way as their predecessors had in the 1950’s.

And those critics were correct. Just not for the reasons they thought they were.

It’s often said that Nazi Germany has a severe inferiority complex when it comes to architecture. Before the fall of the Reich tourists to Berlin and other German cities could be assured of being bored stiff by their guides telling them in great detail how much higher, wider and bigger the monuments of the German capital were in comparison with those of other nations, how many Arc de Triomphes you could make out of the Arch of Victory, how many Nelson’s Columns you’d need to reach the top of the Hitler Spire, how many St Paul’s Cathedrals you could fit in the Volkshalle, it is as if German architects are driven to build things bigger and stronger than structures in other countries. The British Army has something of a similar attitude when it comes to tanks. As mentioned in earlier chapters Britain’s tanks were of less than stellar quality during the early 1940’s. They were either heavily armoured but slow, fast but poorly protected and in all cases inadequately armed and none to reliable compared to American or German tanks. As the frenzy of 1930’s rearmament gave way to the deeper but more studied rearmament of the 1940’s the men behind Britain’s tank force determined that this would never be the case again, from now on British tanks would be more heavily armoured, more heavily armed and more reliable than any fielded by the United Kingdom’s potential enemies. The upshot of this was that British tank development became evolutionary rather than revolutionary. This lead to a series of tanks which displayed a clear progression in capabilities. This is not to say that British tank development stagnated, more that British tanks had a set range of parameters to fill using the best available technology. In 1980 the Conqueror was the ultimate expression of this.

The Conqueror described

In many ways the Conqueror seemed to be the Churchill only built with the benefits of ten years worth of industrial and technological advances, however beneath the skin the two tanks were very different beasts. Fully eighty seven percent of the Conqueror was new technology, including all the major systems.

The tank mounted a brand new L91 120 mm 55 calibre rifled gun, this was linked to a Pye Cyclops integrated fire control system which included a thermal sight for the gunner and an independent thermal sight for the commander to allow hunter/killer tactics. Power came from a 1500 hp Rolls Royce Theseus diesel engine, with a third generation hydro-gas suspension fitted this allowed the 60 tonne tank to reach a road speed of 44 mph. The Conqueror’s most impressive feature though was it’s Mithril armour. This type of advanced composite armour had been under development in Britain and France since the late 1960’s and had first been fitted on the FCM 78, the Conqueror was several tonnes heavier than the French tank however and consequently mounted a stronger armour package, in fact the Conqueror was the most heavily armoured tank in the world in 1981, a title it retains at the time of writing almost thirty years later.

 

[stevep]

Landshark

Interesting idea. Be intrigued by the background where we're got a Nazi Germany, Soviet Union and western democracies? Has there been a war or not in the 40's?

Love the line "The Panzer X crews called it the Goring for good reason".

Steve

 

[Turiddu]

Here is the German military equipment overview from my own WW2 1975 "Cold War" timeline:

Ground Vehicles:

SPz.V ‘Eber’ IFV: The main armored infantry fighting vehicle of the German military is the ‘Eber’. The ‘Eber’ (Boar) has heavier armor protection than the IFVs of other nations and is armed with a two-man turret holding a 30mm auto-cannon and a MG50 machinegun. The ‘Eber’ can transport 8 fully-equipped soldiers into battle and is designed to keep up with fast moving Panzer units.

TPz.III ‘Schakal’ APC: Accompanying the heavily armored ‘Eber’ into battle are 8x8 wheeled ‘Schakal’ (Jackal) APCs. The TPz.III is armored against small-arms and mortar fire and has a centrally controlled tire-inflation system that allows it to run even with two wheels destroyed. The TPz.III can transport up to 10 fully equipped soldiers and is armed with a roof-mounted MG50 machinegun.

LPzSp.III ‘Fuchs 2’ Light Armored Car: The Leichter Panzerspähwagen III ‘Fuchs II’ (Fox) is a 6x6 12ton armored car. The ‘Fuchs 2’ is crewed by 3 men and is armed with a 75mm high-velocity cannon and two MG50 machineguns. The ‘Fuchs’ is used for long-range reconnaissance, patrol and forward observer duties.

SPzSp.II ‘Gepard’ Heavy Armored Car: Weighing 18tons, the Schwerer Panzerspähwagen II ‘Gepard’ (Cheetah) is a 8x8 heavy armored car. The ‘Gepard’ is armed with a three-man turret holding a 90mm high-velocity cannon and two MG50 machineguns (one co-axially mounted and one mounted on a turret copula). The ‘Gepard’ is more heavily armored than the light ‘Fuchs’ but it still cannot survive a hit from a large tank cannon. The ‘Gepard’ is used for combat reconnaissance and anti-partisan patrols.

PzKpfw.42 ‘Panther 4’ Ausf. C Main Battle Tank: The main battle tank of the German Army is the ‘Panther 4’. Carrying the name of the famous ‘Panther’ tank line, the ‘Panther 4’ weighs 57tons and is armed with a 100mm high-velocity cannon and three MG50 machineguns. The ‘Panther 4’ equips most Heer and Waffen-SS armored units and is the most widely produced tank in Germany. Heavily armored and equipped with advanced fire control and communications equipment, the ‘Panther 4’ is a match for the tanks of all nations Germany may face in a future war. The ‘C’ variant entered service in 1973 and has a new gun stabilizer and a new NBC protection system.

RakJPz.3 ‘Jagdpanther 2’ Tank Destroyer: The RakJPz.3 ‘Jagdpanther 2’ tank destroyer is a specialized vehicle based on the ‘Panther 4’. This 48ton armored vehicle is equipped with the Panzerabwehrlenkwaffe-3 anti-tank missile. This deadly weapon is an optically-guided missile that is armed with an 18.5 pound shaped-charge warhead. The RakJPz.3 carries two launching rails for these missiles and has an armored magazine that holds twelve additional missiles. After launching the missiles, the RakJPz.3 has an automated system that can reload each missile rail in roughly 20 seconds. The RakJPz.3 is also armed with two MG50 machineguns for defense against enemy infantry.

RakJPz.4 ‘Jagdeber’ Tank Destroyer: Based on the ‘Eber’ IFV, the ‘Jagdeber’ is a light tank destroyer. Instead of a two-man turret, the ‘Jagdeber’ has an armored superstructure that holds a single launching rail for the Panzerabwehrlenkwaffe-3 anti-tank missile. Unlike the significantly larger ‘Jagdpanther II’, the ‘Jagdeber’ launching rail must be reloaded by the crew (as opposed to an automated reloading system).

PzH.23 ‘Braunbär’ Self-Propelled Artillery: Armed with a 150mm howitzer, the ‘Braunär’ is the most widely used self-propelled artillery vehicle of the German military. This self-propelled artillery piece is useful for giving fire support to fast and mobile armored divisions. Like all artillery units, the ‘Braunbär’ is very vulnerable to direct attack.

PzH.33 ‘Eisbär’ Self-Propelled Artillery: Larger than the PzH.23, the ‘Eisbär’ is armed with a large 200mm howitzer. Crewed by a dozen men, the ‘Eisbär’ is used for heavy bombardment and can cause immense damage to targeted areas. Like all artillery units, the ‘Eisbär’ is very vulnerable to direct attack and requires preparation time before firing.

Rkw.6 ‘Wirbelsturm’ Self-Propelled Rocket Artillery: Based on a 8x8 Büssing NAG heavy truck chassis, the ‘Wirbelsturm’ (Cyclone) is the main rocket artillery piece of the German military. This vehicle carries a rotating launcher with 15 rocket tubes holding 140mm rockets. These rockets can carry high explosive or smoke warheads.

FkPz.31 ‘Flakpanzer 31’ Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft: Based on the ‘Panther IV’ chassis, the Flakpanzer 31 is armed with a fast turret mounting dual 40mm cannons. The Flakpanzer 31 is equipped with a RADAR system and electronic range-finder to help target low-flying enemy aircraft.

Flugabwehrrakete Henschel Hs.445 Self-Propelled SAM: The newest missile to enter German service is the Henschel Hs.445. This deadly surface-to-air missile is transported on a specialized version of the ‘Eber’ IFV vehicle chassis. Slightly longer than the normal ‘Eber’ chassis, the SAM variant holds a dual-rail missile launcher and a small armored compartment for the crew to operate the missile. The Hs.445 missile can reach a target altitude of roughly 12,000 feet and has a maximum speed of Mach 2.

Flugabwehrrakete Dornier Do.448 SAM Battery: The Do.448 entered service in 1957 and has remained in service due to its reliability and ease of manufacture. Although outclassed by the newest Dornier surface-to-air missiles, the Do.448 is still a threat against most enemy aircraft. The Do.448 can hit targets up to 45,000 feet and has a maximum speed of Mach 2. Do.448 batteries are commonly deployed in groups to make up for their lack of accuracy.

Flugabwehrrakete Dornier Do.551 ‘Taifun’ SAM Battery: The Dornier Do.554 ‘Taifun’ entered service in the early 1960s and has been updated numerous times since then. Each Do.554 missile system is transported by several specialized vehicles and requires roughly one hour to prepare for firing. The Do.554 missile has a maximum altitude of 50,000 feet and can reach a top speed of Mach 3.

Flugabwehrrakete Dornier Do.559 ‘Hurrikan’ SAM Battery: The Dornier Do.559 is a large surface-to-air missile that entered service in 1970. This imposing missile has a maximum speed of Mach 4.2 and can hit targets up to 70,000 feet. The ‘Hurrikan’ system is transported by a convoy of specialized trucks and requires several hours to prepare for firing. SAM batteries such as this are not very useful in frontline combat situations; they are best used for defending large and immobile strategic targets such as cities, bridges, depots, airfields and industrial areas.

Kurzstreckenraketen K-4C Rocket Unit: The K-4C is a short-range ballistic missile with a range of 70 miles. The K-4C carries a 1,200 pound HE or nuclear warhead and has a CEP of roughly 300 feet, giving it very good accuracy. The K-4C missile is used to bombard enemy troop concentrations, airfields and supply depots. Each K-4C system is transported by a convoy of specialized vehicles and requires up to an hour to prepare for firing.

Aircraft:

Messerschmitt Me.2010C-2 Interceptor: The largest and fastest fighter used by the Luftwaffe is the Me.2010C-2 interceptor. This sleek delta-wing aircraft can reach a top speed of Mach 3.1 and can fly up to 70,000 feet. The Me.2010 differs from other large interceptor aircraft in that it is flown by only a single pilot. The Me.2010 is designed to undertake long endurance patrols over the German-Soviet border and North Sea in search of enemy bombers seeking to penetrate German airspace. The Me.2010B-2 is a specialized strategic reconnaissance variant of the Me.2010 that carries powerful cameras instead of missiles.

Focke-Wulf Fw.336B-2 Fighter: Entering service in 1972, the Fw.336 replaced several earlier jet fighters in Luftwaffe service. This delta-wing fighter has a top speed of Mach 2.1 and is armed with two 30mm cannons and pylons for six air-to-air missiles. The Fw.336 is less agile than some of its British and American counterparts but it makes up for this with a superior top speed and rate of climb.

Heinkel He.295A-3 Fighter: The He.295 was a direct competitor to the Fw.336 for the Luftwaffe 1972 fighter competition. The Fw.336 “won” the competition and was accepted into service but intense lobbying (including allegations of bribery) by the Heinkel Company meant that the He.295 was also accepted into service. The He.295 uses a conventional wing design as opposed to the Fw.336’s delta-wing design and is considered the better “dogfighter” of the two. Like the Fw.336, the He.295 is armed with two 30mm cannons and six under-wing hardpoints for missiles.

Heinkel He.91D-2 Fighter-Bomber: The rugged He.91 fighter-bomber is armed with two 30mm cannons and eight hardpoints that can carry missiles, rocket pods or bombs for use against enemy ground and air targets. The He.91 is outclassed by many of the newer fighters in service with Germany’s rivals but it remains in widespread use as a fighter-bomber due to its reliability and strong airframe.

Focke-Wulf Fw.401C-2 ‘Krähe’ Attack Aircraft: The Fock-Wulf ‘Krähe’ (Crow) is a variable-geometry wing attack aircraft. Powered by two jet engines, the rugged Fw.401 is armed with two 30mm cannons and eight hardpoints for carrying bombs, rocket pods, gun pods or missiles. The ‘Krähe’ is not a very graceful looking aircraft but its rugged armor and design allow it to survive large amounts of combat damage.

Messerschmitt Me.2056B-3 Assault Bomber: The Me.2056 is a two-man tactical bomber intended to attack enemy ground units and bases in high-speed attack runs. The Me.2056 is a fairly conventional design but its powerful engines allow it to reach impressive speed and climb rates for an aircraft of this size. The Me.2056B-3 variant has a new ground-mapping RADAR system that allows it to attack enemy ground targets at night and in bad weather. The Me.2056 has four under-wing hardpoints for missiles or bombs and has an internal bomb bay that can carry 10,000 pounds of ordinance. While the Me.2056 has impressive speed abilities, it must depend on escorts if it hopes to survive against enemy fighters. The Me.2056C-2 is a specialized reconnaissance variant of the Me.2056B-3 that carries a camera pod in the weapons bay.

Junkers Ju.110D-1 Bomber: The Junkers Ju.110D-1 is the main heavy bomber of the Luftwaffe. This swept-wing bomber is a design from the early 1960s that has been updated to modern standards with the addition of more powerful engines and new electronics and avionics systems. The Ju.110 is vulnerable to enemy fighter attack so bomber units like this must be escorted or only used when air superiority is assured. The Ju.110 can carry up to 26,000 pounds of conventional bombs and many have been modified to enable them to carry a rotary cruise missile launcher in the bomb-bay. This modification allows the Ju.110 to carry up to six deadly ‘Wurfspieß’ cruise missiles, each missile capable of hitting targets over 200 miles from the bomber.

Junkers Ju.150A-1 Bomber: Entering service in 1971, the Ju.150A-1 is the pride of the Luftwaffe bomber wings. This sleek delta-wing bomber is powered by four massive jet engines and can reach a top speed of Mach 2.8. With a maximum range of 2,000 miles, the Ju.150 can carry a 20,000 pound bomb load to hit strategic targets deep in enemy territory. To escape attack, the Ju.150 depends on speed and its 75,000 feet service ceiling. The Ju.150 also has a dedicated electronics warfare crewmember to manage the aircraft’s sophisticated countermeasures systems.

Focke-Achgelis Fa.50B-2 ‘Wespe’ Utility Helicopter: The most widely used helicopter in the Reich is the Fa.50B-2 ‘Wespe’. This large twin-engine helicopter can carry a dozen troops or two tons of cargo. The ‘Wespe’ can be outfitted to carry door-mounted machineguns to offer extra protection when landing in combat areas. Like most helicopters around the world, the Fa.50 is used for missions like search and rescue, medical evacuation and the transport of supplies to units in remote locations.

Focke-Achgelis Fa.44C-1 ‘Biene’ Transport Helicopter: The large Fa.44C-1 ‘Biene’ (Bee) transport helicopter is used to move large numbers of troops and supplies to battlefield areas. The Fa.44 can carry 24 soldiers or 3.5tons of cargo.

Junkers Ju.112C-1 Patrol Bomber: A modified version of the Ju.110 bomber, the Ju.112 is a maritime patrol aircraft. The Ju.112 carries only 12,000 pounds of ordinance (mostly torpedoes and depth charges) but it has a far greater range than the Ju.110. The Ju.112 is also equipped with a powerful surface search RADAR for locating enemy ships at sea and carries advanced communications equipment to coordinate with and provide targeting data to U-Boats.

Messerschmitt Me.17B-2 ‘Möwe’ Transport: The main transport of the Luftwaffe is the Me.17 ‘Möwe’ (Gull). The ‘Gull’ is a mundane looking but dependable aircraft powered by four jet engines and capable of carrying up to 40tons of cargo or over 100 paratroopers.

Naval Vessels:

’Admiral’ Class Heavy Cruiser
Displacement: 28,000 tons
Length: 268 meters
The German Navy’s most powerful warships are the massive ’Admiral’ class Heavy Cruisers. Named for famous German Admirals, these vessels are armed with heavy weapons for surface combat. In addition to two 5.5inch guns, these cruisers carry multiple 25mm close-in defense guns, RADAR controlled 50mm AA guns and a heavy missile battery of Henschel Hs.602 anti-ship cruise missiles and naval versions of the Dornier Do.448 surface-to-air missile. These ships are equipped with impressive RADAR and sensor arrays and usually act as fleet flagships.

’Feldmarschall’ Class Light Cruiser
Displacement: 9,400 tons
Length: 184 meters
The ships of the ‘Feldmarschall’ class are named for famous German Field Marshals. These ships entered service in the late 1960s to replace several earlier Cruiser classes. Fast and designed for long-endurance patrols, these warships are armed with Dornier Do.448 surface-to-air missiles and Henschel Hs.592 ‘Orkan’ (Hurricane) anti-ship missiles. In addition to missiles these ships carry a 5.5inch gun in a rotating turret, RADAR controlled 50mm AA guns and three 25mm close-in defense guns. These ships are often used as fleet escorts and flagships for Destroyer groups.

Spähkreuzer 1965 Type Destroyer
Displacement: 5,300 tons
Length: 149 meters
The ‘Spähkreuzer’ (Reconnaissance Cruiser) is a type of German warship originally designed after the end of the last War. These ships are large Destroyers that are designed to be long-range scouts, destroyer group leaders and convoy raiders. These fast ships are equipped for long endurance missions and are armed with Henschel Hs.445 surface-to-air missiles, Henschel Hs.592 ‘Orkan’ anti-ship missiles, four RADAR controlled 50mm AA Guns, two 25mm close-in guns, torpedo launchers and a single 5inch gun.

Zerstörer 1972 Type Destroyer
Displacement: 4,100 tons
Length: 120 meters
The newest Destroyers in German service are the Type 1972 ships. These well-armed and seaworthy vessels are armed with three RADAR controlled 40mm AA guns, two 25mm close-in guns, a single 5inch gun, torpedo launchers, depth charge launchers and a battery of Henschel Hs.445 surface-to-air missiles. These Destroyers are designed to escort friendly ships and provide them protection from enemy submarine and air attack.

Zerstörer 1963 Type Destroyer
Displacement: 3,900 tons
Length: 110 meters
The Destroyers of the 1963 Type remain in German service but are being gradually replaced by the newer 1972 Type. These dependable warship carry torpedo and depth charge launchers, 40mm AA guns and two launching rails for Dornier Do.232 anti-aircraft missiles. The Do.232 system is of late 1950s vintage and is now outclassed by newer missiles but remains a deadly weapon.

Flottenbegleiter 1968 Type Escort
Displacement: 1,200 tons
Length: 86 meters
The Flottenbegleiter 1968 is a type of fast Escort ship used by the German Navy. These small and seaworthy vessels are armed with torpedo tubes, depth charge launchers, two 25mm close-in guns and two twin-40mm RADAR controlled anti-aircraft guns. These ships are used for coastal defense and submarine hunting missions.

Schnellboot 1969 Type Fast Patrol Boat
Displacement: 145tons
Length: 30 meters
The Schnellboot 1969 is a fast attack boat used in coastal operations. These boats are intended to harass enemy shipping in coastal regions and to directly battle enemy patrol boats (especially those of the British and Soviet Navies). The Schnellboot 1969 has a top speed of 37 knots and is armed with two torpedo launchers, one 30mm rapid-fire cannon and two launching rails for Henschel Hs.590 anti-ship missiles.

Marinefährprahm 1963 Type Landing Ship
Displacement: 450 tons
Length: 64 meters
The Kriegsmarine’s main landing ship is the small but dependable Marinefährprahm 1963 design. These ships can carry up to 200 tons of cargo or over 250 soldiers. The Marinefährprahm 1963 design is equipped with two 40mm anti-aircraft guns for defense but they are very vulnerable to enemy attack. The German Navy does not place much emphasis on amphibious warfare so these ships are mainly used for coastal operations in the Baltic and Black Sea.


Type 31B U-Boat Attack Submarine
Displacement: 5,900 tons
Length: 96 meters
The most widely used U-Boats of the Kriegsmarine are the Type 31B nuclear-powered U-Boats. These fast and reliable boats carry four forward torpedo tubes and are equipped with the latest SONAR and surface RADAR equipment to hunt enemy targets. The Type 31B U-Boat is designed to attack enemy vessels, especially merchant ships, in the middle of the North Atlantic. These U-Boats also carry equipment to receive coded messages from German satellites and Ju.112C-1 patrol bombers, allowing them to engage targets far behind their normal search area.

Type 33 U-Boat Missile Submarine
Displacement: 9,700 tons
Length: 150 meters
The largest U-Boat type used by the Kriegsmarine are the imposing Type 33 missile U-Boats. These impressive vessels carry twelve UR-22A nuclear missiles. These nuclear ballistic missiles are reasonably accurate and can be launched while the submarine is submerged. These submarines are vital for allowing Germany to maintain a nuclear strike capability on the United States and United Kingdom.

Type 38 U-Boat Missile Submarine
Displacement: 7,100 tons
Length: 115 meters
The newest submarines to enter German service are the advanced Type 38 nuclear missile submarines. These large submarines are designed to destroy American and British ships (especially carriers) with nuclear and conventional-tipped cruise missiles of the UR-50C type. These submarines can also make precision strikes on ports and other coastal facilities. These deadly submarines are also armed with four torpedo tubes.

Type 29B U-Boat Attack Submarine
Displacement: 2,000 tons
Length: 60 meters
The Type 29B U-Boat is a coastal attack submarine. These submarines are smaller than the Type 29B but they are faster and more adapt at attacking enemy vessels in shallow depths. These U-Boats have four forward torpedo tubes and also can dispense mines from an aft launching tube. The Type 29B U-Boat was designed for service primarily in the English Channel, Black Sea and Baltic Sea.


’Brandenburg’ Class Fleet Tanker
Displacement: 32,000 tons
Length: 180 meters
The main fleet oilers of the Kriegsmarine are the ‘Brandenburg’ Class. These large tankers carry huge amounts of petroleum products to replenish German warships at sea. Replenishment ships are vital for supporting long-distance naval operations.

‘Rhein’ Class Replenishment Ship
Displacement: 20,000 tons
Length: 173 meters
The ‘Rhein’ Class carries ammunition, food and general stores to replenish the stocks of German vessels at sea. These vital ships are unarmed and needed to be escorted at all times. In last ten years the German Navy has begun to undertake greater worldwide naval operations, thus placing even more importance on the supply ships of the ‘Rhein’ and ‘Brandenburg’ classes.

’Danzig’ Class Submarine Depot Ship
Displacement: 18,000 tons
Length: 174 meters
The submarine depot ships of the ‘Danzig’ class were designed to support U-Boats at sea. These large and unarmed ships carry weapons and supplies to replenish submarines at sea or when docked in foreign ports. Submarine tenders are essential for the support of long-range submarine patrols. The ‘Danzig’ class ships are often deployed to foreign ports to supply and coordinate U-Boat operations in locations far from Germany.

Minensuchboot 1963 Type Minesweeper
Displacement: 600 tons
Length: 60 meters
The Minensuchboot 1963 Type minesweepers are designed to detect and neutralize enemy sea mines. These ships are vital especially when a fleet is entering ports and waterways formerly under enemy control. These ships are armed with a two dual-40mm anti-aircraft mount and have hulls made of special non-magnetic materials.

 

[Landshark]

America

M70

On the first Monday in June 1982 the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Staff and various other dignitaries arrived at Fort Riley, Kansas to witness the first M70 tanks being handed over to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment of the 2nd Cavalry Division of the United States Army. While the vehicle they were looking at was largely conventional it did represent a significant change in American tank thinking.

Unlike the European powers who’s primary concern was a major clash of armour on the Central Front the US military was always more focused on rapid deployment across the long distances of the Pacific Ocean. The sum result of this focus was that the US Army and Marines favoured lighter and faster tanks than those of the European powers, in fact the last American heavy tank, the M51, was retired without replacement in 1974. The first signs of changes in American tank thinking came in the late 60’s. Up until that time the USA’s greatest potential thread, the Empire of Japan, had favoured similar tanks, light, fast, easily transportable weapons that could be sent to trouble spots as quickly as possible. The Japanese Type 37 weighing 39 tonnes and mounting a 100 mm gun was in much the same class as the American M58 weighing 42 tonnes and mounting a 105 mm gun. However Japan had another potential enemy to deal with, the USSR, a nation with a long and proud history of building tanks that out gunned and out armoured those of other nations. It was to deal with this threat that the Imperial Japanese Army decided to issue a specification for the tank that eventually became the Type 54, a 52 tonne MBT armed with a 125 mm gun. When the Pentagon learnt of this from the OSS the race was on to create an American opponent.

As noted above there had been general dissatisfaction with the M51 heavy tank, while it had been theoretically a powerfully armed and armoured in practice not only was the whole less than the sum of it’s parts many of those parts were less than acceptable. With this in mind it was decided to design the new tank from a clean slate with inspiration drawn from the highly successful M49 and M58 medium tanks and the best of contemporary foreign tanks like the Churchill and the AMX 65.

With the recent twin fiascos of the T40 missile tank and the T42 future tank still causing waves Armoured Forces Command decided to pursue two development paths. Alpha, which would examine how best to push existing technologies to their logical extremes and Beta, which would examine emerging new weapons technologies such as smoothbore guns and gas turbine engines. The wisdom of this approach was shown when the end result, logically known as Omega, produced a prototype combing the best of the two programs. Mechanically Omega was largely derived from Alpha, but with the electronic systems coming from Beta.

The M70 described

The M70 was a conventional design with much of it’s internal layout being derived from the M58. However as the M58 had probably the best ergonomics of any tank of it’s generation this was no bad thing. At 55 tonnes the M70 was the same weight as the M51 heavy tank but possessed a much more advanced protective scheme of American designed composite armour. The tank also mounted the first 120 mm gun since the M51, however the rifled 44 calibre M71 was a completely new design firing separate loading two piece ammunition with both charge and warhead being stored in armoured boxes below the turret ring. A .50 calibre machine gun was mounted coaxially.

Power came from a Continental diesel engine developing 1500 hp linked to an Allison transmission and licensed Horstmann hydro-gas suspension as used on the Conqueror, which combined to give the M70 a road speed of 47 mph.

The tank’s fire control system was entirely new and had been developed during the Beta program. Initial trials with a system derived from a Racal Canada product proved disappointing, while the system proved to be very effective it was also prone to crashing under certain operational circumstances and was replaced with a Hughes Electronics Wolverine Fire Control System derived from the TARSUS upgrade developed for the M58.

 

[Landshark]

Sweden

Strv 82

There are two golden rules that are almost invariably obeyed when experts try and rank the world’s tank producing nations in order of precedence. The first is that while the top five positions will always be occupied by Britain, France, Russia, Germany and the USA, no two people will agree on the order in which they come, and the second is that Sweden will always be ranked as the maker of the sixth best tanks in the world.

While being a solid sixth may not sound like much of an achievement it should be bourn in mind that of all the countries on the face of the Earth one small, neutral, democracy can equip it’s army with tanks that can only be bettered by the five most powerful industrial military nations in the world. The quality of Swedish tanks can be attested by the numbers of them serving in armies outside not just Sweden but outside Europe.

Development of the tank that was to become the Strv 82 began concurrently with that of the Strv 64 and like the Strv 64 was part funded by Denmark, Norway and Finland. While the goal of the Strv 64 program was to produce an effective tank using readily available technology that of the Strv 82 program was to look beyond the electronics and weaponry entering service in the next few years and try to envision what would be possible ten to twenty years from the current date. While such imagineering can be difficult and often produces less than usable results in the case of the Strv 82 the Swedes avoided most of the more egregious flights of fancy and in the end produced a modern and effective fighting vehicle.

The nature of the program meant that it would start from a clean sheet, however the design team did draw on the experience of twenty years of worldwide tank development. That the next generation of tanks would have bigger guns, heavier armour and more powerful engines than those in service in the 1960’s was a given, the only details that needed to be worked out was how greater these factors would be and how best to achieve them. While Sweden had a considerable defence budget during the Cold War it was still a small country and had to make every penny count, this resulted in the Swedes becoming enthusiastic proponents of the universal or main battle tank idea. Having one design of tank that could act in both the medium and heavy role would result in savings from design to active service, (The Swedes only had one brief flirtation with heavy tanks in the shape of the Strv 56, only two prototypes were built, one which resides at Axvall and the other at Bovington). If Sweden was only to have one new type of tank to face the world it would be the best tank it could be though.

Several design ideas were proposed, examined and discarded, one for a turret less tank was rejected as too limiting for potential export orders, another for a tank with a three man crew and an autoloader for the gun was rejected on the grounds of the cost of developing the autoloader. Eventually a conventional four crew layout was chosen. Firepower and mobility were examined next, four gun options were considered all put forward by Bofors. An improved 105 mm rifled gun was rejected as too small as was a smoothbore of similar calibre. More attractive were rifled and smoothbore guns in 120 mm. While the rifled gun offered good range and accuracy the smoothbore had much to recommend it. As the Swedes expected to be fighting on the defensive the superiority of smoothbore guns in the anti-tank role was judged an advantage as was their longer life and ease of manufacture compared with rifled guns, news that the next generation French tank would be armed with a smoothbore gun clinched the decision and the 120 mm Bofors smoothbore, with suitable modifications to allow it to fire French ammunition as well as Swedish, was ordered for the Strv 82. As with armament several engine options were looked at, while initial interest focused on a Scania turbo diesel by the mid 70’s the consensus was for a Volvo gas turbine engine, the Swedish Army accepting the trade off of weight and power for range and fuel consumption. A diesel auxiliary power unit was also fitted.

Initial armour designs were for a combination of laminate armour across the glacis and turret front, however the third prototype feature an all laminate scheme that was adopted for service in a modified form. Driver, gunner and commander all had low light image intensifying night sights, the commander’s being an independent one linked to a laser target designator. These sights were upgraded to thermal sights in the late 80’s.

The Strv 82 described

At 48 tonnes the Strv 82 is the lightest MBT of it’s generation and also the fastest. Power comes from a Volvo T7 gas turbine developing 1200 hp with a 30 hp Scania diesel APU fitted for “idling” use. Scania also provides the transmission while the hydrogas suspension was designed by Volvo.

Main armament is a Bofors 120 mm 44 calibre smoothbore gun. This is a notably compact weapon with similar external dimensions to the Royal Ordnance 105 mm L7 fitted to the Strv 64. A 6.5 mm Madsen gun is fitted coaxially with a second mounted on the commander’s cupola and a 15.5 mm FN heavy machine gun for the loader.

Armour is of a locally developed Mithril type, while fire control is provided by a Nokia Ranger FCC linked to a Bang and Olufsen sighting system.

 

[Leistungsfähiger Amerikan]

This is a really cool idea, bit since I'm not an expert on the tank designs I can only generally understand the differences between them. What are the pros/cons of each?

 

[fastmongrel]

Sweden

with a 300 hp Scania diesel APU fitted for “idling” use. Scania also provides the transmission while the hydrogas suspension was designed by Volvo.

.

A 300 hp APU wow thats a lot of power for an auxillary. In the Chieftain tank we got by with a VW beetle engine knocking out about 20 hp. Possibly you mean 30 hp its only there to power the tank electrics and top up the batteries when closed down with the engine turned off. Unless you have the diesel moving the tank at low speed with the turbine only kicking in for high speed.

Loving the tanks though keep up the tl I want to know if the cold war goes hot.

 

[Landshark]

A 300 hp APU wow thats a lot of power for an auxillary. In the Chieftain tank we got by with a VW beetle engine knocking out about 20 hp. Possibly you mean 30 hp its only there to power the tank electrics and top up the batteries when closed down with the engine turned off. Unless you have the diesel moving the tank at low speed with the turbine only kicking in for high speed.

I based it off the diesel fitted to the S-Tank but scaled up to account for the extra weight of the Strv 82. In hindsight that may have been a mistake, IIRC the diesel on the S-Tank was used as a cruising engine with the turbine used for fast manuvering on the battlefield.

I think I'll take your advice and drop a zero.

 

[Landshark]

Italy

CAU 84

While the slow decay and collapse of the Nazi regime undermined the German military by removing many of the certainties of life the lingering death of the Fascist regime in Italy had the opposite effect, the Italian military was invigorated by being freed from the straightjacket imposed by the Fascist state. Cut free from the dead weight of Mussolini’s legacy the Italian military would emerge from the Cold War as a leaner, meaner force and the CAU 84 was in it’s vanguard.

Like Britain Italy entered the Cold War with a profound inferiority complex about it’s armoured force. Oddly enough the source of both nations mindset can be traced to the same events, the Anglo-Italian border clashes which took place along the border of Egypt and Libya in the early 1940’s. For the British the embarrassment came from losing tanks to the Italians, for the Italians the embarrassment came from the fact that they were largely dependent on German supplied Panzer III’s and IV’s to destroy British tanks while their home-grown armour fell easy prey to British anti-tank weapons.

As in Britain these events spurred the Italians to develop more heavily armed and armoured tanks, though with less consistent results. While several very good designs were produced the variable quality of Italian armour was amply demonstrated by the CAP 66 and the CAM 67/69. While the heavy tank proved both reliable and formidable the medium tank was an abject failure. As one Italian general said “The only reason not to describe the Ariete Division as a mobile junkyard is because their CAM 67’s are always too broken down to move.”

During the successful Ethiopian insurrection the CAM 67/69 displayed leaking fuel systems, shorting electrics, weak armour and a whole host of other failures in practically every item fitted to the tank. While the insurrection brought down the Farini government it also brought down a storm of criticism on the Commando Supremo, while in other times this might have resulted in a few symbolic firings and sideways promotions this time it caught both the public and elements of the government and army in a fractious mood. A general house cleaning of the senior ranks took place and a top to bottom reorganisation of the army commenced.

On the equipment front the most obvious result of this was the 1976 purchase 400 of the private venture Ansaldo-Breda Centauro export tank, which entered service as the CAM 76. The Commando Supremo only considered this a stopgap measure and even as the Centauro was replacing the CAM 67/69 in Italy’s armoured and mechanised divisions specifications were being issued for a new tank to replace it.

The new tank’s equally new designation, Carro Armato Universale, clearly showed where Italian thought was heading, the MBT. Unlike the Centauro, which mounted the popular German 115 mm rifled gun, the CAU would be an all Italian product, with the gun coming from Ansaldo, the hull and turret from Oto Melara, the engine from Fiat-Iveco, and the sights and fire control from Sistemi Elettronici Di Torino.

Development proceeded rapidly and the first prototypes were delivered in 1980 with production tanks being delivered to the Ariete and Freccia divisions in June 1984.

The CAU 84 described

The CAU 84 is a conventional tank resembling the MBT’s of other nations. The tank weighs 56 tonnes and is powered by a 1400 hp diesel engine with a Fiat automatic transmission and advanced torsion bar suspension. The main armament is a 48 calibre 120 mm rifled gun mounting a SETI thermal imaging sight immediately above it. The tank is unusual in having two coaxial weapons. To deal with infantry a 7.92 mm Beretta machine gun is fitted to the right of the gun and a 20 mm Oto Melara cannon is fitted to the left to deal with light armour and reinforced targets. Another unique feature is a permanently fitted, retractable dozer blade which allows the CAU 84 to dig it’s own defensive positions and provides additional armour to the front of the tank‘s belly.

The main armour package consists of advanced spaced armour on the hull and turret with a layer of laminate armour on the glacis and turret front.

 

[Landshark]

For some reason that last section came up shorter than the others, about a page and half rather than two and a bit. Anyway, only one more tank of the 80's to go, the R-89, then it's back to the 70's for the FCM 78, T-76 and Type 54 among others.

On the subject of other tanks does anyone have any suggestions? Specifically on Chinese, Argentine and Brazilian tanks. I figure these, along with three already planned countries are the only others that might take a crack at tank production, or would they just buy off the shelf from Europe and America. Other possibilities include more private venture export tanks making an appearance in the smaller armies.

Finally are these tanks ringing true, do they sound plausible?