Super Heavy Allied Tanks

TOG-II Tank

This prototype British heavy tank was produced in the early years of World War II following the outdated military concepts and fears of trench warfare left over from The Great War.

The TOG designation literally stands for "The Old Gang" and is named after the British Special Vehicle Development Committee.

A TOG-I less heavy tank prototype was built first in 1939, but the 1940 requirement for a super heavy design resulted in the second prototype built by Foster's of Lincoln that kept many of the TOG-1 features but mounted a heavier 17 Pdr main gun (roughly 76mm) and weighed in at 80 tons by 1941. This was far heavier than the German Tigers that didn't start to appear until 1943.

The TOG-II was equipped with an electromechanical drive and torsion bar suspension. But although trialed successfully by May 1943 the concept was abandoned as impractical.

The surviving prototype ended up in the Bovington Tank Museum where it still can be viewed today.

~Rob Arndt

Data:

Crew: 6

Weight: 80 tons

Length: 33 ft 3 in

Width: 10 ft 3 in

Height: 10 ft

Armor: 12-62mm

Powerplant: 600 hp diesel

Armament: 1x 17 Pdr

Speed: 8.5 mph

A39 Heavy Assault Tank Tortoise

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. As a result, 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. It was now to be optimised for breaching the defences of the Siegfried Line, just as the French FCM F1 of 1940.

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 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 the Tortoise had a fixed superstructure instead of a turret, it should be classified as a self propelled gun or an assault gun and not a tank.

The crew included the Commander, driver, gunner with two loaders for the 32 pounder gun and two machine gunners.

The Tortoise 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

Data:

Length : 10.06m
Width : 3.91m
Hight : 3.04m
Weight : 78t
Engine : Rollce-Royce Meteor (600hp) X 1
Max Speed : 19.3Km/h
Crew : 7
Armament : 32 Pounder Anti Tank Gun(94mm) X 1, 7.92mm Machine

T-28

The T28 (later called 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95) was a prototype heavily armoured tank destroyer, designed for the US Military during the Second World War. It was originally designed to be used to break through German defenses at the Siegfried Line, and was later considered as a possible participant in an invasion of the Japanese mainland.

It had no conventional turret, giving it a comparatively low profile. Its total weight when fully equipped would have reached ninety-five tons. The armor was very thick compared to tanks of the time, in some places up to twelve inches thick (thirty centimetres). This was considered heavy enough to provide protection from the 88 mm gun used by German heavy tanks. The engine was an underpowered gasoline Ford GAF V-8, delivering 410 hp, which gave it a top speed of about 8 mph (13 km/h). To carry the tank destroyer's great weight, it used four tracks instead of two. The outer tracks could be detached for easier transport. After removal they could be fixed together to make a unit that could be towed behind the tank.

Its main armament was a 105 mm T5E1 gun in a ball-shaped mantlet, set into the front of the hull. It also had a fifty-caliber machine gun above the commander's hatch.

Although sometimes referred to as a Super-heavy tank the T28 was really a very heavy tank destroyer, and was re-designated as the 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95 in 1945. In 1946 it was renamed again, to T28.

The original plan was for five prototype vehicles with a production total of 25. However only two were ordered and none saw combat. Currently one of these tanks can be viewed at the Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor in Kentucky.

Data:

Length : 11.13m
Width : 4.55m
Hight : 2.84m
Weight : 95t
Engine : Ford GAF (500hp) X 1
Max Speed : 13Km/h
Crew : 4
Armament : 105mm Cannon X 1, 12.7mm Machine Gun