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TL;DR: A prototype bridge layer based on an Strv m/42 EH that retained its turret and armament.
History:
Tanks, while generally able to master most kinds of terrain, have always run into obstacles that can completely halt their advance. Ditches, rivers, broken bridges, and man-made fortifications are just a few of said obstacles and World War II showed just how common and momentum-breaking they could be. In response to this, development of armored bridge-layers exploded, taking inspiration and design elements from their World War I and inter-war ancestors. The Germans would develop bridge-layers based on the Panzer I and Panzer IV, however, these would see limited success and most of the Panzer IV-based vehicles would be converted back into gun-tanks by the end of the way. The allied side found much more success with this vehicle type, however, as they commonly found themselves as the advancing party, especially in the later years of the war. Layers based on the Covenanter, Valentine, and Churchill tanks would see decent success as their existence allowed the allies to spread out their advances and limit reliance on preexisting and/or nonsabotaged bridges. The end of war did not slow the development of these vehicles. As newer and more mobile tanks entered service, armored bridge-layers would enter service shortly after, often times based on the same chassis to ensure they could keep pace. As Sweden had not actively participated in the war, they were late to the punch when it came to technical and non-combat vehicle development. Their first serious attempt at an armored bridge-layer would only come in the early 1950s after the need for such a vehicle was brought up some time in 1944. A prototype would quickly be constructed, based on the Strv m/42 EH, a tank long outdated by the time it entered service. This vehicle would be called Broläggningsbandvagn m/42, or Brobv m/42 for short, and would feature one major difference from (almost) all of its predecessors. The Brobv m/42 retained near full functionality of its turret including, of course, its 75mm gun. The idea behind the vehicle was simple. Being unarmed vehicles, armored bridge-layers were largely helpless in the event of an engagement, often only having access to machine guns for self-defense. Most early layers also utilized unretractable bridges, making them far less useful after deploying. Hoping to eliminate this issue, the Swedish opted to keep the turret, envisioning that the vehicle would be capable of returning to a gun tank role after deploying. This resulted in the 12-ish meter long bridge being positioned way higher up than its contemporaries to allow for clearance, which negatively affected the vehicle’s center of balance and would put the vehicle at risk of toppling over when traversing uneven terrain. The brace for the bridge also greatly limited the vehicle’s firing angles, effectively only allowing the vehicle to fire off the sides. On top of that, the bridge was only about as wide as the tank itself and the Strv m/42 was not known for being particularly wide, which could lead to problems in the future. These issues would lead to the project being dropped very quickly. The idea would be revisited in the later half of the 1950s, when Strv m/42 EHs were being converted into Ikv 73s, however, this new project would go the more conventional route and see the removal of the turret as well as a wider bridge. Whether or not this vehicle would see a prototype is ultimately unclear, though the arrival of Centurions around the same time makes it unlikely.
Place In War Thunder:
Now, obviously, the Brobv m/42 is not something I would expect to perform spectacularly in-game. I suggest this vehicle mainly because it would be really funny while also introducing a unique functionality to the game. There are a few maps in-game in which a bridge-layer could be put to use, potentially providing some tangible advantage in a few select cases. Of course, carrying a large bridge on top of your tank is going to negatively effect your mobility so finding somewhere to plonk it down should be a priority. The act of deploying the bridge would obviously take time during which you would be vulnerable to enemy fire so care would need to be taken when choosing where and when to deploy. Upon completion, the tank should receive some boost to mobility to account for the weight reduction as well as slightly improved firing angles, though not by too much as the bridge apparatus would remain attached to the vehicle. Once deployed, the bridge should become destructible to allow for counterplay should the bridge be placed in a particularly advantageous position. From there, it’s business as usual. Use the Strv m/42 EH’s good gun depression and monster shell to make up for your massive firing angle handicap, sticking to ridgelines and covered positions to reduce the chances of a round boring a hole into your weak side armor. All this being said, keeping the bridge attached could come with its own advantages. It could act as a shield from some aircraft weaponry like smaller rounds and maybe even low-yield rockets. It could also potentially be used to bait less experienced players into wasting a round, allowing you to pop up and kill them. Obviously, this isn’t tech tree material. It is a bona fide gimmick vehicle through and through meant to provide a unique experience while taking a break from the grind. It would make for a perfect low-tier reward for a small Swedish holiday event or maybe even a low-level battlepass reward if Gaijin decides to bring those back.
Specifications:
Armament: 75 mm kan m/41 cannon (Machine guns appear to have been removed on the prototype.)
Dimensions: 12.00~m, 2.34m, 3.00~m (L,W,H) (I have not found exact length and height measurements.)
Weight: 30000~kg (Estimate. Weight of the bridge is unknown.)
Armor: Same as Strv/m42 and Ikv 73 in-game
Crew: 4
Ammunition: Same as Strv/m42 and Ikv 73 in-game
Speed: 30~kph (Estimate. Carrying a large bridge would obviously negatively impact mobility in some way.)
Horsepower: 410hp
Pictures:
Front View:Side view with the bridge in a more travel-friendly position:Bridge being deployed:
Sources:
BBV m/42 och Brobv m/42
Strv m/42 - NamuWiki
https://dzen.ru/a/ZGEIyiSNKm08E73P
Stridsvagn m/42 - Wikipedia
https://andrej-kraft.livejournal.com/246030.html
https://www.livejournal.com/media/1312309.html
Гусеничные викинги - ШУШПАНЦЕРЫ АТАКУЮТ! — LiveJournal