- Yes
- No
caid’s suggestion #38
i would like to suggest the final form of the Israeli Halftrack SPG, the M3 Half-track 90mm DEFA 921
the M3 Half-track Defa 90mm, was an Israeli upgrade of their M3 armed with the 57mm gun. Israel having used the 57mm Half-track with huge success in battle during 1948 had taken back the concept to create a new generation of similar vehicles with better armament and improved design. the development started in 1965 and had the goal of making the SPG with modernized firepower and a lower profile. to do so, they chose the newly introduced field gun to the IDF, the 90mm DEFA D921. this gun was used in the IDF as a field gun for defense and also on the AML-90 recently acquired from France. The cabin was mostly cut off to allow the gun to be installed with a lower profile. this eliminated the Hull machine gun and the machine gun position. additionally, a smoke launcher was also installed on the side of the chassis. by 1966, the development was completed, and 60 of those SPGs were ordered. they was converted from the existing M3/M5 half-track in services. they served until the early 70s when they were sold away. many can be found in the hands of private collectors.
Firepower
The main armament was the 90mm DEFA D921 , this gun is lightweight but powerful. using HEATFS with nothing less than 320mm of penetration , the gun could hope to penetrate the MBT of the Cold War. the fire-rate of 10 rounds minutes makes it a rather decently fast gun. the velocity of 750 m/sec is not that great but still potent. the gun would have a limited transverse of about 20° on both sides . and an elevation of -5°/+15° . but despite this limited arc of fire, the gun is still potent for fighting. 55 rounds are carried (counted from the picture). additionally, a 7.62mm M1919 is also carried on a pintle mount at the rear.
Mobility
the vehicle is an M3 Half-tract which is already well known from the game by the use in many versions on many vehicles. this one is probably the lightest of them all as it only has a single 90mm gun is very light and uses the 6-pounder mount. making the weight at 8.6 tonnes (referring to the T58 which was very similar) this shall make the vehicles the most mobile of the M3 half-track by a bit. the speed reaching 72 km/h on the road would be a very nice asset but the vehicles suffering from being half-tracked will lose a lot of their speed during turn. w yet it would not lack mobility. with a power-weight ratio of 17 hp/ton, due to the 147 hp engine , he will be one of the quickest in acceleration.
Protection
the protection of this vehicle is not at all his best asset. the vehicles could easily be qualified as “glass cannon”. with 6mm of armor about EVERYWHERE except the driver port which is 15mm , the armor would barely protect from the LMG fire. the gun shield is designed to protect from LMG fire while been light is also 6mm. literally, any vehicle could be a treat to it. even the GAZ 4M who’s is renowned to be the weakest vehicle against ground targets. the vehicles also suffer from being open top which means the aircraft would easily kill his crew. not that the 6mm would have protected it much, but it still could resist the LMG from above. the gunner is also without shielding of any sort which means a tank. The crew of 5 men includes a driver and a hull gunner at the front, and 3 men to man the gun which includes a gunner, commander, and loader.
Source
- History of the IDF artillery corps, volume 3, Isreli Half-track-based Self-propelled weapons, by Tom Gannon
- При помощи сверла и какой-то матери ? - Пещера злобного Буквоеда — LiveJournal
- Army Guide
- https://www.armscom.net/products/90mm_f1_heat_t_m630
- https://i.imgur.com/O9xusYC.jpg
