- Yes
- Maybe
- No
History.
During World War II, Yugoslavia suffered a bad fate. It was divided between various powers, but managed to free itself (also thanks to allied help) and managed to regain independence. In 1948 the Yugoslav Tito communists decided to “separate” from the Soviet communists, who had in mind to expand their influence also in Yugoslavia. In 1951, the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) received a supply of Western M4A3E4 Sherman tanks, M47 Pattons, and other vehicles sent by the United States to seek military collaboration between the two nations. These negotiations were successful, and shortly thereafter, several U.S. military instructors arrived to help train for future equipment that would arrive later. The vehicles arrived in Yugoslavia between 1951 and 1958, and mostly old vehicles were sent for the Americans, namely the M4A3E4 Sherman tanks, which were now at the end of service in the USA. While trying to produce a domestically produced Yugoslavian tank, in 1956 it was decided to upgrade a tank of the M4A3E4 type with the mounting of a 122 mm A-19 cannon. The project was entrusted to the Vojno Tehnicki Institut KoV in collaboration with the Uprava Artiljerije. The work was facilitated by previous work to re-mobilize the M4 tanks. The tank’s turret was completely made from scratch and the prototype was built. As soon as the complete prototype was ready it was sent to Banja Luka and Nikinci for the first field tests and, by 1 February 1965, they were completed. The vehicle was found to be faster and with more autonomy, and it was decided to place an order for 100 examples of the tank, which was named SO-122. Despite the production order for around 100 new vehicles, no new ones were ever built due to various reasons (low penetration, poor traverse, development of new anti-tank weapons) and political decisions, the tank vanished into thin air.
Armaments and propulsion.
The tank was equipped with a 122 mm M1931/37 (A-19) gun, the same gun used on the ISU-122. This weapon was captured from German troops by Yugoslav soldiers and was used until the end of the 1990s by some republics born after the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
As an engine, the tank was equipped with a V-2R engine based on the engine of the Soviet T-34 tank. The engine could deliver up to 520 hp of power, which could push the tank up to a maximum speed of 50 km/h. The vehicle’s autonomy was 300 km, with a fuel reserve of 207-211 litres.
Specifications.
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Crew: 5
Length: 6.273 m
Width: 2,997 m
Height: 2,971 m
Weight: 33.5 tons
Engine: V-2R diesel (520 hp)
Maximum speed: 50 km/h
Armament: 1x 122mm (A-19) M1931/37 and 1x Browning M1919A5 coaxial
Elevation: -2°/+10°
Ammunition capacity: 27-30 rounds of 122mm, 2,250 rounds of 7.62mm
Armor: 76-19 mm
Pictures and drawnings.
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Sources.
