- Yes
- No
“Lago II”
Introduction
Hello and welcome to my 14th suggestion!
The Stridsvagn m/42 TM was the first production model of the Strv m/42. This tank would go on to be upgraded into two other versions, as the drivetrain was not as good as promised. We currently have only the Strv m/42 EH in-game and the later Infanterikanonvagn 73. Thus, we are missing 3 variants of one of Sweden’s main tanks used over a decade. The Strv m/42 TM, as mentioned, was the first production model of the Strv m/42, which Landsverk, who designed it, called the Lago II. A total of 100 tanks were ordered in 1941, with an additional order in 1942 for 60 more tanks, and in the same year, another order for 122 Strv m/42 would be placed. These would be split up between Landsverk and Volvo, as Landsverk did not have the capacity alone to produce so many vehicles in the timeframe the Swedish army wanted them. Later, 70 of the Strv m/42 TM were rebuilt into the Strv m/42 TV, and the other 30 tanks were rebuilt into the Strv m/42 TH.
History
The Landsverk Lago was initially developed as an export tank. Hungary had earlier bought a handful of Landsverk L-60s named in Hungary to Toldi. There were a few different variants, but they were all based on the L-60. Hungary then wanted a medium tank, and Landsverk put together the Lago I. Tests were conducted in Sweden, but a deal was never made, and Hungary never bought any Lago I’s. Later, the Swedish military sought to get something better than the current Strv m/38 and m/39. Since the L-60 had been previously bought from Landsverk, it was obvious to ask what they could offer. Since the Lago failed as an export tank, Landsverk offered it to the Swedish military, but it did not meet the requirements. Landsverk decided to rework the Lago to meet the requirements, and the Lago II was subsequently offered. Landsverk offered it first with a long 57mm cannon, but this was rejected as the cannon would have reached outside the dimensions of the chassis. Instead, it would be redesigned with a 75mm cannon now in a larger turret, to meet the equipment of the Swedish army. Compared to the Lago I, the chassis had also been widened and lengthened slightly to accommodate the thicker armor. This was noted to be a drawback as the maneuvering of the vehicle became more sluggish, but it was acceptable. The 100 Strv m/42 TMs were delivered to the army in 1943 and 1944.
Strv m/42 TM No. 541.
There is no visual exterior difference between the different Strv m/42 models. The only way to know what model they are from the outside is by their registration number and the year of the photo.
To remedy this problem, the powerpack was upgraded from the twin engine setup of the Lago I that made 285hp to a powerpack consisting of two Scania-Vabis typ L603/1 engines that made 160hp each, resulting in a total output of 320hp. These two engines would be mated to an electromagnetic gearbox produced by the German firm Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (abbreviated ZF). The specific transmission was the ZF typ 6 EV 75, and it was designed for use in railbuses. The engines and transmission are also the reason for the suffix after Strv m/42; the TM part comes from the fact that it has two engines and an electromagnetic transmission (T = two engines, M = electromagnetic transmission). But the transmission would also be what decided the fate of the TM model of the Strv m/42. There were many tidying problems found, almost all of which had a correlation with the transmission used. Repairs, adjustments, and replacement of parts were very common, and since the tanks were longer and wider, turning was a hassle, and a special “lever technique” was needed to drive the tanks well. If drivers were not careful, the gearbox would be stressed and would wear out even faster than it already was due to the 22.5 tons that the Strv m/42 weighed in at. The steering mechanisms would normally need to be adjusted after just 40- 50 km of driving. This also resulted in the tracks needing to be tensioned at the same interval as well. The track pins were also very weak, so hard turning would sometimes cause the pins to break and cause the tank to lose its track.
The tidying problems do not stop there either. The torsion bars used for the suspension would also wear out, as would the road wheels. It was not uncommon for these to need to be changed out entirely, which was very time-consuming. All of these issues cause the companies using the Strv m/42 TM to be unable to remain in active service for long periods. It is noted that the tank had good off-road capabilities, and even tho turning was hard, it was easy to drive due to the lack of a clutch for the transmission. Even tho there were many issues in the beginning, the 100 Strv m/42 would later be rebuilt into the Strv m/42 TH and Strv m/42 TV, where the gearbox would be changed out for other, better options.
Specifications
Armor
Chassis
- Front: 55 mm
- Sides: 30 mm
- Rear: 20- 25 mm
Turret
- Front: 55 mm
- Sides: 30 mm
- Rear: 25 mm
Crew
- Commander
- Gunner
- NIFE Tm - 42
- Zoom / Field of View: 17×, 28°
- NIFE Tm - 42
- Driver
- Machine gunner
Armaments
Main armament
- 7,5 cm stridsvagnskanon m/41 L/31
- Velocity: 500 - 590 m/s
- Horizontal guidance: ±180°
- Verical guidance: +25° / -15°
- Amount of rounds: 59
- slpprj m/40 (AP)
- slpprj m/40B (APBC)
- rökgr m/22 (Smoke)
- sgr m/40 (HE)
- slpgr m/39 (APHE)
Secondary armaments
- 4 × 8 mm ksp m/36
- 2 × coaxially mounted
- 1 × in the rear of the turret
- 1 × bow mounted
- Amount of rounds: 4000
Mobility
Engine
- 2 x Scania-Vabis typ L603/1
- 160 hp × 2 = 320 hp - 30 hp = 290hp
- The cooling system uses 30 hp of the total output from the two engines.
- 160 hp × 2 = 320 hp - 30 hp = 290hp
Transmission
- Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen ZF typ 6 EV 75
- Electromagnetic
- Gears forwards: 6
- Gears backwards: 1
- Electromagnetic
Speed
- Forward: 42 km/h
- Backward: 6 km/h
Weight
- 22,5 tons
Power-to-Weight
- 290 ÷ 22,5 ≈ 12,88 hp/ton
Sources
Rickard O. Lindström, Carl-Gustaf Svantesson. Svenskt Pansar 90 år av svensk stridsfordonsutveckling.
Didrik von Porat. Svenska arméns PANSAR.
Stridsvagn m/42 – Wikipedia
Stridsvagn m/42 - Wikipedia
Strv m/42
Stridsvagn m/42
stridsvagn m/42 – Swedish tank archives
Nife kikare/sikte till stridsvagn m/42 med myck.. | Köp på Tradera (751581541)
Militaria - Hans Högman
Strv m/42 EH | War Thunder Wiki