- Yes
- No
Introduction
The T14 Assault Tank, in-game as a US premium, is a well-known sight in the WW2 BR range (and a rather frightful sight in a 3.7 uptier). However, the US were not the sole designer nor operator of the vehicle. The T14 was a joint US-UK development, built to British specifications, with one of the two finished vehicles being sent to the UK for trials and evaluations, remaining at Bovington to this day, the only surviving example of the type. But we are getting ahead of ourselves, let’s go back to the beginning.
The program to develop a modern Assault Tank began in 1942 as a joint Anglo-American effort to produce a heavily armoured tank for British use during the Second World War. British experience in France and North Africa had shown that existing infantry tanks such as the Matilda and Valentine possessed strong (if quickly becoming obsolete) protection but lacked mobility. At the same time, cruiser tanks were fast but too lightly armoured. To solve this problem, Britain explored new ‘assault tank’ concepts that combined the armour of infantry tanks with improved mobility, leading to the development of the British A33 Excelsior and its US-designed counterpart, the T14. Discussions between the British and the Americans resulted in an agreement to build and test prototypes of both designs before selecting the preferred vehicle for production.
The T14 was based loosely on the American Sherman but was extensively redesigned into a much heavier vehicle. Its hull was longer, wider, and lower, and featured much more dramatically sloped armour. Powered by a 500-horsepower Ford V-8 GAZ engine and fitted with suspension components derived from the M6 heavy, the 42.6t tank could still reach speeds of around 28-38 km/h depending on conditions. The main armament was the 75mm M3, supported by multiple machine guns, able to be fitted with both the Browning or the BESA, and a British-style bomb thrower mounted in the turret roof. The tank also incorporated British features such as the Wireless Set No.19 radio.
Despite ambitious plans for large-scale production, with Britain ordering 8,500 vehicles, the T14’s development was slow and plagued by technical issues. Two prototypes were completed in 1943 and underwent trials at Aberdeen Proving Grounds before one was shipped to Britain for evaluation. Testing revealed serious mechanical weaknesses, particularly with the suspension, tracks, and drivetrain, while crews also criticised the ventilation system, ammunition stowage, and bow machine gun arrangement. Off-road performance proved rather poor, with tracks slipping easily and road wheels deforming after limited use. British trials reached similar conclusions, and the tank failed to satisfy either nation’s requirements. By the time evaluations concluded, more successful and proven vehicles such as the Churchill Mk 7 and improved Sherman variants had rendered the T14 unnecessary, leading to the cancellation of the programme before it entered production.
As the main designing force behind the T14, the main intended customer of the tank, as well as the recipient of one of the two vehicles actually built, this suggestion is for the T14 Assault Tank in British operation. It would provide a good middle ground between current British options at 4.7, between the glass cannons that are the Firefly and Avenger, and the incredibly tank but allergic to doing damage Churchill Mk 7.
Specifications
Images
Sources
Spoiler
https://web.archive.org/web/20170503052646/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/b965290.pdf
A History of the American Medium Tank, R.P. Hunnicutt
The Tank Book - The Definitive Visual History Of Armored Vehicles, The Tank Museum
