- Yes
- No
This is a reipload of a suggestion originally made in 2020
Teški Tenk Vozilo A
The Vozilo A is a Yugoslav reverse-engineered T-34-85, featuring a new turret and hull. This vehicle would be a great addition for a Yugoslavian tech tree.
Historical background
In the aftermath of WWII Yugoslavia received a large number of military equipment from the Soviet Union. However, after the Informbiro crisis and the political schism between the USSR and Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav government started to look into the domestic production of armored vehicles.
In 1948 it was decided that a vehicle based on the T-34-85 would be produced. Since Yugoslavia didn’t have access to the original blueprints, a new tank would be designed by reverse-engineering the original. The project received the name of “Teški Tenk Vozilo” (heavy tank vehicle). Various companies participated in the design and manufacturing of the tank. Five prototypes were completed and tested for a short time before being presented to the public on the Victory Day parade of the 1st of May of 1950.
Due to a highly artisan production process, each of the five vehicles was slightly different. This made it difficult to evaluate the entire project. After being evaluated, the vehicles were rated poorly by the Yugoslav military due to their excessive weight, poor visibility, low ammunition count, and poor reliability. A second production run of 10 vehicles was ordered, but never finished. There also were plans to upgun the Vozilo to 90 or 100 mm cannons, but these never came to fruition.
Work on the Vozilo A was interrupted after Yugoslavia adquired American M47 Patton tanks in 1951.
Currently, one Vozilo A survives at the Military Museum of Belgrade, Serbia.
Technical characteristics
Despite its external differences, the Vozilo A’s internal configuration remained similar to the T-34-85. The crew configuration remained the same. However, the Vozilo weighted slightly more at 34.7 t (compared to 32 t for the T-34). This resulted in a worse mobility and an increase in ground pressure. The hull remained mostly unchanged, except for the front, where the armor was increased to 50 mm and angled corners were added. The external fuel tanks were now D-shaped.
A new cast turret was installed. The turret had an elliptical shape, with increased armor protection but a smaller internal volume. The turret had a frontal thickness of more than 100 mm, 82 to 86 mm on the sides and 60 mm on the rear. The gunner’s sight was changed to a German TZF originating from a Panzer IV, which increased the field of view from 14º to 16º and the maximum magnification from 3x to 4x. However, the new cupola significantly reduced the commander’s visibility.
The Vozilo A retained the T-34’s ZIS-S-53 cannon, now with a muzzle brake, an increased gun depression (-10º vs -5º), and a decreased gun elevation (17º vs 22º). The hull and coaxial machine guns were changed to two 7.92 MG-42. An M2 Browning was installed on the roof.
The engine and transmission were domestic copies of the original soviet designs. Due to poor materials and lower tolerances, these were much less reliable than the original components. The batteries, electrical starter and dynamo were sourced domestically. The tracks were heavier than their Soviet counterparts, but equally wide.
The tank could climb 35º slopes, overcome a 25º lateral inclination, cross a 2.6 m trench and climb a 0.73 m vertical obstacle.
Specifications
| Crew | 5 |
|---|---|
| Combat weight | 34.7 t |
| Length | 6 m |
| Width | 3.225 m |
| Height | 2.7 m |
| Ground clearance | 0.42 m |
| Engine | V-2 , 12 cylinders, diesel |
| Engine power | 500hp |
| Max. speed | 50 Km/h (12 Km/h off-road) |
| Combat range | 280 - 350 Km |
| fuel capacity | 580 l (internally), 300 l (external tanks) |
Turret armor: 100 mm on the front, 82-86 mm on the sides, 60 mm on the rear.
Hull armor: 50 mm on the front, 45 mm on the angled hull corners, side and rear, 25 mm on the floor and roof.
Armament
| Main armament | 85 mm ZIS-S-53 (50 rounds) |
|---|---|
| Vertical guidance | -10º / 17º |
| Secondary armament | 2x 7.92 mm MG-42 (2000 rounds), 1x Browning M2 (500 rounds) |
The cannon should have the same ammunition as the T-34-85 on the Soviet tree.
Historical pictures:
Modern pictures (from the Belgrade Military Museum)
Sources:
https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/coldwar/Yugoslavia/tenk-tip-a
Vlad's history blog: The "heavy tank project" - Yugoslav T-34
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/guest-bloggers/yugoslav-tank-1-raw.html
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