- Yes
- No
Id like to suggest the Vk 30.01(H) armed with the 10,5 cm LeFH 18/3 (and as modification 7,5 cm KwK 37 L/24) like a german aquivalent of the M4A3 (105) with less armor. It would offer a fun and well armed as well as armored close support tank to the lower ranks (2.0) and a sidegrade with a turret but also taller as well as with bigger weakpoints to the StuG III Ausf. A and Pz IV Ausf.F1.
The German army allready befor the war wanted a heavy tank assoon as 1938 with the Vk 30.01 as a siege tank. In the following years till 1941 and early 1942 devlopment was till running, as the war progresses, ever growing enemy tanks appeared and as such the requirements also grew, while the weight class set complications on how the design may look, starting at the Vk 30.01, growing into the
Vk 36.01 and eventually into the Vk 45.01 and then into the Tiger I.
The Vk 36.01 was a slight redesign and upsized version of the Vk 30.01 after it was required to increase the armor to 80-100 mm as well as to carry bigger armarments than the Vk.30.01 after its turret wasnt able to carry greater armarment than the 7,5 cm KwK or 10,5 cm LeFH without great redesign.
Overall a couple of hulls and turrets were build and tested, however the ever ground thread and requirements put also a stop to it and development continued on the Tiger I.
However the Vk 30.01(H) had even 1 (allmost) fully completed example, which should be added as the Basic Variant with the 7,5 cm KwK 37 L/24 as well as with a Modification to change to the 10,5 cm LeFH 18/3 L/28 as a trade off for a bit more firepower at the cost of reload speed.
The LeFH 18/3 L/28 was later with normal mounting (instead of like the PzSfl. IVb and StuH 42) used on the B1 Waffenträger (f)
Pictures of the Tank and Turret:(Click to show)
The Guns:
7,5 cm KwK 37 L/24 and as modification 10,5 cm LeFH 18/3 L/28 coax Mg 34
-10° to +20° Elevation, 360° Traverse at 15°-20° Traverse
Ammo:(Click to show)
First 7,5 cm Ammo
K. Gr. Rot Pz APCBC 6,8 kg 80 g Fp.02 und Np.10 (102,4 g TnTa) 385 m/s 52mm/10m
Gr. 38 Hl/C HEAT 4,8 kg 515 g H.10 (875,5g TnTa) 450 m/s 115mm/10m
Sprgr. 34 HE 5,74 kg 686g Fp.02 und Np.10 (878,08g TnTa) 420 m/s
and 10,5 cm Ammo
Pzgr. Aphe 14 kg 480 m/s 238g (304,64g aquivalent) filler 72mm/10m
Pzgr. Rot Apcbc 15,56 kg 470 m/s 250g (357,5g) 84mm/10m
F.H. Gr. He 14,81 kg 472 m/s 1,75 kg filler Fp.02 und Np.10 (2,24 kg TnTa)
Gr. 39 Rot Hl/B Heat 12,35 kg 495 m/s 2,53 kg filler aquivalent 105mm/all
Gr. 39 Rot Hl/C Heat 12,35 kg 495 m/s 2,53 kg filler aquivalent 115mm/all
F.H.Gr. F He 14,81 kg 540 m/s 2,21 kg filler Fp.02 und Np.10 (2,83 kg TnTa)
F.H. Gr. Nb. Smoke 14 kg 480 m/s 50g smokestuff dont expect much
And optionally
10,5 / 7,5 cm Pzgr. 39 TS ApcbcDS 6,4 kg 765 m/s 17g H.10 138mm/10m
The Vehicle:
Dimenstions: 5,775 m / 3,155 m / 2,575 m
Weight: 32 t
Engine: HL 116 300-320 PS / 3000 Rpm
Armor: (Look at Pictures drawing)
Front: 50mm
Side and Back: 50mm
Top and Bottom: 25mm
Source:
Thomas L.Jentz Panzer Tracks
Rickard J VK 30.01(H)
Thomas Anderson Tiger
Munition der 7,5 cm KwK
Munition der 10,5 cm LeFH 18
Geschossringbuch I and II
