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T1 heavy tanks, extra armour?
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whelm
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Joined: Dec 09, 2013
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Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2016 6:05 am
Post subject: T1 heavy tanks, extra armour?

The Ill fated M6 series of tanks always seems to have something new pop up the more I dig.

For instance in may 1942 the British reported the following

"T1 Heavy tank. Rowbothac? and Colonel Green have both had an opportunity of trying out the heavy tank T1 (Now known as the M6) with the electrical transmission. We hear very glowing reports of it. Ordnance will be going intro production of this tank with both types of transmissions. I.e. the torque converter with Cletrse gearing and the all electric. As many as possible will be the electric transmission but in early stages they cannot get enough electric capacity to fit all tanks.

General Barnes and Colonel Christmas state that the armour thickness of this tank can be increased to give a 5 inch armour basis over almost all the front of the tank and 4 inches all around the turret. The sides can be 3 inch basis all over, or alternatively 3.5 around the fighting compartment and 2.5 around the engine. The full 3 inches all around would be preferable.

Both Barnes and Christmas are terribly anxious that we should place a requirement for the heavy tank, pointing out that we should start getting them in the autumn, which means a ? by the spring of 1943. They are getting plenty of experience with the pilots and feel this tank might be of intense value because the Assault tank cannot be in theatre of war by the spring of 1943. to feel that this tank should be of great value in the limited numbers in which it will be available. It's armour basis is far superior to the M4 medium tank, which can be fitted with a 3 inch gun with certain sacrifices. We feel the later is, of course, very desirable also. We have cabled recommending you to place a definite requirement.

August 1942 the British report the following:

"Drawings for the new armour thickness selected by the U.S. from British specification are in hand. It is now intended to standardize on these thicknesses for all future tanks of this type. The increase in weight of the additional armour is estimated to be 9500 pounds. This brings the total weight of the T1 type up to 66.25 short tons."

The U.S. ended up selecting the specs on the right I assume.

i.imgur.com/aqxKVGn.jpg

T1E1 log book entry, confirms the extra weight of the armour. unsure of the date (summer 1942?)

i.imgur.com/BWmWxG1.png

This was from September 1942 I believe. Confirming the new weight

i.imgur.com/J1m2Mby.png

In January 1943 they planned on redoing the turret and the front hull to a degree.

i.imgur.com/U1r6qTm.png

The surviving turret trainer would appear to have been done to that spec? as it no longer carries a 37mm but a .30 cal. I wonder if any of the production turrets ended up with the change.

Does anyone know if they ever went ahead with that new armour scheme? quite an increase in weight. Or more likely with the fact production stopped at 40 odd vehicles that nothing would have changed due to the time it would require to retool the lines etc?

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