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Dontos · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:41 pm Post subject: T29 Heavy Tank Pilot Vehicles

I'm gonna start this with a new spreadsheet to help organize actual vehicles which as it seems were upgraded to other variants.

I went digging in the Library today to get a better understanding of the whole Heavy Tank Program which incorporates the T29, T29E1, T29E2, T29E3, T30, T30E1, & T34 prototype tanks.

I am reminded of the T95 program, but fortunately the actual vehicle #'s are small and appear to be easy to track/organize.

An amazing note to this little pet project is of the original 8 T29 pilot vehicles, 7 are known to exist in various forms.

More to follow
Regards
Don

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 9:55 pm Post subject: Re: T29 Heavy Tank Pilot Vehicles

Any idea about where the Detroit & Jackson T30s fit into this scheme?

Neil

Dontos

Yes I do have a few ideas, as well as the APG T30, but until I get the actual T29 pilot # (SN stamped above Bow MG), I can't 'plug them in correctly.

From 'Firepower' I dug out that of an uknown # of T30's, 2 became T34's & 1 became the T30E1.

I've got RNs on both T34's ( T34#1 - 30162832 & T34#2 - 30162833) Of course T34 #2 is confirmed here at Ft Knox.

I didn't add the T30 entry on T29#1 which was actually the T29E1 (and I assume upgraded to T30) and then upgraded to T34#2. (The T30 designation may have only been on paper,....hopefully)

The interesting possibility is that Detroit Arsenal may be the T30E1. This was a single attempt at a 155mm autoloader T30, given the designation of T30E1. It will be easily ID'd with the casing ejection port on the lower rear of the turret.

I'm hoping to get some 'insider' info from APG on the SN stamped on the T30, then I can add it to the above.

Next will be to get confirmation from the D.A. & Jackson T30s.

I'm also working on digging out all the heavy photos I have to check RN's so I can add that info to the above.

Organizing all this info from different sources, is a bit challanging, but hopefully can provide a good picture of the program as a whole.

Regards
Don

Smashy · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Aug 05, 2010 Posts: 112

You guys put train-spotters to shame

Dontos

Not to be 'out done',..... Cool

Here is a revision to include all variants as I envision the flow from existing known survivors and from information extracted from different sources. The only omitted vehicles are T34 #1 and T30E1.

If Detroit Arsenal has the T30E1,(the raw numbers favor the T30E1 at D.A.) then it can be plugged into the 'MATRIX' below.

Since 7 of the 8 T29 pilots exist, I will assume the missing vehicle is T34 #1 which can be identified when APG, Ft Jackson, & Detroit Arsenal vehicles are positively ID'd

As a side note, the project accounts for 20 vehicles based off of an original physical hull count of 8. Shocked

Using a dry erase board and multi-colored markers, I believe I have a handle on this....

Regards
Don

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

The info I recorded from the APG files was that their T30 was RN 30162842 and mounted 155mm gun T7, SN 2.

Here is the registration/serial info I've accumulated over the years, and the sources:

30161665 6 T29 HVY TANK PO T-22265-1 7/1945
30162816 1157 T29 HVY TANK PO T-22265-1 7/1945
30162818 T29 HVY TANK LIFE PHOTO, DTA
30162828 1 T32 HVY TANK H-FIRE P100
30162829 2 T32 HVY TANK H-FIRE P108
30162830 3 T32E1 HVY TANK H-FIRE P102
30162831 4 T32E1 HVY TANK H-FIRE P102
30162832 1 T34 HVY TANK H-FIRE P98
30162833 2 T34 HVY TANK H-FIRE P98
30162841 8 T29E3 HVY TANK H-FIRE P81
30162842 1 T30 HVY TANK H-FIRE P88; APG MCV 396
30162847 6 T30 HVY TANK Ft Jackson SC
30162848 7 T30E1 HVY TANK OCM 31668
30162849 T30 HVY TANK LIFE PHOTO, DTA
30162851 12 T30 HVY TANK Last?

KL

ShermanWasRight · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 3:36 am Post subject: Re: T29 Heavy Tank Pilot Vehicles

It didn't occur to anyone that designating something "T34" might be a tad confusing? Neutral

the_shadock · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:35 am Post subject: Re: T29 Heavy Tank Pilot Vehicles

- ShermanWasRight

It didn't occur to anyone that designating something "T34" might be a tad confusing?

well, it was a temporary name, and should be named M34 once introduced into combat.
The M26 Pershing was never confused with the Russian T26 light tank, so the problem exists only because the T34 was never produced at a largte scale and used in combat.

Pierre-Olivier

bsmart

- ShermanWasRight

It didn't occur to anyone that designating something "T34" might be a tad confusing?

No more confusing than having M3 Light tanks, M3 Medium tanks and M3 halftracks all at the same time Rolling Eyes

Dontos · Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject: Re: T29 Heavy Tank Pilot Vehicles

- Kurt_Laughlin

The info I recorded from the APG files was that their T30 was RN 30162842 and mounted 155mm gun T7, SN 2.

Here is the registration/serial info I've accumulated over the years, and the sources:

30161665 6 T29 HVY TANK PO T-22265-1 7/1945
30162816 1157 T29 HVY TANK PO T-22265-1 7/1945
30162818 T29 HVY TANK LIFE PHOTO, DTA
30162828 1 T32 HVY TANK H-FIRE P100
30162829 2 T32 HVY TANK H-FIRE P108
30162830 3 T32E1 HVY TANK H-FIRE P102
30162831 4 T32E1 HVY TANK H-FIRE P102
30162832 1 T34 HVY TANK H-FIRE P98
30162833 2 T34 HVY TANK H-FIRE P98
30162841 8 T29E3 HVY TANK H-FIRE P81
30162842 1 T30 HVY TANK H-FIRE P88; APG MCV 396
30162847 6 T30 HVY TANK Ft Jackson SC
30162848 7 T30E1 HVY TANK OCM 31668
30162849 T30 HVY TANK LIFE PHOTO, DTA
30162851 12 T30 HVY TANK Last?

KL

Thanks for the info Kurt.

I haven't included the T32 as it is my understanding that it is based off of the T26 (M46 Pershing) and not the T29 Heavy Tank Program. Although the T32 and the T29 series are being tested & develped at the same time, its interesting that they are given similiar (ie in sequence) Registration Numbers. I guess this is since they are all classified as Heavy Tanks.

I guess my biggest goal is to trace the pilot program that is built on the same hulls. This way I can eventually draw the lines of development to the T43 / M103 line of Heavy tanks.

All this has basically caught my interest since we have so many existing variants here. With the pending departure, I figured it is a good time to do the intense side-by-side comparison.

Regards
Don

Dontos

Just when you think you got it handled, something else pops up.

Like these,.....

Guess I need to find more documentation.....

Regards
Dom

TrevorLarkum

Good info, Don - I'll work through it soon. In the meantime, I've also been reading Firepower and Hunnicutt says the T29s were originally produced by the Pressed Steel Car Company, so I've started writing up PSCC for PTC. I assume they were manufactured at the large Pittsburgh factory:

Pressed Steel Car Company, Pittsburgh

However, I came across many references to the Hegewisch factory so I've also written that up now to save me doing it later:

Pressed Steel Car Company, Chicago

If anyone has more specific information on these factories and exactly which tanks were built in them, please let me know.

Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2010 5:26 am Post subject: Re: T29 Heavy Tank Pilot Vehicles

- Dontos

The interesting possibility is that Detroit Arsenal may be the T30E1. This was a single attempt at a 155mm autoloader T30, given the designation of T30E1. It will be easily ID'd with the casing ejection port on the lower rear of the turret.

Don,
Does this help?

smg.photobucket.com/al...1_0368.jpg

Neil

Dontos

Neil

Well it does to one degree.

DA is T30 turret #10 as is plainly visible. Also looking closer at the RN from the Life photo, I make it as USA 30162849, featured in the Life magazine photo feature in July 1950.

I guess the T30E1 is gone, or sitting abandoned in the weeds somewhere.

Didn't happen to get the stamped SN over the bow MG did you ??? That would help tell which T29 hull it is.

Regards
Don

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

WW II Shermans and other AFVs were build at Hegewisch, so no doubt the postwar tanks were as well.

KL

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