armor.wikisort.org - Tank

The Heavy Tank T29 was an American heavy tank project started in March 1944 to counter the appearance of the German Tiger II heavy tank. The T29 was not ready in time for the war in Europe, but it did provide post-war engineers with opportunities for applying engineering concepts to artillery and automotive components.

Heavy Tank T29
T29 Heavy tank in Aberdeen Proving Ground 1945
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	Trials only
Used by	United States Army
Production history
Designed	1944–1945
Manufacturer	Pressed Steel Car Company Detroit Arsenal
No. built	8
Variants	T29, T29E1, T29E2, and T29E3
Specifications (T29)
Mass	141,500 lb (64.2 t; 63.2 long tons) combat loaded
Length	37 ft 11.5 in (11.57 m) gun forward 32 ft 9 in (10 m) gun aft
Width	12 ft 5.5 in (3.80 m) over sand shields
Height	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) over cupola
Crew	6 (driver, commander, gunner, 2 loaders)[1]
Armor	hull front 4 in (102 mm) maximum gun shield 11 inches (279 mm) maximum turret front 9 in (249 mm)[1]
Main armament	105 mm gun T5E1 (63 rounds) (T29E1, T29E3) 105 mm gun T5E2 (63 rounds) (T29, T29E2)
Secondary armament	2 x .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB machineguns, coaxial 1x .50 M2HB flexible AA (2,420 rounds) 1x .30 Browning M1919A4, bow (2,500 rounds)
Engine	1,649 cubic inch (27 liter) Ford GAC V12[1] gasoline 750 hp (560 kW) net at 2800 rpm
Power/weight	11.68 hp/tonne (net)
Transmission	General Motors CD-850-1 crossdrive, three speeds (two forward, one reverse)
Suspension	torsion-bar
Ground clearance	18.8 in (48 cm)
Fuel capacity	300 US gallons (1,140 liters)
Operational range	100 miles (160 km)
Maximum speed	22 mph (35 km/h)

Development

The T29 was based upon a lengthened version of the T26E3 chassis and featured heavier armor, an upgraded Ford GAC engine producing 750 hp at 2,800rpm, which gave it a power to weight ratio of 11.68 hp/t, more comfortable controls for the driver,[2] and a massive new turret incorporating the high-velocity 105 mm gun T5, which was later replaced by a more powerful 105 mm T5E1.

The tank weighed approximately 132,000 lb (60 t; 59 long tons) unloaded and 141,000 lb (64 t; 63 long tons) combat loaded. Its maximum armor thickness was 279 mm (11.0 in)[3] on the turret (not including the mantlet, which was 305 mm (12.0 in) thick), compared to 185 mm (7.3 in) [4] on the German Tiger II's turret. The turret had a turret rotation of 18 degrees per second, taking 20 seconds for a whole 360 degree traverse, and the gun had gun angles of 20°+/-10°. The hull armor consisted of a 102 mm (4.0 in) thick plate, which was sloped at 54 degrees.

Its 105 mm gun was 7.06 m (23.2 ft) long[5] (66 calibres, 105 L67) compared to the 6.29 m (20.6 ft)[6] of the Tiger II's 88 mm (71 calibers long, 88/L71), and had a muzzle velocity of 914 m/s (3,000 ft/s). The tank would have carried a total of 63 rounds, with 46 in ammo racks, the ammo weighing 2.2 tons total. Its T30E1 HE shell could pierce 1.3 m (51 in) of concrete at 1,500 m (4,900 ft), while its T29E3 High-velocity Armor Piercing could penetrate 360 mm (14 in) at 457 m (1,500 ft), and 292 mm (11.5 in) at 1,829 m (6,000 ft).[7] Two coaxial 12.7mm machine guns were also mounted in the mantlet. A ball mounted 7.62mm machine gun was carried in the right side of the hull, and a AA 12.7mm machine gun was planned to be mounted on a pintle stem atop the roof.[8] Other trial models had Allison V1710 V12 engines.[3]

The tank had a modest cruising range of 161 km (100 mi). It could cross a cross a trench 2.4 m (94 in) wide, wade in water 1.2 m (47 in) deep, climb a 1 m (39 in) step, and could handle a 30 degree slope.[7] The tank was also capable of pivoting on the spot. Suspension consisted of 8 double road wheels with rubber tires, 7 return roller on each side, and had the drive sprockets in the rear. Interestingly, the tank had a crew of six, two acting as a loader for the gun. The T29 featured a coincidence rangefinder projecting from both sides of the turret, distinctively resembling "ears".

The procurement of 1,200 T29s was proposed on 1 March 1945, and revised to 1,152 on 12 April 1945, but by shortly after the end of World War II, only one T29 had been produced, with a second partially completed. In August 1945, the order was cancelled entirely, and it was intended to procure ten T29s for postwar testing. This number was later reduced to eight in July 1947.

Developed at the same time and closely related to the T29, the T30 Heavy Tank was virtually identical, but was mounted with the 155 mm gun T7, featured a more powerful engine, and had an additional crew member to help load the heavy ammunition for the gun. Two vehicles were produced.

The final variation of the T29 concept, the T34 Heavy Tank, mounted a 120 mm gun based upon the contemporary 120mm M1 anti-aircraft gun to further increase the armor penetration capability of the T29.

	T29[1]	T29E1[3]	T29E3[9]
Length (gun forward)	455.5 in (11.6 m)
Width	149.7 in (3.8 m) (over sandshields)
Height	126.9 in (3.2 m) (over cupola)
Ground clearance	18.8 in (47.8 cm)
Top speed	22 mph (35 km/h)
Fording	42 in (1.1 m)
Max. grade	60%
Max. trench	6.25 ft (1.91 m)
Max. wall	26 in (0.7 m)
Range	100 mi (160 km)	75 mi (121 km)
Power	770 hp (570 kW) at 2800 rpm	870 hp (650 kW) at 2800 rpm	770 hp (570 kW) at 2800 rpm
Power-to-weight ratio	10.9 hp/ST (9.0 kW/t)	10.6 hp/ST (8.7 kW/t)	10.7 hp/ST (8.8 kW/t)
Torque	1,560 lb⋅ft (2,120 N⋅m) at 1600 rpm	1,800 lb⋅ft (2,440 N⋅m) at 1800 rpm	1,560 lb⋅ft (2,120 N⋅m) at 1600 rpm
Weight, combat loaded	141,500 lb (64,180 kg)	141,000 lb (63,960 kg)	144,000 lb (65,320 kg)
Ground pressure	12.2 psi (84 kPa) (28 in (71 cm) tracks) 14.9 psi (103 kPa) (23 in (58 cm) tracks)	12.2 psi (84 kPa) (28 in (71 cm) tracks) 14.8 psi (102 kPa) (23 in (58 cm) tracks)	12.4 psi (85 kPa) (28 in (71 cm) tracks) 15.2 psi (105 kPa) (23 in (58 cm) tracks)
Main armament	T5E2 105 mm gun	T5E1 105 mm gun
Elevation, main gun	+15° / −10°
Traverse rate	20 seconds/360°
Main gun ammo	63 rounds
Firing rate	6 rounds/minute

Surviving tanks

There are several surviving T29s at Fort Benning, Georgia. They are being stored in preparation for an Armor exhibit. One has the distinctive rangefinder, while the other does not. Both can be seen as well as many other vehicles in a fenced enclosure on 25 Infantry Regiment Road. One is located in front of the National Armor and Cavalry Museum.

See also

• List of U.S. military vehicles by model number
• Military technology and equipment

Tanks of comparable role, performance and era

• M6A2E1 heavy tank - Prototype used for testing T29's armament system
• T32 Heavy Tank - Prototype with a similar design; uses a 90 mm cannon
• T30 Heavy Tank - Identical to the T29, but using a 155 mm cannon
• T34 Heavy Tank - A modernized T30 using a 120 mm cannon
• IS-3 heavy tank - Contemporary Soviet assault tank
• IS-4 heavy tank - Contemporary Soviet heavy tank
• Caernarvon Mark II - British heavy tank
• AMX-50 heavy tank - Prototype French heavy tank series

References

External links

• FSU tanks website
• Detail photos of T29 at the Patton Tank Museum

На других языках

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- [en] T29 Heavy Tank

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[ru] T29

T29 (англ. Heavy Tank T29) — экспериментальный тяжёлый танк США времён Второй мировой войны. Разрабатывался с марта 1944 года[2] для противостояния новым германским тяжёлым танкам. Планировался к массовому выпуску, но его разработка так и не была завершена до конца войны. Первый прототип T29 был закончен только в октябре 1947 года, когда необходимость в столь тяжёлых и дорогих машинах уже отпала, поэтому заказ на его производство был отменён после выпуска восьми прототипов различных вариантов. Несмотря на это, T29 в дальнейшем послужил основой для всей линейки тяжёлых послевоенных танков США.

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