T29 Heavy 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
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
- Hunnicutt 1988, p. 197.
- Hunnicutt 1988, p. 72.
- Hunnicutt 1988, p. 198.
- "Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf.B (Sd.KFZ.182) Tiger II". 14 September 2019.
- Hunnicutt, Firepower, p.216. continental length - from rear face of breech to muzzle
- Jentz & Doyle, Kingtiger Heavy Tank 1942-45, p.8.
- "Heavy Tank T29". Tank Encyclopedia. 26 March 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "T29 (Heavy Tank T29)". Military Weapons.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Hunnicutt 1988, p. 199.
External links
