Chinese 122 series tank

[cattalonX]

The story began in 1969 in the Sino-Soviet border conflict，Chinese captured a T-62，At that time, all their anti-tank weapons were unable to effectively destroy the T62.
So Armor troops think they need a new second-generation tank，call “122”（The Type 69 "121 that was being developed at the time was considered to be the same generation as Type 59）
and.there is no WZ at this time



T62 under test

In December 1969,，Armored Forces and Design Department Meeting in Beijing，The meeting discussed the design work of the second-generation tank and the choice of main gun caliber
There were three options for the caliber of the main gun at that time, 100 mm (may be a type-69 smoothbore gun), 115 mm (may be a copy of the T-62 main gun), and the final choice 120 mm smoothbore gun
In the fall of 1970, the construction of the 122 three-hydro was completed（Hydro-pneumatic suspension，Hydraulic transmission，Hydraulic assisted control）at 617 factory
But the test proved that the new hydraulic technology is not reliable enough，So the original Hydro-pneumatic suspension was replaced by the traditional torsion bar suspension，
This is the 122 three-mechanical


122 three-hydro，the Hydro-pneumatic suspension is completely relaxed

The most famous photo of 122 three-hydro


122 three-mechanical，The anti-tank missiles were removed, and the twin 12.7 mm machine guns were replaced with a single one， fume extractor has also been changed

At the same time, the prototype built at Luoyang's 704 factory，The main gun is similar to the 122 three-mechanical, but has a muzzle brake
Anti-tank missiles are retained，12.7mm machine gun replaced by 20mm gun

122 three-hydro and prototype 704

122 three-hydro Probably disassembled，and The main gun was later installed on the 1224
but 122 three-mechanical（Probably more than one，There is a strange tank in the Chinese Tank Museum, which is very similar to a 122 three-mechanical turret on type-80 hull） and prototype 704 all survived

122 three-mechanical in 617 factory

For 122 three-mechanical，everything is fine，Hope to serve in a few years
BUT，In 1974, a meeting decided that the caliber of the tank’s main gun did not need to be increased.
This meeting killed 122 and choose Type 69 tank.
It turns out it was a mistake，The 100mm smoothbore gun of the Type 69 tank did not perform well
and soon the Chinese found that they needed a bigger gun to deal with a tank that was stronger than the T62.

To be continued

 

[cattalonX]

The "strange tank ”
Can be compared with the turret of the Type 59 tank next to it

 

[cattalonX]

In the late 1970s, China and the West began technical exchanges.
In the UK, China try to introduced the L7 cannon and fire control system（But due to the Soviet response, the actual artillery was imported from Austria）
In Germany, the Chinese visited the Leopard II tank, but this tank is too expensive. China only introduced civilian diesel engines.
In addition, at an uncertain time, China obtained a T72 Ural from Romania.

中国兵器：我国曾引进T-72坦克，定名“六四式” 坦克

www.guancha.cn

档说︱“六四式” 坦克

mp.weixin.qq.com

Tests prove that it needs more firepower to fight T72，so new 122 plan started。
I don’t know how the previous 122 series were numbered, but the new 122 started from 1223, and then 1224 and 1226.1225 did not exist or were not planned by the Army.
The 1223 is based on the Type 69 tank, but the entire car body has been rebuilt, the car body has been lengthened, 6 pairs of road wheels, replaced with a 730 horsepower engine, and most importantly, the L7（In fact, there are not many original L7s in the Chinese army. Most of the 105mm artillery is actually a mixture of L7 and D10T.）

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/chinese-type69-variant.37612/

There are several other types of Chinese tanks with L7 installed at the same time.
120B（type59-2）

type69-3（renamed type79）

 

[eltf177]

Thank you, a most informative post.

 

[Foo Fighter]

Ditto to ^, gave an ex tanker some thought provoking reading.

 

[cattalonX]

1223 finally won the game and received the number WZ122（better known as type80/88）
But before that, let’s talk about the competitors
In March 1979, the 1224 prototype was completed，According to the requirements of the Army, the design target of this tank is a Chinese version of Leopard II. A 45-ton tank with autoloader,composite armor, new 120mm smoothbore gun, high-power diesel engine(The prototype used MB8V331TC41),advanced fire control system·····

Autoloader




1224 photos in different directions

 

[cattalonX]

The improved 1224 in the test added a temporary cooling fan, and a counterweight used to simulate composite armor was added to the upper part of the turret and hull.
The reason for giving up 1224 is unknown，Most of the relevant Chinese materials only say that this tank has completed its work
First of all, it’s not artillery, because the successor 1226 still uses 120mm gun.
Second, it’s not the engine, also because the 1226 uses a 1000-horsepower diesel engine
Third, maybe it’s an armor problem. 1224 has only counterweights and no actual composite armor, but 1223 doesn’t have it either.
In short, at the end of 1979, the job of 1224 ended，But in 1985, this tank was modified to be used as engine test and renamed BK1850，
The condition of this tank is unknown, but it should not have been disassembled because there are some related photos

 

[cattalonX]

Three Chinese 120mm guns

122 three-mechanical

1226

type89

 

[Fluff]

1223 finally won the game and received the number WZ122（better known as type80/88）
But before that, let’s talk about the competitors
In March 1979, the 1224 prototype was completed，According to the requirements of the Army, the design target of this tank is a Chinese version of Leopard II. A 45-ton tank with autoloader,composite armor, new 120mm smoothbore gun, high-power diesel engine(The prototype used MB8V331TC41),advanced fire control system·····

Autoloader
View attachment 669369


View attachment 669373
1224 photos in different directions

Top view, to me looks like a british tank, maybe a bit of conqueror going on? And lower the wheels and tracks very M48/M60 ish.

But very interesting, as I'd always assumed china just build T55 etc.

 

[Keyboard Commando]

I read on the Sturgeon's House Chinese vehicle thread that the engine powering 1224 and eventually Type 98/99 was actually a CV12 or at least based on it/using technology from it, is their any truth to this?

 

[Foo Fighter]

There seems to be a lot of Centurion in that, engine decks similar to the Israeli variants and M48/M60.

 

[cattalonX]

I read on the Sturgeon's House Chinese vehicle thread that the engine powering 1224 and eventually Type 98/99 was actually a CV12 or at least based on it/using technology from it, is their any truth to this?

The 1224 has only one prototype, using a German engine，1226 has two prototype with different engine，1226 used 8V165,1226F2 used 12150 improved（12150 is Chinese built V-2）
type 99 used 150HB，The relationship between these engines is not very clear


View attachment 669419
1226 engine

 

[cattalonX]

type99's 150HB

 

[Andrei_bt]

thanks for the thread. Any new photos of 1226 from the rear awailible? Is it possible to wisit the place it is exibited?

 

[cattalonX]

thanks for the thread. Any new photos of 1226 from the rear awailible? Is it possible to wisit the place it is exibited?

This batch of photos was taken by a man worked for War Thunder，no 1226 rear perspective

 

[Andrei_bt]

thanks!

 

[eleventhstzz]

hello is there any more photos of 122三液样车？？？

 

[kocovgoce]

the roman tank tr-85 the first versions is very similar to the chinese tank they had good relations with china at that time

 

[kocovgoce]

There seems to be a lot of Centurion in that, engine decks similar to the Israeli variants and M48/M60.

it looks much more like a centarion while the track and wheels are from m48 patton.Maybe the Pakistanis donated some m48 to him For centarion via Syria or Egypt although I think the Chinese bought centarion from Israel for testing

 

[cattalonX]

A simple translation
120mm smoothbore gun, designed to surpass the T-62's 115mm smoothbore gun，
The round is similar to 115 mm smoothbore round，The cartridge is based on the Navy's 130 mm naval gun cartridge
APDSFS round weighs 6 kg（ projectile 4.3kg，diameter 43 mm）Penetrates 120 mm of 65-degree angled armor at a distance of 1000 meters
HEAT and HE has no details
In 1975, because the leadership requirements change ，The project was terminated.
Although the 120mm smoothbore gun has improved performance, it is basically an imitation of the 115mm smoothbore gun

 

[eleventhstzz]

I heard there was two variants of 1226, if the currently survived one is 1226F2 (the one with better engine), is there any pictures of the 1226? Is the one on the picture 1226F2 or 1226?

 

[kocovgoce]

these tanks are very similar to the Romanian tr 580 Perhaps the Romanians or the two countries cooperated in the development of their tanks how now?

romanian tr 580

 

[cattalonX]

Sina Visitor System

120mm HEAT

 

[kocovgoce]

how the detonator of this grenade was activated by hitting the copper cone on the detonator or?

 

[Scott Kenny]

how the detonator of this grenade was activated by hitting the copper cone on the detonator or?

RPG-style warheads are triggered by an electric circuit between the outside of the front cone and an inner cone. Impact crushes the outer cone onto the inner and completes the electric circuit, then boom.

 

[publiusr]

Where’s Wardenclyff when you need a spark gap filler

 

[PDMODE]

thanks for the thread. Any new photos of 1226 from the rear awailible? Is it possible to wisit the place it is exibited?

A late reply about this post, this photo was taken in the 617 factory which is the Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group Co. The factory isn't open to the social but the Warthunder Chinese team use a little power and get in the factory's museum where the wz122 been place.

 

[PDMODE]

However .

 

[scorpiodude]

these tanks are very similar to the Romanian tr 580 Perhaps the Romanians or the two countries cooperated in the development of their tanks how now?

romanian tr 580

I wouldn't be surprised if there was some indirect help from Romania considering Ceausescu was quite friendly to China and they sold a few T-72s under the name of Type 64. I don't have any concrete info about the 122 projects and Romania though.

 

[cattalonX]

Im also looking for information on the 114 SP2.
Are there any designs similar to this description that it could be:
"the turret and 152 mm gun does bear a very slight resemblance to some Chinese artillery designs"

114, of course, is also fake，
Just like the BZ75 used a turret similar to the 1224
By the way, the Chinese designation does not use 114SP to name self-propelled guns
The first number 1 means tank，The second number 1 means heavy（If the second one is 2, it's medium，3 means light），The third number means which generation the vehicle is·········The WZ name for type 99 is WZ123，so，114 means this is a fourth-generation heavy tank······
Chinese people usually use the fourth number，like 1224，1226，1227（type85）····

emmm，In a way, the 116 is a sixth generation heavy tank··········But this thing in the game, it's very much a variant of 1226



Look at the names of the turrets and the tracks