[Fantasy] WW2 armored vehicle designs

[SgtShidner59]

Well i'm new to here, first post ever on this forum and so i thought i'd put up some of my artwork on here. I know its not up to par with everyone elses as i've gone through this entire section. Well, here you guys are.

Name: Panzerkampfwagen Jaguar Ausf. B
Nation: Germany
Crew: Five
Armament: 105mm KwK 46 L/48 [Armor Penetration]: 225/285/60
105mm KwK 42 L/28 [Armor Penetration]: 64/150/53
128mm Pak 44/22 L/55 [Armor Penetration]: 276/352/65
Armor: 190/110/110
Speed: 35 km/h
Engine Power: 970hp
Turret Traverse: 34 degrees/sec
Radio: FuG 12 [Range]: 810m
Weight/Load limit: 78.50/80.50t

Description:
Nearing the end of 1943, German High command saw the incredible likelihood of an allied invasion of Fortress Europe, they began investigating into more heavy tank designs to counter the Allies growing numbers. Their philosophy: "Quality over quantity." In mid-December of '43, an ambitious design by the name of Hans Schidner put forth the plans for a new heavy tank: the Panzerkampfwagen VII.2 Ausf. B or has he called it, the "Jaguar". It was a heavy tank, compared in size to the "King Tiger" tank that was nearing prototype trials. Its turret was a custom-made design produced by Krupp and could house a variety of big guns. Hans' brother had served with the 2nd Panzer division on the eastern front and had relayed many stories of the Russian's armored vehicles with their sloped armor capable of shrugging off German anti-tank shells. Seeing this as a revolutionary trait, Hans incorporated it into his design giving the Jaguar a heavily sloped turret and chassis that was meant to help deflect anti-tank projectiles from wherever they were shot. He even implemented an angular piece of attachable armor plating over the side of the vulnerable treads to help in the Jaguar's already formidable defenses. To go with its heavy defenses, the Jaguar came with the option to mount a number of large cannons, its standard weapon being the large 105mm KwK 46 L/48 tank cannon, a terrifying weapon that could shred Allied armor as if it were paper mache. He also put down for a Maybach HL 234 P45 engine to be used as the Jaguar's main powerhouse, producing an astonishing 970 horsepower. He claimed that the Jaguar could attain a speed of up to 42km/h, an impressive speed for a tank that size, and some higher powers remained skeptical of this claim.
The plans somehow made their way to Hitler's desk along with a mess of other miscellaneous paperwork, and it immediately drew the Fuhrer's attention. He had always had a sort of fascination with large and impossible vehicles and he sent word to Schidner and his associates that funding was now being pumped into their project and that it was to begin right away. The group set to work turning Schidner's dreams into a metallic reality and in no time, the prototype rolled off the line in March 1944. Hitler attended the initial trials of the Jaguar and was thoroughly impressed. While the large tank could not attain the predicted speed of 42km/h, it did live up the the boasts of its trememdous firepower, sniping targets from outside normal tank cannon ranges. He departed with the wish that production start immediately and that further funding was to be supplied.
Within a couple months, 17 units had been produced and the first small unit was formed. But as the Allied invasion of Normandy began, the Jaguar had the opportunity to prove itself for the first time. The most famous recording of the Jaguar's lethal capabilities was on June 28th outside the French town of Verdain. A pair of Jaguars ambushed an American armored column, comprising of M3 Stuart scout tanks, M4 Shermans, and dozens of other vehicles. For almost 5 minutes, the unfortunate American unit was unaware of what was firing at them, such was the range at which the German heavy tanks initially engaged them. But even when they learned the location of the sniping tanks, they were still unable to retaliate effectively. The column's Shermans broke rank and charged the Jaguars, making many shots at the massive tanks, all of which bounced harmlessly off the thick sloped armor. One lucky shot nailed the second Jaguar in its treads, disabling it, but the lucky Sherman was caught in a deadly crossfire and brewed up in flames. The pair of Jaguar's decimated the American's tanks then turned their guns on the column again. Almost 26 minutes after the first shots were fired, American M7 Priests began putting rounds around the German's position. An extremely lucky shot hit the disabled Jaguar right in its top hatch, utterly destroying the tank, ripping open its turret. The second Jaguar retreated to the safety of German lines. For as much help as the artillery lended, the damage had already been done: 24 Sherman tanks, 11 Stuarts, and over 40 other vehicles lay in ruins around the countryside. Needless to say, American progress slowed significantly due to the devastating first engagement with Germany's new tank.

Name: T-48/100 Medium Tank
Nation: Russia
Crew: Five
Armament: 100mm LB-1 [Armor Penetration]: 175/235/50
152mm M-10 [Armor Penetration]: 110/206/86
107mm ZiS-6S [Armor Penetration]: 167/219/54
Armor: 120/80/45
Speed: 47 km/h
Engine Power: 740hp
Turret Traverse: 52 degrees/sec
Radio: 9RM [Range]: 600m
Weight/Load limit: 36/40.7t

Description:
Since the introduction of the T-34 to the winter battlefields of southern Russia, Russian medium tanks have controlled the battlefield. With revolutionary sloped armor, incredible speed and maneuverability, and decent firepower, they shaped the way that the tank was seen. But as the German army advanced further into Russia, their heavier and heavier guns were able to punch out speedy medium tanks like no other. And so a project was put forth in late 1943 for a fast and maneuverable but heavily armed medium tank to supplement Russia's tank spearheads. Vladimir Denerov was an experience designer and saw the need for such a tank as German armored columns advanced ever closer towards Russia's interior. He worked tirelessly and eventually came up with a blueprint for a armored vehicle he thought would be most suitable: the T-48/100 medium tank.

The T-48/100 was a new take on the view of most modern medium tanks. While it had the speed and agility of current ones, it mounted a formidable 100mm cannon, capable of fighting back against the new German heavy and medium tanks. The rounds fired by this comparatively massive cannon could pierce up to 175mm of armor. The implementation of a modified V-12 engine produced a whooping 740hp engine that propelled this tank to speed in excess of 47km/h. The T-48/100's armor was thick and sloped extensively to boot, giving it excellent protection.

The T-48/100 saw extensive action after its introduction in late 1944, when Russian armies were making devestating pushes back against German forces. One such action was recorded by a Russian scout plane and involved a group of four T-48/100's that had gotten separated from their column. They roamed the steppes for a short while before coming upon a German defensive position made up of an infantry unit and 4 Tiger tanks supported by 3 Panther tanks. The T-48/100's immediately sprung into action, spreading out into a battle line and charging the entrenched positions. A eager Tiger crew opened fire only to see their shell glance off the nearest Russian tank and explode harmlessly behind it. The other German tanks began firing as well, but watched in dismay as their rounds bounced off the T-48/100's sloped armor. It was only as they got well in range did the Russian's fire at their attackers, two unfortunate Panthers caught 100mm shells in their turrets and brewed up intensely. Another shell took out the engine of a Tiger, leaving it a sitting duck, but three shells from the other T-48/100's made quick work of it. The Russian's closed in and got among the defender's fortifications, it was here that their firepower and speed proved extremely devestating. They drove circles around the German vehicles, destroying their engines and setting them aflame. In a span of 20 minutes or so, the T-48/100's departed, firing their machine guns at the remaining infantry as they sought to recover from watching each and every one of their precious armored supported die a horrific death.

I'm no good with the technical details so.....have at it. Criticism and comments are encouraged.

 

[robunos]

If I may...
Your designs are too similar looking, in particular, the 'Jaguar'
is not 'German' enough. Lose the rounded undercut turret sides,
and replace them with flat, interlocking plates, like a Panther turret.
Add a Panther-type cast commander's cupola to the turret roof, and
by this stage of the war, the driver would have only had a periscope,
not a vision slot, which would be weak point in the glacis plate.
Also the front idlers are too far forward, there's nothing to support
them.
Move them back to the position of the front road wheels, and make them
sprockets, with teeth, your fluff will reflect this by saying the Jaguar has
electric drive, like the Porsche Tiger.
Finally, re-shape the back end to the classic Panther/Tiger II upswept
rear plate.
Regarding the T-48/100, this is better, but remove the side-mounted radiators.
Put flush grilles in the engine deck, that's the 'Soviet' style.
Finally, only the USA/ Britain mounted howitzers in turreted tanks. Both Germany
and the Soviet Union used turretless vehicles derived from the tanks, think T-34/SU-122,
and Tiger/Sturm tiger, or Panzer III/Stug III.
Hope this helps,




Cheers,
Robin.

 

[SgtShidner59]

Thank you very much for your opinion Robin. Its nice to get an honest look at my drawings. I'll work on my concepts and look at incorporating your suggestions.

Here's some other stuff i've done in the last day or so.

The Pnz. VI Ausf. F 'Ocelot' Medium Tank​

Nation: Germany
Crew: Five
Armament: 128mm Kwk L/72 Tank Cannon
7.62mm MG42 Machine Guns
Smoke Dischargers
Armor: 160mm/95mm/73mm
Max Speed: 55 km/h
Role: Medium Tank
Equipment: Night-Vision Light (Turret)

Description:

As invasion of Fortress Europe became an ever more apparent threat, higher members of Germany's military command saw a need for combating the hordes of Allied Tanks they were sure to face. They needed high-quality tanks that could take on large numbers of tanks by themselves, as that would probably be the case across the battlefield. Their own Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger I was the premier tank of the time but its best use was as a 'sniper tank' as its hull armor was comparable to tin foil. While the Allies found it quite the battlefield terror, German crews knew better and saw many faults in it besides it horrifying 88mm cannon. So in October of 1943, plans were put into motion for a powerful medium tank to combat large numbers of Allied tanks, mainly the predominant M4 Sherman. Come January, the first Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. F 'Ocelot' rolled off the assembly line. An impressive tank, the engineers behind it put the large and reletively untested 128mm Kwk L/72 Smoothbore cannon onto a oddly-shaped, original design turret. There was much discussion on this turret design because the rear of it made for a horrible 'shell-trap' but they counted on the individual crews to be knowledgable of this weakness.​

By the invasions of Normandy in June of 1944, two divisions had been equipped with fairly large numbers of Ocelot Medium Tanks and it wasn't long till the Allies got their first taste of the Ocelot. Outside the French town of Carentan, the Allies didn9;t expect a ton of resistance but that all changed when the main armor spearhead came head to head with five hidden Ocelots. The Ocelots, part of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, held some covered ground and as soon as the first M4 Sherman came into the clearing, it was met by an armor-piercing round from the nearest Ocelot, blowing its tiny turret clean off. The following armor began spreading out to engage the one German tank they knew about only to run into two more, sending two more Shermans to a firey hell. Artillery supporting the allied push began landing around the Ocelot's positions, leveling trees and foliage. As the Allied tanks begin crossing the clearing, two more Ocelots began their flank attacks, one on either side of the column. The Ocelot's 55 km/h speed allowed them to close the distance fast, getting right up close and personal with Allied armor, while their fast turret traverse speed let them nail tanks left and right. One Ocelot was lost to enemy fire when a tank shell was caught in the rear of the turret and nailed its engine compartment. The surviving crew members detonated an explosive charge inside the tank to avoid it being captured. The remaining Ocelots killed a few more enemy vehicles before melting back into the French countryside. All in all, the Allied spearhead lost 31 M4 Sherman tanks, 40+ halftracks, and a couple dozen US army infantrymen. The Ocelot's combat debut was a stunning success.​

T38 'Washington' Heavy Tank​

Nation: United States of America
Crew: Five
Armament: 155mm Tank Cannon
Browning .303 cal Machine Guns
Browning .50 cal Machine Gun
Armor: 295mm/105mm/132mm [Turret] 124mm/107mm/94mm [Hull]
Max Speed: 37 km/h
Role: Heavy Tank

Description:

After the massive battles that occurred in the Normandy region during the invasion of Europe, it was noted by tank crewmen who served there that the current tanks utilized by the US Armored divisions were woefully underpowered and underarmored. To this end, the T38 'Washington' Heavy Tank, its blueprints shelved for about a year, was put into production. American army officers didn't approve of the Washington because it was quite expensive produce, the main reason they went with the relatively inexpensive M4 Sherman. But now they saw that a slight increase in expenses might be advantageous on the battlefield. American tank crews who drove the T38 Washington agreed that the increase in expense was well worth it. The first group of T38s saw action during the surprise German attack that kicked off the Battle of the Bulge. The T38 Washintons were assigned to the 761st Tank Battalion and served for till the end of the war. Armed with a devestating 155mm, the Washington could easily take on the popular German Tiger tank as well as the premiering King Tiger tank. It could also mount a few other cannons, including the 175mm howitzer, and the 120mm high-velocity cannon, varying its combat effectiveness. It also had much better armor than previous American tanks, allowing it to take many more shots than say, a Sherman. Adding to its protection, the Washinton's turret was rounded and had nicely sloped armor to increase the chances of an enemy shell deflecting. Additionally, armor plates were put over the sides of the treads to increase protections to the machines necessary to drive this massive tank.​

The Washington's first trial by fire came when a single T38, accompanied by a platoon of US infantrymen, was ordered to hold a small bridge near the northern part of the growing German 'bulge'. It wasn't but a day after the small force arrived that word came in that a German Army brigade was approaching their position, supported by a tank company. The little American force dug in and prepared for the assault. The T38 was moved into a dug out position so that only its heavily armored turret would show above ground, greatly improving its protection. As the American forces waited, the snow began to fall heavier and thicker than before, blanketing the area in white powder. The snow covered the T38 in white camouflage as well as concealing the dug in infantry. When the Germans advanced on the bridgehead, they were greeted by fire from anti-tank rockets and the hidden T38, two Panther medium tanks brewed up in flames under the combined fire. A King Tiger rounded the smoldering wreckage and took a shot at the array of small arms muzzle flashes. The reply to its fire was not expected as the Washington tank's round blindsided it and nearly flipped the large tank. Fighting for about 12 hours, the German force finally retreated back to high ground after suffering heavy losses to the hidden enemy. At the head of the bridge, 5 Panthers, 3 King Tigers, 7 Tigers, and around a dozen halftracks lay burning in the winter storm, testament to the Washington's horrendous firepower.​