TNT 48

Once again, the French magazine TnT is giving us big value and lot of useful informations with lot of photos and drawings!

Maneuver Combat Vehicle “Kidou-Sentou-Sha”: un engine polémique (a polemic AFV)

The evolution of political situation provokes the need for Japan of a good anti-tank vehicle, moving fast in reaction to an eventual landing. The choice was then a wheeled vehicle. The prototypes were delivered in 2008, 4 pré-série vehicles are actually tested. The global order could be of 200 to 300 vehicles.

The AFV is largely inspired from the Italian Centauro.

(4 peges, 8 photos)

Les engins de l’Opération Daguet – Guerre dans le desert irakien (the Vehicles of the Operation Daguet – War in the Irakian desert)

The operation Daguet took place during the first Gulf War. The French Division Daguet fought with the Coalition against Irak.

(8 pages, 6 photos, 19 drawings)

Le char d’assaut Saint-Chamond, la “bête à chagrins » (The Saint-Chamond tank, the « crying beast »)

The Saint-Chamond is the result of the will to give to the French army a strong material, able to give an end to the war in the trenches. But even if it was an impressing beast, it will be a disappointing tank.

The Saint-Chamond was based on the Caterpillar Baby Holt tractor. There will be a struggle between the army and the civilians for the ceonception of the tank.

(10 pages, 9 photos, 10 drawings, 1 technical datafile)

Sturmgeschutz E-75

If the great lines of the Entwicklungstypen (= standard type) program have been decrypted, some vehicles of that serie that would have been operational in 1945-46, remains somewhat mysterious, like the E-75.

The E-program was conceived to allow the large production of standardized material.

(2 pages, 5 drawings)

Auto Blindée Mitrailleuse T15: l’ersatz de char belge (The Armoured Machinegun Car T15 : a kind of ersatz of tank for Belgium)

At the beginning of the ‘30s, the belgian army wished to modernisate and replace their old Renault FT tanks that were acquired just after WWI. Being neutral and trying not to effend the strong neighbours, the material have to be a defensive one.

The T15 is based on a Vickers-carden-Lloyd chassis armed with an 13,2mm heavy machinegun. 42 exemplars are ordered. The crew are the driver and the tank leader-shooter.

During the 18 days campaign of 1940, the T15 will be used simultaneously with the T13, in little groups. Very few will survive the campaign to be recuperated and used by the German army.

(8 pages, 13 photos, 6 drawings, 1 technical datafile)

Jagdpanzer, histoire des chasseurs de chars du III. Reich (history of the tank hunters of the third Reich)

The Jagdpanzers derivates from the StuG III. The good performances of the StuGs were equivalent to those of the tanks. Partisans and adversaries of the Jagdpanzer tried to influence the course of the production and that could have been resulting in a prematurate fall of the Reich, but the intervention of Guderian was decisive. The StuG III were under the command of the Sturm-Artillerie, and the Jagpanzers under the command of the Wehrmacht.

This long article is the principal file of TNT48, with good details of the historical situation.

(16 pages, 21 photos, 8 drawings)

Chars occidentaux de la première generation (the first generation of tanks from the Occident)

At the time were Soviets are deploying their MBT T-54 and T-55, the Occidental countries are just trying to ameliorate the tanks developed during WWII. So are the British Centurion tank and the Ameriacn M47 and M48 Pattons…

(2 pages, 3 photos, 1 technical datafile)

Le Stridsvagen 103: le char venu du froid (The Stridsvagen 103: the tank coming from cold)

All the MBT are of similar aspect but the STRV103. This one is radically different of conception with a low size without any turret. The concept of Sweden is to bet on mobility. The very low aspect of the STRV 103 permits ricochets without having a strong armour. The crew is reduced to 3 men so there is more place for benzene. The problem being on the counterpart that without turret the tank must stop before to fire…

(10 pages, 15 photos, 5 drawings, 1 technical datafile)

Les camions Renault de la Wehrmacht : quand le Losange roulait pour l’Allemagne (the Renault trucks used by the Wehrmacht : when the Losange was riding for Germany)

Most important provider of the French army, Renault will see their trucks used by the Wehrmacht and the industrial facilities will work for Germany.

(10 pages, 15 photos, 1 drawing, 1 technical datafile)