Lorraine 40t
The Lorraine 40t was a prototype French medium tank of the Cold War.
| Lorraine 40t | |
|---|---|
| Type | Medium Tank |
| Place of origin | France |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 39.7 metric tonnes |
| Length | 10.80 m (35 ft 5 in) |
| Width | 3.30 m (10 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.85 m (9 ft 4 in) |
| Crew | 4 (commander, gunner, driver, loader/radio) |
| Armor | 30-45 mm |
Main armament | 100 mm SA 47 |
Secondary armament | 1 x 7.5 mm coaxial machine gun and 1 x 7.5 mm machine gun on roof |
| Engine | Maybach HL 295 12VC 850 hp |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
Operational range | 300 km |
| Maximum speed | 60 km/h (37 mph) |
Development
After the end of the Second World War, the French Army was in pressing need of a modern tank with heavy armament. In March 1945, French industry was invited to design a tank which resulted in the AMX-50.
However, it was already obvious in the early 1950s that the AMX-50 tank might turn out to be too heavy due to attempts to improve the gun and armor in response to Soviet tanks such as the IS-3. Thus, in 1952, a 40 tonne medium tank project was started. The Lorraine company built a medium tank prototype based on their earlier Canon D’Assaut Lorraine project.
Description
The total weight was limited to 39.7 tonnes.[1] The Lorraine 40t featured a pike nose design similar to the IS-3. It had an oscillating turret like the AMX-50.[2] The Lorraine 40t mounted a 100 mm SA47 gun fed from a drum autoloader similar to that of the AMX-50 project.
The vehicle inherited the Veil Picard pneumatic tires from the Canon D’Assaut Lorraine which helped to reduce weight.[2] The engine used was the Maybach HL 295 12VC engine which gave a speed of 60 km/h (37 mph).[2]
The Lorraine 40t had a SCR 508 radio for external communications.[3]
The two prototypes were apparently scrapped after the discontinuation of the project.
References
- Jeudy (1997) p. 215
- Lorraine 40t (in French), retrieved 2020-02-02
- 1952 LORRAINE 40 tonnes (in French), retrieved 2020-02-02