The history of world tank building, and indeed military equipment in general, is replete with many amazing events. Events that, according to the logic of things, should not have happened, but for some reason history made it so that these events happened and even became, to some extent, turning points.
The machine, which is initially made as an auxiliary one and does not put any revolutionary solutions into it, suddenly becomes the favorite machine of the soldiers. Conversely, truly outstanding structures, which at the time of creation were a real breakthrough, disappeared as unnecessary at a specific time, and then turned into a base for completely new objects.
There are several cars in our store that were not supplied to us under Lend-Lease, but were loved in those countries where they were used during the Second World War. We could not miss the opportunity to touch, twitch, crawl under the bottom. And, moreover, we could not help but tell about these machines.
In short, the cycle about self-propelled guns is a logical continuation of our series about foreign vehicles from the Second World War, which for various reasons our tankers and artillerymen did not get to know. And the first vehicle will be the M18 "Hellcat", which successfully hunted enemy tanks and other armored vehicles. So, 76-mm Gun Motor Carriage M18, Hellcat.
Hellcat, according to most experts, was one of the best tank destroyers of the Second World War. A low silhouette, high power density, high mobility, a rational form of booking, high reliability and a well-made chassis made it possible to win victories over the enemy with relatively small losses of its own.
Simply put, the car was so balanced that, probably, there was no crew who did not cherish their "cat" no worse than a pet, after which the car was named. Almost every SPG had its own name and even its own "coat of arms". The machine responded to love with love. In a figurative sense of the word.
This is, for example, the logo on "our" copy. "Double problems" that shouldn't scare real fighters. Moreover, the crew of the "Hell's Cat" cannot be frightened by some hot girls and cold whiskey.
But back to the self-propelled gun.
The history of the creation of the machine is so interesting that it is impossible not to tell it. Let's start with the fact that the American paratroopers and marines are to blame for the appearance of this SPG! Yes, although it sounds amazing.
We often argue that the USSR and Stalin personally delayed the war with Germany in every possible way. We are trying to explain Stalin's mistakes, unpreparedness for war, and the loss of the first months. We argue to the point of hoarseness. We tear the vests on the chest.
But let's take a look across the ocean. The Americans did not want to fight against fascism in Europe so much that they did not even declare war on Hitler! But Washington understood that they would have to fight. There was only one question: on whose side. To be in time for the division of the trophies. The answer was given by Hitler himself. It was he who declared war on the United States.
The American military demanded to re-equip the army to wage war away from their country. The ocean was and is still a fairly good defense of the continental States. That is why the task was set, first of all, to re-equip the mobile units. Marines and airborne units.
In conditions when the landing should be carried out not on the islands, where the use of ground armored vehicles is limited, but on the continent, the question arose about the possibility of countering the marines and paratroopers with armored vehicles, primarily enemy tanks. Better yet, if the mobile units get a good tank of their own!
In 1941, a competition was announced to create a tank for the paratroopers. A tank that would combine the ability to transport not only ships, but also aircraft. And at the same time he was able to fight with enemy tanks. Tank designs were presented by three firms - GMC, Marmon-Herrington and Kristi.
Oddly enough it sounds, but the competition was won by an unknown one, who had previously released only two tank models (CTLS and CTLB), by the way, both failed, Marmon-Herrington. By the end of September, the project of the T9 tank was ready, and the start of serial production was expected.
And then something happened that turned the whole project in a completely unpredictable direction. Engineers and designers of Marmon-Herrington, who were developing the new tank, proposed to create an SPG on the same base. To support tanks. Only now it was proposed to equip the SPG with the same chassis, approximately the same turret and the same weapon! It looks delusional, but it's a fact.
However, this nonsense still had its continuation. The USA did not have light SPGs. The army was simply forced to view this project as promising. The only thing that the military department managed to do was to remove the requirement for an ACS as an airborne one. This meant that it was possible to increase the weight of the car and even change the suspension.
The new car received the T42 index.
The self-propelled guns were put on a Christie's suspension, but armed with the same 37-mm cannon. The project was ready by January 1942. The production of prototypes was no longer to be done in Marmon-Herrington, where they could not start production of the T9, but in GMC. And again, higher powers intervened.
This time the British played the role of the higher powers. Based on the experience of the war, the British expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the 37 mm cannon, even for a light tank. As for the self-propelled guns with such a weapon, the British officers simply laughed in the face of the American designers.
We must pay tribute to the reaction of the American military. Already on April 1, the designers received new requirements for the tank. The gun should be no longer 37mm, but 57mm. Vehicle speed must be at least 80 km / h. The armor of the turret, forehead and sides is approximately 22 mm. Crew of 5 people.
The project of a new car again was ready … by April 19! The tank was named T49. Prototype production started almost immediately. The first vehicles were ready in July 1942. Oddly enough, with such a rush, when literally everything had to be "shoved and squeezed", tests showed that the car was good overall. The only drawback is speed. Instead of 80 km / h, the car was able to squeeze out only 61. A new engine was needed. Although, in general, the result was not bad and seemed to suit everyone.
But the project was also followed by anti-tank crews! The tank destroyer control of the US Army, as well as the tankers, was not satisfied with the speed of the vehicle. In addition, for the self-propelled guns, they demanded another increase in the caliber of the gun. Now up to 75mm! That is, to put the one that was installed on the "Sherman", inherited from "Lee".
Well, and a purely artillery whim - to remove the roof of the tower so that the crew simply does not suffocate. Decently saving on exhaust fans. But I still had to splurge on a machine gun for close combat, which was relevant specifically for the self-propelled guns of tank destroyers. The front end is the front end. The infantry is always nearby, including the enemy's infantry.
And again providence intervened. And again, American designers did not bother too much with the problem that had arisen. They just installed a turret on the T49 … from the T35 (the future M10 ACS), which was already ready at that time. And the frontal M2 machine gun was moved to the tower. This made it possible to increase the frontal armor up to 25 mm.
The finished prototype of the new ACS under the T67 index was sent for testing in October 1942. And, lo and behold … The car was dispersed to the required 80 km / h! Everything! The result has been achieved! But no …
They began to equip the Sherman with another gun! The tank now had a 76, 2 mm M1A1 gun. And the tank destroyers demanded the same for their own vehicles. Moreover, the gun turned out well, a miracle, how good it is!
In addition, Christie's suspension ceased to suit the gunners. By this time, it had become so obsolete that some designers said that such an SPG would kill enemy tankers by its mere appearance on the battlefield … But not by the power of its guns, but by its appearance.
There were also claims to the tower. The first was from the gunners. A fast car assumes a fairly long autonomous battle. And this requires ammunition. There was simply no room in the turret to accommodate the required number of shells. And the second, technological. The tower is too difficult to manufacture.
In short, again the car went not to the assembly shops, but to the desks and drawers of the designers. And again, the designers showed miracles of professionalism. The new vehicle, indexed ACS T70, was ready in April 1943!
And again providence! The order for the production of 1000 T70 self-propelled guns was handed over to Buick even before the machine was put into service! And this is in the USA. At the end of 1943, self-propelled guns were already tested in Italy. And (rightly) the car received great reviews. Only after that, the T70 self-propelled guns T70 in March 1944 (about 200 vehicles were produced) was adopted under the designation M18.
Now let's feel the car with our hands. She's worth it. It is not for nothing that we so often mentioned the intervention of providence in its creation.
So, the 76-mm self-propelled gun М18 "Hellcat" (76 mm Gun Motor Carriage M18, Hellcat) is made according to the following scheme. The control compartment, transmission and drive wheels are in the front of the body. The fighting compartment is in the middle. Power compartment at the back.
The tower is installed in the middle of the building. The rotation is circular. Armament 76, 2-mm M1A1 cannon and 12, 7-mm anti-aircraft machine gun. The elevation angle for the gun is +20, and the depression angle is -9 degrees. A gun without a muzzle brake. The muzzle velocity of the AP shell is 686 m / s. For a sub-caliber projectile, the speed is 1035 m / s. Rate of fire is 4 rounds per minute.
The tower, seriously, is not cramped only for the calculation of four dwarfs. Real brave wild boars do not feel very well there. But one must not just sit, but do business.
The driver has a separate seat.
In general, every square inch has something to cling to or crack your head against.
Here ammunition for the machine gun was stored. If you want to live, you pull it out.
Surprisingly for an American car, but one can hardly call the "Hellcat" comfortable for the crew. Very cramped, very little room for everything. And the crew usually placed their own belongings on the armor, so that on the march the self-propelled gun had that look.
An interesting solution was found to repair the car. You can see special hatches in front and behind the car. It is understood that these hatches are designed to facilitate access to the power plant or transmission. But not the Hellcat!
The fact is that both the engine and the transmission were not mounted directly on the body, but on special runners. For repairs, it was enough to open the hatch at the stern and roll out the Wright Continental R-975 engine into the light of day to the caring hands of mechanics and minders. To repair the elements of the power transmission units, the frontal hatch was opened and all the elements were put forward in the same way!
Many are skeptical about the armor of this SPG and the open turret. Yes, the armor was light. But the location of the armor plates at an angle significantly increases protection. The shells quite often just ricochet off the armor without causing significant damage.
The open tower, in the absence of protection from shrapnel and bullets from above, gave the vehicle commander, gunner (gunner), radio operator and loader an excellent view of the battlefield. So the question is difficult here too. Plus 4 rounds per minute is a lot. It is possible to suffocate quite so calmly in powder gases.
Since you will see the car with your own eyes today, at the end of the material a little bit about the tactics of using "Hell's cats". Americans call this hit and run tactic. In our translation, this is a swoop-bounce or retreat. Machines, with all their merits, could not be at the forefront for a long time. In short, tank destroyers must be used only for their intended purpose and only for a limited period of time.
So, "Cats" during a tank attack jumped forward and began firing at the sluggish tanks. The speed and the rotating turret ensured their efficiency. When the enemy came to his senses from such impudence and was ready to fight back, the "Cats" were already calmly dumping under the cover of tanks, fortunately, the speed quite allowed it.
It looks fantastic today, but such attacks were quite effective. For example, let's take a report from a German tank division, which had to face the hit and run tactics of "Cats". The division was equipped, among other things, with "Tigers" and "Panthers", which the 76-mm cannon simply did not take.
“The 76mm M18 cannon does not fully reveal its capabilities. In August 1944 alone, the 630th American Tank Destroyer Battalion disabled 53 heavy tanks and 15 jet cannons, while losing 17 pieces of equipment."
Despite the relatively short period of participation in hostilities, they tried to modify the machines. Three modifications never became new "Hell" pets, but they are still worth mentioning.
T88. 105 mm self-propelled howitzer. On the M18 chassis, the ATC decided to install a 105-mm T12 howitzer. In fact, taking into account the experience of the designers, the car would be quite successful. But in August 1945, the war ended and the need for such SPGs disappeared. The project was terminated.
T41 (M39). Armored tractor (T41), or BRDM or armored personnel carrier (T41E1). The vehicles are completely identical to the "Cats", but without the tower. Armament (12, 7-mm machine gun) was installed in the front of the hull. The tractor was designed to transport the 76-mm PTM M6 gun. Introduced into service at the beginning of 1945, but produced in a limited series.
T86, T86E1. Floating 76-mm self-propelled guns. T86 floated due to the work of the caterpillars. On the second version, propellers were installed. Armament of the M18 type.
T87. 105 mm floating howitzer (T88 type). She sailed like the T86, but had a shortened hull and special modified track links. She showed good seaworthiness, but due to the cessation of hostilities, the project was frozen.
Well, the traditional tactical and technical characteristics of the self-propelled guns M18 "Hellcat":
Combat weight: 17 t
Dimensions:
- length: 5300 mm
- width: 2800 mm
- height: 2100 mm
Crew: 5 people
Armament:
- 76, 2-mm M1A1 cannon, w / c 43 rounds;
- 12, 7-mm machine gun, 1000 rounds
Reservation:
- body forehead: 51 mm
- turret forehead: 51 mm
Engine type carburetor "Continental", type R 975
Maximum power: 400 hp
Maximum speed: 72 km / h
Cruising range: 360 km
And at the end there is a small but interesting story from Nikita Krutakov, an employee of the UMMC museum, a great real expert in military equipment.
