In the product catalog of the Swiss company MOWAG at different times there were various samples of armored vehicles of all major classes. Among them, the Panzerattrappe specialized armored training vehicle is of particular interest. With its help, it was possible to train crews, as well as train the infantry to fight armored vehicles.
From combat to training
In the early fifties, taking into account the requirements of the international market, the MOWAG company was developing new samples of light wheeled armored vehicles. It was planned to offer customers a whole line of machines with different characteristics and capabilities.
Together with other vehicles, an armored car was created on a promising all-wheel drive two-axle chassis T1 4x4. However, the fate of such a machine was determined quickly enough. A potential customer in the person of the Swiss army became interested in auxiliary equipment on the proposed chassis, but the armored car project did not suit him. The future of this car was in question.
Fortunately, MOWAG found a way out, and the project did not go to waste. The existing armored car was significantly rebuilt and its purpose changed. Now it was proposed to use it not in battle, but in training crews and in training infantry. In this role, the armored vehicle interested the army and entered service.
Original concept
Initially, the MOWAG armored car was considered as a reconnaissance vehicle with machine-gun or cannon armament, characterized by high maneuverability and a sufficient level of protection. Some of these features could come in handy not only in battle, but also in the training of personnel.
As conceived by MOWAG, a training armored car called Panzerattrappe was supposed to retain the existing bulletproof protection. It should have been supplemented with some new elements of various kinds, while weapons were no longer required.
The finished armored car was suitable for the initial training of driver mechanics, riflemen and armored vehicle commanders. He could also perform the functions of a self-propelled moving target. In this case, infantrymen armed with small arms and light anti-tank systems could train on the armored car - of course, with training ammunition.
Technical features
The Panzerattrappe combat and then training armored car was built on the MOWAG T1 4x4 chassis. It was a universal chassis, suitable for the installation of the necessary units for various purposes. So, the Swiss army purchased seven different vehicles based on the T1. One of them was a training armored car.
The chassis was equipped with a 103 hp Dodge T137 gasoline engine. and a mechanical transmission providing four-wheel drive. There were four forward gears and one reverse. The necessary cabins / vans and special equipment were mounted on the chassis.
In the MOWAG Panzerattrappe project, the T1 chassis was equipped with a welded armored hull based on existing developments. The hull was made of armor plates 10 mm thick and was supposed to provide protection against non-armor-piercing bullets and light fragments. Protection parameters were determined taking into account the characteristics of the available infantry weapons.
It is curious that during the development of the hull, special attention was paid to the protection of the side projection - it was at it that the infantrymen had to shoot. However, other parts of the hull also had appropriate protection.
The hull was divided into a front habitable compartment, which is distinguished by a greater height, and an aft engine compartment. The frontal hull had an opening for the windshield. For additional protection, the glass was covered with blinds. As the project and production evolved, the shape and size of the glazing and shutters changed. The view to the sides and back was provided with viewing slots. Above, on the inhabited compartment, there was a turret with a simulated cannon.
The undercarriage also received protection. The rear wheels were covered with armored covers. On the front, their own shields were installed, overlapping most of their lateral projection. The frame and the main units were covered with the lower sections of the hull armor.
The MOWAG Panzerattrappe armored car did not have its own armament. The regular crew consisted of three people, one of whom acted as an instructor. When performing individual work, the car could accommodate six people. For greater safety of the crew, the hull did not have side hatches, and access to the vehicle was provided by a large hatch in the turret roof.
Panzerattrappe had a length of 4 m with a width of 2, 06 m and a height of 1, 95 m. The curb weight was 4, 6 tons with a load of up to 650 kg. The maximum weight is 5.25 tons. On the highway, the armored car accelerated to 55-57 km / h. A 100-liter fuel tank made it possible to work within the landfill without any problems.
Service and study
In 1953, the Swiss army ordered MOWAG to mass-produce new vehicles based on the T1 4x4 wheeled chassis. The contract provided for the supply of machines of seven different types on a unified basis. The army wanted to get trucks, ambulances, training armored cars, etc.
The first MOWAG Panzerattrappe armored vehicles were built already in 1953 and soon began service at the training grounds. Quickly enough, they earned a reputation as successful machines for solving all the main tasks of training personnel. Armored cars were equally successful in training drivers and in working as targets.
Production of the Panzerattrappe continued for several years, during which time MOWAG built 240 vehicles. They were distributed between different parts and polygons. Due to their special role, such armored cars were used very actively, and therefore they regularly had to be repaired or even written off and replaced with new ones. In the sixties, the grouping of self-propelled targets was "reinforced" with new Zielfahrzeug 68 machines based on the tank. For a long time, armored cars and tanks worked together.
Operation of the MOWAG Panzerattrappe continued until 1987. By this time, new models of armored vehicles entered service, and the existing training armored car no longer fully met the requirements for training drivers. Also, new models of infantry weapons appeared, which could not be used on training armored cars.
Morally and physically obsolete armored vehicles were written off. Most of them went for disassembly, but several cars survived. In museums and private collections in Switzerland and other countries, there are about a dozen Panzerattrappe in various states. Some cars are still on the move, while others require refurbishment.
New times
After abandoning the outdated MOWAG Panzerattrappe, the Swiss army did not order new similar samples. Now only decommissioned armored vehicles or special targets from training complexes are used as "tactical objects" for training grounds. The idea of a specialized guided armored vehicle was abandoned.
Nevertheless, the original project of the MOWAG company is of great interest. Not the most successful armored car, which the army refused, was turned into a special model with the required characteristics. Moreover, the training machine has successfully coped with its tasks for many years and literally "outlived" several combat models of its era in service.
However, moral and physical obsolescence has led to certain results. The existing MOWAG Panzerattrappe were written off without looking for a replacement.
