Soviet IS4 Heavy Tank Protoype

Fantastic pics I found on the interweb of the post WW2 Soviet IS4 tank.  Not familiar with it?  Here is what wiki has to say about this real tank.

IS-4

There are 2 different tanks known as IS-4. One of these (Objekt 245) was an IS-2 rearmed with a long 100mm D-10T cannon. The other IS-4 was a new vehicle projected by LKZ in parallel with the IS-3 (Objekt 703) by the same design and development bureau. For this second IS-4 the IS-2 hull was lengthened, with an extra set of road wheels added and an improved engine. Both hull and turret armour were increased. Several alternative armaments were explored in paper studies but ultimately the IS-2's original 122mm gun was retained. An effort was also made to make use of technical data derived from study of the German wartime Panzer V Panther tank, which influenced the layout of the second IS-4's engine cooling system. The tank was approved for mass production from 1947 to 1949 but due to disappointing speed and mobility only 250 were built. Most of these were transferred to the Russian Far East. In 1949, production was cancelled and later these tanks were removed from service.

Today I finished pointing this Object 701 No. 6 (IS-4 Prototype). It’s a theoretical subject panted as it might have looked during the battle for Mainland Japan sometimes in late 1945 or early 46. I gave this model a faded chipped camo seen on some of the cold war Soviet armor. Some reference photos are included below. 

Again I would like to thank Ivan Cocker for the awesome figures. I would also to think Chris Jerrett for his help with scanning and providing me with the reference photos.

The kit used is the Trumpeter IS-4 kit that I reworked and backdated to an Object 701 No. 6 using Evergreen sheet plastic, Aber PE and copper sheet. As most of you know there is a gallery containing step-by-step photos of the full build can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1468022133437327.1073741858.1428235010749373&type=3 

Thanks for looking
ANPW

28mm Maus: A BIG chunk of Resin

Maus 28mm 1/56 Scale by Blitzkrieg Miniatures

Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus The complete vehicle was 10.2 metres (33 ft 6 in) long, 3.71 metres (12 ft 2 in) wide and 3.63 metres (11.9 ft) tall. Weighing 200 metric tons, the Maus's main armament was a 128 mm KwK 44 L/55 gun (55 calibers long barrel), based on the 12.8 cm Pak 44 anti-tank artillery piece also used in the casemate-type Jagdtiger tank destroyer, with an added coaxial 75 mm gun. The 128 mm gun was powerful enough to destroy all enemy armored fighting vehicles at close or medium ranges, and even some at ranges exceeding 3,500 metres 

Supplied Unpainted = £49.99

http://www.blitzkriegminiatures.com/html%20pages/1-56%20scale%20tanks/German%20tanks%20final%2056.html

X-7 Rotkäppchen anti-tank missile

A piece of technology I did not know was in use as early as it was.  Of course, now I want to put a few of these on my Weird WW2 German Vehicles.  Here is a great mockup of a turret mounted launcher on an E-100 Maus

from: http://kswong8d.blogspot.com/2011/08/e100-tiger-maus-henschels-heavy-tank.html

The Panzerabwehrrakete X-7 "Rotkäppchen" (Red Riding Hood) was a anti-tank missile. Designed and developed by Ruhrstahl AG in 1943. 

The X-7 was shell shaped body had two wings at its aft end with parabolic leading and trailing edges and two small pods for the wire link spools were attached to the wing tips. The wire link control system was employed for the X-7 Rotkäppchen which used Düsseldorf FuG 510 transmitter and the Detmold FuG 238 receiver, also a radio controlled system was planned for the X-7 Rotkäppchen using the FuG 203/230h. Detonation was achieved by use of an impact fuse.

 trials were undertaken on September 21st 1944 with seven X-7 missiles. Because of the unusual and unfamiliar flying characteristics the first four weapons had ground contact after some distance and therefore crashed. On the next two the rocket engine exploded on the way to the target. The last Rotkäppchen flew all the way and hit the target tank at a range of 500m dead center.

Only about 300 X-7 Rotkäppchen were completed; mass production was planned and had already started at the companies Ruhrstahlwerke in Brackwede and the Mechanische Werke in Neubrandenburg. Many almost finished weapons were captured by the allies (which the French continued to develop after the war).  There were unconfirmed reports of the X-7 being used operationally on the eastern front, and it appears that this missile was extremely effective even against the heavy armoured Stalin tanks.

Type: Anti-tank Missile

Guidance system: Wire Guided / Radio Guided (planned)

Length: 0.95 m

Wingspan: 0.60 m 

Diameter: 0.15 m

Weight: 9 kg

Engine: 2 × WASAG 109-506 solid fuel rocket engine producing up to kg of thrust

Maximum speed: 360 km/h

Range: 1,2 km

Warhead: 2.5 kg

Fuze: impact fuse

Operators: Luftwaffe

(Data from: http://www.wehrmacht-history.com/luftwaffe/missiles/x7-rotkaeppchen-anti-tank-missile.htm)

More to be found at the Weapons and Warfare blog here:
http://weaponsandwarfare.com/2015/11/04/panzerabwehrrakete-x-7-rotkappchen/

Brian has already made up some rules for a Stug variant with an X-7 launcher at his great Weird WW2 Blog here.  Great minds think alike I guess!

From http://www.weirdwwii.com/2012/10/battleground-weird-wwii-panzerjager-ivr.html

You can certainly see older, small chassis getting a new lease of life with this small launcher fitted.

"1946 Racket AT Misile tank" Late WW2/'46 German AT Guided Missile vehicle. Based on a Panzerjager IV chassis and using the X-7 Rotkappchen Missile.  From http://www.modelblokez.org.au/othermodels.html#prettyPhoto

And here is the Pz.IV Raketenwerfer: Missile tank on Panzer IV chassis, armed with four wire-guided Х-7 Rottkapptchen AT missiles".   A single prototype was made.

From Achtung Panzer: "It was also planned to arm Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf C/D/E with four 280mm or 300mm rocket projectors mounted in a special turret, which replaced the standard one. Turret consisted of forward mounted cabin with machine gun and rear mounted hydraulically operated launching frame. A single prototype was produced and tested although full-scale production did not take place. It was designated as Raketenwerfer auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw IV."

Model version - lots more profile pics from the source site here: http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article/raketenwerfer-auf-fahrgestell-pzkpfwiv/3844

OGRE Mk 0.1?

The KV-VI is actually a hoax, started by somebody photoshopping a column of KVs so it looked like one giant tank. But that doesn't mean its not cool of course, or that I don't want one on my WWW2 table!
From: http://xmb.stuffucanuse.com/xmb/viewthread.php?tid=4693

The Russian land battleship - KV-VI Behemoth tank

A fascinating tale of state power over commonsense military design. Stalin wanted a land battleship, and he was going to get one no matter how impractical it was.  Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, new facts have surfaced about the secret weapons developed by the Red Army during WWII.

One of the most fascinating of these was the KV-VI Behemoth. In July 1941, Stalin learned of a single KV-II that had held off the entire 6th Panzer Division for more than a day. With the incredible success of this single tank, Stalin ordered a crash program for a land battleship based on the KV-II design.

It was to have three turrets and be very heavily armed and armored and able to defend itself against all types of attack.

The project was given to the joint team of Kotin/Barkov. When the designers complained to Stalin that the insistence on three turrets made the vehicle too long to have an acceptable turning radius, Stalin's answer was: "It doesn't need to turn, it will drive straight to Berlin."

The final design became known as the KV-VI "Behemoth". The KV-VI was a multi-turreted tank using components of the KV-I and II, Bt-5, T-60, and T-38. The use of existing tank designs was necessary because of pressure from Stalin and the strains put on Soviet industry by the German invasion. Because of its massive weight, the tank was equipped with wading devices permitting it to traverse rivers up to 9 feet deep

The team also designed a removable observation tower that could be used to direct the fire of the howitzers and rockets while the tank was in a turret down position.


Operational History
The first prototype was completed in December 1941 and was rushed into the defense of Moscow. In its first action during a dense winter fog, the rear turret accidentally fired into the center turret. The resulting explosion completely destroyed the vehicle.

The second prototype was completed in January 1942, and was sent to the Leningrad front. This one had indicators installed to show whe another turret was in the line of fire. In its initial attack on the Germans, the tank broke in half when crossing a ravine. A spark ignited the leaking flamethrower fuel and the resulting explosion completely destroyed the vehicle.

The third prototype, shown here, had a reinforced hull and was also sent to the Leningrad front in early 1942. It did manage to shoot down three German aircraft. In its first ground engagement, the KV-VI was firing on German positions when coincidentally all of the guns fired from the 3 O'Clock position a the same time. The tremendous recoil tipped the tank into a ditch and the severe jostling set off the 152mm ammunition, which completely destroyed the vehicle.

After these failures, Stalin cancelled the project, and many of the design team members spent the rest of their lives in the Gulags of Sibera. The KV-VI was nicknamed "Stalin's Orchestra" by the few Germans that encountered it because of the variety of weapons it deployed.

KV-VI Specifications

Crew: 15 men and one Commissar Length: 51 feet, 4 inches
Height: 15 feet, 3 inches Width: 10 feet, 10 inches
Height/tower raised: 37 feet, 8 inches Weight: 138 tons
Engine: 3 X V-2 at 600 horsepower each Max Speed: 13 mph
Max Range: 98 miles road; 43 miles cross country
Armor: 160mm maximum; 7mm minimum
Armament: 2 X 152mm; 2 X 76.2mm; 1 X 45mm; 2 X 12.7mm DShK; 2 X 7.62mm Maxim; 14 X 7.62mm DT; 16 X BM-13 Rockets; 2 X Model 1933 Flamethrowers

 http://forums.filefront.com...

Picture below of the mighty KV-VI Behemoth land battleship as a model, and a rare photo of the first version of the land battleship (note the track covers on the early version that were removed because of high track maintenance needs)

 

British Heavy Assault Tank: A39 Tortoise

Commissioned mid war for maximum protection, deliberately sacrificing mobility and speed, this beast had no less than 17 designs. Massive tanks weren't just on the Eastern Front...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoise_heavy_assault_tank
http://chrisshillito.tripod.com/a39/a39txt.htm

And yes they have one at Bovington!

Kätzchen APC - Part 2

I've been agitating for awhile for somebody to step up and make this vehicle in 28mm.  After yesterday's entry here I made a glib post at the Lead Adventure Forum about anybody taking it up - to my delight Company B has just posted that:


Masters already done.  Casting to begin in Dec.

Here it is next to a JTFM Halftrack.  Joint JTFM and CompanyB model.

Excellent!
http://www.companyb.biz/

Kätzchen APC

Gepanzerter Mannschaftstransportwagen Kätzchen (early designation) or Vollkettenaufklarer 38(t) Kätzchen
...a WW2 fully tracked APC for the Germans.

In late 1943 Heereswaffenamt WA Pruf 6 asked Auto Union to develop a light fully tracked reconnaissance vehicle capable of carrying 6-8 men in an open-topped superstructure. The vehicle was to be capable of speeds in excess of 50 km/hour, and was to be moderately armored. The prototypes were tested in the summer of 1944 and were well liked for both their layout and mobility. Problems were encountered with the gearbox and for this reason, and also because of the decision in Sept./ 1944 to limit all new constructions to 2 chassis types only. Namely the Auto-Union with Parts from the Panther or the CKD (Hetzer 38T).

It was eventually decided to just order a prototype from CKD in Prague, maker of the Hetzer 38(T) Panzerjager. The CKD prototype was actually built in 1944. It was wider than the Auto Union model and heavier, being much better armored. Its front plate was 50mm, sides 30mm and rear 20mm. It retained the general layout with the open top and the engine in the rear, but disposed with the kugelblende for the front MG, wich was instead mounted behind an armored shield as carried by the SdKfz.250 and 251 halftracks. A rear mount for another MG was also provided.

1/76 scale model, by Fine Cast Models

There are few models available in 15mm and 20mm, but none in 28mm yet (darn it...)

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/Katzchen.htm

http://mainly28s.com/odds/Katzchen.htm

Kugelblitz: Experimental AA Panzer

Another of the 'proposed panzers' this was planned to rectify the deficiencies in other armoured AA defences, such as the Wirbelwind.

Instead of a quad 20mm configuration (which was found to be inadequate) this was the same PzIV chassis with an enclosed twin 30mm turret, each firing 450 rounds per minute.  Some prototypes were completed and may have seen combat in the latter days of the war, but records are incomplete.

I think the rounded turret gives it a kind of early Warsaw Pact styled appearance


I'd like to find a turret in 28mm to slot onto an existing PzIV when needed, but that might be a big ask.
Found it in micro armour (1/300) scale though: http://www.navigatorminiatures.com/product.asp?P_ID=4992&strPageHistory=search&strKeywords=pz&numPageStartPosition=1&strSearchCriteria=any&PT_ID=752


and also in 15mm: http://www.peterpig.co.uk/german.htm


More on this vehicle here:

http://www.panzerworld.net/flakpanzeriv.html

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/kugel.htm#kugel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kugelblitz

T-28 Superheavy Tank

Looks more like something from 40K!

  

British Prototype Tanks of WW2

Funky tanks and big ideas weren't just restricted to the Germans (but who could turn down a Tiger III, really?)  Anyway, the Brits had their own and creative tank designers too, some of which would look great on a Weird WW2 table.

Alecto Self Propelled Gun with a 95mm gun

The A4E10 Light Tank 

TOG II Heavy Tank

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_armoured_fighting_vehicles_of_World_War_II#Prototypes

Jagdpanzer E-100 "Krokodil"

Jagdpanzer E-100 Krokodil: Super Heavy Tank Destroyer

Model by Frank Forster from: http://www.track-link.net/gallery/2871

A model of the Krokodil.

The E-100 is infrequently referred to as the "Tiger III" and more commonly mistaken for the Maus super heavy tank. Not without good reason, considering that development of the E-100 and the Maus were concurrent and because the Maus progressed more quickly the E-100 was intended to have mounted an identical turret. This makes even technical illustrations of the two look surprisingly similar, but the E-100 was more than just a lousy Maus imposter. As the scale tipping end of Germany's rather ingenious "E-series" of next generation tanks the E-100 was planned to be the platform for a variety of super heavy armored vehicles. Among these was the E-100 "Krokodil", a super heavy anti-tank vehicle.

Without the Maus turret to contend with the Krokodil would have slimmed down the impressive 3.6 meter profile of the turreted E-100 and lightened the load on the E-100's 800 horsepower Maybach engine. While the E-100 was unlikely to acheive the promised road speed of 40 kilometers per hour (twice as fast as the Maus) the Krokodil would have likely come closer. The Krokodil would have maintained or even enhanced the E-100s 24 centimeters of sloped armor. The most powerful anti-tank gun fielded by the Germans by the end of the war was the 128mm KwK 44 used by the Jagdtiger and planned for the Maus. The E-100 tank and Jagdpanzer Krokodil both would have mounted a 170mm anti-tank gun capable of driving an armor piercing shot through anything on the battlefield at ranges up to four kilometers.

The E-100 was projected to weigh a "mere" 136 tons, but this number hardly seems realistic given that the weight of the less heavily armed Maus was 188 tons. The E-100, like the Maus, also mounted a coaxial 75mm gun for anti-personnel duty. This gun would have been done away with in the purpose-built Krokodil and would have further trimmed the operational weight of the vehicle and freed up room for more ammunition.

E-100 chassis.

History: The E-Series, or "Einheitsfahrgestell" Series, or General Purpose Chassis Series if you like English, began in April of 1943 with an order to various manufacturers to begin developing different weight classes of vehicles. The E-series was envisioned as a sort of fresh start for the panzer armies of Germany, an entire new wave of armored vehicles in all shapes and sizes. They ranged from the E-5 ultra-light tanks in the 5-10 ton range all the way up to the gargantuan E-100 series. The idea was a grander realization of what was attempted with the Koenigs Tiger and formative Panther II; a complete interchangeability of parts. Every piece of an ultra-light E-5 tank possible would be made to work in a super-heavy E-100 tank, greatly streamlining the efficiency of production, maintenance, and training. This was an impressive goal and one which has yet to be fully realized by any military to this day.

By the end of the war many vehicles in the E-Series had progressed well into the prototype phase, including a variety of light anti-tank guns. For the E-100, fate was less kind. Because of the terrible situation Germany found itself in by 1944, development of super heavy tanks was all but halted. A handful of engineers at the Henschel facility in Paderborn were allowed to continue assembling a prototype of the E-100 tank. They had nearly completed the chassis when the facility was overrun by the British and Americans in 1945. The chassis was carted off to England where it was eventually scrapped.

The legacy of the E-100 and the Krokodil are particularly sad considering that so much noise is made about the Maus when they were both clearly superior vehicles. Their greatly improved speed, even if a bit optimistic, places them leaps and bounds ahead of the Maus in terms of the usefulness they would have had on the battlefield.

From a WWW2 gaming perspective, 28mm versions are elusive in the extreme.
I did find a diecast version in 1/50 but the $230 price tag kinda scared me off...
http://www.themotorpool.net/German-E-100-Jagdpanzer-Krokodil-Tank-Destroyer-p/gaskrokodil.htm

Agis has built a 1/76 kit from Cromwell which has turned out beautifully (like the rest of his stuff I might add)
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/panzer_prototypes.html

Panzer Proposals

E Series
In mid-1943 a programme for the development of a completely new series of AFV's was initiated by the German Weapons Department. The principal intention was to draw upon the potential of those firms in the automobile industry who were not yet engaged in AFV production. The vehicles were to be standardised within the shortest possible time and were to be capable of being used in a variety of rules with a maximum commonality of component parts.

The following types were planned: 

E-5 A light vehicle in the 5-ton class, intended to serve as a light armoured personnel carrier, small tank, radio-controlled tank or recce tank.

E-10 In the 10-ton class, intended as a personnel carrier, light tank destroyer or weapons carrier.

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/1-Germany/04-Panzerjaegers/E-Serien/E-10.htm

E-25 In the 25-ton class intended as a reconnaissance tank, medium tank destroyer or heavy weapon carrier. Development contracts went to Argus, though there was aPorsche design for a vehicle of this class.

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/1-Germany/04-Panzerjaegers/E-Serien/E-25.htm

E-50 In the 50 to 65-ton class as a light battle tank intended eventually to replace the Panther. Development contracts went to Adler, Argus and Auto-Union

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/1-Germany/03-sPanzers/E-50/E-50.htm

E-75 In the 75 to 80-ton class this was a medium battle tank intended as a Tiger replacement. The development contract went to Adler. The E-50 and E-75 were to be equipped with the Maybach H 234 engine producing 1200hp at 3000rpm, and the Makrudo mechanical/hydrolic two-speed clutch steering gear. In appearance and size they were similar but the E-75 was to be more heavily armoured

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/1-Germany/03-sPanzers/E-75/E-75.htm

E-100 In the 140-ton class this was to be the heaviest tank. Development was undertaken by Adler and a hull with suspension was produced, but it was scrapped in late 44.

 

http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/Files/1-Vehicles/Axis/1-Germany/03-sPanzers/E-100/E-100%282%29.htm

RATTE

The Landkreuzer P.1000 "Ratte" ("Rat") was a super-heavy tank designed by Krupp in 1942. Hitler gave the project his blessing and the program set about to create the most powerful tank ever devised. It was an ambitious undertaking to say the least and - should it have been built - would also have become the largest tank ever produced. Albert Speer, the German Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich, saw the fruitlessness of such an endeavor and cancelled the P.1000 in early 1943. As such, the Ratte never made it off of the drawing boards.

Dimensions:

Overall Length: 114.83ft (35.00m)   Width: 45.93ft (14.00m)   Height: 36.09ft (11.00m)
Crew 20
Weight: 1,000.0 Tons 
Armour:     Maximum: 360 mm - Minimum: 150 mm Armament Suite:
PRIMARY:           2 x 280mm 54.5 SK C/34 naval guns
SECONDARY:    1 x 128mm KwK 44 L/55 anti-tank gun
                             8 x 20mm Flak 38 anti-aircraft cannons
                             2 x 15mm Mauser MG 151/15 autocannons
 
Engine(s): 8 x Daimler-Benz MB501 20-cylinder marine engines developing 16,000 horsepower OR 4 x MAN V12732/44 24-cylinder marine diesel engines developing 17,000 horsepower.

Maximum Speed: 25mph (40 km/h)Systems:

Obviously all of these were abandoned in the late war era, but what could have been by 1949....

Since researching this, I've found that Agis Neugebauer has done an amazing job writing his own wargaming supplmene tup for these Panzer Prototypes here:
http://www.adpublishing.de/html/panzer_prototypes.html

More here at these sites:
http://fingolfen.tripod.com/eseries/eseries.html
http://henk.fox3000.com/maus.htm
http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/showthread.php?3292-Panzer-projects-amp-prototypes
http://ww2drawings.jexiste.fr/index.htm

Strange (but true) German vehicles

Multi-turreted tanks? Black Wolf experimental SS tank? Submarine/Torpdo hybrids?

Rail-zeppelin bullet train? 2-man mini tanks!

If you like the sound of these, then this site is for you!

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/