Previous articles:
- “So you want to build a WoT tech tree?” – CZ Tree part 0
- CZ Tree part 1 - Kolohousenka
- CZ Tree part 2 - LT Vz.35
- CZ Tree part 3 - LT Vz.38
- CZ Tree part 4 - ST Vz.39
- CZ Tree part 5 - T-24
it's time for another part of the Czechoslovak tank series, this time about the tier 6. I will be heavily referencing the T-24 article so if you haven't read it and are interested in this, go have a look at it first because it won't make a whole lot of sense without it.
Finished?
Right, let's get to it. Tier 6 situation was pretty much similar to tier 5. We have a vehicle that looks quite different from the usual depiction in publications. Well, actually it's more complicated since the T-25 is already in the game. I should probably write T 25 but I prefer the version with the dash (the name in the game will however likely be without it).
So, as you know, we aleady have the T-25 in the game (in a relatively nerfed form) as a tier 5 premium vehicle. This tank was made a very, very long time ago based on the data from the book of Hilary Doyle (using Doyle's drawing of the vehicle). How exactly accurate the drawing is - well, actually, it is (we found the archive original on which it was based), Mr. Doyle is clearly a professional. Another source for the drawing is I. Pejčoch who just probably copied Doyle's drawing, they are quite similar. The drawing was a part of the original German description by Škoda for Wehrmacht (which I got my hands on) so yes, that's original. In other words, the "stock" form.
The second turret is actually much more interesting. If I remember correctly, it was also found on one of the plans - the turrets for T-25 were a massive pain in the ass in any case and T-25 data took quite long to find. My original thought was actually to use the elite T-24 turret as stock T-25 turret (remember the T-24 part where I wrote the hulls were compatible) but in the end it was not needed and we have two T-24 turrets + two T-25 turrets, again thanks to the archive-searching efforts of Mr.Tintěra. The second turret doesn't have the shot traps the "usual" T-25 turret has so it should be somewhat better but only marginally so.
But we already have one T-25, what will happen to it?
Well, as you might have guessed, it's pretty likely the German T-25 will disappear from the shops. I am pretty sure it will actually get renamed as well (we were discussing something like "Pzkpfw. T 25" for German and "Škoda T 25" for Czech) but power-wise, it likely won't be touched and it will stay "nerfed". Now the historical Škoda T 25, that's something a bit different. Let's have a look at the historical characteristics.
Crew: 4 - commander, driver, radioman, gunner
Mobility - 23 tons, 500 horsepower (the German data list includes the auxilliary engine into the total horsepower, this can be used to "cheat" and give the vehicle more powerful engine). That's 21,7 hp/t power-to-weight ratio. The German T-25 for comparison weighs 23,5 tons and has a 450hp Praga C9 engine - no idea where that name came from by the way - with 19,14 hp/t. The problem with the German T-25 is that it turns really slow, which is something that will likely be remedied on tier 6 - we are looking at a very, very mobile vehicle here - that's needed in order to compensate for the rather thin armor.
Engine: Škoda V12
Type: 19.814 liter V12
Cylinder: 120x146mm
Regular RPM: 3000
Power: 450 hp
Consumption: 280 grams per PS per hour
The vehicle had a secondary engine (50hp I4 2,383 liter adding the power to the total)
Total horsepower: 500 hp
Maximum speed: 60 km/h
Track width: 460mm
Track pitch: 116mm
Six doubled roadwheels per side, 700mm diameter, 12 torsion bars
Ground pressure: 0,66 kg/cm2
Weight of the vehicle (without crew, combat ready): 23000 kg
Of which: 14000kg is turret, hull and equipment and 9000 is engine, transmission, steering, suspension
Armor - the armor is comparable to the existing tier 5 but represents a perfect example of how books can actually be wrong. Many sources (Pejčoch, Doyle too IIRC) state the frontal armor was actually 60mm thick and that's the number I was using for my early proposal as well. But no. According to the primary source we have (the abovementioned German description), the armor is somewhat thinner (50mm at maximum). As you can imagine, 50mm on tier 6 is not much (to put it mildly) so this vehicle will be all about firepower and mobility (which is a general trait of the later Czech vehicles - well, except for tier 7). We do not know where Pejčoch's and Doyle's 60mm frontal armor came from.
Upper front plate: 50mm
Lower front plate: 50mm
Frontal turret: 50mm
Side armor (vertical - lower sides): 50mm
Side armor (sloped): 35mm
Sloped parts on lower side of frontal/side turret: 35mm
Rear armor: 35mm
Rear armor (lower heavily sloped part): 25mm
Floor: 20mm
Roof: 20mm
Armor above the tracks: 8mm
Firepower - yes, this is the strongest side. A rapid fire 75mm gun. While this tank stayed on paper, this gun was actually built and tested (including the autoloader part) - after the war, it was used in a captured Tiger for testing (unfortunately no photos survived of this hybrid), where it reached 40 RPM. Naturally the power of the gun was not sufficient against new medium tanks such as the T-54 (Czechoslovaks knew about the T-54 as early as in April 1946 thanks to the excellent relationships between the Czechoslovak officers and the Soviets!) but it was considered for post-war light tank projects.
Gun: Škoda A18
Shell weight: 6kg
Muzzle velocity: 900 m/s
Caliber: L/55
Barrel length: 4130mm
Penetration at 1000 meters (30 degrees): 98mm
Depression: -10/+20
Recoil: 500mm
Rate of fire: 15 RPM (burst: 40 RPM)
Ammo carried: 60
Weight of the gun with mantlet: 1600 kg
Conclusion
Compared to the ingame vehicle, we can expect something faster and more agile, equipped with an excellent autoloading gun. The stock gun will likely be the same (only without autoloader), as far as I can see they modelled only one gun for the entire tank. So far the Czechoslovaks are lightly armored.
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